Entered CNET Catalog: 01/09/2008
SKU: PC-LT-AREA51M15X-AI1
Manufacturer: Alienware Corporation
Manufacturer description
The Area-51 m15x contains the world's most powerful mobile graphics card. Alienware has always set the standard for graphics capabilities and the tradition continues. Alienware is the leader in high-performance computers. HD video and audio editing, 3D animation and high-end PC gaming suddenly don't seem as resource intensive as before. Increased processor efficiency means you can work away from your power cable worry-free. Instantly recognizable, Alienware's designs communicate an appreciation for quality in both style and performance. Following in this tradition, Alienware introduces the all-new Ripley design. Subtler than previous designs, its sleek form showcases the artistry that goes into each Alienware, both inside and out. Alienware engineers scrutinized every element down to the smallest connector to improve performance, while the system's rigid magnesium alloy frame not only provides protection from physical shock, but also aids in thermal management by retaining less heat than steel.Product summary
The good: Top-of-the-line components; backlit keyboard is a cool touch; highest resolution we've seen in a 15-inch display; one of the fastest laptops on the planet right now.
The bad: Still not as slick looking as it should be; thick, clunky chassis; touch pad hard to use.
The bottom line: Alienware's amazingly powerful flagship Area-51 m15x has the insides down, but our finicky aesthetic sense isn't sold on the look of this otherwise awesome 15-inch powerhouse of a gaming laptop.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/04/2008
Power users who pride themselves on having the most advanced laptops are happy to trade portability and desk space for a massive 17-inch desktop replacement with the latest high-end components. Those same hardware fetishists should be kicking themselves now that Alienware has gone all-in on a new 15-inch system, the impressive $3,899 Area-51 m15x, outfitting it with Nvidia's GeForce 8800M GTX video card (previously found only in 17-inch systems) and the fastest laptop CPU around right now, the Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000. Of course, this tricked out config cost nearly double the $2,149 base price. While Alienware has the insides down, we're less enamored with the redesigned chassis, which, despite cool lighting features, doesn't come off like the high-end powerhouse we know this system to be.
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $3,899 / $2,149 |
| Processor | 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 |
| Memory | 3GB, 667MHz DDR2 [Note: Only 2GB and 4GB configs are available and our "as-reviewed" price is for the 2GB version.] |
| Hard drive | 200GB 7,200 rpm |
| Chipset | Intel GM965 |
| Graphics | 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Premium |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 14.5x10.8x1.7 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 15.4 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 7.8 / 9.5 pounds |
| Category | Mainstream |
The matte-black finish and massive plastic ridges that were featured on the back of the Area-51 m9750's lid are gone, replaced with a glossy silver finish, but the system is somewhat clumsy looking, thicker than most 17-inch laptops, and very fingerprint-prone. It's dorm-room chic at best--we'd expect a $3,700 laptop with the fastest components available to look a little more sophisticated.
The most unusual feature is the touch pad. Instead of having a separate mousing surface, the touch pad sits flush with the remainder of the wrist rest and is made of the same material, delineated only by a backlit outline. It looks cool but is hard to use--you can't tell when your finger goes off the edge without looking. In a similar vein, there are a row of touch-sensitive system controls above the keyboard etched right into the chassis for turning on the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas, and for launching Alienware's lighting control app. We liked the look, but the buttons lacked tactile feedback, and sometimes didn't respond to the first tap.
Thanks to a backlit keyboard, touch-pad border, logo, alien head, and screen border, the m15x has more lights than a Christmas tree (but note that the backlit keyboard is a $50 add-on). The Alienware Command Center is a software app used to control the lighting, and you can assign different colors to every section or use one color across all the lights. Unlike Dell's XPS M1730, the lights won't strobe or flash, but the backlit keyboard is especially cool, and it's good for accurate typing in low-light situations.
The 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,920x1,200 native resolution, which is the same found in the highest-end 17-inch systems (most 15-inch laptops have 1,280x800 resolutions). It's great for watching Blu-ray movies via the optional Blu-ray optical drive, as well as for cranking games up to the highest resolution possible. Text can look tiny at such high resolutions on a 15-inch screen, but we appreciated the full 1080p support.
| Alienware Area-51 m15x | Average for category [mainstream] | |
| Video | HDMI | VGA-out, S-Video |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | Three USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader | Four USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, mulitformat memory card reader |
| Expansion | ExpressCard | PC Card |
| Networking | Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
In an interesting move, Alienware ditches the usual (if largely unused) VGA-out and S-Video laptop outputs for a single HDMI output.
While the m15x starts at a little over $2,000, our review unit was packed out with options that nearly doubled the price. Our 1,920x1,200 display is a $300 add-on--the standard screen is only 1,440x900, while the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GPU is a $500 step up from the default GeForce 8600. This is the first laptop we've seen with Intel's new Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU, but that's a $650 upgrade over the also-new Intel Penryn T9300. Our m15x had 3GB of RAM, but Alienware is offering only 2GB and 4GB configurations (it's $300 to trade up to 4GB).
One expensive option we didn't get is the 64GB solid state hard drive for $775. We love these in smaller laptops, but it's fairly useless in a 15-inch model and likely too small for gamers, anyway. A modular smart bay offers you a chance to swap out the optical drive for an extra hard drive, which maxes out at a 320GB 5,400 rpm drive for $300.
The combination of the 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 CPU and Nvidia GeForce 8800 GPU is a real winner, and the m15x is, overall, the fastest laptop we've ever tested (as of this writing), beating high-end systems such as the equally pricey Gateway P-171XL FX (each with the previous top Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU, the X7900) in nearly all our benchmark tests. In casual use, you're not going to really notice the difference in casual Web surfing or office apps, but gaming performance is impressive.
We got more than 63 frames per second in Unreal Tournament III at 1,920x1,200. Drop the resolution to 1,280x800 and you'll top 100 frames per second. While it's not quite as fancy, Gateway's $1,350 budget gaming rig, the P-6831FX, offers similar gaming performance at lower resolutions, thanks to the same GeForce 8800 GPU, but a much slower 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 CPU. The very expensive super CPU is probably worth it only if you want to play games at the very highest resolutions, or if you want to future-proof your rig as much as possible.
The Area-51 m15x ran for 1 hour and 32 minutes on our DVD battery drain test. That's not very good for a 15-inch laptop, but compared to systems with similar components (which are usually 17-inch models), it lasted longer than gaming rigs from Dell and Toshiba. But the budget Gateway P-6831 again impresses, with 1 hour and 55 minutes on the same test.
Alienware includes an industry-standard one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the system, which includes on-site service. Upgrading to a three-year plan will cost an extra $300, and Alienware includes its excellent binder that contains system and support info. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and driver downloads.
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1280x800, 4X AA, 8X AF | |
1440x900, 4X AA, 8X AF |
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Find out more about how we test laptops.
Alienware Area-51 m15x
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000; 3,072MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX / 359MB Mobile Intel 965GM Express; 200GB Hitachi SATA/300
Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi4
Windows Vista Home Ultimate Edition; 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100; 3,072MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB (x2) w/ SLI Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT; 160GB (x2) Hitachi 7,200rpm SATA/150
Dell XPS M1730
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900; 2,048MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT; 200GB(x2) RAID 0 7,200rpm
Gateway P-6831FX
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition; 1.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5450; 3,072MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTS; 250GB Western Digital 5,400rpm SATA/150
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45out of 45 user reviews
Stay away from Alienware at all costs
Pros: It has pretty lights
Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE. I spent 2300$ on an Alienware M15x "gaming" laptop and was SUPER excited to get it. Well, I have never felt so stupid for buying anything in my entire life. This laptop is an absolute piece of garbage when it comes to gaming. My Playstati
DO NOT EVER EVER EVER BUY ALIENWARE.
out of 45 user reviews
15" Flagship that will meet (even exceed) expectations
Pros: Incredibly powerful laptop, easy online customization, high quality chassis and internal components. When upgraded (I paid 1600 bucks for mine - quad core i7 processor, ATI 1GB gpu, 4GB of RAM) it can handle anything you throw at it.
Cons: None so far, except I guess if you buy it with Vista preinstalled. I got Windows 7 on it, so I'm pretty satisfied I'd say.
The trackpad isn't too good, but then again, are you seriously considering using a laptop mouse? That's waht I thought. :-)
Also, there's a $200 off coupon floating around the web so it's really, really worth it buying this... BEAST. Seriously. But if you buy it, definitely consider getting a messenger bag along with it (they make special ones for this model).
Apart from the other reviewees, I love this thing and have had it for a while. The m15x is the best laptop I've used in my life, hands down.
Games I've run with ultra settings:
Age of Mythology
Age of Empires III
Assassin's Creed 2
Empire Total War
Half Life 2, ep1, ep2, LC
Team Fortress 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Battlefront II
Empire at War
Medieval Total War 2
Dragon Age Origins
I got this laptop for 1600 bucks.
Specs:
- Quad-core i7 processor
- ATI 1GB gpu
- 4 GB of RAM
- 500 GB HD
- 1080p 15.6 " screen
- DVD/CD reader/burner
- Black chassis (you have the choice of that and silver, possibly red)
Overall, I'd be forced to say -- if you have the $ and DON'T buy this laptop, you're making a mistake! :-)
-Plakat
out of 45 user reviews
Good hardware in a terribly cheap plastic case.
Pros: Great CPU, video card, and Intel TurboMemory chipsets
Neat lighting
Cons: Vista or better needed for Intel TurboMemory chipset (Vista kills your performance)
Cheap plastic case
Horrible customer support/service for the thousands you paid them
Did I mention you pay them thousands for this?
Vista is needed for Intel TurboMemory to function, and is a terrible resource hog. Windows7 does not work for these older (silver case) m15x's; it was using 100% of my CPU and 50% of my memory just to turn the thing on. So you are stuck using Windows Vista.
Heat is still a real problem, but easily fixed with Belkin's USB powered laptop cooler. That's only about $25, and finally lets your CPU run at maximum clock speeds.
What has turned me off of Alienware (and made me disparage them publicly amongst all my friends) is the fact that this case is cheap, and will break on you at the swivel mounts very, very easily from simply OPENING THE SCREEN to use the computer. As I write this, the left swivel has shattered completely, and the right screen mount is now breaking in a similar fashion.
Let me remind you, I paid $2500 for this computer when I ordered it a year ago.
Dell/Alienware (they're the same now) do not care. They simply don't care. Every time I talked to support they sent me on some stupid little series of transfers, calldrops, and pointless damage photo emails.
They will literally do everything in their power to make you give up filing your claim. Dell is showing a profit loss on the stock market, and so are trying to cut losses. Meaning they will cut YOU, the digruntled consumer. And even when you DO file your claim, good luck getting timely service.
Do not buy this computer. It's pretty and powerful, but seriously technically flawed. The newer version of black m15x seems to have a similar spotty record. So in fact, I'm going to go even a step further.
Do not buy Alienware. You will regret it.
out of 45 user reviews
POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE JUNK LAPTOPS
Pros: I like the lighting of the keyboard
Cons: The hinge has broke 3 times and it took over 2 months EACH time for Alienware to repair. Customer service transfers you around until you give up.
out of 45 user reviews
Alienware is the worst company i have ever dealt with.
Pros: Its fast and easy restore DVD, thank goodness you will need it over and over again.
Cons: Frame for LCD, screw fell out
Broken internal fan
Blue screens despite multiple restore, tried both Vista & W7
Ridiculous hold time for tech support 30+ minutes before you are able to talk to someone
Poor customer service
out of 45 user reviews
Inferior product. Horrible customer Service
Pros: I do not have any pros to add
Cons: Problems with the volume control. Sent for service 6/22. Returned a month later, problem still there, returned to service July 24, Rec'd 8/4 problem there and case now cracked. Returned to service, rec'd back 8/27 problem still there.
out of 45 user reviews
overpriced laptop, bad quality
Pros: its fast, screen is nice and clear.
Cons: 2 keys broke off from my keyboard after 20 mins of use.
right hinge broke off after only couple of days.
if you rest your hands next to the touchpad to use the keyboard it actually bends and makes contact with the cpu-fan.
out of 45 user reviews
You couldn't give me this steaming pile of alien crap
Pros: The only pro is that the website looks cool. It's a cool looking computer if you want to use it as a paper weight.
Cons: The con is the company selling you a computer. Mine didn't start out of the box, it was just coincidence that I got it to turn on. It's pathetically slow, and the wireless network card already crashed.
out of 45 user reviews
Almost perfect Computer
Pros: - desing - chassis and lights
- specs ( the best money can buy)
- screen
- performance
Cons: - plastics ( screen cover lid, finger tip magnet)
- fan noise ( on hard use )
- price ( always a problem )
- sensitive bottons ( nice view but not 100% usefull)
Another problem that i found is when you use a lot this laptop the fan is a litle loud, not as loud as inspire laptops, but i was used to the low noise fans of the xps again.
The keyboard is great, i have the fx and the lights are cool, the mouse pad is nice size, some users report problems because it doesnt have declive but i got pro on the first use, the thouch bottons are a little frustation option, expecialy the sound bar, it works but its hard to use, maybe somethime it comes some bios upgrade to turn them more sensitive.
The sound is nothing special, if i could i would put the sound system from my old xps m1710.
The screen quality display is top, better than the xps, and the xps was very god. The baterie holds about 2 hours of normal performance, and about almost 2.45h on the special mode stealt, this is not bad for a power laptop, it says that there is a second baterie option but im going to whait a litle to see the price drop.
Performance was what i expeted, very good all games work at high options, and until now i didnt had any problems.
Just another thing that made me choise this laptop over the xps m1730 is the ac transformer, the ac unit of m15x is even smaller that the m1710 the m1730 xps is twice the size so if you are going to carry this baby at road it make a lot of diference....so its another positive point the size of ac unit.
About the warranty or tec support, thant god i never had to use, i cant make any complain, but what i can see from other users, whe i was browsing the net for info, is that it simple doesnt work. The easy thing is to ask for replacement or refund.....not a good policy for high end products.....
out of 45 user reviews
Great graphics thats it
Pros: Great display
Awesome frame rate with games
Really cool light display
Draws attention from your friends
Cons: Horrible customer service,Very suscpetible to hard drive failure and crashes,Memory problems,If it breaks don't expect them to give you a new one,touch buttons don't respond to touch or become stuck and just dont work,touch pad is problematic
out of 45 user reviews
Great Notebook, correction about cnets review
Pros: Fast, reliable, secure*, runs even faster with Windows 7 build 7000 installed.
Cons: Dell's/Alienware's customer service reps are more than a hassle to deal with than anything. I would like to see a feature that would change the light colors in accordnance with what appears on the screen.
out of 45 user reviews
Cool. Stylish. Great for gamers. Customer service rocks
Pros: Stealth Mode rocks. This laptop is strong and pretty much abuses compared to others its size. The looks are hot. Gaming is great. You can definately have fun with this for a few years or more.
Cons: Touchpad and volume sensors kinda suck. But you'll get use to it. Windows vista sucks too. I miss xp.
out of 45 user reviews
Speakers are terrible
Pros: Nice look and feel. Back lit keyboard works well. You get what you pay for as far as speed and video, (actually you probably pay a little more)
Cons: Speakers are almost un-listenable. For a system that costs this much, it should have better speakers! I have an old cheap laptop with twice the speakers this thing has.
The volume adj above the keyboard doesn't work that well.
As far as performance, it does preform very well. The video is awsome, and the 2.5 Intel chip is really fast.
But every time I hear those speakers, I am reminded I spent $2800 on a laptop that sounds worse then anything I have ever heard! (not exaggerating!)
out of 45 user reviews
Don't buy it!!! Piece of junk!
Pros: fast when it works; looks cool
Cons: Poor reliability; poorly constructed; the worst customer service & tech support on Earth
out of 45 user reviews
DO NOT BUY FROM ALIENWARE
Pros: Its cool looking
Cons: Worst Support in the Industry( dont belive me check around, im not the only one)
Poorly made casing
Major heat issues when gaming
Andrew Ellis
out of 45 user reviews
great untill...
Pros: fast, runs all current games great
Cons: the quick launch/power buttons blow. purchased new system, after two months power button no longer works, system wont boot.
out of 45 user reviews
WORST SERVICE & REPAIR
Pros: Only the look
Cons: lots and lots..Graphics card fan too loud even under normal load, FX lighting system does not work properly, lots of problems with the command center, onboard audio problem. All keys do not light up in same color when they are in same color theme.
I've talked to Alienware support agents regarding the problems on my m15x, well they were not able to solve my problems and made me do a fresh install of Vista, Flash the bios. Even after spending lot of time on repairing it did not work. I got a RMA number to send back the laptop for repair.
Problem 1: Crackling sound comes out from onboard audio speakers while playing any audio or video file.
Problem 2: No sound output from the headphone jack when headphones, external speakers are plugged in.
Problem 3: Alien FX keyboard doesnot light up.
Problem 4: The Scroll lock LED light present on the quick control panel does not light up when toggled on/off.
Problem 5: The Caps lock LED light, lights up in green color when toggled on from off, only when my Alien FX theme for the whole lighting system is in blue color. It lights up in the color same as the color of the theme for all other colors except for the theme in blue color.
out of 45 user reviews
Best 15 Inch Gaming Laptop in Existance. Period.
Pros: best hardware available in its class, 1.5 TB of storage, most options available for overall system configuration, good keyboard, all the cosmetic crap, slick look, most issues from early run systems have been fixed, good cutomer service.
Cons: touchpad sticks slighty w/out sticker (which helps tremendously)
pricey (but so are all competitors and larger SLI laptops)
gaming is better w/ RAZER Lachesis and Belkin n52te
speakers are mediocre. use desktop speakers or headphones
Crysis: 55 fps in 720p, 31 fps in 1200p
3dMark06 score: 10,108 (full version, 5th test score, pre overclocking)
My X9000 is overclocked to 3.2GHz. I do not recommend any cpu/gpu overclocking unless you know how to configure the motherboard and power supply. But even as is, this laptop is the best 15.4 inch gaming computer on the planet. I have had none of the issues others have. Touch buttons work fine, keyboard is great, and Vista is easy to use. I mostly use this for gaming, bluray movies, etc, but also for Microsoft Office apps and military work. This laptop servived a trip to Iraq and back. I have upgraded it twice courtesy of Alienware, and twice myself. I may try the 9800m GTX, but the only increase is in stream processors (96 to 112 from the 8800m GTX). The customer support is good and all the minor flaws are fixed or just whiney complaints. As far as I am concerned the m15x is outstanding with no competition in it's class.
out of 45 user reviews
The m15x is from another planet!
Pros: - AlienFX and backlit keyboard
- Attractive design
- Stunning Performance
- Flexibility to add more storage or battery with smartbay technology
- Binary GFX
- Beautiful Display
Cons: - Low speaker volume and quality
- Touch controls are not very responsive
- Slippery touch-pad is hard to use
- Need to be little more studier
There is no notebook out there that looks amazing as the m15x. It is hard to describe in words how cool it is; even pictures aren't good at all to show its beauty. The flashy lights, curved corners, sick lid, stunning paint, and every little texture make the m15x stand out. It's really out of this world. The entire unit shines and reflects because of it's glossy finish. The silver part resists fingerprints pretty well unlike the black part (the boarder of the screen).
The m15x is sturdy but not as expected. It feels solid when put on a desk but when you carry it; it feels heavier than it should. The screen is little wobbly but it's not something to worry about. My previous unit had a small gap above the Ethernet port but it's not there on my replacement unit. Also, opening and closing the lid produced a creaking noise in the beginning, but after usage the sound is gone now.
Screen
The m15x is offered with a glossy WXGA+ and a matte WUXGA. I personally had the chance to try both. The best option depends on what you will be using the notebook for; The glossy WXGA+ screen is little brighter and better when viewing from angles comparing to the WUXGA; However, the WUXGA does not disappoint when it comes to watching movies, photo editing or even gaming. I tried many games at full resolution, and never had to lower game settings nor screen resolution for better performance; text is small but readable; the matte screen is also easier to clean, and unlike the glossy screen has no reflections. I didn't notice any light leakage on both displays.
AlienFX
AlienFX is a different story. To me the lights are the coolest feature in this notebook; it grabs people attention everywhere I go. You can simply change the colors or create a theme by launching the Alienware Command Center software; pick between 12 colors - including black - to customize 6 light zones which are:
- Alien head & power button
- Light pipe
- Alienware name
- Touch controls
- Keyboard
- Touchpad
In advanced themes the Command Center allows you to set visual alerts when having a new e-mail or launching a certain application. It also adds some features like morphing (from a color to another) and pulsing (same color at a certain speed). According to Alienware AlienFX also reacts in certain games.
Speakers
The m15x has 2 speakers. The quality of those speakers is like cell phone quality; they also have no bass, and low volume. The right speaker would squeak at high pitches. It's better to hook up your own stereo system.
Keyboard & Touchpad
Simply the best keyboard I ever used; it feels like the Macbook Pro's keyboard and the best part of it is the lights! It has a rubber feel that makes it feel great and comfortable to type on.
The touchpad is attractive but it's hard to use. It doesn't have its own surface and it has the same texture as the rest of the chassis which makes it slippery. The only thing that separates the touch-pad is the outlined light around it.
Touch Controls
The touch controls are part of AlienFX. They look really nice but unlike HP Pavilion's they are not very responsive especially the volume slider which gets really annoying.
Performance
When it comes to performance the m15x does not disappoint. All games I played were tested on 1920x1200 resolution, all settings set to high, 2x anti-aliasing; it scored 297 fps in Counter Strike Source stress test (fixed in console max_fps 300 to 1000); playing online in a full office server (50 players) got between 93 and 166 fps. In Team Fortress 2 it scored 74 to 137 fps in a 24 player online server. Call of Duty 4 also ran smoothly on native resolution scoring between 65 and 104fps. Overall the gaming performance was nothing short than amazing.
Battery
The m15x is not only loaded with the latest components for amazing performance but it's also able to get decent battery life.
The m15x has 2 graphic cards. First is the power-hungry 8800m GTX and the second is low powered Intel GMA X3100; to switch between the two cards you have to press FN + F7 and restart. The m15x also has a feature called Stealth Mode (can be activated by just holding its touch control button) which will under-clock the CPU and GPU to save more power. After switching to X3100, Stealth Mode on and screen brightness set to half; I got 2 hours and 50 minutes. You can also add a smartbay battery to get extra battery life.
Software
Unlike most computer manufactures that load their machines with tons of trial software; Alienware computers are clean. The m15x came only preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium (you can get it with Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit or Windows XP Professional) and Nero 7 (full version).
Full Review with Pictures
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=248541
out of 45 user reviews
Alienware's Flagship
Pros: Design, ports, build quality, keyboard, screen, battery life
Cons: Plastic body, track pad
Alienware is about creating a unique product that has premium components to match. The Alienware Area-51 M15X laptop that I purchased was no exception.
Briefly, the specs of my m15x:
Design & Display: Silver Ripley Design
Display: 15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p)
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB) 45nm (not overclockable)
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel Turbo Memory (1GB)
System Drive: 320GB 7,200RPM (16MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) w/ LightScribe Technology
Wireless: Internal Intel Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Keyboard Options: AlienFX Illuminated Keyboard
I am a professional software designer. I use very intense applications to create my visions. I needed a laptop that would enable me to bring those visions to fruition. The M15X does the job nicely.
My only two gripes about the system: plastic body, track pad.
Plastic body
This is somewhat of a conundrum. I have difficulty understanding why a laptop could cost so much (over $4500 in my case) and yet have a body made of plastic. But after having using this laptop extensively, and exclusively for the past month, I am glad it is plastic as opposed to aluminum (although carbon-fiber would have been nice). The chassis is designed to maximize the air-flow of the internal components. These materials where wisely chosen by the Alienware design staff to maximize the dissipation of heat. It still gets a little toasty under the right palm rest, though never uncomfortable. I would not recommend using this laptop on your lap for prolonged periods of time while using the dedicated graphics card (albeit, the unit remains very cool when the integrated graphics card is engaged).
Track pad
The M15X features an adequately sized track pad with a seemingly single mouse button (the mouse functions as a two button mouse as the cover is only for cleaner aesthetics). The body of the laptop is painted in silver with a clear coat finish (very fragile and fingerprint prone). The problem with the track pad is that it is covered in the same material, the same clear coat, which poses a problem for me and probably everyone with pores on their fingers. When your hands get hot or sweaty, it renders the track pad useless. Your fingers stick to the pad, instead of seamless and smooth mouse control, you end up with jagged and difficult to use interface. Alienware’s saving grace comes prepackaged with the laptop in the form of two adhesive track pad covers. Place them on top of the track pad surface for a strong, acceptable, tactile finish.
Alienware’s mobile flagship
Build and Design
Flawless and clean. The moment that you lay your finger on this machine you instantly realize that it is a premium, luxury laptop. I have to give appraisal to the Alienware design team as they did a flawless job. Ports are conveniently located on the left and right sides of the machine, nothing in the rear.
Screen
Magnificent. I have read various blogs of users complaining about the screen resolution, that it is far too large for a fifteen inch screen (but interestingly enough none of them actually owned the laptop M15X). I can tell you from firsthand experience that the LCD screen is flawless, no dead pixels, excellent viewing angles, and a soft matte finish attribute to this perfection. My recommendation is that you set the DPI to 120 for easy text readability.
Speakers
You can’t expect much from any laptop. Typical tinny sound.
Keyboard
Excellent key placement and full size. Each key on the keyboard is finished with a durable rubber coating thus providing two key benefits: excellent tactile response (similar to my Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard) and long term durability.
Ports
Everything that I need for support of my peripherals USB, FireWire 800 (I use an adapter to use my 6-pin FireWire 400 devices), gigabit Ethernet, HDMI (Max resolution of 1920 X 1200), Express 54, card reader. This variety is expected for this tier of laptop.
Wireless
N Wireless (Airport Extreme compatible) and Bluetooth 2.0 as expected. Wireless reception is excellent.
Battery
Amazing and flexible. Gaming at full-tilt will only yield about an hour and a half. But, using the integrated graphics can yield up to three hours with the appropriate power profile. Simply amazing and versitle.
Software
No crap-ware installed. Just the OS, some Alienware utilities, and Nero Essentials. That’s it. What more can you ask for?
I highly recommend this laptop for mobile (power) users and gamers alike. It is an amazing versatile machine that is rigged for silent running, but when the pedal hits the metal, it can bring out the big guns!
out of 45 user reviews
Excellent but could be Spectacular.....
Pros: Fast Computer I Own,FAST
Cons: It's Expensive, A little Overpriced!
My system specfication are:
-Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
-120 GB HDD
-1 gig of ram (have yet to upgrade by-self to 4gig) (I believe it might Void Warrenty)
-8600 GT Video Card
-Light Up Keyboard, 1 Gig turbo cache, smart bay battery (ordering)...
- Windows Vista
The system arrived in 2 weeks which is pretty good. I hope to upgrade to the 8800GTX and a better Processor in the future when i need it, but not right now.
I went with the basic alienware components cause I really just wanted a nice laptop I could use for some PC games and stuff when i'am bored...
I really have to say even with this configuation i'am quite impressed with the overall performance, windows vista runs fast, the primary 6 -cell battery get about 2.5 hours of averge use with wifi on. The games i play run well, not great. uh...
About Customer Service: I have called Customer Service several times and so far they have been great, helping with all the question that i have quite fast, which i like.
I would recommend buying it but there are minor promblems such as the screen bends and make noises when moving it, the keyboard seems to be lagging a little,the touch buttons seem to work quite well for me,the touchpad is alright, stealth mode is ok it helps a little i think and the system is a little bit big.But overall these are pretty much the problems, would have liked a little more performance but still not bad at all for the price i paid,the systems works great.
Note: this is my experince and opinion with the Alineware Area -51 m15x, I strongly recommend you read other user opinions, professional reviews, blogs and etc about the system... Final Note Below.
My opinon: In the end if you want a system that will deliever overall amazing performance and amazing looks (Alien FX is amazing)while still getting your money's worth then I recommend buying the Alienware Area-51 m15x.
out of 45 user reviews
Amazing laptop
Pros: The monitor is crystal clear (wuxga), good battery life, nice lighting system, and enough options for everyone
Cons: the volume control could be better but it just takes some getting used to
out of 45 user reviews
Fantastic laptop
Pros: Incredibly fast, screen is unbelievable, AlienFX works great, autosensing audio ports
Cons: Battery not great, volume control is useless, touch pad takes getting used to, quiet speakers
All around, very happy with it, highly recommended. and aliensupport has helped me more then once with it. all very nice, and know what they are doing
out of 45 user reviews
Great cumputer, Terrible company.
Pros: Very fast, unique styling
Cons: Expensive. The worst customer service ever.
This problem resurfaced when I had to calll Microsoft Vista technical support and was informed that my Vista Software was OEM preinstalled therefore Alienware would be responsible to supply support. You may have guessed, they refused (I am not the original purchaser).
I have called Alienware repeated times and I am always told we are sorry, but this is company policy. I also asked for an option to purchase a warranty and was denied due to policy. I have requested being transferred to a supervisor and told none are available. Next I asked to speak with someone in consumer management and was told to send an email to feedback@alienware.com which are not answered. During these calls I expereinced long phone holds, dropped calls and rude customer service representatives.
I would certainly not recommend Alienware computers to anyone. I simply can not find any reason that I can not purchase a part that I am willing to pay for and does this mean if my computer breaks in the future, will I not be able to get it repaired?
Again good computer teribble service which can be verified on numerous forums on the internet. Before considering purchasing an Alienware product, do yourself a big favor and Google: "alienware customer service".
out of 45 user reviews
Very happy user
Pros: Fast, slick, and VERY powerful
Cons: Big and heavy for a 15"
Frankly, I've always been surprised by other people's complaints about Alienware service. On this particular purchase (and this is my second purchase from Alienware in the past year), I had to contact Alienware service twice to resolve hardware or billing issues. Both times, the service reps were friendly, helpful, and efficient. Best of all, my laptop arrived a full week and a half before its estimated ship date.
Is it expensive? You bet! But if you want a top-notch laptop without having to build one yourself (and I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so), you'd be hard pressed to do any better.
out of 45 user reviews
6 GIGS OF MEM IS USELESS ON 32 bit OS
Pros: rips like a 32 bit system
Cons: got conned out of 2 gigs of memory
out of 45 user reviews
Amazing Laptop! Must Buy!
Pros: Amazing Design, Fast, Powerful, SmartBay Drive, Lighting
Cons: Area around screen feels cheap, Webcam, Built in speakers
out of 45 user reviews
I WILL BUY ANOTHER IF LOST OR STOLEN
Pros: XP 8800 GTX GRATE SUPPORT THEY CALLED ME TO SEE IF I HAD ANYTHING GO WRONG
Cons: SPEAKERS SUCK
out of 45 user reviews
Terrible if you rely on the touchpad
Pros: Great performance
Cons: Horrendous touchpad, plastic-looking exterior, expensive
out of 45 user reviews
Excellent customer service, innovative product offerings
Pros: HIgh end technology, excellent customer service
Cons: Crappy battery life, to fast, wont double as a time machine
Upgrade your RAM and processor and you've got a laptop that can beat the processing power of 2/3 of the desktop market today. Some cons are that is is a little heavier then most laptops, and some selling features are (in my opinion) useless. Battery life is terrible, so if your traveling without a connection I would take a pass.
If your a technology enthusiast and you have to have the latest and greatest, consider building a high end desktop and purchasing a supped up alienware laptop.....why settle for one when you can have both.
I shopped around quite a bit for my laptop. I checked out the blackbird and other high profile machines, but this baby is still top of the line. There was one disappointment. At one point I was running W.O.W., while downloading around 80 gigs of torrents, while burning a cd and, grabbing some podcasts while I was surfing the internet, listening to music, running a virus scan and a defrag and streaming video to my xbox....and the computer did stop for about 3 quarters of a second to think......HA! Other then that the extreme processors are out of this world. Oh and the customer service, unbelievable!!!
out of 45 user reviews
Fast & Pretty, just how I like my woman
Pros: Top of the Line Hardware & Illuminated Keyboard - FTW!
Cons: Bulky chassis, only 1 color option
Ordered this baby the day it was available and received it very fast. SSD and all!
The design is great.. I love the illuminated keyboard as I work at night and require this feature.
Had an issue where shutdown was not functioning, but windows update fixed this.
The original review mentions the touch pad being hard to use, but Alienware actually provides a sticker overlay that remedies this.
I paid a pretty penny for this box and would do it again. No regrets.
out of 45 user reviews
Although heavy, Fantastic performance!
Pros: Performance, Performance, Performance!!
Cons: Heavy and bulky...
out of 45 user reviews
A magnificent mechanical masterpiece.
Pros: POWER, looks, battery life
Cons: Touch controls don't always wake up; size & weight
The coolest feature of this computer is the light show: it has the traditional glowing alien head on the lid and a new backlit keyboard along with a thin strip of light around the 1920x1200 LCD display and a strip of light around the touchpad area. These lights can be changed to 11 different colors. Trust me, it is pretty cool to see.
The m15x has several touch buttons above the keyboard. The volume control is hard to use, but the others are not. Some people complain that they are all difficult to use, but all you have to do is hold your finger down for a second. It has a buttons for bluetooth, wifi, the lighting control panel, and "stealthmode." Some have complained that the touch buttons do not work after the laptop comes out of sleep mode. I regret to say that this is true. It seems to happen when it has been sleeping for a while. It doesn’t always happen, but it has about a 50% chance. Hopefully Alienware will make a fix.
The keyboard is very nice and feels kind of rubbery. Some have complained that the buttons are too hard to press down but I have not had a problem with them at all. I think they are very easy to use. There is no flex in the majority of the keyboard, however, on the lower right side near the arrows there is some flex, but it does not impede my typing in any way.
The touchpad is very large, made of the same material as the rest of the chassis, and sits flush with the palm rest. Only a strip of light around the touchpad distinguishes it from the rest of the palm rest. Many have complained that the touchpad has too much drag to it but I find it easy to use if you are gentle with it. And Alienware sends free sticker overlays that supposedly make the touchpad much more responsive.
The battery life is the best part of this laptop in my opinion. Alienware gave the m15x what is called a “stealthmode” button. This button downclocks the processor and video card and turns the fans down or completely off. Alienware also packs it with the video card of your choice, as well as an integrated graphics card that can be enabled and your main one turned off, resulting in significantly increased battery life. Also the m15x has an optional swappable hard drive or EXTRA BATTERY that replaces the CD drive. With this extra battery in, the integrated graphics enabled, stealthmode on, and the laptop on power save mode, I have gotten upwards of 5 ½ hours of battery life!!! This is the most powerful 15.4 inch laptop in the world and I get 5 ½ hours of battery life! Amazing! (It’s almost like an oxymoron) Without the extra battery I think it gets between 1 ½ to 2 hours of battery life.
The m15x does get kind of warm while gaming. Overall I think that Alienware did a good job of piping the heat out the back and away from the top or bottom. It can get toasty on the bottom but it is certainly bearable. With the integrated graphics enabled and stealthmode on, it actually stays pretty cool. (I wanted to add this somewhere and I don’t know where so I will stick it here: The first models with the 8800 had some downclocking issues due to the heat, but thanks to a BIOS update, the problem has been pretty much resolved.)
The speakers are adequate, although I do not have a lot of experience with laptop speakers so I have nothing with which to compare them.
I have a 3 1/2-year-old Alienware desktop as well and I have talked to tech support quite a bit. Honestly, tech support is hit or miss. I have had awesome tech support guys, and I have had some pretty lousy ones too. Just please don’t judge them all due to one or two incompetent people. The one good thing is that they are all located in the US so you don’t need to worry about your call being outsourced to someone in India that can’t understand what you are saying. I have dealt with that nightmare with dell and it’s not pretty…
Overall I think this laptop is truly a masterpiece. I would say that its only flaws are its size and weight, both of which are to be expected considering what is packed into it and even that isn’t really that bad. It’s definitely not cheap, but if you can afford it, it is definitely a good choice. Also, the touch button controls don’t always wake up when the computer does, but eh, nothing is perfect. I would normally give this a 9 out of 10, but I am giving it a 10 anyways to counteract the imbeciles who don’t even own one, yet still rate it one or two stars.
out of 45 user reviews
perfect...
Pros: everything
Cons: just waiting for it to arrive.
out of 45 user reviews
A POWERFUL LAPTOP with style!
Pros: excellent for design programs
Cons: kinda bulky
out of 45 user reviews
Only if you want to game on a laptop
Pros: Good gaming PC
Cons: Clunkly look
out of 45 user reviews
A labtop I would own but not buy!
Pros: CPU and NVIDA GTX 8800 very nice.
Cons: 15in. Screen; Lacking # pad; No second video card; Conventional Hard-drive; Design of mouse pad.
out of 45 user reviews
Overpriced and ok performance
Pros: ahhhhh...hard to find since my unit never worked
Cons: PRICE, Customer service
out of 45 user reviews
the best laptop i have ever had
Pros: fast gaming laptop yet still portable
Cons: is kind of heavy but that is exceptesd
out of 45 user reviews
Worst customer service I've ever encountered.
Pros: Have nothing good to say
Cons: Customer service could care less about the customer, seems more convenient to say they don't have the parts than to just build it and ship it
out of 45 user reviews
Too heavy for a 15" system
Pros: Fast CPU, fast graphics
Cons: Heavy, poor battery life
out of 45 user reviews
great computer but....
Pros: cool design, very powerful
Cons: expensive, HORRIBLE costumer service, some problems
Problems I encountered:
1- I ordered the computer and then moved to another place in the same city. I called Alienware even before they started putting together the computer to announce the change in the address. They told me to call again at a further stage. I called again 1 week before shipment. I made them change the address and send me a confirmation email which they did. Still they shipped the computer to the wrong address. their excuse was that they did make the change but not at 100%.... whatever that means.
Now that I got the computer, they sent something else called "computer system" it only weighs 1 pound. I have no idea what it is, but they sent it to the wrong address and got shipped back to Alienware. I don't know if they'll send it again.
2- Before I even installed anything, I tried passing my data from my XP computer to the m15x with an external hard-drive. Vista would only allow me to copy some folders but not others. I spent 3 hours on the phone with Alienware tech-support. They even remotely connected to my computer. It was impossible. after a while of trying, my Hard drive got damaged! Now neither Vista or XP recognizes the hard drive...I've lost 100 GB of pictures, music etc...and the best solution the tech support came up with was "try searching on google and forums"
3- I ordered the Creative EAX X-FI sound card. The EAX doesn't work with the game Bioshock. again their best solution: "check on google"
4- the same sound card now makes funny sounds when closing and opening folders..it makes a normal "click" sound but then it makes another 10 fast continuous "click" sounds for 2 seconds, like an echo... it also happens when closing movies or games.
I installed the latest drivers and all... nothing changed. I haven't tried calling for this problem... I'm pretty sure they'll say: "search on google"
5- the buttons for the volume, stealth mode etc.. suck big time... I spent $2880 on this computer and I can't even turn up or down the volume without it being a struggle...
I'll probably stick with the computer since it can play all my games and the rest runs very smoothly... but next time unless they come up with something revolutionary, I will never buy from Alienware ever again...
out of 45 user reviews
CNET IS BIASED
Pros: Backlit keys are great feature
Cons: Ridiculous Price
HP Pavilion dv6700zcustomizable Notebook PC
$1,256.99
- Genuine Windows Vista Horne Premium (32-bit)
- AMD Turion(TP.1) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-64
(2.2 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache )
- 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen
Display (1280 x 800)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- NVIDIA GeForce8400M GS
- HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Webcam + Microphone
- Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth
- 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- No TV Tuner w/remote control
- 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
The only advantages are a slightly better resolution (but at 15", who cares???), moderately better hard drive, and slightly better processor speed. But my laptop was almost HALF THE PRICE! And it works beautifully. Yet, there's no review of this model. Honestly, CNET seems to be on its way out as a reliable source of fair, reliable information.
out of 45 user reviews
Great Pc . WORST customer service I have EVER dealt with
Pros: Works great will run any game I throw at it.
Cons: Runs a little hot sometimes have problems with the lights. Touchpads and quick touch keys hard to use.
out of 45 user reviews
Ehhhh.... Expensive piece of S#!$@
Pros: Great Looks... Cool lights, great display, fastest set of chips you can buy on a 15.4 Lappy.
Cons: Alienware Customer Service (Beware!), Issues with all touch quick keys, keyboard is not responsive, driver issues, Vista, price.
I was so excited when I ordered this computer, it was the most powerful 15.4 Laptop around and I was bringing this thing to the Game Developers Conference so it would fit in perfectly with all the techy geek stuff out there.
First off the case is great, real clean look and awesome paint job, however the cool lights and great paint job only take a laptop so far, and that is quickly were it failed.
The touch functions on the top of the keyboard do not respond that well to touches and worst of all when the computer goes into hibernate, the buttons are disabled and you cannot use them! Alienware is working on a driver to fix this but has not yet come up with a solution.
Another big problem I encountered is that when Bluetooth is on, the touchpad does not functio which is okay, however if you hibernate your computer and the Bluetooth is left on, you are left without a mousepad leaving you to tab through Vista to change the option back. Very annoying.
The one hot button I was really looking forward to was the Stealth mode feature which disable the GPU for longer battery life on the road. This button only worked when the device was plugged in! How dumb is that! I argued on the phone with ALienware about that issue and a CSR actually had the nerve to tell me that stealth mode only works when it is plugged in. I had to point her to her own website for her to realize that she was wrong.
The keyboard is terrible and I find that it frequently misses things that I type. For instance, WWW will come up as WW which is annoying for a person that is so used to touch typing.
Barring all those issues I was moderaly pleased with the performance.
2.6 ghz
8800 GT w 512
4 gigs of ram.
200 Gig 7200 HD
Crysis did not run that well even in Vista and I felt like I overpaid for performance.
Vista sucks. I will leave it at that. Too many pop ups and takes way to long to load network profiles.
BIGGEST REASON NOT TO BUY... Customer Service
The biggest reason I am returning this laptop is because of the terrible customer service I received from Alienware.
They always seem like they are against you on all issues.
They put you on hold for checking and confirming all questions.
I was hung up on many times, having to call back three to four times for ONE issue.
Repairs take a week and a half there and back, way to long for a business line computer and make you pay for shipping if you are not a business or government unit.
Technical Support is as good as searching the support forums on Alienware.com since that is all they do to get their information.
Treat customers poorly on the phone.
Were not helpful.
All of these issues are problems I encountered on my first Alienware and now it is my last. IF there is anyone thinking about buying a laptop, please stay away from Alienware and avoid the mistake and countless wasted hours I have spend dealing with these people. I hope it helps and sorry for the mistakes, I do not feel like dealing with this keyboard anymore than I after to. (I am typing on the computer I am about to return.)
