Whatever starship console the Alienware M11x has been ripped out of, the extra-terrestrial race behind it sure know a thing or two about design. It’s not the minimalist sleekness that might be pilfered from an Apple UFO, mind, but a neon, blinking, aggressively poised evil mothership. Awe-inspiring, undoubtedly, but is it functional too? Read on to find out in our Alienware M11x review.
Read the rest of our Alienware M11x review:
Alienware M11x review: Perfect PC gaming on the go?
Alienware M11x review: Speed test
Alienware M11x review: Graphics for gaming?
Those aliens certainly know a thing or two about puttings ultra portable PCs together. The Alienware M11x is one of the sturdiest, most robust laptops we’ve ever handled, with barely any flexing to be found in its aluminium chassis, which is all angles and clean lines. A beveled lid, dual front-grille and a jutting-out angular lip will leave onlookers in no doubt as to the brand of laptop you’re using – even if it happens to be dark.
Prise open the Alienware M11x’ jaws and you’re greeted by an LED-lit disco: the keyboard, front and back alien-head logos and Wi-Fi symbol are all individually neon-lit, each in one of nineteen customisable colours. It’s not just a gimmick though – you can also set each lighting element to respond to application events, like having your keyboard flash when a new email arrives. It’s a welcome feature if you’re planning on plugging the Alienware M11x in to a bigger display and using it as a desktop replacement (Which you could quite feasibly get away with), even if the machine is games focused.
The Alienware M11x keyboard sports buttons that are a little narrower than expected, so extended typing could be chore for those large of finger, however we found the tweaked keyboard layout perfected suited to the rigours of gaming (W,S, A and D controls work fine, and keys have just the right amount of resistance). Be sure to buy a mouse though, as although the honeycomb-textured touchpad is perfectly tactile, the touchpad buttons are soft and overly dampened. And well, if you’re a real gamer, frankly you might find your scores improve if you stop using a trackpad.
The exception to the trackpad rule, of course, is gaming while travelling, and unless your airline has super wide fold out tables, you’ll have to make do with the spongey buttons, or plug a USB gamepad in. How do Dell’s design choices stack up when on the road otherwise? For starters, be aware that the Alienware M11x is not the most svelte of laptops. Tipping in at 2kg, it certainly won’t cause you back problems, but if you are planning on racking up the miles with this laptop, it could become tiresomely heavy.
But will it fit comfortably in your backpack? Although width and depth is fairly standard for this class of laptop at 28.6 cm by 23.3cm, the Alienware M11x still contrives to be a bit stubby given its 3.3cm height. That said, while it’s certainly not as slim as some, it’s plenty portable enough to slot in your hand luggage, and undoubtedly sturdy enough to survive being thrown around in a succession of baggage transfers.
All in all, we like the design of the Alienware M11x. The materials and assembly are top notch, and it offers all the bells and whistles you’d expect from its elder siblings, but in a smaller package: exactly what it says on the tin.
Read the rest of our Alienware M11x review:
Alienware M11x review: Perfect PC gaming on the go?
Alienware M11x review: Speed test
Alienware M11x review: Graphics for gaming?
