Best Gaming Laptop: Alienware 18x
Like a Michael Bay movie, it’s getting harder and harder for Alienware to top itself. But somehow, it keeps doing it. Case in point: the M18x. Featuring an 18-inch full HD screen, an over clocked Core i7 processor running at 4 GHz, two of Nvidia’s most powerful GPUs, and Wireless HD streaming, this gaming rig is hyperbole personified. As you might expect, this gaming monster doesn't come cheap. Our configuration costs a whopping $5,552. So do the special effects justify the cost of admission?
Based on workers, the Alienware name was chosen due to the founders’ fondness for that hit television series The X-Files, thus the theme to their services and products, with names including Area-51, Hangar18 and Aurora. Alienware was initially established to engage a distinct segment in the high end gambling industry, which in those days wasn't on the radar of the major PC makers such as Dell. Because high-end hardware wasn't widely-distributed, their leaders created an OEM which offered PCs with the greatest performing hardware and controls based on benchmarks. The cheapest Alienware 18 is the standard configuration. With 8 GB RAM, a Core i7-4700MQ, a 750 GB hard drive, a DVD burner as well as two GeForce GTX 765M GPUs. We already reviewed the latter combination in the Schenker XMG P723. More powerful but also more expensive is the next model in line for around 2,500 Euros (~$3381). While the processor, memory and optical drive are identical, you get an additional 64 GB SATA SSD (only SSD cache). Graphics are handled by two GeForce GTX 770M in SLI that we could not review yet. If you can spend even more money, you can also get the configuration with a Core i7-4800MQ, 16 GB RAM and Blue-ray drive. The other components are similar to the less expensive version. Our review unit is based on the top configuration, which starts at the time of this review and has been massively upgraded by the manufacturer. Instead of a Core i7-4900MQ, you get the extremely powerful Core i7-4930MX CPU. Other differences are the storage solution (512 GB SATA SSD), the operating system (Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) and the graphics card (GeForce GTX 780M SLI). R Dell (parent group) frequently changes the hardware options, so the mentioned configurations and prices could already differ by now. All models use the same 18.4-inch Full HD display with a glossy surface and ultra-wide viewing angles (Super PLS). The manufacturer also deserves credit for the large 8-cell battery.
Alienware M18x Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (Specifications and Features)
| • Notebook type | Desktop replacement, Gaming |
| • CPU | Intel Empty option attribute value description 2670QM |
| • RAM | 16.0 GB |
| • Technology | DDR3 SDRAM |
| • Speed | 1600.0 MHz |
| • Hard Drive | 1000.0 GB / 7200.0 rpm |
| • Optical Drive | -Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) |
| • Hard drive type | SATA |
| • Type | 18.4 |
| Audio & Video | |
| • Graphics Processor | Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M AMD Crossfire |
The Alienware Command Center may be the most notable software program. This application enables you to alter the sensitivity of the touchpad, produce energy profiles, and change the colors of the backlighting. The Command Center UI is more appealing compared to Windows get a handle on sections, although the last two are notably repetitive.
