Alienware M17x Pro Reviews

The Alienware M17x-R4 is clearly an exceptional and exclusive piece of kit. It’s not the fastest thing around, as there are some SLI and Crossfire systems that can outpace it in terms of sheer GPU brawn. However, our tests prove that it can cope with all hot gaming titles, in many cases with maxed out detail settings. It is possible to get playable framerates at 1920x1080, although in some cases the detail levels will have to be adjusted. Aside from gaming, we must say that we were fascinated by the system responsiveness in multitasking, even when dealing with relatively demanding applications. Simply switching from a game to another application is very fast indeed. The M17x R4 is available in a range of configurations, so getting more performance, or less performance for less money, is possible as well. We didn’t get the fastest model, but it was close. With a top notch quad core processor, a very fast single GPU and SSD storage it practically had not bottlenecks. Build quality is excellent, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the price, and the price ranges between €2000 and €3000 for most configurations. However, we are dealing with a notebook that can outpace most desktops out there. The high price means that the Alienware M17x R4 will be a rare sight, but it is almost the ultimate notebook for power users. Of course, although it is primarily designed for gaming, it looks like a good choice for anyone in need of a lot of mobile performance, professionals who need to run a lot of virtual machines, 3D modeling software or do some video editing on the go.

There’s no doubt that the M17x is one of the most powerful gaming laptops currently available. However, in the form we tested it, it’s also one of the most expensive, with a price tag well over £1700. The machine’s sheer size and weight may also deter anyone looking for anything portable.

What we're looking at with this review of the Alienware M17x R4 are really two things: the performance of the shiny new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M, and the Alienware M17x R4 notebook itself. Amusingly if unfortunately, the conclusions drawn are pretty disparate. NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M is a qualified win. They knew it, and now we know it. Whether or not it's worth the substantial price premium from vendors is up for debate, especially since we don't know just exactly how fast AMD's competing Pitcairn-based Radeon HD 7970M performs in comparison (yet). If AMD can get between 80-90% of the performance of the GTX 680M out of the 7970M, that will probably be enough. The 680M is an impressive beast, though, able to produce performance roughly as good as last generation's GeForce GTX 570 in a notebook form factor. You'll remember the 570 was no slouch, so gamers looking for a mobile fix would do well to shortlist the 680M.

This particular refresh of the Alienware M17x R4 is…well, refreshing. The new Ivy Bridge processor and Kepler-based Nvidia graphics card offer up great performance, and the entire system costs under $2000—a pretty good deal for a gaming-oriented desktop replacement. The screen is gorgeous, the speakers are good (if soft), the keyboard is excellent, and the AlienFX lighting is a nice touch. Plus, it has excellent battery life. I can't think of a reason not to get the M17x R4, except for the fact that it weighs almost 10 pounds. If you're looking for a "portable" gaming powerhouse, you've found it.

The Alienware M17x once again comes highly recommended as a high-end gaming and multimedia platform. Its unique design, customizable lighting system and outstanding performance make it a top choice. The M17x gets just about everything right including a beautiful full HD display, solid keyboard and touchpad, plenty of input and output ports (the most we've seen on a notebook, as a matter of fact), good speakers and surprisingly excellent battery life at almost five hours. The M17x's customization options are impressive with several graphics card choices, 3D display options, and up to two storage drives. The Nvidia GTX 680M in our system produced outstanding gaming performance. My gripe with the M17x is the loud cooling system; at idle this notebook is totally silent, but under load, the fans get noisy and can easily be heard across a medium-size room. Some of our editors would also complain about the lack of a matte screen option for the display. The M17x starts at $1,500 though our review notebook with moderate options comes in at more than $2,500. The best doesn't come cheap - stick to reasonable performance options and you'll be getting a solid piece of hardware for the money.

Its overly reflective screen aside, we really like the Alienware M17x R4. With its wide array of cutting-edge components and impressive build quality, it's a good option for those looking for extreme gaming performance in this price range, and who need a marginally mobile machine. Still, no matter how you slice it, $2,599 is a major investment for a gaming laptop. If you don't want to spend so much, you can opt for the entry-level M17x or MSI's also excellent GT70, both of which are solid choices. You might have to dial back a few in-game settings, or drop the resolution a bit to keep the most demanding games playable. For lots of buyers, though, that's a small price to pay for shaving $500 to $1,000 off the price of a laptop.

When you’re not playing games, you’ll have no trouble using this Alienware notebook as a workhorse, and a completely customizable one (as far as looks go) at that. This as well as the rest of the Alienware notebooks come with a customization suite which allows all of the segments of color throughout the machine to be changed according to your specific desires. Back up your machine with AlienRespawn, get all of your system diagnostics in style with AlienAutopsy, and run your whole machine’s heart from Alienware Command.

The Alienware M17x R4 adds the latest Intel Core processor and Nvidia Graphics to one of the best gaming laptop chassis in the business. It's ostentatious, audacious, over the top, and strangely enough, more affordable than rivals.

Despite its chunky frame and weighty anatomy, the Alienware M17x is the perfect gaming machine and also a fantastic desktop replacement, thanks to its impressive HD media features. The performance is lightning fast, there aren't many (if any) demanding tasks that seem to bother it and you needn't worry about longevity, since it's packing a wealth of cutting-edge, latest generation technology. While not cheap, its price tag is certainly comparable to its main rivals, such as the Ivy Bridge-packing MSI GT70, and buyers will be investing in one of the best laptop gaming experiences - if not the best - that there is.

Amazing 2D and 3D power and a great screen make this an incredible desktop replacement laptop

As expected, Alienware delivers a great gaming notebook with the M17x R4. Picture and sound quality are on a high level as in the past. Interface selection, including 4x USB 3.0, was nicely done. The modern case isn't exactly thin or light at 4.4 kg, but it scores with good input devices, easy to reach components and loads of illumination. We especially liked the gummed soft touch surfaces, with good workmanship leaving an impression of quality. In regards to quality, most competitors can't touch the M17x. The most important feature by far is the incredibly fast GPU. AMD's Radeon HD 7970 not only strikes fear into the hearts of previous top dogs GeForce GTX 675M and Radeon HD 6990M with a 50% performance increase, it doesn't have to hide behind desktop PC's either. Maximum details and high resolutions at 1920 x 1080 rarely bring this GPU to its limits.

A quad-core Ivy Bridge CPU and AMD’s Radeon HD 7970M combine to make the M17x R4 a gaming force to be reckoned with

Alienware ships the M17x R3 with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and the above-mentioned Creative Live Central and Alienware Command Center software. It also comes with the Steam online gaming portal preinstalled and a basic version of AlienReSpawn, which lets you create recovery discs. You’ll have to upgrade to the Premium version of AlienReSpawn ($39.99), however, to perform backup and restore functions. The company supports the M17x R3 with a one-year warranty covering parts and labor. You also get in-home service (once you’ve completed a remote diagnostic session), 24/7 toll-free technical support, and online technical chat. Two, three, and four-year plans are also available, or you can opt for an Advanced plan with accidental damage coverage. Advanced plans range in price from $49 for one year up to $538 for four years. You’ll pay good money for the Alienware M17x R3, but you get an equitable return on your investment in terms of performance, style, and build quality. As we pointed out above, in terms of the units we've tested, it's the only one we've seen recently that falls in the middle of the pack in terms of price, performance, features, and components. Sure, you can scale down some of the really high-end systems to be in the $3,000 ballpark, but for the most part, your choices are either below $2,000 or above $5,000, giving this machine, as configured, a bit of a sweet-spot advantage. You also get excellent sound quality, and unparalleled control over the lighting on the keyboard and other parts of the notebook. If you can live with some fan noise and don’t plan to stray too far from a power source, this machine belongs on your short list. It'll keep up with your games today...and for quite a while to come.

The Alienware M17x R3 starts at $1499. For that, you receive a robust selection of hardware including an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 6870M GPU. It’s no longer possible to equip a system exactly like our review unit, but only because the base processor in the laptop appears to have been upgraded from a Intel Core i7-2630QM (with a base clock of 2 GHz) to a Intel Core i7-2670QM (with a base clock of 2.2 GHz). All other components are available, and total up to $2599. If you ditch the RAID hard drive configuration and reduce the RAM from 16GB to 8GB (two options that don’t contribute much to gaming), you’re back down to $2149, which is surprisingly reasonable. The ASUS G74 is much less expensive, but it isn’t offered with hardware that can match the M17x in performance. To gain some context for that, I visited the websites of Maingear and Origin. A similarly equipped Maingear eX-L 17 is about $2400, while the Origin EON 17-S comes to about $2100. The M17x offers excellent performance in an attractive chassis, and the flair provided by the customizable LED lighting is just icing on the cake. The only real flaw is the touchpad - but I’ve yet to come across a large gaming laptop that gets the touchpad right. If you have the itch for high-performance gaming laptop, the M17x R3 can help you scratch it. And even if you’re looking for a more affordable option, don’t discount the base model. At $1499 it’s in the same ballpark as the ASUS G74, and while I’d personally buy the ASUS, those who prefer Alienware’s design will not be going wrong by picking it instead.

The Alienware M17x R3 is a class-leading entrant into the 17.3-inch gaming notebook market. Its outstanding design, AlienFX lighting system, and excellent performance make it ideal for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. Other highlights of the machine include a great keyboard and touchpad, nice-sounding speakers, and good build quality. Speaking of build quality, that is the one area where Alienware could have improved. As it stands the M17x R3 has good quality, but it is not up to par with its aluminum-clad predecessor. Furthermore, the cooling system works well but is not as quiet as its predecessor's either. In short, the Alienware M17x R3 is an easy notebook to recommend for the above-stated reasons.

No Alienware review would be complete without a return to its biggest drawback – the price. Starting at S$3499, the M17X R3 will certainly stretch the wallet. On the plus side, things are looking better than they were two years ago. When we reviewed the M15X, we mentioned that buying a unit with our review specs in Singapore would set you back a hefty S$6390.99. Things are now a little more reasonable, with our similarly high spec'ed review unit setting you back a 'mere' S$4887. Having said that, if you do have money to burn, try adding a Blu-ray optical drive and dual 256GB SSDs for a whopping, maxed-out price of S$6518.85.

There is very little wrong with this notebook, as we found before with the weaker model with GTX 460M graphics. The glossy screen, the keyboard ghosting, the GPU throttling on battery power, and the high price tag are its main flaws.

With all that said, though, the M17x R3 has an awful lot to offer any consumer looking for a gaming notebook. It's definitely pricier than ASUS's offering, but it's also faster, more comfortable to use, flashier, and has both better battery life and a better overall design. Clevo notebooks can't really compete on cost here, either. The M17x R3 is just fun to use, with a great screen, comfortable keyboard, minimal gloss, and a solid build. Fix the flex in the keyboard, find some way to keep the bottom from getting so hot, and offer just a bit better configuration options from the Dell website and Alienware will have a gold Editor's Choice on their hands. As it stands, we think the M17x R3 is more than worthy of the bronze.

With outstanding gaming scores and the most wicked design, the Alienware M17X (Sandy Bridge) is the best gaming laptop, period.

The premium-price M17x delivers solid performance, a 3D display, and the style you'd expect from an Alienware laptop, but it's not a slam-dunk choice for gamers.

By building on its already flawless foundation, the new M17x ratchets up power and features to make this the best gaming laptop you can buy. While the 3D abilities are inherently flawed, they don't reduce the impact of this exceptional and feature-packed laptop.

Record-breaking performance, superslick design, wireless HD streaming, and five hours of battery life. Yup, this gaming notebook is pretty much perfect.

The Alienware test notebook provided to us was recently taken off the shelves temporarily by Dell due to the recall of Cougar Point chipsets. Equipped with a full-HD display, i7-2630QM, 4 GB RAM, GTX 460M, 256GB SSD, DVD burner and Windows 7 Home Premium, the future price will be about 2,500 Euro. A statement from Dell about the recall is located toward the beginning of this review. You can find more information about the Sandy Bridge recall here.

It's expensive, bulky and just a little bit noisy, but if you're after a gaming laptop and money is no object, you won't get much faster than the Alienware M17x. Those with less change in their pockets can scale down some of the components to make it more affordable.

The M17x may be one of the best examples of its kind we’ve seen, but it's just not quite worth its inflated asking price. If you do want the spec we’ve reviewed, you have to phone Alienware directly as some of these components aren’t listed on the web-site to ‘avoid confusion’. Nice work, Alienware.