If you’re dropping $2,000 on a gaming notebook, it should perform like a franchise quarterback. Consider the Alienware M17, the Eli Manning to the Area-51 m17x’s Peyton Manning. Though it may not boast the high-end specifications and ceiling-shattering benchmark scores of its pricier big brother, the $1,999 M17 still performs like a Pro Bowler and always keeps you in the game.
Design
Alienware’s patent matte black finish—the same as on the Area-51 m17x—and illuminated keyboard make the M17 the looker at any LAN party. The lid of the M17 is slightly more ostentatious, as it sports Alienware’s ribbed Skullcap case design. At 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.7 inches and weighing in at 9.5 pounds, the M17 is roughly the same size as the m17x, but a pound lighter. Regardless, it’s not a notebook you’ll want to carry around frequently.
The M17 also features customizable backlighting, which allows users to choose from three colors—red, blue, and green—by pressing Fn+F10 (the m17x, by comparison, has software that lets users select from ten different colors and create different lighting schemes). Unfortunately, you cannot change the color of the Alienware logo or media quick-launch keys above the keyboard, which always stay blue; the mismatched colors may be off-putting to some.
The M17’s full-size keyboard features a short throw, perfect for intense gaming sessions, and the system does a good job of exhausting heat without making the notebook a makeshift stove. The only drawback is the loud fans needed to dissipate the heat. The touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard launch your Web browser, e-mail, and Power DVD and let you control Windows Media Player; they were adequately responsive, but were not the full array you see in many notebooks. The volume, now controlled by a small wheel, is on the right side of the notebook.
Display, Webcam, and Ports
As should be the case with every gaming notebook, the star feature is the M17’s bright 17-inch, 1920 x 1200 Clearview display. Whether you’re repelling an alien invasion in Crysis or handling a financial crisis in Quicken, images pop with crystal clarity. Viewing angles were solid no matter how the notebook screen was tilted.
The M17 offers a wealth of futureproof ports to accommodate most any peripheral, including three USB 2.0 ports, a 7-in-1 card reader, one FireWire port, HDMI, digital optical, and an eSATA port that doubles as a fourth USB port. The dual-layer DVD drive is located on the front side of the notebook, which makes it more prone to accidentally pushing the open button while it rests in your lap.
The 2-megapixel webcam provided decent images but was nothing to write home about. The sound output was ample enough to accommodate building-shattering booms and the steady burst of fire for all the explosive games we tested, without sounding tinny.
Hands-on video with Apple's groundbreaking tablet.
