Introduction and Specifications

If you told me two years ago that Alienware would be selling an 11.6” gaming laptop I would have called you insane, yet here we are. The reason I would have doubted the future of such a laptop is the engineering challenge that exists whenever powerful hardware is crammed into a small frame. Gaming laptops are generally thick, heavy monsters with displays over 15 inches because that’s the size required to pack in and cool gaming hardware. And what does the M11x pack in?
Alienware M11x 11-in Core i7-640UM Gaming Notebook Review - Mobile 28

I’ve never been much for portable gaming systems. In my life I’ve bought a Gameboy, a DS, and a DS Lite – and each time I’ve sold the system within a few months of having made the purchase. This buy-sell-buy-sell trend is the result of an internal conflict that I have yet to resolve. I love the idea of portable gaming, but I’m not a fan of the often cutesy and limited games usually found on these systems.  

Alienware’s M11x provides a possible solution. It’s not a hand-held system, but it’s portable enough to carry around in a small messenger bag or even a large purse. Gaming netbook is a term I’ve heard used, and it’s a description that feels accurate even though it’s technically incorrect. The M11x combines the smaller-is-better trend prevalent in consumer electronics with Alienware’s brand of big, chunky, high-end gaming laptops. 

If you told me two years ago that Alienware would be selling an 11.6” gaming laptop I would have called you insane, yet here we are. The reason I would have doubted the future of such a laptop is the engineering challenge that exists whenever powerful hardware is crammed into a small frame. Gaming laptops are generally thick, heavy monsters with displays over 15 inches because that’s the size required to pack in and cool gaming hardware. And what does the M11x pack in?

Alienware M11x 11-in Core i7-640UM Gaming Notebook Review - Mobile 29

This combination of hardware represents one of the most powerful Alienware M11x configurations available. The base model M11x, which has a Core 2 Duo CULV processor, starts at $799. According to Alienware’s website the configuration tested in this review would set you back just over $1300. That’s $500 more than the most basic model. That also puts this Alienware M11x in the same price bracket as the Alienware M15x and ASUS G51.


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