*OFFICIAL* Alienware 13 R1/R2 Owner's Lounge

I'm more curious on the size of the laptop. I'm comparing the models. I was hoping the 15 would be the same or even slightly smaller in size of my 14x.
It's pretty close except the width.

Alienware 15
Height Front: 1.34" / 34.0mm
Depth: 10.64" / 270.2mm
Width: 15.19" / 385.8mm
Average weight: 7.07Lbs / 3.2078Kg

Alienware 13
Height Front: 1.04" / 26.34mm
Depth: 9.252" / 235mm
Width: 12.913" / 328mm
Average weight: 4.537Lbs

Alienware M14x
Height 1.5 inches
Depth 10.1 inches
Width 13.3 inches
Weight 6.5 pounds

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at these scores, the Alienware 13 is a waste of time if you were interested in it because of the graphics amplifier. Score comparison:

3DMark 2013 Fire Strike
Alienware 13 + Graphics Amplifier GTX 980 (344.75) | Core i5-4210U
(scores taken from Dell Alienware 13 Notebook Review - NotebookCheck.net Reviews)
Score: 6453 Points
Graphics score: 11349 Points
Physics score: 3366 Points
Combined score: 2257 Points

3DMark 2013 Fire Strike
MSI GS30 + Graphics Dock GTX 980 | Core i7-4870HQ
(scores taken from 게이밍 독으로 3D 퍼포먼스 극대화, MSI GS30 Shadow - 노트포럼)
Score: 11012 Points
Graphics score: 13725 Points
Physics score: 9255 Points
Combined score: 5012 Points

The whole reason I wanted the Alienware 13 was because of the Graphics Amplifier. Now I see that the Graphics Amplifier is kinda worthless with the Alienware 13. SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I AM MISTAKEN ABOUT THESE NUMBERS!

 

Of course its a waste with this processor.
Better look at a AW15

 

Thank you. It does come down to a cross-section of what you need when. My wife simply cannot tolerate loud fan noise for instance, the AW 13 is reasonably quiet. Hell, I ran Assassin's Creed: Unity on it and it never got very loud. The AW 15 and MSI GS30 both will be significantly louder I suspect.as they should be given their processor.

I'm on the fence about it all. I am enamored with the 1440p screen, and would have to have the TrueLife screen now in a 15. That alone kicks the AW 15 high up to make me have doubts. I wish I could get hands on with a 15 for a time before the 15th of January to decide if I would rather go with the 15.

The one thing to consider is that Intel according to an article Dre pointed out would put Silverlake out the latter half of 2015. It sounds like Dell is going to bypass Broadwell for much of their lineup, so it's making me think that I will likely stay with the AW 13 i5 for now (as an M11x replacment) and wait for the 15 to launch with Silverlake as it is a technology shift across the board. The i7 would be nice, but after what I have gone through just to get a non-issue system I am gun-shy on going through it again with an i7, sad as that is to say

 

Nevermind....

 

This might be the result of the ULV CPU + x4 bandwidth + PCI-E 2.0 connectivity (ULV CPUs support at best PCI 2.0).
When the GA is combined with the 13, the main point of it is a better gaming experience. When paired with the 15 or 17 R2, the main point is a better benchmarker.

 

SO my question is the alienware 15 going to run the graphics amp at full x16 pcie GEN 3 based on the fact it doesnt have a ULV cpu?
I cant get good facts here..........what is the deciding factor the on board chip of the laptop or the Actual Graphics amp itself that limits the x4 PCIE?

would it be safe to say that that if the Current amplifier's hardware itself isnt capable of 16x that later on they will release another revision and the laptop will take full advantage of it?

 

The deciding factor is the number of pins Alienware included on the cable that connects the Amplifier to the laptop. The Amplifier itself is 16x, but the cable limits it to 4x because the cable has fewer pins. There is talk of upgrading the cable in the future, but according to reddit comments by Alienware employee thexravenx, they went with 4x because the difference between 4x and 16x is, at most, only a 5% drop in performance. PCI-e 4x vs 16x is not nearly as important as the CPU. A beefy CPU is important to the performance of the graphics card in the Amplifier. The beefier CPU of the Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 will work well with the Graphics Amplifier. If you want to use the Graphics Amplifier, get the 15 or the 17, not the 13.

 

So the connection on the Laptop is capable of of pcie x16 Gen 3 and the graphics amplifier itself is capable of the same?

but the cable is the limiting factor?? doesnt sound right......

also you say the 13 is not able to because of the ULV CPU......do you have that in a article anywhere....ive been hunting but cant find any specs like this?

anyone here with the Graphics amplifer can Take a picture of the Board around the PCIE slot to see if it say Pcie 16x gen 3

 

You need to read through pages 201, 202, and 203 of this thread because that is all we have been talking about.
Also read this: Alienware 13 Graphics Amp Unboxing : Alienware
And this: Dell Alienware 13 Notebook Review - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

Summary: Stop worrying about 16x vs 4x because it doesn't matter too much. Dell is sticking with 4x and they have said NOTHING about bumping it up to 16x. The Alienware 13 will always be stuck at 4x, and even if it wasn't stuck at 4x the ULV doesn't have any extra power to take advantage of 16x.

 

i wasnt in any means looking into this for the alienware 13 i was looking into it for the Alienware 15 i just ordered with the new 900m chip.......

 

The 15 and 17 R2 ill have the GA run at its proper PCI 3.0 speed.
However, to change the bandwidth from 4x to 16x, they'll need a wider cable. Look at MSI's Gaming dock to see what I mean.

 

On this whole question... it's amazing that people are getting worked up without looking into the facts of 4x vs 16x ... it's what, a 5% difference in real world measurements? Shows MSI's typical dis-ingeniousness... playing on ignorance to get a footing in the market... kind of like their range of "turn 'em out, burn 'em out" ultrabook designs.

 

I've looked into PCI 2 vs. PCI 3 (though the source never showed x4 in their tests) and do know about the x4's 5% drop.
The only major thing here is the ULV CPU the 13 has. The other two factors would contribute at worst a 7% drop because PCI 2 isn't that much slower than PCI 3 (it's almost unnoticeable) and at best a 4% drop compared to an actual desktop (disregarding the ULV factor).
I'm guessing Alienware chose a x4 PCI cable to lower costs on the GA and the laptops. The MSI GS30 costs $1700 to $2000 with the dock (too many sources cite a price within this range). Now then, onto a close comparsion.
The MSI GS 30 sports an i7-4870HQ, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of SSD storage (2x128 GB RAID 0), 1080p screen and the dock for a cost in the given range (here it says $2000). Okay, so what about the Alienware 13? A 13 with an i7-5500U, GTX 860m, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB M.2 (1x256 GB), 1080p screen, and the GA costs about $1900; $1825 with the $75 dollar coupon.
The 13 has a better GPU and bigger battery (52whr versus 47whr) from the get go while the GS30 has a better CPU and SSD array (but to be blunt, that's if anybody notices the speed difference). So in a sense, they're both priced similarly. One is better on the go while the other is better at home. There is no stark differences between them because of the amount of advantages one has on the other (which is to say, they're almost equal).

 

And he drops the mic!!!

 

Great breakdown, it really strikes at what I have been saying - frequently designs are have be judged relative to what their true intent is. The bottom line AW 15 is really, well, a less portable AW 13 for basically the same price. Many would conclude that the 15 is automatically the better machine all things being equal because it has a bigger screen, but what if size and portability matter more? It really comes down to how you most intend to use something as to how good a fit it is.

 

That statement about the AW15 is only true if you're buying the base model. And honestly, with the 13 now getting the i7-5500U, a maxed 13 will be better than a base 15. However, I suspect most people are going to spring for the next level up and get the AW15 with the quad-core CPU. Yeah, it's not going to run as cool, will get crappier battery life... but at least it has a possibility of pushing the GA with a good card in it.

For my part, I canceled my order for my i7 AW13 yesterday and instead ordered the 15. I ended up about $200 higher, but I also made some concessions like only putting in 8GB of RAM (because RAM upgrades later are easy and cheap) and dropped to a 1080p screen (my AW13 had the 1440p screen). Basically the latter decision came down to the fact that i have never really liked glossy screens more than the resolution. And if I really need resolution, I will have my GA with a maxed out desktop card attached to a 4K external screen. I just don't need more than 1080p in a 15" form factor.

 

crappier battery life will be my concern!

 

Then honestly, Alienware may not be for you. The i7 13 will get pretty decent battery life... about 3-4 hours normal usage and about 2 hours gaming at a rough guess. About the same as the i5. The 15 is what I was referring to; the quad-core CPU has a TDP of 47 watts. Between that and the GTX970m or 980m it's either going to have a massive battery or is going to get shorter runtimes than the 13. But portability isn't a massive concern when you start moving up to a 15. When gaming, mine's going to be close to an outlet or on my desk, hence why I made the change to the 15. Besides, a 15 is just too large to use in a coach seat on a plane comfortably. For ultimate portability I already have a Surface Pro; my AW is replacing a Macbook Pro in my life.

 

I'm really debating sending my 13 back for the 15 or gs30 but that 15 is bulky really bulky. I might even consider the hp omen. This is tuff that ulv is the killer for me

 

That's exactly why I said "bottom line" The only real concession with the AW 15 bottom end unit (which is still very useful) is it's weight, it;s 7..01 pounds vs. 4.53 for the 13. I have no issue with the 1080p IPS panel at all, it is a great screen and I would not lie awake at night fretting if that was all I could get. After years of lifeless colors and poorer contrast on my other systems the IPS is a God-send. The 1440p just kicks it up a notch.

Really wish Dell would do a year-long laptop rental program, I'd almost be happier with that (I foresee that happening one day down the road in a number of years).

If I could ensure that the AW 15 with the quad and 980m would run quietly enough I would be all over it, as it stands I won't know until people start getting them in hand : /

 

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Well hold on about battery life. The XPS 13 has the same i7 as the 13, and if it touts 11 hours (according to Intel), then we should expect something similar from the 13. Broadwell-U, as Intel claims, is to be more efficient than Haswell-U.
Now for the 15... I would expect good results from it but at most 7 hours.

 

@ Game7a1. 7 hours?
that will great, but I don't think it will!

 

jfyi i am sending my aw13 back for a refund. Except for the poor implementation of the ga, i am very dissapointed of the build quality of the aw13.
maybe i am just unlucky, but i got two keyboards and both broke at a very short time of usage (on the first one the "m" key came loose and on the second one the "return"-key didnt work)

 

I manged 7 hours once on my m14xR2, which had a smaller battery. The 15's battery rivals the m18x's battery, so it should last 7 hours at most with the proper settings.
Keep in mind that the GPU would have to be an Nvidia one, preferably the GTX 965m. CPU doesn't matter as they're both 47w. And as well, I don't mean 7 hours of gaming. I suspect 2 hours of it on the Nvidia GPU. Maybe 3 with battery boost.

 

Manufacturers time their battery life in unrealistic circumstances usually... all the radios off and basically idling. Maybe some light word-processing simulated loads with the screen at half brigtness. I don't know about you, but I think it's been years since I used a laptop without the WiFi and Bluetooth on, and my brightness preference is usually a minimum of about 60-75%. That combined with heavier work (Excel spreadsheets with lots of calculations and pivot tables), or indeed gaming loads are going to take their toll.

When my Macbook Pro (the "ex") came out that I have, the rags and Apple went on and on about how great the battery life was; 7 hours they said. Best I EVER got out of that box was just under four hours of nominal use... not playing games at all. I use my laptops in the real world, not Apple's labs

I've just come to expect that now. I see a battery life stat on a web page and I just multiply it by 60%. I haven't been disappointed in a laptop purchase since I started doing that (long before the aforementioned ex) but rarely have I been nicely surprised, either. YMMV... almost literally. It's also worth noting that my experience with gaming laptops is that they tend to go slightly shorter in battery life than most consumer laptops since most of the time you can rarely get optimum performance out of them without a connection to the wall.

 

That's really bright. Do you work in a dark room or something? I usually hover around 5 to 25%, considering that I'm so used to dim laptops and that Alienware laptops have bright panels.
Geez, if we are talking about idling, my HP laptop would have gone the whole day. Kept looking at it when the power went out, and the idle barely consumed the battery with 100% brightness. After 40 minutes, at 98% charge. Though, this isn't representative f the true battery life.

 

the # 2 key on the 13 I returned wasn't working at one point but I was a software problem no the keyboard. the build quality of Alienware is the best you can find out there.! I'M about to order the new Alienware 15 soon!

 

So this is a thing for the 13. 1800p panels (QHD+).
Anybody want to give it a go?

 

Hello!

I'm going to buy 3 AW13 for my company but I need to know if 1920x1080 is a good screen (glossy or matte?)... Do you also know if an other graphic card was annouced instead of 860mGTX?
I'll take it with I7 processor, is it always I7 5500u purposed?

Thanks very much for your help!
Best regards from France

 

Finally in production

 

No other GPU has been announced for the 13.
The i7 will be the i7-5500U.
And the 1080p panel, from reviewers and members here, is good.

 

Same here.

 

Salut!

The 1080p is matte (aka anti-glare).
I really enjoy my system. It is extremely quiet and battery life is great (especially since I added the 500GB SSD)

No other GPU options announced at the moment.

Je peux avoir des discounts chez Dell donc si ca vous interesse je peux vous donner un prix pour la configuration que vous voulez (clavier US par contre). Envoyez moi un message en cas d'interet!

Salutations depuis les etats unis (je suis originaire de suisse romande).

 

I wouldn't recommend to customers who play games that aren't optimized for DPI settings (Text Scaling).

 

so returned my aw 13 today with i5 1080p screen and now debating to either do the i7 with qhd or go msi ghost or even the brick aw 15. My issue is if I go with the 13 with qhd if games cant play at that res can you lower it down, and to what so it scales right. I thought the 1080p screen was good I just had so much led bleeding I could not live with. Also the msi ghost has that 970m which is beast but there brand has always scared me. And then the 15 is just a brick for a 15 but 970m anyone gosh this is tuff. Anyone try the aw 13 with the qhd display

 

Now that there is a new variant of the i7 available what is everyone's thoughts on the 5500u causing throttling? Ive read a lot of complaints about the i5 causing throttling and its been holding me back from possibly making a purchase.

 

Hey new to the Alienware 13 forum not sure if these questions have been asked yet so I apologize if they have. Any assistance would be great

1. Has anyone had any mousepad issues? I just got replacement approval because my left touchpad button is stuck. I know it is not clickable but when I check the mousepad icon it is pressed down even when I am not even touching it.
2. Can this laptop be configured in Raid 0? Is there an open msata port somewhere on this laptop?
3, Has anyone had issues installing the Crucial M550 256GB SSD drive. It has been a known issue with this ssd that some but not all laptops have an issue detecting this ssd when installed internally. Externally there are no issues. I think I will be returning this and putting a Samsung pro or Evo 256gb drive in
4. I am about to order the amplifier and want to know if it is worth spending the $300+ extra for a 980gtx vs 970 going for the PNY model
5. Monitor wise anyone had a chance to test the amplifier on the new 34" Curved Dell monitor I am upgrading from the 29" widescreen I currently have excited to hear some feedback about this if anyone has any.

 

2. There is no mSATA port in the 13. Since you got a hard drive, you only have room for one 2.5" drive.
3. The 2.5" m550 doesn't work but the M.2 does. Not so sure about the mSATA with a SATA adapter.
4. I would wait for a reliable for before plunging for the GA.

 

Sorry for the noob question but what is "led bleeding?"

 

I just had my LCD panel replaced. Feels good to continue using AW13 after receiving it from FedEx.

I have no idea what LED bleeding means. Could it mean the keyboard lights? They can be turned off permanently though.

If someone is meaning the LCD screen panel, then that's a wrong term to use. Official specs say it's an LCD panel and not LED screen panel.

 

LED Bleeding, or more commonly known as backlight bleeding, is, well, what is sounds like. Too much lighting in an area where it looks off and distracting. It's common in LED panels, and in this case, IPS as well (will need to double check that). It's almost unavoidable, but the idea is to get very little bleeding. TN panels don't suffer as much from backlight bleeding compared to IPS panels.
This is all I gather from googling "led bleeding". I guess this source can tell it better than I did.

 

Thanks Game7a1 & gabswiss for you answers!!

 

Well we don't know how much better the 5500u is to the 4210u. Maybe around 20 to 30% better is what I guess.
You'll have to wait until next month to find out if the i7 does a much better job with the GTX 860m (it's already going to be better, but by how is a bit unknown).

 

For those who got a M.2, is there another screw available to use if you wanted to install another M.2?
If not, could you describe the size of the screw?

 

Given the fact that the broadwell i7 doesn't ship for another month AND the $300 price hike, I'm going with Aorus. I can get a 3 year warranty + significantly better hardware on the new X3 V3, keeping it out of the realm of disposable computer. (The GA is cool, but not for me given my constant country-hopping!).

 

hey game question I notice u are getting the qhd screen, do you know if we can downscale the res for games that can't play at that res? also do u know if that res has the same edge lit led like the 1080p screen.

 

Asking on something irrelevant. Okay...
I'm joking. Yes, you can be able to downscale games don't don't support or run well at 1440p (same applies to 1080p as well). You ca do the same for Windows (background) as well.
As for the edge lit led, I can't really say. My 13 is in production, but I think Docsteel, who somehow got two 13's with 1080p and 1440p, can answer this question. My best guess is maybe.

Uh, correction, it's $150. But it's not going to change your mind anyways.

 

If you have any questions about the Ghost Pro, PM Me. I have had the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro with GTX 970M and the 3K IPS panel since late November 2014.