I don't know about that. For me the breakdown went something like this:

Sager Positives - More HDD's. Faster CPU (they have Desktop CPU's in them). Cheaper.

Now if you look at the Sager positives the extra HDD bay is, in my opinion, the most appealing thing. Why? Because the "Cheaper" basically goes out the window when you start looking at the really high range CPU's they can take. And if you want better performance you need to, because the lowest range Alienware CPU beats out the lowest range Sager CPU. In both of their top models anyway. Not only that but the Sager uses more power being a desktop CPU. And on top of that I think either of the basic CPU's are fine - the bottleneck is usually going to be your GPU(s). I'd rather buy a newer model Gaming Laptop in a couple of years than spend another $800-1000 on the top CPU's to try and get 3 years out of it. That applies to both Alienware and Sager.

When it comes to GPU's they can both take the same, and this is what really matters in any Gaming Computer, not just a Gaming Laptop. With the extra HDD bay, which is awesome, I ended up deciding that it wasn't going to benefit me in any way. Even with 3 (or even 4) 750GB HDD's I still wouldn't fit all my media, so i'd be carrying an external HDD regardless. You could throw a large SSD in as your primary drive and install your games on that, but at a large increase to price. I don't really know what a load screen is at the moment anyway, so feel it isn't worth it. That option is just as viable on an Alienware anyway.

The Alienware breakdown went like this for me:

Alienware Positives - Larger screen. Faster RAM. Backlit keyboard. Increased battery life. Fast enough CPU. Looks sixy. Better warranty (this is a big one).

The reports i've heard and read about Alienwares warranty's are amazing. Problem? Get sent a brand new one. Problem and out of stock? Get upgraded and sent a brand new one. Problem in 2 years time? Get upgraded to the latest model and sent a brand new one. Or a version 2 or 3 of your current model. I kept hearing this sort of thing everywhere I looked. Their service may not be good (or fast) but eventually you seem to come out way ahead. I just haven't seen the same reports with Sager.

As I already mentioned in an earlier post the backlit keyboard was a huge thing for me. I simply cannot believe Sager still don't have a model with a backlit keyboard. It blows my mind. I guess they're trying to appeal more to the graphics design or rendering market rather than the gamers with "glowy keys". But you can turn it off if you really don't like it. You CAN'T turn it on if you don't have it! And isn't that the point of any laptop - that you can use it anywhere in any sort of lighting conditions? Dark room, etc. Sagers battery life is already abysmal from everything i've read, so they may as well have thrown in a feature that lets me see what the heck i'm doing, lol.

The RAM options on the Sager sites I looked at were also very poor. Base was 1066mhz stuff, you could upgrade to 1333mhz but only with 12GB or something uneccessary. To get 1600mhz required I think 24GB? Lol. Again this reeks of graphics design or doing a lot of rendering. I run 8GB of 1600mhz in my M18x and the options for upgrading were good (although of course more expensive than you can buy RAM for yourself). Skyrim only uses 2GB without the fix, so the faster the better. I don't even need the fix. My Skyrim never even gets close to using 2GB, usually not even 1GB.

But enjoy your journey man. Just giving you some insight on how I arrived at my decision. In the end you will be happy with whatever you get, because you will order it based on YOUR needs if you're smart, and not somebody elses .

Ok I can vouch for it


I have a alienware aurora, and I am not or will never buy any other brand, Alienware is the best and people who dont buy it are just jealous because they cant afford it


I dont live in the United States and I am from there and I got the billz to pay the billzs

I payed ONLY 1800 FOR MY AURORA That can run games on ULTRA, i customized to my need

Shut the [censored] up about buying piece of [censored] ASUS and non branded customs, if you got the money , get it, simple as that. We are the 1% rich kids, Dont [censored] with the [censored] poor 99% if you say 1800 is a lot, wowo you must fail at life.. Gtfo kiddos. And I work and live outside US. life is easy lol

EDIT: ALSO THE DESIGN IS THE BEST FOR ANY PC OUT IN THE MARKET, DONT GO OUT AND PIMP CUSTOM NON BRANDED PC WITH [censored] LIGHTS CUZ YOU WONT BE ABLE TO LOOK LIKE ALIENWARE

best [censored] design,


I am also planning on buying a m11x just for school only like 1k $ , so [censored] cheapp

alienware has gotten cheap over the last years, I love it.

Glad to help. And ignore that guy who posted his list of pros and cons for Alienware vs. Sager, he has no idea what he had talking about. Sager offers about 10 different models covering an even wider range of options than the Alienware lineup and you can configure a Sager to be virtually identical to any Alienware model for a much lower price.
Anyway, good luck with your research! I would personally reccomend shopping at XoticPC.com, and no matter where you shop there are very good deals on a 6990M upgrade (generally only $145 more than a GTX560M and twice as powerful).

My brother and I both bought our first computers from alienware. He was first and got a laptop. Was he happy a couple years later when it started having graphics problems while playing games? Short answer is no, and alienware didn't make it any better for him. Later, I was smart and bought a full tower desktop from them. It lasted several years until I upgraded everything in it myself and I still use the smooth, sixy and durable predator chassis to this day. The lesson? Don't buy a damn alienware laptop that isn't going to last you more than a year or two when you can purchase a desktop with full upgrade potential and put it together yourself for half the price.

I build my desktops, but for laptop you can't beat Asus and Sager for quality and price. I had a good experience buying an Asus ROG laptop from XoticPC and would recommend them. Alienware comes with somewhere around a 50% markup for the name, not worth it unless the name is worth it to you.

Sorry, but Asus isn't even in the running without SLI or CrossFireX. It's between Sager and Alienware if anything.

As for the person who said I don't know what i'm talking about, how about offering an argument as to why Sager is any good. Other than just that you can't afford an Alienware I mean. Talking about price is a bit pointless when it comes to a GAMING LAPTOP. It's never going to be cheap bud. Any Sager customized to rival an M18x is in the same price bracket anyway. If you're worried about a couple hundred dollars difference then stick to your desktop as I can't see why you'd require such a powerful laptop anyway. If you're not travelling a lot for work etc, why get a Gaming Laptop? And if you are, then money is the least of your concerns. Sagers are just so fugly too .

If you insist. For starters, before I even break down all of your claims, here are links to customize a Sager NP8180 and an M18X, good luck proving that claim about equivalent pricing.
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np8180-clevo-p180hm-p-3250.html?wconfigure=yes
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwkr1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=alienware-m18x

And yes, price does matter. I'm a college student, so I need something with at least a little more mobility than a desktop, but with power for some heavy gaming, and I'm obviously working on limited finances. If I were buying right now, I'd be on a $2000 budget, putting an NP8180 (with dual 6990's, no less) or a top spec NP8170 within my grasp. A min spec M18X is not even worth owning, but at the top of my theoretical budget, and to equip it similarly to the NP8180 it would be at least $400 more. An M17X would cost $2000 just for a configuration comparable to my current Asus G73SW (care to explain how a 1080p screen isn't standard on an Alienware?).

First of all, you are comparing the Clevo X7200-based Sager models to the M18X, when the NP8180 is a much more accurate comparison. The 8180 and pretty much every other Sager model is available with the same range of mobile processors as an Alienware. Also, despite the desktop processor, the X7200 is STILL cheaper than an equivalent M18X and you only spend an extra $1000 if you want the 990X, which is no more expensive than a 2960XM. Upgrading to a i7-980 (which benches higher than a 2600K and any mobile processor) only brings you to a price equal to a similarly equipped Alienware (while adding considerably more power). I'd also add that the majority of users would find all their needs meet by 3-4 750GB HDD's and those who would rather not have all those hard drive bays can save money and get an NP8180 or NP8170 anyway.

As long as you don't buy direct from Sager or Clevo, most resellers offer warranties comparable to Alienware warranties. Plus, Alienware warranties are really Dell warranties, which have no shortage of horror stories. And the screen size argument is eliminated by the 18 inch NP8180

I can honestly say that I have never, ever used the keyboard backlight on my Asus G73. It's really a matter of whether or not a person needs this feature.

I'm not sure where you're looking, but on XoticPC, Sager RAM options are almost the exact same as Alienware (the X7200 models are more limited, but again, you're mistaken in considering these models to be the primary competition for the M18X) and even more varied in some cases, plus they don't charge TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS for 8GB of RAM (seriously, is that some kind of scam?).

In the end, a different computer suits each buyer, but Sager seems to be a much better choice for the OP.

Nice comparisons here. Especially with how fast the RAM was between the 1066 and 1600 for Alienware. Completely missed that for some reason. What you said regarding the warranty is simply amazing by the way. I just have to confirm such facts with other people with the Alienware brand though. Battery life I don't care about as much because this is a gaming laptop we are talking about .

I really can't thank you guys enough with all these well thought out write ups on your experiences. Please post more incase I miss anything. Thanks.

Sager does have a wider range model and from what I saw spec'ing for kicks. They give a lot of freebies compared to Alienware. I am also aware of XoticPC and that's actually where I browsed extensively.

As of now my choice is almost strictly Sager or Alienware at this point and I am not 100% on which to go for yet. I guess that's part of the fun and mystique for me haha. Not complaining .

I read all your posts pretty closely and you have being on point. Going by the logic you followed it would be hard to deny Sager as the real winner here. Very nice. This should make my decision even easier now. Going to try using your tactics with comparisons for similar specs and see what price point I come up with and gauge from there. Wouldn't be surprised by results though.

Thanks again for the time Hyrule.

Firstly, why do you NEED a Gaming Laptop as a student? To look cool? To game during or between classes? I mean really, what specifically are your needs that a PC in your room wouldn't satisfy? And yes, this is relevant as your needs and resources are probably completely different to the OP's. $400 difference? That may be a lot for a college student, but probably not for someone travelling around on business as the OP mentioned. This is about him, not me or you.

Next, what model of Alienware doesn't have a 1080p screen? It came standard with my M18x and to tell you the truth I never even looked at any of the smaller models. Mobility and Gaming Laptop don't really have anything to do with each other in my view. Not if you want top of the line performance anyway. May as well go for the biggest screen and the most power you can get. I view mine more like a portable PC, it's not something i'd ever sit on my lap and use. Not for any length of time anyway. My only absolute requirement is that it fits in a bag that I can take as carry-on luggage on a flight.




I simply compared the top model Sager vs the M18x. Top vs Top, and I know which i'd far prefer after kitting each out with what I wanted. Bickering over CPU's is pointless, as I already mentioned this is not going to be the bottleneck in a Gaming Laptop. Even the bottom range options will easily suffice.




Very true, this is totally user defined. However, nice backlit Logitech keyboards are so common among gamers I feel it's a safe bet that MOST gamers would like a backlit keyboard in their Gaming Laptop. If you've never used it (not even once) i'd say you aren't doing enough gaming in nice dark rooms .




I was actually looking on XoticPC and at the RAM options on the most expensive Sager model. To get the RAM to even 1333mhz they wanted you to upgrade to 24GB. Check that sh!t out if you want to complain about RAM options lol. Default 1066mhz in Sagers top model? Let's time travel back to 2005.




And why is it a better choice? He mentioned flying a lot, so i'd assume money isn't much of an issue. If it is he should push for more compensation for his time. Most of your argument seems to be based around price and i'm more than willing to concede that point. My argument is that most people NEEDING a Gaming Laptop probably aren't overly concerned with price.

OP - as to battery life it does matter in some circumstances. Sure, it can't be a main requirement with any Gaming Laptop as you're never going to get much battery life. But on flights with no power it does matter and you mentioned flying a bit. I can flick my M18x to integrated graphics when I want to watch movies. That gives me 4+ hours and more than enough power to play HD movies. As opposed to 1hr with the 6990's fired up.

You also mentioned not wanting to experience buyers remorse. Well, i'd encourage you to go somewhere that you can look at an Alienware and a Sager side by side. I recently got the chance to do this on a flight between New Zealand and Australia and can honestly say I would of had a lot of remorse had I gone the Sager route.

Koven I have a question, how easily upgradeable is Alienware exactly?

Based on Youtube videos I've watched for Sager, I clearly saw none of the hard drives or CPU/GPUs "latched" onto the device making it possible to upgrade if need be. Does the same apply to Alienware? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

I am just going to do a little copy and paste from the MY Hive Personalized Support System. The PC I purchased from Alienware. It is was the biggest waste of money I have ever spent in my life. It sat on the floor near my desk and the only time it was moved was when I cleaned it out about every 6 months.

Invoice-----Date Placed-----Order Total

211504----10/12/2005-------$5714.50 (Original Cost of the PC)
SI158156-11/14/2005-------$8.27 (day after I received it and had to call them to replace a cable that did not work)
SI161218-12/10/2005-------$86.00 (hard drive)
SI189692--08/05/2006------$17.50 (cant remember)
336525-----06/13/2007------$83.09 (hard drive)
354671-----09/10/2007------$0.00 (repaired computer part, so no replacement cost, computer sent to support for repair.)
476587-----04/27/2009------$0.00 (same as above)
479585-----05/15/2009------$0.00 (same as above, I told them to fix their schtick)
SI244517--05/21/2009------$410.36 (quality control found graphics cards needed to be replaced the day they were to ship it back to me)
SI248744--10/14/2009------$751.34 (graphics cards replaced again)

Warranty ended The final graphics cards they replaced burned out 2 weeks after 10/14/2009. Due to warranty ending on the PC they claimed that it automatically voided the warranty on the graphics cards they installed on 10/14/2009. This also does not include the monitor I had to call Samsung to have replaced twice even though I ordered it from Alienware.

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM ALIENWARE all they want is your money and they don't give a schtick about you. I replaced the motherboard and processor myself and all the problems went away. It was never the graphics cards that were the issue. I still have last one they installed, a 9800 gtx and it still works great in the frankensteined PC I built for my fiance.

They sell a P.O.S. computer with subpar parts and crappy installation at 5x the cost. Any brand is better than them. If you insist on paying premium, then order from Falcon Northwest. There is no PC on the market made with more care than they put into their computers.....if you can afford it.

@Cynergy Thank you for the anolysis. Its pretty unfortunate you had to go through all of that but from a quick comparison from specs I need its really not looking good for Alienware. Although I will admit that the price point closely matches the Sager setup I used which was very surprising. Anyway....

Bare minimum Alienware (M18X) Specs I am looking into getting (without extras) + Warranty (3yrs): http://ecomm.dell.com/dellstore/PopUps/popup_print_cart.aspx?itemtype=CFG&s=dhs&l=en&cs=19&c=us&marketable=true [total price: $4,887.00]
Bare minimum Sager (X7200 Clevo) Specs I am looking into getting (without extras) + Warranty (3yrs): http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=cart [total price: $4,803.00]

I did all these specs from the manufacturer's website to prevent bias. Naturally, I wouldn't recommend anyone do this. Its better to order through phone and haggle (Alienware) or go through XopticPC (Sager).

Anyway my anolysis between these two brand with similar specs:

* Even though Alienware was more costly I can't help but think that Sager had the better CPU processor [Intel? Core? i7-990X Processor Extreme Edition ( 12MB L3 Cache, 3.46GHz, 6.4GT/sec QPI, 6 Cores ) ] compared to Alienware's best [Intel? Core? i7 2960XM 2.7GHz (3.7GHz with Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)]. Keep in mind that Sager's CPU can be boosted to the 3.7 GHz range (according to XopticPC) and it has a larger cache and possibly cores (I might be wrong here and not sure how many Alienware's CPU has but I think its 4 cores). So Sager wins in the CPU department [** NOTE: someone with more technical knowledge do the comparison and please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks.]

* Upgrading Sager's memory to a higher speed comes at no cost in the 12GB range if you pick the i7-990X [ 12GB Triple Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 3 X 4GB ] which is a plus in my opinion. Compared to Alienware you have: [ 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS) ]. Does speed really matter if you have more dedicated RAM size? I am not too sure but maybe Alienware edges out in the overrall sense if you don't need all that RAM. So Alienware wins in the RAM department [** NOTE: someone with more technical knowledge do the comparison and please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks.]

* Both Alienware and Sager have the same graphics card but Alienware said SLI enabled... does that mean I can enable SLI in Sager to? I hope so. For now they are on equal footing in this respect.

* When it comes to the hard drive, Sager just has better quality SATA drives in the 250 range compared to Alienware. Actually, Sager has a much wider range of drives to begin with and more RAID options. Sager wins easily in this department.

* For the optical drive slot I was simply going for a Blu-Ray device and preferably a Blu-Ray burner. Why Alienware doesn't offer such options truly baffles me to no end lol. Sager wins easily in this department.

* Sager comes with a "Thermal Compound" for the CPU and GPUs to minimize any signs of overheating. A huge plus in my book whereas Alienware has no such options.

* Sager comes with a carry bag free of charge (awesome). Alienware doesn't (boo). A huge plus in my book.

* Sager sends you the Windows 7 CD ISO and drives and utilities. I have never seen a notebook manufacturer do this before which is very surprising! Alienware does not do this so Sager gets a big checkmark for such conveniences.

* Alienware has a backlit keyboard unlike Sager. Not a deciding factor but not something I am against either.

* In terms of Warranty Alienware wins pretty easily here. It not only covers Accidental LCD damage like Sager's warranty, it also covers Accidental drops and Liquid spills on your laptop. A huge plus in my book. Alienware wins for better 3-yr warranty.

* Alienware has a HDMI-INPUT option. Something I have never seen for a laptop before. A huge plus in my book since I can play my PS3/360 games on the laptop if there is no LCD TV available. Alienware wins easily here. [Sager could have HDMI-IN but the slot is closed off]

* Alienware is a better looking laptop for obvious reasons . The Alienware brand is also well known and can be used for bragging rights. But your laptop is also liable to get stolen because of how popular it is haha. Alienware wins for looks & brand popularity. Fortunately for me I am always all about "performance" but looks and design can be a secondary factor for me admittedly.

* When it comes to cost for bare minimums (without extras) I need for my dream laptop, Sager is slightly less costly for possibly MORE performance (by a little bit). Sager wins here on cost but only slightly.

So tallying the results so far I have it as:

Sager: 7

Alienware: 5

Overrall winner is Sager at the moment.

Not saying I won't consider Alienware. I just need people to give me more details on the CPU and RAM specs I posted. Thanks guys!

Beware getting svcked into RAM speeds. Depending on timing, "slower" RAM may actually operate faster. High frequency RAM often has very relaxed timing, which allows for a great big speed number (impressive!), but not necessarily any better performance. Generally, tight timings outperform higher frequencies.

As for brands, it kind of depends on what you're shopping for. If you want the best of the best available at this very moment, then Sager is the better choice. If you want the most performance for your dollar, then you want Asus. The top Asus will cost less and excel at everything outside of the most ridiculous gaming needs of today, but enthusiasts making this sort of decision aren't necessarily shooting for "today" as their gaming standard. The top Sager will outperform it at higher cost and have a longer useful life, though an equivalent Sager will cost a little more. The top Alienware might equal the Sager, but you'll pay another +50%-150% to get it there.

Those prices are even closer than I expected. You haven't commented at all on the Sagers lack of a backlit keyboard. Is this an issue for you or is it irrelevant? What sort of keyboard do you use now for gaming on a Desktop?




Sager does win in the CPU department at the higher range, but the difference is irrelevant and the cost to battery life far outweighs it in my opinion. In my builds I always went for the bottom or mid-range CPU as the bottleneck is going to be the GPU's. Looking at various benchmarks at the time, Alienware came out on top for the lower range CPU's.




Check some RAM benchmarks if you can find them. Most people will tell you that you wont notice a difference between 1333MHz and 1600MHz. Whether this is true or not I don't know, as i've never compared two exact same systems running the different speeds of RAM. I can however tell you that I currently basically don't know what a loading screen is. Skyrim load screens are 1-2 seconds for me, and that's without an SSD. I don't have anywhere near enough time to read the messages that seem to pop up. Bottom right corner is it? Lol.

As for amounts of RAM, Sager seem to WAY overdo this. Speaking from experience I haven't seen my system using more than 3GB of RAM. That's with Win7 64bit, many programs and applications, and a game running. Going over 8GB is just a waste of time unless you're doing graphics design or something. Many will argue that more than 4GB is still useless. Speed > quantity when it comes to RAM.




Both have SLI and CrossFireX.




I must concede the point about HDD options. This wasn't the case when I ordered mine in August however. There were many options back then. Try checking XoticPC or HIDevolution (I ordered mine from HIDevolution) as they probably have many more options.




I had the option for a Blue-Ray burner. Again try the resellers for this if the Alienware site doesn't offer it.




Mine came with Diamond Thermal Compound for both CPU and GPU's. Again try the resellers.




It's extra with Alienware (like so many other things). But the bags are both awesome for the M18x, I love my backpack version.




I got the Alienware Windows 7 64bit DVD with my M18x. It installs the Alienware customized version of Win7 64, which looks damn sixy I must say.




Yep, yep and yep. Better warranty, better looking, better brand .

The amount of people that say, "Woah, nice Alienware!" Or, "What the hell is that thing? It looks awesome!" Or just, "I really like your laptop," (if they're a bit less tech savvy) is pretty insane. Basically whenever you pull it out. I'm yet to have the person sitting next to me on a flight NOT ask me about it. I don't buy things based on things like this, but it is pretty cool lol. People even recognize it from the backpack sometimes. Gamers are everywhere.

A Sager just looks like a really old laptop, because it's not visibly awesome, yet equally as enormous. People probably just assume it's like the worlds first laptop from 1990 or something rofl.

Okay. I seriously "lol'd" at that bolded statement dude. Haha. Hilarious stuff.

Backit keyboard is a plus for sure. Forgot to include that. Not a deciding factor for me but not something I am against either.

Anyway please tellme what resellers you hit up for your Alienware and thanks for the feedback. If CPU isn't going to be a factor for heavy gaming then that's a definite consideration if it comes down to GPU. Maybe resellers might even offer better CPU options. The lack of several minor oddities like a Blu-Ray burner or the thermal cooling compound had me "miffed". Again, hopefully resellers pull through.

EDIT: Oh never mind. You spoke of HIDevolution as the reseller you bought your Alienware from so I will check the site out asap.

I did get mine from HIDevolution, and they do have a lot more options. I would actually recommend XoticPC though. I have never used them but I have read good feedback about them whereas i've read some really bad feedback about HIDevolution. And them not connecting my CrossFireX cable really pissed me off. My M18x was perfect once I fixed that CrossFirex problem but that pluss it not shipping when they said it would means I will never recommend them to anybody. I'm sure there's also other resellers out there, and they all seem to offer more options than the Alienware site.

Man Koven you were right. MANY MORE OPTIONS LOL! That Alienware site is garbage for leaving out so many customizable options. Sheeeeesh.

Sad to hear HIDevolution is incompetent because xopticPC doesn't carry Alienware brands .

Disregard my above post about XoticPC, seems they don't do Alienware. Weird, I thought they did. Search for other resellers I guess .

Yeah the options are really good, including lots of different RAM and HDD ones. Overclocking etc too. The guy I dealt with seemed very good, and replies to my emails were near instant.

I was just annoyed when it shipped about a week or so later than they'd promised me, as I was moving around at the time and had put a certain hotel address down for them to send it to. The CrossFireX cable topped it all off, but I guess in the long run even if I had to wait an extra week and then spend a day fixing the cable issue i'm still a happy customer. I truly love my M18x, haven't ever been this happy with a computer i've bought or made myself.

I guess there shipping being slow doesn't matter if it's to your home address, I just didn't want to move on and have it arrive at the hotel when I was god knows where. If you do order from them just make sure to say, "PLUG MY [censored] CROSSFIREX CABLE IN!" Lol.

Found a couple more Alienware resellers for you. Quiet day at work today lol.

http://www.fortnaxnotebooks.com/
http://www.illegear.com/42-alienware

Not sure how their pricing/service is but that's for you to find out . People seem to speak highly of fortnax, think it's in Canada but ships worldwide.

Edit - Quickly using Fortnax I just went through and built this for $4149.

Intel? i7 2920XM Extreme (Overclocked to 4GHz)
Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1866MHz
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon? HD 6990M - AMD CrossFireX?
1.5TB RAID 0 (2x 750GB) 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU

Standard DVD Burner and Warranty as i'm not sure what you want there. But just an example of absolute top of the line stuff at what I consider a decent price for what you get. I wouldn't go that high-end with the CPU as i've said many times, but you seem to like big numbers . I'd go for the 2720QM which brings the price down to $3349 and is really great for its price. Not sure if that RAM will still run at 1866MHz with that CPU but 1600MHz is great and that's the CPU and RAM speed I use. You also get a 1.5TB Raid setup which is what I run and love it.

Now I'm not sure if you can stand having a computer without a battery, but personally I've had lots of people totally satisfied with buying a Small Micro-ATX PC they can easily stuff in a suitcase and carry around, then use the extra money they'd be spending on an expensive "gaming laptop" to buy a small netbook for mobile use (they're as cheap as ~$150 USD):

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/LAN_Warrior_II_-_Intel_Z68

This is a decent whiteboxing (custom config) company that can build you a PC that'll perform up to 100% better than a "gaming laptop" while being able to fit in a suitcase. The money you'd save in the long-run with being able to easily upgrade the machine, tweak it, and replace parts is enormous.

More choices is good, right?

More choices wouldn't hurt indeed. I have heard people speak volumes about micro ATX and will check out that link you provided. Thanks bro.

@Koven Will definitely check those sites out thanks. Even if I am a fan of the big numbers lol, definitely not into overclocking. My past habits with overclocking has ended up costing me big time and promised myself never to go that route again.

In that case:

Intel?Core?i7 2920XM Extreme (3.5GHzTurbo)
Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1866MHz
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon? HD 6990M - AMD CrossFireX?
1.5TB RAID 0 (2x 750GB) 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU

Still $4149 .

I'd go with this though:

Intel? Core? i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon? HD 6990M - AMD CrossFireX?
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1866MHz - INSTALLED BY FORTNAX (If supported by the Motherboard and 2720QM. I think it is.)
1.5TB RAID 0 (2x 750GB) 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Slot-Load Blu-ray Reader(BR-R, DVD+-RW, CD-RW) + Roxio

+ Warranty if you want more than the 1yr standard which it sounds like you might.

Total = $3578 + Warranty

Basically same M18x I built, except your RAM is even faster. Anyway, have fun playing around =X.