Features and Design

Though Alienware sent us the most high-end configuration available for the m15x, it’s actually possible to configure a more modest version for under $2K, but the computer obviously won’t offer the same level of performance. However, if you can get by with a mid-range graphics card, DVD-R/RW instead of Blu-ray and skimp on the amenities, you’ll still have a decent machine. The unit we received includes a 2.8GHz Extreme Core 2 Duo “Penryn” processor, which has 6MB of L2 cache and is currently the fastest mobile processor available. It works with 4GB of DDR2-667 on an Intel 965 chipset. 

BinaryGFX Technology

The m15x includes dual graphics cards, but not in SLI. Instead, it features a single NVIDIA 8800M GTX card with 512MB of RAM, and onboard Intel graphics. What’s interesting is that you can switch between the two, using onboard when you need maximum battery life and the NVIDIA card when you’re gaming. Bear in mind that SLI (two video cards working in tandem) is flat-out not an option with the m15x, though it is an option on the larger m17x.

AlienFX

Easily one of the most unique features of the m15x is its wild lighting scheme. It’s called AlienFX, and lets you change the lighting of seven different areas on the notebook including the alien head on the LCD cover; keyboard; touchpad; strip of light on the LCD; soft-touch controls; Alienware name on the LCD; and the power button. You can also change the color of each zone to one of 12 different hues or disable most of the colors if you want to extend battery life.

The m15x’s AlienFX lighting lets you customize the color of seven different zones.

Modular Bay and Storage

You can configure the m15x with a variety of hard drives ranging in size from 120GB to 320GB with either 5,400rpm or 7,200rpm spindle speeds. If you’ve got the cheddar, you can even opt for a 64GB solid-state drive, but it’ll set you back $800. If several hundred gigs of storage aren’t enough, the left-side of the m15x sports a modular bay that can be configured with a variety of drives. You can select a 160GB, 200GB or 320GB hard drive, and they are hot-swappable too. You can also purchase an auxiliary battery that fits in the bay and is reportedly good for around two additional hours of battery life.