Alienware's M17x: Mobility Radeon HD 5870 CrossFire Is A Go

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unclewebb

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When you review a product like this, why not go over to the Notebook Review forums and ask the experts there about the M17x R2? The Core i7 Extreme mobile processors are absolute beasts when they have been unlocked and fully overclocked. The turbo throttling that is common to the Core i7 mobile CPUs when loaded can easily be corrected by raising the turbo TDP/TDC values for a simple yet significant increase in performance. Do your readers a favor and show everyone what the M17x is really capable of. With the help of a program called ThrottleStop, you can completely transform the performance of these CPUs.
 
gorillateets

gorillateets

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It'd be nice if Tom's would review some of the more midrange gaming laptops from around $750-$1000. I got a great deal on an Asus G60 with respectable specs and can run any modern game at decent settings. Who here can really throw down that much cash on a laptop? Either way, nice review.
 
Crashman

Crashman

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[citation][nom]gorillateets[/nom]It'd be nice if Tom's would review some of the more midrange gaming laptops from around $750-$1000. I got a great deal on an Asus G60 with respectable specs and can run any modern game at decent settings. Who here can really throw down that much cash on a laptop? Either way, nice review.[/citation]
It's a tough problem because I wouldn't game on a weak GPU. Since I can't afford any notebook over $2000, I wouldn't game on a notebook. Since I wouldn't game on a notebook, I went in the opposite direction with a notebook that has integrated graphics and around eight hours of battery life. Of course, I also have desktops...
 
duk3

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Bang for buck at $4000? Not so much.
The problem with big heavy expensive laptops is that a desktop does everything they do and better at a third of the price.
How much are you really going to be taking a $4000 laptop out of your house?
 
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TheStealthyOne

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Alienware? No thanks.

Although you definitely are paying a superflous price premium, you're at least getting power (the same can't be said for MACs.)
 
rohitbaran

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[citation][nom]TheStealthyOne[/nom]Alienware? No thanks.Although you definitely are paying a superflous price premium, you're at least getting power (the same can't be said for MACs.)[/citation]
What do you want to say? Your second statement is way out of context of the first!
 
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Guest

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Never but it i have the m17x r2 and dell has replaced the motherboard and both the video cards and thats only in the first one i had, they gave me a new laptop and it had the same xfire flicking problem even after the vbios update and newer drivers disable vsync and anyone that has played games on it will find out even if you don't notices it at first it will give you a headache i have tested world of war craft hawx css tf2 the only way to fix it is to disable xfire great job dell lost my business.
 
Luscious

Luscious

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"...more significant “killer app” is the possible addition of a 3G ExpressCard modem."

Dude, are you still living in 2008??? Somebody throw a MiFi at this guy's head!
 
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madass

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[citation][nom]rohitbaran[/nom]What do you want to say? Your second statement is way out of context of the first![/citation]

The average $3K mac has the features of a $1.5K notebook.
 
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mchuf

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[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]It's a tough problem because I wouldn't game on a weak GPU. Since I can't afford any notebook over $2000, I wouldn't game on a notebook. Since I wouldn't game on a notebook, I went in the opposite direction with a notebook that has integrated graphics and around eight hours of battery life. Of course, I also have desktops...[/citation]

I too have the Asus G60 (the Best Buy model). And it comes with an i5, and a NVidia GTX360M. Not that shabby and I've been able to play Just Cause 2 and Metro 2033 just fine on (not too) reduced settings in DX10. I can play plenty of newer games at max settings. It's not a beast like the Alienware, but it works fine for gaming on the road. The M17X is basically a desktop replacement (that you can take from room to room). And I would rather have a desktop instead of a laptop in that price range.
 
theblade

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[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]It's a tough problem because I wouldn't game on a weak GPU. Since I can't afford any notebook over $2000, I wouldn't game on a notebook. Since I wouldn't game on a notebook, I went in the opposite direction with a notebook that has integrated graphics and around eight hours of battery life. Of course, I also have desktops...[/citation]

It would be quite proper to get to that conclusion in a review of a couple midrange gaming laptops from around $750-$1000 with all the benchmarks and charts to back it up, so that it get´s clarified, you're probably right but that's what a hardware review and tech news site is for.
It would be nice to see some numbers that will help us see just how much of a limitation would that weak GPU impose.
Great article by the way. Keep up the good work!

 
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scook9

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One huge facet of this laptop that was completely not mentioned is the RGBLED screen. Outside of the IPS DreamColor screens offered by HP in their Elitebooks this is easily THE SINGLE BEST SCREEN on a laptop (pretty much, ever). Screen quality should always be included in reviews because the screen is what you look at the whole time regardless of other hardware.

[citation][nom]unclewebb[/nom]When you review a product like this, why not go over to the Notebook Review forums and ask the experts there about the M17x R2? The Core i7 Extreme mobile processors are absolute beasts when they have been unlocked and fully overclocked. The turbo throttling that is common to the Core i7 mobile CPUs when loaded can easily be corrected by raising the turbo TDP/TDC values for a simple yet significant increase in performance. Do your readers a favor and show everyone what the M17x is really capable of. With the help of a program called ThrottleStop, you can completely transform the performance of these CPUs.[/citation]
I tried to tell you in the forums, people here are not rational about notebooks like we are lol. I could show them that I bench my M17x at 4 GHz on a quad core and they would still be unimpressed and tell me I am stupid because it is huge and has no battery life and I wasted all my money

[citation][nom]hotsacoman[/nom]Hmmm. Overpriced.[/citation]
Compared to what? The Clevo was more.

[citation][nom]TheStealthyOne[/nom]Alienware? No thanks.Although you definitely are paying a superflous price premium, you're at least getting power (the same can't be said for MACs.)[/citation]
How superfluous was it? This entire laptop uses less power than a Desktop 5870 (by itself, not counting screen, motherboard, drives, ram, cpu, etc). Don't expect it to cost the same. Do I even need to mention the portability?

[citation][nom]americanherosandwich[/nom]Outdated within a year.[/citation]
And what desktop is not? That statement means nothing in the computer world and you should know that.

Shame this will get thumbed down so no one will see it :(
 
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mchuf

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[citation][nom]scook9[/nom]And what desktop is not? That statement means nothing in the computer world and you should know that.Shame this will get thumbed down so no one will see it[/citation]

I gave you a thumbs up due to the screen comment. But while all computers get outdated, at least with a desktop you can easily upgrade the video card(s). Although having dual mobility HD5870's, you'll be able to game with high settings for quite some time.
 
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scook9

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[citation][nom]mchuf[/nom]I gave you a thumbs up due to the screen comment. But while all computers get outdated, at least with a desktop you can easily upgrade the video card(s). Although having dual mobility HD5870's, you'll be able to game with high settings for quite some time.[/citation]
Although not common knowledge to many....highend laptops have had upgradeable gpus for years in the form of MXM cards. It is a standard followed by many manufacturers and as long as you have bios support, there are many upgrade options. I have the older M17x (R1 with core 2 stuff) and I can take GTX 260m, GTX 280m, GTX 285m, Radeon Mobility 4870 all in single or dual card configurations. The M17x R2 (i7 version - what is reviewed here) can take GTX 285m, Radeon 4870m, Radeon 5870m, and potentially GTX 400 cards once Dell releases them also all in dual or single configurations.
 
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