The Alienware M18x

• PROS
  Blazing performance. Solid build quality. Sleek design. Cool lighting effects.
• CONS
  Expensive. Short battery life.
• BOTTOM LINE
  The Alienware M18x looks intimidating and has the performance chops that gamers crave, but it doesn't come cheap.

The Alienware brand and PC gaming are synonymous, and with good reason. For the past 15 years the folks at Alienware have been churning out high-end gaming systems, and thankfully they continue to so. Its flagship laptop rig, the M18x ($4,529 direct), is packed with over-the-top components and presented in a sharp-looking chassis complete with tricked-out lighting effects and a killer 18.4-inch display. You'll pay more at the pump for this high-octane notebook and you don't get a lot of battery life, but for gamers seeking LAN party dominance it's an easy decision: The M18x eclipses last year's Alienware M17x cost-no-object (over $3,000) gaming laptops.