*OFFICIAL* Alienware 15 R1/R2 Owner's Lounge

I opened HW monitor and let it sit for a few hours doing nothing, lowest it got the whole time was 59 degrees, seemed to stay in the low 60s most of the time. The bottom middle back stayed very very warm the whole time.

 

You really think I should?!?? I will lose out on the IC diamond compound tho idk! If I buy from Alienware with this build, it will be around the same price... 1800+ with discounts and the tax

970M
1TB+256SSD
8GB RAM

 

If it makes you feel better, I paid $2257.21 after tax for mine (4 year warranty included). It was a pretty basic build, as well, other than the 980m (replaced the 8gb and 1tb hdd with aftermarket gear). The mystery coupon had just ended and I could only find a 75 dollar off coupon, online. I called the sales line, and mentioned buying an Alienware 14, 18, and new XPS 13 in the last year. The friendly sales guy, put me on hold and his supervisor only authorized a 5% off coupon. I was later told, on this site, that 10 percent is sort of the standard discount. My income tax return was burning a hole in my pocket, so I was going to purchase even with no discount. With that being said, I think you did fine with your total (assuming you got the 980m). Relax and enjoy! (and laugh at my naivety)

 

If you can cancel the order and re-order through Dell, I suggest you should try to. I was able to order an AW 15 with 980m, 16gb ram, 256 gb ssd, 1tb hdd, 1080p display for around $1.7k, excluding a 10% cash back. I was going to order the AW through XoticPC at first, but then realized that it wouldn't be a good choice - just because Dell offers discount coupons and you can try to get the price further reduced by talking to customer reps.

The ICD you would be getting through XoticPC is worth less than $50 I believe - and significantly cheaper if you can do a re-paste on your own.

Good luck!

 

I got the 970M. FML lol. Hey I quoted you above about the heat issues with Alienwares.. I bought a AW17 R5 (2013/860M) and using it on my lap on idle or surfing the web, it would get blazing hot in the back exhaust fans... I heard this was fixed and IC diamond would help the cooling as well. Please tell me the Alienware 15 runs cool.. lol

 

I did get a $109.00 dollar credit to my debit card, today, due to the replacement service bay door being out of stock.

 

Wow. How did you get a 980M version for 1.7K? i looked on the available coupons, and those $100 off Alienware 15 coupons are all gone.. basically all are gone. I calculated the price for 970M/256SSD/1TB/8GB ram to be like 1800-1900 with tax. How did you get such a good deal!?!

 

Good luck, with your interview as well as with the laptop. Looking forward to seeing your review.

 

I consider 60 Celsius to be reasonable temps. Go ask the Razer fanboys on how hot their little furnaces run. The backplate heat, on your 17, is exactly how my 14 runs. It would get uncomfortably hot if the rear was rested on my thigh. The 15 has a much thinner backside (no Kardasian so the heat doesn't really reach that area. It is a little warm, underneath, in the dead middle. Its additional width also makes it possible to rest it on one leg, without blocking the two exhausts. I always feel hot air on my leg from the little 14's exhaust. Honestly though, I haven't owned a laptop that doesn't eventually get too warm to be placed on your lap (bar the 18 and it can numb your leg due to weight). I also don't think the term "laptop" really applies to high end gaming notebooks, as it is bad form to block those ventilation vents on the bottom. The underpowered ultrabooks maybe, but any powerful notebook deserves at least a lap tray if not the cooler that I linked.

 

Yesterday when I checked the website, I was able to configure an AW 15 for around $1,950 - with 980m, 16gb ram, 256gb ssd, 1tb hdd, 1080p display - by clicking on the " New Alienware 15 $1,799.99" option and upgrading ssd and gpu. After that, it's about being able to find the right coupons and being able to negotiate over the phone.

Also, I did see someone here say that they got an AW 15 with a 980m for $1.5k - not sure about the exact config. So I guess it's not unreasonable to expect such deals.

 

I meant to send him some good vibes for the interview, as well. I must be a little distracting to get a new toy, while prepping for such an important examination. Good luck, friend.

 

How big of a difference will it be with cooling, if I do not install the IC diamond? If I choose this route and want the IC diamond, I have no other choice than to go to a local computer shop to have them do it, which will cost $100 just for the service alone

 

Is that -200$ coupon for the 15 only available for the 980M? I cannot find option to make it cheaper and get the 970M.

 

AW 15 with the 980m will be hotter than with a 970m, most definitely. However, I am not sure everyone who gets the AW 15 with the 980m opt for ICD. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority didn't. (considering ICD is known to scratch the CPU). The CPU throttling limit is going to be around 100C and your laptop - regardless of whether you have a 970m or a 980m - is unlikely to reach anywhere close to that temperature. I am not sure if the temperature is going to be comfortable enough for you to be able to game on your lapt though. My suggestion for you would be to get the AW 15 with your choice of gpu and try using it for a while and if you really are uncomfortable with heat for your uses, then go to your local shop and get the ICD. Hope that helps!

Regarding the exact temperature difference, I am not sure if it would be more than 5-7C. It would be better if you ask someone who already owns an AW 15.

 

Just a guess, I would say probably 5 degrees brand new. Older thermal paste replacement might drop it 10 degrees. I'm sure some of the techs can give you more precise estimates. I wouldn't be too afraid of doing it yourself, though, as long as the case can be easily removed (haven't seen a instructional video, yet). I had never disassembled a laptop, in 38 yrs of life, till my Alienware 14. Any 14 owners will tell you that that procedure is an adventure, as you have to completely remove the motherboard to get at the heatsinks. I had no problem with the help of a Youtube video. It was actually a fun little diversion that reminded me of working on my turbocharged car.

 

From what I've seen, the -200$ instant discount works only for a laptop with a 980m. The last week, however, such an instant discount was ONLY available for a laptop with BOTH a 980m and a 4k display. Thus, the deal we have this week is much better since they have discount applied for all laptops with a 980m.

In any case, the prices keep changing. If you continue to check the website for a few weeks and talk to customer reps, I'm sure you'll be able to get a reasonable deal.

 

970M / 1TB HDD / 256 SSD / 8GB RAM / IC diamond / 1 year basic- 1 year accidental - $1924

To cancel from XoticPC, I will have to pay 3%, which is like $60. Is it worth it to cancel and find a different deal?

 

If Xotic will give you tech support, through them, then I think that it would be worthwhile. You would get advice from other enthusiasts as opposed to the dialog prompts, of the overseas Dell support.

 

Wow! I just saw this. You basically paid all that extra money for just the ICD.

 

I think it's just the average dell warranty that is included..

 

If you are going to get the 980m, then I'd definitely say cancel it since I've had some experience with checking deals for a 980m over the last month or so. You will get a significantly better deal through Dell. Have you ever bought anything using the Dell website before- if not you may be able to get some discount by talking to a rep and telling them that you are a first time Dell member or something like that. Did you check the Dell website now and see what the cost is for the same config there? I'd suggest you begin talking to a few reps and try to get a quote for your config so that you at least have some idea of all this works - before you go ahead and cancel. It will probably take you a few hours - less if you are lucky.

 

I know dude I thought it was going to be the same price. Whenever I talk to these dell reps they offer me like 5% discount and tell me about their dell advantage stuff I already know. I fail to see how people are getting 980M for 1.5k! I just want a 970M ! If i can get it for 1.5k ill be happy, but with tax it will add like 150

 

So what's the best offer you've got from Dell for the 970m config you're looking for? One thing you probably need to keep in mind is that - based on what I've seen over the past few months - Dell tends to offer more discounts/deals for laptops that are already very expensive compared to ones that are less expensive to begin with. Since I haven't checked the price patterns for the 970m on Dell, I am not sure if you will get something around $1.3k and I sure don't want to lead you to thinking that is the case.

 

I could swear that they have like a 24/7 tech line. The repairs are done by Dell, but Xotic should provide light technical support (software side)

 

That is the reason that I didn't badger further than the 5 percent. Other than the 980m, I basically ordered a base model (which I upgraded)

 

Oh yeah they do. I'm not sure how it works though. Ah man idk what to do.. to cancel , or not to cancel.

 

You also have to consider the turnaround time for your monetary return. I know Mythlogic (for example) quotes a possible 8 week wait for some returns. I wouldn't think yours would be delayed, too much, as you never received the product. It still might take around for 4 days, between their accounting dept, your bank's posting time, and a weekend, without any added external pressure. I brought some heat, when returning a Mythlogic/Clevo 650se, and received my credit after 5 days.

 

I just saw that the 970m with 8gb ram, 256 gb ssd, 1tb hdd, 1080p display is showing up for $1699.99. I think if you talk to a rep, worst case, you should be able to get the 5% and $75 off for the tablet they were offering. This should get you to around $1.5k and if you can get someone to give you a little bit more you'll be at $1.5k or below that. If you ask me, I think it's definitely worth a try. I don't think you have anything to lose. Considering the restocking fee of 3% you may pay to XoticPC and the $100 you may have to pay for ICD at a local shop, you only need to be able to get the laptop from Dell for less than around $1,775 to make a profitable move now - which you can already do based on the Dell website prices.

I didn't look at the taxes - so if you include that it could be borderline. But still think that you have nothing to lose except the effort to make a few calls and to haggle.

 

You also might ask Xotic if they can match Dell's price, or at least lower the total a little. I know Xotic and Gentech will price match with each other. I'm not sure if that policy applies to Dell prices, though. They might hook you up, instead of losing a potential 1700 - 1900 dollar order. I think we are all pulling you in different directions, so I hope our opinions aren't further complicating things

 

I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth going thru the hassle of cancelling, ordering, and waiting again for the laptop. But I like your idea of asking them if they can do a price adjustment, though i've asked them before. They say they give the best deals with extra customizations so they would not price match in the beginning because of all that considered.

 

At the absolute best, it will improve temps by about 5 degrees, but probably less. Thermal compound isn't magic and typically the differences between one over another are so small its pretty much within margin of error.

 

After playing with it more and such I have figured out that it is likely be design that its so warm when idle or during a very light load because it seems that the fans turn off completely in that scenario. I assume this is so that the machine is silent during this scenario because anytime the fans are on even a little bit, they are audible pretty easily. This is also likely why the mesh goes from one side to the other and not just over the fans, to allow for better passive cooling.

 

I say something like this too many times. I apologize for those that read this again, and again.

I personally purchased mine (i5, 970m, 8gb ram, 1tb hdd) for 950 dollars after tax and discounts. For all of the upgrades that you can do yourself, including RAM and SSD, you should not include in your purchase. Buy them separately and it's just "plug them in"! It's much cheaper that way. I did get my 500gb 840 EVO SSD for 175 dollars, which I guess brings its grand total to 1125 dollars. Still, I think this was a good deal on my end.

I get your spec to 1700 dollars (before tax) on the site right now. Any discount is applied to the subtotal, so let's calculate using that.

You can find a minimum of 50 dollars coupon always available in public for dell. For hell of it (for the lowest possible discounts), let's go with that. You start with 1650 dollars.

You call the sales department and ask for discounts. They will give you 5%. If you do it right, they even give you 10%. Furthermore, if you opt to not get the tablet (current promotion), they will give you 70-80 dollars discount instead. Since we're going with the lowest, let's do 5%.

5% off of 1650 dollars is 1567.5 dollars.

Now, once you receive the computer, call them back. The returns department. Haggle with them. Tell them that you wish to return due to certain issues (pick one of your choice). Be firm with it. You can get 10% discount from them. That's 1410 dollars. Add tax to that, let's do 9%, and it comes out 1537 dollars.

Now, that's with the minimum discount that you could have gotten from Dell. As I said, you paid an extra 400 dollars for IC.

Just a month ago, it was possible to purchase the computer with 20% (or 10-17%) coupons. With all the possible discounts, I could have purchased your spec for 1200 dollars with tax. But, well, that is over.

Here is something you can do - don't cancel it from xoticpc yet, but get a quote from Dell representative on the phone. Then calculate how much you'd save from the returns rep once you receive the computer (5-10% depending on your haggling abilities). Is this worth the trouble? That's for you to decide!

Good luck.

 

Hey has anybody here ordered the 15 in Canada?

I'm looking at the 1080p 970M base model, but there is only online chat to talk to, no call center or phone number.

Has anyone gotten a decent discount from the online chat? So far I've been offered a $100 off the top 980M model, but that is out of my price range.

Also has anyone used the Dell financing offer? If you pay it off in 12 months you pay no interest? Might go down that route cause I don't have all the cash saved yet.

 

Any tips from those who have replaced hard drives/ RAM/ etc on how to open the bottom of the Alienware 15 more easily?
It seems very difficult to open, and easy to snap the securing tabs unless there is something I'm missing... not sure whey they have made this more difficult than it needs to be.

 

Welcome to my nightmare LOL . I broke the corner off on mine and the part is still out of stock. I couldn't even wedge my rubber pry tool, in the seams, for fear of scarring the plastic edging. Definitely do not pull on the corners or you will snap them off. This is probably a crude method, but I was able to wedge a silver "push pill" sheet (packaging that holds aspirin, etc). Once that improvised tool leveraged the door ajar, I was able then to stick the pry tool in the seams. I still don't get why they didn't simply put a little indention, there, to aid with removal. You also might try to push towards the rear of the computer, using that little tab for leverage (little bump closer to the speakers). I miss the simplicity of my 14 and 18's removable base panel.......

 

I just talked to a couple dell reps that transfered my specs to their 'manager'... An AW15 with 970M / 1TB / 256SSD / 8 GB RAM is $1766 total including tax. The difference from my xotic PC one is that I added IC diamond (+55), and upgraded the 1 TB HDD to 7200RPM from the stock 5400 (+49)... the difference in price is almost none.. whenever I haggle these reps, they don't give me much of a deal.. what else should I do now!?

 

Well which ever deal you stick with, I think you should factor in aftermarket ram. It would bother me, personally, to only have 8gb to work with. Here is the 16gb set that I bought for mine ($140):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSGLMSM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I posted my benchmark, in the 15 bench thread, but it's pretty dead over there. Do these numbers look on point to you guys?

Alright gents, I've never been into benchmarking so I would love some feedback. I tested out my 980m with the 344.73 driver, using my Alienware 18's 330 watt adapter. I also benched the 180 watt adapter, using the new A02 bios. I used the 3D Mark Fire Strike DX11 program. I will have the 240 watt adapter, hopefully, later this week for testing. Here are my scores:

180 watt
overall 8116
graphics 9470
physics 9035
combined 3648

330 watt
overall 8217
graphics 9594
physics 9165
combined 3683

 

I'm fine with 8GB ram, I don't do anything too intense. It's just the fact 1766$ for 970M build is the best I can get... confuses me how everyone else is getting WAY better deals

 

Here is a newegg listing for price comparison. It's the 970m, 256 SSD, and 4k screen model.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...299299&cm_re=alienware-_-34-299-299-_-Product

 

Try different reps. Call again.

When you decide to go with Dell, you better be prepared to be on the phone ready to haggle! It takes quite a bit of time.

For most of your work and gaming, 8gb ram is more than enough. There are only small cases that you need more than that at this moment.

Same with the cpu, in my personal opinion, i5 will be more than enough for what I do, office work and occasional high end gaming. Hitting 970m for me was for the 3gb vram to use with external monitor, otherwise I would have gone with 965m. This would have brought my final price to 800 dollars!!!

Anyway, try a couple more reps. If they don't budge, you are doing the haggling wrong or you're just really unlucky.

 

What would you expect this build to cost me, with the right haggling? My first couple of tries - $1766 w/tax
i7 4710 , 970M , 1TB HDD/ 256SSD , 8GB RAM

My only problem is figuring out if I should be canceling my order, because they will be receiving my laptop soon to work on, and from that point they will charge me 15% instead of 3% fee.

 

I'm pretty sure the upcoming AAA games will definitely us that 3gb up. I know a lot of the enthusiasts were pissed about only having 4gb with the 980m, as opposed to the 8gb that comes with the socketed version. Future proofing and all....

 

Those boutiques really do have the setup, don't they? Mythlogic, which has Clevos already on site, were dead set at charging me a 10 percent restock fee (2,800 purchase). Their product (650se) was not only a rattling, cheap machine, but also had a 980m that had huge fps drops (60 down to 30 fps, every 30 seconds). I argued that I would fully accept the restock fee, if I just solely returned it due to style preference. After badgering them on the rattles and unplayable gpu, they "blessed" me by only charging a 7 percent fee. Must be nice to sell an inadequate product and still make a profit..................

 

At this point, any more worrying and you might spoil the joy of opening that new computer box. I would just relax and let Xotic do their thing. Sometimes you just have to accept things for what they are. I, personally, wouldn't have the patience or maybe have too much pride to panhandle with underpaid Dell reps. My boss stresses every minor expenditure, and it completely takes the fun out of his job and life. Sit back and enjoy the ride, a hundred or so dollars isn't worth that amount of worry/stress. Besides, Xotic will test your system before shipment, unlike the Dell direct method. Just read this thread to see some of the pitfalls, we have uncovered. Xotic will benchmark and setup your system for success. That peace of mind is most likely worth an extra hundred or so dollars. (and no I do not represent Xotic )

 

ICD? isn't the new alienwares soldered CPU/GPU? I would imagine this is 15 bucks for nothing and shouldn't even be an option.

 

Gpu and cpu being soldered doesn't mean you can't repaste it. The Heatsink is NOT soldered which is wat allowes a repaste. Just because you cannot replace the cpu and gpu doesn't mean you cannot repaste it

 

I agree with Zachary77 man, if you dont feel like working for a better deal thru dell or you seem not to be able to lower the price with the agents, just stick with yout Xotic choice, it will arrive earlier and they will check display, benchmarks and hopefully you will recieve a laptop with no issues. And you can talk to 2 companies, them and Dell for any problems probably

 

I think I would want to know more if selecting such an option.

CPU/GPU isn't replaceable, but that would make me wonder if that choice precludes heatsinks as well. but even so, its even a less valuable option to choose