Dell Alienware M17x R3

The Alienware M17x R3 is a laptop released in 2011 as the third revision of the Alienware M17x line of gaming laptops. According to reviews from when it was released, the laptop had impressive hardware and the inclusion of an SSD inside made it a speedy machine. As the name “M17x” implies, the laptop has a 17-inch screen with a resolution configurable up to 1920x1080 pixels at a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The case of the laptop has a black finish and features the Alienware “alien logo” recessed on the back of the display. Altogether this thick laptop weighs 9.5 pounds (4.3 kg).

Inside, the laptop uses a second-generation Intel Core processor and a dedicated Nvidia or AMD graphics card. It has four slots for extra memory up to a total of 32 GB. Two of the slots are easy to access behind the back cover of the laptop, while the other two are slightly more difficult to find in their location underneath the keyboard. Removing the back cover also gives you access to both of the drive bays where you can install either a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or an even faster SSD. The top speed of any storage inside will be limited by the SATA II interface which can only support transfer speeds up to 3 Gbit/s. The battery is even easier to replace as it can be removed from the bottom of the laptop with a simple clasp. Most repairs on the M17x R3 seem to only require a Phillips screwdriver, which is great for the average user. If you can’t find a suitable guide here on iFixit, Dell’s service manual has good instructions for removing most components in the laptop.

You can identify this laptop by turning it over and looking for a sticker on the bottom side containing the model number “M17x R3.” If you can’t find the number on the bottom cover, the relevant sticker might also be located beneath the battery.

Processor

• 2nd-generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7

Memory

• Up to 32 GB total
• Four accessible SO-DIMM slots (two under the back cover, two under the keyboard)
• DDR3 at 1333 MHz

Storage

• Two 2.5-inch drive bays
  • Support up to SATA II (3 Gbit/s)
  • Comes from the factory with either two hard drives in RAID mode or one hard drive and an SSD
• Optical drive
  • DVD and CD only
  • or Blu-ray disc, DVD, and CD

Graphics

• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• and Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M
• or AMD Radeon HD 6870M
• or AMD Radeon HD 6970M

Display

• 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) on the diagonal
• 1600x900 pixels (referenced as only “HD+” on the specifications sheet)
  • 60 Hz refresh rate
• or 1920x1080 pixels
  • 60 Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate

Connections

• Two USB 3.0 ports
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• eSATA and USB 2.0 combination port
• HDMI video output
• HDMI video input
• VGA video output
• Mini DisplayPort
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• Card reader
• Mini TOSLINK connector (outputs SPDIF)
• 3.5 mm microphone jack
• Two 3.5 mm audio outputs (for surround sound or headphones)

Wireless

• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 3.0
• Uses a half mini-PCIe card

Alienware laptops on Wikipedia

Alienware M17x R3 official Dell support page

Alienware M17x R3 user manual (with specifications)

Alienware M17x R3 service manual

NotebookCheck review of the Alienware M17x R3