Take look on to the Marvelous SuperBeast the Alienware M18x R2. This is a Re-blogged from LaptopMag.com
Design
Click to EnlargeThe M18x R2 is simply a beast, with a 2.4-pound power brick that weighs as much as some Ultrabooks. And that's appropriate, given that this rig looks like it ate a few of them for breakfast. The M18x R2 features a fingerprint-resistent anodized aluminum lid with a raised, striated panel that adds visual and tactile depth to the design. The backlit chrome alien head in the center of the lid is trademark Alienware.
Display
Click to EnlargeSimply beautiful. Once you start looking into the M18x R2's 18.4-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel display, it's hard to look away. As we blasted our way through a gang-infested nightclub in "Max Payne 3," we were bombarded with opulent purples and golds. Our jaws dropped as time slowed and we watched our bullets hit our enemies in a gory ballet of bright-red blood and gore. Cutscenes were just as gorgeous, showing off the wear and tear on the face of a drug-addled Max Payne as he dealt with his demons.
Audio
Click to EnlargeAudio on the M18x R2 is superb. Dialogue during "Luther was loud and clear, allowing Idris Elba's heavy British accent to coat the room. When it came to music, the THX TruSound software in the Sound Blaster Recon3Di control panel delivered robust and well-balanced sound. As we listened to "Sometimes I Wonder," both Jill Scott's and Darius Rucker's vocals melded into a gratifying duet. The normally soothing keyboard was lively and sensual.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Click to EnlargeLike the rest of the notebook, the M18x R2's traditional keyboard is massive. Not only does the backlit keyboard feature a full number pad, it also has a set of five macro keys. The top key switches between three setups, enabling gamers to access 15 macros on the fly.
Heat
For such a big notebook, the M18x R2 manages to keep things nice and cool. The touchpad measured a temperate 77 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad after streaming a full-screen episode of "Rocko's Modern Life" on Netflix. The space between the G and H keys and the bottom of the notebook were also relatively cool at 86 and 85 degrees, respectively.
Webcam
Click to EnlargeThe 2.1-megapixel camera in this Alienware captures video and stills in 1920 x 1080. The webcam delivered accurate color in both natural and fluorescent lighting. However, the images weren't as sharp as we would have liked. We noticed that the camera failed to capture many of the sequins on our shirt and there was a noticeable amount of graininess in a photo.
Ports
Click to EnlargeThe M18x R2 is simply loaded with ports. A pair of USB 3.0 ports sit on the right along with a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 slot, HDMI in, a 9-in-1 card reader and a slot-loading Blu-ray reader. The left side of the notebook houses another pair of USB 3.0 ports, a mini-DisplayPort, HDMI out, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, a secure lock and jacks for headsets, headphones, a microphone and S/DIF. The AC adapter jack is on the notebook's rear.
Gaming and Graphics
Click to EnlargeGaming on a notebook has never made us feel so giddy. Outfitted with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M GPUs with 2GB of VRAM, the Alienware M18X R2 is like the 1985 Chicago Bears defensive line -- mean, powerful and quite capable of knocking you on your ass. In those instances when you have to do some actual work, the notebook switches to its Intel HD Graphics 4000 card. However, we wished the system came with Nvidia's Optimus technology so the rig would switch modes automatically.
Performance
Click to EnlargePowered by a 2.7-GHz Intel Core i7-3820QM with 16GB of RAM, the Alienware M18x R2 can definitely take care of business. During PCMark 7, the M18x R2 scored 5,495, well above the 3,524 category average. That was also enough to top the MSI GT70 0ne276US (2.3-GHz Intel Core i7-3610QM), which scored 4,983. However that wasn't enough to beat the Origin Eon 17S 5,602, which came with a 2.9-Ghz Intel Core i7-3920XM.
Battery Life
Click to EnlargeHaving dual GPUs is great for playing games, but lousy on battery life. During the LAPTOP Battery Test, the Alienware M18x R2 lasted a short 2 hours and 57 minutes with the discrete GPUs enabled. However, this rig clocked 5:03 when we ran the test on integrated graphics mode. This was more than enough to outlast the Origin Eon 17S' time of 2:35. The MSI GT70 0ne276US clocked in with 4:27.
Software and Warranty
Click to EnlargeAlienware's slim software package keeps the focus where it needs to be -- gaming. However the company does include alien-themed software to optimize and customize the computing and gaming experiences. AlienFusion creates custom power profiles for just about every situation. AlienTouch lets users disable/enable the touchpad, while Macro Keys handles color and moveset configurations for the five macro keys.
Configurations
Click to EnlargeOur $4.454 review unit has a 2.7-GHz Intel Core i7-3820QM CPU with 16GB of RAM, dual 256GB SSDs in a RAID 0 configuration and dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M GPUs with 2GB of VRAM.
Verdict
Click to EnlargeEach year, Alienware keeps outdoing itself in terms of performance, and this year's M18x R2 is no different. Its dual Nvidia GPUs, dual SSDs and gorgeous 1080p display put the M18x in a class by itself. The customizable lighting and booming audio just add to the fun. If you have the means, this gaming notebook is absolute perfection.
