AlienWare M11X

Z

Zorua

Zedd
Advanced Member
Member
Hello. I dont know if anybody would know this, but on the AlienWare M11x is a Core 2 Duo Intel Proccesor any good. I know the intel i core is really good but money's tight. And is there a difference between 2GB or 4GB of Memory(not hardrive).

Thanks for the help
 
A few months ago I was heavily into laptop shopping as I was changing my laptop (settled for Asus G73JH in september) so I know a bit about the M11x as I had looked into it.


Long story short, it is more of a "strong subnotebook" rather than a "small gaming laptop". The Core 2 CPU they used inside is basically a weak one (weak = low power consumption) that is overclocked (but still weak). If my guess is correct for gaming, the CPU probably bottlenecks here (it's typically the GPU that bottlenecks in a modern gaming laptop) so dont expect typical alienware standard for gaming (medium details yes, high or ultra, probably no)

I assume your 2GB vs 4GB thing refers to RAM. Go for 4GB. It's the optimal amount and nicely gives you enough to account for background tasks and processes that consume RAM.

Also bear in mind there's no optical drive on the M11x.

Another thing to consider is urgency. If you can afford to wait, there is a possibility of a refresh on the M11x, an R3 version just like the M17xR3 shown at recent CES.
 
Ok.Thanks. Its not urgent but to me its a pretty cool laptop. Im not a heavy pc gamer but want to try it out. So, im not really as tehcnically inclined as you so i didnt understand what you said about the processor. I would use it for occasionall gaming and moderate/heavy web browsing. So would the dual core be good for that?
 
About the processor it is quite weak compared to average but sufficient for light work.
 
Alienware's aren't really worth the money, unless you're a heavy gamer. (Which isn't even the case since the best build their own) The one I have has 4GB RAM and 500 hard drive, i3, W7 64 bit, and a nice cam and mic. It was around 300, and gets the job done. My uses are similar to yours, so I'd recommended shopping around, looking for deals, as there's bound to be something much cheaper that will meet your needs.
 
Agree with Juliacoolo. Alienware's typical practice is to take a really good CPU, a really good GPU, put it in a notebook and then charge you several hundred more than other notebooks with the exact same CPU and GPU. Where does that extra money go to? Stuff like the smooth velvet cover that the notebook comes in, and probably the stylish box packaging too (which people won't carry their laptop around in anyway).

In fact since you said budget is tight, Alienware should be a no-go from the start as it is notorious for its pricing.

As a baseline guide for choosing laptop:

1. Pick a screen size. Bear in mind how much words will look smaller on smaller screens. You can do a simple test: For example if I have a 15" screen I wanna find out how small things look on a 10" of the SAME RESOLUTION (hence about 66.67% the size of my 15" screen) I just do a printscreen of my desktop and browser and shrink the screencap to 66.67% and then look at how much smaller things become.


2. Check the basic checklist for things you WANT or NEED
- USB 3.0? Blu-Ray? Any specific ports like eSATA or Firewire? (my laptop actually has neither)
- Numpad on keyboard?
- Glossy or matte screen? (matte screen = less reflections but lots of laptops are mainly glossy)
- How many USB ports do you need?
- Chassis material? (glossy plastic like Dell Studio XPS will be hard to clean as fingerprint smudges are very visible)
- How much hard disk space? (ignore stuff like SSDs/RAID if high speed data access is not a concern)
etc...


3. Those 2 steps should narrow down quite a lot. Next is utilisation:
- If you plan on outdoor use, or anywhere without an A/C supply, prioritise battery life above performance and if possible avoid anything larger than 15.6" screen

- If you plan on gaming, choose the most graphically demanding game you intend to install on the laptop and check its RECOMMENDED (not minimum) system requirements. Use that as the minimum criteria for CPU and GPU. Note that higher performance = shorter battery life. There are ways to stretch the battery life (for instance I undervolt my GPU while on battery through a vbios mod) but usually its difficult and requires technical know-how (or at least the know-how to search for that info)

- For future-proofing of GPU (potential to play newer games in future), check this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html comparing GPU can be very hard. Use benchmarks to compare, NOT the amount of VRAM (which is the common number quoted by sellers... but it's always the same numbers, either 512mb or 1024mb or recently, 1.5 gb and higher). Just as is the case with regular RAM, the amount of video memory in GPU is rarely the bottleneck, and surplus RAM will make NO DIFFERENCE


4. By now its just a matter of comparing different models that fit the criteria. Do google search for reviews. Use keywords like "overheating" to see if you get any hits on potential thermal problems.
 
32-bit windows can use 3.3g of memory. I notice the difference on more memory.
 
Ok, one more question.

If i get an alienware m11x, should i get it with 4 gigs of ram or 250GB SATAII 7,200RPM hardrive. I can only get one or the other.

P.S this is gonna be on the model with the Dual Core Proccesor not i3
 
Well in general non-volatile memory is more important so... go with the hard drive I guess.


However it depends on priority really... if your storage space requirements are low, the ram would be better (typical Windows 7 environement these days consumes at least 2 gb already, and that's when you're not on a game, or firefox, etc) and the HDD later on.
 
@ Xie

Well once again, i will be heavy internet, with the occasional game of Portal or WOW so,what do you suggest
 
RAM it is then.

btw you sure you can live without an optical drive? The most immediate concern is that anything you have that needs to run on a disk will need an external optical drive (to be bought elsewhere)
 
@Xie

My grandpa has one that came with his macbook air, so i'll use that. But thanks, really for all the help with this. You were one of the best here. Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top