*OFFICIAL* M14x R2 Owner's Lounge Thread - READ BEFORE POSTING

I've been lurking here for over a month and then finally made an account...only to continue lurking . So I'm finally going to post.

I just wanted to say that I recently (a bit over a week ago) got my M14x R2 and I love it! I did a lot of research here prior to buying so thank you! Anyone considering getting one, definitely do it, it's an amazing laptop. This is my first Alienware and I couldn't be happier. I actually didn't look into the brand because of gaming (although now I'm playing games, too, ha) but rather the power of the machine. The cool lights are a plus, too .

I know some people are having issues with theirs (understandable with a new release, I guess) so I guess I just wanted to post something positive . Hopefully the issues that people are having can be solved soon.

 

lol I too have been scaling these forums for several months and plan to purchase the m14x.

Good to see like most people your experience with the m14x has been awesome so far.

I for one am not too concerned about the issues I've seen here. Every manufacturer makes the odd lemon. It's just the people who receive the lemons are far more likely to come along and share their experiences on forums like these then owners with good experiences. Every other brand related forum I've seen has had their share of lemons too. What you look for is trends such as the r1's trend of high temps which seem to have been fixed in the r2 refresh.

The m14x is best all around laptop I've seen so far. All you can do is order and pray you don't have any problems.

 

Hey Guys,
A question,
Is the GT 650m really comparable to the GTX 560m or the GTX 460m

 

The GDDR5 version is roughly comparable to the 560m (and faster in dx11 mode), and the DDR3 version is somewhere between the 460m and 560m.

 

I just got my M14X R2 - I have to say, I am blown away by how awesome this machine is.

I'm not a huge hardware guy... My current rig is Windows 7 running on an iMac with an ATI 6770M card. I ran Final Fantasy 14 Benchmark, and the score with the HD4000 integrated were very comparable to the iMac. Run it with the 650m, and the score was 2x as high!

I was playing Diablo last night, not plugged in, with the HD4000 integrated card, and it ran perfectly fine!

The only upgrade I did was I put an SSD in it and performed a clean install... But even before that I ran benchmarks and they were still amazing.

I was a little worried about the screen size, however I'm 100% glad I went with the 14". It fits perfectly on my lap and I visually it is fine.

To anyone considering purchasing this laptop, go for it. You will not be disappointed.

 

*deleted* wrong thread

 

Notebook check just came out with it's review of the r2.

Alienware M14x R2 Review - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Shows CPU at 90+ degrees under load.
As far as I know no R2 owner on these forums has really gotten near that figure.

Notebook check must have gotten a faulty test unit or something

 

So, I finally figured out why my game kept crashing. It keeps on saying insufficient amount of memory. I knew that this game is graphics heavy but damn!

 

Hi guys, hardwareheaven.com just reviewed the r2. They compared it to the r1 version and thought it was a lot faster. And, they said under load the cpu/gpu temps were only 70/78c. Not Bad! Just thought you guys might want to read it.

 

Loving my M14x R2...for $620, can't ever beat that..

 

I have an M11x R2 right now. I was wondering if you guys think its worthwhile for me to replace it with an M14x Rx?

 

THIS POST SHOULD FINALLY PROVE MY POINT. IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE AN EXTERNAL HIGH DEF DISPLAY WITH YOUR M14X-R2, IT WOULD BE VERY WISE TO PURCHASE THE 2GB 650M GPU.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW AND READ THIS GEFORCE ARTICLE ABOUT MAX PAYNE 3 (WHICH I JUST PICKED UP FROM BEST BUY):
Optimize : Max Payne 3 Benchmarked In A New York Minute - GeForce

"Increased detail on both characters and vehicles increases the quality of the game’s visuals and makes use of the extra VRAM of PC graphics cards. Furthermore, optional DirectX 11 Tessellation adds curvature to character and vehicle models, making them appear more realistic and less angular."

"Triple-monitor support enables Surround gaming."

"We had always stated that our goal with Max Payne 3 on PC was to have a game that runs beautifully out of the box on day one across a wide range of machines. To achieve this goal we developed the PC version in parallel with the consoles instead of a direct port. The PC is the only platform where you can really max out the high end if you want to, and we wanted Max Payne 3 on PC to have the potential to look beautiful on the highest possible resolutions on the biggest monitors available - so while we can still scale performance down to suit even reasonably low-end rigs, every asset is available at the highest resolution possible, from audio to video to textures."

 

Game Over. MakakiloMoke Wins.

 

Yup , its just as light as m11x and 3" more , so much bigger. m11x just too small sometimes , I use it for external usually.

 

Thanks. I agree the M11x's screen size is a bit too small but I liked the compact size and I have a U2711 for home and work. Sounds like the M14x fits all my needs (plus it has the 650M GPU ). Now what to do with the M11x...

 

I dunno, I have about $100 more than he does.

In all seriousness though, and to address the Max Payne point, what it means by "Make extra use of VRAM" is "Make use of having more VRAM than consoles".

The PS3 and 360 both have about 512 MB of VRAM, with half of that on the PS3 being part of the main system's RAM.

So having a 1GB graphics card is still doubling what the consoles have available, thus allowing Max Payne to "make extra use of it."

I'll also add that even IF you can load in higher textures with more VRAM, there's very little chance that the 650m's GPU will be able to handle playing the game on maximum settings at 1080p on anything approaching a decent framerate. You'd get a lovely slideshow.

The m14x is not designed to be the biggest baddest gaming machine on the market. It's designed to be a compromise between gaming capability and portability (and does that rather well, might I add). Adding more VRAM to it is not going to suddenly make it run faster.

If someone would like to prove me wrong I'd love for them to play Max Payne 3 on their 2GB card, preferably on an external 1080p display like MakakiloMoke talks about, turn up all textures all the way (since that's what uses VRAM), and post benchmarks showing their performance. If you can get a steady 60fps out of it, I will shut up and declare the extra VRAM completely worth it.

 

Hey guys, some of you may know me. I joined last year and have been helping people with laptop decisions ever since.

I would just like to take a quick vote on who has the new Alienware M14X with the Ivy Bridge CPU, and updated GPU, and if you like it or not.

Consider price, looks, performance, boot-up times, appeal, etc.

Thanks for your help, I'm wondering because I'm doing some research on best gaming small notebook.

 

I may be interested in the m14x. Ideally I want a 13"-14" relatively portable notebook with Ivy Bridge and a 650M GPU with a 900p or higher screen. Unfortunately, these don't seem to exist. The m14x is about the closest but I feel it's too bulky for a 14" notebook.

My biggest concerns are:

1. COOLING. Will always be my biggest concern, I hate hot notebooks. I heard the r1 didn't do so well and got quite hot. How's the new m14x in this department?

2. Build quality. How would you rate the sturdiness, build materials, etc of the notebook?

3. Screen. It has a great resolution but is it a nice display?

Lastly, do you have any tips or specific representatives contact info who can offer good discounts over the phone?

I was able to get the following quote:

3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.3GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)

6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz

14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight

2 GB DDR5 NVIDIA GeForceGT 650M using NVIDIA Optimus technology

Killer Wireless-N 1202 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO for Gaming and Video and Bluetooth 4.0

Total price: $1143.42 + tax = $1249.47

Jump on it or can I get it even lower?

 

That is a great quote.
Personally, as I've said earlier in the thread, I think the 2GB GPU is a waste of money, and you're better off leaving it at 1GB and saving the money. Something like an mSATA would be a more bang-for-your-buck upgrade, but you can always get that cheaper outside of Dell.

While I don't have my new m14x yet (should be here in about a week), early professional reviews for it have noted that it runs a bit cooler, which isn't surprising since one of the key benefits of Ivy Bridge is that it runs more efficiently than Sandy Bridge processors.

 

Can someone let me know if the M14x supports 2 2.5" drives and mSata or Just 1 and mSata? Haven't been able to find an answer.

Also, I assume the ODD bay will accept another HDD/SSD or am I wrong?

 

I'm working on posting a Max Payne 3 benchmark soon. I'm only used to using the Heaven benchmark and I have posted my results on this forum before.

I have been playing Max Payne 3 at 1080P on my 50" Panasonic with all the shaders, shadows, and textures set to high. I only turned off MSAA and even turned on FXAA and Tessellation.

The game is running smooth and my 2GB 650M was so worth the extra $100. Even Rockstar has stated that they made and tested this game to work at the highest graphic settings possible and to take advantage of all the new 600 series GPUs features.

Why would NVIDIA even make a 2GB 650M if the extra 1GB would never be used. Look at Rockstar's PC system specs page ( Rockstar Games Presents Max Payne 3) and you'll see that Rockstar's highest tested specs are near my R2's specs aside from the 2GB GTX 680 (The 2GB 650M is still pretty sweet for a mobile GPU).


ROCKSTAR'S MAX PAYNE 3
HIGHEST TESTED SPECS
Windows 7/Vista (64 bit)
Intel i7 3930K 6 Core x 3.06 GHZ
or AMD FX8150 8 Core x 3.6 GHZ
16GB System RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680 2GB RAM
or AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 3GB RAM

 

NOTE THE "VIDEO MEMORY" IS ALREADY USING 1.5GB WITH 1080P AND VERY HIGH SETTINGS ENABLED.

 

Is there a trackpad difference between the r2 and r1? Or does the r2 have the same soft mushy mouse buttons??

Also, just checked an r1 out in person and they're really not that big. Just a little thick. And I personally find them hideous/unprofessional but hey they pack a lot of power. I'm assuming you can turn off the constant backlit keyboard?

 

Yes, you can.

 

1. Because many programs (mainly games) will use as much memory as they can even if they don't actually need it.

2. Because more VRAM IS needed if you're using something like 3 monitors at once. That is not something that the majority of users are going to do, particularly with an m14x. You bought a laptop to be portable, right?

3. Because people will buy it. Why do people buy sports cars that they never take above 55 mph on the highway?

All lights on Alienware computers can be toggled individually or all together. So if you want everything switched off, you can do that. Or if you just want the keyboard light on and the rest off, you can do that too.

 

Thanks guys.

Now about the trackpad, is it r2 trackpad the same as r1? I really like the hard sturdy clicks, not that soft mushy stuff. Guess I'll have to get used to it.

 

While I don't have one yet, everything I've heard says that the R2 trackpad is identical to the R1 trackpad.

 

hi guys!

I have m14x R2 connected to my 120Hz 3D capabale TV/Monitor but having troubles with enabling 3D mode. I had m14x R1 before and 3D was working on it without problems. I have Nvidia 3D TV Play utility installed but when I connecting monitor via hdmi it seems that connection goes to intel 4000 card and I simply have no option to enable 3D at nvidia control panel.
Can anyone confirm that 3D actually working and give a hint on how to enable it.

thanks

 

Hi Shox, the m14x r2 has an msata slot, 1 2.5" drive bay and the odd bay. I'm not sure where you can buy a caddy for the odd bay, but if you order your m14x r2 from hidevolution.com you can specify a second hdd in the odd bay. Hope this helps

 

Hi new user to the forums here and a proud new owner of an m14x r2. Got the 64gb msata + 1tb hdd and this thing is freaking insane. Just been playing Skyrim while lying in bed for the last hour and the bottom of this thing doesn't even feel warm.

Skyrim looks very nice on the 1600x900 display and don't really notice any lag at all ... I'm in love with this lappy and hope to have its babies soon.

 

When can we expect new video drivers for 650m?

 

Thanks. Only problem is that the ODD bay is SATA1 so the speeds are really slow. I'll go with the 64gb mSata / 500gb Storage option.

 

If a game gives the option should you run Directx 9 or 11?

 

DirectX-11 is graphically better than DirectX-10 and all of it's predecessors including DirectX-9. Just like most things, DirectX keeps getting better as the numbered versions increment.

 

i have some doubt about the colour...
does the m14x r2 nebula red easily scratch ?
will the black plastic show up after scratch ?

which one is better...red or black ?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

My volume controls stopped working? All other FN controls work just not sound?

 

I doubt any scratches will show up because its a rubberized surface

 

okay...i will go for nebula red...

 

Hi that really sucks! I've heard a lot of new ivy bridge laptops have all drives sata3 why wouldn't alienware go that route? They're supposed to be high performance laptops right!

 

Hi, I've just got a question. Somewhere in this thread I saw somebody say they were going for the 64gb ssd plus 1tb hdd option. I don't see this option on dell.com or hidevolution, so was wondering where that person found this option? Thanks!

 

msata 64gb + 1tb hdd available on dell malaysia website but its not available on dell us website.

what you guys think about msata 64gb + hdd 500gb 7600rpm...will 7600rpm generate more heat...? or it's better if i take msata 64gb + 1tb 5400rpm...?

and why is that i7 much more cheaper than i5 on dell malaysia website...weird...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Will it generate more heat? Yes. Will it be a noticeable level? Probably not. Maybe a degree or two.

Faster hard drives have pretty much become the norm now. The benefits of them far outweigh the negatives.

 

maybe i think too much on the heat. yeah, you are right.
so i will choose 7600rpm. thanks.

 

Hi Everyone,
I have a curious problem
When i run GTA 4 the fps slows down a lot
as in when im driving, if i turn even a bit it slows the game down
i reinstalled the game and forced the 650m to be on at all times
so can anyone help me
Thanks

 

It's literally impossible to help you without knowing your specs bro.

FYI: If you have a decent machine, GTA IV is possibly the worst port in the history of PC gaming, it's one of the best games but it's a horrific port, I wouldnt be surprised if any computer struggled to run it sometimes.

Anyway, on my current desktop I have a HD3850, 2GB ram and a core 2 duo @ 3ghz and I cant run it.. So.

 

my specs for my R2 are
i7 3610QM 2.3Ghz(3.3 with turbo boost(enabled))
2gb GT 650m
750GB 7200Rpm HDD
6gb ram
1600*900p display

 

a GT650m if overclocked to 660m speeds is more powerful than a HD4870 so his laptop is more powerfull than your desktop.

 

GTA 4 IMO , is a very poorly optimized game for PC. On my desktop , it runs perfectly smoothly , but on several occasions , when the game starts up , it plays like a slideshow !
My desktop has the following specs : i5-2500 , 4GB Ram , MSI N240GT 1GB DDR5 , 500GB 7200 RPM.

The problem you are facing , is not due to the inadequacy of your system , but rather the poor port and optimizations of the game ! But its a great game if you can get it to work right

 

Hey guys just receveid my M14x R2. I was a bit affraid by all the negatives thread regarding in game performance, optimus being crap and bad screen but decided to pass over.

Actually im totally happy with it.Really. Glossy screen is not a problem. Optimus works fine, i dont even have to whitelist. Temps are quite low ( Played D3 for 4 hours last night : Max temp GPU :73C CPU : 74 with U2 cooler)
D3 and Wow run like charm.

Def worth money invested in.

i7 3610QM 2.3Ghz(3.3 with turbo boost(enabled))
1gb GT 650m
500GB 7200Rpm HDD
6gb ram
1600*900p display

 

A quick question here , did you guys have any dust issue , those dust has filled in into my m14x's on/off button near by speaker , I was wondering how do you guys clean it or just leave it that way? those tiny holes....