Dell Alienware M17x

The M17x Alienware, a monstrous player transportable
Here is the configuration most luxurious available on Alienware M17x. An extremely powerful machine, but very expensive.

The promising:

The latest 17-inch laptop Alienware still makes a lot of surprises, good and bad. We obviously look to find another planet, typical of the brand, which has not lost its identity after its acquisition by Dell. Alienware Alienware is a manufacturer capable of achieving impressive machine, both by their look than their internal configuration. The costs of M17x starts at 1677 euros precisely, but it rises very quickly and very high when it perfects its configuration. Dell gave us a copy of luxury, the most monstrous model that currently exists among the M17x, for a fee of 4241 euros!

The reality:

Yes, hard to get to a more impressive in a size 17 inches. Our test model includes the Intel Core i7 920XM, a quadcore rising to 3.2 GHz Turbo mode, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, two Radeon Mobility 4870 graphics chip in CrossFireX and two 128GB SSD that can be connected in RAID-0. What more? Oh yes, perhaps Mobility Radeon 5870 …

Design and Quality First

Nothing has changed, Alienware has even improved with time in terms of quality finishing. The M17x is covered with a brushed aluminum shell that one can choose the color (red, black, chrome). Guaranteed effect! The interior is more sober and composed of fine plastic. Everything is very well assembled, flawless. It is in the high end.

The keyboard keeps keys to classical forms, but it is completely illuminated. Alienware offers the same software that can change the backlight color on four separate parts of the keyboard, the button is switched on and around the touchpad. The touchpad is, however, very classical, finishing a little disappointing compared to the rest of the gear.

Everything is solid and provides very good impression of solidity. Note that Alienware has even taken care to place a slab LCD IPS technology, with excellent viewing angles. We measured the response time to 11.9 ms, which remains in the average IPS panels, and a brightness of 250 cd / m2 and a contrast ratio of 882:1. Values actually quite modest in this range of rates, but the display quality of the IPS pays the price.

Very powerful and too noisy

It is particularly vulnerable to the bowels of the beast that doubts arise. All that power dissipation is it really reasonable, especially for that price? Of course, this monster grill all phones on the spot: he earned a score of 18,471 in 3DMark 2006 and 12,265 points in the Vantage Performance mode version. No competitor dares to defy the 17-inch, especially with two 128GB SSD (from Samsung) ready to blow the meter mode Raid-0. Those of our test model were not coupled in Raid-0, but they have already obtained a score of 17,754 points, almost five times more than conventional hard disk.

Obviously, almost all current games will run without problem in the definition 1920 x 1200 screen the M17x. But at what price? And this time, not money we want to talk but the deafening noise of the machine in full operation. The three fans located under the housing turn almost immediately at maximum speed to cool two graphics chips and the CPU. We measured a noise level of 46.30 dB, soon become unbearable, which require the player to a headset, thus making unnecessary the proper audio equipment built into the laptop.

A laptop left on his desk

They doubted it would be nice, the new battery cell 7260 mAh the M17x is no miracle. It has taken 73 minutes into our test of independence, which is only to play a video loop, without putting a strain on the graphics chip and CPU in a 3D game. It is therefore no question of playing the monster without plugging into an electrical outlet. Similarly, the weight and size of the beast (6.9 kg and 5.4 cm thickness) to encourage clear let it settle on a desk.

Review conclusions:

In short, for this laptop is really the time? Not according to us. This type of configuration is reserved for a desktop computer that cost much less for a similar result. If it takes a technological dexterity to contain such power in such a small volume, it is now impossible to cool while in silence. Alienware here proves its know-how, but the M17x is only advisable in a more reasonable, under the 2000 euro.