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Alienware GeForce 7900 SLI Notebook Tested
MojoKid writes "Dual Graphics in Notebooks have been in development for a long time now but
very few Notebook vendors have actually brought products to market.
Recently, NVIDIA's launch of the GeForce 7900 series enabled manufacturers like
Alienware the ability to configure Dual GPU SLI systems in a Notebook form
factor.
HotHardware has a world's first look at the Alienware
m9700 Aurora, that comes equipped with a pair of GeForce 7900 MXM modules in
a Desktop Replacement form factor. With a 2.4GHz AMD Turion64 processor,
SLI and a 17" panel,
this machine has more horsepower and features than many high end Desktop
setups."
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... very nice results on it
looks pretty sweet
Dimension and Weight: ._1.85" x 15.65" x 11.75" ._Starting at 8.5 lbs.
I would call that more a luggable than a notebook. As powerful as it might be, that's no laptop I'd want to carry around...
Hot Hardware is right - anyone know how hot these thing run? How fast will the burn a hole in your lap?
-dave
http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams
this is getting a little insane. repeat after me, laptops are meant to go places, desktops are meant to have more power. I think things like this should be labeled "compact desktops".
Did you know that you can be apathetic to apathy? Not that I give a shit...
Bleh! It's got one of those stupid dumb arse glossy screens that reflect everything around you. No thanks to something reminiscent of 80's CRT technology...
Course the battery life suc........
Deleted
...does it run Dapper Drake?
(seriously, Breezy Badger didn't work in any notebook I tried)
Circumcision is child abuse.
Not that I have a problem with "integrated" stuff, but this thing has an "integrated" subwoofer. Is this for real? Maybe I've crossed the line into audiophile territory, but I doubt that sounds very good. I can't see a ricer opening the door of his tricked out Honda civic to impress his friends and show them the "awsome" base comming from his alienware laptop.
I don't understand why people buy super-high-end performance laptops. You pay a huge power, weight and cost premium for a laptop that will be top-o-the-line for very little time, and you can't upgrade it when that time passes.
I guess I can imagine some niche markets - demo machines for software salesmen, stuff like that where a desktop is absolutely infeasible, but sheesh.
there is no need to sign your posts. this isn't usenet. your username is right there above your post. stop it.
... is this really a laptop, or a 'mobile desktop'.
Act V. Scene IV.
"A fuel cell, a fuel cell, my kindom for a fuel cell!"
SLI in laptops! So neat, but so...immobile. Portable, yes. But only within the range of the extension cord. Perhaps when that day comes when we get better mobile power sources we will not come to expect reduced (even if slightly) functionality from our personal devices. When that day comes we will come to expect only greatly increased prices!
----
Music wants to be free
My Computer Music Tutorial Videos
With a 2.4GHz AMD Turion64 processor, SLI and a 17" panel, this machine has more horsepower and features than many high end Desktop setups."
Yea, probably cost alot more too.
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
I've always had my doubts about desktop replacement laptops. Usually, they're absolutely massive beasts with inferior battery life and a large price tag. Even then, they don't have the performance of a much cheaper desktop.
To me, adding SLI to a DR laptop is just another draw on the battery with diminishing returns in performance. Does someone have a contrary opinion they'd like to share?
I must just be getting old. Why the HELL would anyone even want to do this? To prove that he has no use for a woman? To show that he has more money than sense? I really just do not get it.
Okay I did buy the bottom of the line Best Buy special, but my Toshiba Satellite didn't get past the video recognition on the Ubuntu live or install cd. ;)
So, it's still running XP and my wife is using it...
My next portable will be selected based on compatibility, not only on price...
Hear hear... Check my Journal for my thoughts on M2 & modding. The /. modcode is borked.
Why do I M2 everything negatively?
Server Error in '/' Application.
y .cs:177t sender, EventArgs e)
t pApplication+IExecutionStep.Execute() +60S tep step, Boolean&
Too many connections
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: QueryErrorException: Too many connections
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[QueryErrorException: Too many connections]
FuseTalk.Tools.Data.Query.RunQueryNoResult() in C:\Documents and
Settings\dplouffe\Desktop\dominic\Database\Quer
HotHardware.Global.Application_BeginRequest(Objec
+1374
System.Web.SyncEventExecutionStep.System.Web.Ht
System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecution
completedSynchronously) +87
Just add {In Space!} to anything.
Now I settle for one that runs just long enough to reach cruising altitude.
...since right about now the servers hosting it are on FIRE!!!!!
;)
I made it to about the 4th page before I got an error about too many connections
Going on means going far
Going far means returning
Unfortunately, Alienware refuse to sell systems without Windows installed. This means you're shelling out ~$70 for something you may not be using, or may already own. Tough luck for them, because I was looking for a semi-portable Unix workstation and ended up buying from Hypersonic instead.
That would be Dominic Plouffe. I think I dated his sister in High School.
If you want a computer to use in the office/school/dorm/whatever but also want one for home, is it best to buy a portable high-powered machine, or a cheap laptop and a cheap home computer? If you don't have $5000 to spend on computers, a good "notebook" or "desktop replacement" might be your best choice.
When I go off to college, I will occasionally want to take my computer back. Carrying a desktop machine home on the train? No thanks.
Repeat after me: Get a computer that fits your needs.
I have freaks! I did something right...
Which ones did you try?
Got it running at my work on everything from a crappy old Toshiba up to a Compaq nc6220.
In fact, I was running it on a Dell 610 - and aside from some port replicator issues it worked just fine. Had to edit that - forgot I upgraded to Dapper this morning.
So, to address the topic, I don't see a problem with it running on this Alienware monstrosity. Wonder if I can get work to buy me one for testing?
No Longer a Menace to Society.
Alexandria Morrigan born 2/22/01 l. 20.5in wt. 7 lbs. 5 oz.
Of course this computer isn't for everyone, but if you do the LAN party thing, then this is much more convenient than dragging around a desktop. Maybe you just want your computer to take up less space, could it be, could it?! If Apple didn't make the Mini it would be an easy decision for me that I would buy a 'Book because perhaps the most appealing thing to me is not portability of a computer, but that it doesn't take up much space and can be easily moved if I want to use the space for something else. Stop automatically crying, "Why would anyone do this, its hot, its expensive, if not as powerful...blah...blah...blah," engage your brain, think, and you might just discover that while this machine is not for everyone it has utility for some. Everything is about tradeoffs and for some this machine makes the right ones.
Honestly, if I were as into playing multiplayer games today as I was in college, I could see buying one of these (assuming I decided the price was reasonable). I used to have a lot of fun playing Age of Empires and other RTS games with friends on my (for the time) high-end Gateway laptop. It was cool because by carrying my laptop I brought my machine and display with me to the friends' house where there were three guys and three computers. If I hadn't been able to bring my machine, we couldn't have played and I wasn't interested in lugging a CRT and ATX case along.
That said, the price is pretty steep. I find myself wondering not "what's the use of this machine" but more "how can the target users afford it?"
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
I'm amazed every time I see a new alienware product. The only other products coming close are VooDooPC. Problem is that Voodoo's laptops are TWICE the weight at a hefty 13-16 lbs and you get less( apart from the 19" screen.)!
w s_images/PDF/wired_524_art.pdfw s_images/PDF/gi_524_art.pdf
Recent Reviews:
http://resource.voodoopc.com/images/default/revie
http://resource.voodoopc.com/images/default/revie
(Warning PDF Links)
"What's the use of a good quotation if you can't change it?" - Doctor Who
With Dell's recent purchase of Alienware, does that mean this is simply a Dell system? I don't know whether Dell did the R&D for this machine, but I've been pretty disappointed with the durability & longevity of their recent laptops.
--Original poster
The Intel Core Duo T2700 at 2.3Ghz would smoke that Turion. Yeah, it's not 64-bit (Merom's this summer) but Alienware can't put more than 2GB in that box anyway, so addressing more than 4GB is pretty meaningless, huh? And the Core cpu and Intel chipset will get much better battery life (anything with that monster screen needs all the battery life help it can get)
Horsepower is right, especially when you're shopping for the generator you're going to have to lug around just to power the damned thing for more than a couple of hours of Oblivion...
There is simply too much glass..
HttpException (0x80004005): Server Too Busy]
System.Web.HttpRuntime.RejectRequestInternal(Http
Version Information: Microsoft
Version:1.1.4322.2300
Guess they should have reviewed it as a webserver, instead.
Please help metamoderate.
No longer can 2 categories work. We need more then "desktop" and "laptop". Now we have these machines which sport full-size keyboards and 17-inch screens, but have low battery life and are heavy. They are much more portable then a desktop, but not as portable as traditional laptops. They serve a very important use. I use one at work, and I bring it home with me every night so I can work there if needed. This is much simpler then having a desktop at home, and another one at work, and there is no way I could stand working off a compact laptop keyboard and tiny screen.
Cool notebook. Brings up an unrelated topic I want to ask you (yes, you) about: Remote Mouse Protocol (RMP).
:-)
On my desktop I have two computers, a Mac (PowerBook G4) and a Dell Inspiron 5150, and two monitors. While the extended desktop on the Mac works flawlessly, I am constantly frustrated when I try to use the sam mouse to reach the other computer (of course, this makes perfect logical sense as to why it does not work, it just frustrates me that it doesn't work). What I want to do: mouse my mouse not only to different monitors on the same computer but to different monitors with different computers on my desk (though, not necessarily limited to "on my desk").
Then, a thought: I share files via SMB protocol between the systems as if the hard drive of the other machine were local...why not the mouse coordinates -- and if the mouse coordinates, why not the contents of the clipboard? Thus the idea for Remote Mouse Protocol was born!
Abstract: a network protocol to share the coordinate values of a Human Interface Device, such as a mouse, between systems. Also, clipboard contents could be shared between systems (perhaps on special request only?). Each system would configure its "screen boundary" similar to the way dual monitors are configured today and upon breaching the edge of an aptly configured screen the RMP would be invoked and mouse coordinates would be communicated to the properly configured network address. The remote machine would treat the RMP as a local mouse for all intents and purposes. Thus seamless mouse control between disparate machines would be allowed.
Drats. I shoulda patented this first, huh?
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
Hot Hardware is right - anyone know how hot these thing run? How fast will the burn a hole in your lap?
Probably pretty darned quick. I've found, even with a good pair of corduroys (nice air venting) or thick jeans, that many laptops run pretty darned hot, especially near the CPU(s) and the video card(s).
Is there a ThinkGeek laptop thing like you see for those 133L people in New Yorker who read books and have a laptop tray? I could use one big enough so I can sit on the couch and watch my HDTV while using my laptop - but it needs a side mouse location, not only big enough for the laptop itself.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
I don't understand why people buy super-high-end performance laptops. You pay a huge power, weight and cost premium for a laptop that will be top-o-the-line for very little time, and you can't upgrade it when that time passes.
They're a lot cheaper than boats or fancy cars, and they work a lot better. Plus, you can expense them if you're a consultant - I used to expense my computers when I ran a play-by-mail game business in Canada, including my Apple II+ and software for it. Not the game software, unless it was for research (I kid you not, the best ideas are stolen).
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
..about insensitive clods?
how can you live with yourselves?
I also like the idea - a less compact, but possibly still light desktop that was very portable with a good display built in.
However, are there enough LAN gamers (the obvious target market for such a computer) to make a company profit from selling them? I kind of wonder if Alienware is not making such a thing today if anyone would.
Currently to me the Intel iMac actually seems like one of the better LAN solutions, it can run Windows and is really an all in one unit with a great big display in the way almost nothing else is.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
...someone that needs top-end 3D acceleration, but needs to be mobile at the same time? People keep missing the real point of these machines- it's not to be a laptop in the sense of running for hours on end, it's for the purposes of packing an insane amount of power into as small a package as is possible so it's much more mobile.
:-)
WUXGA screen...check.
High-end CPU (While not the top from the desktop perspective, it's still hot)...check.
High-end GPU...check.
Seems to me that these machines would be great for a games developer, say like Ryan Gordon, or myself.
I don't just do consulting work out of my house- I do it all over the place, so I need something like this.
Honestly.
But in the same breath, it doesn't make sense for most people to be buying things like this new laptop or any of them in it's class. Too much money spent on something that could cost less and do what they honestly need it to do- whether it be a desktop machine or laptop.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
We already HAD a third catagory- "portable". We also had "handheld", but both of the catagories faded into obscurity because of marketing wonks that thought they were pase.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/ntbkx64sli.asp? v=d
Processor
AMD Turion(TM) 64 ML-40 / ML-44 / MT-40
1024KB or 512KB On-die L2 Cache
Core Logic
nVIDIA nForce4 SLI (CK804)
Memory
1024MB expandable to 2048MB DDR400
Bios
4MB Flash ROM BIOS
Disk Storage
- Hard Disk Drive
SATA I / II Interface
Detachable 2.5" 9.5mm SATA150 Hard Disk Drive
- Built-in 4-in-1 Card Reader (MS/MSPRO/SD/MMC)
Display
19" (16:10) WSXGA+ (1680x1050) Glare Type
PCI-Express 16x Video Card
Dual nVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 GTX 256MB GDDR3 (in SLI)
Dual-View Display Capability
Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
ibuypower.com has a 19" SLI Notebook for about the same price as the Alienware. Actually cheaper... Later.
It scored quite high on the "Heatmeter" scale at the end of the article. Two geforce chips? I imagine this baby would absolutely roast your lap.
- - - - - - - -
Don't worry, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep in a giant blender.
...as pictured on the screen of the laptop at Alienware's site?
TIA.
20 minuts max? Give me this system that is able to play games for 2 hours and I will buy it. Why arent batteries given more attention when reviewing laptops?
Same here. I mean, who wants a low power, high performance, 64-bit processor in their notebook anyway?
Time makes more converts than reason
I have an HP zd7000 laptop. It's new a few years out of date, but still manages to keep up with most desktops. In its time it was better than my desktop, with 80GB HDD (easily added to with a USB HDD, and some high-end laptops have two HDD bays), a GeForce 5600 (dedicated memory), and 1GB of RAM (well, that after I made HP send me a 1GB because a design flaw causes crashes with RAM in both slots), 17" widescreen (non-gloss), and a 2.8Ghz P-4 processor.
Nice and toasty on the lap if you're playing games, but on a desk and jacked in it still competes nicely against most desktops, and happily plays games up to Half Life 2, Quake 4, and BattleField 2 (which oddly plays better in Wine/Linux due to driver issues).
All-in-all, for what I use my laptop for I'd probably go for another 'desktop replacement' as it's rather convenient over hauling the ol 'hoss out to a LAN party.
"They're a lot cheaper than boats or fancy cars, and they work a lot better."
I dunno, I'd wager my car works a lot better as a car than that Alienware does. Looking at the photos, I don't think it'd seat more than two.
I'll be here all week, folks.
Seriously tho, my point is that they're bad at being laptops: short battery life, weighs a ton. I guess some people just like spending money, and that's fine, but I guess what I'm saying is that I'm surprised at the (apparent) number of people who think it's a good laptop.
there is no need to sign your posts. this isn't usenet. your username is right there above your post. stop it.
You can get a Dell and a half, likely made in the same factory nowadays, except Dell comes without the patented "gam3r xTreme" case and ability to brag to your friends about your conspicuous consumption.
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
Basically, what I say is how I've been able to mod once, and because 2/3 of my mods were M2'd I've never been offered mod again. I've been /.ing for 6 years now, and got those mod points after a year. I M2'd everyday until I noticed that there's a disclaimer saying basically if you get M2'd adversely often enough you never get to mod again. So then, I decided to M2 everything negative (I used to take great care as to how I M2'd) and I would stop posting AC or not using karma bonus if I didn't think what I had to say was important enough -- the wierd part of this is I actually started getting modded up for things that I would have been afraid to say before -- until my karma was back down to basically 0, at which point I'd start again with a whole new account. Part of what started this was introducing someone to /., and them getting mod points 2x a week with somewhat weakish karma (no negatives, but not excellent either). I pretty much gave up on the whole thing because I found Fark, where the crowd is a lot more laid back, there is no moderation except those appointed to moderate the forums, and the articles are a lot more interesting (IMO). I just pop over here now and again to see what's going on (went from reading everyday to maybe 2x a month).
Anyway, that's my story. Mod me offtopic, I only grow stronger than you can possibly imagine!
Why do I M2 everything negatively?
Thanks for the note. Yes, I've seen people I know create brand new accounts and get mod priveleges within a month. Moreover, I usually spend a good 3-4 minutes of my time to evaluate each metamod I make to make sure I'm being fair. Well, not any more. Thank you /..
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
How the hell do you pussies think 8 pounds is heavy?
You may want to google in slashdot's domain for Apple stories and people writing kernel modules that probe the cpu temperature.
Apple intentionally hid this because some reviewers noticed temperates as high as 95C!
They wont help the life of your system. I assume they use too much power as well but I dont know. After hearing that I intentionally went out of my way for an older Centrino system.
http://saveie6.com/
Look at it. Could that computer look any more dorky? Geez. This is like the laptop equivalent of wearing biker shorts in the 80's.
Bascially, I get angry about video games daily on destructiod.com
Umm, draggable, but not really mobile. Compact, but not really light. More powerful and huger than laptops...
Unnngggg.hhhh... Yes! Eureka!
Let's call them Notebooks!
Oh, wait... Another baby's coming...
UUNNNNNNnnnggggggghhhhhrrrrllll...
Yes!
Desktop-replacement!
Am I genious or what? =)
Especially if you get the optional 'Foreman grill' attachment.
:-P
Then you can cook burgers while getting your game on!
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
Ok, I'm using synergy now on my PowerBook G4 with two screens and my Dell 5150 (which will soon have two screens). The mouse sharing is seamless and exactly what I need to develop cross-platform web apps.
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
The best thing about this machine is that it keeps me warm in the winter, perfect space heater.
Now if the batteries would just last a litI{I{XDXD NO CARRIER
This is not a first review, and this laptop is not manufactured by Alienware. This laptop is really a Clevo M590K, rebranded as Alienware. It's also avalable from a lot of other reseller like Sager, Voodoo PC etc. For ages Alienware was trying to get credit for "reseach" a"design" of laptops of Clevo. All that it really doing is modifing the lids.
Just remember, Alienware is really a Dell is sheeps clothing!