Gamers rejoice! Alienware reckon they have ‘pwned’ their competition with the unveiling of ‘the most powerful 17-inch gaming laptop in the world’, the M17x. Certainly an audacious claim, but it could well prove to be justified as the laptop hits the shop shelves in what is Alienware’s most important release since being bought out by Dell back in 2006.

According to the company themselves: ‘Alienware M17X laptop combines brains with brawn to give you the ultimate Hi-def mobile gaming and entertainment powerhouse. With mind-blowing graphics, the latest generation of processors and its new industrial design, you’ll have the universe bowing before you. Be all powerful, it’s yours for the taking.’

Riveting stuff, but let’s take a closer look. Using an entirely new design scheme, the large chassis of the M17x is built from anodised aluminium and is available in a choice of metallic silver or black finishes, but what actually lies within that ‘brawn’?

Well, buyers can configure their systems from a range of Intel Core 2 Duo, Quad and Extreme processors, and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. Up to 1TB of hard disk space or 256GB of Solid State Drive storage can also be configured, and a Blu-ray drive can be added for full HD compatibility. A choice of nVidia GeForce GTX 260M or 280M GPUs running alone or in an SLI configuration can be chosen for utmost performance.

You can also switch between dedicated and integrated graphics to save power when required and extra features include facial recognition software, a backlit keyboard, a dual CCFL backlit LCD screen and a 2-megapixel webcam.

The most striking aspect of the laptop is the glowing red lighting which emanates from every possible orifice including the keyboard, trackpad, and ‘grill’, declaring in chest-thumping style “I’m a gaming laptop” to anyone who dares approach it.

Available now, the M17x starts at £1699 (inc. VAT) which includes Quad 9000 (2.0GHz). You need to spend around an extra £700 to buy the Quad Extreme QX9300 (2.53GHz).