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

Hey guys,

Weird issue with my AW13 R2 (1 month old). Took it out this evening around 24 hours after last using it, and it's not powering on at all. I'd say it was around 30% charged when I last used it.

Charger seems to be working, because the blue light is on, and the laptop appears to be charging because the Alien head button is switching colours like it normally does while plugged in.

However it does not power on at all. I've tried long pressing the power button for 15-20 seconds, but no go.

Has anyone experienced this before? Is there a way to fix this without calling tech support?

I saw Dell a guide that suggested opening up the machine, disconnecting the battery and shorting two pins. Is that recommended or should I call it in? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks!

 

Have you tried resetting the motherboard?

I.e removing the battery and charfer and holding the power for 10 seconds

 

Well I'm not too confident of removing the battery on my own. I've tried pressing down the power button for inordinate numbers of time to no avail.

I opened it up and tried unplugging the battery cable, and also shorting the CLRP2 pins under the RAM sticks (as recommended by a guide on Dell's tech support), but still nothing.

In fact now the power button light doesn't even light up when I try to charge it.

Have to wait until Monday to get tech support from Dell (ugh). If there are any other solutions you could think of, it'd be a big help. Thanks

 

Nothing that is too easy.

Does the computer screen (back-light) turn on at all?

If it turns on then the bios just doesn't post, you may have to reset the bios by removing the small bios battery, regular battery and charger, and discharge the motherboard by holding down the power.

 

No, there's absolutely no activity. No backlight, no sound, no fans, nothing. Quite strange really because it was perfectly fine just 24 hours ago.

My assumption is that it's either the battery or motherboard that's died.

Could be down to the Bombay monsoon perhaps. I live near the beach and it's crazy humid so pretty much anything with circuitry tends to act up at this time of the year. Even my desktop's been acting super weird and taking 5 attempts to power up every time :-/

Sigh. Guess I'll just have to wait for a Dell rep to come over and sort it out next week.

 

Just an update for future reference. Turned out I had a dead motherboard. Surprising considering it's just a month old, but there you are. Dell tech came in and sorted it out in 2 hours. Support was great all through. Thanks for the help!

 

So I got my new AW13 R2. I like it so far, but I have a problem attaching my external display. Since I'm not really up to date on current tech (my previous laptop was 9 years old), I'm asking for advice here on what may be a trivial matter (but Google did not help). I want to connect an old Lenovo L220x display to the AW13's HDMI, using an HDMI-to-DVI adapter (the L220x has no HDMI). However, I cannot get any picture on the external display. The Nvidia Control Panel lists the screen, so the AW13 is somewhat aware of its existence. I do not think there is any major hardware fault with any of the devices, since the same screen with the same HDMI adapter works fine with other computers, and the AW13 works fine with my TV over HDMI. Yet somehow my desired combo refuses to cooperate. Is this something anyone is familiar with?

 

You may have it setup to only show the display on the laptop. Nvidia control panel is usually unhelpful. Instead, Right click on desktop and go into the screen resolution. There you will have multiple display options

 

Can I put DDR4 in a 13r2? Or does it have to be ddr3 ram?

 

I asked this a few weeks back here, a few replies said no, but id doesn't seem like they actually tried it. But the the skylake i5 6200 and i7 6500 both say they do in Intel's website (DDR3L @ 1866). Maybe a bios update/mod will make it compatible?

With Newegg and Amazon's awsome return policies it doesn't hurt to try either

 

Yeah, I own some so i'll just try it. I have some in my AW17R3

 

Only DDR3L (physical limitation) for the time being.

 

Hey guys,

So I had my laptop motherboard replaced by Dell last week. Bit of an issue post-that.

The Alienware text light on the display bezel, and the alien logo lights on the back of the display aren't working. They power up occasionally when I move the display back and forth, but generally don't work. I think it looks like a loose connection. Would anyone know where the connectors for these lights are and if I can fix this manually without taking the entire thing apart? Really hoping I can sort this without having to call a Dell rep again.

Also, post the new motherboard, my battery wear appears to be showing 5% when it was 0% before. Machine is 2 months old. Is this an anomaly after changing the board, or is it something I should report as well?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Resend your laptop back to Dell about motherboard post-replacement issues. Definitely call and ask about this.

 

They have a sale going on right now. The next refresh is incoming with Pascal.

 

Hi all,

I've searched all over the net and it seems there's no other similar issue to mine...
Bought one of these laptops in March 2016. I've had only minor issues with it and am actually very happy overall (except for the super quiet microphone.. yes I've adjusted settings)...

I opened the lid and noticed that the screen was cracked from up top near my webcam. It has created a "web" of black dead pixels from this point. This did not occur from mishandling or any sudden impact. Simply from opening and closing the lid in general use. I've owned 10 laptops previously and never had this happen before. Upon closer inspection I noticed that there is a slight bulge in the plastic at the cracking point, just to the right of the webcam by the microphone hole. I believe that over time, this manufacturer defect bulge created the focal point for pressure when closing the lid and has finally cracked the screen.

Called Dell... they want $650 CAD to fix it! Are you kidding?! No thanks. I've been looking online for screens, but that will still run me around $200 after shipping if I do the install myself. (1366x768)
Not impressed.

Does anyone else have this bulge as described? Any suggestions for a reliable screen purchasing source?

 

But shouldn't it be taken care of under the accidental damage cover?

 

I was told that physical damage was not covered, and only failures due to manufacturing would be. I have an option of paying $75 to ship them the laptop and investigate the bulge, but then I'm out of a laptop for who knows how long. The $75 could just go toward a new screen that they may not end up replacing anyways.

 

Hi, I have an alienware 13 r2(?), with the i7-5500u and the 960m. Just wondering about compatibility of different screens, as I've found the full screen+lid/cover assembly for the 3200x1800 touchscreen alienware 13 online. Just wondering if this will be a simple replacement or if it'll be incompatible for any reason with my one? Mine currently has a 1080p IPS.

 

I have a Alienware 13 R1 with a GTX860M, i7-5500U, 768GB M.2 SSD, 16GB RAM, aaaand... The QHD+ 3200x1800 touchscreen display that was never sold with the 860M models. I too bought a QHD+/lid/cover assembly for around 150$ new, and swapped it into my Alienware 13 without issue, no modifications needed.

Also I think your AW13 is a R1? I think the R2's have the skylake processors and a couple new ports. I could be wrong on that.

 

A week late, but if your still having your issue...

If your still looking to source a screen, ScreenCountry offers great deals. Ive purchased panels from them before for other alienwares and had no issues. Is your current screen a touchscreen model or just the 768p/1080p panel? If its the Touchscreen, youll need to source a QHD/QHD+ panel to replace it, including the bezel that surrounds the panel. If its just the 768/1080 panel then you can remove the plastic bezel surrounding the screen and replace only the panel. If you wish to downgrade from the touchscreen and just get yourself a 1080p panel I actually have a spare bezel/lid here for the 1080p/768p panel that I could hook you up with.

If your still looking to solve this PM me for more info, ive done screen replacements on quite a few alienwares and they are nothing complicated really.

 

I'm Planning to buy a refurb Alienware 13 which should cost me around $899
It has the following

13 inch Full HD
i7 5500u
Nvidia 960m 2 gb
16 gig Rams
1TB HDD

Im not a hard core gamer - I need a fast laptop - might try a few games like NFS MW - GTA 5 - Assassin's creed .

I am into photography and will be using lightroom quite a bit., also since this is a smaller laptop , it's portable.

Does this look like a good deal or can someone suggest a better deal.

 

ScreenCountry has been out of stock for quite some time. It's not the touchscreen model; standard 768p. I found a source selling on Ebay and got one shipped to me for $115 CAD. Just waiting for the shipment, then I will attempt to install it myself using a youtube video guide... first laptop screen replacement ever haha wish me luck. Thank you very much for the offer to help out. I'll let you know if I'm not successful..

I'd still like to know about the bulge by the webcam though.. Don't want to be buying a new screen twice per year.

 

I'm Planning to buy a refurb Alienware 13 which should cost me around $999
It has the following

13 inch Full HD
i7 5500u
Nvidia 960m 2 gb
16 gig Rams
1TB HDD

Im not a hard core gamer - I need a fast laptop - might try a few games like NFS MW - GTA 5 - Assassin's creed .

I am into photography and will be using lightroom quite a bit., also since this is a smaller laptop , it's portable.

Does this look like a good deal or can someone suggest a better deal.

 

check the dell outlet. find the alienware 13, and then filter by screen resolution to 2560x1440 and you will find the OLED screen models (if they are available) - these are your best options if you're into photography and what good color / resolution.

I just bought one from the outlet and it was 1159, i7, 16GB, 256GB PCI-E NVME, and OLED. It was listed with 960M 4GB, but when i received it was actually a 965m GTX!! Suggest you find the 4GB RAM models to increase your chance of getting a 965m vs the 960.

The OLED model is excellent. I've used Samsung OLED phones since they came out, and have never had any issues with burn-in - so hoping this screen is just as good over time.

I only wish that the two m.2 NVME slots supported RAID. I had an m7710 and it had RAID on the m.2 NVME slots..

Has anyone tried a regular M.2 SATA drive in the NVME slots? I know it would fit, but is it wired for MSATA?

 

The M.2 slots accept both SATA and PCIe (NVME) M.2 drives.

 

Can you RAID the msata M2 drives?

 

I'll have to double check, but no, you can't.

 

Just a quick question. I got an alienware 13 r2 with an i7 6500u processor and was thinking of buying the AGA. My question is will the 6500u bottleneck a gtx 1080 woth the AGA? Thanks!

 

Short answer, yes.

 

Is it normal for the IGZO 3k display on the AW13 R2 to look slightly fuzzy when displaying white? It looks really nice displaying any color that isn't white but when browsing the internet where most everything has a white background the display looks kinda weird with a slight multicolored fuzz on the screen as if its being diffused by something.

 

Hi... I used to be owner of sony vaio vpccb17fg with specs of i7-2620m + hd 6630m 1gb + 8gb ram + w7 64bit + 640gb hdd + FHD display.

Overall still at its best without sort of performance declining. But, my 6630 gradually couldn't facing any current gen game so i decide to buy another replacement laptop which is a laptop hp 8570w with specs of i7-3720qm + quadro k2000m 2gb + 8gb ram + fhd display + 256gb ssd nvme + 2tb hdd + triple boot (xp + 7 +10) totally new that cost me for 850usd only! Overall im really satisfied of the prformance. But, its freakin heavy + bulky with the total of 5kg + charger!

Now, Im owning alienware 13 r2 with specs of i7-6500u + gtx 960m 2gb + 8gb ram + 2x 256gb m.sata ssd + fhd display + dual boot(7+10). Overally, it is far superior in terms of everything than those 2&I glad to buy this beast only 1150usd!(1500usd on dell sites)

I have some questions regarding gtx 960m. While i am using my vaio, i do able to overclock my 6630m from on 485/800 to become 700/1000 and all overall fps bump for almost one-third higher, e.g: RE 5 1080p high no AA at 30fps bump to 42 fps. 3d mark 06 at 7.2k jump into 9.6k by using saphire trixx. So do with my quadro k2000m that have one-fourth higher fps from 745/900 become 880/1200 and RE5 1080p high no AA at 40fps jump into 50fps + 3d mark06 from 12k become 15k by using nvidia inspctor. Overall i am really happy of it!

But, weird result happen to gtx 960m. I tried to bump from 1201/2505 into 1336/2805. I thought i will gain for at least 20% fps increase for minimum. And while i am doing another tests, it turned out that the performance only bumping for 10% -12.5% in overall. At 3dmark06, i could only gain from 24k become 25.6k. RE 5 1080P 1080p no AA high 75fps jump into 82.5fps only and i tried with the others and overall are having similiar results for 12.5% - 15% in total! It makes me stresful!

My question: is there any way to let it jump for at least 20% performances? I am currently using nvidia inspector. Dont tell me overclocking is not good for laptop. I did these for years, never encounter any artefacts until today & i know the techniques how to do. Pls reply & thanks in advance!

 

I would monitor the GTX 960m to see if it's holding its clocks. You can use GPU-Z to help you monitor.
Also, keep in mind that overclocking isn't linear or constant in improvement. A certain overclock with one GPU with a certain improvement % may not be the same with another GPU + overclock.

 

It is holding its clock. The most significant result goes to phantasy star online 2 1080p high from 8k to 9.6k. But, still not over 20%. Any idea how to do? Thx!

 

You're already at the max core clock you can do without an unlocked vBIOS, and increasing the VRAM clock isn't going to help much, so you've hit a wall for now. I never saw more than 12% when I overclocked my GTX 860m, which the GTX 960m is a rebadge of, with similar overclock settings.
Another thing to keep in mind: the i7-6500u is weaker than the i7-3720QM. It could be possible you're hitting the CPU bottleneck.

 

What about ovrclocking by using msi afterburner instead of nvidia inspctor maybe? But does anyone knows how to do it?

 

Using a different overclocking software won't make a difference. You'll still be bound by the limits in the stock vBIOS.

 

Then, i need a tutorial for flashing on the vbios. Is there any complete tutorial with the trusted link? Thx for sharing

 

There is not. You will have to ask Prema for instructions.

 

I owe u a lot. Thx, bro!

 

I have the 13 R2, and installed the 950 Pro NVME drive, but Samsung Magician states that the drive is only operating at x2 PCI lanes, not x4 which is full speed.. does anyone know if the 13 R2 supports full x4 lanes for the NVME drives, or are we stuck at x2?

I tried populating both NVME M.2 slots, and also just populating one slot, but either way the drive doesn't use more than x2 lanes.. of course this caps the drives speed.. though I can't say that 1500MB/s (vs 3000MB/s) will actually impact real-world performance =)

 

Could anyone tell me what the best / max ram I could get into the AW 13R2? I have a 6th gen i7 in it. I have found some Corsair Vengeance DDR3L 1600 that should work, but wondering if I can go to 32gb? Is there better ram that works?

The Support Assistant app that came on the rig actually claims the machine will max out at 32GB, which seems contrary to everything I read. Checked some other utilities and they all say 32GB as well.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

The 13 R2, like the 13 R1 with Broadwell CPU, supports 32 GB of DDR3L; however, Alienware hasn't tested it, so they can't verify if it'll work or not. But it should work without a problem.
However... it's pretty expensive (even compared to DDR4), and only limited to a few brands. You're better of getting 16 GB off low latency 1600 MHz DDR3L.

 

Good afternoon,
someone got the OLED version? Where it is possible to get feedbacks?

 

Yes, what do you want to know? The screen is excellent, the resolution is great compared to the 3200x resolution because at 2560x1440 you can use it at its native resolution without needing to DPI scale..

The color, contrast and brightness are all excellent, and i don't see any issues with image retention or burn in yet.. the panel is a premium panel, so it should last the lifetime of the unit. The response time and the lighting method from an OLED panel are naturally much easier on the eyes - so if you spend a lot of time in front of your screen it will reduce eye strain / fatigue..

I had the XPS 15 9550 with the 4k Igzo panel and although the added pixels were good, i could not use the native res (the PPI was not way too small) and the LED backlight and contrast seemed to give me some eyestrain.. also that panel (which is of the best LCD panels available) still have a lot of motion blurring which is not enjoyable for long duration use.

XPS 15 upgrade to AW13R2 OLED = Happy user.

The 965m GTX is also very capable for this screen res / processor.. this is a winning combination of hardware!

 

Dear,
thanks! I love the OLED... AMOLED on the smartphone as well

The point is... why only Alienware? Why other brand doesn't have a system in the catalog if it is a so great feature? I see only a commercial product from Samsung and a never fully widely released from Lenovo.

 

I was looking at a Alienware 13 for $500 specs are: i5 6200u , 8gb ram, 960m

Will I have bottle neck issues? I probably won't use the amplifier feature for awhile .. it has a 1366x768 screen but I already found a deal on a QHD screen ..also would like to know if it would be plug and play ? Thanks !

 

What GPU would be best with the.amplifier on the i5 6200 920m 2gb model ? When it's bottle necking does the desktop GPU still perform far powerful then the 960?

 

It really depends the game. But a Geforce 970 or an AMD 480RX would be a nice addition.

 

Okay cool thanks. When it gets bottle necked by the i5 does it really affect the performance? I'm sure it would be way faster then the 960m right ?