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

    Discussion in '2015+ Alienware 13 / 15 / 17' started by Mr. Fox, Dec 10, 2014.

  1. raiden87

    raiden87 Notebook Evangelist

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    Hi there,

    Is it true, that the aw15 doesnt use optimus? And whats the thing with the drivers? Is it possible to use Nvidia ones? Cause Alienware is always behind with the driver version...
     
    raiden87, Jan 27, 2015
    #201
  2. dogbirds

    dogbirds Notebook Enthusiast

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    new 13, 15 and 17 use optimus when using notebook display. Optimus is disabled only when using graphics amplifier and a display that is connected to GA.
     
    dogbirds, Jan 27, 2015
    #202
  3. wolfscream

    wolfscream Notebook Enthusiast

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    Took a chance and ordered one. Got a great deal from a phone rep.

    1080p screen, 8 gigs ram, 1 Tb HDD, 980m gtx, and 3 year warranty for 1820 plus 10% back in rewards. I have some spare Amazon credit I'm gonna use on an ssd to really make this scream!

    Ordered today 1/25
    Currently in production with edd of 2/11
     
    wolfscream, Jan 27, 2015
    #203
    uofaboy likes this.
  4. ChrisAtsin

    ChrisAtsin Notebook Evangelist

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    I was also wondering about battery life. That 82 wh battery made me hopeful. It's one of the largest (if not the largest) battery in a 15 inch notebook. I really need that 6-7 hours runtime.
     
    ChrisAtsin, Jan 27, 2015
    #204
  5. QUICKSORT

    QUICKSORT Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey guys, can someone who owns the alienware 15 tell me how the 5.1 surround sound audio works through the headphone jacks?
    It says it's retaskable for 5.1 surround audio.

    I'm used to seeing 3 jacks where the "front left/right" + "rear left/right" + "sub/center", in total 3 jacks.

    But how is it on the alienware 15? can someone just try plugging anything in there and when prompted choose the 5.1 setup. Or after plugging in changing the setup to 5.1 in the realtek audio settings.

    After you done that, could you please screen shot me like I did below?
    It's just "sound" in control panel. You can also reach there by typing "sound" in start menu. And then click the configure button below when you chose the audio.

    This is really important for me thank you in advance:

    (My alienware m14x 5.1 setup, using 3 x 3.5mm jacks):

    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

    QUICKSORT, Jan 27, 2015
    #205
  6. TheSandman2236

    TheSandman2236 Notebook Consultant

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    Intel® Core™ i7-4710HQ
    15.6 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS-Panel Anti-Glare 300-nits Display
    NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 980M with 4GB GDDR5
    1 Year Complete Care Warranty (Enhanced Support + Accidental Damage)
    8GB RAM + 1TB HDD

    $1,775.97 Shipping and tax included

    Delivery Date 2/11 :)
     
    TheSandman2236, Jan 27, 2015
    #206
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  7. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    Funny thing is the desktop version of the 980 can run on an X51 R2 w/ 240W no problem. The TDP of the GPU is 175w. I'm surprised 180w would cause throttling on the mobile version.
     
    LVNeptune, Jan 27, 2015
    #207
  8. wolfscream

    wolfscream Notebook Enthusiast

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    Forgive me for my ignorance but is this compatible with m.2 pcie ssds or just m.2 msata?
     
    wolfscream, Jan 27, 2015
    #208
  9. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    You have to add in the fact the GPU is 100W and then other components like the CPU, Ram, HDD, Screen, Wifi and they are pretty much up to the 180W with that.
     
    CSHawkeye81, Jan 27, 2015
    #209
  10. JDawggS316

    JDawggS316 Notebook Consultant

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    Has anyone confirmed whether or now a 240W AC adapter will work with the Alienware 15?

    I just ordered mine from eBay, brand new straight to the seller, unopened (a vendor had 5 and I got the second to last one which shipped today :)).
     
    JDawggS316, Jan 27, 2015
    #210
  11. dogbirds

    dogbirds Notebook Enthusiast

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    It is m.2 sata.
     
    dogbirds, Jan 27, 2015
    #211
  12. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    Well just went to check on the status of my order and its marked as shipped. I ordered it on the 22nd and they gave me overnight shipping for free. I assume with all the BGA stuff they turn around time is faster.
     
    CSHawkeye81, Jan 27, 2015
    #212
  13. Alex555

    Alex555 Notebook Consultant

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    Im not surprised about that. If i look at the prices of the AW Notebooks in Germany (AW 15 with I7) it is just not competitive. The I7 costs 1700€, an equal GT 72 costs 1440€.
    As long as they dont reduce the price, they wont sell more units. In the US, the AW15 is competitive because of the cheaper price.
    Both have the 970M.
    As long as prices dont drop, they wont sell
     
    Alex555, Jan 27, 2015
    #213
  14. Sinister Crayon

    Sinister Crayon Notebook Enthusiast

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    There don't appear to be any sensors... but putting my hand right where the drive is located doesn't feel unusually warm even under heavy load.
     
    Sinister Crayon, Jan 27, 2015
    #214
  15. wolfscream

    wolfscream Notebook Enthusiast

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    are there any particular advantages of an M.2 to replacing the default mechanical with a Sata SSD? It seems like the cost effective option is to replace the default drive with a crucial mx100 512 ssd for 199. I cant even FIND m.2 sata drives for sale from a decent brand lol.


    EDIT:

    They finally updated the driver website with the 970 and 980m drivers!!
    http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/alienware-15/drivers
     
    wolfscream, Jan 27, 2015
    #215
  16. Smin

    Smin Notebook Enthusiast

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    A lot of the regular name brands (Samsung, Crucial, Kingston, Intel) have m.2 SSD's. The higher storage ones are a little pricier than regular SSD's though..
     
    Smin, Jan 27, 2015
    #216
  17. JDawggS316

    JDawggS316 Notebook Consultant

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    JDawggS316, Jan 27, 2015
    #217
  18. adipocere

    adipocere Notebook Enthusiast

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    ALIENWARE 15% OFF COUPON: 3TT4?CHQ$THRBV
    Don't know how many uses, buy quick !
     
    adipocere, Jan 27, 2015
    #218
  19. adipocere

    adipocere Notebook Enthusiast

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    ALIENWARE 15% OFF COUPON: 3TT4?CHQ$THRBV
    Don't know how many uses, buy quick !
     
    adipocere, Jan 27, 2015
    #219
  20. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    CSHawkeye81, Jan 27, 2015
    #220
  21. JDawggS316

    JDawggS316 Notebook Consultant

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    Great.

    Please post your results if you could please :D
     
    JDawggS316, Jan 27, 2015
    #221
  22. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I can't believe yours shipped already, that was fast, lol.

    Please do test the PSU's.
     
    J.Dre, Jan 27, 2015
    #222
  23. JDawggS316

    JDawggS316 Notebook Consultant

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    I should also have mine either by 1/30 (Friday) or 2/3 (Monday).
     
    JDawggS316, Jan 27, 2015
    #223
  24. trooper1414

    trooper1414 Notebook Deity

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    This is 10%
     
    trooper1414, Jan 27, 2015
    #224
  25. Ishatix

    Ishatix Notebook Consultant

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    Hi Oranjoose,

    Thanks for the input. I was comparing the upgrade cost of the screen compared to that from other manufacturers. But I had not realised that the touch layer was so expensive so it makes sense now. Just makes it more of a shame to me that they don't offer an option without.

    I was worried that might be the case. I don't understand what the reasoning is for leaving out the simple addition of an overlaid numpad. I use it for entering Alt codes and it's also useful for entering long numbers from memory like my Visa card.

    OK, thanks anyway. What do you mean by the "Alienware site"?

    On my M.2 query:
    This is a bit surprising to me – can anyone else confirm / provide a reference link?

    I was quite set on the AW 15 a few days ago but starting to consider the Clevo P751ZM more now. hmmm...
     
    Ishatix, Jan 27, 2015
    #225
  26. Ishatix

    Ishatix Notebook Consultant

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    It is the same on the UK site. From the compatibility alert notices (see below) it would appear that the cheaper "i7" is actually the i5. If this is the case, it seems likely that it is possible for someone to order the AW 15 with an i5 processor with the mistaken belief that they had actually ordered the i7. :confused:



    Agreed.
     
    Ishatix, Jan 27, 2015
    #226
  27. terminus123

    terminus123 Notebook Deity

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    Can anyone else confirm? So a Samsung XP941 SSD would not work in the AW15?? since this is a deal breaker for me.
     
    terminus123, Jan 27, 2015
    #227
  28. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    Isnt the XP941 an M.2 drive?
     
    CSHawkeye81, Jan 27, 2015
    #228
  29. Smin

    Smin Notebook Enthusiast

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    It is but M.2 can come as either a SATA drive or a PCIe drive.
     
    Smin, Jan 27, 2015
    #229
  30. CSHawkeye81

    CSHawkeye81 Notebook Deity

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    You are correct just read it needs to be a "2280" size/style M.2 SSD. Plextor seems to be popular now, I know Crucial seems to be harder to find.
     
    CSHawkeye81, Jan 27, 2015
    #230
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  31. trooper1414

    trooper1414 Notebook Deity

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    Lets hope you get yours by Friday, it would suck to wait over the weekend without getting it.
     
    trooper1414, Jan 27, 2015
    #231
  32. einsteinchen

    einsteinchen Notebook Geek

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    Some SSD's measure the tmeperatur like this: 100 - displayed temp = actual temp
    In your case, it would be around 30 °C, which is fine. But check, if the manufacture does it this way.
     
    einsteinchen, Jan 27, 2015
    #232
  33. wolfscream

    wolfscream Notebook Enthusiast

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    The plextor is a PCIE style m.2 isn't it? Compared to the Crucial which is SATA m.2?

    It's so confusing that these two styles of SSDs share the same body but different compatibility. The service manual is rather vague and doesn't specify either.
     
    wolfscream, Jan 27, 2015
    #233
  34. uofaboy

    uofaboy Notebook Enthusiast

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    uofaboy, Jan 27, 2015
    #234
    bumbo2, xxpmrong, dogbirds and 1 other person like this.
  35. jrfox87

    jrfox87 Notebook Consultant

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    Ordered mine last night. So far I've only gotten an Acknowledgement email about my order, no confirmation email yet or what my order number or customer number are or anything.

    Any idea why have yet to even get a confirmation email of my order?
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2015
    jrfox87, Jan 27, 2015
    #235
  36. uofaboy

    uofaboy Notebook Enthusiast

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    uofaboy, Jan 27, 2015
    #236
  37. xxpmrong

    xxpmrong Notebook Consultant

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    congrats uofaboy!

    so how is it? any of the issues so far?

    like the ones reported in this forum:

    - vibrating fans
    - leaked led lights
     
    xxpmrong, Jan 27, 2015
    #237
  38. dogbirds

    dogbirds Notebook Enthusiast

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    I touched the NAND of m500 during full load with a bare hand, and my finger almost got burnt immediately.
    It is really hot. Others have complained smae thing on Crucial's forum too.
    I guess m500 is not a good choice for you m.2 slot.


    SATA and PCIE are not inter-compatible. So the m.2 socket is SATA, because I successfully installed m.2 m500 which uses SATA protocol.
     
    dogbirds, Jan 27, 2015
    #238
  39. uofaboy

    uofaboy Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks dude. I'm enjoying the A15 so far.. The 4K screen is gorgeous! It seems very well built and the interior seems more organized than previous models I've had. With that said, the fans can be loud under load but I don't have any of the vibrating fan issue so far and no light bleed from the monitor (knock on wood).

    I've paired my A15 with the GA and man, the box is pretty loud!
     
    uofaboy, Jan 27, 2015
    #239
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  40. trooper1414

    trooper1414 Notebook Deity

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    Any issues with the GA so far?
     
    trooper1414, Jan 28, 2015
    #240
  41. qdos

    qdos Newbie

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    Which GPU do you have in the A15? I'm waiting for an A15 with a 970m, and hope it's more silent-ish...
     
    qdos, Jan 28, 2015
    #241
  42. garache

    garache Notebook Enthusiast

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    No, it's up to the motherboard's chipset to support PCI-E SSDs or not, aside from standard SATA. M.2 in itself is a connector specification that provides 4 PCI-E 3.0 lanes AND a SATA 3.0 port.

    So until someone provides relevant information about the chipset or tries installing a M.2 SSD that does use the PCI-E lanes, we don't know if it's supported or not.
     
    garache, Jan 28, 2015
    #242
  43. xxpmrong

    xxpmrong Notebook Consultant

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    i just got a call that i will be getting it tomorrow! yipee! thats 6 days way before the estimate

    and yep the status is not updated on the dell page

    the logistics company that called me doesnt sound like one from the usual suspects DHL / FedEx / UPS
    another one of those cost cuts by Dell? hmm...
     
    xxpmrong, Jan 28, 2015
    #243
  44. einsteinchen

    einsteinchen Notebook Geek

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    Well, thats bad :( I would swap the SSD. If it fails, the data are gone.
    I got a Smasung Evo 840 and the shown temps are not the real temps.
     
    einsteinchen, Jan 28, 2015
    #244
  45. crazyotterhound

    crazyotterhound Notebook Consultant

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    Just pulled the trigger on the stock i7 model without ssd. Dell dropped the price by 200 euros just this morning and I had a 10% voucher...so glad I waited to order!
     
    crazyotterhound, Jan 28, 2015
    #245
  46. QUICKSORT

    QUICKSORT Notebook Evangelist

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    Dayum. The alienware 15 in my country is 200€ cheaper. I have some money. But I'm still A LOT behind to buy one. I hope I can lend some from someone :( (currently still have no job after graduating in university).

    At least I have also a VIP membership coupon of 10% off. But still have not sufficient resources to buy one yet.
     
    QUICKSORT, Jan 28, 2015
    #246
  47. drebkb

    drebkb Notebook Consultant

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    same here! 200 less, when i saw it this morning i was really happy! if i had a 10% discount i would def buy it right now, but i don't :) plus i live now in Poland, and ordering it in italy will just make it sit in the house for 1/2 months before i pick it up, and i wanna check it out open it and see the screen for some dead pixels and stuff before warranty for those things runs out
     
    drebkb, Jan 28, 2015
    #247
  48. drebkb

    drebkb Notebook Consultant

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    I gotta say it looks Amazing! thanks for these pics, was waiting for some a long time! can't wait till more people upload some more!
     
    drebkb, Jan 28, 2015
    #248
  49. Oxford_Guy

    Oxford_Guy Notebook Evangelist

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    Why does it need to have such a thick body if it has a soldered GPU and CPU? Other manufacturers have managed to fit a 970m or 980m in much thinner bodies, okay some of the really thin ones can get hot, but why not 25mm/2.5Kg like the Clevo P651, it's hardly skinny, but looks like much less of a brick to carry about than the Alienware 15
     
    Oxford_Guy, Jan 28, 2015
    #249
  50. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    J.Dre, Jan 28, 2015
    #250
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