Dual GTX 680M's are back, but ...

They're back, but we can't configure systems with SSD's, not even a single one.

What's the deal? What does an SSD have to do with dual GPU's?

 

Must be something because dell makes butt. Loads on ssd mark ups... Oh well after market is better anyway

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

True, but I'm just curious. You can get an HDD in RAID or single, but not an SSD. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

Apparently, they are not going to sell a system with SSD drives that do not have Dell's firmware to make them proprietary, and they are committed to not selling a configuration with known issues. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, since we already know that non-Dell SSD is totally compatible. Maybe there is something with Samsung's SSD controller and/or Dell's SSD firmware that doesn't play nice with the new A09 BIOS in conjunction with 680M SLI, Windows 8 and Secure Boot/Fast Boot... who knows. We could speculate for days and know the answer. It would be nice to have "official" word from one of the reps here in the forum. But, at the end of the day all that really matters is that 680M SLI is back. WOOT!

Did anyone notice that 7970M CrossFire is gone now that 680M is back? You can get one, but not CrossFire. Maybe it's like I thought all along, with supply and demand affecting availability. A number of people that wanted 680M SLI settled for 7970M CrossFire, so maybe now they are running out of those now because 680M was unavailable for so long. Maybe they held back 680M sales so they could unload more of the 7970M stock... we may never know.

 

It's just good to hear that high end gaming systems seem to be selling well; I'm guessing from the lack of top tier cards.

Keep reading about how tablets are gutting PC/laptop sales. I wonder if that's the mediocre, average joe type pc's, and not the stuff we run with here?

 

Yeah, it's the average everyday user stuff.

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Thanks for the info Mr. Fox. I assumed it was a controller issue... I'll probably be ordering a replacement soon! Plan to get RAID HDD's this time though, just in case I have RAID issues again - at least I'll have a guarantee RAID is supposed to work, and I'll swap them out for SSD's ASAP. I still also have that extra interposer cable, thankfully. I'm prepared this time... Bring it on! Haha.

 

Cheap junk PC and tablet systems sell like hotcakes to people that don't care about performance. You cannot really compare them because they are two totally different markets with different customers. The fact that a large number of ordinary people go for the garbage as long as it is cheap does not necessarily mean that high performance PC sales are down, but may be small numbers in comparison.

 

YEA go thru the different configs and check the options.. low end m18x no sli option at all can even configure an up grade.. second tier again no sli but yu can get a single 680 or 7970.. and then the third tier.. sli but it chose for you.. i didnt see an option to pick any thing.. what if i wanted less than what they wanted to give me..

I like the old configurator thing where you start with a base system and add in what you want.. not 3 gimmicks that you can get one thing or another thing on one and cant on the other.. stupid..



Compatibility Instructions
Errors:
The dual Video Card that you have selected is not compatible with the Solid State Hard Drive option that is selected. Please click on one of the links and update the selection.
The Wireless HD option that you have selected is not compatible with the NVIDIA Video Card. Please click on one of the links and update the selection.

 

That's strange. I could choose 680M SLI from the entry level configuration earlier this evening.

Edit: just checked again and still can.

 

Hopefully I will get my new replacement laptop at the end of the month! i7 3940xm (overclocked) and 680M SLI here I come!!!!

 

lol how are you going from a m17x to a m18x maxed?

 

awe i see they changed it yet again.. no 7970 xfire options

and here is the second option.. no 7970 xfire..

Spoiler

and this high end option decides to give you the 7970m.. no video card options at all..

Spoiler

 

Hopefully Alienware cannot find another m17x-r2 that match with mine m17x r2 and replace it with a brand new m18x r2. I will paid for XM cpu and since there are no 7970 xfire then Alienware will have to replace with 680 SLI.

 

Just posted this in another 680m Sli related thread, and it's relevant here too.

Posted in the Alienware Club Forums, the subject (compatibility alert) has already been acknowledged by Dell, via ChrisM, who has said (quoted below) this on this thread: Alienware M18x compatibility question

I've posted a couple of times with no real reply, if any of you guys want to join in, please feel free to do so. It seems that if there is a compatibility issue, as Chris suggests, it's certainly not being translated over to UK customers as no compatibility alert is thrown up when configuring an M18x with a Dell SSD & 680m Sli.

Dell need to confirm this one way or another and uniformly address the possible genuine alert, because if they are selling machines to customers WITHOUT a warning, and there is indeed a problem, that doesn't make for a very happy ending for UK customers - I know I'd be peeved as hell if I had problems that I could have been warned about - something the UK site doesn't do.

So, Dell - do we have a problem or do we not - if we do have a problem, why are you STILL selling the same problematic configuration on the UK website? - sounds to me like some people at Dell need to get with the program and start singing from the same hymn sheet and get the facts right.

See the spoiler below - notice the lack of ANY compatibility alert message in the red box when configured with 680m Sli and Dell 512gb SSD on the UK site (left side) vs. the alert that gets thrown up on the US site (right side).

Spoiler