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

Congrats!
Do you have a sort of "granular feeling" when look at your UHD screen? One that reflects rainbow colors especially when displaying a solid white or gray color? It feels like some frosted screen protector was applied on top of my 4k panel..

 

Hi, I just got my Alienware 15 R2 yesterday, to be honest, I am very disappointed with the poor quality of the screen, look so yellow and normally I like screens with more vivid colors,so any can help me with a profile to calibrate the colors more vivid, thanks in advance

 

Congratulations! I am really pleased so far with mine, I notice grainy text on some scaling with the UHD but no rainbows like ccsasuke, even been messing with alienfx .

 

Thanks . I'm trying to observe if there's anything that resembles rainbow colors, but no, there's nothing like that on my screen at all.

Yeah, the grainy text is quite bothersome but it's definitely the fault with Windows 10.

 

Hey folks, have the potential to pick up an AW 15 R1 from a local vendor for a good price (4710HQ, 16 GB, UHD touch, 970m), my questions are after all this time:

1) Was the verdict yay or nay that the 180 watt psu is sufficient to avoid throttling (no overclocking, but possible use of eGPU)?
2) When all the dust settled, which BIOS would you recommend?
3) Were the heat issues surrounding the M.2 SATA drives resolved?
4) How has the driver support been for Windows 10 to date?

Lastly, any other issues I should bear in mind when considering an R1 vs and R2 (beyond CPU differences and screen)?

Thanks in advance -

 

I have a similar doubt. I mean, they provide the 240W PSU with the 980M version, which means that the 180W will not suffice for anything more than the 970M without bumping into a few issues.
Considering the fact that the GA relies on the System's Resources for power, it's hard to imagine how a 180W would do if one were to actually run a top-tier desktop GPU with the help of the GA: say, a 980Ti or a Titan X.

EDIT:
Docsteel, about your query, the R2 has the PCIe SSD option, and also DDR4 RAM. On the flip side, the Display on the R1 seems to be better. Speaking of UHD, the R2 doesn't have touch capabilities.
Apart from that, the CPU upgrade sees some battery life improvement in the Skylake version. Also, does the R1 have Thunderbolt?

 

If u run an external graphics card it'll use the PSU in the graphics amplifier.

 

Oh! And what's the Wattage of that?


Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

Clearly for the eGPU, but is the 180 watt psu sufficient for driving the CPU at full tilt to support the eGPU? Again, it's not a major sticking point, but it's interesting to note.

 

Hi All - I caved in on black-friday pressure and ordered my first Alienware last night. Specs below:

• Intel i7-6700HQ
• GeForce GTX 980M with 4GB GDDR5
  
• 12GB Dual Channel DDR4 2133MHz (Actually got this as a free upgrade -- will purchase a 2nd 8GB stick in the future)
• 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s
  
• 15.6 inch FHD Screen
• 240W PSU

I just bought a separate 250GB M.2 SSD drive on sale separately for a boot drive. Can't wait for it to ship!

 

Sounds like good news. It might just be the case that I got a faulty panel. I was afraid that this was again ubiquitous among all UHD panels since it was also reported in the 4k displays for 15 R1.

 

If you call tech support you should be able to get your panel replaced.

 

They refused to send technician to replace the panel on-site since they believe it might be normal and all panels have the same phenomenon. Instead they asked me to ship it back to Dell and they will decide whether to replace the panel or not. Being afraid of wasting 2 weeks and getting the same thing back, I just returned it and I am now waiting for my new 17 R3 to come.. (pre-BF sale, $2k for maxed out version except for 256G SSD instead of 1T)
What's funny is that right after I placed my order, I heard on some other forum that a 17 R3 owner complained about the same problem for his/her UHD display.. Finger crossed now..

 

When I play SW Battlefront I get around 80 fps average on ultra settings. My problem is that every 6-7 mins I get a nasty fps drop to about 30 fps for a couple minutes, before it goes up to 80 fps again. I suppose it the cpu or gpu is throttled for some mystical reason, I am getting up to 90 celsius readings on my cpu, and about 80 gpu. I have had a dell tech come over an install a new mobo etc, and although i get throttling less frequently now (i.e. every 10 mins now) I still get em. Anybody else experience this? I got the alienware 15 r1 with the gtx980m,16 gig ram and all the other shiny components.

 

With plenty to spare. No internal GPU will take a huge load off the PSU.

 

I ordered on the 18th, status hasn't changed from "order processing" for me. Sat on the phone for an hour to be told I called the wrong department but that it was "on hold". Got hung up on when the other number I called had me on hold past their closing time and a very curt message stating such.

I remember when dell used to have all American based tech and sales support. Now it's pulling teeth. I've sent 3 emails days apart and now response. The automated reply even has incorrect grammar. Bleh.

What part did they tell you was missing?

 

So with the 220-nit FHD display on the R2 or the option of the 4K option, which is more preferable for someone like me who will use it primarily for gaming and homework?

Is the FHD on the R2 really that bad?

 

Just install hwinfo and make a fan profile. I had this problem too with my aw15 970m.

Sent from my SM-N910S using Tapatalk

 

I can't speak for the FHD but I have the UHD and it's a brilliant screen. Best screen I've used.
So if you have the money, go for it.

 

I have the same requirements as you, and also the R2 FHD. I'm quite satisfied with it, tbh.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

I ended up taking my 15 R2 back to microcenter. It lost the 2nd hard drive for the 4th time and I was working that time and needed the files on it. That just wont cut it and now I have the new Asus G752 with G-sync and it blows the Alienware away as far as screens go and gaming. I really wanted the alienware but fancy lights aren't worth keeping it. I tried LOL

 

Would 32GB (2 x 16GB) 1866MHz work with the Alienware 15 R1?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-226-769

Right now I have 16GB 1866MHz (2 x 8GB) installed.

 

wrong section ... sorry

 

@miro_gt Psst, this is the 15's owner lounge, not 13.

 

better this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...547&cm_re=hyperx_ddr3l-_-20-104-547-_-Product

 

here's a little benchmark comparison, The Samsung PM951 PCI-e SSD that came in my Alienware 15 R2 only got about 300-310mb/s Write and 2200mb/s read. Specs for that drive say it should be 900mb/s and 2200mb/s.. Why is it only getting 310mb/s write in that laptop?

I installed the Samsung 950 Pro 256gb PCI-e SSD in my new Asus G752 and it's getting 970mb/s and 2300mb/s write/read. That PM951 has some issue in the Alienware. I had the Pro 950 in the Alienware and it got the same 970 / 2300 like in my Asus. Might need a firmware update in that PM951 to get it working at the rated speeds.

Just wanted to let you guys know

 

For you R2 owners: When you plug in the R2 to a TV with HDMI, does the audio in the system tray show up as Intel Display Audio or Nvidia/something else?
I'm asking because the specs say HDMI 2.0 is available with nvidia, but not with amd radeon. The HDMI output may be wired to the nvidia gpu rather than the intel one, making external display via HDMI more tricky for those who dual boot linux.

 

http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/products/flash-storage/client-ssd/MZVLV256HCHP/
According to Samsung, PM951 has a sequential write speed of 280MB/s

 

They must have changed their specs because when it first came out and was reviewed when I was looking at them, the specs were a lot higher. Look half way down the page in the link here and see that it says 1200mb/s Seq Write.

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7181/samsung-sm951-nvme-2-pcie-256gb-ssd-review/index.html

How could the spec only be 280mb/s when during the review it was getting 1200mb/s in a desktop ?? That doesn't make sense LOL

 

It seems like you are talking about SM951 instead of PM951.

 

Does anyone have a fan profile for hw info? also anyone know the max rpm on the fans?

 

Is 1866MHz on the AW 15 R1 not compatible? I have had it installed for awhile and didn't even realize the 4710HQ only supports memory up to 1600MHz.

 

The only settings I could get for the Fans in HWinfo64 were, 2500 Low / 5200 High on Cpu, 2300 Low / 5000 High on Gpu. I tried to get variable settings and couldn't no matter what.

Setting both Cpu and Gpu to 2500/2300 will work great if your ambient air temps are around 20c (68f) and will keep the laptop nice and cool, more than if the fans are running on Auto as it comes. Now if your ambient temps are higher like 24c (75f) then it isn't as good as leaving them set on auto. The temps will run a little higher than auto setup.

I tried playing some games with the fans at 5200/5000 and temps were insanely low. Only hitting around 70c on cpu and 56-58c on gpu. But you could hear the fans like that and not sure how good it is to run them that high. It may damage the bearings in the fan hubs and then need replacing.

Ideal setup would be to get the fans both running at 3500rpm on cpu and gpu. Your temps would be in mid 60's for both cpu and gpu and you wouldn't hear the fans really at all unless you put your ear right next to the back. If anyone can let you know how to get them set to 3500rpm and not ramp up or down, that should be the BEST possible setting you could ask for. Having them stay right at 3500rpm and not fluctuate would be best for the bearings as well and shouldn't hurt them at all. Hopefully someone has an answer to that and could tell you how to get something other than the 2500/5200 and 2300/5000 settings.

Hope this helps you bud.
Hambone

HAHA! Look like I was. I was searching for the PM951 256gb and I guess I missed that sm part there. All the others were the PM951 but they slipped that SM951 into my search results. I seen that the PM951 was rated at 900mb/s tho earlier on when it was released. The PM951 was not sold to public, but the Pro 950 was almost the same thing but released to public to buy. It's very strange that Samsung would make a NVMe PCI-e SSD that had slower write speeds than their 840 evo's that are Sata3 interface. I guess the Pro 950 is just way better drive then and stay away from or replace the PM951 for better since you have the m.2 slots to run it. The Pro 950 is fast as hell and makes a big difference over the PM951. The write times are more than 3x as fast and you can feel it in windows and how snappy it is now.

 

Unfortunately i live in the philippines and the temperature here is around 28-34c. This is my fan profile for cpu and i have someting similar on the gpu. My cpu idle temps is somewhere around 44-50 sometimes 40 if i turn the ac up. I hear the fans crank up though and sometimes it tends to get a little loud for my taste but hey atleast no performance throttling. But i would love to get someone elses input on the variables. I am still under warranty until may so if ever something breaks i can still have it replaced. Really dont want to get additional warranry but i think i really have to because i feel somethings gonna give in the near future. If i dont find a good fan profile i might have to do so or sell this thing before warranty runs out but i cant seem to find any laptops on the market now that appeals to me.

Sent from my SM-N910S using Tapatalk

 

I couldn't get the custom profiles to work. it was all grey'd out and couldn't use. How did you get that usable? I'm curious lol

 

Just update it. What is the rpm on the middle temps you have? Automatic?

Sent from my SM-N910S using Tapatalk

 

I have the same problem, only able to choose those 2 speeds, would love a profile with speeds in between..

 

So does anyone know if 32GB RAM is possible with the R1 (Early 2015) with the 4710HQ?

Newegg has 32GB (2 x 16GB) at 1600MHz.

 

So my 15 r2 arrived today. As soon as I powered it on, I noticed anomalies at the bottom of screen, showing some areas that looked like the LCD was damaged from too much pressure. They aren't manor, but noticeable on the black boot screen. I am unable to see them once booted on any other screens, so I am unsure of their cause.

Ran fallout 4 on ultra, perfect. Very fast, no noticeable drop even in large buildings with lots of enemies (corvega assembly, for instance). This was by sight, I wasn't actually measuring them. The laptop also pushed my 42" HD TV just as good via hdmi. I didn't really have a setup to play it long as I had to move my laptop to my dresser, so I was unable to see if there was any noticeable lag. I DID notice that the TouchPad became unresponsive when I was also using keys to move (IE I couldn't shift my vision a second direction while simultaneously moving forward via the w key). Weird.

Some screens are super sharp, some are very fuzzy, like the display adapter properties window. This seems to be a window 10 issue plauging many. I checked and the default display was at 125 percent.

One of my biggest concerns is that it's taking almost 30 seconds to boot from my SSD? What gives? I'm also unhappy that everything wants to install to the c drive by default. I will need to mess around with my environment variables but it's been a few years since I've done any tweaking of mention.

Specs:

6700hq i7
16gb 2133
Gtx970m
128gb ssd
1tg had


Oh yeah I also didn't notice an issue with the screen brightness as I have heard many people complaining about. I also play indoors tho. It came oob at 50% broghtness, increased it seems just fine.

 

Hi,

As far as I know only the FHD panel is having a low brightness. The UHD screen is brighter so depending on which screen u have you are affected or not. Some with the FHD screen have reported tho, that the brightness is good enough.

To increase the boot speed, deinstall the free fall sensor drivers or replace them with the newest drivers.

To fix your unresponsive touchpad, go to either the synaptics settings or in the Alienware programm (where u change the colors of ur keyboard). Theres an option that u have to deactivate. I think this option deactivates your touchpad whenever you're typing in order for you to not accidentally click while typing.

 

I'll take a look for the free fall sensor. I'm unfamiliar with that, us it something for ssd's? Also the misclick seems like a good idea in hindsight now. I play with a mouse so it's not an issue but I will keep that in mind.

Also, I should have specified: I have the FHD, not UHD.

 

What kind of anomalies are you talking about? Can we have a picture?
Ideally if there's anything at all wrong with a delivered product I try and get it replaced as soon as possible.

 

Oh, not with Dell and the A15 tho

My system has been sitting at their repair depot for 2 weeks now... Part shortage with no EDA when the broken part (they don't tell me which) will be available.

 

Still, you'll get it eventually and it's better than living with a defective product for 3-4 years.

 

True that.

 

It's called Kionix. I don't move my laptop around with it on so I just removed it. The program is for the HDD. It parks the head so it doesn't damage the platters.

 

Is this a bit of bloatware that comes with the system? Never heard of it

 

Kilrathi display pic...nice. I miss the good ol days of running WCII on DOS 6.22

 

I may fire it up later, I put it away because the sole reason I bought it was for Fallout 4, and its the end of the semester, and being a grad student I am overwhelmed with writing atm, so I told myself no fallout until all my writing is submitted lol

 

Hello all,

I'm in the middle of considering to purchase a
Alienware 15 R2:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970M with 3GB GDDR5
Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ (Quad-Core, 6MB Cache, up to 3.5GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
Windows 10 Home 64bit English
15.6 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 220-nits Display
8GB Dual Channel DDR4 at 21"
33MHz (4GBx2)
128GB M.2 SATA 6Gb/s SSD (Boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Storage)

or

the Lenovo Y700:
• 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Processor (2.60GHz 1600MHz 6MB)
• Windows 10 Home 64
• 15.6" FHD IPS AntiGlare Backlight (1920x1080)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 4GB
• 16.0GB PC4-17000 DDR4 2133 MHz
• 1TB 5400 RPM+128GB SSD
• No Optical Disk Drive
• Intel Wireless-AC 8260
• Bluetooth Version 4.0
• One year
• ClickPad
• 4 Cell 60 Watt Hour Li-Polymer
• 3Y Depot + ADP

obviously price is the deciding factor, but I wanted to see what you guys thought.

Thank you.