Alienware 17 R3 Review + SSD TALK & Tips for Buying

Overview
Finally after receiving my Alienware laptop after a month of waiting here are the juicy details. This laptop has the looks and the power. Everything satisfies expectations, minus the SSD.

Machine Specs:
UHD Screen(4k)
16GB RAM
6820HK Processor
980M 8GB VRAM
128GB SSD
1TB HDD

The Good

• Beautiful 4K Screen with amazing color reproduction and Clarity
  
• Surprisingly Light Bloatware
• Very Fast Boot(2 - 5 seconds cold boot)
• Excellent Design
• Strong Hinges
• Luxury "Feeling" Plastic
• Solid Build
• Easy Access to HDD and RAM

The Bad

• Very, Very, Very slow SSD.
  
• Gets warm with light use(stock clock), expect it to be hot while gaming and overclocking.

Tips(all these assume the upgrades cost more)

1. Do not buy the laptop with stock SSD, upgrade later.
2. Save money and get 8GB of RAM, upgrade later.
3. Get the 4k screen(and set to 1080p)

by upgrading later you have better and cheaper selection.

SSD Benchmarks

Software : AS SSD BENCHMARK (Default Settings )

Samsung 850 EVO


Dells 128GB Default SSD(CM871)



I tested the drives by installing windows on the opposite drive of testing to give fair results, hints why the backgrounds change... So do yourself a favor and save money now and upgrade to a better drive later. Thought this post will help some people out and help you make an informed purchase. Good Luck!

 

Great stuff! That's exactly what I did.....Got all the important stuff fully maxed out like the CPU (6820HK), GPU (980M w/ 8GB) and 4K Display....everything else got replaced ....

• 32GB RAM
• 1TB Samsung Pro SSD
• 512GB Samsung m.2 Pro SSD x2

Everything else, stock wise...tossed out the window LOL...literally, the stock spinner is just a paper weight...worthless...Stock rams are used as a wedge to balance the table legs...jk...but you get the point...

 

Depending on what you are doing on your system you will never even notice that it has a slower SSD. For just booting and software install drive the one they provide is fin unless you are copying 50+GB to it and from it over and over every day.

 

Xen Tol, this is exactly what Im thinking of doing regarding SSD. The Dell chat agent could not tell me what make and model the 256GB PCIe SSD would be. And then they told me that if I installed my own choice I would invalidate the warranty. Is that correct ?

 

Dell will still warranty the machine ONLY if the fault is NOT due to the part that YOU put in or modify.

 

If thats the case, that the same line as MSI take, so that fair enough. The sales agent was adamant that I would void the warranty though lol

 

The PCIe SSD (256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB) will most likely be the PM951 (OEM SSD).
Some customer service reps don't always have the most up-to-date answers or correct responses for God knows why.

 

No it will not void your warranty. Just as @ altecX said as long as the failure is not due to the harddrive. Or if you are worried about dell shifting blame... you could be sneaky and if anything does happen replace the drives before shipping out for repair.

Hope that helps!

P.S: the graphics driver in windows 10 loves to crash a lot, current public release it crashed once a boot up then not again. firefox "crashed" it the most. But the fast ring window 10 builds crash the graphics drivers every hour or so. Great machine but windows 10 in not stable enough for it, most laptops with 980m's are having these problems. Have not found a good fix yet. It is confusing as the driver error points at "intel HD driver."

 

Do you mean The PCIe SSD will most likely be the SM951 or did you actually mean PM ?

 

It will be PM. The cheap 128GB one will be the super terrible CM871.

 

Oh And I suppose the PM is slower than the SM ? SO am I better off installing my own ?

 

Yes, the PM is slower than the SM. Is it going to be noticeable? probably not. Would it be better to do it yourself to save money and get better specs, most defiantly yes. But if money is not the issue and you dont mind the PM, just order the 256GB+ SSD.

 

Money is definitely an issue. I need to save as much as possible.

 

Start looking around for an PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD. You will always be charged more from the manufacturer.

This one is currently out of stock(nvm, not anymore...) but a great drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147466
I searched -> internal ssds -> m.2 PCIe 3.0 x4

Also look out for some great deals on 2.5" SSD's to replace the 1TB HDD, you will be super happy, trust me.

Good luck hope that helps, if you need anymore help just ask.

 

Whats better overall AW 17 or clevo 870?

 

@SaturnARG
I would not be able to help you on that one as I was in a similar decision just a few weeks ago. My best comparison is I know you can get better specs in a clevo, but it looks like a 2005 laptop(bulky and generic). Great specs, no "wow" factor...

Now if you want people to notice and say "alienware, eh?"(I'm Canadian ) or "nice looking laptop man" and still have decent specs, get an alienware. Just make sure to call dell before buying an alienware, as they seem to drop the price quite a bit if you ask nicely or wait for a good deal.

 

I agree....in my case I could have easily have gotten a Clevo or a bulky gaming rig, however, the wow factor and looks of the rig does matter. Sure you'll get better specs with desktop components, but that's a given and of no surprise. The only way I'd ever buy a bulky gaming laptop is just for ....gaming.

However....there is not a single game that I can't play comfortably on my Alienware, where I feel like I am in need of desktop components. All the while being able to do this and all my other resource intensive tasks (rendering, editing, compiling etc...) in fashion....you get the point. It isn't ugly and I can feel good about it.

It doesn't stop there....if I do need desktop performance, at least there are options to go with an Amp or Razor. Simple.

For what it's worth, not that CPU is the dominating factor in gaming, but my 6820HK is on par and or slightly faster than the 6700K if I want it to be...comfortably. I'd rather have two 980M SLI (previous AW variants) than one 980. Best of all....all this in a laptop that looks, performs and feels good to have around....