Alienware Area-51 m9750: Power Gaming on the Go
by Jarred Walton on August 24, 2007 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
Test Setup
Alienware is currently shipping the m9750 with either Windows Vista or Windows XP installed. However, if you're looking at the SLI configuration there's basically no reason to consider Windows Vista just yet. We ran into a few issues trying to get Windows Vista installed and eventually abandoned the effort. While it would have allowed us to run a few other performance tests, the fact of the matter is that the system is plenty fast in any other area, but it's the gaming performance that really sets it apart.
In terms of pricing, the Alienware m9750 is actually pretty close to the Dell XPS M1710 with an overclockable CPU that we tested a few months ago. The m9750 doesn't support overclocking, but considering the price of the T7600G processor users could instead pick up a second GPU. Not surprisingly, the overclocked XPS M1710 ends up providing more CPU performance while the m9750 is usually faster in games, but we'll let the graphs and benchmark results elaborate on this fact.
Alienware is currently shipping the m9750 with either Windows Vista or Windows XP installed. However, if you're looking at the SLI configuration there's basically no reason to consider Windows Vista just yet. We ran into a few issues trying to get Windows Vista installed and eventually abandoned the effort. While it would have allowed us to run a few other performance tests, the fact of the matter is that the system is plenty fast in any other area, but it's the gaming performance that really sets it apart.
| Alienware Area-51 m9750 Tested Configuration | |
| Processor | Core 2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz 667FSB 4MB) |
| Chipset | Intel 945PM + ICH7-M DH |
| Memory | 2x1024MB DDR2 SO-DIMMs (Qimonda 64T128021HDL3SB) Tested at DDR2-667 5-5-5-15 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX 512MB SLI |
| Display | 17" WUXGA (1920x1200) with Clearview LG Philips LPL0B0A (Jan 2005) |
| Hard Drive | 2 x 160GB 7200RPM 8MB SATA (Sesagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9160823AS) |
| Optical Drive | 8X DVD+/-RW (Optiarc AD-5540A) |
| Networking/Communications | Intel 3945ABG (802.11A/B/G) Mini PCI Wireless |
| Audio | Realtek ALC885 7.1 HD Audio |
| Battery | 12-Cell 95WHr |
| Operating System | Windows XP Media Center 2005 |
In terms of pricing, the Alienware m9750 is actually pretty close to the Dell XPS M1710 with an overclockable CPU that we tested a few months ago. The m9750 doesn't support overclocking, but considering the price of the T7600G processor users could instead pick up a second GPU. Not surprisingly, the overclocked XPS M1710 ends up providing more CPU performance while the m9750 is usually faster in games, but we'll let the graphs and benchmark results elaborate on this fact.
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Guspaz - Saturday, September 1, 2007 - link
Anybody considering buying a gaming notebook should refuse to purchase one until nVidia gets their act together and starts releasing notebook drivers with regularity.I myself am a notebook gamer, with a modest Dell Inspiron 9400, Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz, and aGeForce Go 7900gs. I run Vista.
Well, nVidia currently DOES NOT OFFER Vista notebook drivers at all. Not a one, nada. Your only options are to either use Dell's driver, which is an ancient beta missing support for most features of the GPU, or a hacked desktop driver (which still is missing many features under Vista, and lacks PowerMizer support).
Under XP, the situation isn't much better. nVidia's latest notebook drivers for XP are 84.63, released over a year ago on July 5, 2006.
Your notebook manufacturer MIGHT provide newer drivers, if you're LUCKY. For Dell's part, their XP drivers are still ancient and stuck in the 90 series, and they only ever released ONE driver for Vista, probably thinking "Well, they have drivers now, that's good enough."
In order to play BioShock on a notebook, you have NO other option but to hack the desktop drivers.
This is NOT an acceptable situation. As notebook gamers, we should REQUIRE nVidia to SUPPORT THEIR PRODUCT and release regular updates for their cards. The fact that their desktop drivers work so well on notebooks with a simple INF tweak should show you how EASY it would be for them to release official notebook drivers. They give us this bullshit story about how driver updates need to come from the notebook manufacturers due to differences between notebooks. This is bullshit. I don't get my desktop graphics drivers from Abit because they happen to have made the motherboard.
So what do I plan to do? I have no choice. I'll keep using hacked desktop drivers for lack of ANY other option.
monitorjbl - Saturday, August 25, 2007 - link
Yay, a William Gibson reference!
JarredWalton - Saturday, August 25, 2007 - link
Bonus points if you actually played the old Neuromancer game by Interplay. Cue Devo...Some
Things
Ne-ver
Change
....
:)
strafejumper - Friday, August 24, 2007 - link
i never understood the concept of all these laptops such as this alienwarethe idea of a laptop to me is it is portable
however if the battery only last 60 mins it is not really that portable
for $5000 i would want to be able to for example watch a dvd
however this cannot even do that seemingly simple task!
battery life to me is so much more useful than the extra cpu and gpu cycles
when watching a dvd, browsing the internet, playing cards, backgammon, chess or other simple games, listening to music, typing documents, emailing, messengering etc. etc. the extra horsepower of the cpu and gpu are not even being used.
battery life > some extra frames in the latest game (which is better on a desktop probably anyway with bigger screen, full keyboard + mouse, desk, speakers, etc.)
Inkjammer - Saturday, August 25, 2007 - link
I am one of the people who have bought, buy and will buy workstations like these. People like me don't buy them as a "laptop" but as a "portable desktop replacement" (DTR).Some of the justifications:
Lugging an entire system to LAN parties can be frustrating, especially since I have a 24" monitor, large keyboard. I'm also using a Coolermaster 830 CM Stacker case, which weighs a ton, and breaking it down, setting it up can take far, far too long.
I also tend to take my DTR notebooks systems with me to work, where I can game during nightshifts. I'm also stationed overseas, so being able to easily transport a FULL system, even if contains in a laptop, is invaluable. I also do high end art and 3D animation, and need the additional power for job and hobby.
The tradeoff for portability and battery life on a notebook is fairly steep, but there's not much in the way of compromise.
And yes, I have a second laptop for my "on the go" needs.
yyrkoon - Friday, August 24, 2007 - link
Some people do not have room for a desktop(or a desk), and use nothing but laptops. Others may travel, staying in hotels nightly, having a plug available, but do not want to tote around a desktop with them. Other people like truckers may be able to use an AC inverter for power, but have limited room in their sleepers for a computer.Having said that, I have been a trucker, and kept a full sized desktop in my sleeper, and I have also worked over the road, staying in a hotel nightly, and used a desktop during this time as well. Not everyone is like me however, and some of these people may preffer something smaller, and easier to carry around, or maybe just smaller to maximize their given 'alotted space' where ever they may be. I wouldnt buy one though . . .
wolfman3k5 - Saturday, August 25, 2007 - link
Well, how about there east bound, you got your ears on? I totally know what you mean, how ever I never had time for gaming. Battery life was always more important to me. I'm also an ex trucker, God, it's a lonely job. Anyway, just wanted to say hi:)yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2007 - link
Myself, for 2 years(and around 200k miles) I would typically drive 8HRs/day, 2-3 months at a time. Plenty of down time, and plenty of time to game, even in the early to mid 90's ;) Of course back then, there was nothing like this availible, and I was probably one of the first drivers to have a full blown desktop in their cab(IMB compatable 386SX-25 with 4 MB of ram YEEE HAAW!) lol . . .yyrkoon - Monday, August 27, 2007 - link
IBM compatable . . .JarredWalton - Monday, August 27, 2007 - link
IBM compatible you mean? :)