Alienware M11x R2: A Legend Reborn

A Worthy Update to the Original, but Not Quite Perfect

By now it should be clear that there's plenty to like with the M11x R2. It upgrades some of the most important areas relative to the original, and with Optimus in place of switchable graphics we no longer have to worry about a lack of driver updates. If you're after a small gaming laptop, there simply aren't any other compelling options right now. ASUS may change that in the near future (we've heard rumblings of a U30Jc type laptop with a faster GPU), but if you want a 13.3" or smaller laptop that can play any current game at medium details and 1366x768, there are only two options: M11x or the Sony VAIO VPCZ122GX we mentioned in the intro.

Since the GT 335M appears to be the limiting factor in gaming performance from our test results, the reasons to get the VAIO over the M11x are pretty simple. First, you may simply prefer the Sony design/aesthetics. Second, the 1600x900 default LCD on the VAIO is one item the M11x could really use; we don't know if it's a higher contrast panel or not, but the added resolution would be nice for Windows work—though gaming at 1600x900 will tax the GT 335M, let alone a lower clocked GT 330M. Third, you might want to get a laptop with an optical drive—how Sony gets a DVDR into a 13.1", 3 lbs. laptop while the 4.4 lbs. M11x goes without is a question for the philosophers. Finally, you may prefer the significantly faster i5-520M over the ULV i7-640UM. The catch is that like the original M11x, the VAIO uses switchable graphics, so driver updates are dubious at best. Oh, and while the VAIO includes RAID SSDs, the cost is $500 more than the M11x R2 we're reviewing.

Given the above list, there's no clear choice between those two laptops, but we'll side with Alienware for now if only because we prefer Optimus, driver updates, and the lower price. The list of areas where the M11x R2 falls short mirrors the above VAIO comparison. Our biggest complain—by far!—is the lackluster LCD. If Alienware had used a good panel with a high contrast ratio (and would it be too much to ask for a matte coating?), we'd be looking at a Gold Editors' Choice award. A DX11 capable GPU would be great as well, but there's no option that fills that role unless we give up Optimus or wait for the midrange NVIDIA DX11 parts to launch. It would also be nice if battery life hadn't dropped 10-25%, but perhaps that's just the sacrifice we have to make for going with Arrandale ULV.

So that gives us a few items for the M11x R3 update, whenever that comes—or for a competing product from one of the other laptop companies. First, the LCD has got to go. This chassis is big enough that if you get rid of the large bezel, a 1440x900 13.3" panel should easily fit in here. Make it a high contrast, matte LCD and I'd be in heaven. Second, GT 335M is good for 1366x768 and medium to high detail DX10 gaming. What we'd really like is something that can add DX11 to the mix at the native LCD resolution and at least medium detail. The HD 5650 at 550MHz is clearly faster than the GT 335M, but without Optimus it's difficult to recommend for an ultraportable. NVIDIA will likely push out mobile variants of the GF104/GF106 this fall, and perhaps one of those will fit the bill, but power requirements need to stay in check. Also, if we get the 1440x900 or 1600x900 panel we desire, we'd need closer to HD 5730 or GTS 350M levels of performance. While we're making changes, add in USB 3.0, dump the Fast Ethernet and give us Gigabit, and figure out a way to get eSATA and ExpressCard in there for good measure. Last, we'd like to keep pricing closer to $1000.

One of the things Acer, ASUS, and others have shown is that mass-producing a laptop and eliminating component choices can help keep prices in check. Look at the ASUS G73Jh, which packs in twice as much RAM and twice as much HDD space as the competition, along with an HD 5870, and it comes with a price tag of close to $1500. A custom Clevo W870CU with similar components will run a whopping $1900 or more! Allowing a buyer to customize the components is a nice feature, but if you choose good components to begin with it may not be necessary. If the M11x R2 only shipped with 4GB DDR3, a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, Bluetooth, and an i7-640UM—basically our test configuration—but got the price down $100 or more, it's unlikely people would miss the ability to upgrade. There's an original M11x SKU at Best Buy for $899 that takes that approach, but you can get it just as cheap direct from Alienware. Economies of scale are supposed to reduce prices, and while the Fast Track M11x R2 saves you $20 (the cost of the Bluetooth module) it's not really a bargain.

As it stands, the M11x comes up just short of providing everything we'd like, but it definitely deserves an award. For putting together the smallest and most potent gaming laptop we've seen, with only minor compromises, we're pleased to award the Alienware M11x R2 our Silver Editor's Choice award. Alienware has packed roughly the same performance as the initial Gateway FX P-7831 notebook into a 13" chassis that weighs half as much and provides three times the battery life. Until we get faster midrange DX11 graphics with Optimus (or an AMD equivalent), this is as good as ultraportable gaming gets. If you prefer slightly more battery life and you want switchable graphics under Linux, however, the original M11x can still satisfy your needs.