Gaming laptop; Alienware M15x vs MSI GX660R

[Deleted]

Hey,

So I need some laptop tech savvy people to help decide between these two laptops. They are both second hand, as buying a new one of either of these is out of the budget(£500) I've got at the moment. Games played on it will be BFBC2, SWTOR/GW2 and BF3.

Specs of both below.

Alienware M15x R2 (1 year old)
i7 720QM @1.6Ghz
8GB DDR3 RAM @ 1333Mhz
ATI 5870m
500GB HDD
1080p 15.1"

MSI GX660R (3months old)
i5 460m
6GB DDR3 RAM
ATI 5870
1TB HDD (2x500GB Raid 0)
1900x1080 15.6"

I need a laptop purely for gaming when I'm away from home, these are the only two I've found to be within my price range (For now - Ebay), they're both currently sitting at ~£300 on ebay. I know the M15x boasts a better CPU.

Which one is actually a better buy in terms of gaming, I've read reviews on both, and all say the MSI is a lower build quality and wrose customer service, but I've not had experience with either manufacturer. People also say it's easier to upgrade a Alienware laptop.

Anyone got any insight (If you own either ++) on which I should look to go for.

My only other option is to play a waiting game on ebay to see if I can grab something else cheaper, since there are no Asus or Sager laptops on.

[Arslay]

The MSI GX 660R:

Theoretically double HDD speed (50% in reality)
You won't need the extra RAM

MX15x R2

Better CPU
More RAM (arguable, won't be used probably)
Looks sick

[vesseblah]

Alienware if you're into 25-man raids, MSI if not.

[Deleted]

Alienware if you're into 25-man raids, MSI if not.

Humm I probably should of mentioned that. Games played on it will be BFBC2, SWTOR/GW2 and BF3. So I'd preferably like to be able to run them at good frame rates, high settings for MMO's and low/medium for the FPS'.

[vesseblah]

MMOs benefit from better CPU, raiding more than solo play content. So I guess the Alienware would suit your needs better.

One thing to take into consideration is that year old laptop battery might be nearing it's last day depending on how much it's been used. That will be another £50 minimum to replace if you want to use it on battery power.

[Arslay]

By the way, BF3 will use Hyperthreading quite well!

[Buryit]

Alien-fail is a dell and I would avoid it at all costs.

[Arslay]

Brand flaming is against rules =P They both cost the same and are secondhand... soooooooooo, customer service is the only difference.

[Deleted]

MMOs benefit from better CPU, raiding more than solo play content. So I guess the Alienware would suit your needs better.

One thing to take into consideration is that year old laptop battery might be nearing it's last day depending on how much it's been used. That will be another £50 minimum to replace if you want to use it on battery power.

It will be plugged in 24/7 when it's actually been used, I just need to be able to take it around with me.

That's the only down side to the Alienware, 1 year old, I can't find any M14x cheap on ebay.

---------- Post added 2011-08-16 at 11:34 PM ----------

Brand flaming is against rules =P They both cost the same and are secondhand... soooooooooo, customer service is the only difference.

I've read that Dell customer service is second to none, next day pick up etc, whereas MSI is crap, people say I'd have to get it shipped to the US for a repair etc.

Alien-fail is a dell and I would avoid it at all costs.

Why is it fail?

[vesseblah]

Yeah, Dell has supposedly great customer service. Whole another thing is will they service also second-hand computers. They might not if it has been registered to previous owner already, but no clue about that really.

Two more things that might be relevant is that the year old Alienware will certainly have more dust/shit inside blocking fans, which means it might have overheating problems earlier than the MSI if it's hard to clean. And in the same vein as the MSI has desktop GPU it will heat up whole lot more, and/or weight whole lot more because of bigger heatsink. Desktop GPU will also suck battery dry faster which will limit that laptop's usability on battery power if ever needed.

[ispano]

If it's like my Dell U3011, you can transfer the warranty to the new owner.

The MSI also has a laptop GPU, not a desktop GPU vess. It's a mobility 5870, likely the same model as the AW

[Deleted]

i just found this also on ebay. A "brand new" M14x (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alienware-...item1e6633c571)

It's on at £500, which seems abit weird for one if it is brand new, considering their double that on the Dell site. Though it doesn't have a quad core, it's got an i5 2410m and a GT555m.

I'm assuming the M15x is still the better laptop?

[Thes]

Alien-fail is a dell and I would avoid it at all costs.

Dell is a decent brand, what you on about?

[conqq]

Dell is a decent brand, what you on about?

The fact that it isn't.

[Bonel]

Speaking as an owner of an alienware and loving my machine, i can give you a few things to think about before you purchase.

1. They are extremly heavy ( i think my M17XR2 is about 4-6kg ) so having them sit in your lap can be an issue ( not to mention it will burn your legs off ), due to this fact, they tend to become Desktop Laptops
2. The battery on them ( even when new ) lasts for possibly 90 mins
3. They are very noisy due to the fact most have dual GPU's so it requires an extra fan. ( in your case though, i think yours is a single GPU )

As far as the service from Dell, i have been extremly happy with mine ( and as a poster previously mentioned, the service from Dell was Excellent )

I had some issues with my GPU's on arrival, i have dual GTX285M's in my m17, but the SLI cable was not attached during the build phase, also had a small issue with the PC freezing and the inbuilt mic not working, but i contacted them on a Monday and i had a dell rep in my house replacing both GPU's, my screen ( to fix the inbuilt mic ) and giving it a general service ( not that it needed it, was maybe 1 weeks old ) by Thursday the same week.

Now, i work for Defence and we have a contract with Dell, you cannot even get a dell rep to us in 4 days and im sure we're paying a lot more than the laptop costs

Seems they care more about the individual customer than the defence, or maybe its purely becuase One is an Alienware product and the other is Dell.

You Choose

[ispano]

I think the term used nowadays is notebook for normal laptops and i've seen Desknote thrown around for ones like mine and the other large gaming laptops. No modern notebook should be used on the lap except for the lower power ones that put off very little heat. especially if the vents are on the bottom.

[Merciless]

MMOs benefit from better CPU, raiding more than solo play content. So I guess the Alienware would suit your needs better.

One thing to take into consideration is that year old laptop battery might be nearing it's last day depending on how much it's been used. That will be another £50 minimum to replace if you want to use it on battery power.

Good advice about the battery even if he is gonna leave it plugged in.

[vesseblah]

i just found this also on ebay. A "brand new" M14x (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alienware-...item1e6633c571)

It's on at £500, which seems abit weird for one if it is brand new, considering their double that on the Dell site. Though it doesn't have a quad core, it's got an i5 2410m and a GT555m.

I'm assuming the M15x is still the better laptop?

Just because it's totally new, this is most likely your best bet. It will be also lighter, have a working battery etc. and not much weaker GPU.

But all things considered there's a high possibility somebody stole it in the riots and if you ever try to get Dell service for it you might end up in jail. That's why it's so damn cheap.

[Deleted]

Just because it's totally new, this is most likely your best bet. It will be also lighter, have a working battery etc. and not much weaker GPU.

But all things considered there's a high possibility somebody stole it in the riots and if you ever try to get Dell service for it you might end up in jail. That's why it's so damn cheap.

I actually never thought of that, but now you've mentioned it, it could be true. The seller says they got it from the Dell online store, but I've sent some questions about it, since it was only put on for a 1 day listing.