*OFFICIAL* Alienware Area-51M R1 Owner's Lounge

Is this legit? I had no idea. Maybe I can save a few Celsius then!

Did you or anyone we know buy that bad boy replacement adapter from Eurocom? I'm tempted, but man, that price thou! :-(

 

That thing has a 200mV peak-to-peak ripple voltage which is A LOT of fluctuation. I would stay away from it until they reduce that noise to 50mV or below. Plus, it is WAY overpriced and doesn't deliver enough value anyway. I bought a secondary 330W PSU from Dell for 72 USD. It was delivered within 1 week of order.
P.S., DO NOT BUY cheap 330W power adapters from Ebay or Aliexpress thinking that you're getting yourself a good deal. Those are usually cheap knock-offs that will most likely damage your power components. I had a friend do that to his Area-51m and he ended up voiding warranty and had to pay for the motherboard as the alienware tech who came to replace his failing motherboard (it started rebooting at random as soon as he started using that cheap PSU in addition to his original 330W one) spotted that aftermarket adapter and demonstrated in front of him the VERY noticeable weight difference between the original and the cheap one, the original being a lot heavier with a much thicker/more durable power output cord.

 

What are you experiences with 2 × 330W power supply? Does it get hot like the 180W would? Have you tried 2 × 180W?

I'm in a peculiar situation where I will have 2 × 180W and 2 × 330W Dell original PSUs and I can keep either one or all four of them. The heat of the 180W PSU makes me uncomfortable when paired with the 330W.

What would you do if you had this option?

Sent from a Galaxy S9+

 

I use 2x330W and they get warm at max under load. If I were in your place, I'd keep one 180W adapter as my travel adapter and sell the remaining 180W adapter, while keeping 2x330W setup for home or wherever i game on the machine / require full power.

 

I see. No need to be tempted then. I pretty much never buy knock-offs in any category. Real deal or bust. ;-)

 

First off, all 3 displays are absolutely brilliant and there's is minimal difference between them. You will be happy with either one so don't stress about it..
LG.
AUO.
and the new "displaysafe" model:
Chi Mei Innolux CMN175C : the same panel used in MSI GT76 and GS75 series...

I've used the AUO and I loved it. My new laptop is sitting in a FedEx depot in Dubai and it has the Innolux display. I have read that Innolux has much more brighter image so I'll report here when I get my hands on it.

Sent from a Galaxy S9+

 

Why is it taking so long? I got my laptop shipped from US to singapore in less than 2 days. I wonder why you are facing so much delay!

 

2x180w adapters doesn’t work any better than a single 180w with Area-51m. You’ll get equal low Gpu clock speed.

 

Yup I confirmed all these combinations a long time ago here.

180w + 240w is minimum to keep performance.

240w + 240w works fine

330w + 180w

330w + 240w

330w + 330w

Are all valid configurations.

 

Yeah I know, and Dell said they should look at this problem long time ago. Nothing has changed so far.

Have you tried measure max power draw from each of the two adapters? See... use two Kill-a-watt at the wall.

 

How physically big are the 240w adapter? Is it smaller than the 330w one? If so a dual 240w + 240w setup could be a way to go? Are there any problems with a 240w compared to a 330w?

 

I think you will have to try that configuration to see if there is any power limit throttling under load with that configuration. Although 480W looks good on paper but you never know how it'll perform under load until you test it. And there isn't that big of a difference between 180+330W as compared to 240+240W in terms of overall weight and bulk so doesn't look like a viable replacement option for the stock setup. 330W dual setup has it's advantage in terms of lower heat profile though.

 

Ok, I see.

 

So the 180W +180W is not enough even for 9700/rtx2070 combo?

 

I'm using dual 330w adapter for my setup (i7 9700k and 2080). In low load, I detected only one adapter is warmer, the second is cold. Even on fully load, the first one is hotter than the second. So I guess Dell design the schema primary-secondary adapters but not load balancing the power drawn in both adapters. It's quite a waste for ppl using dual 330W... The other thing is the adapter plug in the right hand side port is always the primary, the other port is the secondary.
By the way, two week ago, I had a strange behavior related on dual 330w adapters. When I set the brand new adapter (come with the laptop, brand LiteOn) as primary adapter and the brand Delta adapter as secondary, sometime my laptop suddenly turned off (even in low load or max load). But when I switch the position of the adapters or using two Delta adapters, this behavior is disappeared (I don't have another LiteOn adapter thus I can't test the case with dual LiteOn adapter). So yeah, Delta adapter is still the best adapter until now.
This is the comparision of two adapter, the left is from Delta, the right is from LiteOn (sorry for my potato image).

 

That doesn't sound right to me. It should NOT turn off like that on it's own no matter what side you plug in which adapter. But one thing is for certain. One of your power adapters is malfunctioning. I have both LiteON and Delta power adapters and I plug them into either port at random and I have never had a crash in a long time. Do you see any crash activity in System Events under Windows event logs when the crash takes place? If there is nothing then you should take it more seriously and report to the support and possibly get a replacement if this continues. As far as one getting hotter than the other, I don't experience that under any kind of load. For me both adapters get equally warm to the touch. Inspecting the circuit where they connect on the motherboard, it seems that both are bridged together using 2 additional power mosfets to form a combined power pool that feeds the entire motherboard via combined power rail.

P.S., My motherboard is potentially a bit different from other motherboards. I have NIKOS PK616BA inlet mosfets that are higher spec as compared to the lower spec AON-6380 on most motherboards.

 

Sorry, I don't have another LiteOn adapter to check so I'm not sure my adapter is malfunctioning or not. And every crash, I went to Event viewer to check the log but I didn't find any suspicious reason (just boring log like "the previous system shutdown was unexpected..."). I will take a look on the power mosfets in the next teardown (last time I forgot to check it because the gpu took all my attention). Anyway, at least my machine is working fine, then it's not a big deal for me. If anyone using dual 330w, please let me know, thanks in advance

 

The friend of mine who ruined his motherboard also reported similar symptoms. It would reboot at random without any errors in the event logs which is a classic give away sign of hardware failure that's not related to driver issues. However in your case, both adapters are from Dell and are officially supported so it should not be a problem to get a replacement motherboard if you experience this random reboot more often (because a faulty PSU takes the motherboard down with it in this case). I'd say, connect both PSUs in combination with the 180W one and see which one regenerates the crash, and avoid using that (or possibly get it replaced if under warranty). I am using these 2 330W adapters for reference (both came from Dell):
1: LITE-ON Technology P/N: LA330PM160 (came with the laptop from factory)
2: Delta Elecronics P/N: DA330PM111 (bought separately from Dell and is compatible with this laptop as per Dell's technical support and sales team)

 

Thank you for your info. I hope my laptop don't have any big problem, because I bought it from Dell USA, and my friend bring it to me from USA to Vietnam. And the sad thing is I need to wait around 2 months after transfer the warranty region to Asia-Pacific for requesting any replacement (Policy from Dell Vietnam is annoying). But until now, there is no issue when running 2 Delta adapters (only the difference temperatures in both adapters is bothering me atm). Anyway, I'm quite happy when using this beast at work. With 32GB ram + undervolt offset -100mV (ambient temp around 24*C), it never exceeds 60*C for CPU and 45*C for GPU (double monitor through DP and hdmi).

 

I had so much problems with Dell in Vietnam, I gave up trying to get support, and used Dell Thailand instead.

I did this - I bought from Ebay (whilst on business in China), they claimed it was OEM, ended up throwing it away.

 

I have found that Alienware tech twitter support is quite efficient and they take care of matters faster than even the local support guys can do. From now onwards I'll only be going that route when needing support. What took the local Singapore support guys almost 10 days to work out, the twitter guys sorted it out in 3 days and my part dispatch was arranged as well, no hassle at all. That is quite convenient as compared to e-mail ping-pong with local support guys that in itself takes several days.

 

Any lunar light users having the discoloration aside from SK?

 

Discoloration is a real thing on this machine because my replacement chassis also started showing the same problems as previous one. If you are considering Lunar Light model, palm rests or an external keyboard are the way to go. I have to say though that besides the palm rest, the remaining machine has not shown any discoloration so far and I am fine with a couple of custom cut-out palm rests that I cut from a vinyl sheet. There are skins available for this machine as well that you can buy from Ebay or AliExpress which fit perfectly, but you have to apply them yourself which takes quite a lot of precision and dust free environment.

 

Are these still blowing up GPUs or is it finally sorted?

 

I wonder how much Dell will save when going for LITE-ON Technology instead for the much more reputable brand Delta for the biggest power adapter. And is there a reason most people get the Delta 330w if they buy a spare adapter from Dell? Does Dell use 330w adapters from Flextronik? Or only the smaller 180/240w adapters?

Well known problem.. http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-owners-lounge.826831/page-1010#post-10906787

 

I guess premiere support and accidental damage would cover this, lol. Found https://mightyskins.com/collections/alienware-area-51m-17-2019 has some skins as well. Hm.. I ordered another 51m and somehow accidentally ordered the white. I might let it come in and play with it and see if i like it or send it back and get black.

 

IIRC, Flextronics brand is for 180 and 240w adapter. And all of my friends are recommended Delta adapter instead of Flextronics. In the past, I encountered a stupid problem on my Precision
M6800 pairing with Flextronics adapter. After 6 months of normal usage, whenever full-load, my laptop suddenly disconnected with the adapter. First, Dell tried to replace my mobo + GPU but it doesn't worked. Then I bought a brand new Delta adapter and this problem is gone for good. I have no idea what kind of business from Dell when cutting down many things e.g no side-vent (and less heatpipes) for 2060 version, low quality mosfets for gpu and mobo, using less reputation brand for adapter... in high-end machine like A51m. Saved every single penny from beginning and spent a lot at the end to fix. Well done Dell.

 

Have you tried (I know it sounds silly) deleting the connection to your router? Reboot and then relink to the router (means entering the pw again). Sometimes those remembered definitions can become broken after an update and this can clear stubborn issues.

 

Accidental coverage does not not cover anything cosmetic....

 

I think you have sweaty arms or something, i've been using it for 3 months and still no discoloration

 

i wash hands all the time. I can wear latex lol...

 

Humans are messy, sweat, dirt, food particles, ick.

That's why I use an external wireless keyboard / trackpad when mobile - keyboard/trackpad fits in the backpack, sometimes I'll carry a wired one too.

And, I keep a set of wired mouse / keyboard at home and at work to plug in to when I get there.

That way I'm less likely to spill a liquid or drop something on the keyboard and damage it. After years of replacing keyboards for myself and family / friends, I decided it was much easier to use external keyboard / mouse / trackpad and save the hassle.

That will keep the human dripping's off of the nice White Lunar plastic to stop the discoloring too.

 

Hey mate, I got the exact same panel as you, Chi Mei CMN175F and noticed that GSync was working flawlessly on BIOS 1.5.4 (default one it came with) but the GPU was throttling at 75C although there was no major fps drops, it was quite playable to be honest. Then I downgraded my BIOS to 1.3.2 and poof, no Gsync. It was gone! I tried all methods to get it back, tried different nvidia drivers, even Dell drivers and nothing worked. Finally, I upgraded my BIOS to the latest one (1.5.4) and GSync is working again. I am on the 200W 1.0.0.3 vBIOS by the way. Hope this helps.

 

Yeah, I killed 2 Flextronic 240w adapters with my overclocking. Dell push this adapters only due cost. I had to replace it with the better Delta 330w adapters.

The old BIOS version does not have this panel whitelisted, you’ll lose G-Sync and maybe as well brightness control. The ultimate choice between Plague or Cholera... Gpu throttling at 75C or you’ll loose G-Stink.

 

Ya, I thought so too thats why I reinstalled 1.5.4 BIOS. Now, I'm trying to install 1.6.2 and see where the GPU throttles.



Sent from a Galaxy S9+

 

51m dream came falling apart....

In short..ordered a i7-9700,144hz gsync with an rtx2070 for the heatpipes...and.....gpu came dead.

The second I put any load on the gpu,screen comes black.

RMA'd it after they told me it would take 10 days for spare gpu.
i'd be out of the US by that time.
Asked for a refund.

WP Dell....you have officially become the EA of the gaming laptop world.
Their pricing is completely retarded,also.
i7-9700 to i9-9900k...450$....for the same price i'd get at microcenter a i9-9900k...and have the i7-9700 to sell.
Ram? 200usd for 32gb of ddr4 2400, while i already purchased 32 Gb of ddr4 2666 for 150$ from microcenter.
This company has become one big joke.

 

This is on BIOS 1.6.2 and vBIOS 1.0.0.5 (180W):

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm/37781879?

 

Nope. The discoloration will come. It's more about how you type. I usually type with my palms resting on the palm rest and only move my fingers. And since i can easily type more than 110 words per minute, i am not ready to change my typing style as this is a natural thing. And there is no sweat when it's 20 degrees celcius in the room (that's how I mostly use this machine).

 

It seems 2070 is the problem for now. But will it switch again? None know yet.

Yeah, Graphics below 26000. Due the max Gpu throttling temp is reached? I mean 180W TGP should be good for up to +-30K for graphics.

 

Yup, left click button and LCD lid in the corners

2080 seems to be better now. I've seen a 2070 recently go though on reddit.

1.6.2 BIOS & latest batch 2080 should be fine.

I'm running first batch and 1.3.2 BIOS & 200w vBIOS fine though... *knocks on wood*

Welcome to the club, I think you'll like it.

Personally I like the white color compared to black, kinda like nebula red vs stealth black back in the M18x days.

You should be using 330w for OC. I always used 330w for my M17x & AW 17 R1 lol except when traveling I used 240w.

So it seems 2070 is the unreliable one now? I'd choose 2080 honestly.

I went with base spec except CPU + GPU + display. Dell charges like Apple for upgrades.

That's quite low. Here is stock 1.3.2 & 200W vBIOS:

https://www.3dmark.com/fs/19316750

OC: https://www.3dmark.com/fs/19316903

 

Here is mine on 1.5.4 and vBIOS 1.0.0.5 (180W)

 

Just to be clear, the 25k+ GPU score is about right with 180W vBIOS.

I think 190W gets around 26k

and 200w should be up to 27k.

You guys can try undervolting to achieve a better score.

 

This sounds bad but how do I check 2080 vbios without cmd?

 

You don't need to. Whichever vbios you want on there, you can install it on top of whatever version that's there right now. Installation takes 2 minutes at max.

 

Ok I was just curious as to what vbios I have been running.

 

My Samsung 970 EVO Plus, V-Nand SSD M.2 NVMe arrived today. If I remember correctly, it is recommended to put a heat sink on it. I will most likely order it from dell tomorrow. Unless there is a better option. Do I put the heat sink on top of the sticker that is already on it? And how do I fix it to the piece?

 

It's up to you, you can try both ways - on top of the sticker or pull the sticker off and place it in the plastic carrier for later use (what I do) - note that at least on the MP510 the reverse side sticker is one of those *VOID* foil stickers that leave a *VOID* trace on the chip, but it's meaningless so I just pull it anyway and stick it on the plastic carrier it came in.

The stickers cover / bridge multiple chips and trap in heat and act as a barrier between the chips and the heatsink, so I think it's best to remove them.

I've actually had installations where the sticks get so hot the sticker labels glue melts / gets soft and the sticker slips off, so why leave it on?

 

That sticker is somewhat thermally conductive and I have my heat sink placed on top of the sticker and the temps are VERY nice. My SSDs never touch 60. I can feel the heat transfer working when I touch the heat sinks and feel them burning hot while the SSDs are showing cool temps. I have the hotter version of these SSDs by the way (960 Pro and 970 Pro)

 

Is it recommended to stick with latest vbios & Bios update to be safe... or got back to an the 200w one for increased thermal limits and performance? (For the RTX 2080 model)

 

I am on Bios version 1.3.2 with 200W Vbios with zero problems. 1.5.0 is also comparable.