Alienware mx11x

thank you for your quick reply, yeah i do realize that it only takes one :)

the games i would be playing would be, cs:source, bc2, and looking to play starcraft 2, would it run diablo III?

im playing competitive in css so it would be played on minimal settings so i dont really see a problem there. You are right about newer games though, but its like that with all systems, new games = new hardware, ( i just updated my dekstop to i5/gtx 260 and ssd)

i am looking for a laptop i can use for school and take with me, i travel between canada and europe.

i might sell my current desktop and go for the higher priced m15x, but i do like the battery time and size of the m11 since im gonna lug it to school :)

You should be able to use a standard SATA SSD in the system (but note that it would have to replace the hard drive, since the system takes only one of them).

Biggest downside would be the CPU:  whether the older Core 2 or newer i5/i7, the CPU is an ultra-low voltage unit, meaning it's slower than an equivalent, socketed Core 2 or Core i5/i7.  The CPU is also a permanent part of the mainboard and cannot be upgraded later.

These are very fully featured for their size, but they're not all-out gaming systems - the CPU will limit you and the video, while respectable, is not cutting edge for gaming (and like the CPU it cannot be later upgraded).

If you're in for a system that'll be highly portable at the expense of all out performance, and likely be acceptable for gaming for a year or two, it's a decent choice.  In a couple of years, gaming will have outstripped it and it'll need to be replaced.

There are always compromises - these are the ones made for the sake of the small size.

It sounds like you're looking for more of a desktop replacement - in which case I suspect the M15x is a better fit.  The M11x is more of a system to use in addition to a desktop rather than in place of it.