M18x U.S. Configurator

[vikingrinn]

The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

[Brian]

The prices for upgrades are ridiculous. I think M18x is out of my budget unless I can get a fat 20-30% discount:

Alienware M18x

Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum, Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit

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Remove These Services Remove Configuration

Preliminary Ship date: 5/18/2011

$3,876.99

12 mos. special financing on new systems $1299 or more with Dell Preferred Account!

Limited Time Offer! View Details

Catalog Number: 29 DKCWKR1

Module Description Product Code & SKU

System Color Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum

Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit

Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)

Memory 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)

A/C Adapter Alienware M18x 330W A/C Adapter

Display Panel 18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED

Video Card Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M - AMD CrossFireX™

Hard Drive 320GB 7,200RPM SATA 3Gb/s

AlienFX Terra Green

Adobe Reader Acrobat SW Adobe Acrobat X Reader

Optical Drive Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Sound Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with SoundBlaster MB Software

Wireless Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

Automatic Updates Automatic Updates: Critical Updates Only

Hardware Support Services 2 Year Advanced Plan

Factory Installed Games Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed

OS Customization Alienhead Chrome Red

WirelessHD VIZIO XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video and Audio Kit with Internal 60GHz WirelessHD Transmitter

Standard Nameplate Trigger Standard Nameplate

Collapse Configuration Details

Move to Wish List

Sub Total $3,876.99

[Brian]

This is with a nearly base configuration with only essential upgrades:

Alienware M18x

Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum, Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit

Edit Item

Remove These Services Remove Configuration

Preliminary Ship date: 5/18/2011

$3,159.00

12 mos. special financing on new systems $1299 or more with Dell Preferred Account!

Limited Time Offer! View Details

Catalog Number: 29 DKCWKR1

Module Description Product Code & SKU

System Color Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum

Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit

Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)

Memory 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)

A/C Adapter Alienware M18x 330W A/C Adapter

Display Panel 18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED

Video Card Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M - AMD CrossFireX™

Hard Drive 320GB 7,200RPM SATA 3Gb/s

AlienFX Terra Green

Adobe Reader Acrobat SW Adobe Acrobat X Reader

Optical Drive Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Sound Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with SoundBlaster MB Software

Wireless Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

Automatic Updates Automatic Updates: Critical Updates Only

Hardware Support Services 1 Year Basic Plan

Factory Installed Games Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed

OS Customization Alienhead Chrome Red

Standard Nameplate Trigger Standard Nameplate

Collapse Configuration Details

Move to Wish List

Sub Total $3,159.00

/faints

Compare that with the M17x-R3 and all you're really getting performance wise is an additional ATi 6970M GPU. I doubt it costs Dell so much money to make an aluminium chasis or to use an 18.4" WLED panel. If it was IPS RGB LED as standard, then I'd see justification for the outrageous price. Lets hope it comes down when the system is finally made available to order.

[Brian]

Here's what I configured for an X7200 WITH a 90% gamut display at XoticPC:

Sager NP7280 / Clevo X7200 Sager NP7280 / Clevo X7200

- 17.3" FHD 16:9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen w/ 90% NTSC Color Gamut (1920x1080) (Will add 4-7 business days to build time

- 30 Day No Dead Pixel Guarantee - Special (On any screen)

- Intel® Core™ i7-960 (3.2-3.46GHz) 8MB L3 Cache, 4.8 GT/sec QPI, LGA 1366

- -Stock OEM Thermal Compound

- CrossFire Dual ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6970's 2048MB (4096MB Total) w/GDDR5 DX11 Video Cards (User Upgradeable) + Extra AC Adapter & Power Converter Box

- No Video Adapter

- ~ 6,144MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory (3 SODIMMS)

- Standard Finish

- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Software

- ~ 320GB 7200RPM (Serial-ATA II 300 - 16MB Cache) - Default

- None Standard -

- No Additional Hard Drive in ODD Bay (When adding Hard Drive, Optical Drive Is Not Included/Removed)

- HDD Raid Settings - OFF

- No Additional Hard Drive in ODD Bay - When Selecting, Optical Drive is NOT Included

- No Back Up Hard Drive

- NO External USB Optical Drive

- No Back Up Software

- No Floppy Drive

- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)

- Internal Bluetooth + EDR

- Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module

- No Network Accessory

- Integrated Digital Video Camera

- No TV Tuner

- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included

- Basic Black Business Case - Included

- Primary Smart Li-ION Battery Pack - Included

- No Car Adapter

- None Standard*

- No Dock/Hub/Adapter

- Integrated Fingerprint Reader

- No External Keyboard or Mouse

- No Notebook Cooler

- No Thanks, Please do not Overclock my system (Overclocking will add 3-6 business days to build time)

- No Operating System Standard - Drivers & Utility Software Only

- No Office Software

- No Software Bundle

- 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime -24/7 DOMESTIC Based- Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC)

Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Warranty Repairs

- No Xotic PC Gear

$3,169.00

Sub-Total: $3,169.00

[StamatisX]

If I had to decide between those 2, I would go for the clevo, at this point it makes more sense in terms of performance/cost. If people need portability they should definitely go for the M17x R3...

[rawhide85]

I have to agree with all of you. I will be looking at other options for my gaming rig. To bad I love the FX lighting. There is no other laptop that even comes close to the look of AW. All I really wanted was a lighted keyboard, and do not like the ASUS laps. Oh well

[mw86]

The prices are insane. Base config is way too high and Brian the first one you posted barely was upgraded and didn't barely have anything.

Edited April 27, 2011 by mw86

[mw86]

I can't get a refund. So I am M18x all the way. Guys can I order now that the configurator is up on their site? I need all you advice 6K budget exactly so....

Alienware M18x

Dell Price $5,933.00

As low as $178.00/month*1

Preliminary Ship Date: 5/18/2011

My Selections All Options

Alienware M18x

Date 4/27/2011 4:43:53 PM Central Standard Time

Catalog Number 29 Retail 19

Catalog Number / Description Product Code Qty SKU Id

Adobe Reader Acrobat SW:

Adobe Acrobat X Reader ADOBEX 1 [410-0548] 15

Processor:

Intel® Core™ i7 2920XM Overclocked Turbo Boost to 4.0GHz (8MB Cache) O2920XM 1 [317-6852] 2

Operating System:

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit AW7HP6E 1 [420-9691][420-9956][421-0092][421-1400] 11

Memory:

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS) 8G4D16 1 [317-6885] 3

Video Card:

Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6970M - AMD CrossFireX™ 6970M 1 [320-2271] 6

Hard Drive:

512GB RAID 0 (2x 256GB) Solid State Drive SATA 3Gb/s R0SS512 1 [342-2664] 8

Display Panel:

18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED WFED 1 [320-2269] 5

Wireless:

Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology N6300 1 [430-4150] 19

Optical Drive:

Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) BRR 1 [318-0843][421-1305] 16

Sound:

Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with SoundBlaster MB Software SBXFI 1 [421-5100] 17

System Color:

Nebula Red Anodized Aluminum ARED 1 [225-0888] 1

Nameplate:

Personalized Plate NPLATE 1 [330-6106][331-2426][0] 9

AlienFX:

Mars Red RED 1 [313-8791][421-5099] 10

OS Customization:

Alienhead Chrome Red WAL6 1 [421-1586][421-1596] 110

Factory Installed Games:

Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed STEAM 1 [421-1360] 73

Automatic Updates:

Automatic Updates: On AUTOON 1 [330-6348] 20

A/C Adapter:

Alienware M18x 330W A/C Adapter 330W 1 [331-2428] 4

Standard Nameplate Trigger:

Standard Nameplate SPLATE 1 [331-2425] 748

Hardware Support Services:

3 Year Basic Plan S3OS 1 [421-1723][950-3339][953-9080][953-9090][953-9100][953-9140][993-8582][994-3730] 29

this is how I would order. Is that the Warranty that's best for a 3 year or is advanced better? I want a 3 year warranty that will cover anykind of overclocking I do... If you guys approve I'll order it tommorow if i'm able to place orders now!

[Ashtefere]

For the price of that crossfire setup, I am definately upgraded to 485m sli third party.

It looks like you guys in the US finally get a taste of Australian pricing! Really, it's ridiculous.

As of this morning 1 AUD buys 1.08 USD, so my dollar effectively gives me an 8% discount on stuff I buy from the US, so it isnt as bad for me.

Couple that with the cost of a pair of 485m's in AU ($1400) and it isnt all that much more expensive. $500 more? I thought it would be a lot more than that.

Yeah, that system is waaaaaaaaaaay overpriced. Just wow. Release date is on May 18th, so a little while off yet. Maybe they will lower the pricing a bit?

Perhaps alienware dont think they have a competitor in the same region?

If you want to email/chat a sales rep, maybe link them the config that Brian just did for the clevo, and do the whole "why should I buy this alienware when this clevo is better? discount plox?"

Ah, corporate greed. So rampant!

-Ash

[mw86]

I agree corporate greed will be everyones downfall. Thanks for the reply Ash.

-Marc

[StamatisX]

Let's hope they pay a visit to our forum and change their minds

for their own sake...

P.S I added a poll for this thread so you can vote.

[Jimbo]

Ok, so the upgrades cost too much, but the base price seems ok to me at this point. The m17xr3 is $2999 here and any decent x7200 spec is $4000+

Also, the sandybridge mobile chips are blazing fast, I'm not sure an x7200 with a quad core 960 would actually be quicker. So in summary, If (when it actually launches) I can get 6970/485, 2720 + the other small misc things that should be included, shipped to me for less than $4000 it's potentially worthwhile.

Plus, didn't they state $1999 base price at the launch? So what's so bad about $2019?

[StamatisX]

Clevo offers 2x 6970M CFX for almost half the price Dell does... at least they should offer them for $300-450 max, not $900

[Jimbo]

Definitely. But the base price seems relatively reasonable to me. And we don't have any real idea if this is all 100% correct until it actually launches.

[Lucas Darling]

I don't think anyone has an issue with the starting price; like Brian said, the upgrade prices are far too high. The processors are at their usual prices, but the XFire 6970 should not be $900, RAM has always been strangely overpriced ($300 for 1600mhz 8GB - but there is no 16 or 32GB so it will probably be updated), and the Momentus XT Hybrid retails for $30 less than what they offer. Maybe it is me, but one should not say this is normal.

[kune]

brb, changing

Avenger price made me mess my pants

[Jimbo]

I don't think anyone has an issue with the starting price; like Brian said, the upgrade prices are far too high. The processors are at their usual prices, but the XFire 6970 should not be $900, RAM has always been strangely overpriced ($300 for 1600mhz 8GB - but there is no 16 or 32GB so it will probably be updated), and the Momentus XT Hybrid retails for $30 less than what they offer. Maybe it is me, but one should not say this is normal.

Yes, agreed there, the upgrades are insanely priced, especially the 6970 CFX setup. Also, having to pay for a sound upgrade, it may only be $20 but FFS couldn't it be included on a $2000 laptop?

[Ashtefere]

Do note jimbo that for the australian m17x r2, the upgrade to HD5870m crossfire was $150 AUD. The equivalent on the m18x is $900 USD. That is six times higher!

That is simply greedy and insane.

-Ash

[mw86]

Ash you have Dell pegged if they don't lower that price at launch sager etc... Have em beat by far in pricing on upgrades.

Sager NP8170 / Clevo P170HM - 17.3 " FHD 16 :9 "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright LED Glossy Screen w/ 90 % NTSC Color Gamut (1920 x1080) ( Will add 4-7 business days to build time - Standard Dead Pixel Policy - -2 nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2920XM, 2.5-3.5GHz, (32nm, 8MB L3 cache) - - IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU - ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD6970 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11 - No Video Adapter - ~ 8 ,192 MB DDR 3 1333 MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)- - Standard Finish - ~ 6 X Blue-Ray Read/8 X DVDRW Super Multi Combo Drive - ~ 250 GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III) - ~ 250 GB Intel 510 Series Solid State Drive (SSD2 Serial-ATA III)~ - Raid 0 Stripe Enabled (Requires 2 or 3 Hard Drives. Combines Hard Drives for performance) - No Additional Hard Drive in ODD Bay - When Selecting, Optical Drive is NOT Included - No Back Up Hard Drive - NO External USB Optical Drive - No Back Up Software - No Floppy Drive - Internal 7- in-1 Card Reader (MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo/SD/Mini-SD/ MMC/RS) - USB Bluetooth Adapter - Intel® Ultimate-N 6300 - 802.11 A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module - No Network Accessory - Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera - No TV Tuner - Sound Blaster Compatible 3 D Audio - Included - Basic Black Business Case - Included - Smart Li-ion Battery (8- Cell) - No Car Adapter - None Standard* - No Dock/Hub/Adapter - Integrated Fingerprint Reader - No External Keyboard or Mouse - No Notebook Cooler - YES - Redline Boost™ Overclock My System - ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64- Bit Installed (64 &32- Bit CD Included) w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's + Microsoft Office Starter 2010 - Included with OS Purchase - No Office Software - No Software Bundle - 3 Year Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime -24 /7 DOMESTIC Based- Toll Free Telephone Tech Support (Labor Warranty through Xotic PC) Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Warranty Repairs - No Xotic PC Gear 1

Sub-Total: $4 , 398.01

Edited April 28, 2011 by mw86

[Jimbo]

I guess I'm just saying that for me ~$3200 with CFX 6970 is cheaper than x7200, faster than p170, and has many other features I want that they lack such as - backlit keyboard/4 row numpad/alloy chassis/HDMI in etc etc.

I totally agree that $900 extra for 6970 is crazy, just not that the combination is as ridiculously overpriced as some feel.

And also, these are not final prices. We can live in hope that someone screwed up/had some strange reason to provoke forum rage

[unreal25]

$900 extra for 6970 lol.

The base price is fine imo, but the components you get for that price suck. So ummm.... what kind of screen does it have?

[Ashtefere]

Also keep in mind Jimbo that a 6970m is a cheaper to manufacture laptop version of a HD6850 - Amazetech Amaze ATI HD6850 | ITSPOT.COM.AU Computer Components

$179!!!! And that is including all the packaging and extra cooling, more PCB to build, etc.

It is overpriced, in every regard. It simply is not worth $450 per card, in any universe, for any reason, in comparison to any laptop, ever.

I do hope your view on "not final prices" is correct. Prices like that are doubled on the AU side of things, and at nearly $4k USD for an average config, you are looking at about $8k AUD over here. I would buy that classic second hand ferrari I have been eyeing off instead.

A ferrari.

-Ash

[mw86]

Where is ssd options, they don't tell you what drives they are selling you. Where's OCZ vertex option? As it has been said where is 1333/1600mhz 32gb and 16gb options? People just might want to utilize the Sata 3 controller inside... So where are the Sata 3 drive options.

Edited April 28, 2011 by mw86

[Jimbo]

LOL, yeah, if it's 8k I doubt they'll sell many. If I do get one it'll almost certainly come from the states.

And I still say it beats the x7200.

[Michael]

wow

the prices are insane. I do think those aren't the final prices though. 900$ for 6970 XF setup is not going to fly.