*OFFICIAL* Alienware 15 R1/R2 Owner's Lounge

The reason for my doubt of the gains of the 980 in the amp is due to articles like this one:

"Nvidia is claiming that the 980M now has 75% the performance of its desktop counterpart — meaning there are now laptops that are truly capable of high-fps 1080p gaming."

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...st-closing-the-laptop-desktop-performance-gap

Also take into account possible data loss with the cord that connects the amp to the laptop. Lastly, you also have to factor in the lesser cpu that these laptops use, as opposed to the monsters found in desktops (bottleneck). Anyone else care to chime in on whether a 500 dollar desktop 980 (probably the MSI version) would be worthwhile for an Alienware 15 (980m)?

 

Thank you for that. When I get my laptop soon I will also have to do a clean install. To install my own SSD. So I need all the resources and drivers which used to ship with the laptop as a CD.

So what is the most complete webpage that contains the latest drivers? As I read earlier, the official driver page does not contain the latest updates as you posted a gpu driver update earlize that was not there

 

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-15/drivers
The 347.25 forceware driver is the latest for us until Nvidia adds Alienware GPU IDs.
On a different note, I don't see the AMD graphics drivers. I'm going to assume the m295x is selling way below expectations.

 

It's just that we have had some delays uploading drivers. I'll make sure they are all posted as soon as possible. We should have most of them already up when all preorders are delivered.

 

Oh okay, then disregard what I said.

 

Not really

The link you posted is where all the drievrs will be. In the meantime, the driver you mention should be the one that's used. Also, 244.73 works like a charm!

 

Sera mejor que se apuren! O devuelvo la Mia! = They better hurry up! Or ill return mine!

 

No body is going to buy that old amd card!

 

I thought that AMD card was hot off the presses, or are you taking a subtle jab at AMD's repackaging of older tech/cards?

 

The m295x is based on Tonga, the same architecture used in the 2014 GPU, the R9 285. I can't call that old tech if you ask me.

 

Exactly!!! I ordered all my Alienware with nvidia cards because of that!

 

Since you guys are up to speed on AMD products, is it true that the desktop 295 won't fit in the graphics amp?

 

It could... if it wasn't a liquid-cooling GPU.
It won't fit because of that and its "special" fan.

 

I don't think it will fit.

 

I have the GA and I'm waiting for AMD to release the new 300 GPU series, sometimes this or next month. to order one!

 

So I assume that this new series will be stronger than the desktop 290? I'm also in possession of the graphics amp and weighing my options.

 

The R9 390(x) is to be stronger than the past AMD GPUs. The R9 280(x) is to be on par or slightly better than the R9 290(x). The R9 370(x) is to be better than the R9 285.
And the R7 3oo series is still unknown. Maybe a new architecture or a rebrand. More info here.
Oh, and that makes three of us looking for desktop GPUs for our GA. Granted, I'm not getting mine until tomorrow or Thursday.

 

Hi mate
-For the two-finger scrolling issue, try disable One Finger Gestures and Inertial Scrolling.
-For the scaling on FHD(1080p),
1.right click desktop,
2."Make Text..."
3. Tick "Let me choose...for all my displays"
4. Choose medium, log off.
5. If the text is too small, choose "Smaller", which you can't apply (buggy), and switch back to Medium again, log off to see the effect.
6. Try 4 and 5 repeatedly to ensure you get the 125% scaling.

 

@Game7a1. Why you don't wait a little more? I heard that the R390X is faster then the GTX 980!

 

Budget constraints. Can't spend too much.

 

So I received my 15 and wow this thing is a beauty, the 4k screen is really nice and mine came in perfect shape. No issues to report been using it since Saturday. The only thing is its a little bigger than expected but I was using the 13 before so.....

 

Hi there, can someone let me know whats the weight of the A15's 180w ac adapter?

 

It is very light!

 

You might end spending more!

 

I already have a list of GPUs to look at. Certainly, I know I can't spend more if I keep looking only at the list.

 

I bought new Dell alienware 15, I was in the middle of updating bios and the computer is frozen and it won't shutdown holding the power button, I also tried it unplugging the power source. I don't have a plastic scribe, so how do I get it to shut down since you can't access the battery

 

thats great to know more and more people with the 4k display are loving it, makes me happier and happier i choose it!
may i ask you what gpu did you end up picking up?

 

Did you try holding the power button down for like 10 secs or more?
if nothing happens i would just try to leave it unplugged until it runs out of battery! thats what i do with my laptop now when it freezes

 

Nos estamos tratando de apurar y comprendemos su preocupacion. Sin embargo, no hemos podido llegar a una solucion por el momento. Apenas tengamos mayor informacion se la haremos saber por este medio.

[We are trying our best to hurry up and we understand your concern. However, we haven't been able to get to a solution at the moment. As soon as we have more info, we'll let you know through here.]

 

Thanks for that link, I'll read through it tonight. Is there any ETA on those new cards, particularly the top end model?

 

End of Q2 (Q2 = April to June).
At worst, Autumn to Winter 2015.

 

Thanks. Scaling worked like a charm. Two-finger scrolling is just as buggy though. Deactivating inertial scrolling does prevent the counter-scrolling, but reversing the direction does not work. Do you get this to work?

 

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...nally-desktop-quality-graphics-on-your-laptop
so....

 

Ok probably I was too narrow minded thinking that people get this system only for gaming. Good to see other uses for this powerful machine. Yeah agree on that, I myself got this to aid in video rendering, solid works, autocad etc...also gaming
Yeah true multiple screens increase productivity and also good luck with your new machine. Hopefully no failures will occur

 

Dell just sent me an email confirming shipment, which was originally due on the 19th. It is only one state away, Tennessee, so I should have the beauty tomorrow. Due to the excitement, I think that I will go ahead and grab the 290x as I've never had an AMD card. Will both of these versions fit and have the appropriate amount of power? Any insight on the better option? Thanks for any info, as this is my first desktop gpu purchase.

MSI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127773&cm_re=R9_290x-_-14-127-773-_-Product

or

Sapphire
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202079&cm_re=R9_290x-_-14-202-079-_-Product

 

They should be fine.
I'd go with the Sapphire one. The MSI one might be too tall, and I rememeber seeing a benchmark of a 7990 used in a GA (same length as the Sapphire 290x).

 

I just noticed that MSI and Sapphire have a 8gb version, now. Is it a must that I get that version, as their prices are up in gtx 980 territory

 

If you want. I don't know if you have a 4K 15 or not, but 4 GB is enough for most 4K gaming (and almost all 1080p gaming).

 

Thanks for the extra info, this community rocks. I bought the 1080p screen and don't plan on going the 4k external display route, till a couple of years.

 

Hi guys, just a quick question. I had an alienware 14 and i've always updated my nvidia drivers from nvidia official site, now i'm waiting for my 15 replacement to come and i've already seen 2 different version of drivers. One in dell support page ( older) and another one on the official nvidia page. Is it possible to download the latest one from nvidia site then?
Is there a way to download only the outdated drivers? Or should i download them all anyway when my pc arrives?
Thanks!

 

The forceware is not that outdated, and the official Nvidia driver does not detect the GPU in the latest laptops. You're stuck with the forceware driver until Nvidia adds Alienware Hardware IDs.

 

i hear the new Alienware 15 doesn't support Raido 0 ssd drive configuration? Why would they take this feature out???? are they trying to lose all enthusiast fan base?

 

If you got a GTX 980M, I would not by a GA + GTX 980. The only reason is 4K gaming, which is pointless im my opinion (even with a GTX 980 no 60 FPS). If you have to have the GTX 980, go with the 970M in the laptop and safe some money.

Yes, the cord reduces the performance (Actually it is the 4 x PCIe interface). But only for the GTX 980, by apprximately 5% (the link was posted here several times, or in the GA thread).

The i7 in the aleinware 15 and 17 should be no bottleneck, since it has a similar single threaded performance compared to a current i5 or i7 desktop processors (except for the i7-4790). (continued below)

However, the Alienware 13 with its low powered i5 or i7 (which are both much slower than the i5 and i7 in the AW 15 ad 17) is indeed a bottleneck. See here (German website, use Google translate). The performance increases with a GTX 980 + i7-3770k compared to the GTX 980 + AW 13 by +26% in Alien: Isolation up to +165% in Watch Dogs!

 

Just placed my order for my AW15!! Specs are below as well as final price. I was able to get them to honor my 17% EPP coupon that expired on Friday the 6th as I already had this quote prepared before the expiration date. Estimated arrival is 2/27. Now the agony, er wait, begins!


Items in this order
Quantity Item Number Description Unit Price
1 210-ADQS Alienware 15 $1574.71
1" class="" style='box-sizing: border-box;'> Hide itemized list
1 370-AANG 16GB Dual Channel DDR3L 1600MHz (2x8GB) $0.00
1 580-ACTO English Keyboard $0.00
1 583-BCQG Alienware 6 programmable Macro module keys $0.00
1 490-BCLJ NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 980M with 4GB GDDR5 $0.00
1 555-BCIC Killer Wireless 1525 Driver $0.00
1 400-AGBZ 256GB m2.80 NGFF TLC SSD + 1TB 5,400 HDD $0.00
1 619-AGCT Windows 8.1 (64Bit) English $0.00
1 555-BCDR Killer 1525 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 $0.00
1 450-AAUO US Power Cord $0.00
1 340-AGUD Safety/Environment and Regulatory Guide (English/French) $0.00
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty $0.00
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3 $0.00
1 954-4191 In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year $0.00
1 954-4168 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year $0.00
1 994-3730 Warranty Support, Initial Year $0.00
1 951-6520 Accidental Damage Service, 1 Year $99.00
1 631-AANY Haswell Driver $0.00
1 340-ANSL Placemat (English,French,BRPT,Spanish) $0.00
2 332-1530 Dell.com Order $0.00
2 332-1286 US Order $0.00
1 451-BBMY 8 Cell 92W Hour Battery $0.00
1 338-BGGX Intel(R) i7-4710HQ [4th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4710HQ Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.50 GHz)] $107.66
1 340-AAPP Directship Info Mod $0.00
1 340-ANSN Alienware 15 Shipping box $0.00
1 817-BBBB No FGA $0.00
1 525-0016 Dropbox, Digital Delivery, 20GB for 1 year Promotion $0.00
1 391-BBWR 15.6 inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS-Panel TrueLife 350-nits Display with Touch Technology $251.21
1 630-AAAU Software: Microsoft Office 2013 Trial $0.00
1 658-BCML Additional Software $0.00
1 817-BBBP None Included $0.00
1 450-AAGU Power Supply : Alienware 180W AC Adapter $0.00
1 340-ACQQ No Option Included $0.00
6 A5750525 Dell Advantage Rewards $0.10
Item Sub Total $2033.18
Item Ship Charge $0.00
Item Tax $116.01
Item Total
$2149.19

 

Just a quick question to all present Alienware 15 owners....how is the heat dissipation generally? Any issues?

 

I'll give you guys a answer to that, when the 15 arrives today. The Alienware 14 and especially the 18 have never risen above 70 - 75 Celsius, while gaming.

 

My 15 is coming today too, went with basic config of 970m and 1080p screen. I also picked up a cheap M.2 SSD and plan to install that straightaway. My first Alienware laptop was the M15X, so will be interesting to see how the new one stacks up. I sold my 14 last September, with a view to picking up the AW13, but decided in the end to put up with the extra weight and enjoy the better performance.

 

I just got mine.
Problem is... none of the Alienware softwares are working. The AlienFX, Command Center, etc... are not working. Is this just me?

 

That's cracy, man! Are you sure it is not working?

 

I got the 970m but also got the ga to. The 970m is a beast tho