Gaming goliath that now boasts an Intel Ivy Bridge quad-core chip
Best In Class award
Alienware
is back with a bang - with a threefold attack on the PC gaming arena.
Along with the M14x and the M18x, the Alienware M17x R4 has had an Intel
Ivy Bridge-flavoured refresh for 2012.
In the 17-inch laptop gaming category the Alienware M17x is still the daddy of the bunch, with the likes of the Medion Erazer X7815, the MSI GT70 and the Samsung Series 7 Gamer playing second fiddle. And, at this point, it's only MSI that has matched Alienware by playing its Ivy Bridge hand.
Looks-wise, the Alienware M17x 2012 version isn't any different to the Alienware M17x
gaming laptop that wowed us last year. It's a colossal 17.3-inch HD
machine, complete with garish lights and a neo-industrial design that
wouldn't look out of place onboard the spacecraft Prometheus. The
exciting new additions are all buried deep within the M17x's brutish
chassis. The
most notable of these additions is the inclusion of a third-generation,
Ivy Bridge, Intel Core CPU. The model we reviewed packed an i7-3610QM
processor; a four-core monster clocked at a nominal 2.3GHz, which can be
pumped full of Intel Turbo Boost steroids to achieve a top-speed of
3.3GHz.
There
are also new graphic processing options on offer from both Nvidia and
AMD and, proving that the third-dimension fad isn't dead just yet, you
can also opt for a Full HD 120Hz 3D display.
This being an
Alienware machine, you can choose to configure the setup to match your
exact gaming needs. Prices start from £999/$1,099, with our review model
costing £1,089 in the UK and $1,274 in the US. You can seriously max
out your credit card if you decide to go for the top CPU (i7-3820QM),
extra RAM, a larger SSD hard drive and some of the other bits and bobs
on offer from Dell's gaming brand.
We managed to configure one up
to over £4,650/$3,514 before we had heart palpitations and had to stop.
And that's without touching accessories or peripherals. The smallest Alienware model, the 11-inch Alienware M11x,
has seemingly been put out to pasture, with the company telling
TechRadar that the focus going forward was on 14, 17 and 18-inch
machines.
But the Alienware M11x wasn't really a machine suitable
for a serious gaming session. For the purists, 17 inches of screen
real-estate is the bare minimum.
Specifications
The
combination of the latest generation Intel CPU technology and the latest
graphics cards makes the Alienware M17x a colossal gaming machine that
is more than capable of smashing through the latest blockbuster titles
such as Diablo III, Batman: Arkham City and Sniper Elite V2.
Our
review model was packing a quad-core 2.3GHz Intel i7-3610QM processor,
which can be topped out at 3.3GHz using Intel's second-gen Turbo Boost
technology.
Combine this with a seriously powerful GPU punch
courtesy of an AMD Radeon HD 7970M configuration and you're looking at a
top-end gaming machine more than worthy of its hefty price tag. There's
also Intel HD 4000 graphics as part of the Ivy Bridge package, meaning DirectX 11 support. You
can opt for a beefier CPU should you wish, with two more i7 chips
available for selection - with Turbo Boost-assisted speeds of up to
3.7GHz - and you can also go for Nvidia graphics with both the GeForce
GTX 675M and the GTX 660M on offer.
The impressive spec sheet
doesn't end there, however. You can select up to 32GB of RAM (our review
sample cruised through everything we threw at it, just fine, with 8GB
installed), the 17.3-inch display is of the Full HD 1080p variety and
there's a 2.1 megapixel webcam. It also has a slot-loading optical drive
on the side; the review model had a DVD combo drive, but you can opt
for a Blu-ray reader if you wish.
Buying Guide
You
might think that all of this rugged power may result in an explosion of
noise, fan activity and a heat overload but, as with previous Alienware
notebooks, this is not that case, thanks to its large heatsinks and
dual rear exhausts that provide dedicated cooling for all threads and
cores of both the CPU and GPU.
If you've not laid eyes on one of
Alienware's gaming rigs before, prepare your peepers for an assault of
colour and gare. The Alienware M17x certainly doesn't shy away from
extravagance with its unique sci-fi-esque casing and its (in)famous
AlienFX lighting system that enables you to set the backlight colours
for the keys, speaker grills, buttons, ports and logos.
If you
want a nice, calming, cool blue effect then you can have it. Equally, if
you want your Alienware M17x flashing bright red neon lights at you
continuously, like a panicking air traffic control warning system, then
that's an option too. With 512 trillion distinct lighting combinations,
we'll stop with specific examples now.
And
you'll not be found wanting when it comes to connectivity and
port-based fun. As well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, you've also got
access to four USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a mini-DisplayPort,
Ethernet action, an SD card reader, a VGA socket, optical digital
output, separate headphone and microphone jacks, and a dedicated headset
output. It leaves no boxes unticked.
Travel-friendly the
Alienware M17x is not, however, despite the improved battery life on
previous generations of 133 minutes under stress. You'll not only need a
big bag to slide the M17x into, since it measures a chunky 410 x 304 x
44.5mm, you'll also need a strong back to handle its 4.4kg weight.
Performance
As
you'd expect with the hardcore engine room, the Alienware M17x had
little trouble dealing with any task that we threw its way. HD video was
handled with a buttery smoothness, recent games titles caused it no
signs of despair, and high-resolution photo editing was done with hardly
any fuss.
In terms of raw benchmarking scores, the Alienware M17x recorded some of the highest totals that we've seen on a mobile PC.
Most
people who decide to splash their hard earned pennies on the Alienware
M17x will be doing so with some hardcore gaming sessions in mind. And
those buyers won't be disappointed, since it has no issues with the top
settings of graphically demanding titles and you'll comfortably get
60fps+ if you turn things down just a little. There's
also a plethora of onboard configuration settings at your disposal,
including the AlienAdrenaline feature that enables you to customise your
M17x's software behaviour when certain games are running; AlienTouch,
which gives you complete control over the trackpad's sensitivity and
means less annoying accidental movements; and AlienFusion for souping up
the performance levels (or indeed, toning them down) at the touch of a
button.
Boot times are also quick, thanks to the dual SSD and HDD
setup. The machine we tested had a 64GB mSATA SSD to take care of
Windows 7 booting, as well as a 500GB HDD for storing your digital life.
You can configure the hard drive setup on your own Alienware
pretty much any way that you choose, with an array of RAID and
high-speed mSATA caching configurations available. The
audio quality of the Alienware M17x is fantastic, thanks to the
Creative Sound Blaster THX 7.1 setup and the stereo speakers designed by
audio specialist Klipsch. There are a number of pre-set equalisations
installed for you to get the most out of this setup - we particularly
liked the Crystalizer mode.
Although of the non-3D variety, the
Full HD 17.3-inch display on our review sample impressed us greatly.
It's a bit reflective so is better suited for indoor, darker
environments, but then the Alienware M17x isn't exactly the type of
laptop you'd want to take to the park with you anyway.
Viewing angles are great and colours are incredibly vibrant thanks to the 621:1 contrast ratio and 298cd/m2 maximum brightness. The
keyboard keys, whatever colour you choose to have emitted from them,
are soft to touch with a comforting rubber-like bounce that makes them
not only great for gaming but also for more day-to-day tasks such as
browsing the web, tapping out an email or knocking up a quick
spreadsheet.
The trackpad, which is offset just to the left of
centre, also has a smooth rubberised finish, and you'll not hear a peep
from either of its buttons, such is the soft travel that is provided.
Benchmarks
Cinebench: 21,321 3DMark: 23,001
Battery eater: 133 mins
Verdict
If
you've been waiting for a next-gen Intel Core gaming machine to land
then there's really no need to hang around any longer. The Alienware
M17x is a significant improvement on what was already a brilliant
machine.
The Ivy Bridge
CPU boosts performance to almost unseen-before benchmark scores, and
the latest Nvidia and AMD graphics tech packed in means that you'll have
no hassle when it comes to playing the latest must-have games.
Its
bulky frame and ostentatious exterior may make the M17x a specialist
laptop but, within the 17-inch gaming notebook market, when it comes to
the functions that it specialises in there are few, if any, rivals that
come close.
We liked
The Alienware M17x's gaudy chassis
screams high-tech performance, and you won't be disappointed when you
fire it up and get it purring.
It handles HD media and high-end
gaming with aplomb, and the build quality is a reassuring reminder of
the impressive tech that's hidden deep within the rugged chassis.
It's
difficult to get lost in a laptop like you can with a big screen TV,
but the Alienware M17x manages to completely absorb you using a combo of
its lightning-fast, vibrant HD display and the incredibly loud surround
sound setup.
We disliked
Although falling into the
category of a mobile PC just by virtue of being a laptop, you wouldn't
want to be carrying the Alienware M17x around with you for a long period
of time. Tipping the scales at a shade over 4.4kg and measuring almost
5cm at its thickest point, it would be the equivalent of lugging around
four Ultrabooks with you, or seven iPads.
Battery life still
isn't great, despite the Ivy Bridge update - although you're likely to
want to be near a mains socket when using the Alienware M17x, anyway.
Final verdict
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.
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