Alienware M17x R3 leaks with Radeon HD 6970 and wireless HD
updated 09:25 pm EST, Tue November 9, 2010
Alienware M17x R3 to use new Radeon HD 6000 video
A handful of leaks discovered over the course of the past several days have revealed details of the third generation of the Alienware M17x. Known as R3 (Revision 3), the new 17-inch notebook should be one of the first with the as yet unannounced Mobility Radeon HD 6000 graphics line. Users should have the option of the 6870 or 6970 on removable cards; what their differences would be weren't known, but NVIDIA would also be available with a GeForce GTX 460M as a pick, Dell-Lab said.
Outside of performance upgrades, the design would primarily focus on HD video playback. A SiBeam-made chipset would provide wireless HD video. Alienware is also reportedly offering a 3D display as an option for those Blu-ray movies and games that support it. The M17x's habitually short battery life might also be improved with a new nine-cell, 93Wh battery that could offset some of the power consumption.
Few other details are known, but a quad Core i7 is a likely option. Photos show a physical design which is mostly identical to what's already available. The new M17x doesn't have a firm release timeframe but has already been spotted coming in a special red hue in addition to the primarily planned black.
