All,
I just ordered a new Alienware Area-51m 7700 laptop. My signature still has the old one listed, but it died. The onboard video went bad and it was going to cost $1200.00 to repair. Unfortunately the warranty ran out. I got the 3 year warranty this time. Anyway I was wondering if anyone else has the new 7700 model, and how they like it. I am into gaming. I have a two teenage boys, 13 and 14. I have a home LAN set up. My signature only has my main system and old laptop listed, but I have 2 other systems that I built. The main reason I want a gaming laptop is that my job takes me away from home quite often and I like a mobile system that I can game with. Anyway I just was hoping for feedback from any who have it already. The specs are as follows.
- Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 550 Desktop Processor w/ HT Technology 3.4GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB
- Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP PrO with Service Pack 2
- Warranty: 3-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support with Onsite Service
- LCD Display: 17" WideSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 LCD Clearview Display with Built-in Camera
- Motherboard: Intel® 915P PCI-Express Chipset
- Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 533MHz - 2 x 512MB
- Video Card: Area-51m 7700 NVIDIA GeForce™ Go 6800 Ultra with 256MB of DDR3 memory
- Hard Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 60GB 7200 RPM ATA100
- CD ROM/DVD ROM: 8X Dual Layer DVD+/-RW / 24X CD-RW Combo w/Software
- Sound Card: Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with 7.1 surround sound
- Communications: Integrated 10/1000Mb Gigabit Ethernet & 56K V.92 Modem
- Floppy Drive: USB Floppy Drive
I will add a 60 Gig 5400 RPM hard drive to it when it gets here. Anway any feedback is appriciated.
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 11th, 2005, 09:43 AM
Well, SJRACER... Those specs are impressive. I might have stuck with the A64 for gaming, but between the video card and that massive 17" display it should be one solid gaming experience. How much will that setup weigh?
Justintime
September 11th, 2005, 10:08 AM
Whats the battery time on that puppy? might be a bit warm too.. :p Not bad at all though.
jankerson
September 11th, 2005, 11:11 AM
Sounds like a really nice machine. :)
We will want to see picts and Benches when you get it. :D
Hoyle
September 11th, 2005, 12:29 PM
I'm guessing 10-12 lbs and about 70 mins battery life... But, hey, it's practically a screaming desktop rig in a portable configuration!
sjracer
September 11th, 2005, 01:01 PM
The weight should be around 12 pounds or so. As far as battery life, they say while gaming, just over an hour. But, the main purpose for me is for a portable desktop. I wont use it on the go so much. I also ordered the Vantec Lapcool 2 to help keep it cool. I will post pics and benches when I recieve it. I cant wait. It should be around the same as my main system as far as performance I would imagine.
SJRACER
Justintime
September 11th, 2005, 01:48 PM
Oh yea definetly.. :D
Martin_89
September 13th, 2005, 07:44 PM
looks like a bit of a "ball warmer" with that desktop P4 chip :D
still, id love a laptop like that, and with a laptop as you found out its always worth it to get a good warranty
Hoyle
September 13th, 2005, 09:53 PM
looks like a bit of a "ball warmer" with that desktop P4 chip
Yeah, but at least there is enough computer surrounding it to justify the chip. I remember in the bad ol' days (before Pentium M and A64 mobiles)... You used to see laptops just as heavy and as power hungry being shipped with integrated graphics and dimunitive screen... I guess just because there wasn't much of an alternative.
sjracer
September 17th, 2005, 04:50 AM
It finally shipped on Thursday. Hopefully it will be here next week. I will let you all know how it is when it gets here. I ordered the Vantec Lapcool 2 as well. I have to get my second hard drive installed, then get it all loaded up with my games, and then I will do some benchmarks and post. I cant wait till it gets here :D
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 17th, 2005, 11:16 AM
You're going to do a PAIR of 7200 RMP 2.5" drives? Can you use RAID in a laptop?!?
sjracer
September 17th, 2005, 06:51 PM
Yes you can Raid them, however, the second hard drive I have is from an older system. It is a 60gig 5400rpm hard drive, so I am just going to stick it in there for storage. I would have liked to get the second 7200rpm drive, but I was pushing my luck with the wife spending as much as I did.
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 17th, 2005, 10:35 PM
Ah... well didn't realize your budget had... other... limitations. I wonder how much good RAID would really do with 2.5" drives anyway. Certainly would make me nervous, though... I've found laptop drives to be a little less durable than 3.5" drives. I, of course, being paranoid, would probably be using RAID 1, though, and that's something I'd like.
ThreeOnTheTree
September 18th, 2005, 01:31 AM
This must be some notebook to have the option to install 2 hard disks. I'm pretty curious to see what this thing can do!
sjracer
September 18th, 2005, 04:38 AM
From everything I have read, they are getting great reviews. I like it because I was looking for a desktop replacement that I can take with me when I go on trips away from home. I wont use it on the go much, but more when I get there. I wanted somthing that can game as well as my home system. This will do it. Plus I like it because it has the replaceable video card module. You can pretty much access everything on it. I will post pics and benchmarks when I get it.
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 18th, 2005, 03:54 PM
Should be nice to have so many upgradable parts. A year or two down the road, you might even drop a new GPU and some faster disks in and see a pretty big overall performance boost. Is that thing LGA775 by any chance?
sjracer
September 19th, 2005, 07:56 PM
Should be nice to have so many upgradable parts. A year or two down the road, you might even drop a new GPU and some faster disks in and see a pretty big overall performance boost. Is that thing LGA775 by any chance?
Sure is. This is off of the info on the site.
Intel® 915P PCI-Express Chipset
Specifications
CPU Type Intel® Pentium 4 LGA775 Socket
Memory Type PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM
Chipset Intel 915P
System Bus Speed 800MHz
Memory Capacity 4 GB
Memory Slots 4
Mini-PCI Slots 1
PCMCIA Slots 1
USB Ports 4
IEEE1394 Ports 2
IDE Controllers Ultra ATA/133 / SATA150
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 19th, 2005, 10:23 PM
Nice! I bet you're hoping that Pentium D isn't such a little volcano once they shrink it to 65nm!
sjracer
September 24th, 2005, 04:49 PM
This waiting game ****s. It shipped 10 days ago and still isnt here!!! I am at the mercy of the USPS. This really blows. Typically it takes 7 to 10 days for things to ship over here, but damm, when you are waiting on somthing like this, the wait is HORRIBLE.
SJRACER
Hoyle
September 25th, 2005, 12:12 PM
What? Did they ship it ground ;)
wonderinguy34
September 25th, 2005, 01:07 PM
Maybe they're sending it via Houston or New Orleans :cool:
Justintime
September 28th, 2005, 08:25 AM
omg harsh lol.
Leoslocks
September 30th, 2005, 01:35 PM
Maybe they're sending it via Houston or New Orleans :cool:Thats not funny! :p My wife works at FedEx > Postal > Outbound and the slides she works are New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola and Houston. Their volume has doubled while the load had to be handled via trucks vs planes. They are getting the use of planes back but the load is still double. Their group is shorthanded also. Still FedEx is getting the job done. Use the Tracking Information from the shipper. You should be able to find the location of the jewel and estimated arrival.
[Edit] FYI, FedEx has a contract with USPS and handles a lot of their load.
ThreeOnTheTree
September 30th, 2005, 06:41 PM
Yeah, the courriers actually do a lot of work for each other. My dad work as a courrier for a local company. They specialize mostly in local same-day delivery, and it's not uncommon for him to to finish some priority deliveries for Fedex. I guess it's better for one company to pay a competitor to finish the job if it means they get to keep their reputation for timely service.
sjracer
October 1st, 2005, 03:53 AM
No, here is the deal. I am in the USAF stationed in Germany. Because of this, companies like Alienware ship via the USPS. Unfortunately, they obviously did not use priority mail. If they had, I would have had it in 7 to 10 days. Since they didnt, who knows when I will get it. By the way, it shiped 17 days ago now. Still waiting....
SJRACER
Hoyle
October 3rd, 2005, 09:26 AM
Yeah, the courriers actually do a lot of work for each other.
More that the courriers, actually. Back when I was working as an architect, our firm was looking into taking an old USPS sorting center (It was once the central location for the 17--- postal codes) and turning it into a laboratory building. Sadly, there were train tracks on one side (vibration) and it was in a flood plane, so we did not chose it to be the site, but we did get to walk through the NEW 17--- facility (HUGE!). It's half FedEx inside!.
Since they didnt, who knows when I will get it. By the way, it shiped 17 days ago now. Still waiting....
That's annoying! They probably stuck it on a BOAT. So it's probably somewhere off greenland right now... and steaming your way at a 11 knots.
Leoslocks
October 3rd, 2005, 12:49 PM
IsItThereYet, IsItThereYet, IsItThereYet?
F_A_L_C_O_N
October 3rd, 2005, 02:25 PM
Just a thought
You are in USAF stationed in Germany, dont you guys have a faster way to get from US to Germany :p
Anyway been there, done that, I know exactly how you feel, hopefully it gets there soon.
BTW I was always lucky with UPS and DHL.
sjracer
October 6th, 2005, 03:47 PM
:( Still not here. It shipped 22 days ago now. Hopefully it will arrive soon. I will let everyone know when it gets here. All indications are that it is well worth the wait, but MAN I am getting anxious. If only they had shipped it Priority Mail!!
SJRACER
Hoyle
October 7th, 2005, 12:34 AM
OK... so the Boat they stuck it on only makes 9 Knots (with the gulf stream!). Might be in Liverpool by now. One more quick unload-reload and it'll be on it's way across the channel.
ThreeOnTheTree
October 7th, 2005, 08:36 AM
I hear ya, man. I ordered a replacement battery for an mp3 player, and it's been 2 months and I still haven't seen it yet. :mad: I sent the etailer an email yesterday, saying that if they can't ship my product this week, then they need to refund my money. I've sent 2 more emails to them, and they at least have answered them, but it's just been a horrible experience (which I let them know). Hopefully they sort this out now.
This is just a battery in my case, so I can't imagine how frustrated you are considering you're waiting for a nice notebook. I take it there's no package tracking?
Hoyle
October 8th, 2005, 11:19 AM
--I take it there's no package tracking?--
I can see it now:
Departure Scan: Hoboken NJ, USA: 09-03-2005
.
.
.
Comment: 10-05-2005: Container Lost at Sea?
sjracer
October 9th, 2005, 10:34 AM
Unfortunately not. I am still waiting. 25 days now. They said it may take 6 weeks for it to come. I wish I had remembered to ask them to ship it priority mail. At least then it would have made it in less than 10 days. So here I wait.
SJRACER
sjracer
October 19th, 2005, 05:16 PM
:D :D ITS HERE ITS HERE!!!!!
And BOY is it AWSOME. It is a monster. It is late, and I gotta get some sleep for work, but I did run 3DMARK 03 and scored 11,386. I ran 3DMARK 05 and scored 5090.
I am totally happy with it so far. I tried to add my second hard drive, but dont have a jumper for it, so I gotta get that tommorow. It would not detect the second. The Alienware site says that I have to have the jumper on the second hard drive set to slave, and have it in the upper position. I had all but the jumper and dont have a jumper for a 2.5 inch hard drive, so I gotta hit the store. Just wanted to pass on my glorious news!!
SJRACER
F_A_L_C_O_N
October 19th, 2005, 05:45 PM
:D :D ITS HERE ITS HERE!!!!!
And BOY is it AWSOME. It is a monster. It is late, and I gotta get some sleep for work, but I did run 3DMARK 03 and scored 11,386. I ran 3DMARK 05 and scored 5090.
I am totally happy with it so far. I tried to add my second hard drive, but dont have a jumper for it, so I gotta get that tommorow. It would not detect the second. The Alienware site says that I have to have the jumper on the second hard drive set to slave, and have it in the upper position. I had all but the jumper and dont have a jumper for a 2.5 inch hard drive, so I gotta hit the store. Just wanted to pass on my glorious news!!
SJRACER
Jumper is nothing but the bridge between two pins, you can do one yourself or check some old hardware you might have lying around. Jumpers are found for example on hard disk and motherboards and are not always used, eg manufacturer might add a jumper or two for some extra funcionality to be enabled. Those are usually a little bit bigger the the ones used on 2.5 inch drives but they will fit.
BTW did boat have engine :rolleyes: .
ThreeOnTheTree
October 19th, 2005, 07:38 PM
Glad it's arrived. Post some pictures of your hard-earned purchase. :)
Leoslocks
October 19th, 2005, 10:35 PM
Let the Games begin :D
Hoyle
October 21st, 2005, 01:18 AM
About time!!! I'd love to see some picks... maybe some shots of the cooling solution, and those dual HDD bays!
sjracer
October 21st, 2005, 05:17 PM
Ok, here is a couple pics. I have to work tommorow again, so I dont have alot of time to play with it yet, but I did get the hard drive installed (second one) and a couple games. It is AWESOME. Anyway here are some pictures.
I cheated on the hard drive picture and used one from on line.
SJRACER
Justintime
October 22nd, 2005, 01:35 PM
We don't want to see pics of the case... open er up :p
sjracer
October 22nd, 2005, 08:43 PM
Next time I open it up, I will take pics. I didnt think to take pics when I took some of the covers off. She is sweeth though!!!! I thought I had a problem with HL2, but come to find out, Steam just had a big release last month that messed things up. When played onmy main system, it ran smooth as silk on max settings. And after I finally tried it on main, I realized it was a steam/valve/HL2 problem. Not the laptop. Got new drivers on both main and Alienware and things are a little choppy in HL2 on both systems, but runs. Hell, I beat the game several months back so no big deal. Farcry, Doom 3, Joint Operations and Area-51 all run smooth as hell. I am lovin' it.