Thinking about coming back

I had the R1 and upgraded to the MacBook Air 11" when it came out and fairly happy with the Air's gaming performance. I use the system a lot more for gaming than I thought and have built up quite a collection of current FPS games on Steam. With the current release of the 11" Air I was kind of bummed about the step backward in graphical performance for gaming in Windows 7 and frankly quite irritated by the Mac community blasting me for asking questions about MBA gaming. I understand that the Air is not really a gaming machine but I think it is pretty good. Do you think that I would be happier with the R3 i7 M11x instead of the 2010 Air for gaming and general use on the go? Anadtech's recent review for the R3 was good but they ripped on the display. Is the display really that bad? Bad enough to bother me why gaming? I mean what's the point in buying a powerful portable system if the the visuals are poor due to the display. Also, I was curious if the i7 version with the 540 GPU is able to play 3D using the Nvidia Vision kit and a 120 Hz HD Samsung LCD tv? Much thanks for your responses!

 

Well, I doubt you'll find many people on this Alienware M11x forum that will tell you a Macbook is a better gaming solution than an M11x. All I can tell you is that I own an M11x, and I use it for heavy gaming, and that I'm very happy with it.

Whether or not the M11x is right for you really depends on what you plan to use it for. If your expectations are realistic, and you remember that this isn't a quad-core desktop, then I think you'll enjoy it. The R3 has better specs than the R1, but if you don't like the R1 then chances are you're probably not going to like the R3. What kinds of games do you plan on playing on your M11x? If you give me a list, I can give you a general opinion on whether or not an M11x is a good idea or not.

People rip on the screen size because it's small. The irony is that they're missing the point. This gaming notebook is designed for portability above all else. If you're looking for a giant screen, this isn't the laptop for you. When I bought my M11x I thought that the screen size would be a huge problem. It wasn't at all. There is nothing wrong with the display at all, and my M11x puts out some amazing visuals. Don't take MY word for it though... do some research dude. Get on Youtube, look at some gameplay videos... go look at one in person.

I don't know anything about the 3D kit, other than the fact that the R3 has it. The M11x has an HDMI port specifically for external monitors, and it works very well. That's all I can tell you. I've never been a big fan of 3D... frankly it always seemed like a gimmick to sell more laptops to me.... but what do I know? If 3D is your thing... do your research. Find if your monitor is compatible before you buy the laptop obviously. I would call Dell if it's that important to you.

 

Thanks for replying! I actually loved my R1 but was drawn to the Air thinking I would play less games and use it more for work. I have been playing COD Black Ops, Crysis 2, Batman AA, Metro 2033, etc. Also, I have no problem with the size of the screen, I was just worried if the screen quality will bother me. I actually felt my R1 screen was fine. The only issues I had with the R1 was the build quality was a little off- meaning the keyboard was a little raised and the screen bezel had some separation which let a little dust particles under the glass. Other than that, the hinge and rest of the laptop seemed very sturdy.

 

My original machine was also a m11x r1, loved that to bits but the low minimum frame rates in some games really annoyed me, namely Arkham Asylum (favourite game). I now have a r3 which I got as a replacement from Dell for some technical issues and I couldn't be happier! Whereas the R1 was giving me an average of 30-40 fps and a minimum of like 13 in Arkham Asylum, the R3 gives me a solid 50-60 frames with it rarely dropping below 40 as a minimum. In a single challenge I monitored it and it didn't drop below 50.

Can't testify to the other titles you mentioned, but it will run AC: Brotherhood at just above 30 fps on average and very occasionally dip below 30, Vanilla Crysis runs at about 40 fps on all medium settings, and goes down to just below 30 in heavy firefights.

Haven't had a chance to give many more games a go, but I can recommend it in terms of performance. One recommendation is get a set of headphones, it can get really loud when gaming heavily.

 

That sounds pretty impressive! I have Beats Solo, so it should handle drowning out any sounds. What do you think about buying a refurb unit off of eBay? They say it comes with a 1 year manufacturer warranty.

 

3D requires a massive pumping GPU. Any M11X would run it below average.

A M11X is more powerful then a Macbook.

Get a R3. And max it.

 

Wouldn't know about refurb units sorry, all of my dealings have been directly with Dell and new units.

 

Funny you mention this because I did the exact same thing. Had an R2 and sold it for the 11" MBA. Missed the gaming performance but loved the portability and OSX. Gaming was surprisingly decent under Bootcamp but left me wanting more. Almost sold it for an R3 when they came out but decided I loved my Air too much to give it up.

Recently I've been wanting something for gaming on the go and I've been doing a lot of research. Wanted something small and portable but packed a punch, almost went with the M14x but decided it's battery wasn't long enough for me. Then I almost went with a refurb r3 but decided against that. Really was looking forward to the updated airs but I didn't think their was enough incentive for me to upgrade since I don't use it for anything that demanding.

In the end I decided to buy a used R1 and keep my Air so I got the best of both worlds. Awesome portability and OSX for school and gaming on the go for when I don't need that.

BTW I got a hell of deal on my R1. $570 shipped w/ 8GB RAM and a 500GB HD. Very happy with my purchase.

 

That's pretty much the story with me! I love my Air, but I find myself playing games on it and using my iPad 2 for pretty much everything else. I figured if i enjoy PC gaming, I might as well have a decent portable system for better frame rates instead of the typical 15-20 fps I get from my Air. I was thinking about getting the maxed out 2011 Air, but the graphics got worse. I think the M11x will hit the sweet spot for me. Plus I might as well make the switch back instead of messing with Lion.

 

Since you find yourself playing much more games, I would ditch the Mac altogether. M11X is a superb system and I think you'd have a much more enjoyable experience with one at your side.

 

all i got to say is go look at a video game store and see how almost every computer game says "best played on alienware"

 

Yeah I know what you mean, but like everyone else is saying if you're gaming more then you need to ditch OSX. M11x really is the way to go. I'm lucky enough to have a kick tower at home so not having a powerful portable doesn't bother me, but I do spend a lot of time at school and like to be able to game there from time to time, hence why I bought the R1.

BTW, Lion is awesome so far.

 

I guess the only thing holding me back at the moment is the Anandtech review regarding the R3 screen quality. The review makes it sound like the machine is perfect in every way except the screen. I am worried that I will get great gameplay and not be able to enjoy it if the screen is dull or not that sharp. At least with my Air or even the R1, the screen quality is decent in my opinion. Does anyone have an honest opinion on their R3 screen while playing? Is it a noticeable detractor from enjoying the gaming graphics?

 

If you see yourself primary gaming for the vast majority of your free time, than yes, the upgrade is certainly worth it. Nobody would ever say that the M11X is inferior to the MBA in terms of gaming. However, if you are a student or travel a lot, than perhaps your better off sticking with the MBA. Faster load times, light as a feather, and its quiet. I heard a lot about the R3 fans being a havoc, especially when gaming. And the screen quality is nothing to boast about.