Yay, another thread about the Sentia m3450. I just ordered one on Monday, the 21st. I must say, it was a bit of a
rough start being 19, there were some issues with my credit card. Alienware needed another address on my card to
verify that the card was mine and that I was me.. lol kinda annoying to me. So after sitting on the phone with
Alienware and my bank for about 4 hours, I was finally verified. (Confrence calls suck ; 
My system setup is as following:
Beings that its the start of the school year, Alienware had a special going, which ends 2 days from now, for 160
dollars for the Alienware backpack, a 2gig thumbdrive, and a headset. I picked this up cause I needed a carrying
case for the system. Although Im not in school anymore, Id rather use a backpack then a standard carrying case.
After the little issue with the order payment and such, its finally awaiting to be fixed in the queue for building.
===================================================
Order Status
=====================
- Phase 01 (Order Confirmation) [Complete] 8/21/2006
- Phase 02 (Billing / Finance) [Complete] 8/25/2006
- Phase 03 (Payment Processed) [Complete] 8/25/2006
- Phase 04 (Pre-Production) [Complete] 9/1/2006
- Phase 05 (Assembly) [Complete] 9/2/2006
- Phase 06 (Integration) [Complete] 9/2/2006
- Phase 07 (System-Testing) [Complete] 9/2/2006
- Phase 08 (Quality-Control) [Complete] 9/5/2006
- Phase 09 (Shipping) [Complete] 9/6/2006
- Phase 10 (Awaiting Arrival) [Complete] 9/9/2006
[ Landed -- 9/9/2006 - 10:20 AM ] ! Its here!!
===================================================
Tracking
=====================
1. Ordering -- (5/5)
Well, all processes start off with the order. Which mine went somewhat smooth. I was first looking at Dell's XPS
systems cause a friend of mine has one and its pretty sweet. So I was looking into them when my brother IM'd me and
asked what I was up to. I told him I was looking for a new laptop and he asked why I wasnt looking into getting an
Alienware beings that Ive always talked about wanting one. (Cause I have lol...) So I took a look over and saw that
the m3450's were down to a starting price of under 900 dollars ($849). So I started customizing.
In the end, I got the above stats, minus the proc it was a regular Duo Proc. The end price came to about 1,467. I
was pleased with the price beings I had a spending limit of about 1,500-2,000. So I ordered 
Ordering was
extremely easy online, each section has its small stats about each piece and such which is a nice plus if someone
wants to know the stats of a certain thing. Along with that, there were many options (as you can see now) to choose
from. I'm happy with my setup though
Once my order was placed, I did have an issue with my credit card. Alienware started doing a new system of
Verification that caused the issue, so I called Alienware and we setup a confrence call to fix the issues with my
Bank. As soon as we were off the phone with my bank, I was verified and ready to go. Beings that the issues were
with my bank, Alienware handled everything accordingly. I give the ordering area a 5 out of 5 in my review.
2. The Phase Game! -- (5/5)
Everyone knows that game! Yes ladies and gents! It's the phase game! Well, we all hate it and wish it would burn in
hell, but I must say, mine went pretty smooth. I only had a few issues at the start, as said above, as well as one
issue with the assembly. My RAM was back ordered, but I was sent an email immediatly about the issue. Once the order
of RAM was in, I jumped quickly up the phases. I was very pleased to see this move fast.
Well, not much to say about the phases beings that everyone goes through them and knows whats going on. Any
questions about them though. I will answer them with my experience. I gave the phases a 5 out of 5 due to Alienware
contacting me when there was an issue.
3. Phase 10! Its Coming! -- (5/5)
As soon as my laptop hit phase 10 I was emailed with two emails from Alienware. One containing the shipiping info
and tacking numbers for my order, and one congradulating me on my new system. I was very pleased to see both emails
as soon as I hit phase 10. Nice to see Alienware keeping up to date with things for me. Beings that they did, I gave
this 5 out of 5.
4. It's here! It landed! -- (5/5)
FedEx rolled around the corner while I was sitting at my dinning room table so I saw the truck. It was around 10:20
when he rolled around. Alienware says something about your order being at your house by 10:30, or so I heard. Well
there it was! The FedEx guy was nice and greeting, although he knocked on the wrong door lol. (I live in an
appartment building, he went to my neighbor lol.) So, I heard the knock since our doors are right next to each other
so I went and answered. He seemed a bit confused when my door opened after he knocked on the other >.> Anyway, I
signed the electronical signature thing.
(If you want a pic of what that looked like, give your 3 year old child a crayon and a piece of paper, come back in
5 minutes. That will be as close to readable as it was lol.)
FedEx was ontime as said on the site, so 5 out of 5!
5. The Packaging -- (5/5)
Yet again, another 5 out of 5 for Alienware. The packages were both packed with love and security. As well as the
cool Alienware tape. Nothing much to say about this either. If you have questions I will answer them.
The cool tape:
Both Boxes:
My cat helping inspect the boxes:
6. Boot 'er Up! -- (5/5)
Alienware ships your computer preinstalled with Windows. When you load your new system up, you are presented at the
configuration screen to setup your computer for a new user, network, ect. This was something nice to see. Not really
something to grade, but it is a plus for Alienware instead of them setting everything themselves so you would have
to redo it. 5 out of 5 again.
The first startup page (predos loadup)
Windows Setup:
Initial Desktop:
System Info:
Over-All Startup Grade -- (5/5)
Beings that this was the first section of the review, I will give it all a 5 out of 5. Everything went as planned,
no issues besides the small things that were handled fast and on time. The next section will start the on-comp
overview.
==============================================================
Section 2 :: Detailed Computer Sections
==============================================================
Case -- (4/5)
The case is very sleek, slim, and easy on the eyes. Not the color I wanted but they didnt offer anything but grey. I
wanted to get either the blue, cyborg green, or most wanted, pure white. But yeah.. cant always get what you want.
The case as said already is very nice. Easy to find every connection and plugin for it as well. I have no complaints
except the color.
Screen -- (5/5)
Very nice screen. I have no complaints with this. The screen came with no dead pixels as it should, it was very
clean, and ready to use. I was able to see myself clearly in the reflection when I first pelled the tape off lol.
Keyboard -- (5/5)
Its a laptop keyboard, they are pretty much all the same. No complaints about that.
Speakers -- (2/5)
This is where the review goes down hill some. I'm very unhappy with the speakers. They are EXTREMELY quiet. I logged
onto ventrilo, amped the sound as much as I could and still couldnt hear anything almost. This is one main thing Im
very unhappy about. I would have expected them to be louder then they are. By far.
Mic -- (2/5)
Like the speakers, the mic doesnt pick up sound with ease. And is VERY easily drowned out with background noise. If
you dont use a headset, dont plan on using the mic. It doesnt sound pretty.
Touchpad -- (4/5)
Well, its standard touchpad with the extra scroll slider on the side. With the standard 2 button mouse clicks under
to follow. The scroll slider is very sensitive when you use it on certain things. The pad itself needs to be worked
in some to get it going and to get a good feel for it. No other real complaints with it though.
Webcam -- (5/5)
Always happy to get free things with my system, let alone having them built in. I was very pleased to see this
feature with this laptop. Very nice quality on the picture as well. One thing I didnt see was the ability to set the
framerate on the capture program. But no biggy, it was doing fine.
Wireless -- (0/0)
I dont have my wireless router yet so I cant really say how good or bad this is. I will say it did detect all my
neighbors routers, all were protected (No Im not going to wardrive in my living room <.<) so I couldnt login and
test it out. But I will update this when my router gets here.
DVD Drive -- (0/0)
I didnt use it yet, so I cant really say. If I start burning things soon I will update this with my views / opinions
on it. It looks nice and works as far as I can tell right now so yeah.. its got a 5/5 so far lol.
Headphone / Mic Jacks -- (3/5)
Even with a headset on, the sound is still really quiet. Even boosted all the way up. I dont understand why that is
though. Also, its really hard to get the plugs into the ports, its not an easy slide in. You have to put some force
behind it to get them in. Wasnt to happy about that, but I guess it will work itself in or something.
Glowing Name / Face -- (5/5)
When you first look at the laptop while its off, you will notice the alien head and the name on the back. I was
disappointed when I looked at it cause it looked like the name doesnt glow. But I was wrong 
Both the head and
name glow. AC Adapter -- (5/5)
More commonly known as "The Brick". The adapter for the m3450 is actually pretty small. I was expecting to see a
brick when I got it lol.
==============================================================
Section 3 :: Exta's
==============================================================
Well, when I ordered my system, Alienware was offering the two back to school packages. I got the backpack,
thumbdrive, and headset with my order. Needless to say, Im happy I did. Great package to get for a cheap price.
The Backpack -- (5/5)
This things a beast. I love huge backpacks with lots of storage. And this hit the spot. As I said, this thing is a
beast. Its huge. I didnt get to mess with it much besides looking at the over all style of it. I will update this
when I start using it and look at it more closely.
(My cat helping out again >.>)
The Pendrive -- (5/5)
2 gigs of space as big as your thumb. Whats there to complain about it? The drive is small, sleek and fits in your
pocket. And it can hold a lot of info with ease. Comes with an extra extension cable, the software, and a necklace
to use if you wish to transport it around. Id rather put it in the backpack though.
The Headset -- (5/5)
Very comfortable. I'm using it right now. After a little while your ears may start to hurt from the constant pressure
applied by the headset to keep it on your head, but its not that big of a deal. Take em off every so often and you
wont notice it.
==============================================================
============== ================================================
Section 1 :: Inital Overview
==============================================================
Ok, now that I finally got the system, time for the review! Im going to start by saying that Id like to thank
Alienware for a sweet system setup and at a such low price. As well as the ability to change parts mid order and
still have the ability to ship it to me fast. I'm very satisfied with my new system, with some ups and downs. There
are a few things I'm displeased with right now, you will see them in the rest of the review. :P
1. Ordering -- (5/5)
Well, all processes start off with the order. Which mine went somewhat smooth. I was first looking at Dell's XPS
systems cause a friend of mine has one and its pretty sweet. So I was looking into them when my brother IM'd me and
asked what I was up to. I told him I was looking for a new laptop and he asked why I wasnt looking into getting an
Alienware beings that Ive always talked about wanting one. (Cause I have lol...) So I took a look over and saw that
the m3450's were down to a starting price of under 900 dollars ($849). So I started customizing.
In the end, I got the above stats, minus the proc it was a regular Duo Proc. The end price came to about 1,467. I
was pleased with the price beings I had a spending limit of about 1,500-2,000. So I ordered Ordering was
extremely easy online, each section has its small stats about each piece and such which is a nice plus if someone
wants to know the stats of a certain thing. Along with that, there were many options (as you can see now) to choose
from. I'm happy with my setup though
Once my order was placed, I did have an issue with my credit card. Alienware started doing a new system of
Verification that caused the issue, so I called Alienware and we setup a confrence call to fix the issues with my
Bank. As soon as we were off the phone with my bank, I was verified and ready to go. Beings that the issues were
with my bank, Alienware handled everything accordingly. I give the ordering area a 5 out of 5 in my review.
2. The Phase Game! -- (5/5)
Everyone knows that game! Yes ladies and gents! It's the phase game! Well, we all hate it and wish it would burn in
hell, but I must say, mine went pretty smooth. I only had a few issues at the start, as said above, as well as one
issue with the assembly. My RAM was back ordered, but I was sent an email immediatly about the issue. Once the order
of RAM was in, I jumped quickly up the phases. I was very pleased to see this move fast.
Well, not much to say about the phases beings that everyone goes through them and knows whats going on. Any
questions about them though. I will answer them with my experience. I gave the phases a 5 out of 5 due to Alienware
contacting me when there was an issue.
3. Phase 10! Its Coming! -- (5/5)
As soon as my laptop hit phase 10 I was emailed with two emails from Alienware. One containing the shipiping info
and tacking numbers for my order, and one congradulating me on my new system. I was very pleased to see both emails
as soon as I hit phase 10. Nice to see Alienware keeping up to date with things for me. Beings that they did, I gave
this 5 out of 5.
4. It's here! It landed! -- (5/5)
FedEx rolled around the corner while I was sitting at my dinning room table so I saw the truck. It was around 10:20
when he rolled around. Alienware says something about your order being at your house by 10:30, or so I heard. Well
there it was! The FedEx guy was nice and greeting, although he knocked on the wrong door lol. (I live in an
appartment building, he went to my neighbor lol.) So, I heard the knock since our doors are right next to each other
so I went and answered. He seemed a bit confused when my door opened after he knocked on the other >.> Anyway, I
signed the electronical signature thing.
(If you want a pic of what that looked like, give your 3 year old child a crayon and a piece of paper, come back in
5 minutes. That will be as close to readable as it was lol.)
FedEx was ontime as said on the site, so 5 out of 5!
5. The Packaging -- (5/5)
Yet again, another 5 out of 5 for Alienware. The packages were both packed with love and security. As well as the
cool Alienware tape. Nothing much to say about this either. If you have questions I will answer them.
The cool tape:
Both Boxes:
My cat helping inspect the boxes:
6. Boot 'er Up! -- (5/5)
Alienware ships your computer preinstalled with Windows. When you load your new system up, you are presented at the
configuration screen to setup your computer for a new user, network, ect. This was something nice to see. Not really
something to grade, but it is a plus for Alienware instead of them setting everything themselves so you would have
to redo it. 5 out of 5 again.
The first startup page (predos loadup)
Windows Setup:
Initial Desktop:
System Info:
Over-All Startup Grade -- (5/5)
Beings that this was the first section of the review, I will give it all a 5 out of 5. Everything went as planned,
no issues besides the small things that were handled fast and on time. The next section will start the on-comp
overview.
==============================================================
Section 2 :: Detailed Computer Sections
==============================================================
Case -- (4/5)
The case is very sleek, slim, and easy on the eyes. Not the color I wanted but they didnt offer anything but grey. I
wanted to get either the blue, cyborg green, or most wanted, pure white. But yeah.. cant always get what you want.
The case as said already is very nice. Easy to find every connection and plugin for it as well. I have no complaints
except the color.
Screen -- (5/5)
Very nice screen. I have no complaints with this. The screen came with no dead pixels as it should, it was very
clean, and ready to use. I was able to see myself clearly in the reflection when I first pelled the tape off lol.
Keyboard -- (5/5)
Its a laptop keyboard, they are pretty much all the same. No complaints about that.
Speakers -- (2/5)
This is where the review goes down hill some. I'm very unhappy with the speakers. They are EXTREMELY quiet. I logged
onto ventrilo, amped the sound as much as I could and still couldnt hear anything almost. This is one main thing Im
very unhappy about. I would have expected them to be louder then they are. By far.
Mic -- (2/5)
Like the speakers, the mic doesnt pick up sound with ease. And is VERY easily drowned out with background noise. If
you dont use a headset, dont plan on using the mic. It doesnt sound pretty.
Touchpad -- (4/5)
Well, its standard touchpad with the extra scroll slider on the side. With the standard 2 button mouse clicks under
to follow. The scroll slider is very sensitive when you use it on certain things. The pad itself needs to be worked
in some to get it going and to get a good feel for it. No other real complaints with it though.
Webcam -- (5/5)
Always happy to get free things with my system, let alone having them built in. I was very pleased to see this
feature with this laptop. Very nice quality on the picture as well. One thing I didnt see was the ability to set the
framerate on the capture program. But no biggy, it was doing fine.
Wireless -- (0/0)
I dont have my wireless router yet so I cant really say how good or bad this is. I will say it did detect all my
neighbors routers, all were protected (No Im not going to wardrive in my living room <.<) so I couldnt login and
test it out. But I will update this when my router gets here.
DVD Drive -- (0/0)
I didnt use it yet, so I cant really say. If I start burning things soon I will update this with my views / opinions
on it. It looks nice and works as far as I can tell right now so yeah.. its got a 5/5 so far lol.
Headphone / Mic Jacks -- (3/5)
Even with a headset on, the sound is still really quiet. Even boosted all the way up. I dont understand why that is
though. Also, its really hard to get the plugs into the ports, its not an easy slide in. You have to put some force
behind it to get them in. Wasnt to happy about that, but I guess it will work itself in or something.
Glowing Name / Face -- (5/5)
When you first look at the laptop while its off, you will notice the alien head and the name on the back. I was
disappointed when I looked at it cause it looked like the name doesnt glow. But I was wrong Both the head and
name glow. AC Adapter -- (5/5)
More commonly known as "The Brick". The adapter for the m3450 is actually pretty small. I was expecting to see a
brick when I got it lol.
==============================================================
Section 3 :: Exta's
==============================================================
Well, when I ordered my system, Alienware was offering the two back to school packages. I got the backpack,
thumbdrive, and headset with my order. Needless to say, Im happy I did. Great package to get for a cheap price.
The Backpack -- (5/5)
This things a beast. I love huge backpacks with lots of storage. And this hit the spot. As I said, this thing is a
beast. Its huge. I didnt get to mess with it much besides looking at the over all style of it. I will update this
when I start using it and look at it more closely.
(My cat helping out again >.>)
The Pendrive -- (5/5)
2 gigs of space as big as your thumb. Whats there to complain about it? The drive is small, sleek and fits in your
pocket. And it can hold a lot of info with ease. Comes with an extra extension cable, the software, and a necklace
to use if you wish to transport it around. Id rather put it in the backpack though.
The Headset -- (5/5)
Very comfortable. I'm using it right now. After a little while your ears may start to hurt from the constant pressure
applied by the headset to keep it on your head, but its not that big of a deal. Take em off every so often and you
wont notice it.
==============================================================
Overall System Grade
==============================================================
Out of the 5 out of 5 scale. I give this system a 5 currently. Beings that I just got it, I cant give an overall
full status of my opinion. Currently, I give it a 5. I love it, there are a few issues as said above, such as the
sound and mic, but overall the system is awsome. Im very pleased.
I havent tested any games and such yet, but I will be doing that soon.
I cant really say to buy this or not, since I havent put it to full use, but if you want something to excite you and
make your day bright, this worked perfect for me
Any questions, simply ask and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge from my experience.
==============================================================
Section 4 :: Benchmarks
==============================================================
Final Fantasy 11 Benchmark
Lores: 4,234
Hires: 2,761
FFXI Grading Point System:
==============================================================
Extra Pictures
==============================================================
Some pics of the ports and such: (Click for high res. pcitures.. NOT 56k FRIENDLY!!)
Front
Back
Left
Right
Backglow
And the backpack (Click for high res -- Not 56k Friendly!!)
======================================================================
====== ================================================================
Over-Time Updates
Ok so, this is the time were I update things a little and give my input and opinion since I have had my laptop for a while now.
First I want to start with, my laptop is running great still. Minor issues at the start, but yeah, things are bound to happen. I havent had to send her back, or call support at all, yet, and Im pretty pleased with that 
The Case
The case, as I said before, is great. The only issue I've had over time is the location of a few things on it. For one, the touchpad. It could be centered a little more. The side of my had tends to tap the top left corner once in a while and caues it to click off of where Im typing and such. But not a major deal.
One main thing I do a lot is hitting the disk eject button for the DVD drive heh. I tend to hit it just about every time I pick up the laptop. Which does get pretty annoying. The button is pretty sensitive.
As for the extra ports, the headphone/mic jack would do be me better being on the left side, rather then the right. Not a major issue, but I tend to hit them with my USB mouse a lot.
The Microphone
Beings this is a laptop, I wont bash it too hard, but yeah. It flat out sucks lol. Picks up way to much background noise, and friends complained of hearing my proc fan more then me. So I just use the headset now over that. Would have been nice if it worked better though. Although the placement for it isnt the best either. It sits under your arm, which could be a problem with sound if it worked better.
The Microphone
Ok, I know I bashed these in the beginning, but I didnt update the main review. These are actually pretty decent once you configure all the sound options for what you are using, and the main system when you are ready to use them. The sound is very clear, and easy to listen to. I perfer a headset, but they work great.
The Screen
As before, the screen is great. Love it.
The Webcam
Works great, awsome quality for a built in cam.
The Wireless Card
In the main review I didnt get to test this yet because I didnt have my new router for it yet. But, I got it now and use it all the time. I must say 5/5 for this wireless card. I have a fast, clear, constant connection without any issues. I never get disconnected at all, unless the router turns off for any reason. I can get up and move anywhere in the house and the singal is always strong. Deffintly a nice card. Very pleased with this.
The Headphone / Mic Jacks
After a bit of configurations, I got these to work great. I would change the main post from 3/5 to 5/5.
Performance
Well this is where everyone asks how this laptop stands in the market. I would say, deffintly worth the money for a work computer. Fast, light weight, and easy to travel with. Not something you would want to push out for games and such. Although it will play most games, some will have issues. I currently play Final Fantasy 11, and it runs very smooth and looks great on this machine. Other games do have their issues though.
I am also a programmer, so Im constantly doing something, working on new programs, old ones, ect. I work in VB6, C++ 6, as well as Visual Studio 2005 for C++. I'm constantly debugging and compiling, and this machine has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. I have not had any lag during anything I've done ever. Which gave me a nice smile
The core 2 duo is an amazing piece of technology. I am very satisfied with what I paid for over all. I can absolutly recommend this machine to a business person for work, as well as a small time, not so major gamer. This machine is deffintly worth its price, you will get what you pay for, for sure.
My system setup is as following:
Code:
Processor : Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB OS : Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 Case Screen : Alienware® Sentia m3450 with 14" WideXGA 1280 x 768 LCD with Webcam - Xeno Grey Motherboard : Alienware® Intel® 945GM + ICH7 Chipset Memory : 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 512MB Hard Drive : 60GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 5,400 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache CD-ROM : 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software Video Chip : Intel® GMA 950 Extreme Graphics Audio : Intel® 7.1 High-Definition Audio Wireless : Internal Intel® PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g Mini-Card Networking : Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet & 56K V.92 Modem
Ordering was
extremely easy online, each section has its small stats about each piece and such which is a nice plus if someone
wants to know the stats of a certain thing. Along with that, there were many options (as you can see now) to choose
from. I'm happy with my setup though
Once my order was placed, I did have an issue with my credit card. Alienware started doing a new system of
Verification that caused the issue, so I called Alienware and we setup a confrence call to fix the issues with my
Bank. As soon as we were off the phone with my bank, I was verified and ready to go. Beings that the issues were
with my bank, Alienware handled everything accordingly. I give the ordering area a 5 out of 5 in my review.
2. The Phase Game! -- (5/5)
Everyone knows that game! Yes ladies and gents! It's the phase game! Well, we all hate it and wish it would burn in
hell, but I must say, mine went pretty smooth. I only had a few issues at the start, as said above, as well as one
issue with the assembly. My RAM was back ordered, but I was sent an email immediatly about the issue. Once the order
of RAM was in, I jumped quickly up the phases. I was very pleased to see this move fast.
Well, not much to say about the phases beings that everyone goes through them and knows whats going on. Any
questions about them though. I will answer them with my experience. I gave the phases a 5 out of 5 due to Alienware
contacting me when there was an issue.
3. Phase 10! Its Coming! -- (5/5)
As soon as my laptop hit phase 10 I was emailed with two emails from Alienware. One containing the shipiping info
and tacking numbers for my order, and one congradulating me on my new system. I was very pleased to see both emails
as soon as I hit phase 10. Nice to see Alienware keeping up to date with things for me. Beings that they did, I gave
this 5 out of 5.
4. It's here! It landed! -- (5/5)
FedEx rolled around the corner while I was sitting at my dinning room table so I saw the truck. It was around 10:20
when he rolled around. Alienware says something about your order being at your house by 10:30, or so I heard. Well
there it was! The FedEx guy was nice and greeting, although he knocked on the wrong door lol. (I live in an
appartment building, he went to my neighbor lol.) So, I heard the knock since our doors are right next to each other
so I went and answered. He seemed a bit confused when my door opened after he knocked on the other >.> Anyway, I
signed the electronical signature thing.
(If you want a pic of what that looked like, give your 3 year old child a crayon and a piece of paper, come back in
5 minutes. That will be as close to readable as it was lol.)
FedEx was ontime as said on the site, so 5 out of 5!
5. The Packaging -- (5/5)
Yet again, another 5 out of 5 for Alienware. The packages were both packed with love and security. As well as the
cool Alienware tape. Nothing much to say about this either. If you have questions I will answer them.
The cool tape:
Both Boxes:
My cat helping inspect the boxes:
6. Boot 'er Up! -- (5/5)
Alienware ships your computer preinstalled with Windows. When you load your new system up, you are presented at the
configuration screen to setup your computer for a new user, network, ect. This was something nice to see. Not really
something to grade, but it is a plus for Alienware instead of them setting everything themselves so you would have
to redo it. 5 out of 5 again.
The first startup page (predos loadup)
Windows Setup:
Initial Desktop:
System Info:
Over-All Startup Grade -- (5/5)
Beings that this was the first section of the review, I will give it all a 5 out of 5. Everything went as planned,
no issues besides the small things that were handled fast and on time. The next section will start the on-comp
overview.
==============================================================
Section 2 :: Detailed Computer Sections
==============================================================
Case -- (4/5)
The case is very sleek, slim, and easy on the eyes. Not the color I wanted but they didnt offer anything but grey. I
wanted to get either the blue, cyborg green, or most wanted, pure white. But yeah.. cant always get what you want.
The case as said already is very nice. Easy to find every connection and plugin for it as well. I have no complaints
except the color.
Screen -- (5/5)
Very nice screen. I have no complaints with this. The screen came with no dead pixels as it should, it was very
clean, and ready to use. I was able to see myself clearly in the reflection when I first pelled the tape off lol.
Keyboard -- (5/5)
Its a laptop keyboard, they are pretty much all the same. No complaints about that.
Speakers -- (2/5)
This is where the review goes down hill some. I'm very unhappy with the speakers. They are EXTREMELY quiet. I logged
onto ventrilo, amped the sound as much as I could and still couldnt hear anything almost. This is one main thing Im
very unhappy about. I would have expected them to be louder then they are. By far.
Mic -- (2/5)
Like the speakers, the mic doesnt pick up sound with ease. And is VERY easily drowned out with background noise. If
you dont use a headset, dont plan on using the mic. It doesnt sound pretty.
Touchpad -- (4/5)
Well, its standard touchpad with the extra scroll slider on the side. With the standard 2 button mouse clicks under
to follow. The scroll slider is very sensitive when you use it on certain things. The pad itself needs to be worked
in some to get it going and to get a good feel for it. No other real complaints with it though.
Webcam -- (5/5)
Always happy to get free things with my system, let alone having them built in. I was very pleased to see this
feature with this laptop. Very nice quality on the picture as well. One thing I didnt see was the ability to set the
framerate on the capture program. But no biggy, it was doing fine.
Wireless -- (0/0)
I dont have my wireless router yet so I cant really say how good or bad this is. I will say it did detect all my
neighbors routers, all were protected (No Im not going to wardrive in my living room <.<) so I couldnt login and
test it out. But I will update this when my router gets here.
DVD Drive -- (0/0)
I didnt use it yet, so I cant really say. If I start burning things soon I will update this with my views / opinions
on it. It looks nice and works as far as I can tell right now so yeah.. its got a 5/5 so far lol.
Headphone / Mic Jacks -- (3/5)
Even with a headset on, the sound is still really quiet. Even boosted all the way up. I dont understand why that is
though. Also, its really hard to get the plugs into the ports, its not an easy slide in. You have to put some force
behind it to get them in. Wasnt to happy about that, but I guess it will work itself in or something.
Glowing Name / Face -- (5/5)
When you first look at the laptop while its off, you will notice the alien head and the name on the back. I was
disappointed when I looked at it cause it looked like the name doesnt glow. But I was wrong Both the head and
name glow. AC Adapter -- (5/5)
More commonly known as "The Brick". The adapter for the m3450 is actually pretty small. I was expecting to see a
brick when I got it lol.
==============================================================
Section 3 :: Exta's
==============================================================
Well, when I ordered my system, Alienware was offering the two back to school packages. I got the backpack,
thumbdrive, and headset with my order. Needless to say, Im happy I did. Great package to get for a cheap price.
The Backpack -- (5/5)
This things a beast. I love huge backpacks with lots of storage. And this hit the spot. As I said, this thing is a
beast. Its huge. I didnt get to mess with it much besides looking at the over all style of it. I will update this
when I start using it and look at it more closely.
(My cat helping out again >.>)
The Pendrive -- (5/5)
2 gigs of space as big as your thumb. Whats there to complain about it? The drive is small, sleek and fits in your
pocket. And it can hold a lot of info with ease. Comes with an extra extension cable, the software, and a necklace
to use if you wish to transport it around. Id rather put it in the backpack though.
The Headset -- (5/5)
Very comfortable. I'm using it right now. After a little while your ears may start to hurt from the constant pressure
applied by the headset to keep it on your head, but its not that big of a deal. Take em off every so often and you
wont notice it.
==============================================================
============== ================================================
Section 1 :: Inital Overview
==============================================================
Ok, now that I finally got the system, time for the review! Im going to start by saying that Id like to thank
Alienware for a sweet system setup and at a such low price. As well as the ability to change parts mid order and
still have the ability to ship it to me fast. I'm very satisfied with my new system, with some ups and downs. There
are a few things I'm displeased with right now, you will see them in the rest of the review. :P
1. Ordering -- (5/5)
Well, all processes start off with the order. Which mine went somewhat smooth. I was first looking at Dell's XPS
systems cause a friend of mine has one and its pretty sweet. So I was looking into them when my brother IM'd me and
asked what I was up to. I told him I was looking for a new laptop and he asked why I wasnt looking into getting an
Alienware beings that Ive always talked about wanting one. (Cause I have lol...) So I took a look over and saw that
the m3450's were down to a starting price of under 900 dollars ($849). So I started customizing.
In the end, I got the above stats, minus the proc it was a regular Duo Proc. The end price came to about 1,467. I
was pleased with the price beings I had a spending limit of about 1,500-2,000. So I ordered Ordering was
extremely easy online, each section has its small stats about each piece and such which is a nice plus if someone
wants to know the stats of a certain thing. Along with that, there were many options (as you can see now) to choose
from. I'm happy with my setup though
Once my order was placed, I did have an issue with my credit card. Alienware started doing a new system of
Verification that caused the issue, so I called Alienware and we setup a confrence call to fix the issues with my
Bank. As soon as we were off the phone with my bank, I was verified and ready to go. Beings that the issues were
with my bank, Alienware handled everything accordingly. I give the ordering area a 5 out of 5 in my review.
2. The Phase Game! -- (5/5)
Everyone knows that game! Yes ladies and gents! It's the phase game! Well, we all hate it and wish it would burn in
hell, but I must say, mine went pretty smooth. I only had a few issues at the start, as said above, as well as one
issue with the assembly. My RAM was back ordered, but I was sent an email immediatly about the issue. Once the order
of RAM was in, I jumped quickly up the phases. I was very pleased to see this move fast.
Well, not much to say about the phases beings that everyone goes through them and knows whats going on. Any
questions about them though. I will answer them with my experience. I gave the phases a 5 out of 5 due to Alienware
contacting me when there was an issue.
3. Phase 10! Its Coming! -- (5/5)
As soon as my laptop hit phase 10 I was emailed with two emails from Alienware. One containing the shipiping info
and tacking numbers for my order, and one congradulating me on my new system. I was very pleased to see both emails
as soon as I hit phase 10. Nice to see Alienware keeping up to date with things for me. Beings that they did, I gave
this 5 out of 5.
4. It's here! It landed! -- (5/5)
FedEx rolled around the corner while I was sitting at my dinning room table so I saw the truck. It was around 10:20
when he rolled around. Alienware says something about your order being at your house by 10:30, or so I heard. Well
there it was! The FedEx guy was nice and greeting, although he knocked on the wrong door lol. (I live in an
appartment building, he went to my neighbor lol.) So, I heard the knock since our doors are right next to each other
so I went and answered. He seemed a bit confused when my door opened after he knocked on the other >.> Anyway, I
signed the electronical signature thing.
(If you want a pic of what that looked like, give your 3 year old child a crayon and a piece of paper, come back in
5 minutes. That will be as close to readable as it was lol.)
FedEx was ontime as said on the site, so 5 out of 5!
5. The Packaging -- (5/5)
Yet again, another 5 out of 5 for Alienware. The packages were both packed with love and security. As well as the
cool Alienware tape. Nothing much to say about this either. If you have questions I will answer them.
The cool tape:
Both Boxes:
My cat helping inspect the boxes:
6. Boot 'er Up! -- (5/5)
Alienware ships your computer preinstalled with Windows. When you load your new system up, you are presented at the
configuration screen to setup your computer for a new user, network, ect. This was something nice to see. Not really
something to grade, but it is a plus for Alienware instead of them setting everything themselves so you would have
to redo it. 5 out of 5 again.
The first startup page (predos loadup)
Windows Setup:
Initial Desktop:
System Info:
Over-All Startup Grade -- (5/5)
Beings that this was the first section of the review, I will give it all a 5 out of 5. Everything went as planned,
no issues besides the small things that were handled fast and on time. The next section will start the on-comp
overview.
==============================================================
Section 2 :: Detailed Computer Sections
==============================================================
Case -- (4/5)
The case is very sleek, slim, and easy on the eyes. Not the color I wanted but they didnt offer anything but grey. I
wanted to get either the blue, cyborg green, or most wanted, pure white. But yeah.. cant always get what you want.
The case as said already is very nice. Easy to find every connection and plugin for it as well. I have no complaints
except the color.
Screen -- (5/5)
Very nice screen. I have no complaints with this. The screen came with no dead pixels as it should, it was very
clean, and ready to use. I was able to see myself clearly in the reflection when I first pelled the tape off lol.
Keyboard -- (5/5)
Its a laptop keyboard, they are pretty much all the same. No complaints about that.
Speakers -- (2/5)
This is where the review goes down hill some. I'm very unhappy with the speakers. They are EXTREMELY quiet. I logged
onto ventrilo, amped the sound as much as I could and still couldnt hear anything almost. This is one main thing Im
very unhappy about. I would have expected them to be louder then they are. By far.
Mic -- (2/5)
Like the speakers, the mic doesnt pick up sound with ease. And is VERY easily drowned out with background noise. If
you dont use a headset, dont plan on using the mic. It doesnt sound pretty.
Touchpad -- (4/5)
Well, its standard touchpad with the extra scroll slider on the side. With the standard 2 button mouse clicks under
to follow. The scroll slider is very sensitive when you use it on certain things. The pad itself needs to be worked
in some to get it going and to get a good feel for it. No other real complaints with it though.
Webcam -- (5/5)
Always happy to get free things with my system, let alone having them built in. I was very pleased to see this
feature with this laptop. Very nice quality on the picture as well. One thing I didnt see was the ability to set the
framerate on the capture program. But no biggy, it was doing fine.
Wireless -- (0/0)
I dont have my wireless router yet so I cant really say how good or bad this is. I will say it did detect all my
neighbors routers, all were protected (No Im not going to wardrive in my living room <.<) so I couldnt login and
test it out. But I will update this when my router gets here.
DVD Drive -- (0/0)
I didnt use it yet, so I cant really say. If I start burning things soon I will update this with my views / opinions
on it. It looks nice and works as far as I can tell right now so yeah.. its got a 5/5 so far lol.
Headphone / Mic Jacks -- (3/5)
Even with a headset on, the sound is still really quiet. Even boosted all the way up. I dont understand why that is
though. Also, its really hard to get the plugs into the ports, its not an easy slide in. You have to put some force
behind it to get them in. Wasnt to happy about that, but I guess it will work itself in or something.
Glowing Name / Face -- (5/5)
When you first look at the laptop while its off, you will notice the alien head and the name on the back. I was
disappointed when I looked at it cause it looked like the name doesnt glow. But I was wrong Both the head and
name glow. AC Adapter -- (5/5)
More commonly known as "The Brick". The adapter for the m3450 is actually pretty small. I was expecting to see a
brick when I got it lol.
==============================================================
Section 3 :: Exta's
==============================================================
Well, when I ordered my system, Alienware was offering the two back to school packages. I got the backpack,
thumbdrive, and headset with my order. Needless to say, Im happy I did. Great package to get for a cheap price.
The Backpack -- (5/5)
This things a beast. I love huge backpacks with lots of storage. And this hit the spot. As I said, this thing is a
beast. Its huge. I didnt get to mess with it much besides looking at the over all style of it. I will update this
when I start using it and look at it more closely.
(My cat helping out again >.>)
The Pendrive -- (5/5)
2 gigs of space as big as your thumb. Whats there to complain about it? The drive is small, sleek and fits in your
pocket. And it can hold a lot of info with ease. Comes with an extra extension cable, the software, and a necklace
to use if you wish to transport it around. Id rather put it in the backpack though.
The Headset -- (5/5)
Very comfortable. I'm using it right now. After a little while your ears may start to hurt from the constant pressure
applied by the headset to keep it on your head, but its not that big of a deal. Take em off every so often and you
wont notice it.
==============================================================
Overall System Grade
==============================================================
Out of the 5 out of 5 scale. I give this system a 5 currently. Beings that I just got it, I cant give an overall
full status of my opinion. Currently, I give it a 5. I love it, there are a few issues as said above, such as the
sound and mic, but overall the system is awsome. Im very pleased.
I havent tested any games and such yet, but I will be doing that soon.
I cant really say to buy this or not, since I havent put it to full use, but if you want something to excite you and
make your day bright, this worked perfect for me
Any questions, simply ask and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge from my experience.
==============================================================
Section 4 :: Benchmarks
==============================================================
Final Fantasy 11 Benchmark
Lores: 4,234
Hires: 2,761
FFXI Grading Point System:
Code:
http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/download/media/benchmark01.html?pageID=media 0000 to 0999 :: Too Weak [Cannot Run Game] 1000 to 1499 :: Easy Pray 1500 to 1999 :: Decent Challange 2000 to 2499 :: Even Match 2500 to 2999 :: Tough 3000 to 3999 :: Very Tough 4000 and up :: Incredibly Tough 7000 and up :: Impossible To Gauge
Back
Left
Right
Backglow
And the backpack (Click for high res -- Not 56k Friendly!!)
======================================================================
====== ================================================================
Over-Time Updates
Ok so, this is the time were I update things a little and give my input and opinion since I have had my laptop for a while now.
First I want to start with, my laptop is running great still. Minor issues at the start, but yeah, things are bound to happen. I havent had to send her back, or call support at all, yet, and Im pretty pleased with that The Case
The case, as I said before, is great. The only issue I've had over time is the location of a few things on it. For one, the touchpad. It could be centered a little more. The side of my had tends to tap the top left corner once in a while and caues it to click off of where Im typing and such. But not a major deal.
One main thing I do a lot is hitting the disk eject button for the DVD drive heh. I tend to hit it just about every time I pick up the laptop. Which does get pretty annoying. The button is pretty sensitive.
As for the extra ports, the headphone/mic jack would do be me better being on the left side, rather then the right. Not a major issue, but I tend to hit them with my USB mouse a lot.
The Microphone
Beings this is a laptop, I wont bash it too hard, but yeah. It flat out sucks lol. Picks up way to much background noise, and friends complained of hearing my proc fan more then me. So I just use the headset now over that. Would have been nice if it worked better though. Although the placement for it isnt the best either. It sits under your arm, which could be a problem with sound if it worked better.
The Microphone
Ok, I know I bashed these in the beginning, but I didnt update the main review. These are actually pretty decent once you configure all the sound options for what you are using, and the main system when you are ready to use them. The sound is very clear, and easy to listen to. I perfer a headset, but they work great.
The Screen
As before, the screen is great. Love it.
The Webcam
Works great, awsome quality for a built in cam.
The Wireless Card
In the main review I didnt get to test this yet because I didnt have my new router for it yet. But, I got it now and use it all the time. I must say 5/5 for this wireless card. I have a fast, clear, constant connection without any issues. I never get disconnected at all, unless the router turns off for any reason. I can get up and move anywhere in the house and the singal is always strong. Deffintly a nice card. Very pleased with this.
The Headphone / Mic Jacks
After a bit of configurations, I got these to work great. I would change the main post from 3/5 to 5/5.
Performance
Well this is where everyone asks how this laptop stands in the market. I would say, deffintly worth the money for a work computer. Fast, light weight, and easy to travel with. Not something you would want to push out for games and such. Although it will play most games, some will have issues. I currently play Final Fantasy 11, and it runs very smooth and looks great on this machine. Other games do have their issues though.
I am also a programmer, so Im constantly doing something, working on new programs, old ones, ect. I work in VB6, C++ 6, as well as Visual Studio 2005 for C++. I'm constantly debugging and compiling, and this machine has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. I have not had any lag during anything I've done ever. Which gave me a nice smile
The core 2 duo is an amazing piece of technology. I am very satisfied with what I paid for over all. I can absolutly recommend this machine to a business person for work, as well as a small time, not so major gamer. This machine is deffintly worth its price, you will get what you pay for, for sure.
