With a brand-new look, and some of the highest-end tech available in a laptop, we're semi-surprised that Alienware has kept the M17x name for its newest 17-inch laptop (even if it loses the X-Files-esque "Area 51" moniker). While the system starts at a reasonable AU$3999, you'll need to configure something closer to our AU$7667 review unit to really get the benefit of Alienware's years of experience making high-end gaming PCs.
Design
We appreciate the evolved design of the new M17x, which does away with some of the dorm-like qualities of past Alienware systems, making for a (slightly) more sophisticated-looking package. The brand's iconic glowing alien head design has been de-emphasised, and the matte black finish and automotive-inspired front-end grille and edge-to-edge glass on the display marks real progress. The anodised aluminium case feels heavy and substantial — but also means you won't be taking it on too many trips outside the house (unless you like lugging around almost 7kg of computer equipment).
Alienware's Fusion FX lighting and settings control system returns — even more over-the-top than ever. You can now set the colour for the backlit keyboard in four separate zones, meaning you can create a rainbow-like design across the keys. The same software package also provides a fairly comprehensive power control suite, which offers more detailed options than the basic Windows Vista power settings, as well as security controls, including facial recognition log-in software.
The previous version's flush touch pad — previously demarcated only by a backlit outline — has been improved, with a very subtle texture, so your finger can more easily tell when it's actually on the touch pad (even if most gamers will plug in an external mouse).
The keyboard has a more traditional tapered key design, rather than the wider, flat keys many laptop makers are partial to these days. Alienware explains that for its core gamer audience, the traditional keys provide more space between the individual letters, which is better for first-person shooters, which make heavy use of the WASD keys. There's also a strip of touch-sensitive controls above the keyboard (also with an adjustable backlit colour), but their response was a little slow for us, and there was a confusing lack of on-screen confirmation for some of the commands.
Features
The 17.1-inch widescreen LCD display offers a 1920x1200 native resolution, which is what we'd expect from a high-end 17-inch laptop (less expensive desktop replacements can have 1440x900, or 1680x1050 displays). The screen looks crisp and bright, and the edge-to-edge glass overlay adds a seamless feel, but it is subject to glare from light sources. We also wouldn't mind seeing Alienware embrace the trend toward 16:9 displays.
With an Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs, 8GB DDR3-1333 RAM and dual 500GB hard drives, this is about as powerful as laptops get without resorting to stuffing actual desktop parts in a chassis. We often point to less expensive gaming laptops, such as the Asus W90 as offering a better bang for your buck, but if you want the very best, and are willing to pay for it, dropping several Gs on the new Alienware M17x will make you the coolest nerd on your block.
No shortage of ports and connection here, including a mini-FireWire port and three separate video output options, including DisplayPort. Multiple audio-outs mean you can easily hook up a set of big PC speakers, which is a plus for high-intensity gaming.
While our review unit was configured with nearly every high-end option available and cost almost AU$8000, the M17x actually starts at a much more reasonable AU$3999. The specs for that system are somewhat less impressive, with a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600, a single Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M GPU, 4GB of 1066MHz RAM, a 640GB 7200rpm hard drive and a DVD burner.
The real star here is the SLI configuration of Nvidia's GeForce GTX280M. With two of these powerful GPUs working together, we got 168 frames per second at 1920x1200 in Unreal Tournament 3, making this our gaming laptop performance leader by a wide margin. Anecdotally, we fired up F.E.A.R. 2 at 1900x1200 and set most of the graphics options to medium or high for a smooth, impressive experience. Of course, with very few high-profile PC games currently in development, there may not be that many titles that deserve this kind of high-end treatment (one exception may be Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins, one of the few buzz-worthy upcoming games that's being developed for the PC and ported to consoles, rather than the other way around).
Nvidia's GeForce GPUs also include the company's CUDA technology, which lets the GPUs provide extra processing power to certain non-gaming tasks, such as video rendering. Keep in mind that you'll have to use CUDA-compatible software, such as CyberLink PowerDirector 7.
Performance
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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1280x800, 0xAA, 0xAF |
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1440x900, 4xAA, 8xAF |
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1920x1200, 4xAA, 8xAF |
N/A
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
The Alienware M17x ran for one hour and 15 minutes on our video playback battery drain test — not that we expected much more from a huge desktop replacement. It's also one of the most power-hungry laptops we've tested, so be sure to turn it off or put it to sleep when not in use.
System configurations:
Alienware M17x
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit; 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz; 2x 512MB SLI Nvidia GeForce GTX 280M; 2x 500GB Seagate 7200rpm
Asus W90VP-X1
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600; 6GB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2; 320GB Seagate 7200rpm
MSI GT725-212US
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000; 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 1066MHz; 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850; 320GB Western Digital 7200rpm
Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725
Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 (64-bit); 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 667MHz; 1GB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX; HDD #1: 64GB Toshiba SSD/HDD #2: 320GB Hitachi 7200rpm
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