New Alienware 17r4 Owner - Newbie Advice?

Hi All,

Long time member here, but been a while since I last posted. My last gaming laptop and main PC, which I still use today and am writing this on, was a Asus ROG G73-3DE. It has been a truly superb laptop and still runs great, but its fair to say that it's 1.5Gb GTX 460m is getting on a bit after around 6.5 years of good service.

Treated myself to a "Certified Refurbished" Alienware 17r4 from the Dell Outlet UK. The key specs that tend to vary from build to build are:
Processor - 6700HQ
GPU - gtx1070
RAM - 16GB (2x8GB) 2667MHz DDR4
Screen - QHD 1440p 120Hz gsync

The laptop is due to arrive tomorrow (it was due to arrive today, but the carrier took it to the wrong depot last night in error....DOH!) and I was wondering if any of you seasoned veterans had any advice to get me started? I was thinking things like:

1) Anything I should or shouldn't do during setup?
2) Any driver updates I should install right away (e.g. track pad, wifi etc)?
3) Any common faults I should look for / test for?
4) I've never owned a gsync monitor before so anything I need to know about activating it? For example, is it always handled through the NVidia drivers? Should I activate vsync in game or not?

I remember having to update all sorts on my Asus back in the day. New USB drivers, HDD firmware updates, uninstalling or updating certain drivers that caused conflicts etc. Nothing major, but various quirks to be aware of. Would be good to get a head start tomorrow as I jump into my first Alienware machine?

Appreciate your help with any hints or tips. Thanks in advance.

 

I just received my first Alienware machine today. I was excited, but I think it's fair to say, I've received a complete dud.

First time boot, by the time I got through the setup to the desktop screen where you register for the warranty, fans were going full speed and the machine sounded like it was going to take off. I then left it for about 45mins whilst I had dinner. Sitting idle, doing absolutely nothing even my wife commented "Oh my god, that laptop is loud".

Installed HWiNFO and my maximum core temperatures were:
Core #0 98C
Core #1 66C
Core #2 99C
Core #3 75C

Thermal throttling is indicated on core 0 and 2 (unsurprisingly). Keep in mind, these temps are whilst all I'm doing is downloading Rocket League on Steam.

Try playing Rocket League and it works fine without crashing, but running MSI Afterburner monitoring CPU1 and CPU2 hit a maximum of 100C each. CPU5 and CPU 6 each hit a maximum of 97C each.

I'm writing this on the laptop just now and the noise of the fans is unbelievable. Very intrusive. Not sure how they have "refurbished" this laptop. You would literally need to be deaf to not have realised it is overheating. Dell UK Customer Services is closed at weekends so looks like I'll have to call on Monday. DOH!

I am curious, what are the turnaround times like when Dell have to repair/replace a laptop? If it's going to take an age, I might just get a refund, given I've literally just received it. A shame as other than that, the laptop seems very nice and solid. Love the keyboard compared to the chiclet on my old ASUS ROG. A real shame.

 

complain about the qhd screen having lines and they will give you a replacement unit kabylake with new revision qhd screen



heatsink with new kabylake unit is much better