Alienware officially unveils M11x R3, M14x, M18x gaming laptops

After weeks of leaks, Alienware is finally ready to announce the latest models in its gaming laptop lineup. On the blog of parent company Dell, the freshly updated M11x and the new M14x and M18x notebooks were detailed yesterday.

The M11x -- "The Most Powerful 11-inch Laptop in the Universe," according to Alienware -- will now sport new Intel Sandy Bridge processors, either the Core i5-2537M or Core i7-2617M, along with Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics. The gaming netbook also provides the option for AT&T or Verizon 3G Wireless WAN connectivity. While the older version of the M11x is still available on the Dell site starting at under $600, you're being told to call for pricing of the latest iteration, though Engadget claims it will start at $999.

Engadget is also stating that the M14x will be priced starting at $1,199, though the Dell site again tells potential buyers to call for pricing. Alienware promises dual-core and quad-core Sandy Bridge CPU options, GeForce GT 555M graphics, and optional wireless HD support. Steam is preloaded on the laptop to let you download the latest games, and the Alienware Command Center allows you to tweak keyboard lighting, touchpad, and power management settings.

No pricing is available for the new M18x, but you will have an option for a Core i7 Extreme processor overclocked to 4GHz courtesy of Alienware. The company also claims that the laptop will support dual-graphics technology from ATI and Nvidia -- a.k.a. CrossFireX and SLI, respectively -- though it appears that a pair of graphics card will be an optional feature. It comes with an 18.4-inch white-LED-backlit 1080p display and probably weighs a bazillion pounds, so start strengthening those back muscles now if you plan to take one on the go regularly.