Alienware M17x R4 Notebook Review

The 410 x 304 X 46 Millimeter Case weighs 4.4 Kilogram and is available in a discreet black (Stealth Black) or a striking red (Nebula Red).

Comparing the 4th revision with the 3rd (see test), there are minimal visual differences. Apart from an additional grating at the bottom, the Notebook remains untouched externally. The futuristic design, with its prominent lines and unique shape, remains as it was, to be loved - or hated.

Not many are able to beat its build quality. You might discover a few rough edges in regards to finish, but overall, the M17x appears to be of very high quality and good workmanship. The pleasant gumming on lid and wrist rest amplifies the positive overall impression. The matte finish makes the base unit relatively resistant to contamination. The display on the other hand, with its reflective plastic screen cover, is extremely sensitive to finger prints and scratches.

Case stability is above average, as usual. With exception of the keyboard and the exhaust grating, the casing withstands strong pressure. The lid isn't quite so strong, vibration prompts the display to bob back and forth, sometimes markedly so. If opening the lid with one hand, expect the base unit to follow to a small degree.

Software

Even though the Manufacturer loads up the notebook with diverse programs and tools, it doesn't feel slow upon delivery. Among the high lights are PowerDVD 9.6 and the so called 'Command Center'. While AlienFX takes care of illumination and AlienFusion stands for power management, AlienTouch allows for touch pad configuration.

Accessories

What would an Alienware notebook be without a rich set of accessories? The manufacturer deserves praise not only for the potent 9-cell battery sporting 90Wh, but also for the large but surprisingly thin 240 Watt power supply. The package is rounded off with a protective velvet cover, a mouse pad, a few info pamphlets and several DVDs. Customers receive a driver DVD and a recovery DVD to restore the operating system. The customary thick manual unfortunately gave way to a quick start guide. Dell reasons this to be better for the environment.

Warranty

The base configuration includes 12 months on-site warranty service. For additional cash, that duration can be extended to two or three years. Protection against accidental damage can be purchased as well.

Processor

With the fourth revision of the M17x, Alienware relies completely on Intel's latest generation Ivy Bridge CPU. With the Core i7-3610QM, 3720QM and 3820QM, a choice of three potent quad-core models is offered at the moment. Since most 3D software is limited by the GPU and Intel's current product line-up sports high efficiency (performance per MHz), the average consumer will already be very happy with the cheapest variation.

Like its pricier siblings, the core i7-3610QM can process 8 threads simultaneously (hyper threading) and raise its clock speed dynamically, as needed (turbo boost). TDP is 45 Watts for all versions. The 3720QM sports six MBytes of L3 cache, while the 3820QM features eight MBytes. Ivy Bridge CPUs are manufactured with Intel's latest 22 nm process rather than their Sandy Bridge predecessors' 32nm process.

A further advantage is the integrated HD-4000 GPU, Intel's first to support DirectX 11, which handles everyday tasks like video and simpler games without trouble. Why are we talking about this? Because the Alienware M17x can automatically switch between Intel's integrated GPU and the dedicated GPUs from AMD or Nvidia, which are only activated for graphics intensive software (more on this later). Note: M17x models equipped with the 3D display have to do without GPU switching, due to technical issues.

Dell was the first Manufacturer able to supply us with the brand new Radeon HD 7970M. This luxury GPU is based on AMD's latest GCN architecture (Graphics Core Next) and answers to the code name Wimbledon XT.

Aside from the overall technology, the manufacturing process also changed, in comparison to the old high end model Radeon HD 6990M, dropping from 40 nm to 28 nm (chip area 212 mm2). The 2GB GDDR5 video RAM still uses a 256 Bit Bus, but is clocked at 1200 MHz rather than 900 MHz. The GPU core clock speed was 'only' increased by 19% from 715 MHz to 850 MHz, but is based on a completely new architecture.

Like the desktop version Radeon HD 7870, the mobile DirectX 11.1 GPU sports 1280 shaders and 80 texture units. The new PCI Express 3.0 interface is rather less important during every day use. According to Alienware, the power consumption of around 100 Watts TDP is roughly the same as Nvidia's GeForce GTX 675M. We shall verify if the Radeon HD 7970M has the stuff to be the new gaming king.

AMD's GPU-switching technology, recently renamed to Enduro, is not nearly as polished as Nvidia's Optimus system. For one thing, Enduro is short on configuration options and for another, automatic switching shows a poor rate of software recognition.

Of the 19 games tested, 60% were started with the wrong GPU, Intel's HD 4000. As a result, the user has to go find the right menu in the Catalyst control center (see image) and assign the program to the correct GPU by choosing "High Performance" in order to have it run the Radeon HD 7970.

It is not obvious which GPU is currently active without additional tools like the AMD system monitor. Nvidia's Optimus feature offers far more polish and useful features. For people who prefer to work or play without automatic GPU-switching, Alienware included the Fn + F7 function key, setting the system to always run with the dedicated GPU (reboot required).

Nonetheless, AMD should finally get their act together and improve their GPU switching software. Disappointingly little has happened over the last few months and Nvidia can only smirk about its competitor's lack of progress.

Note: due to the Radeon HD 7970M delivering markedly worse results with automatic switching activated, we advise to make use of the function key and turn off GPU switching for gaming purposes.

Alienware chose to install both an SSD and an HDD; An mSATA SSD, to be specific, Samsung's small 64GByte PM830 uses ToggleDDR NAND-Flash, supports 6 GBit/s and weights 8 grams.

For sequential access, this solid state drive may lose out to some larger 2.5" variants like Intel's SSD 330 (see Schenker XMG A502). But with 261 MB/s read and 162 MB/s write speed, other mSATA models like the OCZ Nocti (see the One M73-20) were left in the dust. For small files, even the RAID-0 array of the MSI GT70 couldn't keep up. Access time is quite fast too, at 0.2 ms read and 0.1 ms write.

In the Alienware M14x, containing the same mSATA SSD, transfers were considerably faster. Presumably, the solid state drive in the M17x is only connected through the older SATA II standard.

Additionally, there's a 500GByte Seagate HDD sporting 3 GBit/s, 16MByte cache and a height of 9.5 millimeters. Thanks to 7200 rpm, the Momentous 7200.4 delivers good performance, not every competitor reaches 100 MB/s.

In regards to games, the Radeon HD 7970M leaves most gaming GPU's far behind. With the exception of the extremely challenging Metro 2033, every tested title played fluidly with maxed out settings.

Even Battlefield 3, which brought every notebook GPU to its limits in the past, ran well enough with the "Ultra" preset and 1920x1080 resolution. 2x or 4x anti-aliasing was no problem for the HD 7970M. Usually, you can simply set every single graphics slider to max.

If that’s not enough, this high end card leads the Radeon HD 6990 or GeForce GTX 675M with a 50% average speed advantage across 18 games in 1920x1080 with maximum details.

Whoever has enough cash left over should upgrade to this card - the expenditure pays off in spades. Nvidia would have to offer its GTX 675M a lot cheaper to lure potential customers away from the HD 7970. For enthusiasts, the latest AMD model is currently the only choice.

A look at the components shows that Alienware designed a good cooling system. Even after an hour of full load under Furmark and Prime, the temperature of the Radeon HD 7970M did not break 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Intel's Core i7-3610QM reached about 176 degrees Fahrenheit according to the CPUID hardware monitor - a perfectly acceptable value.

The outer surfaces aren't quite as cool as other gamer notebooks. While the upper surface reached 93 F during the stress test, the bottom got to 100 F. In idle mode, temperatures only dropped very little, we measured 93 F topside and 97 F at the bottom. The Schenker XMG P502, which we also tested at a room temperature of 75 F, remained notably cooler at 82 F, but the soft touch surfaces of the M17x were never unpleasantly hot.

The sound quality is convincing for the most part. Alienware installed 2 Klipsch speakers at the front of the case, behind lit speaker meshes. The highlight is inside though, as the sound chip is better than standard fare from the likes of Realtek, but rather a module from Creative Labs.

The Soundblaster Recon3Di supports THX TruStudio Pro, Crystal Voice to improve speech transmission, scout mode to locate enemies more quickly and an encompassing software package.

The sound quality itself is above average, but the M17x does not embody a new reference. Sound appears less dull and soggy with THX active, but we would have liked more precision and clarity. External speakers or headphones are not absolutely mandatory though.

As expected, Alienware delivers a great gaming notebook with the M17x R4. Picture and sound quality are on a high level as in the past. Interface selection, including 4x USB 3.0, was nicely done.

The modern case isn't exactly thin or light at 4.4 kg, but it scores with good input devices, easy to reach components and loads of illumination. We especially liked the gummed soft touch surfaces, with good workmanship leaving an impression of quality. In regards to quality, most competitors can't touch the M17x.

The most important feature by far is the incredibly fast GPU. AMD's Radeon HD 7970 not only strikes fear into the hearts of previous top dogs GeForce GTX 675M and Radeon HD 6990M with a 50% performance increase, it doesn't have to hide behind desktop PC's either. Maximum details and high resolutions at 1920 x 1080 rarely bring this GPU to its limits.

On the other hand, the inept auto-switching software elicits criticism. AMD's Enduro technology trails Nvidia's Optimus significantly. Aside from a sad rate of game recognition, Enduro causes a significant loss of performance. With Enduro disabled (function keys Fn + F7 and reboot), games often run with dozens of fps more. AMD hasn't made any visible progress on this for months. Otherwise, there's not much to complain about the M17x, except the extremely reflective display.

In conclusion, Alienware snatches the gaming crown once again. The second place currently goes to the Asus G75V, followed by the barebones notebooks from Clevo (Schenker XMG P702) and MSI (GT70).