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The Alienware M11x is a thin and (somewhat) light notebook with an 11.6 inch display, an Intel CULV processor, and some seriously powerful graphics capabilities which make the M11x the first budget 11.6 inch laptop that gamers can truly love. And the folks at Hardware Heaven are apparently in love. They’ve published the first review of the M11x that I’ve seen, and they conclude that it’s one of the best products they’ve ever reviewed.

The laptop is a bit heavy for an ultraportable, weighing in at 4.5 pounds. And it has the same angular shape as other Alienware laptops, which might be a turnoff for those looking for a sleek machine for use on the go. But here’s where the Alienware M11x stands apart: It can handle 720p and 1080p HD video playback, and it can handle 3D video games at 720p resolutions.It also has a backlit keyboard, which is rare on a budget ultraportable.

The laptop has two graphics processors. For day to day tasks such as web browsing, Intel’s integrated graphics will probably do the trick. But when you want to play games, you can hit Fn+F6 to fire up the NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M GPU without rebooting. It features 1GB of dedicated video memory, DirectX 10.1 support, and Blu-Ray acceleration, among other features.It can handle recent games including Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Dirt 2 without breaking a sweat.

Of course, you’ll sacrifice some battery life if you switch from integrated to dedicated graphics. While you can surf the web for about 5.75 hours with integrated graphics, you’ll get less than 4 hours of HD video playback with the GeForce graphics, and just over 2 hours of gaming time.

The Alienware M11x is available for pre-order from Dell for $799 and up. Make sure to hit up Hardware Heaven for the complete review if you’re considering this laptop.

Update: IGN and Pocket Lint have also published reviews of the M11x.

via Netbook Choice