Alienware previews m15x, m17x with 8800M GTX video

Hoping to set a new ceiling for gaming notebooks, Alienware today provided an early look at the m15x and m17x. The 15.4-inch and 17-inch systems represent both a major change in design for the company and a new performance threshold: both use NVIDIA's just-introduced 512MB GeForce 8800M GTX and provide 3D performance closer to desktops, matching the desktop GeForce 8800 GT's 96 shader processors while using a 500MHz clock speed and power savings to run coolly inside the confines of a portable. The m17x uses two of them in SLI mode for even faster performance, according to Alienware.

Rather than offer a single chassis, each can be had either with Alienware's traditional ribbed outer lid, known as the Skullcap design, or a smooth-surfaced Ripley design that delivers a more professional appearance. Each system also sports a fully backlit keyboard and illuminated strips along the side in either blue or red.

Full specifications are not yet listed, but both the m15x and m17x will use Intel Core 2 Extreme processors (currently clocked at 2.8GHz) and will combine with the 8800M GTX to play HD video at resolutions above 1080p with surround audio. The m15x will have two hard drive bays to support extra storage or RAID; the m17x will have a total of three, Alienware says. The company plans to ship its new flagships early next year and suggests that total RAM, clock speeds, and prices will change by launch.

NVIDIA also expects is new GeForce graphics chip to appear in desktop replacement systems by Gateway, Sager, and other vendors as soon as the end of 2007.