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

pure gaming.... nothing more.. other than that the i5 is good enough for me...
wondering if gaming wise both cpu's are the same with gaming performance

 

The extra cache may help, but the difference is negligible at best. I'd get it because it will run cooler than Haswell, and will probably consume less energy (little better battery life).

 

That lower energy consumption will allow it to boost harder and longer too since the chip is TDP limited meaning it should have a frequency and IPC advantage.

 

I'm not sure if this has been asked before, but does the touch pad on the AW 13 light up like the other models? No reviews address this.

Thanks.

 

nop, it do not!

 

Definitely not I hear people say the pad that lights is considered better by most people who have tried both. Not being a big touchpad user I can't really say, I know it pales compared to a Macbook, but then just about everything does.

 

No one knows yet, but given that it is clocked slightly higher and a Broadwell part, my guess is it's going to fall around 15% on average. Nothing to sneeze at, but not a giant case against the i5 either. Now, if it is 30% faster across the board... then I will be selling mine soon enough

 

13:
14:
Have to say, I like the illumination on the newer keyboard compared to the older one. It's a little more brighter, and the colors pop out evenly.

 

And the i7 AW 13 has been updated to SHIPPED!

To be delivered Monday

I got the 1920x1080 IPS in case that shortened my build and shjp time.

 

The image of a person on an air mattress with a piece of plywood over the covers with a $1,100 laptop on it just made my day.

 

Nope, but I may slide one in the second port and clone everything over and then use the stock SSD for storage.

 

Wow! Congrats!
Mine went into production recently, but currently scheduled for delivery on the 30th (which was my originally quoted delivery date).
I noticed the ship dates of the new ones briefly changed from the 28th to the 26th then back to the 28th again. Now it's showing the 29th.

Do you know how long yours was "In Production"?

 

Sorry about the confusion in my post (between touchscreen and touchpad) - it was like 1:30 in the morning and I had just woke up on the couch and wasn't reading clearly lol.

Glad to hear you guys are finally getting the i7's in hand, curious to see what you think.

 

I would not, the airflow is seriously restricted as the fans pull in from the bottom. There are scads of cheap, light "coolers"; I own two of the same model, one for home and one I keep in luggage so when I travel I never lack one. I am in hotels enough on beds where it was a must. They are so light, and actually make it easier to use the laptop as it is more stable.

 

Oh well... when I used to have the 13. I was having some stuttering on Skyrim so I thought it was the 13. but no it do se same on my 18!

 

Same here!! Monday is the day!

 

Here some benchmarks of the I7 5500U : The new generation Broadwell processors are here – Intel Core i7-5500U review
Whats your opinion ??

 

This to me is really the issue... that games, particularly AAA games like Skyrim, Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, etc are built and aimed at serious desktops with serious graphic card capability. Even with the new 900-series cards, combined with the CPU's available even at the top end we are talking a fraction of what goes on in a serious desktop. That is why I didn't get so worked up as much about the question of quad vs dual cores in the AW 13. I would prefer an AW 13 to have a quad (and one day it will if the line continues long enough), but it's just unrealistic to expect laptops to dole out the same performance as a desktop. I am sure an AW 18 with dual GPU's is pretty good, I am also under no illusion that a desktop with the right CPU and GPU combination for essentially the same price is going to significantly perform better on the same game, particularly demanding titles. This reality is where I think a lot of assessments about laptops, particularly more modest ones breakdown in people's minds in judging a system and it's usefulness. it just isn't going to be optimal, even with the best laptop hardware, it's certainly not going to be with lesser laptop hardware. Then it all comes down to what you are willing to accept for performance at with what hardware. For instance, I just cannot accept playing FPS shooters on any of my laptops these days (though there was a time I did do BF2 back in the day frequently on my M17x-R2). The demands and video quality I need in an fps far exceed what laptops can do, so I don't worry about expecting it to play them (though this might change in the future with the Graphic Accelerator option if it takes hold). MMO's (which I play the most), strategy games, etc all are fine for me on a laptop (despite often being CPU-bound). Most games play pretty well on the majority of gaming laptops, but current AAA titles, really will I think have issues on laptops for a very long time to come.

 

Well, looks like it will be energy efficient to hold up several hours of web browsing. The integrated graphics looks the same power as last generation, i don't expect much improvement on that.

Seams the perfect combination of portability, energy consumption, and reasonably power for games on the go for me.

 

So ordered my alienware 15 with the basic 1tb 5200rpm hard drive and im planning on ordering a m.2 256gb SSD.....anyone know the exact size it supports cuz I realize there's lots of differnt sizes.

The one I have in mind is this one:
Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, and More - Newegg.com

Do you recommend that I change out the 5200rpm for a 7200 one ? Any real benifit ?

 

I think 7200 will show an advantage with speed but I personally see a lot of draw backs with them in such a small and tight chassy. They tend to creat more heat vibration and noise compared to a 5400. That extra heat can also shorten its life and performance consistency over time. Now I know people will probably swear by 7200 for its increase in speed, while not losing capacity at a very reasonable price. I still don't like those draw backs. In the end of the day obviously ssd...no brained best for way more money 1gb/dollar. I would personally look into the wd black2 that is what I will be using. It's got a 128gb ssd and 1tb 5400 drive built into one 2.5" drive. But it isn't a hybrid bc the computer sees the drive as actually 2 independent drives giving u the flexibility to choose what's on the ssd and what's on the hdd. Also for 130$ it's a great deal. Just my opinion

 

Mine went into production last Saturday, and Changed to shipped on Friday.

 

And I'm still siting here with a "still in production" 13.
Ugh... this wait hurts.

 

Because your QHD monitor requires more development and production time.

 

Sooo with all that hard drive stuff said and done......what size ssd will the 15 take?? Will that link I posted work? Would like to know before I order it.

Also if I used the samsung data migration tool...... to copy my windows install to my ssd will I have to do anything else like enable ssd trimming or any other craziness or its just a do it and forget it type thing

 

I suppose you are correct.
I'll update my signature when it says shipped. But until then...

 

What does the topic of this thread read?

 

Yeaaa im very aware.....but I'm sure they're the same size m.2 between the 13 and the 15......as far as form factor goes......... sabricaze thanks for the useless question.

 

Mine is still in production but it's a 1440p screen

 

Sometimes it happens with Dell, that the system does not refresh the status but the package is already sent. For those who have their laptops in production stage, check if is there any tracking number available for that order.

And if it is, use it at FedEx tracking web page.

 

Wouldn't we have gotten an email before Dell updates their page? That's what I have understood.

 

should be that way but not always happens like this. It's better if you check the data on your order page (right on the email they send to you when the order is placed). Maybe you'll be surprised...

 

5:30 pm Departed FedEx location
MEMPHIS, TN



6:00 am Picked up
NASHVILLE, TN



6:00 am Left FedEx origin facility
MOUNT JULIET, TN

 

What you can also do is copy your order number and go to Fedex website and track by reference. Plug in the order number, country it's being shipped to and your postal code. I did this with mine and although it says it's still in Production, Fedex shows that it was shipped yesterday.

 

1/15/2015 - Thursday
10:15 pm Shipment information sent to FedEx
Thanks. Also found out my tracking number.

 

Can't wait to see the benchmark with the i7

 

I'm going to order next week. But I think I'll go with the 15!

 

It'll take a while for me to get to it. I'm in a special situation with shipping.
Someone lese will beat me to it.

 

Thank you!

 

You're welcome. I guess it wasn't so useless if it made you realize that you were in the wrong thread.

 

Does anyone know if the 960m is going to be available for the AW 13?

Do you think with the upgraded GPU and CPU the temps and noise should be better?

I've been told that the previous gen even when your using it a bit the fans get loud

 

Thanks to franzerich and sasuke256, we have an idea of the GTX 960m (that page and the next).
So far, the GTX 960m is barely an upgrade to the GTX 860m because it's an overclocked rebrand. If you want the 13, might as well get it now. I have doubts that it'll be refreshed with the GTX 965m, but we'll see.

 

Thanks for the input Game7a1,

I actually meant the 965M, not the 960m.

 

Personally, I don't think we will see a refresh with a stronger GPU (and hopefully a move to quad) until Silverlake. The problem is with the CPU's they are going for the i5 (and likely i7 too) bottleneck the GPU already, Unless there is a significant CPU change then the bottlenecking will be even more prominent an issue..

The other possible scenario is that the AW 15 cuts into so many potential AW 13 sales, that they bolster they line up with a quad as a partial redesign and include a GPU upgrade to sweeten the deal. Whereas the AW 17 was the bread-and-butter system before, I believe AW is looking for the AW 15 to be the new lion's share of sales but 13" is a strong segment these days as well, so I believe one day the AW 13 will get a better CPU to expand the brand. Then again, their fixation with cooling and thermals, to a fault, may mean it never happens. A quad will marginally suffice for now and the next couple years but then if they continue the 13 they will have to put a quad in eventually.

Sorry, I really like the 13's form factor, if it had a quad it would be almost perfect for me

 

^^I totally Agree on This. Sorry, I really like the 13's form factor, if it had a quad it would be almost perfect for me^^

 

Stuck at Work, need to fake an illness......


11:06 am Delivered


8:07 am On FedEx vehicle for delivery
MOONACHIE, NJ



7:39 am At local FedEx facility
MOONACHIE, NJ



3:45 am Departed FedEx location
NEWARK, NJ



2:46 am Shipment information sent to FedEx

 

1/19/2015 - Monday
5:36 pm Arrived at FedEx location ELLENWOOD, GA
12:00 am Picked up ELLENWOOD, GA
Ship (P/U) date :
Mon 1/19/2015
ELLENWOOD, GA US
Estimated delivery :
Tues 1/20/2015
Sadly, I won't get it until later this week.
Once I get it though, I'll run some benchmarks.

 

Nice! I actually really liked the A13 but in the end I returned it because of a few minor issues that bugged me. Enjoy!

 

Should be coming in tomorrow!!! I can't wait

 

Well I'm getting the Transcend M.2 to install into my 13 and will be loading Windows 7 into it.
Hopefully it works if anybody hasn't installed it yet.