Here are pictures of my unboxing:
You guys already know how the specs run so let me talk about the build. The laptop itself is huge (as you can see in the pictures), but unlike the M15x it is really sturdy. The finish itself certainly gives the laptop more of a high-end finish/build compared to the competition. In my opinion, I prefer the M17x to the M1730 (normal and WoW edition), and the Sager. There's no creaking anywhere and the the screen is beautiful, though it is definitely fingerprint prone. Even the outside of the screen is glossy and black-also very fingerprint prone. It holds fine when erect and when you are laying down and posing the laptop on your knees, the screen is strong enough to hold itself up, which is a big plus in my book. I game a lot laying down or on the couch using a LapDawg and my MBP screen almost always folds back down unless it's positioned perfectly. I don't have this problem with the M17x. Size/Weight- As long as you are used to other 17' notebooks, this one shouldn't be too different to pick up and take with you, though it is considerably larger than say, a 17' MacBook Pro (Which I mention because it is the other laptop I use. You can see side by sides above) on the bottom. I haven't had many problems with the touch buttons (they take a little bit getting used to, but they work fine), but the mousepad is a little tricky. The cool thing about it is that there's a little device manager program for it that lets you adjust the options for it (scrolling, right-clicking, ect.) I haven't gotten used to it yet, but I've used it for less than 30 minutes. I'm more used to an
Apple trackpad, so this could by why I'm having trouble with this one- and it's not nearly as intuitive as that one out of the box, either. The speakers aren't as nice as the MBP, and they tend to distort when they're maxed out. If you are using this computer for audio the external sound blaster card is a good idea. I purchased one with mine and it sounds great (I am an audio engineer, if that helps), and it also comes with in-ear headphones with a built-in mic, in case you are going to be on vent immediately. I would also recommend the Turtle Beach AKs if you want nicer sounding, surround, over the ear headphones (also come with a mic), though they are pricier. For pure audiophiles, I recommend an external sound card like the creative XFI and something like the Ultrasone 900s or Sen HD280s. If you guys have any other questions that I could answer, let me know. I've owned the laptop for less than an hour and the only game I've put on it so far is Age of Conan. I tested the FPS (graphics maxed out) in an instance and got 130FPS+. If anyone wants the FPS for the outside world, let me know. I currently own an Alienware ALX (QX9650 OCed right now to 3.5GHz Quad Core, SLI GTX280s, Vista Ultimate) and the startup time is not too different than that of the laptop. This laptop is loading more stuff than the M15x, which means different drivers for the most part- especially if you are using vista. This could account for the big differences people are experiencing with startup time on their lappys. Oh yeah, the ALIEN FX lighting on this laptop is superior to that of the PC, mostly because the keyboard is beautiful. I love everything about it- the color, feel, the keys- everything is quality. If you couldn't tell, as far as this laptop goes, I am definitely satisfied. Alright, hope you guys enjoy the pics, sorry if there are grammatical errors, but I just wanted to put some info out there so everyone wasn't left completely in the dark. I've barely spent any time on my new system so I'm gonna go back to it! (ps- power brick is definitely huge).
Sorry for not posting my specs earlier:
[1] Area-51® m17x
Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 8800M GTX – SLI Enabled
Display: 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD with Clearview Technology – Black
Includes AlienFX® Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design!
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - White
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Ultimate with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
System Drive: Dual Drive Configuration - 240GB (120GB x 2) 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Sound Card : External Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio Card
Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
Oh yeah, if anyone is planning on buying one do yourself a favor and at least get a couple years of coverage. Alienware computers (PCs and Laptops) almost always run into problems. If you are looking to spend a lot of money with them, be safe.
Re: My m17x has arrived
congratz
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