Alienware M11x, M14x, M17x, M18x get Killer optimized Wi-Fi
updated 10:20 am EDT, Mon July 11, 2011
Alienware notebooks get Killer 802.11n Wi-Fi
Alienware on Monday gave its M11x, M14x, M17x, and M18x a new option to optimize their Wi-Fi for gaming. Each of them will now have the option of a Killer Wireless-N 1103 chipset that potentially gives them the speed and quality needed for smooth play. The chip uses MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) antennas to hit 450Mbps but also has automatic traffic detection to prioritizes games and other time-sensitive content when on a busy network.
Software with the notebooks will give gamers a visual guide as to what apps are consuming bandwidth and help them shut down a background task or similar that might be sapping bandwidth or increasing lag.
Killer's hardware is available today on some models, including the M14x, and adds about $80 to the price of a given system.
