Alienware Area-51 m17x
Notebook Specifications
Notebook: Alienware Area-51 m17x (Area-51 Series)Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T9500
Graphics Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX SLI 512 MB
Display: 17.1 inch, 16:10, 1920x1200 pixels
Weight: 4.96kg
Price: 3700 euro
Links: Alienware homepage Alienware notebook section Area-51 m17x (Model)
Average Score: 77.5% - good
Average of 4 scores (from 4 reviews)
mobility: 46%, workmanship: 86%, ergonomy: 85%, emissions: 72%
Reviews for the Alienware Area-51 m17x
82% Alienware Area-51 m17x
Source: CNet 
We'll just come right out and say the Alienware m17x is about as powerful as a laptop gets, at least if it's as tricked-out as our $6,000-plus review unit was. If you're looking to drop some major change on a show-off gaming laptop, it's hard to do better than the Alienware Area-51 m17x, a mean-looking, high-performance black slab.
(von 10): 8.2, Leistung 9, Ausstattung 8, Preis mangelhaft
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/15/2008
Rating: Total score: 82% price: 50% performance: 90% features: 80%
80% Alienware Area-51 m17x
Source: Laptop Mag
Gamers with deep pockets will love the Alienware Area-51 m17x. It’s the fastest gaming rig on the market, and competitors won’t likely surpass it anytime soon. It’s super sexy, and its customization features will make you the envy of fellow gamers at LAN parties. However, for $5,598, it shouldn’t crash under the stress of a game, even if it may be Vista’s fault.
4 von 5, Leistung sehr gut, Display gut, Mobilität schlecht
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/19/2008
Rating: Total score: 80% performance: 90% display: 80% mobility: 40%
60% Alienware Area-51 m17x Gaming Desktop Replacement Laptop
Source: Comp Reviews
Alienware's Area-51 m17x is a very hefty machine that is really designed with the sole purpose of being a high performance gaming system. It has a vareity of features and options that make it well suited as a portable media platform, but the high cost of the system makes the system a bit harder to justify.
3 von 5, Leistung gut, Preis schlecht, Mobilität mangelhaft
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/10/2008
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 40% performance: 80% mobility: 50%
Foreign Reviews
88% Test Alienware Area-51 m17x Notebook
Source: Notebookcheck 
online available, Long, Date: 09/02/2008
Rating: Total score: 88% performance: 85% display: 90% mobility: 47% workmanship: 86% ergonomy: 85% emissions: 72%
Comment
NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX SLI: Two Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX are combined by SLI with the purpose to offer the fastest graphic performance for laptops. DirectX 10 games should run fluently with high details. Currently the SLI is solution is only 0-9% faster than a single 8800M GTX in games (in 3DMark up to 36%).
These cards are compareable to enthusiasm desktop graphics cards, like the 9800M GT. The cards have a similar core, as their desktop counterparts, but are clocked lower and often have less shader processors. Modern games like Age of Conan, Race Driver Grid, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, or Gothic 3 should run fluently with high details (Crysis should run in medium to high details).
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).
The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
T9500:
>> Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
17.1": Nowadays, meanwhile the 17 inch display size is a more frequently offered standard format for desktop-replacements. 17 inch laptops are built only in 16:10 format.
The DTR-Laptops can't be carried easily, need much current, but on the other side texts can be read easily and high resolutions are no problem. DTR mainly are intended for stationary usage on desks, where the weight and the energy need are unimportant.
>> To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
4.96 kg: This laptop is heavy. Especially desktop replacements with 19 inch display fit in this class of weight. This class is too heavy, even for 17 inch DTR.
Alienware: Alienware is a rather small international manufacturer with a small market share and few reviewed models. Reviews often mention the extraordinary performance, but also the high price.
77.5%: This rating is not convincing. It must be considered, that there exist hardly any laptops, which receive a rating below 60%. This notebook is evaluated below average, this is not really a recommendation for purchase.
>> Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
