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    17R3 with UHD display

    Discussion in '2015+ Alienware 13 / 15 / 17' started by CaptainKoloth, May 14, 2016.

  1. CaptainKoloth

    CaptainKoloth Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ive been looking very seriously at getting this model ( AW17R3-3758SLV) and had two questions about it:

    I really like the UHD screen but for whatever reason I can't find the UHD screen directly though the Alienware website, only via Best Buy. Is it some sort of exclusive? Is there any way to get the UHD version directly from Dell?

    Also, does this specific model definitely work with the graphics amplifier? I ask for the above reason since I can't actually find the model on the Alienware website.
     
  2. judal57

    judal57 Notebook Deity

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  3. DeeX

    DeeX THz

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    http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-17-r3/pd

    I was able to configure this same system on their site.

    However I must warn you that 4k isn't all its cracked up to be on a laptop. Especially with a 970M.
    You are going to lose a lot of FPS to the resolution and the clarity trade off wont be worth the cost of the FPS.
    This is one of those Apple vs Android type debates so I'm sure someone will chime in but for what its worth the LG 1080p screen on the 17R3 is good and plenty of real estate.
    All of the models work with the graphics AMP.
     
  4. Mickbt26

    Mickbt26 Notebook Evangelist

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    It all depends on what your going to do with it. If it is purely gaming then I suggest you stick with the 1080p.
    If you game at 1080p on the UHD you will have bilinear scaling blur, so games won't look as crisp as they do on the standard 1080p screen, The 980m struggles to push out decent framerates at the default 4K res in newer games.
    You will also have scaling issues with certain apps that don't support high dpi so they may not display properly on the desktop.

    On saying all the above, I have the UHD and bought it with this screen because I don't always game on it. I use it for photo editing and content creation mainly. The screen is really beautiful and pumps out incredibly vibrant colors despite its issues.
     
  5. iunlock

    iunlock 7980XE @ 5.4GHz

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    Same here. The UHD is an amazing panel and I use it for photo and video editing.

    I also game at 1440p, not 1080p and the UHD screen is just awesome.

    It's true that the 980M, although powerful for what it is, lacks horsepower to push 4K at decent fps. This is why I game at 1440p, because you get the best of both Worlds.