TbbZz's Area 51 m9750 Review

Notebookforums is an amazing forum with an outstanding community, so I think it is only fair that I give back to you guys by writing this review, which is my first and probably last computer review I'll write. Additionally, I think this is the first Alienware m9750 review from a customer in the world, written on June 28, 2007. Enjoy.

Note: All of the images are very large, so you likely will have to use the scroll bar to see the whole thing.

This is my second computer, and my first time purchasing from Alienware. My old computer is a Dell Inspiron 5100. After a considerable amount of reading and research, I realized I was far more into computers now than four years ago. I needed a real gaming laptop, rather than just the plain old laptop on sale at the nearest Best Buy.

Exploring companies such as Dell (again), WidowPC, Falcon Northwest, Voodoo PC, Sager, and a few others, I was very impressed by both NVIDIA's SLI and Intel's Core 2 Duo processor, but I could not find any computer that offered both beasts in one laptop. Just as I was about to settle with an SLI machine without dual core, Alienware's newest juggernaut came along: the Area-51 m9750. Intel's Core 2 Duo, Dual 7950 GTX's, a breathtaking 1920x1200 display.. Fruitless searches and uncertainty were over. It was perfect.

Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7400 2.16 GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows® XP Professional
Chassis: 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology - Stealth Black
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 160GB Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s 5,400 RPM w/ 8MB Cache
Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 24x DVD-ROM/CD-RW Burner w/ Nero Software
Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX - SLI Enabled
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g Mini-Card
Sound Card: High-Definition Audio with surround sound
Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
Mobile Bags: Alienware® Odyssey Briefcase
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mousepad
Alienware Extras: Alienware® T-Shirt - Black
Alienware Extras: AlienInspection - Exclusive Integration and Inspection - $100 Value - FREE!


I ordered the system through the website, at the PCG promotion website, and it went smoother than I expected, especially with a new release such as this one.

4/2/07 - m9750 pre-order page appears
4/3/07 (10:05 PM). Phase 1. Estimated Date of Shipping: May 24 (51 days)
4/4/07 - Phase 2
4/5/07 - Phase 4
5/9/07 - Phase 5
5/10/07 - Phase 6
5/21/07: Called Alienware to check on order status. It's in "integration" which I assume is Phase 6 as the order status page correctly shows. The sales agent told me if all goes well, the machine should ship by this week. I'd like to point out that the process of checking on your order was done quickly and profesionally, I was only put on hold for about 20 seconds total.
5/29/07: Called Alienware again to check on order status. It's in "diagnostics" as there was a problem in testing. The phone Agent said that the system may have to be rebuilt, delaying the order for another week.
6/5/07 - Phase 5(back from Phase 6)
6/15/07: Called Alienware again to check on order status. Apparently the "first batch" of barebones for the first 9750 orders came in a few weeks ago, which is why some of the first orders, including mine, jumped into phase 6 (after being "built" in phase 5). However, they were diagnosed (in what I would assume to be phase 7?) to not be up to Alienware's quality standards in looks (according to the sales rep). They sent an Alienware inspector over to the "manufacturer" (which I assume to be Arima?) to ensure that the new barebones will be up to par with the rest of Alienware's standards. The first m9750's should ship by around Friday, June 29th and arrive early July.
6/22/07 - Phase 6
6/25/07 - m9750 is officially released on the main webpage
6/27/07 - Phase 8
6/27/07 (3:31 PM) - FedEx shipment email sent
6/27/07 - Phase 9
6/27/07 (9:25 AM) - Package received.
Total shipment time: 17 hours 54 minutes
Total order time: 85 days 11 hours 20 minutes

Build construction was excellent. I spent a full five minutes inspecting it close up and at many different angles. The screws were all tightened and aligned, and there were no rough edges. The screen was very firm, despite being a full 17 inches diagonally. It barely flexed when I put pressure on it. The screen was so firm that when I open the laptop screen (from a closed position), I have to use two hands otherwise the bottom will come up. I actually consider this a good thing since it shows how strongly it is built.

Overall, it is clear that the m9750 was designed with great attention to detail. Every aspect of the machine exudes quality from the tiniest things to biggest things.

The 17" WUXGA screen is just fantastic. The 1920x1200 resolution displays everything with incredible detail. There was not a single dead or frozen pixel on the massive screen. Furthermore, I could look at the screen at almost any angle, and it would still be clearly displayed. Also, there was very little light leakage at the bottom of the screen, compared to many other laptops I've seen.

Although the display is absolutely gorgeous for gaming and media, it will take some getting used to for simple tasks like browsing the web or going through folders, since the text size is very small.





















The shiny, crisp, new Alienware display next to the 4 year old Dell LCD with three frozen pixels and two dead pixels.




















The keyboard, from what I can tell, is excellent. The keys snap with a satisfying click. They require just the right pressure to push, unlike my old laptop which seemed to click with the tiniest amount of pressure. Additionally, the numpad on the right is a very nifty feature. It gives the laptop a desktop feel almost. I haven't used it much, but I did test it and everything works as it should.

The touchpad seems a little awkward to me at the time. It is made of the same material as the Chassis. I am not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, as my judgment is affected by the fact that I am still accustomed to my older computer's touchpad. One unique feature is that the left and right click buttons are merged as one button. Of course, to left click, you click on the left side of the button, and to right click, you click on the right side of the button. If you try to click in the center of the button, it simply won't click (it won't push down).























The AC Adapter works fine. It does not have any unique features, except being extremely large. This powerful PSU is the Goliath of all adapters. Fortunately, it does not get nearly as hot as my old laptop's AC Adapter.

















Sound quality on the m9750 is the best I've ever heard on a laptop. Obviously it can't compare to desktop speakers or external speakers though. It played bass sounds well and its surround sound is nicely executed. I am not much of an audio-guy though, so please take my words with a grain of salt.

I ran the following benchmark programs on my m9750: 3DMark05, 3DMark06, PCMark05, SuperPI, Aquamark 3. If there is any more benchmarks that anyone would like me to test, I will be glad to when I get the time, and update this review with the benchmark results.

3DMark05 Benchmark. This was much lower than expected. I may have done something wrong, as this is my first time running 3DMark05. I ran it with all default settings (installed it, opened it up, and hit run). These are with the machine's original drivers.




I ran it again, and got this result. I'm not sure what I did differently, but the score sure is different. I think the first score may have been a glitch of some sort.










3DMark06 Benchmark. Same as above: I ran this benchmark with all default settings. However, unlike the 3DMark05 results, the 3DMark06 results were much better.




















PCMark05 Benchmark. Same as above: I ran this benchmark with all default settings.




















Aquamark 3 Benchmark. Same as above: I ran this benchmark with all default settings.







































SuperPI Benchmark. I ran most of the calculations to give a more accurate benchmark.

Thanks for the fix Yang.

Trivium, once I get some games (or demos) I'll post them. Right now my most advanced game is Warcraft 3 TFT. I could post pics of that, but they aren't too impressive.

Sure thing. Updated the original thread with two PSU pictures. It runs surprisingly cool, all things considered. The keyboard is a bit warm, and the bottom is a bit warm, but most of the heat is expelled through the rear vents. I think this is how the m9700 is as well. I ran SpeedFan as well. This is with two low-memory consuming programs open, along with Firefox and a notepad document. I do not know what these numbers mean, but here they are: HD0: 38C Temp1: 61C Core0: 51C Core1: 51C

The 5400 serves all my needs fine right now, I don't see any reason to upgrade. Later on I may add a 7200 RPM though, if needed.