Alienware M17-R1

I am looking for some help and advice, I know computers and never done anything like this before and want to try it. I bought an M17-R1 bare bones laptop and want to customize it. I have so many questions as to what to get because I don't want to get something that I think will work and then turn out not to work. So i figured that I would ask you guys first. The only thing the laptop does not come with is an operating system, hard drive, memory and an ethernet card. So here is what I am asking:

Video Card: it comes with a Dual ATI HD3870 512MB Video Card CrossFire

Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile QX9300 OEM 2.53Ghz 12MB 1066FSB SLB5J? Not sure if I should get this or any of the new stuff like the i3, I5, i7's?

Hard Drive: ? (not sure)

Ethernet Card: ? (not sure)

Memory: ? (not sure) I know that the max is 8gb

Again any help is greatly apperciated

 

You will be limited to what the motherboard will support. Core 2 is about it as I don't think there was a Core 2 Quad released for it. No i series CPU will fit in the socket. The ethernet should be integrated with the motherboard so not sure why it wouldn't be included? Please do some reading before spending money. You may know about computers but you still have some learning to do based on your questions, learning that isn't necessarily specific to this model of alienware. You ask about a hard drive but it should be common knowledge that pretty much any <=2TB 2.5" SATA drive will work in any notebook that supports 2.5" SATA. Any please don't take this the wrong way, just don't want you getting in over your head, limited knowledge and hard-to-find obscure parts do not make this an easy job.

 

That's why I posted to here. I want your opinions, comments and knowledge! I do as much research as possible before doing anything I haven't done before. When I say I know computers, that doesn't mean I know how to build them because I don't, I will be the first to admit it. I can get the Intel core 2 extreme processor. I just want to make sure that I am doing this properly and have the right hardware to do it.

 

We are here to help bud. I just don't want you to lose your mind or your money searching ebay over for these old parts.

 

Video card: Best ones are 4850 mxm 2.1, but they are impossible to find, and really expensive
Processor: Will only support core 2 series, core i processors will not fit.
The QX9300 is the fastest option, but it stutters, ty quad core support, I went with the X9100, overclocks nicely, and no stuttering
Wireless card: Any model, either full or half size will fit
Hard drive: and laptop harddrive/ssd will work
Memory: Any DDR3 memory will fit, but the speed will be limited to the FSB speed, so get 1333 (room if you overclock the FSB) hard to find 1066 nowadays

 

What was the issue with the QX9300? Anyone ever find a solution or the reason as to why? Too little power?

 

I wish I saw that sooner! I ended up buying the qx9300. I found a wireless card an intel 6300 half wifi card. I found 1066 ddr3 ram on newegg.com. I ended up getting 2 500gb hard drives. Now I want to know what you guys use for thermal grease!

 

@ protivakid

I couldn't find much online, I assumed since the processor and chipset share the same heatsink it was a heating issue, but I noticed stuttering with my Q9000 processor. I have reached 100 degrees with my X9100 and still no stuttering.
Its not power related, the voltage can be greatly increased, but the stuttering will persist.
I just blamed it on a ty bios, it got better with the latest bios, but Alienware never fixed it, and no more support after Dell ruined them.

 

I always use arctic silver seems to shed a few degrees off of the temps, I also chose the 6300, support for 3 antennas is nice.
Also did you get the skull cap or ripley back panel?

 

This is what I was saying with these old parts, I spent a lot of time buying/selling with my m5750 while I tried different parts. Let us know how it works, if not there is always ebay.

Was it all the Core 2 Quads in these models that stuttered while the Core 2 Duo's did not?

I used to use AS5 religiously as well but recently switched to GELID GC-Extreme after reading some comparisons. Really happy with it and even shaved a few degrees off my temps.

 

GELID GC-Extreme - do you have some link to it?

 

Over here in the states I grabbed it from NewEgg

GELID Solutions GC-Extreme Thermal Compound - Newegg.com

 

Actually neither of those are on the back panel. All that is on the panel are 2 skulls with wings on each side and in the middle is an eye that is vertical. I am gonna go with the gelid thermal compound. Now this is just for the cpu? Do you need to put some on the gpu as well?

 

In my m5750 the CPU & GPU share a heatsink so I always do both. If it's the same in yours then you must as well. Even if it isn't it's never a terrible idea to freshen up the paste every few years if you know how to properly apply it. The old stuff dries eventually and temps will shoot up. I did my original Xbox 360 with this stuff as well and it's fans hardly spin up fast anymore where as prior they were very loud to compensate for the poor heat dissipation.

 

I just wanted to say thank you guys for all your help!!!!! I built my laptop over the weekend and it works great! It's really fast and was easy put to put together!

 

What did you end up with specs? Any stuttering w/ games for the CPU?

 

I ended up using for memory g-skill ddr3 2x4gb 1066 ram. I put 2 500 gb seagate 7200 rpm hard drives in. I used the graphics cards that came with the laptop. I used an Intel 6300 half wifi card. I have not played any games on it.

 

Nice, surprised the M17-R1 was a DDR3 laptop but I guess DDR3 has been out a while now. Try some games on it, even some free ones. An aging game now but pretty sure Team Fortress 2 is still free on steam. Curious to see if you have stuttering.

How did you decide to go for the 2 HDD's over one SSD? Need that much space in the unit without using an external?

 

My Recommendations:

Leave your video card alone.

Leave your CPU alone. You go with a Core 2 Extreme (Dual) @3.06 which will perform better in apps with 2 threads...i wouldn't bother though.

Hard Drive: ? Western Digital BLACK Scorpio or Crucial Solid State ...Don't Go to expensive with SSD because this PC uses Sata 2...so the new expensive SATA 3 will not work at maximum performance.

Ethernet Card: ? OEM

Memory: ? 2x4 Crucial 1066mhz Memory

 

Actually it is better to use SSD Sata 3 drives over Sata 2 for many reasons:
- those are actually a lot cheaper per Gb
- can go higher capacity
- uses newer controller chips, means less bugs, better compatibility with newer OSes
- NANDs are more reliable, longer life, less errors
- backwards compatibility with SATA 2

What SSD makers brag about are continuous read/write speeds, what only matters if you do big file transfers, like video etc. In real life situation what really counts is 4Kb random read/write and number of IOPS. More often than not even newest SSD can't saturate SATA 2 interface capacity with 4Kb reads/writes.

 

Kool. Didn't know that^