*OFFICIAL* Alienware 15 R3 Owner's Lounge

The difference between the cores isn't acceptable although temp is reasonable..., If new owners don't return their machines with this design flaws... Dellienware will never try to resolve the problem fully out. Only high numbers of returned laptops will push/force a change from Dell! If people accept the problem and live with it, you all will loose in the end!! And Dell will continue to screw new buyers.

 

Is it safe to get get AW15 now ?

 

Lol good question...

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Have you seen good results without core - heat problems?

 

As with any laptop purchase, you always stand the chance of getting a laptop with a problem that needs service.

Infant mortality, manufacturing problems, shipping problems, and of course teething problems for new laptop designs.

If you don't mind returning a laptop to a retailer if you get an unacceptable unit, or working with a vendor for RMA service, or mind working on it yourself to replace the thermal paste, then it's always "safe".

You have purchase protections through laws and CC coverage, and in this case AW is allowing returns without much trouble - AW may complain, but they do allow returns.

When you do decide to give it a shot, please come back and let us know how it works out

I'd verify what the return period is for the replacement - make sure you get the extended holiday return period on the replacement that you had on this one.

If you return for refund now, then you would need to restart the ordering process from scratch. The return for replacement might get you a new unit sooner, I'd check on that timing too.

Please let us know how it works out

 

Guys, those who saw my previous post will see the improvement, i'm surprised but since I undervolted down to -150, Cores don't get that hot under load and even things out pretty much, after an hour of NBA 2k17 on ULTRA, here are the results, max ever attained was 73! :



Without even repasting or adjusting the screws pressure to improve the 10°C differential between cores I saw when I first got the laptop! I run OCCT again, same thing, differential isn't 10°C+ anymore. Opinions?

 

Woke up this morning to see this
https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/5enl0x/woke_up_this_morning_to_see_this/


Get'em while they're "Hot!!"

Sale starts at 10am EST:
https://deals.dell.com/productdetail/53r?dgc

Other "Deals":
http://www.dell.com/en-us/gaming/alienware-deals?cs=19
http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/deals/special-deals

 

I sum it up for you

 

I just got a chance to game with this laptop and the heat spikes like crazy, over 90 degrees in less than 10 minutes. I ordered two of these laptops and both of them have the same issues that people have been complaining about on these forum.

IMO Alienware is lying by saying only 1-5% of people have this issue since two laptops I just ordered have the same problems. I don't think it's safe to order from them and I don't know if it will become safe to order them in the futre because of Alienware's response to the situation. The worst part is being told false information by the sales team that the issues were fixed in order to get me to order the laptop. I'll be speaking again with technical support later and if I can't work out a solution with them, I will refund both laptops and will not buy from them again.

That is happening to my notebook as well. For the price of this notebook, it's really disappointing how poorly built it is.

 

This is kind of strange. I'm running Prime95 right now and the cores are at 80, 63, 79, 59. That is much cooler than before. The clocks are only at 2.6GHz but I'm not sure why the behaviour of the system is so much different today than yesterday. Dell support is supposed to call me in 20 minutes. I'm guessing that he will tell me that this is normal.

Edit: rebooted and now I'm getting 94, 74, 92, 71. with 2.8GHz clocks.

 

On OCCT my temperatures looked good and on Prime95, I had weird temperatures like that as well. However the real problem starts when I begin playing games (most games I play are demanding). My CPU temps started easily going over 90 degrees. Are your temps normal when playing games?

 

Yes, <90

 

I'm hovering around 90C with Elite Dangerous in VR on the Rift.

Dell does not trust Prime95 so they completely disregard those results. Intel stress test had a max temp of 95C which is ok. 20 degree core differences is ok. The tech was hell bent on telling me this was ok even though the system is "designed to keep cool." I'm on hold to send the system back. I might go with the msi dominator pro. It appears to keep much cooler and is cheaper.

 

Right now I'm debating whether I should take a risk and get a replacement or if I should give up on Alienware all together and refund the notebook. The way things are right now with Alienware right now, I can't tell when or if the issues will be fixed since there's too much variance in what employees of Alienware are saying.

 

No.

I just received one DOA, and it has taken a week to get a return label after being passed around via phone and email. I had to communicate with 7 different individuals! This doesn't count the time waiting to receive it after they already took the money. Their abysmal customer service alone makes them a company to avoid. I'll post back when/if/how I ever get my $2000 back.

 

Hey, after opening the AW15, I realize there is nothing connected into the Tobii port. Is something supposed to be connected?

 

The exact same thing is happening to me. I will never buy back from Alienware. They keep bouncing me between reps each saying different things about how the laptop should function. So far it seems as if Alienware has no intention of fixing the issue since "the i7-6700HQ is made to reach these temperatures".

 

So far i'm 65°C average while playing games, my highest peak is 79°C, it's a good thing right? Only thing is, at 75°C, fans start to be really loud, that's my first gaming laptop, i'm not used to it so can you tell me, is it usual for the fans to be that noisy while playing if it reaches 75°C+ ? Like, you should get used to it if you want a gaming laptop, if you push it in game?

 

Your temps seem good have you ran XTU or occt?

What games you playing

Fans getting loud under load is normal for most gaming laptops, you need to get used to that, what card u got 1060/1070?

 

To answer, that's my previous post

 

Mine came today on Black Friday. 6700HQ, 16GB, 1070, 99WH Battery, 1080P TN 120hz panel with G-sync.

The panel is very sharp and bright. Vivid color, and zero light bleeding. The boot time was SLOW with the default HDD, so I swapped that out for a Samsung 850 EVO 1TB M.2 for boot, and a Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5 inch for games and files. Now it boots in about 4 seconds. I am going to get a new 1TB Samsung 960 NVe m.2 for the open slot, and change my boot to that drive when it gets here. That will give me 3TB of SSD, and I still have the half height m.2 slot open! This thing is nice and expandable.

I ran CCCT and all cores stayed cool as the fans spun up. (I ran it on my other Lenovo Y410P, and the 4 core CPU in that caused the test to fail over 85c. The Alienware stays cooler!)

I bought the 4 year premium service plan, so even if something breaks, I am covered till November of 2021!



This laptop is FAST, quiet, bright, and crisp. I turned off the Tobii eye crap to stop the LED from blinking at me, and also the silly side lights. My 99wh battery should last fairly long without it lit up like a Christmas tree. The build quality is like a tank. It's pretty heavy for it's size, but I like that. Not cheap plastic like other laptops.

The Killer wireless is also very fast, and the trackpad is nice and responsive. I actually like the light on the trackpad and keyboard. It makes playing in the dark fun!

My only issue is the keyboard layout. I have to get used to the offset with those 6 function keys to the left of the keypad.

Now to download the rest of my games! I cannot wait to run DCS World 2 on this thing.....

 

I tried this on mine to see how well it worked. I dropped it to -0.140 before I got bored and ran Prime95. I was still getting temps of 94,70,94,70 but this time my clock speeds stayed up!!!! I'm currently wiping the drives before I send it back.

 

Hi Everyone,

Just got a new 15" R3 today (I swapped from a 17 R4, with a bad HD). Got the computer at Microcenter.

I noticed something odd though, and just wanted to confirm a few things with any owners. When I had the 17, and did the initial boot, after the initial setup was done, I was dropped on the desktop with an Alien background image. The new 15" doesn't have that image. It has the theme, but not the image.

Also, on the 17, it did have a Factory Restore option that wiped it with pre-installed Alienware factory image. The 15" doesn't seem to have that option either.

Is that normal for the 15?

Thanks All!

 

On the configure it states the 128gb ssd is a m.2

The 256 is listed as a pcie? Is this an issue? Why it costs more?


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m.2 is a pcie connection, thats the same... what can be a difference is if it is an nvme or not. it cost more because its bigger lol...

 

Hah yea figured it was the same hence the price diff. Not sure why they listed as different though lol


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It is really a shame that nowadays there is no gaming rig which is working as it should without major tweaking actions. And I don't talk about repasting, which is a must!

But if you're willing to do so -> lapping heatsinks, rearrangement of higher quality Thermal Pads + using CLU and maybe bending something, you will get some amazing results as @iunlock clearly showed in his thread(s).

So basically there is nothing wrong with the Dellienwares, only DELL has abandoned QC standards.

All show and no substance....

 

No, M.2 supports PCIe, SATA and USB interfaces, hence the different keying and supporting SATA vs NVMe.

 

Sooo... I was about to pull the trigger for a AW 15 R3 but I had a look a the terms and conds for Dell here in Switzerland and surprise, there is absolutely no right to return the product after you receive if you are not happy with it unlike the US where you have 30 days or the EU 14 days to return it..

So if I order the AW15 and I am not happy with it the only way I can return it is using the warranty but I have seen on this forum dans Dell tech find that the difference in core temps or high temps are considered "normal". So they could basically refuse the warranty and through the warranty there is no way I get a refund usually it is a repair or a replacement...

But I really need a gaming laptop, I am spend more than 15 days per month in hotels for my work and I am using the laptop 95% for gaming, so which one would you recommend, which brand if I have to avoid AW ?

Thanks for your help

 

Another question. The existing AW17 bag I have cannot be used with AW 17 2016 ?

 

No it will not. btw there is a 17" forum as well.

 

Fan control access with HWINFO64 v5.40 on my 15R3 :



Just click on the fan icone

 

Any reason why temperatures are higher when the laptop uses only the GTX 1070 instead of Optimus? I have 44 average using Optimus and 55-60 on dedicated graphics only. 3D Mark makes the laptop freeze on performance mode as well

 

Hi Royce,

Welcome to NBR. Your choice is fine. The Alienware 15 is not the best laptop (in my opinion) but it holds its own against the competition (in the 15" segment), assuming you receive one without an defects. (Which is a big assumption these days.) My recommendation for you would be to order through a reseller whom ships internationally. It may cost a little more but they will provide better support, test the system thoroughly, and offer you a fair return policy compared to Alienware in your region. Here is a link to the reseller I recommend: http://www.hidevolution.com/alienware-15-r3-gtx-10-custom-built-to-order.html

Happy Holidays and good luck.

J.Dre

 

Windows 10 syncs themes across computers so I did not see the Alien background when I first logged in but the Alien background was on the disc.

I did not have the factory restore option and had to download it from Dell.

 

As always. Aw owners must rely on 3rd part software if they want an app for manuel fan control. Yeah, Hwinfo64 is a must A very nice software.

 

Just buy the extended service contract, and no worries. If the CPU burns out, they have to replace it. Mine is good till 2021.

 

If only it were that simple.

 

Thank you for the link, I actually didnt know I could order from the US with warranty and stuff. It kind of open a lot of new options for me as here in Switzerland we don't have (yet) Razer Blade, MSI GS63VR, Aorus or Gigabyte.
Unfortunately it will come at a price, it is around 700$ extra for the same specs for the AW 15 R3..

If I may ask, which one would you recommend ?

Unfortunately the 1 year warranty extension ( so 2 years in total) cost an extra 390 $... And I am not worried about a CPU burn or a breakdown of the machine but more about an uneven core temps or a laptop that overheat when I receive it and according to Dell if those temps are "normal" they might not accept it for warranty and with no return policy I will be screwed..

 

Here in hungary, the warranty is 3 years, and you got an extra year, if you visit their repair store ones a year (30usd for cleaning and repasting) Tho the extra 1 year is the shops warranty only, but the basic 3 is dells.

 

anyone have a color correction for the gsync panel?

 

I lowered the blue a couple of long levels on Windows comparing it with a calibrated TV.

It looks good to me but the reds could be better.

 

Hi there,

so i had little time and played Unravel and Battlefield 1 for 10 minutes each. While playing (without any kind of updates or other programs were running in the background) t he system shuts down (windows said i´m shutting down, without anyone initiated that or no pressing the button).

Is this the case when TRM is reached and cooling solution won´t be able to handle that anymore? I tought it will just throttle (but it should not throttle while gaming as this is a f*** gaming laptop).

In my Windows Event Log I had for this time multiplr crictical errors based on CPU throttling. Please note, the 6820HK is not yet overclocked. Temperatures will reach average 95°C per core (at max - HWINFO).

Alienware - this is a joke ? I mean, the system cannot handling games and wanna shut down after playing 10 minutes?

Word´s missing.


Yesterday i had run 3dmark 11 and it stops upon no reason, but did not shut down. Then i´ve retried 3dmark 11 and it went thru with average 16600 points. Ok so that means i´ve got a 2k € Laptop which is not rockstable for gaming?

I´ve tried Cinebench R15 with "stock clock" and got higher points for CPU than in max OC mode which tells me system will definitiely throttle CPU based (also temps from HWInfo will claim this).

What should i do now, call AW if they´re kidding me and ask for a technician? Should i repaste and live with that? I won´t send that thing back as there´s no alternative (and i need to exclude MSI) ... argh

Regards
aVa

 

1070 or 1080.?

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Sorry about that question was thinking I was in the 17 r4 forum.

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Also I would suggest u at least return the laptop and ask for a replacement. Why not try Aorus x5 v6. ?

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Return to Sender! They'll need to give you a replacement, or send a tech out to repaste the CPU. If you're a little bit technically savvy you could repaste the CPU yourself - that's what I'd do.

 

Yep i guess i wanna go the repaste way as i´m pretty firm in that. Also my display is pretty nice with almost not that much lightbleeding, so i wanna stay with this particular device.

Point is that DELL Need to give me a refund and written approve that it´s okay if i repaste the System (i guess it is but i wanna be sure, just in case something went wrong).

Regards,
aVa

 

Yep, no harm in asking them if OK to do it yourself. I think they'll say yes!

 

That's **** luck bud, I would either return it for a replacement but this is extra time and the replacement will likely still run hotter than you would like.

Sounds like someone forgot to tighten the screws on your IHS as yours is one of the really bad ones

I personally would re paste if your comfortable with it.

It's actually really easy to do if you take your time, dell even allow you too and have a manual available to download as well.

 

Anyone knows when KabyLake versions will be available? my screen is amazing and temps were ok, never more than 75 while gaming with a -150 undervolt, 40 idle, but recently I saw spikes hitting 20°C+ differential between cores!!! AND my bezel started to lose it's glue right above the "Alienware" sign..i pushed on it and now it's good but for how long? it will fall apart again at some point.. I feel like they won't change the current line, but maybe when offering the new ones, the problem will be at least better. Opinions?

 

My asus gl702vm is hitting 60-70 temps on cpu and gpu after an evening of wow and 80 after an evening of skyrim. Highly recommended as a replacement for the aw15 or aw17 and is £1099 on amazon occasionally.
Shame they put prices up on the alienware.. if they had not done that and fixed the temps i would have kept the aw15 order.