What would happen if you combined the endurance of an Intel ULV processor with the power of discrete graphics? We’ve wondered that for a while, and now we know thanks to the Alienware M11x, a diminutive system that acts like a much larger—and much more expensive—gaming rig. Featuring Alienware’s distinctive styling, this $1,099 machine costs a fair amount more than other ultraportable systems, but users are rewarded with switchable graphics and performance that lets them do more than just the basics.
Design
Honey, they shrunk the Alienware! That’s the reaction we had when we first laid eyes on the Alienware M11x. This thin-and-light notebook looks like the company’s M15x spent too much time in the dryer. Like its larger brethren, it features a prominent Alienware logo on the lid whose eyes glow when the system is turned on. Our system came with a gray finish (called Lunar Shadow); consumers can choose Cosmic Black as well. Also like the larger Alienwares, the front edge of the M11x has an angled design reminiscent of the newer Chevy Camaros. The deck is a matte black plastic, which doesn’t pick up fingerprints, but the glossy black screen bezel shows every little mark.
Of course, the standout feature of any Alienware is its innovative lighting. Two areas on either corner of the front edge, which have a honeycomb pattern, are backlit, as is the keyboard and Alienware logo beneath the screen. As with other Alienware systems, the colors of the lights are customizable; this doesn’t add anything to performance, but it makes for a visually exciting laptop.
Measuring 11.3 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches and weighing 4.4 pounds, the M11x is considerably bulkier and heavier than a traditional thin-and-light, or, more significantly, an ultraportable with a ULV processor, which is more likely to have an 11-inch screen. The Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T, for example, is a full inch narrower and weighs more than a pound less.
Honey, they shrunk the Alienware! That’s the reaction we had when we first laid eyes on the Alienware M11x. This thin-and-light notebook looks like the company’s M15x spent too much time in the dryer. Like its larger brethren, it features a prominent Alienware logo on the lid whose eyes glow when the system is turned on. Our system came with a gray finish (called Lunar Shadow); consumers can choose Cosmic Black as well. Also like the larger Alienwares, the front edge of the M11x has an angled design reminiscent of the newer Chevy Camaros. The deck is a matte black plastic, which doesn’t pick up fingerprints, but the glossy black screen bezel shows every little mark.
Of course, the standout feature of any Alienware is its innovative lighting. Two areas on either corner of the front edge, which have a honeycomb pattern, are backlit, as is the keyboard and Alienware logo beneath the screen. As with other Alienware systems, the colors of the lights are customizable; this doesn’t add anything to performance, but it makes for a visually exciting laptop.
Measuring 11.3 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches and weighing 4.4 pounds, the M11x is considerably bulkier and heavier than a traditional thin-and-light, or, more significantly, an ultraportable with a ULV processor, which is more likely to have an 11-inch screen. The Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T, for example, is a full inch narrower and weighs more than a pound less.
Heat
Despite its powerful graphics and small chassis, the M11x kept its cool. After playing a Hulu video for 15 minutes at full screen (and with the Nvidia GPU activated), the touchpad measured 97 degrees Fahrenheit, the keyboard deck reached 89 degrees, and the middle of the underside was 92 degrees. The large fan and vent on the underside of the system no doubt contributed here; we heard fan noises more so than on other systems, especially when performing CPU and GPU-intensive tasks. While it was usually drowned out by whatever we were watching, it was noticeable when everything was quiet.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The edge of each key, as well as the letters and numbers themselves, is backlit, making them really pop in dark rooms. The keys themselves have a slightly glossy coating, which didn’t cause our fingers to slip but picked up oils from our skin. Owing to the inclusion of Page Up/Page Down buttons along the right edge, the keys are a little narrower than we’d like; it took us a few paragraphs of writing this review to get accustomed to the layout. Still, they’re very responsive, and didn’t make much noise when typing.
The touchpad on the M11x, at 3.1 x 1.6 inches, is large for a system of this size, although gamers will no doubt use a mouse instead. The touchpad is powered by Synaptics and is multitouch enabled, although those gestures—such as pinch and zoom—are turned off by default. After activating them, we found the controls to be responsive when zooming in and out of pictures and documents.
Display and Audio
The 11.6-inch display on the M11x is one of the better ones we’ve seen on a system of this size. While its resolution of 1366 x 768 is standard, we enjoyed deep blacks and bright colors whether watching videos or playing games. The glossy finish tended to kick back reflections, but they weren’t too distracting. We were able to tilt the screen back as far as it would go—about 53 degrees past vertical—and still see everything on-screen clearly, but when it was perpendicular to the deck, images started to wash out. Horizontal viewing angles were strong, though.
While not on a par with larger gaming rigs, audio on the M11x was stellar for a system of this size. The chassis is large enough so that deeper bass sounds had enough room to resonate, and higher tones were crisp without becoming distorted; when gaming, booms from explosions rumbled while the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire crackled. However, when watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother on CBS.com, audio sounded somewhat hollow.
Ports and Webcam
For such a small system, the M11x has a lot of connectivity options. On the right edge are two USB ports, two headphone jacks, and a microphone jack. The left side, though, has an additional USB port, FireWire, Ethernet, VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Rounding it off is a SIM Card slot and a 3-in-1 memory card reader.
In a Skype video call, the M11x’s 1.3-megapixel webcam accurately recorded video and audio; a caller said that colors looked accurate, and there was very little motion blur. Alienware’s Aliensense facial recognition software works well, too. When you first log into the computer, the webcam records your mug; each successive time you log in, it learns your facial features; by the second day of our using the M11x, it recognized our face and logged us into Windows in less than a second.
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