Alienware Area-51 m15x Laptop

I am a repeat customer with Alienware, and I have to say that I will not ever be buying another machine from them again. Their Support is the most horrendous support group I have ever seen. My latest laptop a M15X came in originally only to have to be returned for a new motherboard. Then 5 months later the monitor casing cracked and the light pipe started falling apart in it. Returned it to them and after a month and a half now I still do not have my computer back. They claim that it is on indefinite backorder for the monitor. They will not replace it with a new one, which they still are selling, they will not issue a credit to get another, essentially they are holding a $3000+ laptop indefintely, and I am now looking to have to buy another laptop to replace this one. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM. Both laptops i have had have had issues and had to be returned. Their support does not get back to you and once they have your money they dont care about you any longer.

Andrew Ellis

when the computer works its great, they need to work on the flimsy case and the "touch sensitive" buttons

I have just bought my Alienware m15x and this is the 2nd time I am sending it for repair in under a month from my purchase. It's really been a night mare with the laptop because it was shipped with the 'X' key on keyboard popped out, then got a replacement keyboard, then issues with onboard audio, led lighting system and all sorts of OS problems like blue screen. It was too much for me to take after spending so much on it and receiving one that does not work as promised. My laptop spent most time with alienware than with me as it was shipped on Aug 12 and back to alienware on 29th for repair, then received on sep 9th and sent back on sep 10th.The first time I sent it for repair, it came back with all the problems that previously existed and also with some new ones.

I've talked to Alienware support agents regarding the problems on my m15x, well they were not able to solve my problems and made me do a fresh install of Vista, Flash the bios. Even after spending lot of time on repairing it did not work. I got a RMA number to send back the laptop for repair.
Problem 1: Crackling sound comes out from onboard audio speakers while playing any audio or video file.

Problem 2: No sound output from the headphone jack when headphones, external speakers are plugged in.

Problem 3: Alien FX keyboard doesnot light up.

Problem 4: The Scroll lock LED light present on the quick control panel does not light up when toggled on/off.

Problem 5: The Caps lock LED light, lights up in green color when toggled on from off, only when my Alien FX theme for the whole lighting system is in blue color. It lights up in the color same as the color of the theme for all other colors except for the theme in blue color.

Call of Duty 4: 111 fps in 720p, 75 fps in 1200p
Crysis: 55 fps in 720p, 31 fps in 1200p
3dMark06 score: 10,108 (full version, 5th test score, pre overclocking)

My X9000 is overclocked to 3.2GHz. I do not recommend any cpu/gpu overclocking unless you know how to configure the motherboard and power supply. But even as is, this laptop is the best 15.4 inch gaming computer on the planet. I have had none of the issues others have. Touch buttons work fine, keyboard is great, and Vista is easy to use. I mostly use this for gaming, bluray movies, etc, but also for Microsoft Office apps and military work. This laptop servived a trip to Iraq and back. I have upgraded it twice courtesy of Alienware, and twice myself. I may try the 9800m GTX, but the only increase is in stream processors (96 to 112 from the 8800m GTX). The customer support is good and all the minor flaws are fixed or just whiney complaints. As far as I am concerned the m15x is outstanding with no competition in it's class.

Build & Design

There is no notebook out there that looks amazing as the m15x. It is hard to describe in words how cool it is; even pictures aren't good at all to show its beauty. The flashy lights, curved corners, sick lid, stunning paint, and every little texture make the m15x stand out. It's really out of this world. The entire unit shines and reflects because of it's glossy finish. The silver part resists fingerprints pretty well unlike the black part (the boarder of the screen).

The m15x is sturdy but not as expected. It feels solid when put on a desk but when you carry it; it feels heavier than it should. The screen is little wobbly but it's not something to worry about. My previous unit had a small gap above the Ethernet port but it's not there on my replacement unit. Also, opening and closing the lid produced a creaking noise in the beginning, but after usage the sound is gone now.

Screen

The m15x is offered with a glossy WXGA+ and a matte WUXGA. I personally had the chance to try both. The best option depends on what you will be using the notebook for; The glossy WXGA+ screen is little brighter and better when viewing from angles comparing to the WUXGA; However, the WUXGA does not disappoint when it comes to watching movies, photo editing or even gaming. I tried many games at full resolution, and never had to lower game settings nor screen resolution for better performance; text is small but readable; the matte screen is also easier to clean, and unlike the glossy screen has no reflections. I didn't notice any light leakage on both displays.

AlienFX

AlienFX is a different story. To me the lights are the coolest feature in this notebook; it grabs people attention everywhere I go. You can simply change the colors or create a theme by launching the Alienware Command Center software; pick between 12 colors - including black - to customize 6 light zones which are:

- Alien head & power button
- Light pipe
- Alienware name
- Touch controls
- Keyboard
- Touchpad

In advanced themes the Command Center allows you to set visual alerts when having a new e-mail or launching a certain application. It also adds some features like morphing (from a color to another) and pulsing (same color at a certain speed). According to Alienware AlienFX also reacts in certain games.

Speakers

The m15x has 2 speakers. The quality of those speakers is like cell phone quality; they also have no bass, and low volume. The right speaker would squeak at high pitches. It's better to hook up your own stereo system.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Simply the best keyboard I ever used; it feels like the Macbook Pro's keyboard and the best part of it is the lights! It has a rubber feel that makes it feel great and comfortable to type on.

The touchpad is attractive but it's hard to use. It doesn't have its own surface and it has the same texture as the rest of the chassis which makes it slippery. The only thing that separates the touch-pad is the outlined light around it.

Touch Controls

The touch controls are part of AlienFX. They look really nice but unlike HP Pavilion's they are not very responsive especially the volume slider which gets really annoying.

Performance

When it comes to performance the m15x does not disappoint. All games I played were tested on 1920x1200 resolution, all settings set to high, 2x anti-aliasing; it scored 297 fps in Counter Strike Source stress test (fixed in console max_fps 300 to 1000); playing online in a full office server (50 players) got between 93 and 166 fps. In Team Fortress 2 it scored 74 to 137 fps in a 24 player online server. Call of Duty 4 also ran smoothly on native resolution scoring between 65 and 104fps. Overall the gaming performance was nothing short than amazing.

Battery

The m15x is not only loaded with the latest components for amazing performance but it's also able to get decent battery life.

The m15x has 2 graphic cards. First is the power-hungry 8800m GTX and the second is low powered Intel GMA X3100; to switch between the two cards you have to press FN + F7 and restart. The m15x also has a feature called Stealth Mode (can be activated by just holding its touch control button) which will under-clock the CPU and GPU to save more power. After switching to X3100, Stealth Mode on and screen brightness set to half; I got 2 hours and 50 minutes. You can also add a smartbay battery to get extra battery life.

Software

Unlike most computer manufactures that load their machines with tons of trial software; Alienware computers are clean. The m15x came only preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium (you can get it with Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit or Windows XP Professional) and Nero 7 (full version).

Full Review with Pictures
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=248541

I had always wanted an Alienware laptop since they first began producing them. But, I am glad that I held out this long to get one.

Alienware is about creating a unique product that has premium components to match. The Alienware Area-51 M15X laptop that I purchased was no exception.

Briefly, the specs of my m15x:
Design & Display: Silver Ripley Design
Display: 15.4" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p)
Video/Graphics Card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB) 45nm (not overclockable)
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz – 2 x 2048MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel Turbo Memory (1GB)
System Drive: 320GB 7,200RPM (16MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) w/ LightScribe Technology
Wireless: Internal Intel Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Keyboard Options: AlienFX Illuminated Keyboard


I am a professional software designer. I use very intense applications to create my visions. I needed a laptop that would enable me to bring those visions to fruition. The M15X does the job nicely.

My only two gripes about the system: plastic body, track pad.

Plastic body

This is somewhat of a conundrum. I have difficulty understanding why a laptop could cost so much (over $4500 in my case) and yet have a body made of plastic. But after having using this laptop extensively, and exclusively for the past month, I am glad it is plastic as opposed to aluminum (although carbon-fiber would have been nice). The chassis is designed to maximize the air-flow of the internal components. These materials where wisely chosen by the Alienware design staff to maximize the dissipation of heat. It still gets a little toasty under the right palm rest, though never uncomfortable. I would not recommend using this laptop on your lap for prolonged periods of time while using the dedicated graphics card (albeit, the unit remains very cool when the integrated graphics card is engaged).

Track pad

The M15X features an adequately sized track pad with a seemingly single mouse button (the mouse functions as a two button mouse as the cover is only for cleaner aesthetics). The body of the laptop is painted in silver with a clear coat finish (very fragile and fingerprint prone). The problem with the track pad is that it is covered in the same material, the same clear coat, which poses a problem for me and probably everyone with pores on their fingers. When your hands get hot or sweaty, it renders the track pad useless. Your fingers stick to the pad, instead of seamless and smooth mouse control, you end up with jagged and difficult to use interface. Alienware’s saving grace comes prepackaged with the laptop in the form of two adhesive track pad covers. Place them on top of the track pad surface for a strong, acceptable, tactile finish.

Alienware’s mobile flagship

Build and Design
Flawless and clean. The moment that you lay your finger on this machine you instantly realize that it is a premium, luxury laptop. I have to give appraisal to the Alienware design team as they did a flawless job. Ports are conveniently located on the left and right sides of the machine, nothing in the rear.

Screen
Magnificent. I have read various blogs of users complaining about the screen resolution, that it is far too large for a fifteen inch screen (but interestingly enough none of them actually owned the laptop M15X). I can tell you from firsthand experience that the LCD screen is flawless, no dead pixels, excellent viewing angles, and a soft matte finish attribute to this perfection. My recommendation is that you set the DPI to 120 for easy text readability.

Speakers
You can’t expect much from any laptop. Typical tinny sound.

Keyboard
Excellent key placement and full size. Each key on the keyboard is finished with a durable rubber coating thus providing two key benefits: excellent tactile response (similar to my Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard) and long term durability.

Ports
Everything that I need for support of my peripherals USB, FireWire 800 (I use an adapter to use my 6-pin FireWire 400 devices), gigabit Ethernet, HDMI (Max resolution of 1920 X 1200), Express 54, card reader. This variety is expected for this tier of laptop.

Wireless
N Wireless (Airport Extreme compatible) and Bluetooth 2.0 as expected. Wireless reception is excellent.

Battery
Amazing and flexible. Gaming at full-tilt will only yield about an hour and a half. But, using the integrated graphics can yield up to three hours with the appropriate power profile. Simply amazing and versitle.

Software
No crap-ware installed. Just the OS, some Alienware utilities, and Nero Essentials. That’s it. What more can you ask for?


I highly recommend this laptop for mobile (power) users and gamers alike. It is an amazing versatile machine that is rigged for silent running, but when the pedal hits the metal, it can bring out the big guns!

After reading reviews,numerous blogs and etc. for like a month I finally decided to buy the Alienware Area -51 m15x. Here's my opinion of it

My system specfication are:
-Intel Core 2 Duo T8100
-120 GB HDD
-1 gig of ram (have yet to upgrade by-self to 4gig) (I believe it might Void Warrenty)
-8600 GT Video Card
-Light Up Keyboard, 1 Gig turbo cache, smart bay battery (ordering)...
- Windows Vista

The system arrived in 2 weeks which is pretty good. I hope to upgrade to the 8800GTX and a better Processor in the future when i need it, but not right now.

I went with the basic alienware components cause I really just wanted a nice laptop I could use for some PC games and stuff when i'am bored...

I really have to say even with this configuation i'am quite impressed with the overall performance, windows vista runs fast, the primary 6 -cell battery get about 2.5 hours of averge use with wifi on. The games i play run well, not great. uh...

About Customer Service: I have called Customer Service several times and so far they have been great, helping with all the question that i have quite fast, which i like.

I would recommend buying it but there are minor promblems such as the screen bends and make noises when moving it, the keyboard seems to be lagging a little,the touch buttons seem to work quite well for me,the touchpad is alright, stealth mode is ok it helps a little i think and the system is a little bit big.But overall these are pretty much the problems, would have liked a little more performance but still not bad at all for the price i paid,the systems works great.

Note: this is my experince and opinion with the Alineware Area -51 m15x, I strongly recommend you read other user opinions, professional reviews, blogs and etc about the system... Final Note Below.


My opinon: In the end if you want a system that will deliever overall amazing performance and amazing looks (Alien FX is amazing)while still getting your money's worth then I recommend buying the Alienware Area-51 m15x.

I feel that this is one of the most solid laptops ever built, with its exceptional performance and cool looks. yes the lid does tend to creak every now and then when opening but it goes away. the keyboard is awesome and very helpful when typing in low light environments. I didn't opt for the 8800 but the 8600 works very well with videos playback and basic games like the sims and civilization that I've tried so far. the computer was shipped a day early and everything with aw was amazing. fedex, on the other hand, sucks and kept holding at their districution center. but i finally got it and it was definitely worth the wait.

Having owned this laptop for a bit over 3 months (2.5 ghz, 4gb RAM, 200 gb 7200rpm hd, 1200p screen, 8800 gtx) , i can honestly say that this thing is a beast. i will admit that it was too expensive, but that is any alienware. no heating issues as some have had, feels well built, unbelievable gaming performance, AlienFX works great, autosensing audio jacks are much more useful then i thought they would be and work flawlessly. the touch buttons could work better, and the touchpad takes A LOT of getting used to so just buy a mouse. the battery life is mediocre when gaming or watching movies.

All around, very happy with it, highly recommended. and aliensupport has helped me more then once with it. all very nice, and know what they are doing

I purchased my Area 51 m15x as a new, unused computer sealed in original packaging from a Florida pawn shop on an Ebay Auction. The cost was similar to purchasing direct from Alienware without the long wait. The only option I would have added was the Alien FX lighted keyboard which I decided I could live without. After recieving the computer, everything was as advertised and worked well. My only problem was the key legends on the keyboard are very faint and I am not a touch typist and I am visualy impaired. I figured, no problem, I'll simply upgrade to the lighted keyboard. I called Alienware and was quoted a reasonable $53.00 for a replacement. I was happy and proceeded to order it. Problems start here. The support rep asked for my customer account number which I gave him from the documentation I recieved with the computer. He then asked to verify my name and I explained I purchased the computer used but could give him the name of the original owner. His reply was Alienware Customer Services are only available to the original purchaser (later verified on their website in the polices section)and I was denied the priviledge of purchasing parts.
This problem resurfaced when I had to calll Microsoft Vista technical support and was informed that my Vista Software was OEM preinstalled therefore Alienware would be responsible to supply support. You may have guessed, they refused (I am not the original purchaser).
I have called Alienware repeated times and I am always told we are sorry, but this is company policy. I also asked for an option to purchase a warranty and was denied due to policy. I have requested being transferred to a supervisor and told none are available. Next I asked to speak with someone in consumer management and was told to send an email to feedback@alienware.com which are not answered. During these calls I expereinced long phone holds, dropped calls and rude customer service representatives.
I would certainly not recommend Alienware computers to anyone. I simply can not find any reason that I can not purchase a part that I am willing to pay for and does this mean if my computer breaks in the future, will I not be able to get it repaired?
Again good computer teribble service which can be verified on numerous forums on the internet. Before considering purchasing an Alienware product, do yourself a big favor and Google: "alienware customer service".

I'm not a high-end gamer, but I enjoy gaming. I'm not a graphic artist, but I enjoy using graphics heavy applications. While wanting portability, size and weight weren't a huge consideration. More importantly, I wanted a laptop that wouldn't bog down with intensive applications, had great graphics, and if possible, looked better than all the other generic gray boxes out there. The Area-51 m15x met all those criteria and more. Straight out of the box, the machine was ready to use. It didn't come cluttered with all kinds of garbage software that I didn't want. And even better, when I put in my favorite games, they run without a hitch and with beautiful graphics.

Frankly, I've always been surprised by other people's complaints about Alienware service. On this particular purchase (and this is my second purchase from Alienware in the past year), I had to contact Alienware service twice to resolve hardware or billing issues. Both times, the service reps were friendly, helpful, and efficient. Best of all, my laptop arrived a full week and a half before its estimated ship date.

Is it expensive? You bet! But if you want a top-notch laptop without having to build one yourself (and I have neither the time nor the inclination to do so), you'd be hard pressed to do any better.

With 2GB X 2 sticks and then 1G of on board Intel hyper memory and then the gig of mem on the video card i have a total of six GB of memory. Well, great, but the but the Area-51 m15x will only ship with a 32 bit os. When i confronted the lovely folks over at alienware they told me the Mother Board drivers only support a 32 bit computing and there were no plans to rectify the situation. when i ordered the system i naively assumed that no choice between os's meant that the default was 64 bit seeing as all the cpu's were quad core. i was sadly mistaken. Their motto is build it as if it were our own, well if i was building a system, which i usually do, i know i wouldn't buy 2 extra gigs of memory and then put a 32 bit os on top of a quad core processor with ddr2 memory, (Not to mention a shoddy case). To me it sounds more like build it as if you were owned by dell.

Great laptop. I got one with a Nvidia 8700m GT and Core2Duo 2.5Ghz. The laptop runs nice and fast. Crysis running on medium is really nice and games like BattleField 2 I get around 100fps. Almost every game I can max out. I'm certain for every game I pass the minimum specs needed and usually the recommended specs. The case does feel cheap in some areas, but it is not that bad. The webcam and speakers are not great, but standard.

MY FIRST ALIENWARE COMPUTER . I DID NOT WANT TO BUY ALIENWARE ONLY BECUSE OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT REVIEWS . I WANTED THE M15X SO BAD I THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE ONE VERY EXPENSIVE CHANCE . THIS COMPUTER IS VERY FAST AND MORE THAN WHAT I EXPECTED . OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT SCREEN,CRAKS,AND TOUCH CONTROLS,OVER HEATING ISSUES HAVE BEEN FIXED . 4-28-08 IS WHEN I GOT MY M15X AND I HAVE NO ISSUES.

This has the potential of being an amazing laptop, but if you rely on the touchpad at all, you should not consider this laptop. The touchpad is made from the same cheap-looking plastic materia as the rest of the laptop, so your finger does not easily glide across it like on most laptops. Also, the single touchpad button is very clunky and difficult to press. Your thumb will hurt after using it for some time. Alienware definitely chose to go with aesthetics over function when designing this laptop. If it weren't for the 15% restocking fee, I would return this baby in a heartbeat.

I've read some of the other reviews, and i'm inclined to disagree. I've owned high end versions of almost every major computer manufacturer, and the difference here is astonishing. Customer service was fast, efficient and friendly. Product design is remarkable and the quality of the finished product is unmatched on the market today. One of the few computer products that retains its value for longer then 6 months.

Upgrade your RAM and processor and you've got a laptop that can beat the processing power of 2/3 of the desktop market today. Some cons are that is is a little heavier then most laptops, and some selling features are (in my opinion) useless. Battery life is terrible, so if your traveling without a connection I would take a pass.

If your a technology enthusiast and you have to have the latest and greatest, consider building a high end desktop and purchasing a supped up alienware laptop.....why settle for one when you can have both.

Most negative reviews I have seen are customer service related. Luckily I haven't had to deal with CS yet. I ordered a 3 year warranty, so eventually I imagine I will.

Ordered this baby the day it was available and received it very fast. SSD and all!

The design is great.. I love the illuminated keyboard as I work at night and require this feature.

Had an issue where shutdown was not functioning, but windows update fixed this.

The original review mentions the touch pad being hard to use, but Alienware actually provides a sticker overlay that remedies this.

I paid a pretty penny for this box and would do it again. No regrets.

Over all a very nice machine, but it needs some aesthetic changes.

In my opinion, the Alienware m15x is a magnificently well-rounded, gaming machine. The laptop is definitely on the bigger side and weighs about 7 pounds. True, this is pretty hefty but considering what this thing is packing, that’s pretty good. I ordered mine with a Core 2 Duo 2.6 Ghz processor and an 8800GTX with 4 Gigs of ram. As of this review, this laptop model is the most powerful 15.4 inch laptop on the face of the planet.

The coolest feature of this computer is the light show: it has the traditional glowing alien head on the lid and a new backlit keyboard along with a thin strip of light around the 1920x1200 LCD display and a strip of light around the touchpad area. These lights can be changed to 11 different colors. Trust me, it is pretty cool to see.

The m15x has several touch buttons above the keyboard. The volume control is hard to use, but the others are not. Some people complain that they are all difficult to use, but all you have to do is hold your finger down for a second. It has a buttons for bluetooth, wifi, the lighting control panel, and "stealthmode." Some have complained that the touch buttons do not work after the laptop comes out of sleep mode. I regret to say that this is true. It seems to happen when it has been sleeping for a while. It doesn’t always happen, but it has about a 50% chance. Hopefully Alienware will make a fix.

The keyboard is very nice and feels kind of rubbery. Some have complained that the buttons are too hard to press down but I have not had a problem with them at all. I think they are very easy to use. There is no flex in the majority of the keyboard, however, on the lower right side near the arrows there is some flex, but it does not impede my typing in any way.

The touchpad is very large, made of the same material as the rest of the chassis, and sits flush with the palm rest. Only a strip of light around the touchpad distinguishes it from the rest of the palm rest. Many have complained that the touchpad has too much drag to it but I find it easy to use if you are gentle with it. And Alienware sends free sticker overlays that supposedly make the touchpad much more responsive.

The battery life is the best part of this laptop in my opinion. Alienware gave the m15x what is called a “stealthmode” button. This button downclocks the processor and video card and turns the fans down or completely off. Alienware also packs it with the video card of your choice, as well as an integrated graphics card that can be enabled and your main one turned off, resulting in significantly increased battery life. Also the m15x has an optional swappable hard drive or EXTRA BATTERY that replaces the CD drive. With this extra battery in, the integrated graphics enabled, stealthmode on, and the laptop on power save mode, I have gotten upwards of 5 ½ hours of battery life!!! This is the most powerful 15.4 inch laptop in the world and I get 5 ½ hours of battery life! Amazing! (It’s almost like an oxymoron) Without the extra battery I think it gets between 1 ½ to 2 hours of battery life.

The m15x does get kind of warm while gaming. Overall I think that Alienware did a good job of piping the heat out the back and away from the top or bottom. It can get toasty on the bottom but it is certainly bearable. With the integrated graphics enabled and stealthmode on, it actually stays pretty cool. (I wanted to add this somewhere and I don’t know where so I will stick it here: The first models with the 8800 had some downclocking issues due to the heat, but thanks to a BIOS update, the problem has been pretty much resolved.)

The speakers are adequate, although I do not have a lot of experience with laptop speakers so I have nothing with which to compare them.

I have a 3 1/2-year-old Alienware desktop as well and I have talked to tech support quite a bit. Honestly, tech support is hit or miss. I have had awesome tech support guys, and I have had some pretty lousy ones too. Just please don’t judge them all due to one or two incompetent people. The one good thing is that they are all located in the US so you don’t need to worry about your call being outsourced to someone in India that can’t understand what you are saying. I have dealt with that nightmare with dell and it’s not pretty…

Overall I think this laptop is truly a masterpiece. I would say that its only flaws are its size and weight, both of which are to be expected considering what is packed into it and even that isn’t really that bad. It’s definitely not cheap, but if you can afford it, it is definitely a good choice. Also, the touch button controls don’t always wake up when the computer does, but eh, nothing is perfect. I would normally give this a 9 out of 10, but I am giving it a 10 anyways to counteract the imbeciles who don’t even own one, yet still rate it one or two stars.

this is by much the best laptop i have ever had, it has so many features and lots of stuff, it is just amazing. ive heard some people complain about the customer service, it is one of the best ones, i sended a question and in less than 15 minutes they had answered. the buttons work perfectly even when its hot, one thing i have to get used to is the touchpad, overall its perfect.

The fastest laptop I've ever used for graphic and 3D designs! Although I noticed that it takes a while to start- when I turn on the laptop, I expected that it is ready to use within 30 seconds. I don't like its gray color but very stylish and unique with its illumination. It is bulky but hey, what do you expect with this powerful laptop?

Is it just me, or does the one reviewed have the same set up as the Apple MacBook (new version), and anything running Windows Vista is slow.

A Laptop I can not afford; however, that does not mean I want system designers to settle for less than what’s best on the market right now. If Solid State is considered Instant access when compared to conventional hard-drives then why would anyone settle for less? Speaking of solid state, if it is instant then could it not conceivably replace the need for RAM? I mean if it’s instant than why not redesign motherboards’, operating systems, and other system components to run solely off the solid state drive. Removing the RAM and the size of the conventional hard-drive would free up some space to fit a second video card maybe? Oh well I do not know if any of that is possible, but ideas like that is what I would expect of the "best" system producer/designer.

I had a horrible time with customer service, unit was dead on arrival. Not happy with how situation was handled!

this is one of the best computers i have ever had i love the design and the profomance. Alienware has one of the best tech support i have ever exsperinced and for the rest of you who think they dont you have something wronge with you

I really was hoping to write a good review about this product, however that isn't the case. I ordered this computer the day that I was able to. However, every month I receive an email saying that some part is unavailable and it won't be ready to ship for another month. When I try to make contact, Alienware customer service throws me on hold until I give up or just will not respond to my emails. I am cancelling my order after the weekend and going with a cheaper laptop from a company that cares.

I'm not sure there is really a place in the market for a 15" laptop that weighs this much. People look for this size class because they want something a bit easier to carry around than the 17" desktop replacement behemoths, but at over 7 pounds Alienware has missed the mark. If you're willing to carry around this much weight, you might as well get the bigger screen and save some money; you can get 17" systems that approach this level of performance for less.

I gave it a 3 but I pretty much suppose not many people have encountered the same problems and some problems come probably more from Vista then from the computer itself..also the Customer Service from Alienware is terrible. So the rating is not only for the computer but also Alienware.

Problems I encountered:
1- I ordered the computer and then moved to another place in the same city. I called Alienware even before they started putting together the computer to announce the change in the address. They told me to call again at a further stage. I called again 1 week before shipment. I made them change the address and send me a confirmation email which they did. Still they shipped the computer to the wrong address. their excuse was that they did make the change but not at 100%.... whatever that means.
Now that I got the computer, they sent something else called "computer system" it only weighs 1 pound. I have no idea what it is, but they sent it to the wrong address and got shipped back to Alienware. I don't know if they'll send it again.


2- Before I even installed anything, I tried passing my data from my XP computer to the m15x with an external hard-drive. Vista would only allow me to copy some folders but not others. I spent 3 hours on the phone with Alienware tech-support. They even remotely connected to my computer. It was impossible. after a while of trying, my Hard drive got damaged! Now neither Vista or XP recognizes the hard drive...I've lost 100 GB of pictures, music etc...and the best solution the tech support came up with was "try searching on google and forums"


3- I ordered the Creative EAX X-FI sound card. The EAX doesn't work with the game Bioshock. again their best solution: "check on google"

4- the same sound card now makes funny sounds when closing and opening folders..it makes a normal "click" sound but then it makes another 10 fast continuous "click" sounds for 2 seconds, like an echo... it also happens when closing movies or games.
I installed the latest drivers and all... nothing changed. I haven't tried calling for this problem... I'm pretty sure they'll say: "search on google"

5- the buttons for the volume, stealth mode etc.. suck big time... I spent $2880 on this computer and I can't even turn up or down the volume without it being a struggle...

I'll probably stick with the computer since it can play all my games and the rest runs very smoothly... but next time unless they come up with something revolutionary, I will never buy from Alienware ever again...

Come on, CNET! How much longer do you expect us to trust you when you put out such bogus biased reviews??? Here's my HP dv6700 specs:
HP Pavilion dv6700zcustomizable Notebook PC
$1,256.99
- Genuine Windows Vista Horne Premium (32-bit)
- AMD Turion(TP.1) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-64
(2.2 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache )
- 15.4" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen
Display (1280 x 800)
- 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- NVIDIA GeForce8400M GS
- HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Webcam + Microphone
- Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth
- 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
- No TV Tuner w/remote control
- 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- System Recovery DVD with Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
The only advantages are a slightly better resolution (but at 15", who cares???), moderately better hard drive, and slightly better processor speed. But my laptop was almost HALF THE PRICE! And it works beautifully. Yet, there's no review of this model. Honestly, CNET seems to be on its way out as a reliable source of fair, reliable information.

Best 15" gaming laptop on the market(at this current time) when you add the 8800. Altough I do like my M15X I do have some complaints it does run a little hot not only that but the touch controls don't always work. A huge pain to try to turn up or down the volume. Had I known the type of Customer Service this company has I would have NEVER ordered it. This company does not believe in treating customers fairly and they don't care what you think.