*OFFICIAL* Alienware 14 Owner's Lounge Thread

Hey Mysfit! Are you still looking to give that coupon away? I'm planning to buy an Alienware 14 in the next couple of days to replace my m15x and the coupon would be an immense help. Sorry for the useless post I don't have PM privileges, I've followed the thread since its beginning but never really had anything to add....(Could you pm me by any chance ? Thanks ^^ )

 

Test Alienware 14 Notebook - Notebookcheck.com Tests

The reviewer even notes that Alienware should replace the 14 with a 13 and 15.

 

Check your visitor messages. I couldn't send you a PM.

 

Woah, those Germans really go into detail!

 

Can't see my Visitor Messages tab anymore strangely enough...edited my profile, could you send me a quick email? **Stopping Thread polluting now**

 

took mine about 2 hours from 7% to 100. This was also while i was gaming. high performance mode.

 

In my opinion a 13' its a small screen to put a 1080p, I preffer a lot a 14, its a perfect size, buuut, the 15 will be an option to me

 

I don't know if you guys remember or know what I'm talking about but if you were to close the lid and open it back up again you'll see oil streaks across the screen, does this happen to the new one? God that annoyed me soo much -_-

 

I also have a gaming keyboard (Razer Deathstalker Ultimate) and it is specifically for my laptop(s)
So no I don't see that it is not a viable solution. But to each their own.

 

Yeah I think I know what you are talking about--only my m15x got scratched instead of oiled. This screen is recessed so it won't contact the keys at all.

 

nope iv actually been looking for this to happen, but in no way does it ever happen. The screen is sunk into the display .1 inch so the rubber outsides keep space at all times

 

That's excellent news true_karma,

How does the killer nic wifi software work? Like is it it's own application or in the bios setting?

Also are both the wifi and ethernet port both killer nic's?

I cannot find it anymore on the forms, but how many HDs can I still in this laptop? Is it easily accessible?

I just ordered my AW 14, cant wait

 

Did someone notice that using headphones all the time there is a static sound???? I'm using in-ear headpohnes and there is a static sound almost all the time, its more noticeable in the first headphone jack, in the center its still there, but a little less

 

Most In-ear heaphones have really sensitive drivers, they will pick up static noise on most low end audio interfaces (such as laptop headphone jack). I'd suggest looking to invest in a usb dac with an internal power supply that supports/has a gain of 0 (such as Fiio E17 or E07K).

Alternatively you can try running an impedance adapter which may work (you will still probably hear noise at higher audio levels).

 

I placed the order for my Alienware 14 yesterday! Many thanks to Mysfit for calling my attention to the 10% off coupon.

 

It was there, guess a moderator removed it. It looks like you need 5 quality posts to PM. You have 3, just get 2 more (not in general) and then PM me

 

The ethernet port shows as "Killer e2200 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.20)" in Device Manager. So, yes, I would say so.

Congrats! Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!

 

Went ahead and placed my order in as well... projected delivery date 08/05. Hopefully it'll be here sooner than that, though!

 

I had that issue also. There is static low frequency humming on the headset/mic port combo which is the first one but the middle headset only port is clean and clear so use that. It probably has something to do with the port being a combo headset/mic.

 

Mine is specifically for my laptop, too, that's completely beside the point. If you bring your laptop anywhere, aka coffee shop, are you going to bring your deathstalker in with you? No. No you aren't. And if you do, someone will punch you in the face before you even sit down

If you are typing away from home, you are going to have to deal with your wrists hurting. Period. There is no reason Dell couldn't have rounded off the sharp edge JUST A LITTLE to make it easier on the wrists, so it is a legitimate complaint for which carrying around an external keyboard is not a viable solution. Unless you like to get in fights at coffee shops.

 

Hello ppl,
Alienware has released its new line of laptops but unfortunately they aren't available and haven't been launched yet in India.
Alienware used to offer the BEST high-end laptops in india but unfortunately it seems that they have discontinued their laptop series.
I request all of you to pls sign this petition for the sake of my health and happiness. thank you.

http://goo.gl/5DWUR

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU. SPREAD THE WORD.

 

Upgraded to 326,19 beta drivers: GeForce 326.19 Beta Drivers Released | GeForce

3Dmark11 score went from 4196 to 4217.

3Dmark FireStrike score went from 2237 to 2471.

Not bad...

 

Yes, it is both killer unless you go to a high end model which comes with broadcomm.
At max you can have 3 HD's considering the available msata option and replacing the ODD with a HDD/SSD
If you want to keep the ODD, then it is the msata and the 750GB HDD that comes with the AW14.
msata is next to the wlan card and easily accessible once you remove the back cover of the laptop. To access the HDD, you need to remove the ODD drive.

 

while i agree completely, the fact that all we are complaining about is our wrist is a good sign. Overall the laptop was well thought out and deserves credit for that. Id rather have my wrists hurt than not have a trackpad that's lit for sure.

I'v already learned to keep a little cloth nearby for those long sessions with my wrist on the edge.

it may also have been on purpose to round the corners next year and drive sells. I'm naturally a paranoid person so idk though.

 

Hi all,

In case anyone cares, I put a Panansonic UJ267 Blu Ray burner in my AW14. It works fine except that the software eject button does not function. (Fn+F4). I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Alienware OSD to no avail.

Dell, can you add support in the BIOS for this model? The DVD I took out was a Panasonic UJ8C7, so I'm really surprised the eject doesn't work with the UJ267.
N

 

my system is taking 3 hours for full charge..does this mean something is wrong with the battery?The HW monitor shos wear level of 1%.....

 

i might have misjudged the time. I'll try it out tomorrow and see what my time is for sure.

 

Nyceis you are putting some good temps. I'm assuming these are all while gaming. Did you install the beta drivers then download afterburner then set the temp limit to 76c?

 

We do care :hi2:
And thanks for the info. If you eject by right click on your BR drive in My Computer, does it eject?
How much did you paid for the BR Burner? Any info is appreciated.

 

Is there a list being compiled somewhere of all the tips and tricks for the Alienware 14?

 

4%-100% = 2 hrs 49 mins

 

Yes, it ejects fine from My Computer. I paid $259 on Amazon. I created a shortcut Ctrl+Alt+F4 to eject it. Has the benefit of being able to work from an external keyboard too

Used this tip here:

Create a Shortcut or Hotkey to Eject the CD/DVD Drive

N

 

Hey,Thanks!

 

Guys, Notebookcheck (german) have just published their review of the Alienware 14

Notebookcheck Alienware 14 Review

 

2 brand new AW 14's

i have pretty slow internet to begin with out here in the country. 15mb down 3 up

my wife and i have ran many many speed tests to confirm

she sits at 14.3 MB down 3 up
I sit at 7.4 MB down 3 up


I uninstalled the drivers, downloaded and updated and it brought me to 8.5...

am i doomed to hear her gloat about her DL speeds forever?

 

My final thoughts and mini review of the Alienware 14 with its Pros and Cons.

The Good
- Great built quality with the silver anodized aluminum lid and magnesium alloy frame
- One of the best touchpad I've ever used that has great 2 soft and silent clicky touchpad buttons ( touchpad lighting is cool but not needed). The only touchpad that is comparable to it is my fomer MBA 11
- Solid keyboard with absolutely no flex and no 3 key combination ghosting.
- Solid killer card wireless connection with no disconnects
- Fan noise is definitely improved compared to my former m14x R2 where it went as high as 50db and sounded like an annoying hairdryer at max. Alienware 14 even at full load is definitely more silent.
- Nomore keyboard touching screen when closing lid showing oily vertical marks that needs to be wipe down everytime you open the lid. This was a huge issue on my fomer m11x and m14x r2
- Top notch warranty with onsite repair in the USA





The Bad
- It is on the heavy side at 6.2-6.4lbs for a 14" and it is thicker 1.65inch than the m14x r2 1.49inch
- Something is missing on the sound quality of this new AW 14. The M14x R2 had better sound quality with its sound blaster recon. The only thing that is similar with the newer AW 14 and the M14x R2 in regards to its sound is the loudness and it is still very loud which is good but quality is missing even after playing around with the dolby on and its equalizer and even with dolby off. You would know what I mean if you own the m14x r2 or the m17x r3/r4 with soundblaster recon.
- The screen has very good viewing angles because of its IPS technology and good color gamut but it suffers from grainy/smudgy look of the AUO panel and it has "IPS Glow Bleeding" issue especially annoying when on a dark background when gaming or watching a movie. It also has a yellowish tint and a look of oversaturation to it.
- Dell/Alienware put another threshold gpu temp limit on the AW 14 at around 66-67c that throttles the gpu core clock of the 765m. But luckily there is a remedy to this via FN+F5 and running only with the dedicated/discrete gpu or using NVidia inspector and setting the gpu temp limit back to its default of 95c.
- Battery life is very disappointing and I could never get it past 4hours. My former R2 can last close to 5 hours @ balanced mode at 40% brightness while surfing and playing music.
- Headset/Mic combo port has a static/hissing noise, luckily the middle headset only port is clean and clear.




Anyway guys, that is my feelings towards the new alienware 14. I like it for its pros and I hate it for its cons. Unfortunately I am returning this back to Dell/Alienware for a full refund and grabbing a Clevo W230ST 13" since I need something that is a little lighter with the same spec and same FHD IPS panel. But don't get me wrong and do not get discourage about my cons of this machine since it is still a great machine if you do not mind the thickness or the hefty weight to it. I would still recommend the AW 14 as long as you understand the pros and cons to it.

Overall a great improvement over the M14x R2 no doubt. Hoping that next year, they would skip the 14 and make an m13x and bring back the m15x or stay with AW14 but remove the optical drive, put another fan for dual cooling and reduce the weight down to about 5lb.

 

A friend just texted me and said his 3DMark score in First Strike was 2351, (Graphics 2512, Physics 8914, Combined 910) He said his core clock was listed at 405. I'm not at his house, nor by my Alienware. Don't these scores seem low for a 765m?

 

Hey I have a lower score then what you just posted is this bad? I want to know as well. Don't know much about these scores or where it should be.

Here are my details:

3DMark Score
2274.0
Graphics Score
2419.0
Physics Score
8300.0
Combined Score
896.0
Graphics Test 1
11.9
Graphics Test 2
9.44
Physics Test
26.3
Combined Test
4.17



Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
Vendor
Unknown
# of cards
1
SLI / CrossFire
Off
Memory
2,048 MB
Core clock
405 MHz
Memory clock
2,004 MHz
Driver name
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M
Driver version
9.18.13.1148
Driver status
Not FM Approved

Processor

Processor
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
Processor clock
3,192 MHz
Physical / logical processors
1 / 8
# of cores
4
Package
PGA946
Manufacturing process
22 nm
TDP
47 W

General

Operating system
64-bit Windows 8 (6.2.9200)
Motherboard
Alienware Alienware 14
Memory
16,384 MB
Module 1
8,192 MB Micron Technology DDR3 @ 800 MHz
Module 2
8,192 MB Micron Technology DDR3 @ 800 MHz
Hard drive model
240 GB MKNSSDAT240GB-DX

 

Having had the AW14 for a few days now, I can't understand how anyone could have an issue with either the weight or size of this machine. Is it larger than a Macbook/ultrabook? Absolutely. Does it, in any way, affect its portability in actual use? Not even close. Unless you need your laptop to fit into a tight bag for some reason, I cannot understand why anyone would choose a thinner laptop of equivalent specs over the AW14 when heat on these machines is such an issue. I am TREMENDOUSLY thankful for the cooling system in this laptop, and, once I fixed the throttling issue, I have had no issues playing demanding games for hours in a warm room without any additional cooling devices. That, to me, is pretty huge.

If this were actually heavy I could understand the dilemma. But I've used a lot of legitimately heavy laptops over the years, and this is nothing like those. The concept of complaining that the AW14 is too large or heavy (beyond academic comparisons) is ludicrous to me. I would love to know the real-world reasoning for requiring a thinner or lighter gaming laptop.

 

People complain because the 14 has enough room for a 15-inch screen and it's pricier and thicker than 15-inch gaming laptops with better cooling and replaceable GPUs. I still think that if AW continues to make thick and bulky laptops, Alienware should replace the 14 with a 13 and 15, with the latter sporting dual fans and MXM slots.

 

Yes, the 765M should score higher and it appears from what you described that his GPU is throttling. He needs to take steps to correct that. FN+F5 might eliminate or dramatically improve what he is experiencing.

 

What steps would that be ? Just switching to dedicated gpu will fix that ? I'm experiencing the same thing.

 

Trastan what method you use to change temp limit? Inspector and raise it by 10c?

 

So basically I already ordered my laptop with 8GB RAM, 765m GTX, 1080p IPS, Killer NIC 1202 for only $1276. It should arrive, well EDD August 1st. I cannot wait for it to arrive and I hope I dont get and defects or duds -_-

All thx to you Mysfit

 

Finally Dellienware decided to put a decent matte panel in one of their offerings. That was the deciding factor in deciding to upgrade. My M11x R2 is still going strong, but this will be a huge step up.

 

Agree 100%, I'm pretty thin and I still consider this to be "not heavy"

 

Whoa how did you get such a good price? With that configuration and the coupon from mysfit it only goes down to $1350 pre tax.

 

Just took a look at this. Does anyone know why the AW14 seems to draw so much power at idle? The review on the Latitude E6540 with comparable specs draws nearly 7 watts less. Do the AlienFx lights drain that much power? I was hoping this laptop could comfortably reach 4 hours of battery life...

 

@Motoyuki,

A lot of negotiating over the phone. I can't wait to receive my AW 14 hopefully next week

 

I just ordered mine
I7 4700
16gb ram
256gb msata + 750 gb hdd
765 mGTX
Blu ray drive

got 10% discount through alienware arena and 2nd day with Dell Advantage + 2% employee discount.

I'm happy. It says Aug 6 arrival but some have gotton theirs before their estimate. I'm hoping.