Alienware m15x: True Gaming Portability?

Features
By Thomas Soderstrom
published

Test Settings

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3D GamesRow 0 - Cell 1
Warhammer Mark of ChaosVersion: 1.006.000
Row 2 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1280x1024
Row 3 - Cell 0 Video Quality: game default
Row 4 - Cell 0 Multiple CPU/Core
Row 5 - Cell 0 Demo: THG Timedemo (1 minutes)
Quake 4Version: 1.3 Final
Row 7 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1280x1024
Row 8 - Cell 0 Video Quality: game default
Row 9 - Cell 0 Benchmark I: THG Timedemo
Row 10 - Cell 0 Benchmark II: playnettimedemo id_demo001
Row 11 - Cell 0 (official ID-Soft NetTimeDemo)
Serious Sam 2Version: 2.070
Row 13 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1024x768
Row 14 - Cell 0 HDR Rendering: off
Row 15 - Cell 0 Renderer: Direct3D
Row 16 - Cell 0 Filtering mode: none
Row 17 - Cell 0 Antialiasing mode: none
Row 18 - Cell 0 Benchmark: Greendale
Supreme CommanderVersion: 3.220
Row 20 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1024x768
Row 21 - Cell 0 Video Quality: game default
Row 22 - Cell 0 Vsync = off
Row 23 - Cell 0 Benchmark: real 60 second game
Row 24 - Cell 0 with real three computer physics
PreyVersion: 1.3
Row 26 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1280x1024
Row 27 - Cell 0 Video Quality: game default
Row 28 - Cell 0 Vsync = off
Row 29 - Cell 0 Benchmark: THG-Demo
AudioRow 30 - Cell 1
iTunes 7.2Version: 7.1.1.5
Row 32 - Cell 0 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min
Row 33 - Cell 0 High Quality (160 kbps)
Lame MP3Version 3.98 Beta 3 (05-22-2007)
Row 35 - Cell 0 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min
Row 36 - Cell 0 wave to mp3
Row 37 - Cell 0 160 kbps
VideoRow 38 - Cell 1
Pinnacle Studio 11 PlusVersion: 11.0.0.5082
Row 40 - Cell 0 Encoding and Transition Rendering
Row 41 - Cell 0 Private MPEG2 Cam Movie
Row 42 - Cell 0 Video: 720x480 Pixel, NTSC, 6000 kb/sec
Row 43 - Cell 0 Audio: MPEG Layer 2, 224 kb/sec 16 Bit, Stereo 48 kHz
Row 44 - Cell 0 File Type: MPEG-2 (DVD Compatible)
TMPEG 4.2Version: 4.2.10.211
Row 46 - Cell 0 import file:
Row 47 - Cell 0 Terminator 2 SE DVD (720x576, 16:9) 2 Minutes
Row 48 - Cell 0 Dolby Digital, 48 kHz, 6-Channel, English
Row 49 - Cell 0 Advanced Acoustic Engine MP3 Encoder (160 kbps)
DivX 6.6.1Version: 6.6.1
Row 51 - Cell 0 - Main Menu -
Row 52 - Cell 0 Profile: Home Theater Profile (720x576)
Row 53 - Cell 0 1-pass, 780 kb/s
Row 54 - Cell 0 - Codec Menu -
Row 55 - Cell 0 Encoding mode: Insane Quality
Row 56 - Cell 0 Enhanced multithreading
XviD 1.1.2Version: 1.1.2 (01/11/2006)
Row 58 - Cell 0 Target quantizer: 1.00 (maximum quality)
Clone DVD 2Version: 2.908
Row 60 - Cell 0 DVD "Terminator II SE" (English version)
Row 61 - Cell 0 Transcoding from DVD-9 to DVD-4.7
Row 62 - Cell 0 Audio: English Dolby AC-3/6 (surround) - DTS
Row 63 - Cell 0 Subtitle: no
MainConcept H.264 EncoderVersion: 2.0
Row 65 - Cell 0 MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264)
Row 66 - Cell 0 MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec
Row 67 - Cell 0 24 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2)
Row 68 - Cell 0 Audio: MPEG Layer 2 (48 kHz, 2 Channel, 16 Bit)
Row 69 - Cell 0 Stream: Transport
Row 70 - Cell 0 Codec: H.264
Row 71 - Cell 0 Mode: NTSC (29.97 FPS)
Row 72 - Cell 0 Profile: High
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 HDTVVersion: 2.0
Windows Media Encoder 9.1 AP HDTVNTSC MPEG2-HDTV 1920x1080 (24 sec)
Windows Audio Encoder 10 ProImport: Mainconcept NTSC HDTV 1080i
Row 76 - Cell 0 Export: Adobe Media Encoder
Row 77 - Cell 0 - Video -
Row 78 - Cell 0 Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile
Row 79 - Cell 0 Encoding Passes: one
Row 80 - Cell 0 Bitrate Mode: Constant
Row 81 - Cell 0 Frame: 1920x1080
Row 82 - Cell 0 Frame Rate: 29.97
Row 83 - Cell 0 Maximum Bitrate [kbps]: 2000
Row 84 - Cell 0 Image Quality: 50.00
Row 85 - Cell 0 - Audio -
Row 86 - Cell 0 Windows Media Audio 10 Professional
Row 87 - Cell 0 Encoding Passes: one
Row 88 - Cell 0 Bitrate Mode: Constant
Row 89 - Cell 0 Audio Format: 160 kbps, 44.1 kHz, 2 channel 16 bit (A/V) CBR
HD Playback (Blue Ray)PowerDVD HD 7.3
Row 91 - Cell 0 Blue Ray - Disc (James Bond - Casino Royale)
Row 92 - Cell 0 Video Mode: 1920x1080p (full screen)
Row 93 - Cell 0 Codec: H.264
ApplicationsRow 94 - Cell 1
WinrarVersion 3.70 BETA 8
Row 96 - Cell 0 Compression = Best
Row 97 - Cell 0 Dictionary = 4096 kB
Row 98 - Cell 0 Benchmark: THG-Workload
Autodesk 3D Studio Max 9Version: 9.0
Row 100 - Cell 0 Rendering a Dragon picture
Row 101 - Cell 0 rendering HTDV 1920x1080
Maxon Cinema 4D Release 10Version: 10.008
Row 103 - Cell 0 Rendering from a scene
Row 104 - Cell 0 "Water drop at a Rose"
Row 105 - Cell 0 Resolution: 1280x1024 - 8Bit (50 frames)
Adobe Photoshop CS 3Version: 10.0x20070321
Row 107 - Cell 0 Filtering from a 69 MB TIF-Photo
Row 108 - Cell 0 Benchmark: THG - Benchmark V1.0.0.4
Row 109 - Cell 0 Programmed by THG using Delphi 2006
Row 110 - Cell 0 Filers:
Row 111 - Cell 0 Crosshatch
Row 112 - Cell 0 Glass
Row 113 - Cell 0 Sumi-e
Row 114 - Cell 0 Accented Edges
Row 115 - Cell 0 Angled Strokes
Row 116 - Cell 0 Sprayed Strokes
Adobe Acrobat 7 ProfessionalVersion: 7.0.9
Row 118 - Cell 0 Settings: High Quality Print
Row 119 - Cell 0 Compatibility: Acrobat 8 (PDF 1.7)
Row 120 - Cell 0 Security: High (128-bit RC4)
Deep Fritz 10Version: Nov 16 2006
Synthetic BenchmarksRow 122 - Cell 1
3DMark06Version: 1.10
Row 124 - Cell 0 1280x1024 - 32 bit
Row 125 - Cell 0 Graphics and CPU Default Benchmark
PCMark05 ProVersion: 1.2.0
Row 127 - Cell 0 CPU and Memory Tests
Row 128 - Cell 0 Windows Media Player 10.00.00.3646
Row 129 - Cell 0 Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980
SiSoftware Sandra XII SP1cVersion 2007.5.11.40
Row 131 - Cell 0 CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia
Row 132 - Cell 0 Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark
SYSMark 2007 PreviewVersion 1.01
Row 134 - Cell 0 Benchmarks: E-Learning, Video Creation, Productivity, 3D,
Row 135 - Cell 0 System Score
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
41 Comments Comment from the forums
  • portable laptops can never be gaming PC.

    what's portable?
    small laptops that can be easily put onto trail table.
    hand hold device that can be easily carried around and have at least 5 hours of battery life.

    what's a gaming PC?
    a PC that can handle all game you throw at it
    a PC that can provide constant performance, not 2/3 performance when on battery mode

    so you see, there is no such thing as gaming laptops, all you going to get is a half way house where it's neither really a laptop (in sense that it sucks at battery life and weights a ton) and isn't really a gaming PC (in a sense that it won't perform and doesn't allow easy upgrade of graphics card)

    best solution for university students is like what i've done: a beast of a gaming PC, and an iPhone for portable entertainment. (or Asus EEE, MSI Wind, etc)
    PC's go outdated very fast, so just sell the uni. PC when moving away.
    Reply
  • fudgeboy
    unfortunatly unlike you're situation, there is people out there who have to move around ALL the time. i have a family member in the australian defence force who has a mid-end gaming laptop. sure he cant have the settings turned up all the way but the important fact is he still has something to play games on. thats what the gaming laptop is here for. two different things - gaming laptop - gaming pc. now STFU and GTFO my internets =D (kidding)
    Reply
  • tim851
    what's portable?
    small laptops that can be easily put onto trail table.
    hand hold device that can be easily carried around and have at least 5 hours of battery life.

    Who made you king and let you decide what portable means?
    Reply
  • jeb1517
    I announce wyx as King of definitions of portable.
    Reply
  • bobwya
    +1 jeb seconded!!

    I got out my old 15" Pro-star (Clevo) P4 heater/laptop on the train earlier this summer. The guy across from me had a 13" Mac with a newer processor, etc. Boy was I embarrassed since my laptop looked like a chunky breeze block compared to his!!

    But really if you want a gaming laptop you are going to get something similar to my old laptop more akin to a portable PC (I mean 4kg+ of heft, etc. is not for the feint of heart!!) This won't change until fuel cell technology becomes mainstream...

    Personally my next machine will be a lightweight laptop with a 15" or smaller screen. As long as it can playback 720p x264!!

    Bob
    Reply
  • what's with these tiny pictures, I can barely see anything
    Reply
  • hoofhearted
    I think I'll opt for the Sager NP8660 15" model. Much more bang for your buck.
    Reply
  • Kaldor
    hoofheartedI think I'll opt for the Sager NP8660 15" model. Much more bang for your buck.
    I second this.
    Reply
  • Mach5Motorsport
    I'm waiting for Tuan to hype the Mac Airbook Gaming Laptop as superior in his next insightful article on toms.
    Reply
  • njalterio
    A score of around 13,400 in 3dmark06?
    What a joke. With my q6600 @ 3.0 and an HD3870 I get a little bit lower than that at around 13,000. I wonder how much more that laptop costs.

    Unless you have money to blow and/or the need to be extremely mobile just get a desktop computer. Hopefully you will build it yourself, but even buying a high end desktop would be a better deal than getting these kinds of laptops. I know too many people who think they need a laptop, and it just sits at their desk anyways.
    Reply