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Alienware Area-51m2 review (Sager compared) - Page 2

post #21 of 66
10/25/03 at 7:01pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Trojan
Does the alienware have a 2nd battery option? Like the dual battery option with the 5680?
Doesn't appear to have a second battery option, but you can purchase back-up primary batteries.
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post #22 of 66
10/25/03 at 7:02pm
Quote:
Originally posted by sp0rk
Why on earth would he do that? Then it wouldn't be a correct comparison between AW & Sager's top machines

It would be a comparison of a 51m2 with Sager memory -vs- 5680 -vs- desktop. How would that be useful to a person thinking of getting a 51m2? Not like Alienware is going to call Sager and say "hay, one of our customers wants your RAM in our system, send us some"
Well, as soon as Alienware does offer the RAM, it would show what it would be capable of.

Or not, maybe its a bad idea.

NOTE: My original post about the memory was meant to alleviate sp0rk's concerns about the memory tests on the Alienware (Single-Channel vs Dual-Channel) and how the 4780 might compare more towards the Alienware and I simply wanted to point out that the Alienware was using 333mhz while the Sagers already have 400mhz, as will the 4780.
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post #23 of 66
10/25/03 at 11:04pm
Panasonic battery technology is supposed to kick butt. I would like to get a higher rated battery for the 5680. I only got mine with 1 battery to begin with

Jeff
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post #24 of 66
10/25/03 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally posted by ciro

Or not, maybe its a bad idea.
couldn't hurt
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post #25 of 66
10/26/03 at 4:05pm
Quote:
Originally posted by ciro
I could see how my original post might be a little confusing. Just pointing out the fact that while it is SUPPOSED to support faster ram, 400mhz DDR was not used. For some reason Alienware isn't offering the faster ram yet. And thus that might affect performance in the reviews.

Why not swap memory with one of the Sagers and see what happens to its scores?

NOTE: I've gone back and editted the original message to make it clearer.
but then it wouldnt be a fair review since you cant configure it from alienware direct that way..best way to do reviews is use what you can get from the seller themselves and not add in any differences that a normal user might not be able to do... Adam did the right thing in not testing it with 400mhz ram from a sager..IMHO
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post #26 of 66
10/26/03 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally posted by infinity306
but then it wouldnt be a fair review since you cant configure it from alienware direct that way..best way to do reviews is use what you can get from the seller themselves and not add in any differences that a normal user might not be able to do... Adam did the right thing in not testing it with 400mhz ram from a sager..IMHO
*sigh*

Call it a theoretical test.

Yes I agree the testing of the Top of the Line systems from either Alienware or Sager is and was a good test, and I'm very happy someone actually put Alienware in their place regarding TRUE performance and value.

I just think that some might be interested to see by how much a Sager STILL beats out the new Alienware, with the Alienware using the higher performing memory which it "supposedly" supports.
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post #27 of 66
10/26/03 at 5:09pm
I agree - I woudln't consider it a comparison as much as I would just be interested in how the AW performs with faster memory.

Jeff
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post #28 of 66
10/27/03 at 2:10pm

Screw this..

Bottom line, aw SHOULD have offered this from jump, not like they do with all their other offerings (screens, video cards). Simple. You cant go offering stuff as being the best and then say later...oh...wait, lemme change that cuz is SUPPOSED to support such and such. Its a straight up comparison out of the box. Period.

Now, changing a few things, upping the clock speed, and other mods is a whole different story.
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post #29 of 66
10/27/03 at 2:14pm
I imagine that even with the faster memory the Nvidia card would still get spanked in the tests. The gap between the two is too great to attribute to slower memory - especially the DX9 tests (but then we already knew this). Great review - very objective. What was most amazing to me was the very little difference in size of the 5680 and AW51m and the battery life tests. I had expected more from the AW I must admit in this department.

The ordering process also seems very average as far as time from order to delivery and keeping the customer informed goes on the AW side.

I would very much like to see the ATI module for the AW in action though I am beginning to have my doubts that it is going to be released any time soon. I do not see the incentive for them to do so since people are obviously clambering to buy these machines with the nvidia cards.
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post #30 of 66
10/27/03 at 2:28pm

any thoughts

Any thoughts on whether it IS a 9600pro or a 9600, and if theres any difference between the two?
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post #31 of 66
10/27/03 at 11:09pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Bratag
I imagine that even with the faster memory the Nvidia card would still get spanked in the tests. The gap between the two is too great to attribute to slower memory - especially the DX9 tests (but then we already knew this). Great review - very objective. What was most amazing to me was the very little difference in size of the 5680 and AW51m and the battery life tests. I had expected more from the AW I must admit in this department.
I was just talking about the memory tests. No doubt in my mind that the new Nvidia solution sucks

Isn't Alienware already offering the ATI 9600pro now though? (way after Adam's/PCtorque's purchase date, so no way he/they could've gotten it for the review)
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post #32 of 66
10/28/03 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 
Well, if they come through with the swappable GPU cards many people said they would have I should be able to order the ATI card myself and test it. I'm just waiting on the ability to order that card from them.

Also, the 400DDR may help the Alienware RAM scores a bit, but I believe the biggest difference in RAM scores is that the Sager is dual channel.
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post #33 of 66
10/28/03 at 6:10pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Adam@PCTorque
Well, if they come through with the swappable GPU cards many people said they would have I should be able to order the ATI card myself and test it. I'm just waiting on the ability to order that card from them.

Also, the 400DDR may help the Alienware RAM scores a bit, but I believe the biggest difference in RAM scores is that the Sager is dual channel.
So the Alienware only has Single Channel, much like the 4780 and 4080 will? (If I'm not mistaken, which I might be.)

In the original post by sp0rk he was concerned about the memory tests and the Single Channel vs Dual Channel.

Quote:
Memory test really shows the difference between dual and single channel... Sorta makes me think twice about the 4780 I'm planning on getting
So a test of the 400mhz DDR Single-Channel in the Alienware, if at all possible, might give us some idea on how to gauge the 4080 and 4780's memory tests when they finally come out. (Any word on them?)
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post #34 of 66
10/28/03 at 7:19pm
Thanks Adam for such a great review and it's wonderful to see that both systems are nice (sager and AW). I can't understand why anyone feels the need to bash one or the other...I say if you own a sager-that's kick ass! But that's just me not a fanboy like many who are on these boards! My question to you is how has it been while playing games? You mentioned you were going to try Halo. How did that work out? Would it be possible to put up any in game screenshots? Finally, how is the fan noise and heat issue as far as you can tell?

Thanks a bunch Adam!
PS: Those new/updated 17" Sagers look awesome!
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post #35 of 66
10/29/03 at 12:35am

well

Im trying to get as many opinions as i can for people to run unreal tournament 2003 with the blade runner 2019 map. Ive had issues. Choppiness and such. If you want to push your system, go ahead and TRY THIS MAP!! maybe its my drivers. BTW, which are the latest radeon 9600pro drivers? the number.
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post #36 of 66
10/31/03 at 3:39pm
Hey Adam,
I was wondering if you could post some pics of the A51 vs. the 5680. You know some comparison shots from the front and sides and such. Thanks


-PS-Thanks for the review, best one I've seen.
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post #37 of 66
10/31/03 at 6:12pm
Quote:
Originally posted by jnelson49
Hey Adam,
I was wondering if you could post some pics of the A51 vs. the 5680. You know some comparison shots from the front and sides and such. Thanks


-PS-Thanks for the review, best one I've seen.
check again.. the first 3 pix are what you are looking for i beleive.. click on them and it brings up a bigger picture... that is the aw besides a 5680 and a 8890 front side and back...err the first pix after the pix of the boxes and such the thin pix..
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post #38 of 66
10/31/03 at 6:17pm
Just ordered my AW system yesterday - notibly, the last day they had their $200 off a cyborg green 51M. Whew.. close one.

Anyhow.. I'm getting the dual channel 1Gb of PC3200 and the ATI 128Mb card which are both now available.

I initially was going to buy the Sager 8890, but they went out of stock the day I was going to place my order. So then, playing around, I went to the AW site, config'd a system, and it ended up coming out around $100 more because of the $200 discount on the AW.

I am not a outspoken fan of either brand (AW or Sager), just a fan of a kick ass laptop with excellent gaming ability. Cheers to all of us for taking the laptop to the extreme
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post #39 of 66
10/31/03 at 6:21pm

Re: well

Quote:
Originally posted by Icefluxx
Im trying to get as many opinions as i can for people to run unreal tournament 2003 with the blade runner 2019 map. Ive had issues. Choppiness and such. If you want to push your system, go ahead and TRY THIS MAP!!
I would test the performance of the map playback but I borrowed the 3 UT2003 cd's to somebody to play it and they never gave it back! The fact that I forgot who I borrowed the game to doesn't help either lol
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post #40 of 66
11/2/03 at 3:35pm
Very nice job, thank you!

why no pics of the video module?????????
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