Unlike Any Other Netbook
When Alienware first showed off the M11x at CES, we were interested, but not entirely convinced. An ultraportable gaming laptop, the size of a netbook, designed to compete against netbooks? It sounds too far-fetched to be possible.
Then again, the concept of a netbook sounded just as strange to us when we first heard about it. The difference here is that Alienware has created the ultimate small light-weight gaming PC that more than moonlights as a business-class laptop—while netbooks have such limited computing power. In all of our tests, we were blown away by the M11x, not because it uses unique technology or is incredibly powerful, but because it’s so capable while remaining relatively inexpensive and tiny. The M11x is available now.
The model we tested costs $1,099, but the M11x starts at $800, and can be internally customized to cost nearly $2000. Our model includes what we consider to be the best parts-per-price ratio.
Specifications
| Size (inches) | 11.25 x 9.19 x 1.29 |
|---|---|
| Weight (pounds) | 4.39 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz (3MB Cache) Overclocked to 1.73GHz |
| RAM | 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 800MHz |
| Hard Drive | 500GB SATAII 7,200RPM |
| Videocard | 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M/Mobile Intel GS45 Chipset |
| Display | 11.6-inch WideHD 1366x768 (720p) WLED |
| Other | 1.3MP Webcam, AlienFX lighting, a/b/g/n Wi-Fi |
The M11x features both integrated and discrete graphics, and users can switch between the two. All M11x models also come with an overclocked dual core processor, which can easily be returned to its original clock speed of 1.3GHz, the standard for laptops this size and smaller.
So why is the M11x one of the best small machines we’ve ever tested? Read on to find out.