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M11x worth buying?


mav

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I am very interested about an M11x, but dont know which one to decide.

I'm playing Games like Battlefield, Assassins Creed, Soccer and mostly Trackmania United/ Canyon 2.

I've read tests and compared about the 1st and the 3rd Revision, well: Core 2 Duo against "i7" sandybridge.. i don't think that theres so much performance differences, even you can overclock.

The better GPU made me want to buy the R3 - but for which price it is worth?

Ive seen M11x r1 who go out for 450$, how many should i spend for the R3? How much is it worth?

(I noticed the 3rd has Gigabit LAN instead of 100mb/s, would be there HUGE up-& download differences at 50k Connection?)

Also whats with the Hinge at R3? More Solid/ Robust than r1?

Buying an r2 i wouldnt, same GPU, no vga and much louder..

Please some help here, Colour Choice don't needed, I've would paint it anyway :D:)

Greetz mav

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Hey mav, I've had my M11xR2 for coming up to 2 years now, so I hope I can help you out.

I assume you want to get the M11x for its portability + gaming capability? Because honestly, that is probably the only reason I would suggest getting one. Don't get me wrong, I love my little beast and it has served me well but my R2 is starting to show its age in more recent title (such as BF3 and The Witcher 2). I can see you've already ruled out the R2, which is a good step. There is a performance increase over the R1 (for CPU bound games) but it isn't huge and the R1 definitely wins out in temperatures and battery life. I've also seen some nice mods on the R1 which give it more of an edge.

However, I think you'll find that the R3 is quite an improvement over its predecessors. The i7 Sandy is definitely going to win out over the C2D and the GT 540M is quite a step up from the GT 335M. My friend owns an R3 and I can also say that it has much better battery life than the R2 and not too far off the R1, it runs cooler, has a better quality screen, more robust hinges and the nice soft-touch lid like the R2 (purely subjective :P ). @unreal25 owns (or did own?) an R3 and made a thread regarding some of the improvements he found as a direct replacement of his R1. Give that a read if you have the time: http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m11x/1648-m11x-r3-screen-comparisons.html

For the time being, it seems the M11x line has been discontinued and there are some upcoming ultrabooks with specs that aren't too far off those of the R3. My personal opinion would be if you found an R3 for the right price and in good condition, grab it. I wouldn't recommend picking up an R1 or R2 unless you found one for dirt cheap. Keep in mind that there are a few new entries into this size category which win out against the M11x in terms of performance or screen quality or weight/dimensions. Just ask if you have any more questions. :)

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R3 seems to have a better display and the hinge problem is solved vs R1. So it may be worth spending the extra and grabbing the R3 revision just for that alone.

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Thanks for this Information!

Well.. the only problem is that I would only use this Subnotebook when i go to some LAN's or to a friend over a Weekend.

Thats the reason i wouldn't spend too much money in a 2nd Notebook and even I found more r1 and r2 where I can save up too 300$ instead of an r3.

Its too bad, if i would have a desktop pc at home i definately would buy an M11x, even the r3. But in this Situation not for 300$ more.

Should I wait or grab one r1? :S

Some more questions: (i want to make sure)

If I can grab an R2 with i7, would be there more performance boost instead of an i5? I know these processors are all the Ultra Low Voltage.

And what about overclocking experience? Ive read somewhere that this won't work with the r3?

And here also: Which processor can I overclock more? C2D from r1, or i5/i7 from r2? I want to get the most power I can grab out of this :D

Or well.. just buying a new one from DELL USA and ship it to

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Ok, i've got another Question about the 2nd Revision:

With i7, you can even overclock the bus speed from 133 to max 166Mhz.

This would mean you can go up to 2,8 Ghz in turbo mode. (Is this then 2x 2,8 or only at 1 core?)

While at core 2 duo cpu (r1) you can pinmod up to 2ghz..

And then.. Throttlestop: Should/ must I use this? I mean: Do the clocks stay anytime at 2,8ghz?

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I really think you should look at the Dell Outlet for a revision 3 and then call in and ask for a discount otherwise you won't buy it and the $300 savings on the slower computer may turn into only a $50-$100 difference in which case the revision 3 would be the right choice hands down. I have used a few core 2 duo and i7 first and second gen... Clock for clock Sandy wipes the floor with core 2 duos... I have a T7700 overclocked to 2.6ghz via IDA tweak via bios/ throttle stop... And compared to either first or second gen I series from Intel... There's really no competition.

Play your cards right and keep eye on Dell outlet and you will find a deal you can't refuse... And if you call in could save $50-250 by negotiating.

Results speak... Brian got his M18x for well below market value like this. Plus if any issue on refurb they will have to fix anything you find and in Brians case got an upgrade on his video cards because of noted cosmetic issues and the case was even replaced for him.

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Yeah R3 has a pretty fast CPU. IIRC, according to benchmarks Intel Core i7 2637m (Sandy Bridge) on M11x-R3 is faster than i7 620m (Arrandale) I have on M17x-R2. R3 has a new hinge, with no problems. Also R3 has literally upgraded over R1/R2 (exterior, screen, sound, CPU, GPU and 90W AC adapter) -- but for games there is only 1 reason: it has a better GPU. I would not recommend R1. It still has a bug where dedicated GPU doesn't turn off properly when switching GPUs and I would question every hinge on these laptops.

If it's only for LAN parties and occassional use outside, why not just carry M17x? I know it's heavy (I just carried it during a 20 hour trip), but if it's only occassionaly being carried it's not so bad. But if we're talking about portability, M11x is the only Alienware I would call portable. I have no clue why they are called "ultraportables"; M11x is not THAT light, but it's really portable. M14x and larger are definitely not portable in my book. After having an R3, I don't understand why it is discontinued -- no word on the reasons from Dell. The market for these ultraportables is full of all kind of 11"-13" laptops with these decent GPUs, but \I really dislike pretty much anything other than Alienware when it comes to both build quality and looks. If Apple made something for gaming, it would probably be worth recommending that. :-/

I am not sure what are the current prices, perhaps something like $600-$700 for an R3 in a decent condition would be ok. If you want to get the price down all the way, I would probably go for the cheapest CPU. (Dell Outlet is the place to go.) There is also another new 11" Clevo laptop (I am not too big fan of their stuff) that has even better specs but I don't know much about it.

Sorry if I sound to negative, but that's how I feel about the current offer. Basically what mw86 said, I would stalk Dell Outlet for a bit, then when you find something decent try calling them and see if you can get a discount. From what I remember if you call on the phone, they typically (?) always give at least ~5% discount just for calling. But I wouldn't hope for e.g. 20% discount on a laptop below $1K. :)

@Michael, wow sorry to hear that! It sucks! :(

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Thanks for this Outlet! Never heard before. But for some reason I won't find a german outlet?

And well therefore I always carried my M17x r2 to LAN's.. with other Stuff in a trolley very comfortable but go upstairs with 17 punds.. ^^

And also, when I go over for a night i need new clothes and this don't have much place in a trolley :S

This Outlet, are there only Notebooks and other Stuff what would be tested for some days and then send back?

Well.. 20% discount I would be very glad, maybe I can send some Coupon :D

Hopefully last one:

Your Choice? i7 sandybridge or i5? 1GB more GPU Memory is like an certificate of participation in a Champions League Final, poor Bayern :(

Greetz and Good Night.

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Are you in Germany? I don't know much about ordering from there, I was looking stuff out in the USA Dell outlet. I don't think they accept returns (at least not without 15% restocking fee) unless there is something wrong with the laptop.

i5 or i7 depends on the price. I would max the GPU first, then CPU second. Extra GPU memory helps with games that use high res textures (e.g. Crysis 2 Hi Res texture patch). But if you play something that uses a lot of CPU, then it would make sense to go for a better CPU. It depends from game to game really.

There are often 20% Dell Outlet coupons, I think if you sign up for their newsletter you get this stuff in your e-mail. I cancelled my subscription since I don't plan to buy anything there soon, but these are great discounts. The laptops you get from there usually really great (often as new) unless it specifically states "Scratch and Dent". You can also upgrade the warranty on outlet laptops (Lenovo does not allow this for example) -- not sure on the pricing tho. They are sometimes laptops that someone turned on and then returned to Dell. They are also often much cheaper then new laptops with same specs.

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Well spoken Unreal. Michael i hope you get your system real soon. I can't belive its been so long and still in customs.

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There's not a huge difference between the i5 and i7, especially when it comes to gaming. You would yield a substantially bigger performance increase by overclocking the GPU than choosing the i7 over the i5. Also for the native screen resolution, you're not going to notice a difference between the 1GB and 2GB GPU memory. If you are connecting to higher resolution external monitors, maybe you could consider it but not if you are just carrying it around for LANs.

Stalk that outlet!

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Well.. if I would grab some from the Outlet store, someone must help me..

I've used DELL Chat and they said that they only deliver within the USA, also I asked if I could use an fake USA address where some other company sell this to germany, no chance to do this :(

Someone would buy me an M11x r3 with i5? 4gb ram is enough, smallest hdd. (The guy who would make this get a little bonus ;)

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Well.. if I would grab some from the Outlet store, someone must help me..

I've used DELL Chat and they said that they only deliver within the USA, also I asked if I could use an fake USA address where some other company sell this to germany, no chance to do this :(

Someone would buy me an M11x r3 with i5? 4gb ram is enough, smallest hdd. (The guy who would make this get a little bonus ;)

Worst case - try ebay.

Sent from my CM9 powered Galaxy Note

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yes.. the current r3's at ebay germany is ~1700$ and only one. (i7 cpu)

I decided to buy an used r1 or r2, cause even with the dell outlet store, the price average stay around 350$ !!

Hm.. i think i grab that i7 just because the newer processor.

And even, in the moment there are only r2's with i7 and two r1's.. :D

Thank you all for recommending and helping!

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If it's only for LAN parties and occassional use outside, why not just carry M17x? I know it's heavy (I just carried it during a 20 hour trip), but if it's only occassionaly being carried it's not so bad. But if we're talking about portability, M11x is the only Alienware I would call portable. I have no clue why they are called "ultraportables"; M11x is not THAT light, but it's really portable. M14x and larger are definitely not portable in my book. After having an R3, I don't understand why it is discontinued -- no word on the reasons from Dell. The market for these ultraportables is full of all kind of 11"-13" laptops with these decent GPUs, but \I really dislike pretty much anything other than Alienware when it comes to both build quality and looks. If Apple made something for gaming, it would probably be worth recommending that. :-/

Well.. I think i'm running the high price of the new 7970m away, because i just dont want to spend an half the price for only one graphic card.

Even we don't know yet if it is working in M17x r2, but we can assume that this will work. Even the 1st and only Revision (after DELL bought Alienware) of the M15x can handle it, just with power issues.

Well.. I will be waiting and currently I dont must need it.. drive by train less than 10 minutes, stay at home by parents and a LAN Party is maybe 3 times a year.

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Well.. I think i'm running the high price of the new 7970m away, because i just dont want to spend an half the price for only one graphic card.

Even we don't know yet if it is working in M17x r2, but we can assume that this will work. Even the 1st and only Revision (after DELL bought Alienware) of the M15x can handle it, just with power issues.

Well.. I will be waiting and currently I dont must need it.. drive by train less than 10 minutes, stay at home by parents and a LAN Party is maybe 3 times a year.

go for it... 7970m are beasts. WHQL drivers should bring better support to multiple systems for 7970m... just waiting for slow AMD driver team...

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  • 1 month later...

This thread is 2 months old. It's quite likely that the OP has made up his mind. Do we really have to lock every single old thread to prevent people from ressurecting them ?! (with really no new information)

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