When I got the request to review the newest
Alienware notebook - the M14x - it’s a real nobrainer as I jumped at it
immediately. Even if I am struggling with work now, I had no regrets taking on
another piece of hardware to review - I just had to assign myself to this
envious task of reviewing one of the Holy Grails in PC gaming hardware. When
the box arrived into my grubby hands, I realised that I may have bitten off
more than I can chew. Still, it’s one of those things that I couldn’t turn
down.
1. Big Footprint
The M14x is no pushover, nope, not at all.
In fact, even when packed in the box, it still manages to radiate the raw power
it possesses. Taking it out of the box allowed it to explode forth and shower
all in its range with awe. Well, no, it’s not that elaborate but the unboxing
still made quite a scene in the PC.com labs since its obviously large size is
the first thing that manages to catch everyone’s attention. It is clear the
M14x is making a show of itself. Its sheer heft, which translates it to being
rather heavy, is only matched by its look and feel, which screams “look at me”.
The black matte metal chassis and extremely colourful keyboard, touchpad, and
speaker ports are unlike any other. Thankfully these colours are customisable
and can be tweaked to match the users’ personality.
2. Superpower Player
Besides size and looks, the M14x proves, once
again, that Alienware knows what it is doing with the hardware. Putting in a
3rd Generation Intel Core i7 2.3GHz CPU (3.3GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 and 6MB
Cache) together with 16GB DDR3 RAM, 2GB GDDR5 nVidia GeForce GT650M with nVidia
Optimus technology, and 1TB of storage space, ensures this particular Alienware
is ready for any sort of high-end graphic rendering and massive data
processing. This includes heavy animation development, executing 3D games, and
playing enriched full HD multimedia content. In fact, the M14x took on
everything I’ve thrown at it with perfect ease. Even games that need heavy
resources at ultra-high settings, like Arkham City and Crysis 2, did not give
the M14x much of a challenge. For all the positives it has to offer, the one major
negative that it has is that it runs really hot when set to “High Performance”
and its breaking point limits are being tested.
3. Spiffy Workhorse
The M14x is definitely not for those who
are constantly mobile as it is a real heavyweight. In fact, Dell is marketing
the M14x as a powered up gaming machine that knows no bounds. After spending
two weeks with it, I can see why Alienware has not many competitors to go up
against anything that cannot compare is literally and completely blown away. Is
it THE perfect gaming or high-end computer everyone dreams about? Perhaps,
perhaps not but in my books, it is definitely up there with the other super PCs
I have encountered, which is an unusual feat on its own.
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Details
·
Price: $1,473
·
Dimensions: (H X W X D) 37.8mm x 337mm x 337mm
·
Weight: 2.92kg
·
Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM
2.3GHz Processor (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost 2.0, 6MB Cache)
·
Memory: 16GB of DDR3 RAMs (or 204-Pin DDR3
SO-DIMM RAMs)
·
Storage: 1TB 5400RPM SATA III (optional RAID 1
and 0, and Dual Drive or mSATA Boot and Caching Drive available)
·
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home
Premium, Professional and Ultimate SP1 64bit
·
Display: 14-inch WLED HD+ display (1600X900
pixel resolution)
·
Graphics: 2GB GDDR5 nVidia GeForce GT 650M
with nVidia Optimus technology
·
Connectivity: Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps
Gigabit Ethernet NIC and Integrated Wireless-N with Bluetooth 4.0 (standard)
·
Ports: Digital Audio out using HDMI out
connection, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x Mini-Display Port, HDMI 1.4 Output,
VGA Port, 9-in-1 Media Card Reader, Audio/ Microphone In, Audio Out, RJ-45
Gigabit Ethernet
·
Speakers: 2.1 configuration with Subwoofer
Audio (Powered by Klipsch (Standard), 7.1 Digital
V: 10/10
F: 10/10
P: 10/10
D: 10/10
U: 10/10
Performance test Score 2178.9
PCMark7 Score 4229
3DMark11 P2113
Verdict: Alienware. Nuff said.
10/10 Score
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