M11xR2 worth it? - Advice needed please

Hey
I'm just wondering if the M11x-R2 is worth it. In New Zealand, it is 1999NZD (approx. 1331USD) with the base Core i3 processor; with upgrades to the i5 and i7 being 65 and 362 NZD respectively.
I'm getting the refund from my M17x soon, and I intend to get a netbook/small notebook for typing etc. at school (and university next year) and a reasonably powerful desktop for gaming.
I have a couple of choices: M11x + desktop or a cheap netbook + desktop. I'm having difficulty deciding between the two.

- If I get the M11x, I have to really cut down on the desktop I'm building because of the M11x's price. I have a slower desktop, but I also have the M11x.
- If I get a bargain basement 499NZD netbook, then I can build myself a much more powerful desktop, but the downside is that I don't have the M11x and the netbook will be fairly slow with an Atom CPU (I'm guessing).

What do you guys think I should do?

Thank you

 

Why not go all out with the m11x and have some sort of docking setup?

 

After playing around with my brand new C2D M11x all day, it is a great machine. But it is no gaming powerhouse.

Personally, if I wanted a laptop suited for balls-out gaming, I would get a M15x. I do 95% of my gaming on an Xbox 360, so the M11x is perfect for me because it's mostly older games and the Blizzard stuff. If I wanted to play newer games like Batman AA with all the settings cranked through the roof, I'd do an M15x. The new ATi GPU in those things is pretty beefy.

 

I wouldn't be buying a Netbook at the moment as they'll all be heading towards Dual Core soon (ASUS) and frankly all a current Netbook is good for at the moment is taking notes, web browsing and email.

I'm saying the same as 'Niber' and go all out on an M11xR2 i7-640UM (4GB RAM), get a good wireless keyboard/mouse and a decent size monitor cia 22-24" with DisplayPort/HDMI (M11xR2 doesn't have VGA port)

Cause unless you're writing you own missile guidance application and need a super computer (And who doesn't with Australia just over the water ) you'll find the M11xR2 should met your needs.

If your desktop doesn't already have a good high speed bus (Mother Board) and PCIe you'd be wasting you money upgrading it cause it'll still be slow.

I upgraded my Dell Dim4600 P4 3.2Ghz winXP (Bad example I know) and it cost NZD450. (450W PSU, ATI HD 3850 AGP, 2GB RAM). It can now play Crysis on med-high, but the bus speed, memory speed, IDE HDD and P4 processor are still crap.

Even my SU7300 M11xR1 over-clocked can pants it (expect for the ATI GDDR3 3850 GPU which rocks).

So unless you have to have every current game playable at it's highest level, get a tooled up M11xR2, anything else is just a scaled set of compromises.

M15x is bigger and weighs twice as much at 4kg and by saving NZD600 on the M11xR2 i7 you could get a kick arse GPU for your existing desktop or just have a big party.

Hay, and when DX11 games abound in a few years, you're probably ready for an upgrade anyway.

 

Hmm, yeah thanks. I mainly play WoW, so will the M11xR2 handle it okay?

My current desktop has a: AMD Athlon 64 3400+ CPU, 1.5GB of RAM, Radeon X1300 video card (not very good) and a 300w PSU.

That's a good option, I'll think further.
Thanks

 

From what I've seen on here from people, the R1 plays WOW fine, so the R2 should also.

 

If you don't intend to play games with your netbook than the only logical answer to your question is this:

Buy a normal netbook and use the rest of the money for your desktop.
I mean the M11x is a great machine and the R2 will be even better,
but if you don't intend to game "on the run" and do ressource-hungry stuff with this beast than it is no use buying it.

Don't buy your money. You can get a decent Wow-capable desktop and a normal netbook for much less money than the M11xR2 combined with a desktop or even alone.

 

The above is from another post using a M11xR1, but it demonstrates the playability of WoW at extreme settings.
Native res is 720p.

 

Hey guys, about the R2 in ANZ. I was looking on the Dell website for Australia and nowhere do they mention Optimus for the R2 and also how are we getting 1333mhz ram when everyone else is getting 800mhz?

I just cancelled my order for a R1 I made last week to get this .. but if it does not have Optimus, thats a major dispointment the old switch method was quite cumbersome (having to close programs, not disabling the 335m when you switched back to integrated, etc.)

Anyone noticed that?

 

I believe it mentions Optimus under 'Video Card Options' in the tech specs page of the M11x on both the AU and NZ site.

 

get this.. Notebookcheck: Review Asus N82JV Notebook
i lost my hope in M11x already..
It has all the M11x features but the extra one is USB3.0

 

With the AlienwareTM M11x gaming laptop, you can play anything, anywhere. While weighing in at less than 2.0 kg,2 the M11x packs enough power to handle the latest games. It truly redefines the gaming capabilities of sub-15" laptops.
Combining the power of the optional Intel® CoreTM i7 640UM and 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 335M GPU with optional NVIDIA® OptimusTM technology, the M11x delivers an intense gaming experience. Dominate wherever you may go.​

The above is a direct quote form the oz Dell web page.
Optional NVIDIA Optimus, cause it's not avialable on SU4100 or SU7300 models.

The only thing you may not get out of the US is the Soft-Touch paint job.

 

Ah it does say "optional", which I will assume meaning you opt for the R2 over the R1. Cheers I did not see that, I went straight to the customize screen and could not find it in there.

As for that Asus, its a 14'' laptop. Its not even in the same class as the M11x

Edit: Also we are missing out on the neoprene sleeves and Alienware carry cases

To OP, The M11x R1 plays WoW(and almost any other game a threw at it, Dirt 2, Batman AA, Supreme Commander 2, Fallout 3, Modern Warfare) flawlessly at 1366x768 (which is hi-rez enough anyway)

 

well your conclusion is just wrong!

The Asus notebook has a "grown-up" mobile i7-processor (620m).

Please do NOT confuse this one with the i7 640um which is avaible in the R2.

 

Hmmm, so I shouldn't spend a majority of my money on a desktop and get a cheap netbook?

 

It's funny how ASUS has i7-620m vs the "weak" SU4100/7300 yet scores 6800 on 3DMark06. Oh and rofl @ USB3.0 as a dealbreaker. ^^

 

fail, delete this post

 

Harsh, but fair.

Coffee holders sell cars.

 

Would a desktop Radeon 5770 be fine for WoW?
I just realised I don't actually game that much anymore due to time constraints and will game even less next year at Uni.
Should I still get the M11x? I really like its styling

 

This is true - I failed to mention that when I played "choppy" Batman AA, this was not just due to me running it at 1920x1080, but I also had the visuals cranked to the absolute maximum. The game runs smooth as glass at 1366x768 with the settings dialled back just a bit. It still looks a hell of a lot better than it did on my Xbox!

Personally, I am not sure the extra cash for the i7 is worth it in these guys. You're treading into M15x territory, IMO.

If you play primarily PC games, spend the $800-900 on a M11x, and then put together a decent gaming PC for $500 or so. Best of both worlds. Personally, the M11x does everything I need, since I game mostly on the Xbox.

 

What kind of video card would be in a decent gaming PC? 5770? 5830?

Cheers

 

I have one more question:

Is the M11x R2 really worth the extra money over the R1?
The R1 is $1,799 ($1,233 US) here in NZ and the R1 starts at $2,199 ($1,508 US). It is $400 more...are the i5/i7s really that much faster than the SU7300?

Thanks

 

Balrog, I dont believe anyone can really answer that question completely until they have the unit in hand. Perhaps you should hold off until we start seeing the benchmarks from new owners here on NBR.

 

Yeah, good idea, thanks.

 

Off topic but
Does the tumbdrive that comes with the M11x have all the drivers and the OS?

 

Red - should have ordered 24 hours ago, it was all $100 cheaper then! And the kiwi has supposedly gone up against the greenback... *sigh*

 

I started a sales chat and the person I was talking to took $100 off without me even asking.

 

I did that also MC, except they wanted my phone number, and they rang me and wouldn't give any discount.... and kept on ringing for days at a time asking me if I had changed my mind.

In the end I just flat out bought it straight from the website.

 

hope you figure out what to get

 

For a casual gamer, the R2 M11x can last about 1.5-2 years. As a standard laptop with turbo boost and the built in O/Cing and 4 total threads, this thing will scream with a SSD. I would get the M11x. See if it can suit your needs. If not return it and build a desktop along with a cheap netbook for school. You can put together a nice gaming machine for around 600-700$ without monitor.

 

Hmm yeah

Is this system good for the price? Or could I build it myself for cheaper?
That price is New Zealand Dollars, btw.

Computer Store in Auckland - Computer Lounge

(Not sure if I'm allowed to link here. If not, sorry)

Thanks

 

Hmm I'm considering getting a SSD for my MX11 R1. It may not scream with the C2D, but it better try.

 

Trust me once you use a SSD, you never want to use a machine without one.

 

Okay I think I might just get the M11x R2 with an external monitor & keyboard/mouse.
An okay choice?

 

If you're asking about R1, it doesn't come with a USB drive. You get Windows installation on a DVD.

 

I think that this update is going to be worth it. I use my m11x primarily when I work nights in the hospital and need a break to run some MW2 or swing the other direction and get research done. All done seamlessly, but to add an even better processor (seemingly anyway), this is going to be the thing to beat in terms of mobility

 

Hey, is the 'soft-touch' black available in NZ?
It doesn't mention it when you're configuring the machine,
But under Tech Specs, it says: 'Soft Touch - Stealth Black (M11x Core i3 and i5)'
Do you think it will have the soft touch black?

 

You could always ring Dell and find out.

 

Yeah, I'll give them a call sometime.
My M11x + monitor choice is okay?

 

Get a good monitor with a good set of ports. DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort(optional) on the monitor is a must when using an M11xR2. Failing that you can always get a DisplayPort to DVI converter. In the future if you buy another monitor then you can extend the screen using the HDMI and DisplayPort.
Alienware even has a 3D monitor if that's your thing.
HP LP2475w or Dell U2410 are two examples of high-end monitor, BUT be careful Dell refuses to admit the IPS monitors have tinting problems, HP and Apple may be more conciliatory if you have issues.
Your monitor will be a keeper for all your desktop needs so future proof it as much as you can. If you're a developer you may need a monitor with a greater height than 1080px.
USB wireless keyboard/mouse. USB switch and a powered USB hub for desktop/notebook connections.

If you do buy an M11xR2, monitor and wireless keyboard thru Dell, haggle like they is no tomorrow. And then haggle some more.

Oh, did I mention to haggle.

 

I found the Singaporeans/Malaysians that seem to be our reps rather difficult to haggle with.

 

I agree, when I bought my M17x, they wouldn't budge at all, even after threatening to go elsewhere for my purchase. Even contacting other reps didn't work - same answers.

When my first M17x stuffed up, I managed to get a replacement out of them with a free headset.
I guess I was lucky.

 

Are you guys aware of any discount coupons for Alienware ANZ? I could not find any beside for accesories...

 

Nope, couldn't find anything at the time for NZ. Market probably isn't big enough here for nice coupons - even NZ EPP isn't doing deals on AW stock.

 

Time to start flagellating yourself if you haven't ordered your M11x from Dell New Zealand yet.

The New Zealand M11x price has gone up.

The base M11xR1 model(SU4100/SU7300) is now NZD1799 up NZD100

The base M11xR2 i5-520UM is now NZD2199(USD1515) up NZD140
The NZ base M11XR2 comes with Bluetooth, 500GB HDD and 4GB RAM

The M11xR2 i7-640UM is now NZD2495 up NZD135

The M11xR2 i3-330UM has been removed from the Dell New Zealand web site.

I bought my M11xR1 SU7300 (4GB, 500GB, Bluetooth, win7 pro ) in Feb for NZD1950 ( NZD138 off for good haggling ) and I'm very happy with it.

So starting over again would I now buy an M11xR2 i7-640UM for an extra NZD550(USD380).. hard call.

 

One question that should be answered is do you need a standard netbook if you have the m11x? Granted most are smaller and lighter, the m11x was made imo to fill that void. Yeah it weighs about 1-to-1.5 pounds more than the more standard 10.1" netbooks, but it is still a small light system especially given the capabilities.

i ordered a m11x so i could have a small light computer which i could also play games with. from my perspective the two following options make the most sense

1. Desktop + Alienware m11x
2. More Powerful Desktop + standard netbook

Option 3 which would contain Desktop + m11x + netbook seems like situation where you would have to give up power in either your desktop or your m11x in order to purchase the netbook

 

Have to agree 100% on that one.

I bought the M11x primarily for graphics work - photo processing and this machine does that job very well.
The 320GB 7200 rpm HDD that came with my M11x R1 was quite good. I ended up installing a 128GB SSD and upping the RAM to 8GB and this feels like a whole different machine now. It's hard to go back to a standard SATA drive after using the SSD. The Momentux XT (I think that's what it is) with 4GB+500GB appears to be the next best alternative.

Using an external 1TB drive for all the data/backup lets me get by with the small 128GB SSD. I am hoping the 512GB SSD's or even the 256GB SSD's come down in price soon.
Right now, I think my M11x should last me atleast 1.5-2yrs - so not really looking into the R2.


Anyone know what the style / model number of the WWAN card would be that fits into the M11x. I got mine without WWAN and am wondering if a card can be purchased seperately so one may use AT&T wireless here in the states.

 

I was in the same situation, had just built my rig..but also realzied I needed to be portable. I tried some netbooks, but they all sucked for general performance (maybe having six true cores, spoiled me..hehe), so the m11x gave me the best portable option. But I am a pwer user, and others may be just fine with a regular netbook, its really up to your needs. With tech changing at the pace it is, makes no sense to overspend for braggin rights IMO.

 

Wow, an 11.6" screen and not a very good one at that for graphic and photo 'processing'.
I have a couple of 24" IPS monitors and a desktop for my graphics work.

I guess you're just using the M11x as a portable processor and GPU and not for it's screen.

Odd choice though I must say.

Learn something new every day.

 

I use mine mainly for that as well. Have not had an issue (but I'm dealing w/ illustrations and not photos, so colors being 1000% true is not a big issue for me)