[Alienware Refresh] Initial thoughts and impressions? Hit or a Miss?

What is the exact model number? Im in the market for one and your feedback has got me interested.

 

Unfortunately I think I'm going to opt for asus instead of alienware 17 after all. A few reasons for this.
- I have the alienware 15 r1. Beautiful looking laptop imho, but the new ones look uglier, also a little skeptical about the thinner design in terms of heat output with the GTX 1080
- My laptop is really doing very difficult, freezing lots of times after the anniversary update of windows 10. The issue is compatibility wiht my SSD (samsung 840 512GB). I don't want to buy a new SSD when there are nvme ssd's out there incompatible with my current pc. So I want to change it asap. And the November release date of the alienware 17 with the GTX 1080, makes it difficult for me.
They say the november releases will come with the new 7th series intel CPU's, but lately the difference in performance of the CPU's started to get lower and lower, as if they are hitting the wall with moore's law.

Now I thought about getting the asus rog g800vi. By all means it isn't the cheapest laptop out there, I can get a significant discount when I buy it through my working place, that's why I consider it, but I will still have to see a couple reviews first I suppose. But like I said. I think i'm unfortunately stepping off from alienware. unless I can somehow be convinced otherwise again.

Also I thought about clevo's . They are amazing. In terms of customization and price combination, nothing comes even close. But I have two issues with it. they haev desktop CPU's, not a fan of the extra TDP, + I subjectively think they are ugly as hell. Otherwise I'd definitely took those, no question.

 

Its very strange, it isnt mentioned on the acer website.

It is the Acer Predator XB271 TN version.

 

What Res? I cant seem to find one that is TN. Where did you get it?

 

The 1440P version. Bough tin on amazon https://www.amazon.de/Acer-Predator...=1474186122&sr=8-1&keywords=acer+predator+xb1

 

Whats the status of this? Have you checked the order? Is it "in production"?

 

Both the 15 and 17 models are available for order right this moment. I don't see the 120hz screen options yet thought.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-17-laptop/pd
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-15-laptop/pd

Look at the cost different on the 15 from 1060 to 1070! Crazy!

 

Its barely higher than the cost difference in EUrope between a 1060 and 1070 desktop card so I am not surprised.

 

"Errors: The GTX 1070 Graphics Processing Unitselected requires the 99Wh Batterywhich will offer more power and additional battery life."
I don't like the wording of this. Also, seems like the i7-6820HK is exclusive to the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080.

 

Prices look like what I expected for this unit. I'm either waiting until November for the 1080 model (which may have beefier cooling due to the delay? Kinda like how Asus 980m models were thicker than 970m models for the G752) or the p775dm3. It's all going down to cooling at this point. I feel very uncertain about gpu upgradability for the Clevo. Nursing a sore spot for my 6 month old p770dm-g still. That, and the fact that clevo gpu's cost about $1200 are making me take a serious budget-oriented approach. I do not want to buy two $2500 laptops in one year EVER again. And if upgrading the Clevo will be that expensive even if the HBM gpu's will fit the current mxm revision, I may just go AW's bga route and not think about laptops for 4 years until the 1080 has trouble at 60 fps. I'd wind up saving so much money that way. Plus, I don't mind a difficult teardown. If the heatsink fits better on the AW than the Clevo, I'd love to CLU it and go from there with the nice 400 nit 1440p 120hz display. Though the Clevo is available now, the screen option isn't. Ugh. Decisions, decisions. :S

 

So.....

Where is the GTX 1080?!?
Where is the 1440p screen!?
Where is the G-Sync versions!?
Why are they only 300-nits for the 4k monitor!?

Bait and switch or just not out yet?

 

Just not out yet. The 1080 AW17 releases in November. The screens Im not sure on; though the official release date is Sept 30th for all models as far as I'm aware.

 

This smell Hybrid bios long way!! And zero headroom for decent overclock with a flimsy 240W psu. Acer with the weaker 6700hq and 1070 already use 224w at full load!!

 

Ordered a 15 today. I7 6820 and gtx 1070 and a 1080p screen. EDD is october 24 . What are the chances of it coming sooner?

 

AW has confirmed the 120hz screens will be in the configuration tool within the next couple of weeks.

Two people (Lead marketing guy and the lead R&D guy) already confirmed no hybrid BIOS.
I also have a contact that works in engineering and he mentioned that the hybrid BIOS was used to fix issues in the past.
(I guess they could lie or not know what they are talking about)
Regardless, Im still going to check it out.

 

Good, but try to get such statements in written form or as audio recordings. Great to have if needed

 

LOL

 

Interesting... the main advantage of the 7 series would be support for the new intel SSD format that is coming out. In addition the 7 series should allow for more PCIe lanes.

I am looking to get the 15 but have a few questions:

• Is the PCIe 4x and 4x or 4x and 2x
• What PCIe SSDs are used? Maybe I am best off buying the 960 Pro on release and using that?
• Will the 15 get a 7 series upgrade in November?
• When can we expect high speed display options?

 

I will buy if they bring the good old design m17x back

 

Any news on the new 13 yet?

 

What's Dell's excuse, for not having G-Sync ready, even for the standard 1080p screens?

That's a deal breaker.

 

they said it will be ... maybe a mistake as always on his page

 

LOL the AW17 1070 is expected to ship on Oct. 26th?

 

Did anyone notice that dell has downgraded the wlan & BT chipset to 14xx series? Anyone found success in getting bluetooth audio to work in w10? For me, BT audio works w/o any issue only on Linux.

 

My order I just put in has an EDD of October 16th.

 

Ah interesting...mind sharing your specs? 15" or 17"?

 

15 inch

6820HK, 1920x1080, 1TB HDD, 1x8GB DDR4, 1070,

 

Good YouTube video on Alienware channel talking about the 15 and 17.

 

I can't believe you guys are buying the Alienware 15 & 17 already. The G-SYNC 120Hz 15.6" FHD and 17.3" QHD displays (with 4MS response times) are incoming! Cancel those orders, you heathens! You are no enthusiast if you pass these up. The reason they are unavailable (until November) is because of NVIDIA. Not because of Dell or Alienware. NVIDIA has to certify these displays.

 

I'm concerned that the QHD gsync 120hz will be like a good 300 more than the 60hz option. that may put it out of range for me not that I really need it. I can game with my external pg278q at home. live with 60hz on the road.

 

It should be equal to or cheaper than the UHD display option. I think it'll be either $150 or $250.

 

I would actually be ok with the alienware 15 with the 1080 120hz gsync to be honest. if the upgrade cost for that over the ips 60hz is only 150 I will just wait and not order. I was tempted to order now because I can get it down at least 200 with coupons right now.

 

These screen prices are bonkers. The QHD option won't be less than $250.

 

Yeah initially that's kind of what I was thinking which puts it out for me. My other concern was making sure the regular 60hz option didn't have optimus so I could use my gsync on my external monitor.

 

Thats what concerning me too... Or like the old aw where i could disable it via bios...

 

Yeah that just enables full time pass through right? which would still prohibit Gsync. the rep I talked to said it doesnt' support optimus but they never really know anything and could be dead wrong.

 

lmao that is never, ever going to hapen.

 

Most of the notebooks in the 13.3" range of interest to me are anywhere from $699 to $999, so I'm waiting for the Alienware 13 in November before deciding. It is still my opinion that Alienware holds the highest mark when it comes to the 13" laptop market. That said, it's not really much to be proud of, considering they formerly dominated the entire 17" and 18" notebook market (in past generations).

If they charge more for the G-SYNC displays than the UHD displays, I'll be disappointed. At that point, they're just price-gouging.

 

Dell is also proud they finally can offer G-Stink. So maybe they will charge a lot extra for this feature? Regardless..., 4K screen should cost more

 

Unfortunately even with desktop screens the gsync monitors are more expensive than the 4K monitors without gsync. I wonder what Nvidia asks for those Gsync boards. Still Gsync is superior to freesync. But in laptops Gsync is just the Nvidia version of AMD's freesync implementation.

Finally Gsync is becoming a real good thing on laptops though. First it was only available on lower framerate panels Finally 120hz goodness is coming to laptops with gsync.

 

Normally is 4K screens more costly than 1080p G-stink for laptops. And 4K panel with G-stink on top of the price range. And yes... Nvidia know how they shall earn money ().

 

But in laptops till now they where just native 60hz panels right?

 

All G-stink up till now is OC'd 60hz(75Hz). But almost all of the panels can do +-100Hz But 4K with G-sync can't go over 62/63Hz I think.

 

Yea my 4K panels are 60Hz, but it's good enough for me OC'ed to maybe 61-62Hz, in the event of a glitch lol.

A QHD 120Hz would be perfect.



::iunlock::

 

I'm simply stoked for 1440p 120hz 5ms screens.

 

Same... and they're 4ms with GSYNC, even better!

 

Crossing my fingers for the QHD to be just as awesome as good IPS panels, because the QHD's I believe will be TN , but the new version of TN that is supposedly going to fix the horrid viewing angles of the current TN's with that pink hue that it creates.

I have a TN Samsung 4K external monitor and it's great at 1ms, color etc...but try moving away from the normal viewing angle and it becomes a nightmare.

 

I understand how viewing angles can be an issue, but not as a gamer. Are you running around trying to play? You probably have a crappy kill : death ratio, if so. I'm always sitting down straight in front of the laptop gaming. In my opinion, the whole "viewing angles suck" argument is overused and exaggerated. Good thing Alienware's panels will be TN-WVA!

It's a laptop, too. The display doesn't swivel.

 

Ya I think people she be more stoked for the 4ms then anything else.
With out 4 or 5ms 120hz and Gsync simply doesn't matter.
I cannot believe I didn't notice that we have been dealing with 25ms (27ms in the case of 4k) panels for a couple years.

 

I am hoping that is what the WVA resolves.
However with that said, until you personally showed me this angle I did not notice this on my own 1ms TN G-Sync monitor.
Most people view laptops directly.