Can This LAPTOP Replace a DESKTOP??

[AlexTheGreatish]

On paper the Alienware Area 51m should be a completely capable desktop replacement, but how does it stack up in the real world?

 

Buy the Alienware Area 51m
On Amazon: https://geni.us/zYPMhV
On Newegg: https://geni.us/kCbvtFv

 

[lewdicrous]

Hide the laptop before the History channel finds out

Spoiler

Awesome vid!

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

It could if the supply chain for MXM cards (or whatever it uses) actually existed in a reasonable form.

[Kedohawyr]

THE GOOD

 

After Linus quit to spend more time with his garage you found not one but two good hosts for this video that played well off each other. I think I would be interesed in seeing more 'dueling' style reviews from Alex and Riley.

 

THE BAD

 

When he left Linus apparently took the lavalier mic with him. The voice audio, particularly in the first 60 seconds, was very distracting. Every time Alex so much as tilted his head  it sounded like he was talking through a cardboard tube. Riley too had some moments where the mic was recording his muffled voice bouncing off the floor instead of directly from his mouth.

[SkyHound0202]

Unless Intel do another 14 nm refresh (please no), the LGA1151v2 socket will become obsolete once the 10 nm launches "in the future".

And with that Dell proprietary form factor GPU, your upgrade options is at the mercy of Dell and I hope they will keep their promise.

[Fnige]

Mini Desktop.

Mini Display.

Always carry around a power cord with you.

 

Wahlah, You got a portable desktop

[kuhnertdm]

TL;DW: Alienware Area 51m Laptop

 

Specs:

• 8.5 lb
• I/O: 3x USB3.1, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, Mini display port 1.4, headphone/mic, "Alienware graphics amplifier port", Ethernet IPv6
• 2x power bricks/ports (thing's a big power hog)
• Intel Core i9-9900K
• Nvidia RTX 2080
• 32GB DDR4 RAM
• 2x 512GB PCIe SSDs
• 1x 1TB HDD
• 17.3" 144Hz 1080p Anti-Glare IPS display

Features:

• Virtually no flex on the chassis, solid feel throughout
• Really good upgradability, it's definitely designed around upgrading. This includes CPU/GPU ("Probably" on the GPU side, see vid for details)
• Best laptop they've ever tested for gaming/non-gaming benchmarks
• Eye-tracking tech (not well-supported in games)
• Webcam is "half-decent"
• Great keyboard (except the lighting)

Downsides:

• $4500(!!!)
• No 1440p version
• Huge temperature problems
• Very heavy, 2x power brick
• Very bad battery life due to desktop components creating a huge power draw
• Very loud fans when on the "performance" mode
• Bad speakers when above 50%
• No fingerprint scanner/Windows Hello support
• Bad Synaptics touchpad, small, palm rejection issues, bad scrolling

Conclusion: Not recommended except in extremely specific situations. For the same price, just get a good desktop AND a Surface laptop.

[Leslieann]

If you can fit this on a desk, or even if you have a desk, you can probably fit a tiny desktop (S4 Mini, Ncase M1, Dan Case A4, Cooler Master 130, Node 202, etc.).

 

For the price of this Alienware, you could build one of these for half the price, leaving enough to buy a decent laptop with money to spare.
It's guaranteed to be upgradeable, cheaper, quieter, more powerful (since you could install a 2080 TI), room for more storage, more choices (Ryzen?)... Yes, it means dragging a separate monitor if you are taking the system someplace, but that wouldn't be an every day thing if you buy a small laptop to complement this (LG gram?), for which your back would thank you.

 

[Drak3]

3 hours ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

It could if the supply chain for MXM cards (or whatever it uses) actually existed in a reasonable form.

Proprietary interface. Supposedly, Dell is doing that so that they can supply replacements. Hopefully, it means that their future SFF machines all share it and they can produce cards cheaper than MXM.

[Opencircuit74]

You had me at desktop replacement, and you lost me at i9-9900K. Just take a look at the coolers required to cool that thing. Paired with the RTX 2080, which also runs really hot, you get a massive amount of heat and not a lot of room to get rid of it. Those poor things never had a chance.

 

[Oalei]

Am I the only one who wants Linus to be back because how tired Alex looks like

[r2724r16]

17 minutes ago, Oalei said:

Am I the only one who wants Linus to be back because how tired Alex looks like

Linus > Other LTT Members

[Oalei]

42 minutes ago, r2724r16 said:

Linus > Other LTT Members

The person who owns it I forgot the name TBH 

[BachChain]

Quote

Ethernet IPV6

Top notch port labels there.

[williamcll]

I haven't seen a LTT video that has the word "review" in years.

[Rogue-OP]

It's a beast laptop for sure, but I'd still prefer a portable desktop.

[Results45]

On 4/4/2019 at 11:58 AM, AlexTheGreatish said:

"When you've reviewed as many laptops as I have, getting excited about a new machine can be difficult."

 

You guys have done a video on a smartphone-powered laptop, but what about a laptop with an built-in smartphone?

 

https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ASUS-ZenBook-Pro-15-UX580GE/Tech-Specs/

 

The "built-in smartphone" is actually the touch pad, but since it's a 5.5" 1080p LCD touchscreen it can serve as a secondary display as well. 

[AlexTheGreatish]

2 hours ago, Results45 said:

You guys have done a video on a smartphone-powered laptop, but what about a laptop with an embedded smartphone?

Yep! Did it last August!

 

[Results45]

On 4/18/2019 at 10:16 PM, AlexTheGreatish said:

Yep! Did it last August!

 

 

Thanks! I had trouble searching-up the video so I assumed you guys hadn't reviewed it yet. 

 

How about doing a follow-up video on the Pixelbook and iPad Pro?

 

Cuz the Pixelbook and other Chrome OS devices can now run Linux and eventually Windows (or maybe even Mac OS via KVMs?):

 

Tutorials, guides, & videos:

Spoiler

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Installing Linux on Chrome OS:

• https://www.linux.com/learn/intro-to-linux/2017/3/how-install-debian-ubuntu-or-kali-linux-your-chromebook
• https://www.bennettnotes.com/install-linux-on-chromebook/
• https://www.linux.com/learn/how-easily-install-Ubuntu-Chromebook-crouton
• https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/06/how-to-install-linux-on-a-chromebook/
• https://www.howtogeek.com/363331/how-to-set-up-and-use-linux-apps-on-chrome-os/
• https://www.computerworld.com/article/3314739/how-to-use-linux-apps-on-chrome-os.html

 

[Linux Layer] Crouton Guides & Resources:

• Runs on top of Chrome OS via a KVM inside a container shell.
• https://www.linux.com/learn/how-easily-install-Ubuntu-Chromebook-crouton
• https://www.codedonut.com/chromebook/install-crouton-chromebook/
• https://www.androidauthority.com/crouton-turn-your-chromebook-into-far-more-than-a-glorified-web-browser-663044/
• https://www.linux.com/learn/intro-to-linux/2017/3/how-install-debian-ubuntu-or-kali-linux-your-chromebook
• https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16656420/google-pixelbook-chromebook-development-linux-crouton-how-to
• https://www.howtogeek.com/210047/how-to-manage-the-crouton-linux-system-on-your-chromebook/
• https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton

 

[Linux Distro] GalliumOS Guides & Resources:

• A lightweight version of Linux optimized for Chrome OS ~ you can choose to run Gallium instead of Chrome OS when dual-booting.
• https://medium.com/@adrian.carroll7/how-to-dual-boot-chromeos-and-linux-a-step-by-step-guide-68ed5b073e1b
• https://galliumos.org/
• https://wiki.galliumos.org/Hardware_Compatibility

 

Crostini: Official Support for Linux Apps on Chrome OS:

• https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-add-linux-to-your-chromebook/
• https://blog.simos.info/a-closer-look-at-chrome-os-using-lxd-to-run-linux-gui-apps-project-crostini/
• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Chrome_OS_devices/Crostini
•  
• https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/docs/+/master/containers_and_vms.md
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/index#wiki_how-to_pages
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/getstarted/crostini-setup-guide
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/getstarted/crostini-enabled-devices
•  
• https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices/running-virtual-machines-on-your-chromebook
• https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform/crosvm/+/2a2e2587b1799f265f5f1631228e9865fbf527ad/README.md
• https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform/tremplin/

 

Miscellaneous Resources:

• https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/13/17682902/google-windows-10-dual-boot-chromebooks-support-campfire
• https://discuss.linuxcontainers.org/t/using-lxd-on-your-chromebook/3823
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/5zts0w/crouton_or_galliumos/
• https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/news/project-crostini-for-chromebooks-explained-in-15-minutes-video/
• https://gizmodo.com/how-to-get-more-out-of-your-chromebook-by-running-linux-1829058899
• https://www.linuxinsider.com/story/85799.html
• https://www.codeweavers.com/products/crossover-chromeos

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And there are effective workarounds for iPad Pro issues like lack of support for wired external hard drives and "pro-grade" creativity software:

 

Supported Bluetooth mice and remote desktop services:

Spoiler

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List of iPad-compatible Bluetooth Mice

• All work with Jump Desktop
• The Citrix X1 also works with Citrix apps
• The SwiftPoint mice also works with Team Viewer

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• Citrix X1 (requires the Citrix Workspace App for iOS ~ Android, Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop, or Jump Desktop App for iOS ~ Android ~ Windows ~ OS X)
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• SwiftPoint ProPoint & SwiftPoint GT (requires the TeamViewer: Remote Control iOS App or Jump Desktop App for iOS ~ Android ~ Windows ~ OS X)
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How to use a USB mice & keyboard with an iPad (in some ways):

Spoiler

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• Use OS X with your iPad Pro via Luna Display (requires a Mac and allows usage of a keyboard & mouse)
•  

 

 

• DoBox Hub ~ Use USB peripherals with iPhones and iPads via the in-app browser or by accessing a Mac remotely.

The "box" integrates the following:

1. Store-retrieve up to 64GB via Wi-Fi or USB-C
2. Wireless File Sharing
3. Screen Mirroring to external displays
4. 8000mAh external battery
5. USB-headphone jack-HDMI-Ethernet hub
6. MicroSD card reader Hotspot
7. Router Use of USB mice & keyboards.
8. Device management app

Review: https://www.macworld.com/article/3340831/the-dobox-can-eliminate-cable-clutter-and-share-files-wirelessly-for-255.html

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How to best utilize an iPad Pro's USB-C port:

Spoiler

Connecting Devices via USB-C

• VGA, HDMI, Display Port, headphone jack, USB-C, and USB 3.1 port adapters & dongles.
• Thunderbolt 3/Ethernet dongle
• Only images and video files can be transferred to/from SD or MicroSD cards via a card reader, cameras, and USB drives.
• Charging other devices via USB-C ~ like the Nintendo Switch ~ is supported
• External hard drives not yet supported by default (see wireless workarounds in spoiler below)
• Compatible with certain music production equipment (like the Apogee Jam audio converter) 
• Source article #1
• Source article #2

 

Spoiler

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• https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/14-of-the-best-ipad-iphone-ios-daws-and-workspaces-574065
• https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-10-best-hardware-ios-music-making-accessories-audio-interfaces-controllers-and-mics-for-iphone-and-ipad
• https://www.cultofmac.com/413034/six-must-have-iphone-and-ipad-accessories-for-musicians/
• https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/music-gadgets-iphone-ipad/

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Other devices that can wirelessly connect to an iOS device (including external hard drives, keyboards, game controllers, and insulin pumps)

Spoiler

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES!!!

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Many Bluetooth Peripherals......

• Includes most headphones/speakers, most keyboards, most game controllers, the Line 6 FX100 MIDI audio-effects processor, insulin pumps, and other things I don't know about):
• https://www.lifewire.com/does-ipad-support-bluetooth-1994315
• https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/08/23/here-are-five-of-the-best-ipad-compatible-keyboards-for-going-back-to-school
• List of MFi-approved (made-for-iOS) gamepads & controllers #1
• List of MFi-approved (made-for-iOS) gamepads & controllers #2

As well as screen casting & streaming devices:

• Any monitor, display, or TV with built-in mirroring capabilities,
• Chrome Cast
• Apple TV
• Roku TV (box & stick)
• Fire Stick
• others

 

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Spoiler

 

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Don't worry, there's a version of the app for iOS, OS X, and Windows too 

 

• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/minimed-connect/id999836914
• https://www.below-seven.com/2015/10/15/minimed-connect-review/
• https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/loop-blog/introducing-convenient-mobile-access-pump-cgm-data-minimed-connect/
• https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/
• https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/omnipod-smartphone-control-diabetes#5
• https://diatribe.org/how-i-loop-two-years-using-iphone-app-automate-my-insulin-delivery
• https://diatribe.org/tidepool-will-submit-loop-fda-diy-iphone-app-automated-insulin-delivery

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What "professional-grade" creativity software ~ or near-equivalents to those available on Windows and Mac OS ~ is there on iOS?

Spoiler

Adobe Creative Cloud (starting 2019):

 

 

Luma Fusion: for those longing for Premiere Pro or Final Cut on their iPad Pro

More workflow guides & examples:

Spoiler

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Reviews:

• https://www.macworld.com/article/3286613/lumafusion-review-pro-video-editing-now-a-reality-on-ios-devices.html
• http://www.studiodaily.com/2018/12/review-lumafusion-ios/
• https://9to5mac.com/2017/06/25/lumafusion-best-video-editing-app-ipad-iphone-video/
• https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/5582-you-can-now-do-full-professional-editing-on-an-iphone-or-ipad-here-s-our-review

 

 

Pro-grade DAWs & music production peripherals:

• https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/14-of-the-best-ipad-iphone-ios-daws-and-workspaces-574065
• https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-10-best-hardware-ios-music-making-accessories-audio-interfaces-controllers-and-mics-for-iphone-and-ipad
• https://www.cultofmac.com/413034/six-must-have-iphone-and-ipad-accessories-for-musicians/
• https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/music-gadgets-iphone-ipad/

Reviews:

• https://ask.audio/articles/review-apple-ipad-pro-2018-finally-the-tablet-for-musicians
• https://www.scoringnotes.com/news/ipad-pro-2018-thoughts/
• https://newzik.com/project/why-the-ipad-pro-is-built-for-musicians/

 

 

Sketch, paint, draw, ink, sculpt, photoshop, & 3D-modeling!

Spoiler

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Art & photoshop:

• https://www.creativebloq.com/digital-art/art-on-the-ipad-1232669
• https://www.creativebloq.com/software/ipad-apps-make-most-apple-pencil-121518448
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixelmator/id924695435?
• https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/affinity-photo/id1117941080?
• https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/procreate/id425073498?
• https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/medibang-paint-for-ipad/id1003588804?

 

3D-modeling:

• https://all3dp.com/2/3d-design-app-3d-modeling-ipad-android/
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shapr3d/id1091675654
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/onshape-3d-cad/id923421284
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gravity-sketch/id951861015
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autocad-360/id393149734
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autodesk-formit/id575282599

 

Sculpting:

• https://www.putty3d.com/
• https://forgerapp.com/

Guides & Reviews:

• https://all3dp.com/autocad-tutorial-beginners/
• https://www.develop3d.com/reviews/review-onshape-q1-2018-CAD-3D-design-cloud
• http://dragonmountaindesign.com/2015/08/08/onshape-review/
• https://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArticles/ArticleID/17019/Finally-an-Excuse-to-Get-an-iPad-Pro-Shapr3D.aspx

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Can you guys consider it?

[Results45]

Necro time.......

 

Someone whether he should get the Area 51M recently so I took it upon myself to thoroughly recommend the Eurocom X7C instead.

 

Here's why:

 

BASIC CONFIG:

• SKY X7C
• Area 51M
• Price without discounts: $2167 (A51M ~ $2050)
• CPU: Z370 LGA 1151 socket Core i7-9700K (A51M ~ Z390, LGA1151, i7-9700)
• RAM: 2 x 8GB DDR4-2666 (A51M ~ 2 x 8GB DDR4-2400)
• GPU: MXM 3.1 80W RTX 2060 6GB (A51M ~ DGFF GTX 1660TI 6GB)
• G-SYNC: yes (A51M ~ yes)
• Screen: 17.3-inch 144hz 1920x1080 matte 300-nit IPS display (A51M ~ 17.3-inch 60hz 1920x1080 "Anti-Glare" 300-nit IPS display)
• Display Calibration: no (A51M ~ no)
• Storage: 1TB HDD @ 7200RPM (A51M ~ 1TB+8GB SSHD)
• I/O, expansion, & upgrade options: 1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), 3 x 3.5mm jack (combo, Mic-In, Audio-out), 4 x USB 3.0 TypeA, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet Port, 1-2 x 330W DC Power-In, 1 x fullsize 6-in-1 memory card reader, 1 x M.2 WLAN/Bluetooth, 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 SSD (Optane supported), 2 x 2.5" bays, 4 x DDR4 SODIMM RAM slots (up to 128GB, 3000Mhz), LGA1151 up to Core i9-9900KS, any MXM 3.1 GPU up to RTX 2080/Quadro P5000 or 190W (Area 51M includes a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, but slightly less I/O, GPU, and storage expansion options overall)
• Windows 10 Home pre-installed: yes (A51M ~ yes)
• Webcam: 720p/2.1MP (A51M ~ 720p/2.1MP)
• Battery: Wh (A51M ~ 90Wh)
• Weight: 8.58LB/3.9kg (A51M ~ 8.54LB/3.87kg)

 

MID-SPEC CONFIG:

• SKY X7C
• Area 51M
• Price without discounts: $3286 (A51M ~ $3300)
• CPU: Z370 LGA 1151 socket Core i9-9900KS (A51M ~ Z390, LGA1151 i7-9700K)
• RAM:  2 x 16GB DDR4-3000 (A51M ~ 2 x 16GB DDR4-2400)
• GPU: MXM 3.1 115W RTX 2070 8GB (A51M ~ DGFF RTX 2070 8GB)
• G-SYNC: yes (A51M ~ yes)
• Screen: 17.3-inch 144hz 2560x1440 matte 400-nit IPS display (A51M ~ 17.3-inch 144hz 1920x1080 "Anti-Glare" 300-nit IPS display)
• Display Calibration: yes (A51M ~ no)
• Storage: 2TB SSHD (A51M ~ 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD & 1TB+8GB SSHD)
• I/O, expansion, & upgrade options: 1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), 3 x 3.5mm jack (combo, Mic-In, Audio-out), 4 x USB 3.0 TypeA, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet Port, 1-2 x 330W DC Power-In, 1 x fullsize 6-in-1 memory card reader, 1 x M.2 WLAN/Bluetooth, 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 SSD (Optane supported), 2 x 2.5" bays, 4 x DDR4 SODIMM RAM slots (up to 128GB, 3000Mhz), LGA1151 up to Core i9-9900KS, any MXM 3.1 GPU up to RTX 2080/Quadro P5000 or 190W (Area 51M includes a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, but slightly less I/O, GPU, and storage expansion options overall)
• Windows 10 Home pre-installed: yes (A51M ~ yes)
• Webcam: 720p/2.1MP (A51M ~ 720p/2.1MP)
• Battery: 89Wh (A51M ~ 90Wh)
• Weight: 8.58LB/3.9kg (A51M ~ 8.54LB/3.87kg)

 

In my opinion, Eurcom offers ~ at virtually the same price ~ better option(s) with a DXR-enabled GPU and high refresh display on the base model, a better CPU, faster RAM, a brighter & higher resolution factory-calibrated display, more I/O & expansion overall, and guaranteed multi-year support for replacing & upgrading the MXM GPU, LCD panel, and other components.

[kokakolia]

Even then, working and gaming on a small screen which sits low on the table (forcing you to hunch over) is just... awful!