M18x Pre-Order Configuration Questions... Ask HERE

Hi Guys, i hope you can help me here. It has probably been covered elsewhere on this forum, but can you give me a little advise?

Having trawled thru this forum and drooled over all the many options available when ordering, i find myself in the position where i ask myself 'what do i actually need'?

If money was no object, then the decision to upgrade everything is easy. However, money IS a problem, so where do i go?

The processor upgrade COULD be done at a later date, or so i understand, but i am leaning towards the GPU upgrade from factory.

Sorry if this is repeating a previos thread, but if you guys could only pick 1 upgrade, what would you choose?

Any help for this nubie greatly appreciated!

 

6970M CrossFireX hands down

 

What he said.

 

ok guys, thank you for your input, i appreciate taking your time. In the UK this option is £490. IS that a good price then? I googled the card but found no pricing.

 

I'm not sure if that's a good price or not to be honest. If it fits into your budget, then it's a good price Honestly, I wouldn't be inclined to try to buy them aftermarket and install them myself.

Also, I would give Dell a call and talk to a rep when you are ready to buy (you've probably seen that advice already on other threads), as they can generally offer better prices than what you'll find online.

 

If you want, send me a private message when you have made enough posts on the forum and I can get you in touch with a good UK rep who could save you a fair bit of cash!

 

Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit

Intel® Core™ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)

8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)

18.4-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 WLED

1.5GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460M


500GB 7200RPM Solid State Hybrid


Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)



Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with SoundBlaster MB Software


Intel® Advanced-N 6200 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology and Bluetooth 3.0

1 Year Advanced Plan

$2500 before tax....this is where I'm starting, anything less isn't worth ordering the machine...now thinking of where to upgrade a little more..but not too much either.

The dual 460M option is appealing....wouldn't that be enough for a game like battlefield 3?

 

Handy hint for ya - dont buy ram from Dell - its far cheaper after you have received your system to buy the equivalent. I would ditch the 8gb and go with the basic 4gb, save some cash, get the ram after or maybe toss it towards a SSD or alot of people would say upgrade your gpu's to 6970's with that saved cash.....nice system btw! - these things beat mac's hands down....

 

I'm getting the ram from Dell, no big deal. The hybrid drive saves some money-isn't it still fast??

Also, debating the 2920XM....big money though as I have an AMD phenom X4 and its plenty fast on my desktop...wondering if the 2720 or 2820 is enough...

 

If i ordered an M18X on monday with overnight shipping..what are the odds I'd have it this week?

 

You buy lottery tickets? You'll have better luck there.

 

Thanks for the offer Steve. Just how many posts before you're allowed to pm?

 

You should be OK now! - seems to vary for some reason....I think normally about 10 posts...

 

im wondering if someone could give me an answer here, every time i go and select the configuration of the m18x from DELL.CA it doesn't give me an option to personalize the nameplate??? can someone give me an answer please.
I LIVE IN CANADA.

 

It's not customizable in Canada

 

Hi guys, I’m a newbie from Italy. I’m going to order an m18x from Dell Italy and I’ve a couple of questions for you. I’ll use this beast mainly for video editing on site (Avid sw) and audio-post (Nuendo sw). Gaming isn't the primary issue, but it’s appreciating (F.S., Call of Duty etc.). To save money I think at this configuration: 2820qm, W7pro, 6970XF, 4GB basic ram, 320GB basic HD, Wi-Fi 6300, DVD-RW. Now the questions:

1-It’s justified to spend 420€ plus for 2820qm vs. 2630qm?
2-I plan to buy 8GB 1600 Kingston ram, an SSD for OS/programs and a large HHD for data in after market, It’s correct? (Total saving vs. Dell configurator is approx. 600€).
3-Firewire interface isn’t present, correct? I’ll have to buy a separate PCMCIA card for this purpose?

Any comment and suggestion will be very appreciating, thanks a lot to everyone.
Gianfranco

 

Hey, I asked in the other thread but didn't get an answer, maybe it was the wrong place to ask.

Anyway, does anyone have a good sales rep for the US they can pm me the information of?

Really appreciated.


Edit:

come on folks, nobody has a rep they could recomend?

 

Can someone explain hybrid drive vs SSD? hybrid seems to be cheapest option...

 

Hybrid drives have a 4gb ssd with 500gb of mechanical disk storage. The most often used programs get stored on the small ssd portion. Obviously, most programs are larger than 4gb so the ssd portion of the drive doesn't make too much of a difference.

On the other hand, ssd's such as the Crucial M4, Intel 510 and OCZ Vertex 3 are all speed. It doesn't matter how large the program is, it runs them at the fastest speed possible. The big difference is the price point of these drives.

As the general rule of thumb, buy a small ssd boot disk and pair it with a large mechanical hdd. Typically you can pick up a 64gb Crucial c300/m4 for about $120 and a WD Scorpio Black 750gb for $110. The same price as two Momentus XT. You will lose about 200gb going the route that of SSD/Mech but the 64gb worth of ssd far outweights the 4gb worth of ssd Momentus XT(Raid Momentus XT's only use 4gb not 8gb).

 

Hi - I wonder if anyone can advise me. I am thinking of the following configuration: i7 2630 QM, GTX460M, 8GB 1600 MH DDR3, 320 GB 7,200 RPM, Wireless N6200 a/g/n 2X2 and Homepremium 64 Bit -(Purchase in UK). The reason for all this mostly low end configuration is that I need this for gaming only and just for games released now and in past year or more - I just get a few opportunities to play so I now wait for the games I like to be patched, which takes months (year sometimes).So oddly in this requirement, future proofing means merely being able to play current games because I will not be playing them for some time.
My question is this : is any part of this configuration seriously out of step with the rest? For example, can I get away with GTX460M for current games or do I really need Dual 460s or even 6970Ms ?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise.

 

If your want a future-proofed gaming machine, you SHOULD get the very best gpu setup you possibly can afford - this way, it would prolong the life of your gaming without having to upgrade again to cope with games maybe 12mths+ away.

The best or fastest gpu options available right now on the M18x....they are GTX 580m sli or 6990m Crossfire.

Have a read of this thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...d-6990m-crossfire-available-uk-now-order.html and feel free to PM (private message) me when you have PM priveledges (takes maybe 10 forum posts or so from you) if you want the details of a good UK rep.

Obviously , your own budget is unknown at this point but you would be looking at £2k upwards for a M18x with high end gpu's. My rep can probably save you a fair bit as you are in the UK too......gimme a shout if you need to.

 

The best is relative. For example, Dell stupidly doesn't offer the 6970 or 580M (let alone 560M) with a 120Hz screen or in SLI with 3D. They will only ship a 60Hz screen. You have to drop down for 3D to the 460M in SLI which is absurd.

 

Well, he mentioned nothing of wanting 3d, so in my book, what I said was correct...it IS the best....if you want 3d, fair enough....personally, I think its overrated garbage. I do agree with you that its absurd to have to lower your gpu preference should you be a fan of 3d......something needs to be done on that front.

I think the M17x R3 is aimed at people who want 3d and not the M18x...I dont think the M18 will get a 120hz 3d capable screen because its a different niche market, if you like. The 3d thing will come and go (as it does every 10 years) but (and this is just my own personal thoughts) I feel the M18x is aimed at those who just want raw gaming performance and stuff the 3d gimmick.....

I could be wrong but thats my take on it...

 

I agree right now it is a niche, but if you want to play in 3D, you need more power not less and the MX17 doesn't offer the juice you need if you want to play 3D properly at 1920x1080 at the highest settings. For me personally, I felt it enhanced tremendously games like WOW. Putting gaming aside, watching videos in 3D is growing, not shrinking. Now if someone is not at all interested in 3D gaming, but want the option on trips for example to watch 3D movies, and doesn't mind sacrificing some power, then the MX17 is perfect.

 

And in the same sentence, someone who doesnt care for 3d (maybe) but wants longevity from their gpu's to handle the latest games (as he said he wanted) then a sli or crossfire setup would be the way to go.....the more powerful now, the better for futureproofing....no point even thinking that a single 460m that is 3d capable will outperform a 6990 or 580m dual card setup...granted, it might give 3d but as they say...you get what you pay for....if you MUST have 3d, unfortunately, your options are currently limited....

 

No, 3d not needed. However I wonder if the least powerful of the processors i7 2630 is a good match with the dual AMD cards? I am just looking for a short or medium term life rather than shoot for 3 years of life from all components. Balance more important that going for all out power in one component - or is this a uniquely important part of a configuration?

 

I think the sensible cpu choice is the 2720. It seems to be the processor of choice that offers the best value for money in terms of price to performance ratio. If you can squeeze to the 2720 and maybe cut back on other configurations (say, ram and HDD) then that would be the way to go IMHO.....

If its pure gaming, the cpu is not a huge concern. All of the Sandybridge cpu's will perform very well....most games are gpu bound, meaning that how well they run depends on the performance on the gpu instead of the cpu. I think that your cash would be best spent on getting the best gpu you can afford and then the best cpu you can afford in that order....the rest you can upgrade later on down the line as you wish...things like ram and HDD/SSD can be bought later alot cheaper elsewhere than buying them directly from Dell.

 

Thanks for the 2720 advice ! What size of RAM and GPU would not cause a bottleneck and fit the 2720 would you think ?

 

I would get the 6990 if I were you Querulous, only because I don't care about ati vs Nvidia and the 6990 should be as powerful or more then the 580m ... Ram you shoul dstay at 4GB and should upgrade yourself, its much much cheaper. Although 4GB will run any game you want, if you have other apps or just want a buffer you can pick up 8GB really cheap and put it in yourself. There is even a guide on these forums for installing your ram.

 

the 2720 cpu is which one? I dont see it.

 

i7 2720QM 2.2 Ghz 6MB 4C , plus additional £160 on the build-it-yourself Dell site.

 

I pulled the trigger..mistake? I am aware of the 6990. However right now there is free ram upgrade, free hd upgrade (ya i know the two easiest), 20% off CF 6970s and I got an extra 200 US off. So I paid 2500 after taxes for:
i7 2720, CF 6970s 8 gig ram and 750gig HD (will install SSD later). I'm thinking that is a pretty damn good upgrade from my R2 920xm, cf 5870s and 4gig ram no? It is irrelevant either way as I had to give the computer to someone else (long story). I can always send back for the 6990s but I figure I would be not at that price and I will probably be about 2 months from delivery. How did I do? How is that 2720 compared to the beastly 920xm?

 

the 2630 runs comparable to a 940 .... so 2720 should rock the 920

 

OK when is IvyBridge to be expected - anywhere near now or in 2012. Any other major technologie change to be expected within the next 6 months for the M18X??

 

Looking at ordering an m18x now (I've been mulling over Sager/Asus options at Xotic but figure it's time for another shot at an AW machine after a few years with Sager/Clevo).

Anyway in regards to the upgrades yourself, is there a guide somewhere that says what "base" options to choose with Dell, and then what are the best replacements to go and buy from Newegg or whatever? I'm technically capable of replacing the parts but with a new baby I don't have the time to do crazy amounts of research.

Also I keep seeing mention of the 6990 CF's being available but they're not on the US site, still only 6970's....thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

base options guide ? not really no, I would just say stock with upgraded video card, unless you want to put a few dollars into your CPU ... thats up to you. I didn't and so far this thing plays everything I have thrown at it at max settings and without really pushing hard. But 4bg RAM, 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive, DVD player/burner, etc. Thats stock. I even kept the intel 2x2 mimo with plans to upgrade to Killer, but the 2x2 is a huge leap from a standard wireless card ...


I think we should hear availability of the 6990 next week in north America (purely a guess based on other people's who's opinions I trust guesses ) But We know the Dell Europe stated selling the 6990 this week, can't imagine we would be far behind at all ....

 

Appreciate the feedback. I'll hold off another week to see if those 6990's pop up on the site. From past experience is the site the first place they'll show or do phone reps have them available in their config before we would see them online?

Thanks again.

 

If I remember correctly the 580m was available via phone rep a few days before the web site. I bet you will hear about the release here within hours of its occurrence. Order by phone representative and work out a nice discount in the end.

 

really want to kno what price and performance 6990 will go else im jumping boat on 2720QM with sli 580 arround 3.5
but if 6990 gives resonable same performance for only 3000 i could have savd money for SSD and ram

 

6990 with 1120 shaders @ 850/1150 should be faster than gtx 580 overclocked.

 

Just a heads up for those that may not be aware. GTX 580m sli is now OFFICIALLY available (at least on the UK website) so its only a matter of time before it hits all countries, I imagine.

No sign of 6990m on the configurators yet but I know my rep has taken and processed UK orders for them....they are actually a few quid cheaper than current 6970's .....

 

and now i hope they are beter then 580
thought i would miss the GPU switch
thought its a bit buggy i hear

 

580m is on the US website now too.

 

I have an order placed for 580 SLI in the US. So they are orderable.

 

FXi- Just wanted to know if you can share the specs of your order and final cost? Thanks

 

According to the rep I spoke yo the 580m's are caps le of externally displaying 3d via dual dvi. Now where things get sketchy is he said u can display 3d on 2 screens...

 

2920 OC
580 sli
8GB 1600 (only because there was a deal on 8GB)
750 7200 HD
BR reader
Intel 6300
BT 3.0
4 Year Onsite+Accidental+NAmer call in
Win 7 Home Prem
5 day or less shipping
$4330

I'll save you the math. It's roughly a 20% discount (EPP)

 

Nice spec Fxi....

 

Hoping it lasts a while. Current M1710 was purchased in 2006 and is still happily carrying about its business.

 

Good choices. Pretty much how I will reorder unless the 6990 turns up and benches well.