Alienware Area-51 m15x Gaming Notebook from $1,449

We first took a look at the Area-51 m15x at CES 2008. You can check out a video of the m15x’s product manager showing it to us by clicking here.

A $1,449 version of the Area-51 m15x is coming soon, but getting a low-end Alienware is kinda like buying a muscle car with a wimpy six-cylinder engine: all show, no go.

The $2,149 Area-51 m15x comes with a 15.40inch 1440 x 900 display, which can display content of up to 720p. For $300 you can upgrade to a WUXGA, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 LCD, for full 1200p goodness.

In the graphics department, a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT comes standard. A $150 upgrade gets you the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT GPU, which is more than enough for most multimedia enthusiasts. If you want the best of the best or will be playing the latest video games you can splurge on the 512MB NVISIA GeForce 8800M GTX for $500.

A 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor is standard. A 2.6GHz T7800 Intel Core 2 Duo processor is a $250 upgrade, but I recommend skipping the 2.6GHz option and going straigh to the 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 X7900 extreme edition processor if you’re looking for the best gaming experience.

The base configuration will get you 2GB of memory, with 4GB being a $300 option. If you’re comfortable with a screw driver, buy extra memory separately and install it yourself.

The m15x comes with a 200GB 7200RPM drive, which performs much better than teh optional 320GB 5400RPM drive. A 64GB solid state drive can be added as your primary drive for $775. I’m still recommending users steer clear of solid state drives until prices become more reasonable, unless they have a very compelling reason to buy one.

The Area 51 m15x has a “Smart Bay” that that comes stocked with an optical drive and can accommodate an extra drive or an extra battery. If you’re a movie or music buff and must bring your collection everywhere you go, opt for the 320GB Smart Bay drive.

A dual-layer DVD burner comes standard. You can get a Blu-ray Disc reader, that can also burn DVDs and CDs for $300. If you’re going to go that far, you might as well get the Blu-ray Disc burner for $100 more. The Blu-ray Disc player lets you burn up to 50GB of data onto a single disc, perfect for backups or sharing multimedia.

An HDMI port makes it easy to connect your Area-51 m15x to your HDTV.

The Alienware Area-51 m15x is a flashy machine, so you should definitely opt for the AlienFX option for $50. Illuminated keyboards are a great, and I can’t figure out why Alienware isn’t including this as standard equipment.

If you have the funds, the Area-51 m15x worth a close look. The styling is slick and fun. It’s one of, if not the most powerful 15-inch notebooks you’ll find.