New M6500 Discussion Thread

The FX3800 is the current generation card. The ATI 7740 is the previous generation card based off the DX10 48xx range and is due for replacement very soon with a card based off the DX11 58xx range.

I previously owned an Alienware M17x but ended up with a full refund based on the DPC latency issues with audio stutter. I have ordered a M6500 (due end of the month) because of its:

1) overall spec (i7, 16GB and 2 drive bays are awsome for VMs)

2) small size/weight considering what it has (it is bang on half way between my Macbook pro and my AlienwareM17x on size and weight. Perfect)

3) Enterprise build quality and driver certifications (I just want it to work!)

4) Powerful graphics *without* SLI. I have owned the XPS1730 and the Alienware M17x. Both SLI and both times the SLI part has been expensive and more trouble that it is worth. Take my advice and avoid it - stick to a powerful single card.


Its not a laptop designed for gaming. But if you get a suitable discount and want a powerful laptop for work as well - its a great choice imo. Enough for me to stump up my own cash. I would stick with the ATI card as it appears to be benching slightly better on games than the FX3800 - and its cheaper.


Just my 2cents

 

I can honestly say that the 3800M and probably the ATI too make the M6500 a serious gaming option.

Everything i've played has worked so well.

Starcraft 2 beta at Max settings. Demigod at Max settings.

 

Hi new here!
Just ordered a m6500 covet my first laptop ever. Will have questions about upgrades after reading through thread. Testing sig and posting.
Thanks!

 

Yes and no.

Yes it has the power. But No because for the money you can get a "true" gaming laptop with SLI and optimised gaming graphics cards. With the M6500 you get powerful cards that are focused and certified (which is part of the cost) for high end graphic packages.

If you wanted a true gaming laptop then the M6500 is not it. However in my own case I wanted a true hybrid - something capable of high end work with a top CPU and massive amounts of RAM, a highly professional setup with properly tested drivers and something that can also kick some at gaming.

To me - someone who has no interest in the graphics design area - the M6500 is a true hybrid But it comes at a definate price premium.

 

Hi, finally my 6500 has arrived (since 5/12) but with any disc or docs of the graphic card (the Ati 7740), also there isn't any control panel in the system to configure it.
Can any ATI card's owners tell me if this is normal?

Excuse me for my poor english...

 

Hi dviv,

you should find the ATI catalyst control center in the taskbar notification area - where you see the clock e.g. The ATI icon is likely hidden. Click on the up arrow which sits left to the small notification icons. In the hidden list, you should find the ATI icon. Right click it and choose Catalyst Control Center.

It integrates into Windows Explorer as well. Just right click any folder and you should find the ATI CCC entry as well.

HTH

 

Thanks for the info Sven, I have done what you tell me but there is no Ati icon there nor in the taskbar notification area or in Windows Explorer....

 

Hmm - I installed Win7 x64 from scratch and installed the ATI drivers from support.dell.com.
I guess those should be the same you get when you use the preconfigured Windows from Dell. If not your should grab them from support.dell.com and install them. Without those drivers I got no Windows Aero support e.g.

 

My Covet came with the 64 GB SSD and a downgrade XP x64. Interestingly, after installing Visual studio 2008 and trying to compile one of my apps, I found that .NET 2 was corrupt. After uninstalling all .NETs and reinstalling it works fine.

My Intel 160 GB arrived today. It was pretty much a snap to install as the secondary HD. Dell included the secondary frame and interposer (it even included the screws). The Intel docs said the computer should recognize the drive, but it doesn't. Intel said if it didn't, instruct the BIOS to auto detect the new drive. I couldn't find anything in the BIOS to do this, but the BIOS does show the secondary as a 160 GB. But , when I boot up, I expected it to show up in Windows explorer but it doesn't. What am I missing?

Also, my order shows the 64 GB as a minicard, but it is installed in the primary drive slot. I thought with a minicard, we would be able to have three drives. How does that work?

Thanks for any help.

 

The drive needs to be formated before it will show in explorer. Please let us know if you need assistance.