Alienware M14x R2 Review

[Redaktion]

Noisy and Fast.  Classic gaming laptops too boring for you?  The Alienware M14x could be an interesting alternative then:  With current hardware from Intel and Nvidia, packaged in a unique case design, Alienware tries to woo customers.  Is this enough to justify price and emissions?

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Alienware-M14x-R2-Review.75290.0.html

[Pontre]

Grr... is a portable gaming laptop with low emissions too much to ask for?! With every laptop out there, I have to sacrifice one of the three. With Alienware, it's heat and noise. With Asus, it's carrying around the huge 10 pound gym weight I use to strengthen my muscles. With Clevo... okay, a lot of things are wrong with Clevo.

But thanks for the detailed review, as usual. I'm going to wait for other competitors to enter the fray, like the Lenovo Y580 and the Samsung Series 5 550P. I beg of you guys to do a review of the Asus N56. Hopefully, you were already planning on doing so before I begged.

[Klaus Hinum]

Well performance CPU and GPU parts produce a lot of heat and that can be coped with larger cooling solutions (quiet) or smaller and louder ones. Asus N56 is currently on the list (in transit to our German reviewer). I got a pre-sample with GT 630M here and the screen is really nice (400cd, 500:1, matte) and cooling is rather quiet. Lets see how the final GT 650M version fares.

[Jan Andersen]

Yet another misunderstood design using Ivy Bridge.

Ivy Bridge is not supposed to give more processing speed, but to facilitate lighter, thinner, cooler, more silent notebooks. Instead we get old wine on new bottles, heavy, bulky, noisy, and low reliable notebooks having STILL dedicated graphics cards, extra fan, despite the HD4000 graphics card - to gain a silly 15% performance. One can ask, whats the point of releasing the Ivy Bridge processor ?

[Jeff]

For that price that screen is horrid. How is it that Asus can put a true 1080p screen in an 11" Ultrabook and Alienware can't put one in this? Alienware needs a case re-design. That case has been around for a number of years. The color choices need to be upped as well.

[Craig]

What are you talking about Jan? The GT 650M is no less than 120% quicker than the HD4000 integrated card.

[YCJ]

too fat and too hot.... too bad... i wish gaming laptops like this one come as thin like the new macbook pro

[Danmar]

The MSI GE60 with the GTX660M 2GB is a WAY BETTER option for only $1200 USD...

[Rachel]

This is a wonderful laptop! I personally found that www.computerupgradeking.com has a great selection of modifications and the price is reasonable! Best of all I got mine without waiting!

[daseffekt]

I've had the m14x for over a year now and I love it.  Testers always comment on the noise because they have to mention it, but it has NEVER bothered me.  Most of the time the fan isn't even on.  If you're wearing headphones or anywhere noisier than a library, you won't even hear the fan.

Overall it is a great laptop but I agree with the monitor assessment.....mine was somehow scratched or corroded by an oil that was coming out of the keyboard when I first got it.  Aside from that problem, it has been great.  I have even done some pro-level image processing and the reduced color count wasn't a big issue, I just made sure to check my colors on a calibrated monitor later.  If you need absolutely true colors, then you shouldn't be using anything less than a calibrated image processing monitor anyway.  For casual or non-professional image editing, the monitor is just fine.

[Meghu]

Alienware M14x laptop comes with latest Nvidia graphics card – GeForce 650m. Two color option red and black, Weight of the machine is 2.92 kilograms, Quality of image is really good two high speed USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, 63W lithium ion battery. http://www.techiecop.com/laptops/alienware-laptops/alienware-m14x.html

[guachemx]

♥ i love it ♥  :-*

[Robert]

Check out Dell's own message boards and search broken hinge on the M14X. It happened to me too. One day you open the computer and the hinge busts all to hell (2 months after the warranty has run out). My battery had to be replaced also because the computer would cut off when you moved it under battery power. The screen stinks and the touchpad is just so-so. For this price wouldn't you expect something with a little more quality? Geez. Buy if you want to but you just might be shelling out $400-$500 bucks for repairs in 14 months.

[Abhyuday]

Well... the major problem that is bugging is GPU throttling at 67c.... it is happening in more than 80% m14xr2s.... due to CPU heating and downlclocking GPU.. use afterburner and see for urself..... the forusm of alienware and dell are full of it... moreover a pertition is being signed for a GPU throttling fix.... After 10 mins of gaming the FPS gp down.. and games struggle... Please people...this review doesn't actually show the real irritating probs