What to include on my M15x Purchase.

Hi everyone, thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

Im a long time lover of Alienware and have just come into a little bit of money, its not a massive amount but enough for me to get and m15x.

I was just wondering if anyone can help me save money by helping me out with what parts will make alot of difference if I upgrade and which wont make such a difference. For example, the processor, video card and the other things you can upgrade when purchasing.

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers

Cameron

 

Well, your going to want to get an i7 processor. The one you choose really depends on how much your willing to shell out (or how much you have to spend).
As far as RAM goes, you need 4GB at 1333Ghz to run most games and anything higher isn't needed now (will be needed in the future though). If you have the cash I'd recommend 6GB of RAM.

The video-card is very important as far as gaming goes. Go with the 260m or the 5850. Many people on here prefer the 5850 because it has slightly higher benches but either card will be able to gobble up most of the games you throw at it with relative ease.

Get the 500gb hard drive for now. I personally feel that SSD hard drives are a bit too pricey cause it's a relatively new technology but if you have the money to spend, why not?

Much everything else is what you personally desire. Hope this helps!

 

Graphics go with ati radeon 5850.. It's cheaper then Nividia and I hear it's somewhat better, although that's what I just ordered so I hve no experience it's just what I read and was told. I'd probably get an i7 proccessor idk witch one to tell you but I went with the 720q.. But I hear the 620 I think it is? Well I hear it's better for gaming although it's just what I read. But get atleast a 1yr advanced warrenty. I'm upgrading to 4years once I get the money, I say warrenty is the best thing you can do.

 

Thanks for the info so far guys!

With regards to the RAM, if i got the 4gb one you suggested and then in the future wanted to upgrade would id be possible to do so?

 

You can always upgrade your ram memory later so don't worry about that. Personnaly I didn't notice a gaming improvement when I upgraded my ram memory from 2 to 3 gigs, but it seems everybody is getting 4 gigs these days...no idea why.
I also make a configuration on the AW site to check how much the m15x costs once in a while, and have doubts what would be better: a 2.53ghz core i5, or the slightly more expensive 1.6 corei7 for €30 more (for pure gaming performance).

 

I personally think 2.53 core i5 should be more than enough for most games.

 

If I take the 2.4 ghz cpu I can purchase the m15x for €1600 which is about the most i'm willing to pay for a laptop. I'd expect for the gpu to be the botleneck after a while, rather than the cpu falling short (since the m11x has shown most games are playable with a 1.73ghz core2duo).

 

I'd still recommend the i7 processor. The CPU is a place that you really don't want to skimp on!

 

why not?

The CPU is one place where you can skimp on, if you're just going to play games. Unless if you're going to do some mad video editing or intensive tasks, then I see no problem with an i5 processor for gaming.

 

Well, he never said anything about what he plans on using it primarily for.

You would hate to have such a powerful machine and it not be able to handle a possible CPU intensive task that the OP might throw at it.

If he's only using it for gaming, and looking to get one on the cheap then yeah, an i5 will be suitable.

 

yea i saw videos on youtube with
i5
4g ram
nividia 240m

playing crysis and left for dead and other games, and saw it had no problems at all.. but i figure id go for the i7, so thats what i did.. but idk how different it is from the i5.. or how much powerful it is, if any witch im sure it is atleast somewhat.

 

It depends on what youre doing. I need cpu power more than GPU. So I got the i7 820QM. If youre just running games, you can cut back on the processor a little bit (i7 720). I would still get an i7 though. Get the 5850 card. I was having trouble distinguishing between the cards, but I got help on here as well, and was told that 5850's have more power but the "top of the line" card does not. Its just more expensive because its DX11 ready. After that choose a sufficient HDD. 7200rpm or Solid State (if you can afford it), with enough space for your needs. 4GB of ram @1333MHz is enough for gaming as well. Keep in mind that RAM and Hard drives are easiest to replace in the future. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks again for all the info guys, it is going to be used primarily for gamineg but I think ill be getting the cheapest i7, just because its not too much different price wise to the i5 you guys are talking about.

As for the RAM im going to go for 4gigs. Going to stay away from the SS HD as its pretty expensive, maybe in the future it will come down in price?
From what ive read i think ill be going for the 5850, so thanks for the suggestion of that.

Does the battery I choose have any effect if when plugged in? as i wont be using it off the power supply much if at all.

On a side note, does a blu ray drive play normal DVD's (i have a feeling this is a stupid question) and does it make them any better? Basically what im trying to ask is it work getting the blu ray drive?

 

I've heard about some issues with the blue-Ray drive but if you own a lot of blue-Ray movies and stuff then it might be beneficial for you to get the drive. I personally don't own any blue-Ray movies so it wouldn't have made sense for me to get it.

Yes, a blue Ray player will play normal DVDs.

The difference between the batteries is that the 6-cell will sit flush with the laptop while the 9-cell will add an extra half inch + to the rear of the laptop, in turn tilting it for a more ergonomic typing position. Other then battery life, that's the only difference.

 

So your saying that a 1.6 ghz core i7 is faster for 2 core based games than a 2.53 ghz core i5? I know the i7 has other architecture and you can't just compare by simply looking at the clocks, but u got to admit, it is a big clock difference in this case.

 

Go with the 9 cell battery like I should have. It will prop up the laptop allowing more air to flow in and out plus battery life.

 

I just think its best to think about the future. I could be wrong though (happens all the time ). I know i7 is best for my specific needs...