Alienware M18x Pro Reviews

The Alienware M18x R2 is a notebook for people with more money than sense. Bleeding edge hardware has always cost a pretty penny, but while I could produce a corner case need for the original M18x, the M18x R2 just isn't necessary for even the most die hard mobile gamer. A single GTX 680M is screamingly fast on its own and well paired with an Ivy Bridge CPU, making the M17x R4 a better choice in almost every way. If you really, really want the absolute fastest notebook money can buy then by all means, and you just absolutely hate having money, shell out for the M18x R2. But if you want a premium gaming notebook and aren't interested in setting your money on fire to get it, a single-GPU solution like the M17x R4 or iBuyPower's Valkyrie CZ-17 is going to suit you far better.

The Alienware M18x R2 is definitely a superlative notebook, but calling the massive 18-inch unit a "notebook" is stretching the term. At over 5 kg, the M18x R2 is essentially limiting the user to indoor use only. Still, no one can deny its mighty performance. Thanks to the overclocked Ivy Bridge processor and the two Radeon HD 7970M GPUs, the high-end machine handles every task easily and painlessly. All currently available games can be played with maximum settings. As mentioned earlier, AMD's CrossFire technology is limping a bit behind Nvidia's SLI system. Thanks to better driver and game support, Nvidia models profit considerably more from a second GPU. If this trend continues, the brand new GeForce GTX 680M might offer the faster dual GPU solution. In fact, this particular Nvidia setup is already on our radar for a future review.

The Alienware M18x looks intimidating and has the performance chops that gamers crave, but it doesn't come cheap.

The M18x lives up to expectations. It feels lovingly crafted around gamers' needs, combining superlative design, build quality, aesthetics and scalable power. But it comes at a cost. The review model's price compares reasonably well to other gaming laptops, but component upgrades incur a luxury brand tax, with the top spec costing close to £5k. The real issue, however, is one of positioning. The extra size, weight and power consumption required by the dual graphics cards pushes it into competition with much cheaper desktops. For all it's gaming power, that's one contest the M18x can't win.

The Alienware M18x is a notebook built for gaming and performance enthusiasts, plain and simple. This isn't a machine designed to strike a balance in power efficiency or portability by any means. Dell's Alienware division apparently built the M18x with one mission in mind--to deliver the best possible gaming and multimedia experience available in a self-contained, "desktop replacement" form-factor. To that end, Alienware has delivered masterfully.

If you’re looking for a proper desktop replacement -- replacing a gaming desktop, that is -- the Alienware M18x is undoubtedly the notebook to pick. It’s massive and has a price tag that’s painful, but its performance is almost unparalleled.

The only major drawback is the horrendous price of just over 5000 Euros for this review model. It means the M18x is highly likely to remain a niche product – but an extremely good one.

Essentially, if you're not a hardcore gamer, there is no reason to spend this kind of money. But if you want the best mobile gaming experience around, this is what you should be looking at.

To paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson in Jackie Brown, if you absolutely, positively need to kill everyone at the LAN party, accept no substitutes. If you can only afford one GPU, the $3,300 M17x is a better option, but its chassis can only accommodate a single graphics card. But if you can swing for two GPUs, then the M18x is the way to go. From power to weight to price, this notebook simply has more--the most--of everything.

Alienware again pushes the boundaries of laptop performance (and price) with high-end parts and a great-for-gaming 18-inch screen.

The M18x has very few flaws. Besides, its heavy weight and large size, the noise emission could be a problem for noise-sensitive buyers. Otherwise, this luxurious desktop replacement laptop has been designed very well by Alienware. The M18x sets standards for other notebooks. However, whether or not the Alienware M18x is more useful than a desktop PC is a question which can only be answered by the buyers themselves.