The neverending battle: alienware vs sager

[the3xorc1st]

Ok i know what you guys are going to say, go with sager, better price vs quality and all but there build quality is awesome ( exept for the touchpad ), anyway, ive also been looking at sager and the 8690 seems very interesting, so i wanted to ask if any of you had some feedback you might want to share, good/bad and all.
Thanks!

[_Sligh_]

I have recently gone through that very same battle in my head for the past 3 months. I had all but settled on getting the alienware, but once the np8690 came out, it all but sealed the deal on the sager for me. Here's why:

The m17x, while a beast, is very heavy, and while 9lbs vs. 12lbs may not seem like much, the portability factor was a big one. The m17x also has already been outdated. Paying an extra $1000 for a qx9300 chip is annoying to me since the core i7 820qm outperforms it (which is only a 200-300 dollar upgrade on the sager or the m15x). While you get the ability for SLi video cards, I've noticed in a lot of forums that people are complaining with a lot of freezing of the computer during gaming, and even still, more often than not, most games still only use 1 video card at a time.

The m15x, while still very neat, and theoretically the same portability factor as the 8690, loses the luster once it is revealed that the aluminum chassis of the m17x has been replaced with a not as sturdy magesium alloy. Also, the "most powerful 15" laptop" doesn't even have the most powerful graphics processor in it, as it caps out at the 260M. What it comes down to is the name, and the lighting. If you want the cool LED lighting system of the alienware, then go for it. Alienware also touts the AlienSense security system which uses the built in camera to sense if the user of the computer is in front of the system and doesn't unlock unless it recognizes the user, which sounds really awesome, until you find the article about the guy that was able to unlock his system by simply putting a photo of himself in front of the camera.

I'm not trying to knock alienware, as i've never even owned one, but those were the deciding factors for me...

[Anewbus]

One should also factor in Support. Alienware is Dell. Dell support is all but non-existant or severely lackluster.
Dell's warranties are limited, Xotic's warranties offer better coverage and at a better price.
Dell's tech support (if you can call it that) is free for one year. Xotic's tech support is free, lifetime, domestic and 24/7. Plus there are the forums.
Customer service at Dell - your just a number, thanks for your money, good luck. Xotic's customer service is boutique style, personable and doesn't stop after the sale.

When buying something as expensive as a notebook I'd factor in service and support equal with build quality. That's my opinion anyway for what it's worth.:)

[the3xorc1st]

Thanks for the replies guys, i think my biggest concern is build quality, heating, and noise
( ive heard the fans on the 8690 can get really noisy). its true that the 8690 has a better graphics card but i want a laptop i can go to work with, and that doesnt bother everyone around me. Have you heard anything regarding this topic?

[powerpack]

Taking an AlienWare to work? And you ask this question? Surely you jest? Or you are not a professional. AlienWare is out of place in a business environment from the moment it comes out of the bag. It screams I play games! Not that it would bother me but just consider the setting to be used in.

Also you said you heard fans noisy? Did you hear they have bad fans? What is noisy? If it is cooling well that is good for system longevity. If the AlienWare is quiet and hot not where I want to be. Also remember cooling is related to what you are doing. I mean if you are gaming and fans blast louder than you want at work I can only ask is gaming at work the status quo? I mean not like Word is going to get the thermal solution all excited.

Oh and for the record the correct answer is Sager unless lights are very important to you. Not even a very hard question at that.

So go out and place that Sager order ASAP!

[Ramrod]

I say go with Sager, though I'm partial to Sager since I have a 9280. 2 ways to cut down on any fan noise:
1. ensure nothing blocks or cover fans. No matter what system you have if this happens your system will start sounding like you're standing next to a turbine engine at an Air Force Base.
2. Get a good cooler to help support the fans highly recommended if you choose Alienware or Asus. Though I recommend a laptop cooler no matter what system you use, no drawbacks and only benefits (keeps laptop cooler, meaning potential for longer life).
Good night and Good Luck.