Alienware AM14XR2-6667BK 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

Update 10/1/12:

I removed the optical dvd-rw and put a hard drive caddy, and the caddy + hdd works fine. Below is the amazon link of the caddy I used:

Hard Drive Caddy Tray for Apple Unibody MacBook / MacBook Pro 13 15 17 SuperDrive (Replacement Only)

Now I have the performance of SSD and the capacity of HDD (128Gb Samsung 830 ssd + 500Gb 7200rpm Seagate hdd) :)

Update 9/25/12:

I upgraded my hdd to a Samsung 830 128gb SSD, and the WEI rating for the hard drive jumped from 5.9 to 7.9! This alien is now screaming with performance! Windows bootup and shutdown are very quick now. Right after logging in from cold start, I can open internet explorer and start browsing, with hdd, you have to wait for a few seconds and wait for windows to load up after logging in.

WEI rating:

Processor: 7.6

Memory: 7.6

Graphics: 7.1

Gaming Graphics: 7.1

Primary hard disk: 7.9

My next project is to remove the optical bay and put an hdd caddy together with the original hdd to get more storage space.

Original Review:

I got my M14x directly from Dell (for those who doesn't know, Alienware was acquired by Dell around 2006) so I can make more customization to my system. I also suggest ordering directly from Dell especially if you want to upgrade the processor to i7 instead of i5, and the screen to 900p instead of 720p.

Here are the specs that I got after customization:

Intel Core i7-3610

900p (1600x900) High Def+ screen

Killer wireless-N 1202

6gb DDR3 1600Mhz

500gb 7200rpm

1gb GT 650M DDR5

Personalized Nameplate Trigger

Nebula Red

With these specs compared to Amazon (upgraded processor, screen and wireless card, but downgraded graphics from 2gb to 1gb), I still got mine cheaper. You have to talk/chat to a Dell sales rep to get discounts.. :)

To the review:

Case: Let's admit it, this is one of the reason why we're buying an Alienware system. The unique design is one of the trademarks of Alienware system, be it notebook or desktop. This is my very first alienware system, and I really like it. First look and feel after opening the box is awesome! Even though most parts are plastic, the quality is top notch. Quality and workmanship is hardly matched. The weight is 6.45 lbs and the height is 1.5 in, which is heavy and thick for a 14" notebook, but again, quality is top notch. No problem opening the lid with one hand, thanks to the heavy base unit. The rubbery, gummed surface is really very good, I prefer it than a very shiny plastic surface.

Processor: Intel Core i5-3210 IVY bridge, Intel's third-generation CPUs. If you'll use the laptop more into gaming, this processor is more than enough to play. You won't get more FPS if you upgrade to an i7. i7 is like an icing on top of a cake. However, if you will use it other than gaming, like video encoding or other cpu intensive task, you will get the benefits of quad core i7.

Memory: 6gb DDR3 1600Mhz For most users, 6gb is a plenty amount of memory. Other's would like additional ram. It is very easy to upgrade to 8gb or 16gb (16gb nowadays are also cheap and will cost you less than $100).

Graphics: Geforce GT 650M 2GB DDR5 The performance level of this graphics card reaches somewhere in the level of the previous high end cards like Geforce GTX 460M and GTX 560M. There's a 1gb and 2gb version if your buying directly from Dell, some will argue that the 2gb is better, some will say that there's no difference. If you got the extra money, go for the 2gb, if your on a budget, go for the 1gb.

Storage: 500gb 7200rpm You could actually feel the difference of 7200rpm from 5400rpm drives. Now if you want more performance and like a fast storage, you can upgrade to SSD. Once upgraded to SSD, this gaming laptop will surely scream.

Wireless connectivity: Intel Centrino 2230 This is 2x2, single band, 802.11b/g/n wifi + bluetooth 4.0. 2x2 means maximum speed you can get is 300Mbps (assuming you also have a router that supports 2x2 or 3x3). Single band means it uses 2.4ghz (If it's dual band, you can use either 2.4ghz or 5ghz) If you live in an apartment with plenty of wifi signals, you will benefit using 5ghz since it's not crowded, due to most routers only support 2.4ghz. I upgraded mine to killer wireless-n 1202, which can also do 2x2 and bluetooth 4.0, but supports dual band.

Optical drive: Slot-load dual layer dvdrw If you buy directly from Dell, there's an option to upgrade for a blu-ray drive (read-only). My suggestion, if you watch plenty of bluray movies, then go for the bluray drive. If not, and your the type of user that don't use the dvd drive, then you can buy the hdd caddy to put a 2nd hard drive. (1 ssd for the OS, and 1 hdd for media files, programs, etc.). The good thing about slot-load when your replacing the optical drive to hdd caddy, is that it's conceiled/hidden, unlike with a tray type optical drive, sometimes the front facia of the drive will not fit the hdd caddy.

Personalized Nameplate Customize yours by typing your full name, nickname or handle with a limit of 21 characters. I like this a lot! My wife and kid likes it as well (I put our nicknames on it :)). But if you buy from Amazon, I think it's pre-customized to "M14x"

Sound: Klipsch speakers This is a 2.1 speakers, yup, there's a downfiring subwoofer in this baby, and it's incredible for a 14" laptop. You can actually hear more bass compared to other notebooks.

AlienFX Lighting Controls: You can set almost any colors to 9 different zones, with sequence (transition effects): keyboard (4 zones), "Alienware" logo, Power button (alienware head), wifi led light (the tiny led indicator), the front gills (or whatever you call it) and the touchpad.

Bloatware: No bloatware! Isn't that amazing? No antivirus installed (no worries since Microsoft security essentials is a good AV and FREE), no kiddie games installed, no powerdvd etc.. It's almost like a clean install of windows 7.

The advantage of ordering from Amazon is you can get the item immediately. Choose 1 day shipping, wait 1 day and you can start playing with your new gaming rig. With Dell, it's a customized order so you have to wait a week or two (or sometimes more) before you get your order.

I'm highly recommending Alienware M14x R2!!

i must say that i had searched on amazon for several days before deciding on this laptop, and i am glad i chose this one. I had always heard mixed reviews on alienware, but i've got to say, i don't understand how anyone who has ever used one could ever not be satisfied. I am a gamer and have installed both skyrim and minecraft, and it plays both at high settings without a hickup. As for the lit keyboard it was one of those things at first that i thought, "meh i could take it or leave it" but it is actually really cool to mess around with. i would have given this computer five stars but i took off a star for having to tweak the graphic settings at the start. The default that was set was all jacked up and everything that was supposed to be white was a pale blue, after a little tweaking with the contrast and gamma i was able to alleviate the problem. for anyone that wants a great computer for a decent price, don't rule this one out.

Buy Alienware AM14XR2-6667BK 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Now

Great product. I have been a Mac user for a long time and I needed a good gamin PC. This one meets my expectations. Playing games like Skyrim or Deus ex look amazing. I only wish Amazon sold it with better specs and that the battery was easily removable.

Read Best Reviews of Alienware AM14XR2-6667BK 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Here

i had issues when i first got it, motherboard went out but Dell hurried and sent a new one and a repair man for free. skyrim is awesome on it must buy

Want Alienware AM14XR2-6667BK 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Discount?

I read a lot of reviews and a few people complained about the fan being loud. I don't notice it. I love the keyboard. The tapered keys are great for big and small hands and the rest pads feel like silk! I love the LED lighting and the sbility to change it when ever I want. The graphics card is great! It plays BF3 with no problems at all. I have it hooked up to a 27" monitor via the VGA connection. I'll be changing that as soon as I get a mini-display adapter to DVI-D adapter.

Although it's pretty fast on its own the SATA HD by itself could use a bump. For some reason I didn't have the option of adding the mSATA SSD when I bought mine a few weeks ago. I don't know why but I didn't. I would HIGHLY recommend it as the boot drive and the 7200rpm as your storage drive. Unless you want to spend the cash and go full SSD. I'm still deciding what I want to do now but I'll be using one of the two SSD options soon enough. The mSATA is cheaper than buying your own and installing it but if you do go that route, it's REAL easy to crack the case and add it later. As is a full SSD drive. And Dell/Alienware is REAL cool about it. They have walk-through on how to do it and they specifically let you that opening it doesn't void any part of the warranty.

There are two things I don't like about it. The lack of DVI connection is the first. I have to assume the VGA adapter is due to space contraints in the chassis but who uses VGA anymore? Also, I don't like the location of the power plug. It comes straight out the back. On Dell's Latitude systems they have it to one side of the back which makes it easier to get to and less likley to get bent if you're using this on your lap. Also, they went with the LED light power plug which in the past has been an issue with other lines of Dell laptop. It's had the tendance to be a stress point.

All in all this thing is great and I'd recommend it anyone looking for a small laptop with high compute and graphics capabilities!

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