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Intro

Introducing the Alienware M17x! Not to be confused with the Alienware Area-51 m17x. Yes Alienware dropped the "Area-51" off the official title of the notebook and changed the "M" from lowercase to uppercase for reasons we don't really know. Maybe they just wanted an easier way to determine the difference between the two notebooks; because believe me, a lot has changed between the two versions, hardware and aesthetics included.

So what are the changes? And is this the correct direction for Alienware to go in?

From a hardware standpoint, of course. Consumers and gamers ALWAYS want the latest and greatest of technology in their machines. But why change the design already? It has not been long since the Alienware Area-51 m17x was released with a sleek, silver chassis that wowed us all. Did we really need a change already?

Specs:

• Specs of the M17x shipped:
• SYSTEM COLOR: Space Black – Anodized Aluminum
• PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows Vista Home Premium (64 bit)
• VIDEO CARD: Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 280M, 2GB – SLI® Enabled
• LCD PANEL: 17-inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 (1200p)
• MEMORY: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
• HARD DRIVE: 1TB - 2x 500GB 7,200RPM - RAID 0
• INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE: Slot-Load Dual Layer Blu-ray Combo (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
• WARRANTY AND SERVICE: 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty

MSRP: $3,898
Starting at: $1,799

What's in the Box:

Even the way the notebooks are packaged was changed. There are more layers to dig through protecting the M17x and like the previous design, customers still get the branded Alienware protective covering so transporting their Alienwares is easy and safe.

Design & Build

Alienware has taken the M17x in an entirely different direction.... yet again. Instead of sleek and beauty, The new Alienware line is now tough and rugged. The M17x build quality alone is much better and sturdier than the previous Alienware Area-51 m17x design. Looking at the front of the Alienware M17x, on the left and right side two LED areas that stare right into the eyes of any user that sits in front of it. Definitely a mean lookin' notebook.

AlienFX

The AlienFX can be found by clicking the icon on the desktop called, Alienware Command Center. Inside you have the option of selecting AlienFX. AlienFX can be used to change the color of different zones on the notebook without having to physically replace LEDs. The previous notebooks also had this feature, only in the new M17x, you now have the option of customizing the color scheme with much more precision than before. You can change multiple sections of certain zones to give a rainbow-like effect. The example below shows how you can change the colors of your keyboard.

Screen:

How is the picture quality of the screen? Viewing angle? Level of brightness? Adjust the level of brightness from the lowest to the brightest. Talk about how it reacts in daylight/nightlight. Are there any dead pixels?

Keyboard

Alienware kept the keyboard relatively the same from the Area-51 m15x and m17x. They also kept the function key naming conventions the same. For example, "suspend" is printed on the F1 key so it is obvious that pressing Fn+F1 will suspend the notebook. In addition, there is also a convenient function key F2, which brings up your battery level in the middle of the screen, F3, which mutes the sound, F4 and F5 which raise and lower the brightness on the LCD respectively, F6 toggles the output on the LCD screen or via the HDMI port, F8 which ejects the DVD tray, F9 which loads the Cyberlink YouCam software, F10 brings up Windows Mobility Center (where you can manage your battery life, wifi and other windows components, F11 loads the AlienFX software.

Of course the most impressive feature of the keyboard is the backlit functionality. Using the software AlienFX (discussed above) you can change the color of your keyboard to create any scheme your little heart desires.

Touchpad

Alienware gave me my wish when complaining about the touchpad on their previous Alienware Area-51 m17x model. Unfortunately, the touchpad is one of the few areas on the Alienware M17x that has not improved from the redesign. The new touchpad is indeed horribly designed. There is a new scaled textured touchpad that feels like your touching the back of snake. The touchpad is extremely jumpy and using it may cause much frustration, especially if you are trying to use the invisible scroll pad that has no markings or aesthetics to indicate it even exists.

Features:

Multimedia Keys

On the right side above the keyboard are a number of multimedia keys, that allow you to control the volume, play/pause and stop DVDs or CDs in the slot-loading player. These multimedia keys are very ineffective from Alienware's previous designs. Aside from the eject key, the volume buttons do not work on a consistent basis. I wish Alienware would have address this before finalizing the design. It would have been better if there was a knob on the side of the notebook to control the volume.

LEDS

The M17x is covered with a beautiful backlit keyboard and numerous LEDs over the entire chassis. From the front of the Alien eyes, to the multimedia keys to the the lit Alienware logo above the keyboard and on the back of the lid, all the lights look gorgeous.

The Alienware M17x comes equipped with an internal Wireless a/g/draft-n card. This card is an upgrade from the previous Area-51 m17x Intel Wireless 4965, but like most wireless cards today, the range and signal strength remains consistent and efficient. Connecting to a wifi network with Windows Vista is as easy as it gets.

Speakers

There is nothing unusual about the speakers on the M17x. They are of normal quality, nothing too fancy but definitely do not disappoint when watching videos or listening to music.

Input and Output Ports

Front:

Although there are no ports of any kind on the front of the notebook, Alienware added two LED vents on the left and right side that simulate an alien-like face and really adds character to the notebook chassis.


Right Side:

One of the nice features on the Alienware M17x is the slot loading CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive. Trays are so 1999! Every notebook made from this point out should come with slot loading drives. They are sleek, they are convenient and are easy to use.

The right side contains the Slot-loading DVD player, card reader, two USB ports, four audio jacks.


Left Side:

The left side of the notebook is packed with ports. From left to right, a Kingston notebook lock, exhaust vent, VGA (D-sub) output, HDMI output, display port, Eithernet port, two highspeed USB ports, eSATA port, and IEEE firewire port.

Rear:

AC power connection.


Size and Weight

Much like its predecessor, the M17x is heavy. It is actually 2 pounds heavier than the Area-51 m17x, clocking in at 12 pounds. The faster components are not to blame for the extra weight, but the solid build and extra cosmetic features that were added.


Heat and Noise

Image coming soon.

Battery Life

As expected, the M17x does not have very good battery life. Boasting two mobile graphics card and a powerful CPU, poor battery life is the price you pay. But battery life is not something gamers are looking for in a machine like this.

Each rating is measured when the 10% battery warning pops up in Windows Vista, with the exception of the Blu-Ray movie where the movie took up the whole screen and the m17x shut down completely.

1/8 – 33 minutes – Watching a Blu-ray movie (Balanced/)
8/8 – 57 minutes – Surfing the internet/youtube (Power Saver)
8/8 – 51 minutes – Surfing the internet/youtube (Power Saver)



Pros:

• Cosmetics
• CPU Power
• Graphics Power
• AlienFX

Cons:

• Weight
• Touchpad
• Scrollpad
• Multimedia Keys

Conclusion: TBAed

Are the gpus downclocked by AW? That 3dmark06 score seems low.

I've decided to move this review into the Alienware section and continue to make updates to it like Yoob's review.

You think so?

Compare it to the older Area-51 m17x scores.

Your screen shot is wrong. It looks like it's from the old system. I'll submit my scores from my previous system shortly.

All the screenshots are wrong. I haven't uploaded any of the new ones yet.

Added F.E.A.R. benchmark tonight.

Added Vantage, Cinebench R10 and Passmark 7 benches.

ummm why is the battery rated 1 when it gets 3 hours of battery ?

Good eye. Just a wrong click?

cheers ...

Because this unit shipped with a malfunctioning battery. Didn't mention that in the review.