Alienware's M17x: Mobility Radeon HD 5870 CrossFire Is A Go
Table of contents
- 1. Better, Stronger, Faster?
- 2. M17x Features
- 3. The Belly Of The Beast
- 4. Test Settings
- 5. Benchmark Results: Synthetics
The second incarnation of Alienware’s M17x is creating lots of excitement amongst mobile gaming enthusiasts, but does it really beat a field of premium models? We put it up against solutions from Eurocom and AVADirect to find out what CrossFire can do.
A lot of folks in the press cheered about the release of Alienware’s second-generation M17x notebook a year ago. But more than a few enthusiasts spurned its use of G92-based graphics (alright, you can count us among those disappointed enthusiasts).
And yet, the new chassis was just one step this formerly cutting-edge brand took to rebuild its reputation in the enthusiast notebook market. The company left plenty of room to grow as mobile technology advanced. As such, we now get to welcome AMD's Mobility Radeon HD 5870 CrossFire update.
We like Alienware’s special-edition Nebula Red finish, in spite of our notions about alien spacecraft always being grey (since uncharged paint stays behind during transdimensional shifts). Of course, we wouldn’t even bother discussing the finish outside unless hardware inside made a compelling case for a full system review. Not surprisingly, it does.
| Alienware M17x Component List | |
|---|---|
| Platform | Intel PGA988, PM55 Express, MXM-III Discrete Graphics |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-920XM Quad-Core 2.00-3.20 GHz 2.5 GT/s DMI, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, 45 nm, 55 W TDP |
| RAM | 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) Samsung M471B5673FH0-CH9 SODIMM DDR3-1333, CL9, 1.5 V, Non-ECC |
| Graphics | Dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870, 1 GB GDDR5, CrossFire |
| Display | 17" Glossy TFT, 1920x1200 |
| Webcam | 2.0 Megapixel |
| Audio | Integrated HD Audio |
| Security | Face Detection Software |
| Storage | |
| Hard Drive | 2 x Seagate ST9500420AS, 500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA 3Gb/s, RAID 0 |
| Optical Drive | LG CA10N Blu-ray Reader / DVD Writer Combo Drive |
| Media Drive | 8-in-1 Flash Media Interface |
| Networking | |
| Wireless LAN | Intel Ultimate-N 6300, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, 11/54/450 Mb/s |
| Wireless PAN | Internal Bluetooth V2.0 +EDR Module |
| Gigabit Network | Built-in 10/100/1000 Mb/s Ethernet |
| IEEE-1394 | Integrated IEEE-1394 FireWire 400 controller |
| Telephony | Integrated 56K V90/92 Fax/Modem |
| Peripheral Interfaces | |
| USB | 5 x USB 2.0 (One shared with eSATA) |
| Expansion Card | 1 x ExpressCard 54 |
| HDD | 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s |
| Audio | Headphone, Microphone, Line-In, Digital Out Jacks |
| Video | VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort |
| Power & Weight | |
| AC Adapter | 220 W Power Brick, 100-240V AC to 19V DC |
| Battery | 14.8 V 4650 mAh (68.82 Wh) Single |
| Weight | Notebook 12.3 lbs, AC Adapter 2.1 lbs, Total 14.4 pounds |
| Software | |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, OEM |
| Service | |
| Warranty | Standard 1-Year Warranty (Add $299 for 3-Year Extended) |
| Price | $3,883 |
Delivered more than two months ago, Alienware’s Mobility Radeon HD 5870 CrossFire update languished while we collected hardware that'd serve as a suitable comparison. The new M17x looks great in both photos and specifications, but does it really outperform its $3000+ rivals?
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Hmmm. Overpriced.
I smell a comeback hehe
Fixed... wtf is wrong with you..
When you review a product like this, why not go over to the Notebook Review forums and ask the experts there about the M17x R2? The Core i7 Extreme mobile processors are absolute beasts when they have been unlocked and fully overclocked. The turbo throttling that is common to the Core i7 mobile CPUs when loaded can easily be corrected by raising the turbo TDP/TDC values for a simple yet significant increase in performance. Do your readers a favor and show everyone what the M17x is really capable of. With the help of a program called ThrottleStop, you can completely transform the performance of these CPUs.
It'd be nice if Tom's would review some of the more midrange gaming laptops from around $750-$1000. I got a great deal on an Asus G60 with respectable specs and can run any modern game at decent settings. Who here can really throw down that much cash on a laptop? Either way, nice review.
It'd be nice if Tom's would review some of the more midrange gaming laptops from around $750-$1000. I got a great deal on an Asus G60 with respectable specs and can run any modern game at decent settings. Who here can really throw down that much cash on a laptop? Either way, nice review.
It's a tough problem because I wouldn't game on a weak GPU. Since I can't afford any notebook over $2000, I wouldn't game on a notebook. Since I wouldn't game on a notebook, I went in the opposite direction with a notebook that has integrated graphics and around eight hours of battery life. Of course, I also have desktops...
Bang for buck at $4000? Not so much.
The problem with big heavy expensive laptops is that a desktop does everything they do and better at a third of the price.
How much are you really going to be taking a $4000 laptop out of your house?
I like my m11x (i7 r2) sturdy plays most games except for the absolute bleeding edge of cpu throttled applications.
build kickass desktop for 3k and spend 1 k on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6834152207
and laugh at people who bought this.
Alienware? No thanks.
Although you definitely are paying a superflous price premium, you're at least getting power (the same can't be said for MACs.)
GTX 480M looks like a big whimper compared to those Radeon dualies.
Alienware? No thanks.Although you definitely are paying a superflous price premium, you're at least getting power (the same can't be said for MACs.)
What do you want to say? Your second statement is way out of context of the first!
Never but it i have the m17x r2 and dell has replaced the motherboard and both the video cards and thats only in the first one i had, they gave me a new laptop and it had the same xfire flicking problem even after the vbios update and newer drivers disable vsync and anyone that has played games on it will find out even if you don't notices it at first it will give you a headache i have tested world of war craft hawx css tf2 the only way to fix it is to disable xfire great job dell lost my business.
Outdated within a year.
"...more significant “killer app” is the possible addition of a 3G ExpressCard modem."
Dude, are you still living in 2008??? Somebody throw a MiFi at this guy's head!
the 1500$ asus with one 5870 still works for me
What do you want to say? Your second statement is way out of context of the first!
The average $3K mac has the features of a $1.5K notebook.
A 5870M is equal to a 5770.
So, this unit is about equal to a 5870, or around there.
Great review
Waiting for Clevo X7200 review with 2 GTX 480Ms(compared to 2 5870s)
It's a tough problem because I wouldn't game on a weak GPU. Since I can't afford any notebook over $2000, I wouldn't game on a notebook. Since I wouldn't game on a notebook, I went in the opposite direction with a notebook that has integrated graphics and around eight hours of battery life. Of course, I also have desktops...
I too have the Asus G60 (the Best Buy model). And it comes with an i5, and a NVidia GTX360M. Not that shabby and I've been able to play Just Cause 2 and Metro 2033 just fine on (not too) reduced settings in DX10. I can play plenty of newer games at max settings. It's not a beast like the Alienware, but it works fine for gaming on the road. The M17X is basically a desktop replacement (that you can take from room to room). And I would rather have a desktop instead of a laptop in that price range.
I always thought alienware was cool, but never would pay this price even if I won the lottery for one. I game just fine on my desktop with a quad at 4ghz, 8gb ddr3, ASUS 5870 and 2560 x 1600 res.