Quick: Should I get the M14x or....?

[bigtonyman]

I own the M14x and I have not really been bothered by the fan noise until I finally started playing Battlefield 3 last night. That game makes the fan sound quite literally like a hair dryer. This is bothersome not just because of the noise but the fact that it makes me feel like playing such a game on this laptop will cause some kind of stress-related damage to it over time.

I am considering getting the M17x if I have to return/sell back my M14x due to some hardware issues and would like to know if the M17x is either:

(1) As loud as the M14x
(2) Louder than M14x
(3) More quiet than M14x

(while gaming -- I know they are both silent when not gaming)

Also I am able to run Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the standard High settings (no modifications, just everything set to High) even with 64 players on the server. This surprised me as I did not think M14x could do that. I do have the i7, SSD, and 3 GB GT 555m but still surprising.

Have other M14x owners been able to run the BF3 multiplayer at all High settings like this as well?

quietest gaming laptop I have ever seen is the asus g73. My buddies ran pretty quiet at full load. The m17x can get quiet loud, but the performance you get with a bit of noice is worth it

[dragonx254]

Are you running BIOS A05? A05, IMO, lowered fan noise by a very good amount.

Here's how A03 was:
Not gaming-Silent as a mouse
Gaming-Vacuum cleaner.

A05:
Not gaming-Silent-ish (it does seem to be a small hum)
Gaming-Small fan.


So you sacrifice 100% silence when not gaming (turn it into 90% pretty much), for a much quieter gaming session.

[Fallout4]

I own the Alienware M14x with the i7 processor, 3 GB nVidia GeForce GT 555m, 256 GB SSD, and 1600x900 resolution screen. It is essentially maxed out/fully upgraded/fully stocked. It has started having some BSOD problems and I think there is a hardware issue that I will contact Dell about soon. If it continues, then I am thinking about returning the M14x for the M17x for its better performance and bigger screen, depending on the answers I receive here.

I have had the laptop for approximately 3 months and I truly love its form -- as a true notebook (I feel 14 inch is the max size for a true laptop), the 14 inch size and shape is PERFECT. However, the performance on Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2 is disappointing as those games look very beautiful on High settings and I can only achieve between 25-30 frames per second in BF3 on all High settings. The Witcher 2 is basically unplayable because I want to play it on High for its beauty.

In addition, I am finding the screen somewhat small for first person shooters.

So my questions pertaining to the M17x are:

(1) Is it louder than the M14x while gaming? Because M14x sounds literally like a hair dryer. It is fine but it just feels like my machine is going to suffer stress-related damage if it needs a fan that loud.

(2) Does the M17x look so AWKWARDLY HUGE that it is even embarassing to take it out and use it in public? My M14x is small enough that no one really turns their head like "OMG WUT?!" if I take it out in a hotel or in a public place. As I mentioned previously, the M14x has an absolutely superb form regarding its size and shape. I think it is the best true laptop available for performance and battery life.

(3) What is the battery life on the CURRENT model M17x (R3) REALLY like? I have seen some people here say it lasts 4-5 hours which is the SAME as M14x so that makes no sense. Others say it lasts at least over 2 hours. About 2.5 to 4 hours is acceptable to me for battery life when just using Microsoft Office or browsing the internet.

(4) If I do change to the M17x will I be able to upgrade the GPU in 1 or 2 years? I would like to be able to play Fallout 4 or even Fallout 5 when it comes out in 10 years

Any responses are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

[FahrenheitGTI]

I can only answer numbers 2 and 4, but here we go.

2.) It's not that awkwardly huge, I have a larger 17" laptop and it doesn't look that obscene in public.

4.) Yes, most likely, as long as the MXM format (PCI-E mobile platform, basically) is the same and probably the BIOS are compatible. For example, the M17x R3 was proven to be a success when upgraded from 5870s to 6970s. So, it shouldn't be a problem for say the 7xxx series or what have you.

[zoolian982]

2. It's not that awkwardly huge. Although mine has custom art on the back so people are like "whoa." Usually people saying "hon sucks, lol's better."

3. Depends on the graphics card you pick. nvidia has optimus but its crap, and amd has the feature to manually shut off the gpu for extra power saving.

2hrs max for nvidia, and i've almost hit 4hrs on the lowest power and brightness settings with an amd 6970m.

4. Everyone's hoping the new gpu's will be mxm 3.0b compatible, so lets cross our fingers. Though 10yrs MIGHT be a stretch.

[niko2021]

idk about you guys, but i would want my fan to be as loud/fast as possible as long as i benefit with lower temps

[hockeymass]

I own the M14x and I have not really been bothered by the fan noise until I finally started playing Battlefield 3 last night. That game makes the fan sound quite literally like a hair dryer. This is bothersome not just because of the noise but the fact that it makes me feel like playing such a game on this laptop will cause some kind of stress-related damage to it over time.

I am considering getting the M17x if I have to return/sell back my M14x due to some hardware issues and would like to know if the M17x is either:

(1) As loud as the M14x
(2) Louder than M14x
(3) More quiet than M14x

(while gaming -- I know they are both silent when not gaming)

Also I am able to run Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the standard High settings (no modifications, just everything set to High) even with 64 players on the server. This surprised me as I did not think M14x could do that. I do have the i7, SSD, and 3 GB GT 555m but still surprising.

Have other M14x owners been able to run the BF3 multiplayer at all High settings like this as well?

***EDIT*** After running fraps I have noticed that on all High settings BF3 only runs at 25-30 FPS (usually under 30) and even at medium there is not much improvement. Still, the game DOES run well enough to play it.

I'm always amazed by how shocked people are that their fan is making noise while they're playing games. IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT. If the fan isn't running hard, it's not exhausting the hot air and the heat is just sitting inside your case.

[bigtonyman]

I'm always amazed by how shocked people are that their fan is making noise while they're playing games. IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT. If the fan isn't running hard, it's not exhausting the hot air and the heat is just sitting inside your case.

OR your hardware isn't working hard enough

[Voireon]

2. It's not that awkwardly huge. Although mine has custom art on the back so people are like "whoa." Usually people saying "hon sucks, lol's better."

3. Depends on the graphics card you pick. nvidia has optimus but its crap, and amd has the feature to manually shut off the gpu for extra power saving.

2hrs max for nvidia, and i've almost hit 4hrs on the lowest power and brightness settings with an amd 6970m.

4. Everyone's hoping the new gpu's will be mxm 3.0b compatible, so lets cross our fingers. Though 10yrs MIGHT be a stretch.

HoN and LoL both suck. DotA's better.

[custom90gt]

I've owned a M17x, a G73JH, as well as my current M14x.
In terms of cooling, nothing compares to the G73 in terms of quietness and ability to cool even when using it on my bed.
The M17x is much better at cooling and quieter than the M14x though. The only reason I have a M14x is it makes it a little easier to travel, and I don't use it much since I have my desktop.