Alienwares!

Question

Hello Everyone! I love Gaming and was thinking of Buying an Alienware Laptop. I know people say that you are really paying for the name, but you do get what you pay for , which is why I wanted a fast, powerful dell laptop that would be good to play Sims 3 on and the expansions. I was wondering if you could all answer a few questions for me! I would be very greatful

1. Is the Alienware M17x and Alienware 17 the same thing? If not, whats the difference and which is better for gaming/sims etc.

2. Is the Alienware 15 still available to buy? If so, is it any good?

Any other information on Alienware Laptops or On Sims 3 in Alienware Laptops would be much appreciated. Thank You Very Much!

Dell-Jyotpal F · Accepted Answer

Hi YeahItsDarcy,

Its good to hear that a Gaming enthusiast like you wants to know technical information about the Alienwares. And I do really appreciate that. Don't worry, I will help you out in understanding your doubts / questions.

1. Is the Alienware M17x and Alienware 17 the same thing? If not, whats the difference and which is better for gaming/sims etc.

Answer: Alienware 17 is the newest line of computers in the Alienware series. Whereas, Alienware M17x is the series prior to the current one. Alienware M17x comes in four vairants, realtively R1 , R2 , R3 and R4. Amongst these R4 is the latest. If you would have to purchase between these two, go for Alienware 17 R1 not Alienware M17x R4. Reason is that the new Alienware 17 has 4th generation processors, uses new DDR3L technology for RAM's for better power efficiency, has Dolby Home Theater Sound Card, USB 3.0 ports, Blu-Ray Drive (optional), has newer graphics like nVIDIA GTX 765M / 770M / 780M depending upon your choice. It also supports Bluetooth 4.0 and comes with Windows 8 / 7 as per your order. And last but not the least, has newer design and colour (silver) other than black.

2. Is the Alienware 15 still available to buy? If so, is it any good?

Answer: Am sorry but the Alienware M15x is no longer available. The only new Alienware available are Alienware 14, 17 and 18. So keeping in mind your budget and the screen size, you can customize your Alienware computer according to your needs.

Well SIMS 3 is a game which can run on Inspiron computers as well if they have a capable graphic card like the nVIDIA GTX 635M for example. But as a layman's point of view, if you are buying a new computer you intend to keep it fir atleast 2 to 3 years and with the kind of pace in which the technology is advancing in today's world, it will be better if you opt for an Alienware as it has all the configuration and specifications which would run all the games for atleast for the next 2 years without any doubt.

So wish you all the luck with your new computer and if you have any further queries, please feel free to reply.

Dell-Jyotpal F · Accepted Answer

HI YeahItsDarcy,

You are welcome!

Yes, you can choose any Alienware computer between the 14" , 17" and the 18". It all depends upon your budget. Variants are basically newer versions of the Alienware's released. Like currently for example, we have the new Alienware 17 R1 (R1 refers to Revision 1 / Version 1) and when we release the new version of the Alienware 17 in the future, we might name it as R2 (R2 refers to Revision 2 / Version 2).

Hope that helps.

BJFox · Accepted Answer

ThankYou! Will definitely be getting my alienware as soon as possible! :)

If your budget allows, I would highly recommend ordering a new 18 with 4930MX and GTX 780M SLI. If the price is too steep, rather than downgrading to a new 17 or 14, look into an M18xR2 with 3920XM or 3940XM and GTX 680M SLI for slightly less cost. You can find them on eBay, but I recommend trying to secure one through the Dell Outlet first. Both of these machines are absolute beasts with an Extreme CPU and SLI, and they consistently outperform many so-call high performance desktops with less capable CPUs and GPUs. Either of them should carry you for 2 or 3 years of gaming awesomeness.

Alienware laptops are also very upgrade-friendly. After a couple of years if you find your GPU(s) are not enough for the latest and greatest games, you can buy aftermarket video cards that are newer and more powerful and put your machine right on par with the newest laptops in terms of gaming performance. This represents added value as well. While the latest and greatest MXM video cards can be spendy, spending $1500 on a pair of new video cards is a lot less expensive than spending $4,000+ on a new machine just to get better gaming performance.

I would also encourage you to secure the longest advanced warranty available on a new Alienware. Go for 3 or 4 years advanced warranty with accidental damage coverage. The warranty will pay for itself if a motherboard or GPU replacement is needed at any point during the warranty period. Accidents can happen, such as a drop or liquid spill. Dell/Alienware has absolutely the best warranty and service available in the industry. If you get a short basic warranty and extended it after the machine is delivered, the cost will be much greater than including it with your original purchase. Even if you only keep the machine for 2 or 3 years, having a year or more of warranty remaining (which is transferable to the new owner) enhances the resale value.

BJFox · Accepted Answer

Nothing lasts forever. However, I have had very good results with all of my Dell and Alienware computers. I have an M18xR2, M17xR2, Inspiron Mini-9, Inspiron 15 and an Inspiron M5030 and they are all excellent products. They are every bit as reliable as other brands I have owned. A major difference between the brands is better warranty and support, and this is one of the best reasons to own an Alienware.

I have been burned several times by other brands that do a terrible job of handling warranty issues. In fact, horrible service and support from competing brands is why I became a Dell customer in the first place. I have never regretted that decision, but I have needed to use the warranty a few times. The experience of needing to use the warranty, and how that was handled, has made me a fanboy instead of a customer.

ejn63 · Answer

The Alienware 17 replaces the M17x - it has the newer Haswell CPUs (fourth generation Core i), faster video and a new design chassis.

The m15x is discontinued - the new line consists of the 14, 17 and 18.

YeahItsDarcy · Answer

Thank You!

Yes, I was intending to keep the Alienware for quite a while, and it has many good reviews so I expect I will get a lot out of it!

So do you think an Alienware 17 R1 is the best way to go? And what do the variants mean?

Thanks!

YeahItsDarcy · Answer

ThankYou! Will definitely be getting my alienware as soon as possible! :)

Dell-Jyotpal F · Answer

Hi YeahItsDarcy,

Congratulations! ...on making up your mind on an Alienware.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we love it! In case if you have any other issues or queries, please feel free to get in touch with us here and we will be more than happy to help you out.

Happy computing!

duh.mattk · Answer

Big mistake buddy. guarenteed that it will break down in less than a year iif you bought It. I recommend refunding it asap

89fordprobee · Answer

il back it up.. I know it will break.. hell my M18X R2 arrived with issues.... but even with past problems I still ordered another, warranty was never an issue for me they always tried to help, upgraded me for my problems and did what they could, to keep me happy.. (once I got someone I could understand) Everyones usage is different, mine is under constant use from 8 am till 11pm go go go go, from paperwork to gaming to photo/video editing so it gets used, and dust is cleaned 2-3 times a month to keep peak cooling ..

but its like anything else these days... mass produced don't last, Tv's at work.. 26 have failed within the last year.. only year old LG's

4 compressors on fridges (1 year old)

$250 000.00 transformer.. failed.... 2000 amp 208 volt failed caused 1 week downtime at a marriot hotel ....

again it was a year old...

my SUV .. transmission failed, transfer case for 4x4 failed(blew apart) and goes on a few times all within a year..

shall I go on?

this is why u get warranty for a few years , cause if it happens and u search the net it seems a lot of issues happen around the one year mark on things just after basic warranty end.. cars, fridges, alienware and so fourth and seems to be a lot in summer months when heat is issue..

I loved my M17X but was to much stress I sold it off, bought a inspiron 17R for wife after that then got a M18X R2 recently .. love it knew I would have issues but delt with it and diagnosed the problem, now if driver support was better it would be great ..

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Alienwares!

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