Alienware or Dell XPS?

echoindia756

Ok, i'm planning on buying a gaming laptop but I can't decide whether to buy the Alienware Area 51 M9750 or the Dell XPS M1710.

The Alienware would be configured with the following:

17" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD with Clearview Technology
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Premium
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7200 2.0GHz 4MB Cache 667MHz FSB
512MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Single Drive Configuration: 160GB Serial ATA 5,400 RPM Hybrid Drive w/ 256MB flash memory



Total Including VAT and Delivery: €1999.17

The Dell XPS M1710 would be configured with the following:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7400 Processor (2.16GHz,667MHz,4MB L2 cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium - English
17.0" UltraSharp™ Wide Screen WUXGA (1920x1200) TFT Display with TrueLife™
512MB DDR3 nVidia® GeForce™ Go 7950 GTX graphics card
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive



Total Including VAT and Delivery: €1929.00 (On Offer until 29th) The usual price is: €2049.00

So, what do you think I should buy? I know the Dell XPS is better but I want a balance of three things: excellent build quality, excellent performance and excellent looking.

Cheers,
EI756.:cool:

Sephiroth_dude

GO for the xps id say,i have one of them with similar specs to the one you posted except i have 1 gig of ram,and i've had no problems with it really,tis a good laptop of the 2 laptops,the dell has the better specs,have no experience of alienware but there suppose varly powerful laptops,oh and keep in mind if you do decide to go with dell,theres a delay with them shipping laptops well there was anyway for the last for wks not sure if its still there,anyway that my 2cents but do let us know which one you go for

dulpit

The alienware looks great... *drool*

That's what i'd go with...

AlmightyCushion

I'd go with the xps. I think it looks better and it's got a better processor.

echoindia756

It's a hard decision, hmmm, the Alienware looks great, here's another picture of the keypad area:



Now does that look good or what? Those controls near the screen are touch sensitive by the way. Here's the XPS's keypad:



I think the Alienware looks better, the only downside to it is the resolution compared to the XPS, and the processor, but it's only 160MHz slower, that doesn't really count, does it? :rolleyes:
I'm going to wait and see about more replies, then it'll be time to decide. I'll let you know my decision:D

Thanks for the replies.

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

I think the Alienware looks better, the only downside to it is the resolution compared to the XPS, and the processor, but it's only 160MHz slower, that doesn't really count, does it? :rolleyes:

well ya it does make a difference,the faster the processor the better,your gonna be able to play better games,how much is it for 2.16 processor with alienware?

echoindia756

Sephiroth_dude wrote:

well ya it does make a difference,the faster the processor the better,your gonna be able to play better games,how much is it for 2.16 processor with alienware?

Well maybe I could overclock the Alienware. Anyway, to get the 2.16GHz, it's an extra €203 which is a ridiculous price imo. Overclocking is an option here but at the same time I don't want to drain the battery. The Dell XPS is much better value, bigger res, faster proc.

Lord Oz

The XPS is better, the screen alone is worth it. I have one and it rocks.

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

Well maybe I could overclock the Alienware. Anyway, to get the 2.16GHz, it's an extra €203 which is a ridiculous price imo. Overclocking is an option here but at the same time I don't want to drain the battery. The Dell XPS is much better value, bigger res, faster proc.

hmm thats alot alright......man you have one tuff decision on your hands :P

AlmightyCushion

All right looks wise I don't know which I'd go for now. The dell looks better from the outside but the keypad area of the alienware looks better than the dell. I'd still go with the dell overall though given the better specs.

echoindia756

Lord Oz wrote:

The XPS is better, the screen alone is worth it. I have one and it rocks.

Is it the same spec as I have above? Also can you tell me what the battery is like and how long it took to deliver? And in general, was it a good buy?

WellyJ

It's a no brainer to be honest,

The Dell is technically better, cheaper,

Much better screen.

Looks wise they are about even.

Dell all the way.

echoindia756

Ok, guys I think it's going to be the Dell XPS M1710. They also have much better warranty service etc. So the Dell it is.
Thanks for the replies.

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

Is it the same spec as I have above? Also can you tell me what the battery is like and how long it took to deliver? And in general, was it a good buy?

I have a xps and my specs are similar to yours,except i have 1 gig of ram your getting two,i got it last december,ordered it on a monday had it by thursday,and ya im happy with it,id say go for it the battery is alright it'll last between 2-3 hrs its depends on what tasks your doing,but it wont last long if your playing games (but maybe thats just mine:rolleyes: )

Lord Oz

echoindia756 wrote:

Is it the same spec as I have above? Also can you tell me what the battery is like and how long it took to deliver? And in general, was it a good buy?

The spec was more or less the same, I bought it a year ago so it had a 7900gtx instead of a 7950gtx. Battery life isn't too bad, maybe 2.5 to 3 hours with wireless and high brightness. Delivery was only a few days. It's been a great machine and I'm playing Bioshock on full at 1920x1200 with it.
You might want to wait for this though :http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/23/dell-m1730-gets-confirmed-specs-and-release-date/

AlmightyCushion

Lord Oz wrote:

You might want to wait for this though :http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/23/dell-m1730-gets-confirmed-specs-and-release-date/

The graphics card isn't as good as the one he's getting now. Processor is better though.

Lord Oz

AlmightyCushion wrote:

The graphics card isn't as good as the one he's getting now. Processor is better though.

The graphics are SLI.

AlmightyCushion

Lord Oz wrote:

The graphics are SLI.

It doesn't say that anywhere on the site. Even still 2 graphics cards are not always better than 1.

Lord Oz

AlmightyCushion wrote:

It doesn't say that anywhere on the site. Even still 2 graphics cards are not always better than 1.

Sorry that page is a little outdated, I saw it here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/dells-xps-m1730-gets-more-specs-more-pics/

AlmightyCushion

Lord Oz wrote:

Sorry that page is a little outdated, I saw it here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/dells-xps-m1730-gets-more-specs-more-pics/

Ah right. Cheers for that. I'd still say a 7950gtx would out perform 2 8700gt's. Plus it would use less power and create less heat I'd imagine. Can't wait for them to make 8800 mobile parts.

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

Ok, guys I think it's going to be the Dell XPS M1710. They also have much better warranty service etc. So the Dell it is.
Thanks for the replies.

good choice!:) i just hope it does'nt get delayed :eek: like everyones elses xps :rolleyes:

Creamy Goodness

just so you know dell = alienware. same company.

AlmightyCushion

Cremo wrote:

just so you know dell = alienware. same company.

Not necessarily. Dell own alienware. They may still be different in terms of build quality and so on.

echoindia756

Yes, I know Dell own Alienware - that's a good thing. Just so all you guys know, i'm not a noob, lol. I've built computers, built websites etc, and as you've probably guessed, i'm a gamer.
Sephiroith dude, how long are these delays taking?

Sephiroth_dude

Not sure really,it can vary,depends on what machine you get,they had a shortage of lcd screens and most orders were delayed by up to 6wks,i dunno what the story is now though I think they might have sorted it out,id say ring them up and ask them.

echoindia756

Good idea. I'll do that.

Sephiroth_dude

And I see your going with vista are ya over xp :P?

jamieh

Sephiroth_dude wrote:

Not sure really,it can vary,depends on what machine you get,they had a shortage of lcd screens and most orders were delayed by up to 6wks,i dunno what the story is now though I think they might have sorted it out,id say ring them up and ask them.

Dell XPS M1330....

Ordered: 05/07/07
Delivery Date: 05/09/07

Enough said....:mad:

WellyJ

jamieh wrote:

Dell XPD M1330....

Ordered: 05/07/07
Delivery Date: 05/07/07

Nuff said....:mad:

Wow, Ordered and delivered on the same day

That's pretty damn impressive from Dell

echoindia756

Sephiroth_dude wrote:

And I see your going with vista are ya over xp :P?

You must be joking! I'll order it with vista, I have XP on disc here so i'll install that on it when I get it. But at least I can install vista on it again if I want....when SP1 comes out and the drivers are as good as the XP drivers.

echoindia756

jamieh wrote:

Dell XPD M1330....

Ordered: 05/07/07
Delivery Date: 05/07/07

Nuff said....:mad:

Wow, that was good! Did you pay extra for delivery?

Sorry for the double post.

jamieh

Sorry lads, that was a typo!!

The delivery date is 2 months after the order date!! And the delivery is due next week.....I wouldn't be surprised if it was pushed back again!!

echoindia756

jamieh wrote:

Sorry lads, that was a typo!!

The delivery date is 2 months after the order date!! And the delivery is due next week.....I wouldn't be surprised if it was pushed back again!!

I was wondering! That explains it.:rolleyes:

AlmightyCushion

Two months. Ouch!

echoindia756

I'm not willing to wait 2 months to be honest, that's ridiculous. Hopefully delivery will only take a week or two now.

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

I'm not willing to wait 2 months to be honest, that's ridiculous. Hopefully delivery will only take a week or two now.

DID you ring them up and ask them if there orders were still being delayed? if you did and they say "no there not being delayed anymore"but then they come back to you a few days later saying "oh sorry but your order has been pushed back 24th of october 2010"id say cancel it :P

Sephiroth_dude

echoindia756 wrote:

You must be joking! I'll order it with vista, I have XP on disc here so i'll install that on it when I get it. But at least I can install vista on it again if I want....when SP1 comes out and the drivers are as good as the XP drivers.

thats a good idea

oh and if you decide to cancel your order with dell and dont want to order from alienware i sugguest you try this site www.rockdirect.com,some decent gaming machines on there.

echoindia756

Sephiroth_dude wrote:

thats a good idea

oh and if you decide to cancel your order with dell and dont want to order from alienware i sugguest you try this site www.rockdirect.com,some decent gaming machines on there.

Don't worry, I haven't ordered it yet, sorry if it came across that way. I'll ring them as soon as I get some credit. Yeah, I heard of the rock direct crowd, I was also looking at them, the Xtreme 770 looks good, there only an option though if Dell aren't going to deliver the XPS M1710 in good time.

Sephiroth_dude

ya cool.Im probbly gonna get my next machine off rock direct or else build a pc :cool: hopefully I wont have to do it for ages though.*looks hopeful*anyway sure let us know how you get on.

legs11

xps for me, i got one and its a little over a year old and not one single break down, built like a tank and with the best kick ass screen in the whole of mankind.

i think the dell xps genII is one of the best laptops ever made......in a nutshell:p

echoindia756

legs11 wrote:

xps for me, i got one and its a little over a year old and not one single break down, built like a tank and with the best kick ass screen in the whole of mankind.

i think the dell xps genII is one of the best laptops ever made......in a nutshell:p

That's great to hear, i'm looking forward to getting it. I'm going to call Dell today to make sure their delivery times are back to normal, if there not, it's going to be either the Rock Direct Xtreme 770 or the Alienware Area 51 M9750, whichever seems better for value but at the moment most people on this forum have recommended the XPS M1710 so that's what i'm going to get. Thanks for all the replies by the way, this is one great forum!
Cheers,
EI756

Sephiroth_dude

no bother bai,were happy to help,keep us up to date on the whole situation.

echoindia756

Ok, I used the online Dell Chat on www.dell.ie to see were their delivery's still being delayed and they said that there is no delays on these systems and delivery will take about 7-10 working days. I can live with that.;) What does everybody else think?

Sephiroth_dude

go for it

petes

I don't think there were any delivery delays on the 1710. I have one since just before Christmas. A beast of a machine. Recommended +1.

Sephiroth_dude

I've had mine since last xmas too,is yours still going strong is it?

legs11

xps = grade A++

you can impress everyone around you for ultimate geekiness too with media player and the xps light show

put on tiesto and sit back.......lol

echoindia756

legs11 wrote:

xps = grade A++

you can impress everyone around you for ultimate geekiness too with media player and the xps light show

put on tiesto and sit back.......lol

Ha ha! That sounds good. Bring on the XPS!:cool:

RoyalMarine

did you get it in time then?
are you happy with it? i ordered mine a week before you.

got it and im in love with it.
dell xps A++ = understatement.

since then ive removed the dvd drive, the hard drive, and the ram.
now ive got 4gb ram
250gb 7200 harddrive
and a lovely blueray drive i picked up on ebay

majiktripp

XPS M170 owner here, 2 replacement motherboards, 2 replacement graphics cards (White screen of death, google it!) and one bluetooth module replaced.
They aint all built like tanks.

RoyalMarine

majiktripp wrote:

XPS M170 owner here, 2 replacement motherboards, 2 replacement graphics cards (White screen of death, google it!) and one bluetooth module replaced.
They aint all built like tanks.

was all that in warranty? what was the problem? and did you have it repaired by dell?