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."

Comments

notebook?

[maynard]

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...

Re:notebook?

[vivek7006]

Also note the max battery life is 120 mins assuming that you are not playing a funky game. The article fails to mention how much the battery lasts if one plays a heavy game without connecting it to the power-supply.

The starting weight is 8.5 lbs. Adding spare battery will only increase its weight. I admit that I have have never gamed on a laptop, but I fail to see its charm. A kickass destop is always better/cheaper/upgradable

Re:notebook?

[arose]

A set that can form a portable box, but accepts a standard internal components would be a better solution.

Re:notebook?

[Anonymous Coward]

I use a laptop primarily for work

No offense, but I'd suggest this laptop is not being marketed to you. I suspect the target audience is students who:

-Play games
-Always near a power outlet
-Need portability for study sessions, classwork, etc
-2lbs extra weight is minor compared to the 30lb Bio book

Call me crazy, but its a big market out there, and not everybody wants what you want.

Re:notebook?

[evildarkdeathclicheo]

Perhaps this is an answer to those odd individuals who would normally lug around a desktop to a lanparty. Lets be honest, most people use their laptops at the office, and then at home. Usually they're always "plugged in". Saying that laptops are meant to be portable is like telling poorly endowed, middle-aged men that their hummer is meant to go offroad. -W

and it'll be behind the curve in 6 months

[bunions]

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.

Re:and it'll be behind the curve in 6 months

[Creepy]

I don't understand why people buy $25 million dollar yachts which require about $12 million a year to maintain or $12 million dollar mansions in Ft Lauderdale when they don't even live in them or $20000 stereo systems or heck, even $350 iPods when perfectly good alternatives exist. I mean, why get a yacht when a fishing dinghy will do? Why a mansion if you can live comfortably in a shed?

People buy Alienware because it's expensive and has the latest bells and whistles. For that matter, most people never upgrade their desktop PC, they just buy a new one when the old one gets outdated (like any appliance). If they do upgrade it, they usually pay someone to do it.

Anyhow, those specs should be good for about a year of gaming (the highest minimum CPU spec I've seen lately is NWN2 with its 2.4GHz minimum).

Re:and it'll be behind the curve in 6 months

[tomstdenis]

It's not advanced, it's just over done.

It's like why eat 2000 calories in a day when you CAN eat 3000. It is not like this thing has efficient low power components. It's just an amalgamation of the highest end parts in one package.

All it gives you is gloating power, as in "I shelled out a lot for this and you can't".

Tom

Re:easier way to make rocky mountain oysters

[cobryson]

I believe "desktop replacement notebooks" fits the bill nicely...it's not like this is bait and switch, this genre of notebook is clearly defined as heavy and not easily portable. What's the problem?

Re:Missplaced purpose?

[bigtrouble77]

These machines are not supposed to replace laptops and they really aren't meant to run off the battery very frequently.

What they are meant for is transporting a VERY powerful machine easily. The reality is that with this machine you have very powerful processing, a very high end lcd screen (you can't even buy a wuxga screen for a desktop), a built in UPS, keyboard and mouse all in one compact package.

I have a Sager 9750 and almost never run it on battey. But I do use it for work as my primary machine where I use Maya, photoshop and eclipse. I need a wuxga screen for my eclipse work, and you simply can't get one for a desktop. When I bring the machine home I can play any game I want as the graphics adapter is very powerful and upgradable.

Finally, I have gentoo running on a second 100gb hd which I use about 50% of the time. The machine does absolutely everything, it's extremely portable and it has features (17" wuxga) that desktops don't. The killer functionality is that I can have my main machine with me where ever I go (as long as there's an ac outlet) and I don't have to make any compromises.

Not for everyone...NO!?

[cyngus]

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.

Ditto

[phorm]

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.

Re:If it's behind the curve in 6 months, it's a bo

[bunions]

"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.