Aleinware just came out with this new notebook at 2.4 ghz!
http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp
Is this notebook any good?
-Rob
http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp
Is this notebook any good?
-Rob
Alienware 2.4 ghz Notebook
- Thread starter Robybob
- Start date
Sorry, here is a clickable link
<A HREF="http:// http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp " target="_new">http:// http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp </A>
How come Dell an IBM are not offering systems this fast?
Can one build a notebook system like this themselves cheaper as is usually the case with desktops?
<A HREF="http:// http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp " target="_new">http:// http://www.alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp </A>
How come Dell an IBM are not offering systems this fast?
Can one build a notebook system like this themselves cheaper as is usually the case with desktops?
Harisahmed
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I don't think Dell or IBM sell any desktop processors in laptops. Have you seen any benchmarks including battery life?
Skull_Angel
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If you click on the link for the description of the extra battery on the configuration pages on the site for this laptop it says the extra battery gives 1 and a half hours of runtime. I would think the main battery provides about the same run time.
Harisahmed
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The specs are better than the prototype in Toms article, but once again no AMD inside. No P3/P4-Mobile chips and no option to simply remove the 3.5" drive. Unless you want to replace it with an additional battery or drive, which will probably push the weight to over 10lbs.
I want a desktop replacement that can handle some 3D gaming, but that has got to be the heaviest laptop I've seen in the last couple of years. I'd really liked to have seen an AMD version though.
I want a desktop replacement that can handle some 3D gaming, but that has got to be the heaviest laptop I've seen in the last couple of years. I'd really liked to have seen an AMD version though.
Skull_Angel
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Alienware is finally offering their Area 51-M laptop with the mobile Pentium 4 at speeds of 1.7 and 1.8 Ghz. Aside from running cooler (especially with the chassis Alienware's laptop has) it should have better battery life.
Harisahmed
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Thanks for the update. I just wish that they had an AMD equivalent version. I'd really like to see AMD make some progress in the desktop replacement market.
There is a better solution to the Area-51. I asked the same question over at anandtech. Go to www.powernotebooks.com and look at teh Sager NP5620. Im probably gonna get this after I cruise the net looking for any other solutions. It comes out a hundread or so cheaper. Plus, you can get it without Microsoft, which means u can go OEM and save some cash.
Oh, btw, dont worry about the power consumption. Read the article they have about CPU voltages. Aparently the northwood's only use a half volt more than the M-P4's, which means the voltage consumption is only slightly more.
Oh, btw, dont worry about the power consumption. Read the article they have about CPU voltages. Aparently the northwood's only use a half volt more than the M-P4's, which means the voltage consumption is only slightly more.
Skull_Angel
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I don't know if the SagerNotebook is a better solution. Alienware is a company well known for paying attention to things that other companies not consider. For instance if you look at the Area 51-M and the other laptops with a similar chassis and specs on their respective websites you'll see in the snapshots of the systems that the Alienware laptop case has more vents for cooling the laptop. Laptops tend to get hot (we all know that heat stresses electronic equipment), so better ventilation is a welcome feature that I consider worth a hundred or so bucks more. Even if the mobile P4 chip only uses a half volt less than the Northwood it's still designed specifically for laptops and would still run cooler.
Alienware also spends time to make sure it's systems are stable and perform well before shipping them. I don't know if Sager does the same for their systems but looking at the price difference I'd bet not.
Sager is better on price, but I'd pay the extra money for the Alienware system.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Skull_Angel on 05/25/02 01:05 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
Alienware also spends time to make sure it's systems are stable and perform well before shipping them. I don't know if Sager does the same for their systems but looking at the price difference I'd bet not.
Sager is better on price, but I'd pay the extra money for the Alienware system.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Skull_Angel on 05/25/02 01:05 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
I agree with Skull_Angel. Getting a laptop with a desktop CPU is not a very good idea in general, but if you want the most power and gaming performance, that is what you would have to do and Alienware is very good at putting out high quality gaming machines. I would trust they would have a better idea how to make sure there is plenty of cooling to have a reliable system versus Sager.
Got a 2GHz desktop cpu Sager with dual opticals dvd/cdrw, 256MB DDR, 15" screen, 2G PCMCIA HD, 40GB main HD, Mobile Radeon 7500/64MB video, 6 channel digital/optical sound out, firewire, IR port, floppy, ac and dc power, case, Li-ion batt, software bundle including antivirus and star office, NO OS ( a plus in my book), 4 usb ports, lpt and com ports, built in nic and modem for under $1900.00 delivered. It works perfect and is stable.
Cons: Battery life sucks and it is a little heavy.
Pros: Fast, relatively cheap, rock solid (so far), lots of features.
Spend more if it makes you feel better.
Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire.
Cons: Battery life sucks and it is a little heavy.
Pros: Fast, relatively cheap, rock solid (so far), lots of features.
Spend more if it makes you feel better.
Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire.
Skull_Angel
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I saw an interview with Derek Estrada from Alienware and he claimed that the Area 51-M crossed the score of 5,000 on MadOnions 3DMark 2001's benchmark. I would guess that's with a 2.4 Ghz desktop P4 inside
Now considering that PC Magazine states that a 2.2 Ghz Desktop CPU in a laptop runs at a speed comparable to about 1.6 to 1.8 Ghz Mobile P4.
" Today, our preliminary testing indicates that 2.2-GHz processors in laptops perform similarly to and maybe slightly better than the fastest mobile chips. Let's be clear, however: You still get only 1.6- or 1.8-GHz performance out of a 2.2-GHz desktop processor when it's placed in a laptop."
http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s=1470&a=23263&app=3&ap=4,00.asp
Given that I would think that an Area 51-M with a mobile 1.7 or 1.8 would push or even cross the 5000 mark in MadOnion's benchmark as well.
I saw the reply on another thread from the person with a Dell 8200 Inspiron with a Geforce 4Go which got a 5620 on the 3DMark2001SE but he said that was the highest and he didn't mention what he usually gets. I'll bet it's typically over 5000 though. Who knows? PieGuY might have gotten a gem that performs slightly better than a typical 8200 inspiron.
From what I read the ATI 7500 mobility Radeon isn't quite as fast but is more power efficient. I bet the Alienware laptop will have 3DMark2001SE scores very close to Dell laptop. I'll let you guys know within a week barring any mail order in transit mishaps *knock on wood*
I think that if you want the extra perfomance from a company which charges more but offers more performance; more power to you for having arguably the best performing (the Dell laptop is a very good argument itself though) on the market at the time of this posting.
Likewise if you want to spend more than one third less and get about 85% to 95% you saved a lot of money and got a very good deal. More power to you for having the extra money in your pocket.
It just depends on personal preference really. I had the extra money and besides the silver case looks much better *heh*... ;-P
Seriously, right now I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.
Now considering that PC Magazine states that a 2.2 Ghz Desktop CPU in a laptop runs at a speed comparable to about 1.6 to 1.8 Ghz Mobile P4.
" Today, our preliminary testing indicates that 2.2-GHz processors in laptops perform similarly to and maybe slightly better than the fastest mobile chips. Let's be clear, however: You still get only 1.6- or 1.8-GHz performance out of a 2.2-GHz desktop processor when it's placed in a laptop."
http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s=1470&a=23263&app=3&ap=4,00.asp
Given that I would think that an Area 51-M with a mobile 1.7 or 1.8 would push or even cross the 5000 mark in MadOnion's benchmark as well.
I saw the reply on another thread from the person with a Dell 8200 Inspiron with a Geforce 4Go which got a 5620 on the 3DMark2001SE but he said that was the highest and he didn't mention what he usually gets. I'll bet it's typically over 5000 though. Who knows? PieGuY might have gotten a gem that performs slightly better than a typical 8200 inspiron.
From what I read the ATI 7500 mobility Radeon isn't quite as fast but is more power efficient. I bet the Alienware laptop will have 3DMark2001SE scores very close to Dell laptop. I'll let you guys know within a week barring any mail order in transit mishaps *knock on wood*
I think that if you want the extra perfomance from a company which charges more but offers more performance; more power to you for having arguably the best performing (the Dell laptop is a very good argument itself though) on the market at the time of this posting.
Likewise if you want to spend more than one third less and get about 85% to 95% you saved a lot of money and got a very good deal. More power to you for having the extra money in your pocket.
It just depends on personal preference really. I had the extra money and besides the silver case looks much better *heh*... ;-P
Seriously, right now I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.
Hi there,
I have Sager NP8880 with P4 2.4 GHz and Ati Radeon Mobility 7500. I get 4995 for my 3D mark without optimizing anything. It is very possible to cross over 5000 I think once you closed all the applications, overclock the graphics card or mess around with driver settings.
Does anyone knows if Catalyst driver support ATI Mobility 7500?
-Joe
I have Sager NP8880 with P4 2.4 GHz and Ati Radeon Mobility 7500. I get 4995 for my 3D mark without optimizing anything. It is very possible to cross over 5000 I think once you closed all the applications, overclock the graphics card or mess around with driver settings.
Does anyone knows if Catalyst driver support ATI Mobility 7500?
-Joe
Personally I think that the only people who make the "wrong" choices are the ones who have no idea what they need or what they are getting. As long as you know what you want and you realize that you might be spending a little more for the comfort of knowing for sure the machine you are getting is the one for you then you have make a good educated purchase. Just because someone else may have other needs and other priorities and buys something else does not make your choice a bad one for you. BTW I like mine (for me).
An example of a bad choice would be if you were looking for long battery life and light weight and bought a Sager 5620. That is a bad choice. For me I wanted a desktop replacement with good performance. If I wanted to spend more I could have got a 2.4 but for me the 2G was a good compromize between speed and cost. For someone else a 1G LT might be a good choice cause they are cheeper and have better batt life. Another thing is that I didn't feel like buying a Sager/ProStar was taking much of a risk because I have had good luck with them in the past. For someone else who has never heard of Sager or heard bad things a Sager would not be so good of a choice. When you spend such a lot of money it is important to be comfortable with your purchase. For what you want you are making a good choice.
I am typing to you from one of my "wrong" choices right now. I wanted a cheep barebones system to put a bunch of leftover parts in and I just ordered the first thing I saw without doing any research. What I got was the biggest POS you have ever seen. The case does not have anywhere to screw your agp/pci cards into. Everything about it is super crap and it has been unstable since the day I got it. Bad choice. Good stuff would not have cost any more.
Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lakedude on 06/17/02 10:48 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
An example of a bad choice would be if you were looking for long battery life and light weight and bought a Sager 5620. That is a bad choice. For me I wanted a desktop replacement with good performance. If I wanted to spend more I could have got a 2.4 but for me the 2G was a good compromize between speed and cost. For someone else a 1G LT might be a good choice cause they are cheeper and have better batt life. Another thing is that I didn't feel like buying a Sager/ProStar was taking much of a risk because I have had good luck with them in the past. For someone else who has never heard of Sager or heard bad things a Sager would not be so good of a choice. When you spend such a lot of money it is important to be comfortable with your purchase. For what you want you are making a good choice.
I am typing to you from one of my "wrong" choices right now. I wanted a cheep barebones system to put a bunch of leftover parts in and I just ordered the first thing I saw without doing any research. What I got was the biggest POS you have ever seen. The case does not have anywhere to screw your agp/pci cards into. Everything about it is super crap and it has been unstable since the day I got it. Bad choice. Good stuff would not have cost any more.
Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lakedude on 06/17/02 10:48 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
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