*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R2/R3 Owner's Lounge

What did you see or read from my post to make you think there is power throttling?

 

I am on it now!

 

The drop in temps on the CPU. Way too cool to be running at full speed IMO.

You'd need to use something like Afterburner or HWInfo to monitor the CPU cores clock speeds. Even Throttlestop might be an option but don't go 'playing' with any settings until you research them!

 

Be careful with that HQ processor. Don't brick your system, lol. We have yet to learn how to "unbrick" the new generation. It may be easier or more difficult than the previous generation. As for the screen: I totally agree. I've seen TrueLife on the AW 17 R1 and M17x R4 and it's just an incredible screen to have.

 

Exactly why I said don't play, it probably is not just a case of removing the CMOS battery.

Also I don't recommend using Intel's XTU to tune a machine unless you know how to recover from a brick.

 

Ok So I got my results. All not too shabby but one:

Fire Strike 6478
Sky Diver 18113
Cloud Gate 20278
Ice Storm 83523

My ice storm is disappointing compared to yours. But my overall is very close.

It still says I am using an unapproved driver. Its what came with the system. Nvidia didn't have anything newer.

 

I have NO IDEA how to tune. I only ran the stress test. I am not seeing any signs of throttling.

 

I can't speak to the results but the driver will probably be a modded one from dell so shows up as unapproved?

Do you know what version number the driver is (GPU-Z)?

 

And why some people think that using XTU to do it for you is a good idea.

Are you watching your CPU and GPU clock speeds throughout the tests? What are they?

Thanks.

 

So when it comes to the GTX 970, 180w seems just fine.

 

Ah, the 970m - doh, I missed that. I believe it's a 75w card so should not cause any issues. Dell have used the 180w PSU on the lower cards for quite a while. BUT all previous generations with a 100W card come with better cooling (3-pipe HS) and the 240w PSU.

 

Just ran 3Dmark 11 on my Clevo P650SE. Roughly the same specs.

Score was P8648

3dmark results

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/5645934

 

It'd be interesting to see if any performance increase would happen with the 970m from the 240W supply.

 

Not at stock. Will help overclocking, though.

 

The results I posted from the ROG G751 were using a 240w power supply.

 

I'm no expert but based off the clevo rog 751 @ 240 w and my system all with similar specs getting similar scores, would you guys think it's safe to say that the 180W is sufficient for the 970m? No apparent signs of throttling. I can do any more tests people want.

 

GET THE TRUE LIFE TOUCH!! just a PSA!

 

Once the BGA machine starts to show its age in 6 months to a year, just purchase that Amplifier and a GTX 980... at that time the new GTX 1080s will be out and you can grab one really cheap for a $500 (AMP+GPU) upgrade. That is the only thing i see going for the new line-up, as for weight the only complaint i ever had was when i would be deploying overseas, etc and had to carry the system through the airport my shoulder would be killing me, but that was rare.

When it comes to CPUs there really is no game that maxes out any current CPU so you are good to go there for awhile. Its the GPU that has the shortest gaming shelf life.

 

What is the screen ID? Wonder if it is the same as the low end Asus g751 Best Buy model.

 

Good afternoon!

Could you please recommend what laptop to choice if it's not forces you. I currently have Asus G72GX, Asus G74. I really liked the fact that at least in G72GX it was possible to get access to fan, cooling system by removing only one panel for maintenance issues. Asus ROG line changed their hosuing construction on every generation (G73/G74/G750/G751) and have closed direct access to fan, moreover access to a battery in G751 is complicated so it can't be changed by users directly only in service stations. And also the disadvantages of Asus ROG line is flickering screen, starting from G51 till G751 they did not fixed or improved construction of vga cable to lcd panel, even if apply multiple layers of adhesive on lcd connection lcd panel continue flicker on G72GX. And beside that Asus uses own MXM GPU's it is not possible to upgrade them easily as in Alienware, life cycle and acqusition of ROG line is about a year and it is very low for laptop price starting from $2500. Which forces to buy new laptop every year. Alienware is much more practical in this side (quality of housing assembly(easy access to fan, bios(cmos battery), high life cycle, great design and AlienFX). I am currently choosing from this models in range of $2500: 1). Origin 17SLX (SLI GTX980M) 2). Sager NP9377-S (SLI GTX980M) 3). Eurocom/Clevo(SLI GTX980M) in same chassis 4). Alienware 18R2 (GTX770M SLI) 5). Alienware 17R2 (GTX980M+GA). But what is interesting if to take Origin 17SLX Sager NP93770S/Eurocom/Clevo in same chassis Origin is much higher in price(over $3000 in same specs) and Sager NP93770S/Eurocom/Clevo are in range of $2500 as they ar all barebones systems and use same chassis why the price is changes so much? Maybe Origin is a bit better in quality build terms (internal components, like heatsink pipes, etc.). I recently heard that Alienware bought Origin division maybe price varies because of this? But I am a bit doubtfull about barebone systems, since I live overseas and there is no any service stations which can maintain barebones, even to fix Asus is a problem in my place due to lack of certified specialists. Is barebones(Origin/Sager/Eurocom/Clevo) quite safe to use (stability of system, random BSOD's amount) will it work as much long as Alienware M15X/M17X if to use them in stock clocks? That is the onliest hesitance of choosing barebone system. It's really strange that Alienware stoped to develop in their moto and launched a fully soldered 15/17 line which is dramatically decreased the life cycle of system, no more than 16GB of ram, even fan's are not accessable now and there is only one slot for 2.5HDD and 4m-SATA slots. I do not like to used SSD's since they are not suitable for storing files(pictures, music, etc.) as due to time of usage a corrupted sectors will appear, why Alienware seted 4m-SATA slots if SSD's are suitable only for OS storing, at least if it where 2 2.5 HDD's slots. Could you please say even if to choose Alienware 17R2 i7 4980HQ and GA with GTX980 will there be a marginal increase on at least 6000 points in 3D Mark 11 in comparison of without GA? Will i7 4980HQ handle next Nvidia GTX1000 series and be capable to process graphics. As already in notebookcheck review of Alienware 13, where written that it can not handle enough the GTX980 the increase of preformance nearly the half in comparison of running GTX980 at PC, so it can't run fully the GTX980, i7 4980HQ will be suitable only for 2-3 generations of Nvidia GPU's and in future GA as the laptop itself will be usefull. And the last thing I wanted to say that barebones quite great deal for $2500 it is possible to get SLI GTX980M which can easily handle even CAD Unigraphics NX but again I am unsure of it's stability, Alienware 17R2 4980HQ and GA also attracts by possibility to use desktop GPU's but again I think that 4980HQ will be enough only for few generations of Nvidia GPU's than 4980HQ be just not suitable to proceed desktop GPU's anymore (if only there was an Intel 4790K), Alienware 18 (GTX770M SLI) is great in build terms, but upgrades of GPU is a costly how do you think how much of next GPU generations of Nvidia the A18 will support (as recently I read that problem it still can't fully support 980M SLI, maybe 880M SLI is the peak for it's motherboard?). Thank you for yours replies!

 

You'll let us know once you get the 17R2 won't you?, mostly because of the proc and the 980 and the temps you might get.

I am really pinning for an r2, but all this BGA stuff is worrying and the specs I am looking for are a 4710 paired to a 980m without a touch screen

 

Hi man, seen you around the forum before .

For sure on the review and stats. Got a bunch of things I want to try. I even told the rep that if it does not cut-the-mustard it's going back. He just said to do it within 14 days of receipt and there will be no problems with a refund.

Mines mooted for Feb 10, there was a delay getting the higher CPU. I've even ordered a GA for a project

I'm hoping we can get our own owners lounge thread so all this stuff can go in one place. It's in the pipeline so a mod told me .

 

The laptop doesn't have HDMI IN anymore.. Only has a HDMI OUT port.. So yeah, the older Alienware 17 or the M17x R4 is what you should be looking for if you need one..

 

Good evening!

Could anyone say is Alienware 17 R2 2015/Alienware 15 supports 2 2'5 HDD/SSD's(double caddy like in Alienware 17 R1 2014)? According to manual of Alienware 17 R2 2015 it have only one 2'5 HDD/SSD slot and four M2 SATA slots. I have asked about availability of 2 2'5 HDD/SSD and Alienware support assured that it supports 2 2'5 HDD's and 4 M2 SATA slots and Alienware 15 have only 1 2'5 HDD and 2 M2 SATA slots. Is it correct? Thanks!

 

Nah, it's clearly a single 2.5 bay - as the manual for the unit states.

Can't imagine there is one hidden away?

 

Hey all just throwing this out there if you haven't ordered yet,
https://webapp.dell.epsilon.com/CVM/Coupons/Register/dhs?c=US&l=en

There is a signup for alienware insider with the chance to get a 20% off coupon. I got 5 and 10 off ...multiple times... Haha. If anyone wants any of my extra codes (free of course) let me know.

 

^ Amazing, now if only this link still works by the time they release a new lineup or ship out larger power supplies. :x

 

Just tried to add my code to a pending order (complete pain btw). Rep told me coupon is good till January 31 and only good on select configurations he would not expand on which ones. Offered a 200 refund instead of me canceling order and using coupon. My AW17R2 was 1800 so I took the better deal.

 

Glad you like your machine! Just one thing I am curious to know. Is your idle fan noise quieter than G751's idle fan noise?

 

Hey guys... we just created the new sub-forum for the new Alienware product line-up. Each model will have its own dedicated Owner's Lounge. We had tons of disorganized threads that were helter-skelter. I did the best I could to identify threads that belong in an owner's lounge for this specific model and merged them here.

I'm sure a few mistakes will be made and someone will disagree with their thread being merged, so I apologize in advance if this affects you. Nonetheless, I appreciate your understanding as we attempt to bring some order where there was chaos.

 

OK, I will change the thread title and omit the "Ultrabook" descriptor. The intent was to highlight them as being Alienware's answer to those seeking something thin and light that is game-capable and not intended to be derogatory. I apologize if that came across in a negative manner. I will do the same for the thread titles for the other two models as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject.

 

Can anyone confirm if the HDMI port can be used as HDMI-IN, as it is listed in the spec sheet as and HDMI-OUT port.

Thanks

 

Good job organizing this section, @Mr. Fox. I was waiting for it.

 

Thank you!

 

Hello, I've been reading these forums a lot... I still have to wait a bit before buying a laptop so I'm trying to decide which one is the right one for me... I would like to ask you, owners of the Alienware 17, if you would recommend this laptop over the G751JY... I want a laptop with IPS screen (matte, non-touch) so the G751 is the only "rival" I can consider in the 17" class (I don't like Sager/Clevo and the gt72 IPS is too expensive for me).

I'm aware that the AW17 doesn't have an optical drive and that the ram is limited to 16GB. These are not issues to me, aswell as portability as I'm going to leave the laptop on the desk all the time, I believe these laptops aren't meant to last more than 2-3 years anymore and 16GB seems more than enough to me... what do you think are the pros and cons of the AW17 compared with the G751JY (same specs)?

Rhona

 

Don't buy an Alienware 17R2 until the power supply issue is fixed.

 

Thank you for your answer bnosam. I read about the power supply and I hope they will start shipping these laptops with a proper one soon, hopefully before the time for me to buy a laptop comes.

Other than this, any comment about the laptop itself? I never seen an AW17 for real, while I saw the G751. I really like (from the pics) the AW17, the lights and the fact that it's not full plastic like the G751.

Rhona

 

I think you have it figured. If it's balls-out gaming performance then you need to study a LOT of stats. If it's good to great gaming, then look and feel is just as important. I'll be posting how it compares to my R4 in that area, as well as performance but so far people like the use of more alloy.

Good luck with your search, and remember, with a mail-order item you do not have to keep it, even if it just looks ugly to you - just don't say that! Dell are very good about returns - no quibble or questions in my experiences.

Good luck in your search .

 

The laptop itself is "broken" at this point as far as performance goes. The Asus is superior (as much as I dislike Asus, I have to admit it is better) in performance. If you need a laptop now, get the Asus. If you can wait, pitch a tent and wait for Alienware, it's gonna be a nice wait.

It's a nice laptop but performance matters more when you pay so much for it.

 

I'm sorry if I insist: I believe you and what you say, but I'm a newbie and I would like to understand. Please forgive me.

If you exclude the power supply, which I read it limits the performance, are there any other reasons because the Asus would be better than the Alienware? I believe (hope) the power supply issue will be fixed...

I mean, whatever brand I choose, I'm going to buy a laptop with the i7 4710 cpu, 980m gpu, leaving the stock ram and I don't think I will ever want to go over 16GB. The 4980 cpu sounds nice but I prefer to keep it cooler and to use the 4710 (it's also cheaper). I always played on my desktop pc with 8GB ram... having double that quantity sound more than enough to me. The Alienware also seems to be cheaper than the Asus, so I guess I can easily replace the slow hard disk with a 7200rpm one and an SSD.

So at this point I'm going to ask again: excluding the power supply, and considering only the building quality, cpu, gpu, ram, storage, screen, etc... is the Asus still superior? And if yes, why? And how is the cooling?

Rhona

 

The asus also comes with a 1 year accidental damage warranty, if I remember correctly.

I actually can't say anything about the specific model for cooling when it comes to Asus. But I know based on laptops of similar design I've had by Asus that the cooling tends to be good. But alienware's cooling is also good.

Though there is a complaint about ghosting happening bad on some of the 2015 AW15 screens, I'm not sure if it plagues AW17 screens for other users. There are complaints about no optical drive, only 1 harddrive bay (the other 4 places are m.2 connectors).

 

The only 'ghosting' I have heard of on the 17 is keyboard, where some triple-key-combos are not recognised...

 

I think that the biggest factor is quality, and quality control.

The ASUS is known to have QC issues, and bugs that aren't yet fixed (wifi, USB disconnects, major light bleed, speakers that don't work). And the ASUS warranty/support is nowhere near as good as Dells'.

I would say that barring the power supply issue, the Alienware is the way to go. If you have an issue with your ASUS laptop, you'll hate your life. If you have an issue with your Alienware, either return it, or have Dell come to your house to fix it.

 

At this point both companies have been driving me insane.

 

Time for a Clevo!

 

To be fair, I gave Asus many chances to make it right. I'm going to give Alienware some time to make it right also, before I move on.

 

Which is fair. A big part of the premium we pay for Alienware is the service /warranty. If that sucks, what's the point?

 

Very true. It's all well and good getting a great product on day one, we all want that. It's the following year(s) that they provide good service and support.

Bleeding edge components come at a bleeding edge price and correspondingly higher failure rates. The fact that I have access to a dedicated (to AW) phone line, I usually speak to a person within one menu selection, sometimes straight away someone collects my details and opens the call before transferring me to the technician, is great. I've had three next-day in-home repairs AND a full brand new upgraded replacement in recent years. And it really was not a fight. All common sense tests and a resolution.

Not everyone has this experience so I can't say this is typical, just how it went for me

Does this sound like AW are unreliable? No more than all the others from what I read. I still have to be convinced that Dell will retain this level of support but until I get into a stupid argument (like the current one about the PSU) I'll keep on trying out their products.

I'll do my tests, call up, and see how it goes on the day. Mess me about and it will simply be returned. Done, move on.

 

Pretty much what I intend to do. I have 30 days to use the laptop and see if I'm satisfied with it. If I'm not, I'm simply going to return it.

If my local Best Buy carried the ASUS ROG G751 line, I would simply buy that from them and get the BB extended/premium warranty (product service plan they call it I think). Currently, only one local store carries the ROG, and they have a 7 day return policy, with a 10% restocking fee if the unit isn't defective. Since ASUS ROG laptops operate on a lottery system (it may be flawless or riddled with bugs), I need to be able to return it for a full refund. Plus, I have far more faith in the BB warranty than having to deal with ASUS.

 

Yeah I remember BB giving support a good go. Drawback is if you buy in-store you loose a bunch of rights associated with mail-order.

It is very country specific but even though dell have the same legal right to charge up to 10% restocking fee for a simple, don't want it, give me my money back' scenario here in the UK, they never bother. They know that all return calls will be, 'It suddenly powered off and will not start', so they just ask money back or replacement? Usually for me they prefer to just refund you anyway but it's up to you.

I did have one guy tell me there might be a restocking fee, I objected, he folded - sweet.

Good luck with that hunt.