AW m11x
Hello, mb67 here putting together his review of the AW m11x- the 11.6" LCD laptop with a nice NVIDIA 335M GT(1GB) gpu.
The reasons that led up to my purchase of this laptop have part to do with my one-year assignment to Biloxi MS. When I boarded the plane from Honolulu, HI (my home
) to MS, I was carrying my Dell Studio XPS 16 with me. While the XPS 16 isn't the heaviest laptop out there, it got to be a bit cumbersome lugging from airport to airport. It was then that I decided to get something much more portable. Right around that time the AW m11x was introduced at CES, and my eyes started to glaze over with heady euphoria (like Homer Simpson does with doughnuts
) as I looked at the initial reviews/comments coming out of CES. In the end I decided on purchasing the m11x as it was added to the military's exchange website which saved me $$$ since I didn't have to pay tax or shipping and handling.
As for first impressions, I have to say that I'm impressed with the build quality. There's a small amount of flex when opening the lid from the corners, but if you open it from the center of the lid it shows no signs of flex. It's a bit thicker than most systems with 11.6" screens, but it's understandable since there needs to be airflow for the graphics card. One other thing to keep in mind with this system is it's ability to pick up fingerprints/smudges. The outer casing is a fingerprint magnet and you'll probably have to carry a cloth around with you should you want to keep it smudge free.
Here's a pic of the outside lid with glowing alien head-
Here's a pic of the system connected to my HDTV:
Specs:
My system's specs:
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (3MB Cache)
Memory: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 800MHz
Wallpapers: Alienhead Chrome Blue
LCD: 11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) WLED
Video Card: 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 335M
Hard Drive: 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM
Nameplate: Personalized Nameplate (MB67)
AlienFX: Quasar Blue
Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Avatar: Alienhead Chrome Blue
Integrated NIC: Integrated 10/100 Network Interface Card
Adobe Reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Sound: Internal High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
Wireless: Alienware M11x a/b/g/n 2x2 MIMO Wireless
Automatic Updates: Automatic Updates: On
Webcam: 1.3MP Web Cam
Pre-Installed Games: Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed
Bluetooth: Bluetooth Module, 2.1+ Enhanced Data Rate
Standard Nameplate Trigger: mb67 (of course
)
M11x spec Linky Here
I have also included a .pdf link of the detailed spec sheet so that viewers can see for themselves what its "got under the hood" so to speak.
What's in the Box:
The M11x ships with a nice looking manual, and the usual assortment of items such as power brick, etc. One thing that mystifies me however is that the M11x ships with a Windows 7 recovery DVD, when it doesn't have an optical drive.
Oh well, that won't stop me from making a recovery image that I can boot to via USB.
Here are a couple of pictures that show the power brick (compared to the Dell XPS 16 power brick) and the box itself.
Design
I'm starting to really like the industrial design of the M11x. It's a 'miniaturized' version of it's bigger siblings (The M15x and the M17x) and at first I wasn't too sure I was keen on that, but after having it a while now it really is growing on me. It's solid, and that I like. I don't want a laptop that I have to treat like a Ming Dynasty Vase. Of course I'll be gentle with it anyway, but I don't want to have to be so conscientious of taking care of it.
Screen:
The screen is really nice for such a small system. It's bright and the colors are crisp when watching movies or playing "Zombie Bowl-O-Rama" on.
The viewing angle is not too bad- I'm able to view movies even off of center screen. It's best viewing can be done in low light situations as the glossy screen can be a bit dodgy in daylight environments. All glossy screens have this problem, and there is no way around it unless laptop manufacturers go back to matte finish LCD panels. There are no dead pixels on my screen, which is always a joy especially when purchasing a new laptop.
A couple of screenshots of how the screen looks: (Please excuse the brightness of the light behind me as I took this picture, plus it's a camera phone pic so the quality isn't the greatest.)
Keyboard
The keyboard is really nice. I don't find a lot of flex in the keys and their placement is good. I do like how they have LED lighting which is a big part of the Alienware line of laptops. With the Alien FX lighting system, you can change the back lighting to your whims. There is a nice tutorial which outlines how you can change the colors and even set up 'zones' so that your game keys can be color coded to stand out from the rest of the keyboard. Another cool thing about the M11x is it's ability to switch from the Intel integrated graphics to the NVIDIA 335M GT by toggling the FN+F6 keys. I'll explain this a bit more later on in the review. The function keys pretty much control a lot of the functions that most systems have dedicated buttons for. I'm not too sure why they wanted to go the FN key route but it works once you get used to it.
Touchpad
I like the slightly off-center textured touchpad-It's quite responsive and with an updated synaptic software pkg, I could gain multi-touch capabilities but I must admit I'm more of an external mouse person hence my Logitech VX Nano which sits right beside my laptop
Features:
When it comes to features there are a couple of things that stand out on the M11x. First off, the 'Binary Graphics' that I briefly mentioned earlier. This allows you to switch between the Intel gpu and the Nvidia gpu 'on the fly', without having to reboot the system like my AW Area-51 M5500 had to do. On the M5500 If I wanted to game I had to reboot the system and flip the graphics switch (which was a converted WiFi toggle switch). For the M11x that is thankfully eliminated. All you have to do is press the FN+F6 and it's 'Game On!'
Another really cool feature is the Alien FX lighting system. I mentioned it earlier in the keyboard paragraph but it truly is a nice touch and I'm glad AW decided to incorporate it in the M11x. Here are a couple of screenshots showing just how extensive the FX Lighting System is:
Multimedia Keys
There are no multimedia keys on the M11x, just function keys which control a variety of functions (WiFi on/off, display toggle, graphics switching, etc.)
Wifi –
I will have to get back to you on the WiFi, as I don't currently have my wireless network set up. I am getting a dual band wireless n router soon so I'll update the wireless info later. I will say this though- I was able to detect several networks in the vicinity, which tells me that the WiFi radio works well at detection.
Speakers
The built-in speakers are alright for a tiny system. I find them to have a bit of that 'tin can' effect but keep in mind that if you're an audiophile on the go you'll be using headphones anyway.
Front:
There are no ports available on the front of the M11x, however there are a pair of LED-lit grills loosely reminiscent of a Chevy Camaro front end. I like the looks myself, but your mileage may vary.
Oh and there is a 'lip' between the lid and the body of the laptop to make it easier to open.
Webcam Pictures
The webcam works pretty well and the available software has a bunch of customizations to add a whole range of effects. My ugly mug is presented for your horror
Right Side:
The right side of the system has two headphone jacks, a microphone jack, and two USB ports. I'm not sure why they went with the two headphone jacks but it doesn't matter that much to me as I only need the one and it functions well. The USB's are nice however it would have been really nice to get USB 3.0 ports for the added speed.
Left Side:
When it comes to ports the m11x has a nice assortment. On the left side of the machine there are the VGA, 1 USB, Ethernet, HDMI, Display Port, media card readers, and the firewire port. I have used almost every one of the ports with the Display Port being the lone exception, and I find the functionality to be good.
Rear:
The only things on the rear of the M11x worth mentioning are the power cord jack and the exhaust vent. Otherwise, there's nothing to talk about.
Bottom:
On the bottom of the M11x you won't find much outside of the really cool name plate that can be personalized/etched with your name or as in my case mb67.
I don't have any decent pics of the name plate but I do have a pic of the other feature located on the bottom, which is the battery indicator. This lights up letting you know how much 'juice' your battery has left.
Benchmarks
I do have some screenshots outlining some of the benchmarks I've performed.
3DMark 05- 9316 
3DMark 06- 5420 
3D Vantage- 2688 
Passmark- 825.8 
Cinebench- (Pathetic 
) 
Windows Performance Index- 4.6 
Size and Weight
As far as the weight is concerned it's just plain awesome to me. At just under 4.5lbs (4.3lbs) I enjoy carrying it around so much more so than my XPS 16. I've included some comparison pics between the M11x and the XPS 16:
Heat and Noise
The fan kicks in every once in a while during game sessions but it doesn't stay constantly on. I don't notice any heat issues like I do with my XPS 16, which can get pretty hot. Here is a screenshot of the CPUID Temp monitor program that I downloaded: Keep in mind that this is with a browser that has multiple tabs open and I have an ripped Blu-Ray movie playing.
Battery Life
I will have to get back with you on the battery usage as I've not had time to do a proper battery drain test.
Software
There's not much software installed on this system, which to me is a nice selling point. I opted for the Steam software so I can 'get my game on',
and it also has the Alienware FX lighting system software, and the Alien Sense software, which is a facial ID software system that allows you to log on with facial recognition. I don't have that set up yet, and I might later on, but for now I'm using the regular log on method. Outside of that I can't think of anything that's pre-installed on here.
Accessories
There aren't any accessories that ship with the M11x, however I do have a neoprene laptop sleeve on order that's designed specifically for the M11x. I can't wait for it to arrive.
Pros: Small, lightweight, LED backlit keyboard, graphics muscle
Cons: Easily smudged by fingerprints, Bezel is a bit thick around the LCD, glossy screen can be distracting in certain situations
Conclusion: I have to say that this is a worthwhile purchase for anybody looking for portability without sacrificing performance as you would with a netbook. Not only does it play back Blu-Rays, but it games rather well, and it's lightweight enough to haul around just about anywhere. The debate over whether or not it should have had the low voltage Core i5/i7 processors is not an issue for me as the M11x does everything I want it to and then some. I've been waiting for such a laptop for a long time now, and Alienware has hit a 'home run' in my opinion.
I'll be updating this review as I get around to doing a battery drain test and the WiFi test, and I'll also add some nice pics once I get my dSLR camera. (I truly dislike taking pics with my camera phone.
)
I Support Our Friend, Israel. 
