6/27/2006
Battery Life
A significant chunk of the m7700's twelve-pound weight is set aside for the battery. The Aurora m7700 managed some respectable battery times for me, especially considering all the horsepower under the hood. If I was doing plain, boring windows/internet work, then I could get about 90 minutes out of the laptop before it forced itself into standby mode, and for gaming, I managed to squeeze out just a tad under an hour's worth of action. Now on the scale of all laptops out there this battery life would seem atrocious, but seeing as the m7700 is billed as a desktop replacement anyway, I don't see that it's that big of a deal. Those who are planning on taking their laptops around with them all day will long have scoffed at the m7700's bulk and weight before even bothering to ask about the battery life.
Cooling & Noise
When it comes to noise, the m7700 is probably one of the loudest mobile computers I've ever heard. Even when it's running idly it's louder than many desktop computers (even the overclocked ones with lots of fans inside), and when it's at full blast it does sound pretty close to a hair dryer on low.
Price
Alienware's asking price for the Aurora m7700 is rather steep, as this configuration is nearing the $4000 point. While some recent deals have made buying an Alienware laptop a little less painful, you can still expect to pay a pretty hefty premium for the Alienware name. There are some nice personalized touches which are rather unique in the mobile gaming world, but it's the performance, size, weight, and overall look of the laptop that I am most interested in.
Support
During the time I've had the m7700 on loan I did have an issue with the laptop which required a part replacement. This process went very smoothly with Alienware tech support, and even their bottom-rung techs understood gaming terms. I did not have to spend 75% of my call trying to make the tech understand the problem, which is a breath of fresh air considering my past experiences with other computer manufacturers. Overall I have been very, very happy with Alienware's support department, and while this specific laptop has many peculiarities in its design that make me wonder just how many gamers or power users would truly be happy with it, I can definitely say that most who have had past problems with other tech support departments would find Alienware to be a diamond in the rough.
Conclusion
Alienware brings uniqueness to the table in the form of a slick visual style and some nice personal touches to the overall package. The dual-core Athlon 64 chip which makes for a large, heavy case didn't show us much of a benefit in games over cooler-running chips like the Pentium M, so it's tough to recommend this laptop to gamers unless they simply do not care about price, size, or noise. I can't recommend this laptop at all for those who actually would expect to use it in their lap; it's pretty much best used as a desktop replacement for people who play games and who also will use a dual-core CPU to its fullest.
Pros:
Amazing CPU power
Great gaming
Super high-res 17" screen
Alienware's Personal touches
Great horsepower while still being somewhat mobile
Cons:
Massive, even for a 17" gaming laptop
Power brick is just that - a brick
Loud, Hot, Power-hungry
Expensive
The Bottom Line
If you need tons of dual-core CPU power for both applications and games, and you don't care about noise, weight or price, this is a great choice. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
