*OFFICIAL* M15x Benchmark Thread

Welcome to the first installment of the Alienware M15x 'All Powerful' Benchmark thread here on NBR. During our recent poll, several M15x owners responded with an interest in having a dedicated benchmark thread - so here it is!

There are several apps which can be used to benchmark your system. Following is a short list of some which are typically used. There are others and the core benchmarking members will have plenty of suggestions - so ask away.

• 
  FutureMark Benchmark Apps
• PCMark Vantage
• 3DMark Vantage
• 3DMark 06
  
  Component Benchmark Tools
• POVRay v3.7 (multi-threaded version)
• Fritz 9 Chess Benchmark - standalone
• SuperPi Mod v1.5
• HDTune
• Everest Ultimate - Trial Version
• HWiNFO32
• MaxxPI²
  
  Game Benchmark Tools
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat benchmark
• Resident Evil 5 Benchmark
• Unigine Heaven
• Crysis Benchmark Tool v1.05

A word of caution concerning benchmarking... While benchmarking / number chasing can be quite a bit of fun, please be aware that benchmarking your system is pushing your system to its limits. It can and will stress your components. Do so at your own risk - nobody is responsible for this but you.

Finally, as with all threads here on NBR, please remember the forum rules when posting. Also please note, any images posted which cause page scrolling will be removed. Repeat offenders will receive infractions. There is no reason you cannot take a moment to resize or use thumbnail previews. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation with this.

To see the 'Top scores list', CLICK HERE. (Thanks DR650SE)

Have fun folks and lets see how far you can push the M15x!

 

Awesome! Thanks Batboy, can't wait to see the results!

 

http://service.futuremark.com/home.action?resultId=1842345&resultType=19
Is this a normal score?

 

These are the marks with an M15x i7, up-to-date drivers and patched under Windows 7 Pro, i7 720 with a 260m. Sorry, don't have a licensed version right now to link to:

3dMark06 - 11,400 *** Updated after I unloaded the frickin' McAffee software ***

Date Jan 30, 2010 11:28 CST Jan 16, 2010 17:56 CST
Pro user No No Yes
OS Windows 7 Windows 7
CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 720 @ 1.60GHz Intel Core i7-975 Processor Extreme Edition
CPU Speed 1596 MHz MHz 5012 MHz
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 170M ATI Radeon HD 5870
Memory 6144 MB MB 2560 MB

 

http://service.futuremark.com/home.action?resultId=1842752&resultType=19
http://service.futuremark.com/home....2FF663700FCBA0?resultId=1853663&resultType=19

Vantage score @ stock
cpu:33112/16115 (physx on/off)
gpu:4946

3D Mark 06: 12414 @ stock

 

Configuration: Intel i7 i820qm, 4GB DDR3 1333 MHz, 900p display (hence the 1280x800 run), nVidia GTX 260M (it was overclocked in this run).

3DMark06:


3DMark Vantage:

 

Well ive got the exact same score..
Guess I need moar overclockage =D

 

Grand Theft Auto IV

Running stock clocks @ (550/950/1350)

Statistics
Average FPS: 32.60
Duration: 37.21 sec
CPU Usage: 52%
System memory usage: 54%
Video memory usage: 97%


Graphics Settings
Video Mode: 1920 x 1080 (60 Hz)
Texture Quality: High
All other quality settings (water, reflection, etc.): on highest *
Texture Filter Quality: Highest
View Distance: 32
Detail Distance: 40

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Video Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
Video Driver version: 186.47
Audio Adapter: Speakers (IDT High Definition Audio CODEC)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 820 @ 1.73GHz

Running OC'd @ (680/1075/1575)

Statistics
Average FPS: 39.46
Duration: 37.00 sec
CPU Usage: 53%
System memory usage: 59%
Video memory usage: 97%

Graphics Settings
Video Mode: 1920 x 1080 (60 Hz)
Texture Quality: High
All other quality settings (water, reflection, etc.): on highest*
Texture Filter Quality: Highest
View Distance: 32
Detail Distance: 40


Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Video Adapter: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
Video Driver version: 186.47
Audio Adapter: Speakers (IDT High Definition Audio CODEC)
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q 820 @ 1.73GHz

*I felt i should add that all other details were maxed since the benchmark notes didn't seem to say that.

3Dmark06 Stock
11517 3DMarks

 

3060 PCMark, is this normal? It looks low to me

 

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dm06=13102851 new replacement M15x with A03 from factory

 

You can see my specs in my sig. All tests are with factory clocks (550/950/1350). 6194 is my best combined score, and my lowest is about 100 pts lower. I fluctuate quite a bit in between my high and low and I haven't found much rhyme or reason for it. My score doesn't consistently go up or down when I use the Rivatuner/Throttlestop fixes. The only part of the test that I see GPU throttling is during the CPU Test 2 (Physics), which requires nothing from the GPU anyway.

Vantage = 6194

CPU = 32432
GPU = 4879

 

sweet, finally have something to compare my system to.

 

I ran mine and it says that I have an nvidia 170m?!?

 

Its normal. They really need to update their DB eh?

 

I think its actually what Nvidia was going to call it before their die shrink of GT220 failed so miserably and then they were like well we shall just pass this off ...

 

whats scores did you get?

 

The 2nd CPU test does make use of the GPU if PhysX is enabled, we should probably decide now whether we want it on or off in our benchmarks.

For me 3DMark Vantage:
GPU: 4864
CPU: 26819/12017 (PhysX on/off)

My SSD has been delivered to work, I'll have some some comparisons tomorrow.

 

good point, also i updated score to show with physx off

 

Ah! Just doubled my PCMark Vantage score, now its 5950.
I'm thinking about overclocking, any advices?

 

Needs more score!

 

wow this is sad, no one else wants to add some benches. i guess all the benchers went and bought a M17 r2,lol

 

Too busy playing games on mine to run benches - so nice to be able to run GTA4 and FSX so they look and run well, and Mass Effect 2 is lovely!

A

 

3d Mark Vantage
GPU 4962
CPU 24722

Config: Intel Core i7 720qm 6gb Ram 1333Mhz Nvidia GeForce GTX 260m

Is this good...

 

yeah that is right for you config. thanks for posting

 

PCMarkSuite 5713 ..

is this any good.

My M15x's keyboard has some flex. Shall i call the tech support for replacement for the M15x or just ask them to replace the keyboard. Does it make a difference.,, Like will something become faulty afterwards. This itself is a replacement because the last one had a clicking noise.... palm rest... Will the tech guy take the whole laptop apart is it very easy to replace the keyboard...

Thnx for the reply InappropriateName_3.. Nice Name btw.. even though it is inappropriate...

 

thanks but the name wasn't my choice, the mods changed it, lol. your score seems on par. and keyboard flex is normal, if you want a replacement it is pretty easy to install. i have it flex to but it doesn't really bother me enough to do the fix. another option is to take the key board out and shim with an old credit card or just simply flex the keyboard the opposite direction. also here is a link to a service manual if you should ever need to take the laptop apart, it just good to have around.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/M15x/en/index.html

 

wouldn't it void the warranty for the laptop...

Did anyone try any overclocking.... on the m15x. it has quite nice cooling ....

I've read the keyboard replacement but the thing is do you have to remove so many components before replacing the keyboard. Can you not just take the three screws out and replace it.

In the Manual it says

Removing the Keyboard
Follow the instructions in “Before You Begin” on page 1. 6.
Remove the battery pack (see “Removing the Battery Pack” on page 2. 11).
Remove the compartment door (see “Removing the Compartment Door” on 3. page 14).
Remove the hard drive (see “Removing the Hard Drive” on page 4. 17).
Remove the memory module(s) (see “Removing the Memory Module(s)” on 5. page 21).
Remove the center control cover (see “Removing the Center Control Cover” 6. on page 30).
Remove the three screws that secure the keyboard to the computer.

 

Resident Evil 5 Direct X 10 Variable

Settings: Maxed Out
Resolution 1920x1080
Full Screen
Vertical Sync ON
Anti Aliasing C16XQ
Motion Blur On
All Details High

AVERAGE FPS 24.6fps

Settings : Default
Resolution : 1280x720
Full Screen
Vertical Sync OFF
Anti Aliasing OFF
Details High

Average FPS: 83.6fps

Settings:
Resolution 1920x1080
Full Screen
Vertical Sync ON
Anti Aliasing C8xQ
Motion Blur On
All Details High

AVERAGE FPS 29.4fps

 

Resident Evil 5 Direct X 10 Variable

Settings:
Resolution 1920x1080
Full Screen
Vertical Sync OFF
Anti Aliasing OFF
Motion Blur On
All Details High

AVERAGE FPS 45.0fps

 

for 3dmarkvantage i got

cpu: 5195
gpu: 4022


why are everyone elses cpu score so much higher????

 

Looks like stealth mode is on.

 

$%^@, what if I know that stealth mode wasn't on. ;-/


Please help!

 

3dmark06 - 11137

 

nevermind I read that that benchmark is skewed. Like if you have physx enabled your cpu score gets jacked up considerably and is not realistic (or maybe it's the other way around, can't remember). Anyway...my problem was related to settings...

 

Finally got off SC2 to do these Everything is stock/default and I guess i should have closed my other programs that i had running in the back ground but meh.

3DMark06:


3DMarkVantage:


PCMarkVantage:

 

What kind of FPS and settings are you getting in SC2??

 

I realy dont understand this i have used 3d marks 06 basic like some others and my marks as follows
6134 3d mark
sm2.0 score - 2320
sm3.0 score - 3124

cpu score - 1575

why are these marks so over the place when users use the same as me and there scores seem so much highersome are 1100 odd, mine is not on stealth, its so confuseing

 

Resident Evil 5

Max settings 2XAA - 50fps

 

With everything set on Ultra and fraps running in the background (not recording just using the fps option), i get a max of 44-47 fps. When things go absolutely nuts, i.e. mass carriers and huge battle going on, it dipps to about 27-31 fps. Average seems to be around 35-39 fps.

I'll try it on high settings next to see what the difference is between High and Ultra.

 

Another Update for SC2 since i have been getting a lot of PMs about FPS

On High settings, i get a max of 68-70 FPS when things are going nuts it drops to about 38-42 and the average is around 52-55 ish.

To be completely honest I cannot see the difference between High and Ultra. The only time i see a slight difference in the 2 settings is when you zoom in to the ground view - the textures are slightly sharper and slightly more detailed.

 

Thank you very much for the info, I appreciate it.

 

I'll be benchmarking a whole lot when I get my 720QM 260M.

Sorry it's not the top CPU, I saw it as the best cost option.

I love benches so thanks for this info and when I receive my machine I'll be benching it to hell I'm very curious to see how the I7 architecture handles Multicore rendering and encoding.

The 260M is a nice card, although it's not really a 200 series chip. (it's a G92b apparently, so it's architecture is more like a 9800GTX). I'm curious to see how it handles PhysX and Video crunching

Overclocking the GPU should be easy enough (has anyone tried BIOS OC?) but I know nothing of OC on a I7 mobile.. Any tools available?

 

Has anyone fitted a 280M to their m15x? I heard it was also a mxm3 part. I guess there would be power issues then, but just curious.. If combined with a lower power (arrandale) CPU - perhaps it would be possible?

 

I think Moo did. I forgot if it work or not the only problem was the temperature it got hotter than the gtx 260m. That shouldn't be a problem though since the M15x have a excellent cooling system.

 

I tried reading this up but I didn't really understand it too well.

I'm getting the i7-720qm in my m15x with the 260m and 3gb 1333mhz ram.

Let's say that I only use 2 cores for an application I'm on (WoW) , exactly how fast will those 2 cores be running since it doesn't require all 4 cores to run?

I'm just really trying to understand how these quad cores work.
Thanks

 

I think it's no problem but you can get the 260 close to 280 specs with an OC which imo makes it hardly worth the $350+ amount for the card. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this thought.

 

Have a look at link for oc 260m.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=454278

 

Thanks for the info..

Can the M15x fit a Quadro FX 3700M?

Alienware should offer one for workstation users (or at least a quadro optionm whichever one is compatible with MXM3.0b)

 

Damn.. Check this out...

GPU score without beta driver and no OC was 4962

http://service.futuremark.com/home....4905E164CC40F2?resultId=1992719&resultType=19

VANTAGE SCORE: 7411

Now GPU score 5986 ...

Missed 6000 by 14..

GPU OC to 650/1100/1700

Attached Image
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EDIT: SPECS are i7 720 qm GTX 260M 6gb 1333mhz

 

Well just benched using 3dmark Vantage, my 260M OC to 675/1100/1690 stable... nb run i guess, my cpu looks a little low... but ohwell.. here it is:

3DMARK VANTAGE SCORE:

P7458

Gpu: 6011
CPU: 28857