*Prospective* News/Discussion: Alienware M18x R3

Agree. It's kinda absurd that dual gpu flagship has a worse screen than the single gpu m17x.

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BTW, I don't have a link but from what I've seen in the realm of iMAC's a single 680MX (stock) is 6.8k GPU score in 3DMark11. Which means it's about 10-13% faster than the 680M.

 

It is not a worse screen unless you are doing an apples-to-oranges comparison with the optional 3D capable 120hz screen that some M17x R4 owners pay an extra $250 for. It would be nice to have it on the M18x for those that want to pay extra for it. It is probably the lowest "want" on my list of hardware enthusiast priorities since all of the other hardware greatness available with the M18x more than makes up for the lack of XM CPU and dual GPU and plastic chassis of the M17x R4. The problem is availability... not many 18" laptop displays are available. If it were an extra $250 rather than standard equipment, I think I would choose to live with the already very good 60Hz screen and put the money toward CPU and GPU upgrades. But, that's my personal preference. The RGB LED 1200p display in my M17x R2 is totally awesome and I love it, but I would not be willing to pay an extra $250 to have it as an option on my M18x.

 

When properly calibrated and stripped from the annoying E2E glass, the M18x screen delivers a truly stunning user experience. As a possible upgrade I would only consider a RGBLED IPS with equal or exceeding image clarity, nothing less.

 

thats pretty fast, but how well can it OC it may differ. it's TDP is already higher unless apple decide to have a real good heatsink =/ it wont able to OC very well (i doubt crapplers OC anyway lol)

as for the screen, im just happy to have matte as an option, need to try one out.

 

How did they run 3DMark11 on a Mac? Was it run under Parallels? That usually takes a huge performance hit for benchmarking, no? Up to 40% I heard at the apple support community. If that's the case the % increase over 680m (18%) sounds a bit too high.

 

Um, why are we discussing the 680mx and Apple computers in this Alienware m18x R3 discussion thread? The likelihood of the 680mx being in Alienware systems is little to none with the 700 series around the corner. And I hope it doesn't because I just ordered the 680m, haha.

 

I would hope the 680mx would come to alienware and not just be an apple product. I don't think 700 series is around the corner unless you think 6 months is around the corner.

 

why would u worry about 680mx? you can upgrade and switch your 680m to 780m when it comes out in about half a year. plus with current alienware heatsink, it'll be tough to cool off 680mx under full load anyway. if AW manage to just up machine size a bit, im sure they could fit 1 extra copper pipe on all 3 heatsinks, however thats probably not happening, but a 680mx should not be a problem except fact that nvidia may not have that card work in a PC.

 

Not an Apple product, but a form of desktop product. The GPU uses more power than the 680M and produces more heat, while requiring a larger PSU. That's why I doubt it will be in Alienware systems. And yes, to me, "around the corner" is about six months.

The reason I mentioned it is because there are a dozen threads about the 680MX and this thread is about the R3, not a graphics card. When the R3 hits the market, assuming the 680MX became available, it would be obsolete because of the 700 series. With that in mind, this discussion is pointless.

Back to the R3! Woot

 

well have to assume they will release good product first. there are always issues cards called back and such from both company. 680mx is indeed powerful, it may or may not fit into m18x R2 who knows, but if it fits and is the last fastest card works in R1/R2, im definitely getting it even if its for crapple.

 

They might be able to make it work in the m17x, and one in the m18x, but 2 680mx's might just be to hot for an m18x to safely handle.

 

that i would like to know for sure but i seriously doubt it. both current GPU heatsink are at 3 copper pipes. not sure if primary GPU cools better than 2ndary but it's pretty much at it's limit right now imo, 22 TDP might be a bit too much. then again what do i know, no 680mx has been tested in a m18x so theres hope?

 

The speculations are useless. There will be no new M18x R3. The developer has already been pointed this out. The SLI/CF-Feature (Double-GPU) remains reserved for the M17x R5 (with a new body).

 

The m17x had dual video cards already. You think they are going back to that. There is nothing in either of those posts that says they are getting rid of the m18x. And those posts are from 11 months ago. I guess I will read the whole thread for the information it said it would post later.

 

the Developer you say? until another DELL AW representative here, on NBR, point this out i will not believe it. if they do somehow go back to dual GPU m17x R4/5 and get rid of M18x, then I will go for next clevo laptop Ivy-E on P670WM hands down. both 17 inchs, lose out an msata but gain 4 more hyperthreaded cores.

btw just so you know they already got rid of m11x, with m14, 17 and 18x I think they are doing just fine. if they get rid of m18x then good bye to dell AW from me and a bunch of other people lol.

 

I can understand if they were to stop making it. They probably sell 3 - 5 times more of the M17x and M14x than they do the M18x. Hope they don't, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped, at least for a while.

 

If they get rid of the optical drive and offer 2 msata + 4 sata (all sata III) ports instead, they could cram an XM CPU + 2 GPU's into 17". That would give us the option of having a IPS RGB LED or 120Hz screen upgrades. But I don't like the idea of a smaller screen to be honest.

 

I'm ok with the M18X.

 

if they got rid of the m18x and put dual gpu's back into the m17x it really wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be dual gpu's with far more screen options, such as 120 Hz 3d (and with 2 GPU's the 3-d wouldn't kill the frame rates). As long as they make the chassis aluminum is actually might be more preferable. Another advantage is that the overall price would likely be lower and since they have fewer models to worry about, they would be able to put more resources into the new m17x design.

I think they should also bring back the m15x and make that the main draw for people wanting a high end single GPU system.

 

how many m18x units do you think they sell? my guess would be at least a good 500 maybe, around the world?

well if you put it that way with more storage bays then it may make a difference LOL but its not like clevo won't change anything. comparing it to quad channel memory, one of the fastest intel chipset and 6 core CPU with a similar price tag it's hard to not go for it (only cooling is a major problem). tbh im not a huge fan of msata given it's small capacity and reliability. even the largest msata mushkin 480gb are extra thick and might not fit into a regular msata slot, and it uses Async flash, which is reduced performance =/.

until a company could release msata with a performance of it's 2.5" mainstream drive, raiding them would just lose performance on the 2.5" and i'd rather not have that =/

 

Crucial makes great msata drives and given the tendency towards ultrabooks and touch devices I'd expect msata to replace the 2.5" drives in a couple of years. Already there are gaming notebooks that come with dual msata ssd's in raid 0.

As for performance, it's a matter of time before they make both higher capacity and faster ones.

 

It's definitely more than 500... if they only sold that many they wouldn't have even made the R2. Its probably in the range of several thousand, with the m17x selling several tens of thousands.

 

then there should be no reason to stop m18x at all, weird =/

@Aiki sorry i should made more clear, i meant i was hoping to see a msata with performance similar to samsung 840 pro, vector OCZ or any of the high end sandforce SSD drive =(


edit: damn it all everytime I look at this big battery thing.. annoying. any chance Dell making this battery into half the size. reduce it's life by half, will probably still last at least a good hr.. and with extra left over space.. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

 

No. Some people want to be able to use their laptop off the wall sometimes. if it only got an hour and a half of battery life it would be essentially useless to a mobile user who doesn't always have access to an outlet.

 

how do you calerbrate the screen? Ive seen some programs on here but they didnt work.. whats your methods and settings? Id be willing to give it a go..

 

well then dont buy it if it comes out.. but us that do want a beast of a gaming machine in a laptop will buy it and we will use it.. us gamers want as close to high end desktop performance in are laptops as physicly possible..

I for 1 would sacrafice weight and size for a beast of a machine.. here this is what id like to see in a new m18x or what ever they may come out with..

1. dual 18.5 inch screens.. yes it is possible.. there is a company coming out with such a laptop in 2013.. but its not a gaming laptop and it has 17 inch screens that slide out and snap into place side by side..

2. 3 way sli or xfire.. meaning 3 cards in sli.. or even 4 if they could pull it off..

3. more usb 3.0 or what ever port is the fastest..

4.less power constraints.. meaning a board and components thats will get the power they need with out hindering the rest of the system.. and yes a bigger power supply would be fine if thats what was needed..

5. custom paint options.. and decal options.. permanent covers attached to protect the laptop.. custom front bezels.. and around the keyboard..

6. all aluminium or aluminum/copper reinforced case..

7. brushless motor fans that put out a stupidly high cfm for cooling.. but also able to run almost silent if need be if we are not gaming.. or better sound dampening in the case it self..

8. stock 120 hrz or higher screen.. maybe 4k but id be happy with the 1080p.. but id like rgb back with 1080p or higher..

9.better hard drive placment.. at the same speeds please.. sata 3 or higher all the way around.. for every thing..

10. HD camera.. tired of the 1.3 crap..

11.better keyboard.. with maybe a lcd screen that will display temps above it some where..

12. hdmi and hdmi out still.

13. better sound system.. louder fuller deep bass and crysp highs.

well thats just a thought a quick run down..

now if your not planning on owning a high end system this big please dont comment.. since whats the point...

 

Here you go, Bro - M18x Screen Calibration.

 

M20X!! hahah overkill with the screen
4 graphic card slots hahaha
8 core prossesers
6 slot drives
detach the screen and mount it on a stand bahahaha

 

yeah, dell would never be able to make back the R&D money.

 

After M18x, a 17" notebook would feel very tiny and flimsy, hehe. But I'll embrace the change if they make cooling and performance top priority and don't compromise on quality and screen options. I love to mod my beast but when it comes to extremes like ripping apart the E2E glass and modding heatsinks to improve cooling, it doesn't feel right, especially when you invest hundreds of dollars to do something that should have been done by the vendor to begin with.

 

I have to agree for the most part, I just can't see how I can use m18x on it's battery. imho 1 hr and half battery life is more than enough for anything of this performance, people can always go for a 13-15 inch ultra book for battery life =/

for 1. and 2. it'd good to have but dual screen certainly looks ugly LOL. again, i have posted a lenovo laptop with a smaller side screen and that looked AMAZING and since it's a smaller screen it would not cost as much. a three way SLI or CFX would mean changing the entire machine, highly unlikely BUT a m20x would work =)

for usb 3.0, Dell uses Renesas usb controller and it is only average when compared to some other usb controller, like ASMedia for example. I've posted earlier regards to USB 3.0 performance on AW http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...cussion-alienware-m18x-r3-17.html#post8962017 and it's disappointing to only max at 230MB/s read and 170MB/s write, use something better and give us thunderbolt and esata6G.

as for the rest I can't comment because I only use this machine for gaming, and media work. I am semi satisfied with it's audio system and won't ask for more, but I agree it could be better.

 

how is a dual screen laptop some thing to laugh at?
even tho this isnt a gamer rig its interesting at the very least..

SpaceBook 17-inch, dual screen laptop.

Alaskan Entrepreneur Has Consumers Seeing Double -- ktuu.com



and lastly here is the site for more info.. if they can do it a dang start up company then why cant Dell/alienware do this with a M18x-R3 if it is to come?

http://www.gscreenlaptop.com/

 

Dual screen laptops are ugly. the levono looks much better, and it'll be even better if there are smaller screens come out of both sides. however when i do stuff with adobe software, the looks don't really matter. as long as it fits all the sub boxes without straining my eye i am happy.

given future GPU with more memory, 3-4gb, a dual screen would definitely work i guess, but i would not game on a dual screen, again its hard to look at and it's ugly =)

 

rofl, so ASUS gaming laptop g75vx series already have thunderbolt port, add macs into this kinda make alienware quite behind, m18x r3 will need something better with it's usb3 stuff, esata6g and thunderbolt.

link to g75vx Review Asus G75VX-T4020H Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

Please do not continue to compare other computers to Alienware, especially if they're not gaming computers. MacBooks are not made for gaming. Thunderbolt is not necessary as USB will have an evolutionary jolt forward by 2014. I've read articles of them expecting up to 10GB/s in 2013 and/or 2014.

 

Macs can hold their own when it comes to gaming. And for some it is good. And while Usb 3.0 and higher says they will get better speeds. Thunderbolt is fast and consistant with its speeds on my Macbook, it goes up a little here and there. Usb can start high and go down fast.

Also he wasn't the only person to post links to other computers so I don't think telling him not to post something is fair, I don't see it as your job to tell people what or how to post in the thread. Also you might want to look at that link again, it is an asus that really is a gaming laptop. It scores pretty good.

edit: also thunderbolt is 10 Gbit/s per device, up to 20 where if you daisy chain usb it slows everything down, that doesn't happen with my thunderbolt stuff.

 

I didn't tell him to do anything, I asked him not to - there's a big difference. And the article I mentioned also described something to the extent of having 100GB/s USB ports within 10 years. Not sure if that's true or not, but what they spoke of was quite interesting. I'm sure Thunderbolt will be in the same area by that time anyway...so it's not a big deal.

Just pointing out that when you mention Mac or Apple, you may have just started several pages of arguments. There's no need to compare a gaming franchise with Apple - Apple is not meant for gaming. I don't care if you can game on them, they're not built for gaming. Alienware builds computers for that specific purpose and nothing else. Apple is completely different and shouldn't be a topic of discussion within the Alienware section.

 

If Alienware introduces more than 1 screen in a 'laptop' platform, I will give up on them and go for desktops. The systems will become extremely bulky and almost impossible to travel with them. What will be the point of it? You will not be even allowed to take it with you in the plain I believe, the way the current model it is made, it looks just fine.

Improve what is there i.e. a better quality screen, more options for colours, maybe the front grill a little changed with a flat / more lights options, better touchpad (yes it is possible to add a glass surface touchpad) and many other things to make it look and feel very high built quality. This is my opinion only, please feel free to comment on what are your believes

 

Problem with Light Peak is this, how many devices are out there that can truly utilize the technology and most importantly, can be truly useful? Until it becomes as common as USB it will be a gimmick tech for me. Due to lack of power supply, its use is very limited, requiring extra dongles and power cables. If I was to accept that, would switch to desktops and be done with mobility (which, luckily, will never happen).
I hope, Dell won't bother with thunderbolt ports, but offers better quality USB3 instead. Worst case, add one TB for all gimmick-tech lovers but I'd still disable it in the BIOS

 

USB 3.0, transfer 5gbps, single lane one direction, can support power and it may go to 100 watts in couple of years. Bottlenecks when external/internal devices (HDD/SSD) not on par with performance, host and device controller and driver all matters.
thunderbolt, 10gbps, in both direction as long as device can hold you you get 10. going up to 20gbps in a few years. Only external/internal devices (HDD/SSD) will have effect on transfer performance.

you can get a latest quadro video card for CAD and 3D work and it'll still run games better than most gaming cards, just what are you trying to say man? imho there are always few reason why people pay for alienware, for me getting best hardware and dual graphics, a metal chassis strong build that can't be found in other notebooks. Apple is getting a 680mx + thunderbolt and we aren't and you're fine with it? Maybe m18x isn't the machine for you.

you may not like how thunderbolt sounds stupid and all but chances are you'll end up using it in a couple of years so I dont see why not getting them now. also pointing out there just might be few individuals getting Asus instead cause cheaper, and have a thunderbolt port. when you need something, you will want to have it on your machine, all im asking is I want it earlier because I am paying over $4-5k for it, and guess what? with people keep saying they dont need something is the best way for Dell to put it off till R4 or few more years later, it's just how it is.

I still hold on to my hopes man. R1 to R2 already changed mobo, daughterboard and a few other cables/connectors, R3 has a big chance with thunderbolt because mobo MUST and will change, 100%. I do agree getting a better usb 3.0 performance is probably more important but most of these crappy usb 3 devices out there wont even go above 200. ontop of that Dell maybe in this together with Renesas. I own a Dell n5110 and it uses the same usb 3 controller so they may not change it at all.

 

Um, that card was put in a DESKTOP, not a LAPTOP. I don't care about it, no. Why? The 680M overclocked can still outperform the 680MX. The 680MX will not be in Alienware systems, it consumes too much power and will produce too much heat. Unless Alienware changes a lot of things inside the machine, as well as the chassis itself and the PSU, it won't be. That is why I don't care. It is highly unlikely that it will be presented to us in the R2, and even more unlikely that it will be in the R3 (speaking about the M18x - dual GPU's) because by the time the R3 comes out, the 700 series would have already been released.

About Thunderbolt, I don't mind Alienware using these type of ports (adding one may be a good thing - I don't want it, but some might), but comparing Apple to Alienware is ridiculous, especially since this is a NOTEBOOK forum, not a desktop forum. MacBooks do not compare to Alienware M18x's in anyway.

 

To much added hook up of stuff for TB. I like the idea, but you need a lot of stuff to make it work. USB 3.0 is a hit or miss. It drops speed over time. I would like to have dual Powered Esata 6.0/USB 3.0 ports. Because you can already max out esata 2.0 just by using a powered esata cable and ssd drive. Not a lot of people coming close to pushing TB to any real types of limits. Now if you use it for video, that's a bit different, but as far as normal drives go. A big waste of time. unless you have like 3 or more in raid. (hd only)and it still may not hold 200 mb over time. Because hard drives drop speed over time as well.

But this is only an opinion and not necessarily a fact...

 

That is something I hadn't considered, good suggestion.

 

and yet Nvidia calls it a mobile card... GeForce GTX 680MX | GeForce Just because it is in an Apple device doesn't mean it can't be put in a Alienware. And where do you get it is never going to be put into an Alienware, Do you work for Dell/Alienware? No one but them knows what they are going to do.

Alienware could learn a lot from Apple. Apple's customer service is better, they treat you better, and their tech support actually knows something about computers because they train them. 12 weeks of training. They have people who know how to take apart their laptops and not break things. go figure. So while you think it is ridiculous, your right, Apple is better on many different levels.

Looking how other company's do things is a good way to see how to improve the product. Alienware can improve on many different levels, I didn't buy this laptop just because it is a gaming computer, it is also my work computer.

And 10 years is a long time to wait for anything to get that speed.

Just wondering have you used any thunderbolt products? I do have a raid with it on it. The speed is better and more constant. I am using it to host my vm's on. And it does an amazing job with it.

edit: but this is why you want thunderbolt on an Alienware. It means that a notebook can have a TB port and you can buy a TB video card (GeForece 890) that plugs into a TB case (with a PCIe port) or a TB native video card and get FULL desktop power. When you are at home run off your high end video cards. When traveling run off your internal video cards.

 

I actually pursued this greatly back in September and November. If you go through my posts, you will see that I was in favor and desperate to see the 680MX in Alienware. However, after speaking with several specialists at Dell, Managers included, they assured me such a GPU would not likely be implemented based on the fact that Alienware tends to release new components in complement with something else, like the Haswell generation CPU. One Manager described to me that he has noticed over the last decade that Alienware does not usually implement new hardware in the middle of a quarter, unless some sort of recall is in effect. Of course we were speaking about the Alienware M18x, not any other system, but it wouldn't make sense for them to make such a drastic change if the R3 was going to be released in less than a year after. Unless the R3 will not exist, throwing in new components wouldn't be very wise, economically speaking.

I'm not, and never meant to say that it won't happen, but it is highly unlikely. To be honest, I'd love to see it...I even delayed purchasing my system from the end of the summer until December just to see if it would be implemented, and it never was. If they managed to squeeze two of them into the M18x, they would have to downclock the hell out of it and you wouldn't be able to overclock it, rendering its purpose useless.

I agree, certain aspects of Apple's industrialization and mobilization tactics are quite impressive. Take their supply-chain management for example, it is outstanding. Apple has the ability and obligation to monitor sales hourly from all over the world. Everything is managed perfectly from manufacturing to the sales floor, it's simply unique and impressive. When it comes to taking Thunderbolt and replacing USB with it, I don't see how that is "learning from Apple." Given that Thunderbolt is popular and would be a possible feature, I personally don't see a need for them. When I think "Thunderbolt", Apple comes to mind - not Alienware.

 

If Dell follows Apple's ideas, I'll switch to Clevo without hesitation. Apple's main principle is to make customers buy something they don't really need, and then convince them that there's no alternative. Make a super slim 15 notebook with mid-range + overheating + throttling components, on-board GPU/CPU/ram (zero upgradeability, single chip fails -> everything fails), add a ips screen with double pixel density (completely unusable in reality, unless your retinas are of no value to you) and put a price tag of 2-3k for averagely spec'ed computing device with very limited connectivity, compatibility and performance...

 

Don't forget the overzealous acquisition of copyrights and patents to "innovations" on already invented products. Apple does not invent anything, they innovate and try to patent it for themselves. This was a huge mistake on their part, taking on Samsung - hah. I laughed as I watched the ruling on the business channel. Their stock dropped instantly because of this. Gotta give them credit though, they are great at what they do. Whether or not it's legitimate in our eyes, it doesn't matter - it's profitable.

See what we started unitoyle? Saw it coming from a mile away! No problem though, I love a good discussion. Just hope Mods don't infract us for doing so... (off-topic).

 

more like, some of the techs even manager you spoke with from Dell don't know much, I for one wouldn't trust them too much on this. however, if a representative on NBR states this would be a lot different. PSU is one of the problem, not enough power but there are ways around it. if 680mx is compatible with m18x, I for one would try it out. the real problem isnt enough power, it is cooling, and two 680mx non overclocked will probably best 680m over clocked. 680mx is basically on par with 660Ti, that is one powerful desktop card.

I am not happy to see 680mx in an all in one computer but I can live with it since they are only getting one card, not SLI. but not having thunderbolt and esata6G is kinda lame. theres not much they can do for esata6G cause of chipset limitation, with haswell and lynx point coming up, and all becoming sata6G, esata should be 6G too.

thunderbolt bandwidth is definitely overkill, without esata6G on a computer, thunderbolt is truely one kind of it's own without any internal controller bottleneck unlike USB 3 that is why I want it. how I wanted it was the same how you wanted 680mx then not wanting 680mx, samething. I am aiming for multiple drives in an external raid enclosure to go above 300-400mb/s imo thunderbolt can do it, esata6G can do it so I want it.

 

They should focus on producing fishing bait instead. That's their best area of expertise anyway, - take something that already exists but no one wants and wrap it into an eye-candy package, so the customer can easily bite, then set the hook....