Alienware AM11X-2894CSB 11.6-Inch Laptop (Cosmic Black) Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very pleased October 1, 2010
I was impressed with my new Alienware m11x; then I switched the graphics. Now I am amazed.

3.0 out of 5 stars Wait for price down or go for m11xR2 with i5/i7 June 29, 2010
Alienware m11x is most powerful 11.6" laptop in the market comparing with adjectives other 11.6"/12.1" netbooks/laptops.

I would give this laptop 5 stars if I write this review in the begining of 2010 because it comes with Intel C2D SU7300 (Performance closer to Intel C2D T5670) and Nvidia GT335m (Performance closer to ATI5730) provding good enough computing power plus graphic engine to play all current PC games at least mid graphic setting.

Why do I with the sole purpose give 3 stars for it after half year?
Because Alienware m11x has the 2nd generation and current amazon price is higher.

The 2nd generation comes with i5 or i7 processors instead of original C2D SU7300, and Dell normally proivde discount coupon to the customer.

I purchased my i5-520um, Nvidia GT335, 4GB Ram, 160GB HDD, and Bluetooth m11x per "$920 + tax" after 100 past its sell-by date coupon from Dell.

Let's compare with another similar model Lenovo U160, which is also 11.6"/12.1" laptop with i5/i7, but its selling price is $1000+ without any GPU. As you already knew, Alienware gives you i5/i7 with GPU (Nvidia GT335m) and better cost.

Beside powerful specs, m11x is easier 11.6" laptop for you to upgrade memory, hard drive, and wifi card. It's the reason I choose 2.5" 160GB hard drive. You can confident get a 2.5" 500GB hard drive in between $50 to $60 to replace the 160GB one without paying Dell like $100. You can check youtube, and find out how easy that you can change those components inside Alienware m11x and how hard for you to change componetns inwardly other 12.1" laptop/netbook hard drive such as ASUS EEE PC 12" series. Alienware did a great job providing user easier way to upgrade the system.

Well, we know that price is higher than EEE PC and other 12.1"/11.6" netbook, but it's a i5/i7/C2D LAPTOP (NOT A NETBOOK) with Nvidia GT335m and up to 8 hours battery life making a unbeatable conditions for user.

Currently, DELL Price is $949 for i5 alienware m11x (2GB Ram + 160GB Hard drive) before adjectives upgrades and discount coupon. For C2D SU7300 m11x (2GB Ram + 160GB Hard drive) starts from $799. That isn't a final cost because Dell keeps providing discount coupons very offen.

I would say current Amazon posted Alienware SU7300, 4GM Ram, and 320GB hard driver making a good combination, but $999 is too high (You can m11x i5 version as $999). If they can cost down SU7300 m11x in between $849 and $899, it will be very worth to buy it.

If you hold budget more than $800 for a thin, light, and powerful gaming laptop. It will be the best choice.



5.0 out of 5 stars The ideal on-the-go gaming rig August 28, 2010
I have been looking at this item for quite a while and finally pulled the trigger. My concerns with the speed of the processor on the Core 2 rather than i5 and i7 and the high price be my only reason not to buy. After reading about the battery hit taken on this with the faster processors and the price dropping about $100 so that the price difference with the i7 become quite large, I settled to go with the Core 2 and I am glad I did.

First off, the screen is glossy and only of average brightness but the viewing angles and the ability to turn the contrast all the way up and still see a right picture a plus. Second, there is no bluetooth but there are so many tiny dongles these days it isn't a huge issue for your mouse or headphones - just use of one the three usb ports. Third, the reason to buy this is for gaming and I am happy to say I be able to load all my games on the spacious 320gb hard drive with room to spare and they are all playable anywhere from medium to ultra settings. I play almost exclusively real-time strategy titles such as StarCraft II and the Command and Conquer titles. They all run really good.

The build part is phenomenal on this thing. It is fun to just look at and admire. Being able to change the lighting in five zones and in various ways make night computing perfect. The small keyboard is a little tougher to type on than a chic-lit style on a netbook but the razor sharp backlighting makes it work out fine after a little practice. Touch typing works great. The wrist area does not show fingerprints, the mouse has a great texture and really soft press buttons but I use an external mouse.

My first section did not work the second day. It went black screen on me and Amazon shipped me a replacement the very next day that has been perfect. I also go into the bios on the second one and enabled turbo mode and it works - no blue screens.

I spent all day loading up my gaming titles and look forward to playing on the go and around the house a lot more now. I was also pleased that 1080p YouTube worked flawlessly and my programs seem snappy. So far, so good, enjoy it. The kids love it too and like to change the keyboard to pink for the girls and incredible hulk green for the boys.

A fun toy, I hope to enjoy for a long time, and recommend.



1.0 out of 5 stars Fatal design flaw by Dell October 27, 2010
Dell's m11x is a wonderful, fast gaming laptop with one FATAL flaw: it has a design defect; the screen hinge separate from the chassis with normal use. This defect has occurred in a LOT of computers. Close to 100 are listed on one fan website alone. So far, Dell has not acknowledged this fault, nor have they affected reasonable solutions like extending the warranty on the hinges and tasking an engineer to design a permanent fix. Let me state this again; this is a design defect on the part of Dell and not the responsibility of the users. Check out the fan forums on Notebookreview or other websites if you need more feedback. This is a great little computer but Dell needs to own up to their design mistake.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly customizable experience... October 22, 2010
Pro: This is a very portable notebook with a highly customizable experience. The graphics switching works well with with the sole purpose minor hiccups. I have been able to run most games at decent settings and still maintain performance. The color customizable keys make it easier to type in low wishy-washy conditions and the screen is very responsive and bright. Overall, you can customize the M11x in many different ways in order to get the most out of your experience. The power management functions are great for this. Out of all of the computers I hold bought in the last 5 years (8 computers), this one had the least amount of bloatware installed.

Con: The battery is not removable, so you cannot carry a spare. The facial recognition software seems to hiccup more often than I'd similar to, switching screens and seeming to lock up for a few seconds at a time when it gets confused, but this is a minor issue. The software, when you get right down to it seems to work.

Overall, I'd say there isn't too much they could do to improve this notebook while maintaining the small form-factor. Kudos to Alienware!

4.0 out of 5 stars Power congested mini. August 26, 2010
This review is for the R2 version.

I like power, but I also wanted something more portable. Having lugged around heavy machines, I really wanted something lightweight that could handle a majority of my computing needs, yet still have some "fun" factor when I looked-for.

Earlier this year, I purchased a HP 311 netbook. Very lightweight machine, and it was equiped with a Nvidia ION chipset. I want to say the netbook accomplished most of my needs. It was capable of light work, and gaming. It have a decent run time of 5 hours. The size was so convenient, I found it easy to take with me wherever I went. The biggest problem was the limitation of strike, and when working with real business applications like Office, it would bog the machine down.

Back to searching for a new machine. The goals were 13" size peak. Some decent mid-range power, yet enough run time that I could go cordless without having to feel like I needed to plug in constantly. An noteworthy feature if you like to use the machine on plane trips.

Enter the Alienware M11x. This machine was priced out of my initial pricepoint, so I did not catch the original release earlier this year when I was researching spanking new machines. In my recent research, there really was little to challenge this machine. I think the ASUS ul30 series may be the closest, but still doesn't offer the same video power.

This machine is a bit heavier than my HP 311, so it isn't quite as convenient to tote around, but it offer so much more power. A balance trade off that I'm willing to accept. The run time is even better than my HP 311 mini, although I would have liked to see a removeable battery. Neither the HP311 or this M11x has an optical drive, but I have several prime machines, so this did not bother me one bit. I bought a LG GSA-E50L DVD USB powered burner that I keep in my backpack, but honestly, I've only used it a handful of occasions. The first time you pick up the tiny machine, you'll notice the chassis is solid and the surface has a nice feel.

This machine is more powerful than the full size notebook given to me by the company I work for. I of late lock the other machine at my desk now and carry this as my portable. The Alienware lights don't necessarily display a "business" attitude, but it can be quickly disabled. I kind of discounted the lighted keyboard, but it does come in very handy when working in shadows situations, or late in the evening in bed.

I splurged for the i7 processor and larger hard drive, but went with only 4GB of ram to avoid maxing out the price. The build of the laptop is very solid. The touchpad have a rough texture, and works better than the smooth surface of my hp311. The touchpad buttons depress very softly and have a nice feel. Only drawback is the size of the keys on the keyboard, but it is the tradeoff again in having such a small package.

LCD screen have a slight glossy look, which is great in most situations, but can be problematic with glare in others. The screen does not seem to quite match my previous HP contained by color or brightness, but it is still very good.

If you are really looking for a more complete gaming system, the Alienware M15x big brother may be a better choice, although at a very high price. Or if you are looking for a business class machine, I would suggest other options.

The M11x offers a mix of performance that I find works great as a personal machine for fun, even so has enough power to be used for business. The size, battery run time, and the build quality is great for the business warrior on the go. Just remember to disable the glowing lights for work.

5.0 out of 5 stars For the gamer on the move September 27, 2010
This thing is perfect for me. Its light, compact, long mobile life, and has the GPU needed to play my games on medium settings. I sometimes have to carry alot of other gear so the compactness and light weight is very nice. I have used the ASUS G73 series (they variety great desktop replacment systems and are very powerful) but those are WAY to big and heavy for my intended use. I wont get into the lights issue as that has already been covered in other reviews.

I did ALOT of research before this purchase. I really wanted the R2 version near the i7 processor and optimus. However I went to several forums and there are many problems with the i5/i7, optimus, and DX10 when it comes to games like Civ V. The R1 has manually switching (FN+F6) and drivers that work really well with DX10. I really like the manually switching to set free battery life when doing mundane tasks that dont need the 335M GPU. I also downloaded the updated BIOS (A05) and all the other drivers from the dell website and they all work fine.

I played the Civ V demo with everything on medium with textures and hose down on high at max resolution and it was very smooth. Company of Heroes online (the best RTS EVER made, its free and its even better than SC2!) plays perfectly on this machine. It also came with Portal for free on Steam, and it plays flawlessly with everything on high. I dont play exceedingly many FPS on PC because I have a 360 and PS3 and thats what all of my friends have. I also have a custom gaming desktop rig that I built my self using MSI parts so if I want to do some heavy PC gaming at home I use that.

After I updated the BIOS I was able to overclock the CPU to 1.6 according to CPUZ (great program). The overclocked Core Duo is comparable to an i3 when it comes to speed, the i5/i7 really isnt that much faster, and the battery go takes a big hit too. Some games run better on the R1 and a few R2 users have even traded in their systems to go back to the R1.

The R2 version from [...] will cost you around $1200 out the door with the same specs (except the processor and bluetooth) as this one on amazon. The R1 comes in cosmic black vs the R2 soft touch stealth black. You cant really move about wrong the R1 or R2 but there is a well documented hinge issue on both machines if you look on other forums such as [...]. I guess I got a good one because the screen does NOT touch the keyboard on mine. Also the screen is really glossy. I dont use this outdoors so it is not an issue for me but it could be a deal breaker for others.

So if you necessitate a light, extremely portable laptop, and want to play some Company of Heroes, SC2, or Civ V on the move, get the M11x. If you want a big, super powerful, heavy, low battery life destop replacement then look elsewhere.






1.0 out of 5 stars Has fatal design flaws Dell refuses to recognise December 23, 2010
I have purchased my M11x laptop contained by May in the United Kingdom, when I was studying there. Since then I have returned to my home country Lithuania.

The hinges of my M11x broke exactly three months after the purchase.

Alienware does not provide service in Lithuania. I was not able to contact a service representative contained by the UK as well and my emails left unanswered. I have found a certified DELL Warranty provider, who had changed the screen for a fee of around 70 USD. I did not have to pay for the parts, as I still own a valid DELL warranty. However, the shipment of the parts to Lithuania took around 1,5 months. So, for almost two months I was left with a crippled laptop.

My second replacement screen is also beginning to wobble. And it will surely break, as it approaches its three month service lifecycle :(

Once again, I will have to:
1. Pay extra to get the laptop fixed.
2. Wait 1,5 month for the parts to arrive, as they cannot be ordered if the laptop isn't broken. Therefore, I will once again be left with a crippled computer.

I hold been using this laptop only for six months. It is the most expensive laptop I've ever purchased. And has caused the most problems by far.

DELL has done nothing to improve the design of the machine and is simply waiting for the warranties of users to expire.

DO NOT BUY THIS! They should take out this model, I cannot believe they are still selling it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome computer, a few tiny problems October 5, 2010
First off, I'd like to say that this computer defies what I think of as a "gaming" computer. It's so small, so light, and has such a long battery life, that I am literally contained by awe. I got this machine back in April, and let me tell you, it is sickkk!

Pros:
Very fast. Don't let ghz fool you, this was road snappier than my HP 2.0ghz AMD Turion X-2 laptop.
Light and small: It's smaller than my textbooks, but oh so much more powerful!
Long battery life: Usually I sit in the morning and have it surfing for breakfast, full brightness, playing music, and it estimates the remaining battery to be about 6 hrs. If I tone down brightness and turn off the tunes, it gets to roughly speaking 7.5 hours.
Graphics are fantastic: FN+F6 and this baby cuts through WoW like butter. The Sims 3 is fluid, Borderlands flies, and I can get through Just Cause 2 with a few tiny hiccups. I love it. And I often output to my 32" TV on HDMI, and it still races.
Ridiculous looks from people who haven't seen an alienware in party: They stare in awe usually, then, even though they obviously know, ask "is that an alienware?" This is when you get to put on your snide smirk and say "Why yes, yes it is." This makes them extremely jealous. And you get satisfaction.

Not-So-Goods:
My hinge busted. Yes, this seems to be a common problem with these little bad boys. Luckily, Dell sent me a box to send it back in, and I am going to get it repaired for free.
Sometimes the lights go epileptic: Yeah, sometimes my lighting hatch up seems like it can't decide what it's doing, so it flashes from one color to the next until i open the Command Center and change the colors. Mild annoyance.
Sometimes it won't boot out of sleep mode, it just sits at the screen with the flashing _ : So I only reboot. Still annoying.

Overall, I'd HIGHLY recommend this laptop if you're like me: A college student that needs a computer for school, and likes to get his game on when not studying. 9/10, if it weren't for these damned hinges, it would be 10/10.

5.0 out of 5 stars Alienware m11x June 24, 2010
I received it yesterday. Works awesome. But I was really looking forward to the red lights as in adjectives the pictures but it came with blue lights. I just wanted to let folks know that lights are blue not red as shown in all the pictures. For the color selection and other options you must decree directly from Dell or Alienware. Not serious enough to send back, I was just disapointed with the color change. Also has 4gb RAM.. not mentioned surrounded by specs that I could find... It is fast with long batt life..

Updated review: Program included to customize all lights is awesome.. Changed my rating from 4 to 5.. great little notebook win7 home prem, x64sys



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