Alienware M15x review

The backlit keyboard, the Alienware logo beneath the screen and even the speaker grilles on the front corners all glow provocatively. It’s also possible to customise the lighting array, setting each area to a different colour. And, if they’re not your cup of tea, you can always turn them all off too.

Those lights might make the Alienware seem like a particularly expensive toy, but the build quality says otherwise. There’s barely a hint of flex anywhere to be found, with both the lid and base feeling outstandingly tough. The keyboard is truly excellent, too. With a stiff, unyielding base and a superb feel, the keyboard is both comfortable to type on and capable of withstanding the pounding delivered by avid gamers.

It’s disappointing to find that the trackpad isn’t so refined. Admittedly, no self-respecting gamer will ever use the trackpad for anything more than bringing up the Start menu, but the jerky cursor control colours an otherwise luxurious experience. No matter what sensitivity settings we used, or how many times we re-installed the latest driver, the cursor stubbornly flickered across the screen.

The crisp 15.6in display makes the deficiencies of the cursor glaringly obvious. The native resolution of 1,600 x 900 is a perfect match for the screen size, and the abilities of the GTX 260M graphics chipset for that matter, and image quality is excellent. Crysis’ lush jungle environments are imparted with vibrant colours and eye-catching brightness, and our test photographs proved the panel to be exceptionally good.

There is one glaring issue with the M15x, though – portability. At the rear, a huge battery tips the laptop up at an angle, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it improves the typing position and keeps cool air rushing through the vents on the M15x’s underside. But, even without the power supply, the Alienware weighs in at a shoulder-straining 4.25kg and, despite a sizable nine-cell battery, it doesn't last long away from the mains. The M15x ran for 2hrs 48mins in our light use test.

For all its deficiencies, though, the Alienware M15x is a gorgeous gaming laptop. There is stiff competition from the 3.42kg Asus G60Vx, but despite a slightly higher price tag, the Alienware's extrovert looks and fantastic display help it snatch the A List crown.

Author: Sasha Muller