UPDATED 1/27: M14x with Core i5 CPU for $1,049 or Core i7 for $1,149 + free shipping! (Fully configurable).

• Base model (dual-core Core i5)
• Use the following coupon code: BHW1L0MX0D?MCX
• Core i7 (quad-core model: no coupon needed)

The latest update to this offer is the addition of a considerably more powerful version with a 2nd-gen Intel Core i7, 6GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and the 3GB GT 555M video card for $1149 including free shipping! Expires 2/2/2012.

We recently had an M14x over for review and were very impressed with the machine. It remains the most powerful 14-inch gaming laptop on the planet.

Alienware’s 14-inch M14x is a member of the Alienware family designed for users who neither want a desktop replacement or an ultraportable. The processor options for the M14x are all from the latest 2nd-gen Intel Core series, starting at a dual-core Core i5, but configurable up to a quad-core Core i7 CPUs. The new and improved Turbo Boost feature overclocks the processor automatically to achieve optimal performance; the 2670QM which runs at 2.2GHz (3.1GHz with Turbo Boost), the 2720QM running at 2.2GHz (3.3GHz with Turbo Boost), and the 2820QM which is clocked at 2.3GHz and goes up to 3.4GHz with Turbo Boost active. The CPUs are also equipped with Hyperthreading that lets them handle two threads per processor core (4 cores shows up as 8 cores in the operating system).

It can be equipped with up to 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3, 500GB or 750GB 7200rpm hard drives or a 256GB Samsung SSD. The most important component for gamers is the Nvidia GeForce GT555M GPU, which is available with either 1.5GB or 3GB of DDR3 video RAM. The GT 555M has 144 CUDA cores (compared to the GT 550M, which only has 96) and is probably the fastest card you can find in a 14-inch laptop. Again compared to the GT 550M, the 555M has a 192-bit memory bus whereas the slower card has a 128-bit one. It’s worth pointing out that we have tried our luck overclocking this GPU and it responds very well to rather large increases in clocks (this is at your own risk of course). Read the article here.

The display options are either a 1366×768 panel or one with the higher 1600×900 resolution. Regardless of which you choose, the GT555M GPU will let you run all of the latest games at the laptop’s native resolution. Both option also come with a 2 megapixel webcam built into the bezel. A couple of other nice additions for the latest Alienware laptops is that they come with two USB 3.0 ports and HDMI 1.4 out for external 3D capability. There’s also a slot-loading optical drive included.

A WirelessHD transmitter is an optional add-on that lets you send a Full HD signal straight to your HDTV with more or less the same performance as you would get with a cable. You can opt for just the transmitter or one bundled with the universal VIZIO XWH200 audio/video receiver. Just like all of the other Alienware laptops, the M14x also comes with the full-custom AlienFX backlighting system that will light up your system in a variety of different colors of your choosing, as well as a personalized laser etched nameplate. You can even get it with Steam and Portal, World of Warcraft or Eve Online preinstalled for your convenience.

A quick overview of the M14x:

UPDATED 1/30 2012: Toshiba Direct has just launched a few brand new offers on pre-built and customizable Qosmio gaming machines that are now starting at just $949 (up to $320 savings)

The offer includes pretty much the entire Qosmio lineup, including the 17-inch X775 and X770 as well as the 15-inch F755 glasses-free 3D laptop. Prices start at $949 with $250 off the dual-core Core i5 edition of  the X770, which might just be the best price yet on a laptop with the GTX 560M. For a comparatively small price premium you can get it with a quad-core Core i7 processor for $1,249 ($320 off).

Visit Toshiba Direct to have a look at the full listing.

Valid 1/31 – 2/6.

All of the 17-inch Qosmio gaming laptops include an NVIDIA GTX 560M graphics card–the same model as in the ASUS G53SX that we recently reviewed but with 1.5GB of video RAM and a wider memory bus. The short version is that it can play all current games at the laptop’s default resolution.

The F755 is an interesting specimen in that it comes with a glasses-free 3D display that shifts resolution depending on the content. It runs in native 1366×768 with 3D on and native 1980×1080(Full HD)  in 2D mode. It ships with a Core i5 processor and a GT 540M GPU. For those hoping to play games in glasses-free 3D, however, it should be pointed out that support for 3D gaming without the glasses is in its infancy and the 3D functionality should primarily be thought of as a movie feature (a Blu-ray optical drive is also included).

Update: The glasses-free 3D laptop has actually been updated and the Qosmio F755 3D now supports “hundreds of games”, according to Toshiba.