Lenovo Ideapad Y500 or Dell Alienware M14x(Gaming Laptop under $1500)

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Sharry95

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Feb 12, 2013
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Hello

I wanted to buy a gaming laptop and narrowed my choices down to two, however feel free to suggest more if you want
It's Lenovo Ideapad Y500 or Dell Alienware M14x, I'll get the Lenovo for $1150 but the Alienware comes down to $1425 with the specs I'll order it for.


1) What is your budget?
$1200-1500 max

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Lenovo, Alienware, Asus ROG
b. Dislike: Sager, Msi, HP etc

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No way

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Gaming, Office work. Will take to university

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Want to play games like GTA V, Max Payne 3, And Crysis 3 on ULTRA/High settings

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3-4+ hours

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Prefer to see

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows 8

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
1080p FHD display

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
Both are good

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yeah obviously

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Tomorrow

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
3-4+ years

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need? Do you want a SSD drive?
500GB HDD + 16GB SSD is good enough

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
DVD Burner is good enough, but Blu-ray Burner(Don't care if it's only a Blu-ray reader, I got a PS3) would be great

Extras

19) If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
Newegg.com - lenovo IdeaPad Y500 (59359554) Notebook Intel Core i7 3630QM(2.40GHz) 15.6" 12GB Memory DDR3 1600 1TB HDD+16GB SSD HDD 5400rpm Dual NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M SLI for Lenovo

20)Please tell us any additional information if needed.
I like the Alienware's Lighting system and the softwares but it doesn't have full HD display like Lenovo does.
The name plate is also a good option
But I can forego these options since I will get the ideapad y500 with dual sli nvidia graphics which is also much cheaper anyway so..
If I get the Alienware these will be the specs for the Dell Alienware

Alienware M14X
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
750GB 7,200 RPM SATA + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD
Slot Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus™
Weight = 6.45 lbs
2 MP webcam

If I get the Lenovo, here are the specs for the Ideapad Y500 version I'll get

Lenovo Ideapad Y500
Up to 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
15.6" FHD (1920x1080) Anti-Glare 16:9 widescreen display
Weight = 6.4 lbs
3 hours+ battery life
1TB HDD storage and 16GB SSD
12GB memory
1.3 MP webcam

Difference between the two is >>
Price = $325
Alienware M14x has GT650M with Optimus technology that gives it 5 hours battery life whereas Ideapad Y500 has dual graphics i.e. 2 x GT650M SLI technology which gives it about 3+ hours while gaming.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 has 1080p FHD display whereas Alienware has 900p display
Alienware has the blings like the AlienFX, AlienAdrenaline, AlienFusion and AlienTouch but the Lenovo IdeaPad has the red - black cool backlit keyboard and I can get similar software on the internet I believe
I can get the Lenovo faster from Newegg instead of Dell and preferred if it reached to me by tomorrow.

If you were me, what would you get?
Don't suggest me to get a PC, I prefer portability right now
Need to make a decision by tomorrow as I hope it will reach me by 17th Feb as it'll be my birthday then

Btw, total cost to get an Alienware w/tax will be $1575 approx
For Lenovo, it's $1150 as Newegg doesn't charge tax on TX residents
 

shotgunz

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Dec 17, 2011
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I am greatly enjoying my Y400 right now, but I should of gotten the Y500 which is 15.6in instead of 14 inch.

Able to push loads of air out through it's vents and you can make the other 650m slide out to save some energy (but you have to do it when computer is off)

The red backlight screams at you to play a game and looks really nice.

Speakers are the best i've ever heard on a laptop if you turn on dolby home theatre to music mode and are very loud.

Keyboard feels very nice and smooth

Overall, very happy with my Y400 which is just a smaller Y500.
 

Sharry95

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Feb 12, 2013
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Thanks a lot for your reply. I like the Y500 a lot, might would have gotten the Y400 if they offered a 1080P+ display. Will consider your advice
 

Sharry95

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Feb 12, 2013
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I think I'll be better off saving some money.
I'll get the Lenovo under the 1200 range.

Any suggestions under 1200 price range?
 

shotgunz

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^That one looks very good for the price

Pros: 1080p matte screen (glossy screen on Y500 reflects lots of stuff) does not reflect much light, looks much better, massive pro, seriously

One gpu more practicle than two

Has nvidia optimus, longer battery life

670m is only about 10% slower than 650m SLI but is more reliable

Most likely better costumer service than lenovo

Cheaper

Cons: no glowing red keyboard? Lol
 

Winston1

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Mar 4, 2013
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I think that with the Ideapad Y500 you get more bang for your buck.

The Ideapad Y500 is great for those who are looking for Lenevo's next gaming suitable laptop after the success of the Ideapad

Y580. I have created a review here, that looks at the Ideapad Y500 in more detail.

Based on this review you will see that overall this is a great multimedia laptop with a great price that does not sacrifice on

performance.
 

whyso

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Jan 15, 2012
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670m is not good enough to warrent the difference. 670m is barely faster than 660m (5-10%) and will be only 20-25% faster than the 650m. 650m sli will easily beat it. Not to mention that the 670m is based off of fermi and probably generates just as much heat as 650m sli. 670mx on the other hand....
 
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