Alienware M17x R4, GTX 680M, i7-3820QM

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Reviews for the Alienware M17x R4, GTX 680M, i7-3820QM

Alienware M17x-R4 reviewed
Source: Fudzilla Archive.org version
The Alienware M17x-R4 is clearly an exceptional and exclusive piece of kit. It’s not the fastest thing around, as there are some SLI and Crossfire systems that can outpace it in terms of sheer GPU brawn. However, our tests prove that it can cope with all hot gaming titles, in many cases with maxed out detail settings. It is possible to get playable framerates at 1920x1080, although in some cases the detail levels will have to be adjusted.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/19/2013

80% Alienware M17x R4 review
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
The M17x is a very good laptop for gaming. At around £1,200 for the 680m-touting model, with improved full HD screen and 8GB of RAM, we can't think of a much better rig on which to play your PC titles. HDMI out means you won't need a desktop and the build quality should make the M17x last for ages.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/05/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

60% Alienware M17x-R4
Source: Digital Versus Archive.org version
The 17.3" M17x-R4 is a very powerful laptop, offering great performances, a good range of connections, and a quality build and finish. It breezes its way through the latest games. However, Alienware seems to have overlooked one crucial feature of this gaming laptop—the screen—which is quite disappointing. In fact, that's ultimately why this notebook only scored three stars in our review.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/28/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%

Alienware M17x R4 Notebook Review: Ivy Bridge and the GeForce GTX 680M
Source: AnandTech Archive.org version
What we're looking at with this review of the Alienware M17x R4 are really two things: the performance of the shiny new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M, and the Alienware M17x R4 notebook itself. Amusingly if unfortunately, the conclusions drawn are pretty disparate. NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M is a qualified win. They knew it, and now we know it.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/21/2012

80% Alienware M17x R4 Review
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
The Alienware M17x once again comes highly recommended as a high-end gaming and multimedia platform. Its unique design, customizable lighting system and outstanding performance make it a top choice. The M17x gets just about everything right including a beautiful full HD display, solid keyboard and touchpad, plenty of input and output ports (the most we've seen on a notebook, as a matter of fact), good speakers and surprisingly excellent battery life at almost five hours. The M17x's customization options are impressive with several graphics card choices, 3D display options, and up to two storage drives. The Nvidia GTX 680M in our system produced outstanding gaming performance.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/05/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 80% performance: 90% features: 90% display: 90% mobility: 80% ergonomy: 80%

80% Alienware M17x R4 review
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
This particular refresh of the Alienware M17x R4 is... well, refreshing. The new Ivy Bridge processor and Kepler-based Nvidia graphics card offer up great performance, and the entire system costs under £2,000 - a pretty good deal for a gaming-oriented desktop replacement. The screen is gorgeous, the speakers are good (if soft), the keyboard is excellent, and the AlienFX lighting is a nice touch. Plus, it has excellent battery life. I can't think of a reason not to get the M17x R4, except for the fact that it weighs a lot. If you're looking for a "portable" gaming powerhouse, you've found it.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% Alienware M17X R4
Source: PC World Archive.org version
This particular refresh of the Alienware M17x R4 is…well, refreshing. The new Ivy Bridge processor and Kepler-based Nvidia graphics card offer up great performance, and the entire system costs under $2000—a pretty good deal for a gaming-oriented desktop replacement. The screen is gorgeous, the speakers are good (if soft), the keyboard is excellent, and the AlienFX lighting is a nice touch. Plus, it has excellent battery life.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/02/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%

Alienware M17x R4 (2012), Ivy Bridge and Kepler Refresh
Source: Hot Hardware Archive.org version
It’s not hard to throw together a system with every top-of-the-line component possible and call it the best. All you have to do is ignore budget issues and the sky’s the limit for what you can build. What is far more difficult is building a high-performing rig that deftly balances performance and a reasonable cost, and that is mostly what Dell has done with this configuration of the Alienware M17x.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/03/2012

90% Alienware M17x R4 Review
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
Its overly reflective screen aside, we really like the Alienware M17x R4. With its wide array of cutting-edge components and impressive build quality, it's a good option for those looking for extreme gaming performance in this price range, and who need a marginally mobile machine. Still, no matter how you slice it, $2,599 is a major investment for a gaming laptop.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/26/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Dell Alienware M17x R4
Source: Techreview Source Archive.org version
For users looking to get gaming performance, the Dell Alienware M17x R4 definitely has it thanks to the new Ivy Bridge processor and accompanying Nvidia graphics. It also benefits from a Blu-ray drive, four USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI-input, which is more than other similar laptops have to offer.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/25/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Alienware M17x R4 (2012) Review
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
With the fourth installment in any series, be it books, movies or a TV show, its creator has to guard against reproducing more of the same. Fortunately, Alienware has avoided that sense of ennui with the M17x R4.The latest version of Alienware's M17x notebook delivers fantastic gaming performance, a gorgeous full HD display, tons of fun lighting options and more than 5 hours of battery life.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/25/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

Alienware M17x R4 (Core i7, Ivy Bridge) Review
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
This machine is just as up-to-date as it was when it was first released, and with the upgrades we’ve got here under the hood, you’ll be good to go for all games at any level to be played without a hitch for years to come. Pick this machine up at Alienware’s online shop right now with a variety of customizability options right off the bat. Grab it!
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/22/2012

90% Alienware M17x R4 Review
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
The M17x is an excellent gaming laptop. It offers a beautiful display, incredible hardware and a great sound system. And while no laptop with a $2,599 price tag will ever be considered inexpensive, given what you receive, it’s a fair price.As a general laptop, however, the M17x has a few issues. Both the keyboard and the touchpad have issues and battery life is a downer.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/21/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Alienware M17x R4
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
If you're serious about performance, the Alienware M17x R4 is the midrange gaming laptop to buy right now. It rivals $3,000+ dual GPU gaming rigs on the game tests, and trounces all comers on the multimedia tests. For just under $2,500, you get the bang-for-the-buck champion certainly. The M17x R4 is faster, less expensive (by $0.99), more impressive looking, and quieter than our previous midrange gaming Editors' Choice laptop, the MSI GT783-625US . That makes the Alienware M17x R4 our new midrange (sub-$3,000) gaming laptop Editors' Choice.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/21/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%

Foreign Reviews

91% Immer noch die Gaming-Referenz?
Source: Notebookinfo DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 91% performance: 100% display: 70% mobility: 90% ergonomy: 95% emissions: 88%

デル ALIENWARE M17x（M17XR4）の実機レビュー
Source: The Hikaku JA→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Very good design; high performance; the display; excellent heat dissipation. Negative: Price.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/10/2012

Comment

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M: High-End graphics card of the GeForce GTX 600M series, based on the 28nm Kepler architecture (GK104) that is manufactured in 28nm.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  

3820QM: An Ivy Bridge-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.7 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.7 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4000 GPU running at 650-1250 MHz on a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

17.30": This display size is a standard format for desktop replacements (DTR). The DTR laptops are heavier to carry, need more power, but texts are easy to read and high resolutions are no problem. DTR are mainly intended for stationary desk use, where weight and energy hunger don't matter. In return, you enjoy the advantages of high resolutions (more details, better legibility).» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

4.4 kg:

A laptop in this weight range is a heavyweight that you rarely carry around. This is meant for desktops and the devices tend to score with a large display and high performance and replace desktop devices.

Alienware: Alienware was founded in the USA in 1996. The European headquarters is located in Ireland. Alienware has been part of the Dell Group since 2006. The product range mainly focuses on gaming laptops and desktops, which are developed and manufactured by Dell. The trademark is a slightly futuristic design with an Alien as the logo. Additionally, workstations for private and business customers are sold.

As with every brand, there are also some points of criticism with Alienware. Some customers have complained about the high prices of the products, while others have criticized the quality of customer services. There have also been some reports of problems with the reliability and durability of some Alienware products. However, many customers have also had positive experiences with the brand and appreciate the powerful gaming computers.

83.73%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

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