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 Alienware Area-51 m15x, M15X Smart Bay Battery+HDD Kit Post #212

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TSstringfellow
post Dec 8 2008, 11:43 PM

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Excellent! Order made less than 2 hours ago, and already responded over!

QUOTE
Dear Stringfellow,

Your Order#:1104887 was received.

Item(s) Ordered:
      [Item:M15X ADDITIONAL 6 CELL SMARTBAY BATTERY SILVER-PNT, Qty:1]

      [Item:M15X SMARTBAY ADDITIONAL HDD KIT-SILVER-PNT, Qty:1]


That, and a written response!

QUOTE
Dear Sir,

Thanks for your reply.

The order number for the items is 1104887 and we will bill your card of 96.41€. You will not be able to follow the order status but the order should be shipped this week as we will bill your card today. You will receive an automatic email with the DHL tracking number as soon as your order will be shipped.

For the M15X hard drive kit, this is only the kit without the hard drive inside and the items are all available.

Best regards

Claire SAILLY
Corporate Sales / GCBD EMEA
Government Corporate Business Division
Alienware Ltd.
Free Phone: 0800-279 9751
International Phone: 00 353-906-456-500
Fax: 00 353-906-486-967
www.alienware.co.uk
Email: corporate_sales@alienware.co.uk

If you have any comments or feedback on our service or products you have received from Alienware, please send them to feedback@alienware.co.uk. We welcome all of your input as feedback that can help us improve the quality of our support.
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
Alienware Limited is registered in Ireland. Company Registration Number: 361662
Registered address: 30 Herbert Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
The content of this email and any attachment may contain proprietary and confidential information. It is intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this message by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.
So far, all my queries, from things as small as the version of Command Center, to issues like hinge problems and orders such as these, have been answered all within 48 hours. In the case of this order, less than 2 hours! I know there are reports from the Notebookreview forums about Alienware letting things hanging for days on queries, but none in my case. Maybe if you ask them nicely and word them properly, you'd get them to respond promptly? Just like in real life, talking to people nicely, and you'll get proper answers. tongue.gif

Can't wait for the battery and HDD enclosure! rclxm9.gif

TSstringfellow
post Dec 8 2008, 11:46 PM

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QUOTE(mych @ Dec 8 2008, 09:27 PM)
the 2 removable bays for batt and CD looks very similar to Dell's Latitudes.. wonder if they are the same..
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A couple of the guys at Notebookreview forum commented the same too, but so far none has come up with the response on checking them together. Nobody had the Latitude and Area-51 together I guess. tongue.gif
TSstringfellow
post Dec 9 2008, 01:38 AM

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And I'm sure their answer would be no, since it is not utilising the approved Alienware accessory. If you do choose to use the Latitude Smart Bay batteries, and something happens, warranty will not be covered.
TSstringfellow
post Dec 9 2008, 02:07 AM

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User-upgradable. So does the HDD. Chose the 4GB by myself, lazy want to open up and screw around. It's a long way from Dublin. tongue.gif

In fact, the graphic card and in some cases, the processor is user-upgradable as well, provided you get the cards/processor from Alienware. They have this special component identifier that is need to match up before they can run. However, at Notebookreview forum, there have been several successful attempts by members there at buying components themselves at cheaper price and emulating the identifier to make these component run in the Alienware. Of course, they do this at their own risk.
TSstringfellow
post Dec 9 2008, 02:47 PM

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Boss, you did it at Alienware US or Alienware UK? I did it at www.alienware.co.uk and I still get the figure I paid for. Alienware US may be cheaper due to their aggresive pricing, but they don't ship outside continental US.

You sure you configured it as according to my specs, or are you tAlking about other competing brands?
TSstringfellow
post Dec 14 2008, 09:40 AM

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Where's the guy who asked about the RM6K Alienware? Gone and hide already? Meow?
TSstringfellow
post Dec 15 2008, 01:31 PM

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Okay, just received the M15X Smart Bay 6-Cell Battery as well as the empty Smart Bay HDD Kit. The KDD enclosure is already fitted with a 500GB WD 5400rpm SATA notebook HDD, and registers a 465GB space free. Am currently charging the battery, the charging process charges the main battery first before trickle-charging the Smart Bay battery. Pictures, and screenshots of battery life to come, with the MINIMUM battery life would be around 7 (yes, SEVEN!) hours! Now, which gaming laptop has that much battery endurance again? biggrin.gif

Pics to come!
TSstringfellow
post Dec 15 2008, 05:14 PM

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user posted image

user posted image

user posted image


The three Smart Bay accessories. Left is the Blu-ray Writer, center is the HDD Kit fitted with 500GB 5400rpm SATA notebook HDD, and the right is the 6-cell battery.

Battery indicator with blue LEDs. The three Smart Bay accessories stacked on top of each other.

Not calibrated, the battery already gives 6hrs 8 minutes at 96% capacity. Calibration will only happen later once I'm in Adelaide. It will take mucb time to drain the power completely and recharging it back again.

Price? EU97. A gaming laptop with 6 hours battery endurance? Priceless! biggrin.gif The best thing about all this? It all stays INSIDE the SAME chassis, no overbloating of extended batteries and all. Awesome!

EDIT: Pictures of battery life to come, the screenshots upload does not come out as it should. Stay tuned!

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Dec 15 2008, 05:16 PM
TSstringfellow
post Dec 16 2008, 06:03 AM

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Will do. Just arrived in Adelaide. Need to take a breather, didn't sleep the whole night working to come here.

Even if the connectors are the same, would the dimension of the Smart Bay enclosure be the same too? If we could find Dell's spec-ed dimensions of the Latitude Smart Bay against Alienware's, that may decide once and for all if they are interchangable.

I'm intrigued as well, since if these fit, I can simply order from Dell, instead of having to call up Claire in Dublin.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 7 2009, 01:26 PM

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QUOTE(Enigmare @ Jan 6 2009, 05:45 PM)
Lawl, insane lappie at insane price... Hey stringfellow, how's the value for money for you in terms of build quality?

From your 212th post, the wrist pad area seems plasticky, or isit just the pictures?
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Alienware compensated with the build quality, they traded off metal enclosures to save up on weight. It is easy to look at the material and simply say "Plastic!" since anything that resembles or looks like plastic , people will always claim it as plastic. The chassis is built using mylar composite, not plastic, otherwise the heat from the exhaust of the 8800M GTX would have melted the vents off. The bad part of that wrist pad area is that the trackpad is also built using the same material, so the only way you can identify whether your fingers are gliding on the trackpad area or not is to glance at it, not by feel(since the trackpad area feels the same as the wrist pad area).

The philosophy with purchasing Alienware is "always go for the best , or dont go there at all", so if you plan to skimp on things, might as well stick with the local brands. So the "value for money" statement does not apply for Alienware, it is after all a boutique brand. Same reason why people dont associate "value for money" with Louis Vuitton or Hermes.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 7 2009, 05:24 PM

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QUOTE(Enigmare @ Jan 7 2009, 04:15 PM)
Lawl...Well said, but honestly if I were to pay for that price, I'd expect excellent feel for the materials, and plastic (or mylar as you've said) would not be something nice to feel... I think so far only HP puts importance in that, in the sense that their lappies have that metallic feel to them, which can be seen in their DV series.

About your lappie, it's full hd right? Can it match Sony's full hd lappies in terms of video quality when you run a blu-ray movie on it? If possible, do post some benchmark shots here, thanks!
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Imagine a metal chassis, and the damn thing is already 3.8kg heavy. I am not willing to break my back just to be able to game on the go. I'll stick with these synthetics, thank you very much.

Yes, it is Full HD, in fact it went above Full HD. Full HD is 1920x1080, the m15x is 1920x1200, so it is not 1080p it is 1200p. As for video quality, I am not content of watching this on a 15 inch screen with it comes to enjoying Blu-rays, so whatever advantage a screen has, at this small a size, that advanatge is rendered moot. Benchmarks? I have them posted somewhere on this thread, they are links to benchmarks done with latest games. Do dig them out if you feel up to it.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 14 2009, 01:55 AM

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QUOTE(subrok007 @ Jan 13 2009, 03:20 PM)
bro wat about shipping to KL after they shipped out frm UK?  direct go to LCCT to collect o just waiting at home?
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Collect at home. Alienware Dublin ships it using DHL, no other shipping options. I only had to rectify their earlier mistake of listing down the invoice as parts list, rather than just "laptop" or "portable computer".
TSstringfellow
post Jan 14 2009, 05:18 PM

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Neither of these two companies ship outside US. If I do purchase from them, I'd have to use a package forwarding service that would cost more than just "a bomb". tongue.gif
TSstringfellow
post Jan 27 2009, 01:47 AM

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QUOTE(22 @ Jan 23 2009, 09:47 PM)
Love the whole Ripley chassis look, classy indeed (Personally didn't like the skullcap design). BTW, there's a proprietary command control included with every Alienware laptop, yes? Any chance you'll post screenshots of it? I've always love how things could be configured via a central command control, much like an advanced command center.

I totally love how Alienware tries to integrate Alien terms with their laptops, makes it sound sleek and looks more so too. The smart bay kicks ass too, portability and flexibility.

Lastly, do you plan on getting GTA 4? Would like to see some benchmarks on that.
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Post #162 details everything on the Alienware Command Center. Linky here if you want to jump there quick:-

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/824011/+160

I avoided the Ripley chassis because of the alarming number of that chassis experiencing hinge failures, and not the Skullcap's. I'm both a fan of minimalisticness and in-your-face designs, hence the MBA and the M15X. Plain-janes looks are not my cup of tea, no matter how much power is under the hood.

Of all the next-gen games I'm playing right now, I still go back to the very one game that manages to captivate me for hours on end, Civilization 4! laugh.gif I can stay awake the whole day playing this, and still not get bored. tongue.gif

Unfortunately, I've already got GTAIV on PS3, so I'm not inclined to get a copy for the Alienware.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 27 2009, 03:39 PM

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QUOTE(22 @ Jan 27 2009, 09:51 AM)
Sweeet, especially with the AlienFX lighting system, that's something. BTW, about the chassis design, I got confused between the two, what I meant to say was that I prefer the skullcap, the one with the gills, instead the ripley, that looks bland.

A fan of Sid Meier I see..Well, I sometimes find myself and a bunch of buddies playing starcraft in a free-for-all. Love it even though years have passed.

Ah... was looking for a benchmark on a system like yours. Well, since you already have the console version, don't see the point in going through the trouble of getting the pc version, especially since many have been complaining about the poor porting (not that I actually experienced it hands-on) and the fact that you can't just pop it in and play. That's the beauty of console, yes?
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Yup. The AlienFX lighting is something alright. I've mentioned earlier, the AlienFX lighting system even designates hits from bullets on your favourite FPSes if you want, with red flickers on your keyboard backlights, or incoming emails with other lighting colors as well. AlienSense however, needs ample lighting condition for it to do facial recognition, otherwise you still have to log in the old way. You can also set AlienSense to "sense" your presence by continuously monitoring you while you're working. Should you move out of the vicinity of the field of vision of the webcam, AlienSense automatically log you out, effective locking out other people from using your Alienware. All this, without even the need to lift a finger. wink.gif

Surprisingly, I love Civilization IV only, not the two expansions. I always tend to go for Cultural or Tech/Knowledge-based victories, I'd like to try more on getting on the bad side of the other empires and get offensive on their asses. tongue.gif Or tech-research fast enough to build the SS and get off this stinkin' planet. laugh.gif

AS for benchmarking GTAIV, I dont mind doing it for you, as long as you supply the game. tongue.gif And yup, that's the beauty of consoles, pop it in, and play. I'd leave games better suited playing with a controller on a console, while FPSes and RTSes on the Alienware.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 27 2009, 04:45 PM

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I cant carry "an extreme rig" on my back, can I?
TSstringfellow
post Jan 28 2009, 12:53 AM

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QUOTE(22 @ Jan 28 2009, 12:30 AM)
Biometrics huh, fingerprint detection is one thing, facial recognition? Now that's rare around here. What's more, the lighting system is even far out, a backlit keyboard is impressive enough, but one that can be profiled to flicker accordingly? wow....just wow.. I've always visited Alienware's website to check out the laptops they're selling, but seriously, I'm thinking that their description do their gadgets no justice. That, or I missed out reading the details.
sigh... it's been a long time since I touched a console, was thinking of buying a next-gen platform, but I don't know if I'll make good use of it. Though, honestly? MGS 4 is probably reason enough for me to buy a PS3
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Facial recognition login isnt new, and not exclusive to Alienware. Lenovo/IBM had that for their enterprise class laptops before.

I know you're on a high on Alienware right now, but time to get you back on solid ground. tongue.gif There has been reports on shoddy customer service, either from the European side, or across the Atlantic.It's a total gamble really, but in my case, I've been treated like a premium customer from the start, so my first impressions have been positive so far. There had been cases where the Phase-jumping had been so excessive and build-process period had been so long, buyers actually had to wait up to 1.5 months to get their unit built, and when something goes wrong, up to almost 3 months before any news was hear from the troubleshooting side. Pretty grim/ugly indeed. You can try look up the Notebookreview.com forums for all these horror stories. I took my chances and fate has been kind on me so far. *touchwood + cross fingers*

If you go where the games are, you'll never go wrong with which console choice you're gonna make. If budget is tight, choose whichever console that has the most games you want to play, otherwise spread the love to as many consoles you can afford. I dont I need to reiterate on the pros and cons of the three consoles choices, I'm sure you'll find that out in your research later. Personally, IMO, you can never go wrong with the PS3. Even when the games dries up, it is an excellent Blu-ray player and media entertainment center.
TSstringfellow
post Jan 29 2009, 02:41 AM

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QUOTE(3536837 @ Jan 28 2009, 07:48 PM)
that was my dreaming lappy T.T....

btw , how long the battery can last long ?
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3 hours + on the supplied battery, double that , close to 7hrs when you slot in the Smart Bay battery module. This laptop halves its power when on battery, since the 8800M GTX is so power-hungry. If it is not on AC, the system drops down to 1.6Ghz on the processor side, and switches to BinaryGFX onto the integrated Intel AGP. Those figures I gave was when they are on those settings.

QUOTE(ir1z @ Jan 28 2009, 08:51 PM)
congrats on ur purchase mate......though while i was in UK couldnt afford that so stayed with a dell inspiriron 9600(maxed version spec) though at the time  almost 2 years ago cost like 1000+++++ pound sterling.....

p/s: could never agree more with ur opinion of sager which is one heck of a gamers lappie but very primitive finishing.

Heck but urs is denitely out of the world. But hey if u like it who cares rite......rock on mate
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user posted image


Yup, personally I'd rather have the laptop LOOK the part when it HAS the part. You dont see supercars built to look like a Yugo. tongue.gif


QUOTE(22 @ Jan 29 2009, 12:17 AM)
I've heard about all the complaints, but I guess that there's surely a lemon in everything, never could be perfect, at least that's my thought. In fact, there's this one guy that returned his m15x because of some software problem, said guy was agitated, can't blame him though, I'm sure anyone who's paying a premium price for the laptop actually expect a premium quality assurance instead of just a quality check.
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I dont blame him. For the amount he paid, he is entitled to nitpick to the very last little detail. I nit and picked myself, and my queries were satisfied in a timely manner. Only then did I dropped the dough to get one.

As with all evolving technology, the 8800M GTX/9800M GTS will soon be rendered obsolete.......well, not entirely obsolete, but no longer top of the line anyway. The new ATI 48xx Mobility versions will soon be inside the innards of the new Alienwares, so exciting times ahead. biggrin.gif
TSstringfellow
post Jan 30 2009, 12:27 AM

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Running fine, thanks. What temperatures are you you looking for? CPU? System? GPU?

Under normal load:-

CPU 60-63C, System 62C, GPU 72C

Under stress, after running Crysis:-

CPU 81-85C, System 79C, GPU 89-97C
TSstringfellow
post Jan 30 2009, 01:00 AM

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Crysis tend to bring that warm passionate feeling out of any computer. laugh.gif

I'm not particularly alarmed though. There had been cases of M15X sustaining temps up to 105C on the GPU side and still running pretty. These cases are reported on Notebookreview.com forums.

The surroundings? Depends. Those reading was last taken while I had the thermostat on 25C while I was in my room in Germany.

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