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Alienware Area-51m 7700 / Dell XPS2, Comparison - Page 2  

post #21 of 55
3/18/05 at 1:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattboy
This was exactly my point. Owners of the 7700 don't care about battery life, while someone who buys Sonoma/XPS2/9300 would. I don't know if a battery could even handle the 9860 and an 6800 Ultra, but man would I like to see what would happen if it tried.
If somebody tries this, please have a fire extinguisher nearby!
post #22 of 55
3/18/05 at 1:56am


This is true... when it goes dual core..... like i said, its only going to get better

for me pentium m is great... when it goes dual core, its going to devistate all notebooks, so having a 9860 with ultra...? well if the cpu were dual cored, then i would be concerned. But if you really put a ultra in a 9860 here are your heat issues....

CPU
GPU
Battery - Because its going to be drawing so much current, that draining a battery at those high current levels is going to produce heat. Its going to be a big heater!

xps - owns and will own as time goes on and dual core yonah is released to save the day!
post #23 of 55
3/18/05 at 1:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dellbert
If somebody tries this, please have a fire extinguisher nearby!
Fire extinuisher? Ha, I'd have some hotdogs and marshmellows to enjoy the BBQ. Seriously though, you know that it will happen (9860 and 6800 Ultra), I'm excited to see what kind of innovation they will use to accomplish it.
post #24 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooster
Here is the bottom line:

1) The XPS weighs less
2) The 7700 produces more heat
3) The XPS has more battery life
4) The XPS is smaller
5) The XPS currently out-performs the 7700
6) The XPS is cheaper

Speculation about upgradability is just that: speculation. Who knows what upgrades Intel has planned that will be compatable with the current P-M or P4 chipsets? Who knows what future GPUs will be released for either the 7700 or the XPS?

What it really comes down to is whether you want the performance characteristics of the P4 or the P-M, whether you want the cool paintjob and blinking eyes of the Alienware, and whether or not you want to spend extra money for the better service and tech support that Alienware offers.

As it stands, the XPS2 is the more competent gaming machine.
I would not at all say the XPS2 is more competent. I would say that its more efficient and thus faster mainly due to the ULTRA. Again, we are talking about benchmarks and not realworld gaming where the rules get bent. In reality, the XPS2 is not that much faster. People are all stuck on the benchmarks to the point where their logic is defined by 3DMARK. People are giving the M more credit then it deserves. If you put an ULTRA in a 7700 and ran a benchmark the speeds of the two systems would be nearly identical due the strenghs and weaknesses of both CPU's. The P4/HT @3.6Ghz with a 800Mhz FSB, 1Mb L2 cache with an ULTRA would clock the same if not a few hairs faster then the PM in reality. As I said before, XPS2 owners better pray that AW doesn't start offering 2Mb L2 cache P4/HT's the way Sager does. You mate a P4/HT with 2Mb L2 cache and an ULTRA, its over for the XPS2 by a long shot. Remember this, The M lets you run a GPU that sucks more power from the battery and is so powerful, the L2 cache alone in the CPU is plenty to make the thing scream. The other focus was heat in general, its becoming a major issue to portable gamers...
post #25 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Codename_47
As I said before, XPS2 owners better pray that AW doesn't start offering 2Mb L2 cache P4/HT's the way Sager does.
Sager already does it (and its cheaper), so why should they be worried? They're not worried about the Sagers. Alienware having a CPU with 2MB L2 doesn't bring anything new to the table that you can't get anywhere else...
post #26 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:09am
Lol

Ill agree aw 7700 and xps2 are both great systems

7700 will get ultra with 2mb L2 cache, and xps2 will have ultra and soon a dual core

in a sense everyone should be worried.. AW with 2mb L2 and dell with dual core....

Its like all technology.. its going to be neck and neck


Its over....
post #27 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:13am


take a close look at that...

I know it's at low res, but yanno...
post #28 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:15am
thats like a 1000 buck chip
lol

for money, you wont see me with one... id rather have a hot tub or somthing
post #29 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by z06
haha!

LOL...agreed! Let's enjoy the fact that we won't be playing catch up.
Catch up to what? The Alienware 7700 is completely innovative. I don't care if you call it a dressed up Sager or not. Point is this, the Dell XPS2 wouldn't even be around if it weren't for Alienware starting the trend of bada$$ gaming laptops. The Dell is cool and NOT NEARLY as fast as you all think compared to the 7700. As I stated earlier, the benchmarks only tell so much of the story to any given piece of hardware.

If you all want to know the truth, the Alienware design is still the most superior. The Sager 9860 P4/HT w/2Mb L2 cache IS faster then a dell XPS2 by all accounts except the VID card which will come out for our lappy's. So don't get all cocky about your XPS2 when the Alienware is still more capable. No matter, both great lappy's soon enough, I will stand by my Alienware...
post #30 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:15am
Keep in mind that this thread is a personal commentary of someone that has already decided on an Alienware Area 51m (7700). They are offering this info only to help others that are looking for information on the 7700. This type of thread welcomes input from owners of other brands. That is information that is also helpful to others. But because of the number of recent Dell trolls in this Alienware forum, any post that bashes an Alienware owner or instigates a flame war will be removed. Dell owners are welcome to do as they please in the Dell forum, at the discrestion of the Dell mods. Any person that insists on bashing Alienware owners will be banned without warning.
post #31 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooster
Sager already does it (and its cheaper), so why should they be worried? They're not worried about the Sagers. Alienware having a CPU with 2MB L2 doesn't bring anything new to the table that you can't get anywhere else...
Its not about anything being new, its about mating an Alienware (We are in the Alienware forums) with a 2Mb L2 cache. You combine this with a NEXTGEN nVIDIA with say 512Mb and nearly identicle core frequency's as the current plain jane DDR3 6800 GO. Then slap DD4 memory on it, your gonna have a card that buries the XPS2 and retains nearly the same battery life. It could and very well may happen. I like the XPS and won't bash your laptop the way some of you bash our Alienware's. By the way, a SAGER is only about $200 cheaper then an Alienware and is not built with nearly the same attention to detail the AW's are. Furthermore, AW is AW, Dell is Dell...
post #32 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Codename_47
Catch up to what? The Alienware 7700 is completely innovative. I don't care if you call it a dressed up Sager or not.
Please explain how it is more innovative than the iXPS2. The iXPS2 combined the best GPU out there with a P-M processor for low heat, long battery life gaming. Are you saying that adding blinking alien eyes is more innovative than that?

Quote:
Point is this, the Dell XPS2 wouldn't even be around if it weren't for Alienware starting the trend of bada$$ gaming laptops.
Got a link to evidence that AW had the first gaming laptop (I don't know who had the first one, maybe you can enlighten me...).

Quote:
The Dell is cool and NOT NEARLY as fast as you all think compared to the 7700. As I stated earlier, the benchmarks only tell so much of the story to any given piece of hardware.
Benchmarks tell part of the story. They tell the part about how the iXPS2 gets better FPS in games...

Quote:
So don't get all cocky about your XPS2 when the Alienware is still more capable.
Maybe in some areas, but not for gaming...
post #33 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Codename_47
Its not about anything being new, its about mating an Alienware (We are in the Alienware forums) with a 2Mb L2 cache. You combine this with a NEXTGEN nVIDIA with say 512Mb and nearly identicle core frequency's as the current plain jane DDR3 6800 GO. Then slap DD4 memory on it, your gonna have a card that buries the XPS2 and retains nearly the same battery life. It could and very well may happen. I like the XPS and won't bash your laptop the way some of you bash our Alienware's. By the way, a SAGER is only about $200 cheaper then an Alienware and is not built with nearly the same attention to detail the AW's are. Furthermore, AW is AW, Dell is Dell...

I understand what your saying, but that's alot, and I mean alot of upgrading to do. Doesn't make sense. Why spend all that money? Ahh well, different strokes for different folks (or something like that).
post #34 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:30am
Well lets lay it out there. I think it is unwise to post in someone else's forum saying how dumb their purchases are. Alienware makes innovative products that people enjoy. That said, the XPS2 has made gaming history for a laptop. It beat Desktop ULTRAS for Christ's sake. These were desktop Ultras with P4's with HT. The XPS2 is the BEST gaming laptop. So AW owners should offer props for the time being.

On another note Alienwares do have dual drives and lots of innovative options themselves. In the end it is your money and as long as you are happy with your purchase that should be that. I personally purchased a 9300 with the 6800togo. I am getting right at 8780-9000 in 3DMark03 and 3700-4000 in 3DMark05. Is it a barn burner? Nah. It does meet my needs and gets me 3 1/2 hours of batt life though.

To summarize, this is a great forum. Every notebook has their good points. One thing I will say is that yes RIGHT NOW the XPS2 is king by a goodly margin, but we all know what technology brings. So give it about 6 months and the whole scene will change.

Can't we all just get along??
post #35 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:31am
AW is AW, Dell is Dell

Bans start now. Last warning. I am tired of deleting the Dell BS. If you are banned, send an email to the Admin of this forum. I will defend your Ban with your own posts. Enjoy NBF.
post #36 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by operaman
Well lets lay it out there. I think it is unwise to post in someone else's forum saying how dumb their purchases are. Alienware makes innovative products that people enjoy. That said, the XPS2 has made gaming history for a laptop. It beat Desktop ULTRAS for Christ's sake. These were desktop Ultras with P4's with HT. The XPS2 is the BEST gaming laptop. So AW owners should offer props for the time being.

On another note Alienwares do have dual drives and lots of innovative options themselves. In the end it is your money and as long as you are happy with your purchase that should be that. I personally purchased a 9300 with the 6800togo. I am getting right at 8780-9000 in 3DMark03 and 3700-4000 in 3DMark05. Is it a barn burner? Nah. It does meet my needs and gets me 3 1/2 hours of batt life though.

To summarize, this is a great forum. Every notebook has their good points. One thing I will say is that yes RIGHT NOW the XPS2 is king by a goodly margin, but we all know what technology brings. So give it about 6 months and the whole scene will change.

Can't we all just get along??

To each his own. By that way...nice lappy!
post #37 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:36am
Awsome post, very informative. Lets also remember that everyone gets a laptop for different purposes. Be happy with what you have!

(My 5500 which I ordered in October 2003 is still playing every game max settings! *upgraded card to 9700*)
post #38 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Codename_47
As I said before, XPS2 owners better pray that AW doesn't start offering 2Mb L2 cache P4/HT's the way Sager does.
This attitude I don't get at all. Is it soooo important to have better hardware than people you don't even know, that you'll pray for their systems to be un-upgradable?
post #39 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooster
Please explain how it is more innovative than the iXPS2. The iXPS2 combined the best GPU out there with a P-M processor for low heat, long battery life gaming. Are you saying that adding blinking alien eyes is more innovative than that?

Its more innovative because AW was the first to do this with a laptop. If you read my post, I have clearly stated the M mated to the ULTRA was pure engineering genius in its symbiotic relationship. Its was like putting ICE CREAM on APPLE PIE. Brilliant.


Got a link to evidence that AW had the first gaming laptop (I don't know who had the first one, maybe you can enlighten me...).

Actually, Alienware has been lapping since 1998. I never saw a gaming laptop until they released the Area-51m. I have been in the business 20 years and haven't seen anything else. Falcon Northwest is another innovator.

Benchmarks tell part of the story. They tell the part about how the iXPS2 gets better FPS in games...

Better frame rates in 3DMARK does not mean the same margin of frame improvement in real games. This tells me how great a card it is, not that the XPS2 is a better system. I like the XPS2 so I got nothing bad to say about it. Just dont cry if AW releases an upgrade that turns the tables and look bad a$$ doing it...


Maybe in some areas, but not for gaming...
Again, the XPS2 is NOT as fast as the benchmarks say, the same could be said for Alienware or any other system. I know this much, I got the knowledge to tweak my Alienware to get much better FPS with my plain jane 6800go so I am not worried in the slightest and will enjoy knowing my lappy wont be a door stop in a year.
post #40 of 55
3/18/05 at 2:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by z06
To each his own. By that way...nice lappy!
I feel you Z. There is definitely a lot of bashing against the Dells. Logic does dictate that the XPS2 kills anything out there right now. Reviews at Anand prove that 2 meg cache on the P4 does nada. BUT... (and I stress this)... BUT if you come over to another forum and start telling people how what they own is not as good they are not just going to go: "Oh yea, you are right."

There is some egging on from our side. I am more than happy to let my laptop do what it does and just enjoy it...
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