Review Alienware M18x (GTX 580M SLI, 2920XM) Notebook

The Alienware M18x is one of the largest and most powerful gaming laptops available, and we have already thoroughly tested the model with two AMD Radeon HD 6970M units (CrossFire). Now the alternative version with 2x GeForce GTX 580M in SLI mode has reached us, and looks set to achieve new records in performance with its integrated SSD and Core i7-2920XM CPU. Dell 8P6X6 battery

As the case, screen, and input devices in this model have not changed from the previously reviewed version, we only look at the components which have been altered, with some additional tests and readings.

Connectivity

The M18x offers plenty of choice for connecting external storage media, with USB 3.0 and eSATA ports. We tested both of them using an Intel SSD 510 (ASMedia ASM10510 for USB, SataLink SPIF215A for eSATA) with 250 GB. The eSATA connection was the fastest at an average of 180.8 MB/s. The USB 3.0 connection followed shortly behind at 165 MB/s. As you would expect, the USB 2.0 port came last by some way at 28.1 MB/s. Dell PT6V8 battery

The integrated AR8151 Gigabit LAN port reached 851 MBit/s in our testing (direct connection to a Sandy Bridge desktop with DP55KG mainboard). However, an Intel Sandy Bridge test machine with AR8151 did manage to reach the maximum data transfer rate of 940 MBit/s.

We tested the WLAN Killer Wireless-N1103 card against our older Trendnet TEW-633GR, and managed about 49 MBit from a 3-metre distance. By way of comparison, an Intel 1030 WLAN card only reached 37 MBit. The 2010 MBP13, however, reaches 63 MBit/s which is a little better. Dell 312-0207 battery

Performance

An overclocked Intel Core i7-2920XM main processor, two GeForce GTX 580M high-end graphics cards in SLI mode, a Samsung PM810 SSD and 8 GB of DDR3 RAM all promise absolute top performance. It means the M18x currently in front of us is almost the highest configuration possible. Only the second HDD bay remains unused, and 16 GB of RAM would be possible. Dell 312-0210 battery

The Core i7-2920XM was already overclocked in our review model as delivered, and so it reaches up to 4 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. In the Cinebench R11.5 test, only 5% separates it from the desktop Core i7-2600 model. But as there are additional options in BIOS for overclocking, higher speeds are also possible. The M18x fitted with the 6970M CF, for example, was tested at 4.2 GHz and reached exactly the same scores as the Core i7-2600. Dell D951T battery

For simple overclocking, Dell offers three easy-to-adjust overclocking levels in BIOS. These first and foremost change the Turbo Boost multiplier, but also the core voltage in part. This made possible an improvement of up to 12.9% for single-core performance, and up to 17.6% for multi-core performance (Cinebench R11.5). Our review model was delivered and tested in Level 1 (a 7% and 12% performance boost respectively, compared to the not-overclocked processor). Dell F681T battery

The two PCMark benchmarks by Futuremark are supposed to evaluate overall system and application performance. The results speak for themselves, perched at the top of the league along with the older M18x and the Clevo X7200 (for e.g. in the XIRIOS W710). This proves that the M18x is equipped to handle virtually all usage scenarios thanks to its SSD, overclocked high-end CPU and powerful graphics system. Dell HC26Y battery

Only with professional 3D programs are professional graphics cards at a clear advantage because of their optimized drivers. In the SpecViewPerf 11, the M18x at times only performed at the level of a single Quadro FX 880M mid-range graphics card. Professional users might find what they are looking for with the Schenker Xirios (Nvidia Quadro 5010M) for example.

With the Futuremark synthetic graphics benchmarks and the Unigine Heaven, we first would like to record the theoretical performance of the GTX 580M rig. Dell M15X6CPRIBABLK battery

In the Unigine Heaven test, the GTX 580M SLI takes a clear lead of 22% ahead of the 6970M CrossFire in the same machine (with a slightly faster overclocked CPU). The Radeon 6990M in the CrossFire combination also stays 6% behind the Alienware machine despite its more powerful desktop CPU. In comparison, the 580M SLI in the X7200 is able to claim the top spot again by about 12% thanks to its powerful six-core processor (making it the fastest of the mobile graphics cards). Dell M15X9CEXIBATLK battery

In the 3DMark 11 GPU test the SLI graphics system is only 2% faster than the one in the 6970M CF. The 6990M CF is even a clear 13% faster, while the 580M SLI in the Clevo Barebone can add 9% through its desktop processor.

In the 3DMark Vantage GPU test, the 580M SLI has a clear lead over the 6970M CF (17% slower). In the older 3DMark benchmarks (2001-06), however, the Radeon HD 6970M CF won – again thanks to the somewhat faster overclocked CPU. Dell NGPHW battery

For the integrated SSD, Dell still relies on the old Samsung PM810 (PM830 recently introduced). This is part of the older SATA 3 Gbit/s generation and so it can't keep pace with modern top-of-the-range models like the OCZ Vertex 3 or Intel 510. Compared to the latest Intel 320 series (also still SATA 3 Gbit/s), the PM810 solid state drive keeps up well, being only 5% behind. However, the Intel 510 series connected with SATA 6 Gbit/s, the OCZ Agility 3 and the Vertex 3 are substantially ahead with 37%, 58% and 76% leads respectively (average of all results from the HD Tune reading benchmarks, AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark). Dell SQU-722 battery

But compared to traditional hard drives as well as RAID systems made up of HDDs, the PM810 still rates very highly. This can also be felt during everyday use, with thoroughly impressive start-up times and a fast Windows boot-up (30 seconds with a fully installed system with all games and benchmarks).

Gaming Performance

Dell SQU-724 battery An up-to-date driver is essential with SLI and CrossFire systems especially. We did not find the 275 series driver delivered with the laptop to be convincing. Therefore we updated to the latest 280.26 version (modded driver, as the official one from Alienware is not quite out yet and the Verde driver from Nvidia would not allow itself to be installed).

Additionally to the gaming tests listed in our database, we also took a look at the laptop's performance for the following games:

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Dell 453-10184 battery The new demo of this 3D shooter in the Warhammer 40K universe is convincing, with fast third-person action in a familiar setting. The level one 'fight' in the demo ran absolutely smoothly in our test at maximum settings (high) and 1920 x 1080 resolution, with 144 frames a second. So there is room to spare for AA settings. In comparison the integrated HD Graphics 3000 (switchable) was completely out of its depth, with a maximum of 16 fps (overclocked CPU, minimum settings).

Battery Life

DELL 2XRG7 battery The M18x's powerful hardware means that energy consumption is not exactly its forte. Only with no stress and the graphics cards deactivated (restart with processor graphics) could we get it down to a respectable 18W.

Under extreme stress the energy consumption fluctuates between 161 and 305 Watts (depending on whether the 580M graphics cards are running at full or only minimal speed). As the temperature of the cards is still quite low at this stage, this could be happening in order to protect the 330 W mains adaptor.Dell 04YRJH battery During Crysis 2 our instrument showed an average of 210 W in comparison (266 W with Prime95 switched on). So you can see that Furmark produces considerably more stress for the GPUs and therefore could possibly be forcing this protective function (?) to appear.

Like the Radeon model, the 580M SLI version rates highly with a maximum battery life of six hours. This is down to the optional use of the integrated processor graphics following a restart (it is not possible to have Optimus with SLI).

In practice you can expect a little over 3 hours when surfing over WLAN or watching videos. Dell 312-0233 battery

With maximum system load, the 12-cell battery runs out of steam after only an hour. Unfortunately both graphics cards run at a speed of only 50 MHz when the notebook is on battery power, so you also can't enjoy any games during this hour. The performance of the underclocked GeForce graphics cards in this situation is down to the same level as the integrated graphics card; therefore it would be sensible to switch over to the processor graphics.

Verdict

Dell 312-0234 383CW battery It turns out that the Alienware M18x is also an outstanding gaming notebook when fitted with two GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards in SLI mode. Weighing over 5.5 kg, its portability is severely limited, but at least it can be easily moved from one desk to another.

Its aggressive design helps it distinguish itself from the competition; the black version is a little more restrained than the red one. The use of aluminium and rubberized plastic also gives it a high-end appearance.

The input devices also make a good impression, although it is extremely annoying to find keyboard ghosting on a gaming notebook. Dell 4T7JN battery

But the range of ports gave no cause for complaint. USB 3.0, eSATA, and HDMI are among the highlights.

The performance scores are impressive thanks to the high-end components, and are only narrowly beaten by the Clevo X7200 model fitted with desktop CPUs. The SLI system was able to best the older CrossFire set-up of two 6970Ms with a clear lead of 8%. Compared to the 6990M CF, the advantage should only be slight. And so you can actually only criticise the somewhat outdated Samsung SSD in the M18x. We would currently recommend a manual upgrade (from a cheap HDD) to a more recent SSD of the Intel 510 or OCZ Vertex 3 variety. Dell 9T48V J1KND battery

The cooling system was a little quieter than our 6970M CF review model. On the other hand we did measure slightly higher surface temperatures. This represents a slightly better compromise in our opinion.

The only major drawback is the horrendous price of just over 5000 Euros for this review model. It means the M18x is highly likely to remain a niche product – but an extremely good one.

Review Dell Vostro 1540 Notebook

Dell W7H3N battery Dell expands its own B2B range with the entry level notebook, Vostro 1540, which has a 15.6 inch screen, the common 1366x768 pixels of resolution and a matt surface. In addition to the Vostro 3550 and Vostro 3555 laptop, the Dell Vostro 1540 is the third notebook of this size category and should especially attract price conscious buyers. The starting price is about 369 euros plus value added tax (439 euros including VAT) and thus costs about 20 euros less than the new Vostro 3550. Our test device represents the premium configuration and costs 579 euros w/o VAT, respectively 689 euros including VAT plus shipping. Dell 7012P battery

You get an Intel Core i3-370M dual core processor, a 4 GB DDR3 RAM and memory capacity of 500 GB for your money. Of course, WLAN standard 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 +HS are also built in. But you won't find UMTS, USB 3.0 or a docking port. Read in this review, how this basic office notebook fares - or if you should invest a few more euros to get a device with more up-to-date components.

Case

Dell 083KV battery The Vostro 1540 stands out from the other devices with a silver stripe. This laptop is not the right choice for aficionados of designer objects or products. The textured and rubberized display lid adds a small highlight. Overall, the design looks a bit too conservative and dull. But the manufacturer avoids taking a bigger "risk" this way. The plastic case's feel isn't satisfying. The silver edging and display bezel make a cheap impression. In return, the workmanship is solid and doesn't reveal any obvious weaknesses that we would have to mention negatively. Dell 1894W battery

The stability continues the already mediocre image. The wrist rest and keyboard yield visibly and noticeably under slight pressure in the left area. Interestingly, the DVD drive appears to support the case here. On the other hand, strong pressure causes the gap size between the silver stripe and the wrist rest to change. The display lid is also rather instable and can be easily twisted or depressed from the outside. The tightly pulled hinges have to be mentioned favorably as they keep the display in the desired position. Minus points in this aspect remain to be a slight teetering and the fact that the device can only be opened with both hands. Dell 2127U battery

The bottom doesn't have a maintenance cover because the RAM banks and the WLAN module are found directly underneath the keyboard. The hard disk and other components are only accessible after removing a few screws on the bottom and disassembling the wrist rest. Basically, this step is also simple and done within a few minutes.

Battery Life

Dell 4127U battery The older hardware isn't only noticed in performance, because the efficiency of the components has improved significantly with the launch of Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs. We draw a comparison with the HP ProBook 4530s with an Intel Core i3-2310M including embedded graphics. The Dell Vostro 1540 with an Intel Core i3-370M consumes between 9 and 17.2 watts in idle mode. Thus, the laptop is on about the same level as current multimedia laptops with a significant performance plus. An example from this division would be the Medion Akoya P6631 notebook. The above mentioned comparison configuration consumes a maximum of 12.6 watts in office use, which results in a difference of 26.7 %. Dell 8027U battery

The rates of our test device and the HP notebook are equal during load (51.6 to 51.2 watts). However, we must point out the average is a lot lower in the newer ProBook and that it nevertheless bids a plus of performance. Although the Vostro 1540's hardware was state-of-the-art about a year ago, this power consumption is no longer acceptable and the majority of potential buyers will likely opt for the latest and not inevitably more expensive hardware. Dell BAT-I5000 battery

The battery life, in combination with the included 6 cell battery, suffers under the consumption rates. Overall, it results in a weak range between 4 hours and 40 minutes in idle mode (BatteryEater's Reader's test) and 82 minutes during load and maximum screen brightness (Classic test). The assessment "Surfing via WLAN" represents a realistic average. But the resulting battery life of 3 hours and 27 minutes isn't really satisfying, either. The HP ProBook 4530s, with newer Intel hardware, reaches a battery life of about 8 hours, whereas there are configurations that manage up to 10 hours. Dell BAT30WL battery

Verdict

The Dell Vostro 1540 is an average office laptop for users without big demands. The case's design is unexciting and the feel isn't high-end. The scope of interfaces, the communication options and the matt 15.6 inch screen are acceptable, but nothing special. The hardware configuration isn't cutting edge with an Intel Core i3-370M, but the processor's performance can keep up with the Intel Core i3-2310M. However, the graphics and multimedia performance comes too short. The biggest drawback is likely the CPU's comparatively poor performance and the short battery life. Dell IM-M150261 battery

In view of this, the usual short warranty period of only 12 months (B2B) and the not directly accessible hard disk are only minor minus points. Overall, it's not a special laptop that is available for starting at 369 euros plus VAT. And this takes us to the next major drawback: The Dell Vostro 3550 with Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs and a more attractive design only costs 20 euros more. The new Vostro 3555 with AMD's Llano APUs even cost 40 euros less with a price starting at 329 euros. Dell IM-M150261-FR battery In view of this fact, we find the Vostro 1540 too expensive. In our opinion, it should sooner be on the price level of HP's 635 for around 299 euros including VAT.

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