Alienware M17X R5 or Razer Blade Pro?

cpsuperprosecrets

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Dec 16, 2013
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10,570
I will soon be on the move for a while,and I need a gaming laptop.
Weight and size does not matter, as I have a car , and I narrowed it down to Alienware M17X R5 or Razer Blade Pro.
Which one is better, and which should I get. Budget is not a worry. Thanks
 
Solution
Alienware laptops have a lot of problems and anyone who owns one won't reccomend them. Without even looking at the specs I can reccomend the Razer blade pro because Razer is a better company with more reputation for quality products.

armapker

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May 19, 2012
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Alienware laptops have a lot of problems and anyone who owns one won't reccomend them. Without even looking at the specs I can reccomend the Razer blade pro because Razer is a better company with more reputation for quality products.
 
Solution

JonBoy2014

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Jan 6, 2014
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He's right. I wouldn't recommend Alienware except for their awesome warranty. They've upgraded my computer 3 times because of hardware issues. I just received my M17x r5 in the mail today (as a warranty replacement) and even though they upgraded a lot of stuff "for my trouble", I listed it on ebay right away. I'm hoping to sell it for enough that I can buy a razer blade pro.
Unfortunately, when it comes to specs, the M17x is boss. The defects in mine have been in assembly. My problems were: keys falling off, cpu burning out from not installing the heatsink properly when replacing the keyboard, usb ports resetting, getting it back from their depot and wifi was intermitent because they didn't plug the antenna back in, After all that, they replaced the whole laptop with a new one (m17x r4 with upgraded video card and hard drives) but the hard drives went out within a few days and had to be replaced. Then came some more keyboard trouble and usb drive problems. Eventually they replaced this one too with the M17x r5 that I just got today and I'm trying to sell without even opening the package. They gave me a bunch of awesome upgrades, but at this point i'm ready for a change.
 

brunobely

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Feb 26, 2014
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I really don't know if you're saying that because you don't know anyone who owns an Alienware or because you don't know anyone who has a Razer product.

I own a Razer Megalodon (headset) and two Nagas (2012 and 2014) AND an Alienware M17x R4. What I can say is, companywise, Alienware/Dell are much, much superior to Razer. While my Nagas are great, I've had some issues with my Megalodon that apparently everyone who owns them has, which are speaker-to-mic sound leaks, people hearing static behind my voice, power draining problems... Besides, I know four people who had to change headsets because their Razer didn't last a year.

I'm not here to give or take credit to these businesses, though. My Alienware is everything I could want in a PC. I study Computer Science and (while somewhat heavy) my laptop is a great partner both at home and at the university. It is definitely THE desktop replacement. When I was searching for laptops and figured I'd buy an Alienware I took in consideration three things: the warranty, which was international (I live in Brazil and had someone bring it to me), the price - I bought it for $1799 at Costco - and the fact that the Razer Blade was wayyyy overpriced, which I will show you now.

Check these out:
Alienware 17 page
Razer Blade Pro page

The Razer Blade Pro, for $2499, features:

  • ■ Intel® Core™ i7-4700HQ Quad Core
    Processor with Hyper T[hreading
    2.4GHz / 3.4GHz (Base/Turbo)

    ■ 8GB Dual Channel DDR3
    ■ Intel® HD4600

    ■ NVIDIA® GeForce GTX® 765M
    (2GB GDDR5, with Optimus Technology)

    ■ 17.3” Full HD 16:9 Ratio,
    1920x1080 LED Backlit
    128GB / 256GB / 512GB SATA III SSD

If you check the cheapest Alienware 17 on that page, it features the same things, except for the hard drive and screen, for $1499. For $1649, you get the same screen. You can't upgrade the HDD to an SSD, but you can buy it separately (I bought an mSATA, 256GB from Amazon and had a guy install it for me). Now if you look at the rightmost column, you can get, for $100 more than the Blade, an i7 4800MQ, upgrade the video card to a 780M (wayyy better than the 765M), the RAM to 16GB and get a 750GB+80GB hybrid drive.

Razer products are overpriced. They look nice, but so do Alienware laptops.

If weight is not a concern, then please get the Alienware (have you heard the trackpad is backlit?). My M17x is an R4 version, and yours will be a lot prettier (which mine already is).



Hope you enjoy your new laptop, whichever one it is :)
 

Sanctuary28

Estimable
Jun 5, 2014
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4,510
Hi! I have an Alienware M17x since 2011. I've never had a problem with it. And I was "not worried" about Del buying the company. Coz I know for a fact that Alienware is still the manufacturer for Alienware. They didn't change quality wise. What I like about the Alienware is that you can play hardcore gaming. MIne has the first LED with 120Hz refresh rate. Playing games in 3D mode.

Remember, 99.9% of issues of all forms and brands of computers are mainly caused by "The User"
 

Charles Eckenrode

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Jun 28, 2014
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TESimmons

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Aug 27, 2014
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I have had two Alienware computers, one pre-Dell and one post. I have had one issue with the power adapter under warranty and they sent someone out to replace it on site. The replaced my battery just to make sure. I have never had a problem with the quality of the build. My power supply was over 2 years old when they replaced it. I think they make a good product, but I am wondering the same thing. The Razer is as powerful, but OMG so much lighter.
 

Sanctuary28

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Jun 5, 2014
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4,510


 

Sanctuary28

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Jun 5, 2014
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4,510
I have had my Alienware M17X 3D for 3 years now. I never had a single issue with it since I got it. Regarding the battery life. The lifespan of a laptop battery is 1 year or 1.5 years. Depends on how frequently you charge it. Or your laptop is always plugged in while battery is attach.

Choice between laptops. Depends upon your personal preference. Good luck. Just take care of your gadgets and enjoy.
 

JamesHill05

Estimable
Jan 31, 2015
1
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4,510


I'm sorry but I completely disagree. I have had my M17xR4 for 2/3 years now and I have never had anything but a delightful experience with it. No hardware problems of any kind. I like Razer (having had 2 mice, 2 headsets, 1 keyboard, 1 hoodie and 1 mouse mat from them) but Alienware (having had just my M17xR4 - a bigger investment than all my razer products combind) is just as good.

It depends what you are after. If you want power at a more affordable price, Alienware is the better choice. If you want portability with some power, Razer is your best choice.