*OFFICIAL* Alienware 15 R3 Owner's Lounge

This...

 

Yes, this screen. How when you run your benches, could you snap a screen shot showing all the CPU info? It'd be easier if you rearrange the info so that everything can fit on the one screen.

(Settings -> Layout -> Uncheck 'Fixed Order' -> Then reorder bringing things like CPU package Power, PL1 Power limit, PL2 Power limit etc...all up to the top.)

Hope this helps.

 

this?

 

All the info you see in this screen shot...arrange it as such so that we can see all the valuable info.

 

Basically we want to see the exact speed each core is running on and the temps of those cores along with their voltage and utilization while OCCT has been running for some time. This way we can validate that your temps are indeed good and not the result of a throttle or bios gimp ect.

 

Like this?

 

There it is...thanks..

 

Repost from the 17R4 lounge because it's too funny...

Good Morning All,

This will get you laughing right off the bat as you start your day...ready? Put the coffee down, because you might spill it....

Like many of you, I've owned/own pretty much every thermal paste under sun. Yes, even a $1 thermal paste ROFL. So then I got to thinking....

How would Dell's stamp compare to a $1 thermal paste that is rated at 1.22w m/k? In all seriousness and for data purposes...

The test was done on a bone stock AW17R4 (1070) without any mods ie...everything as is with the wonderful core differentials. (<- That's a joke...the wonderful part.)



So again in all seriousness, this would mean that the stock Dell unknown stamp is worse than 1.22w m/k in theory...

You be the judge.

With the uneven heat sink issue due to the thermal pad thickness over the FET's, the $1 paste outperformed the stock paste under the same conditions of the heat sink.

Here's the $1 Paste...30grams of it for a buck...LOL, but guys don't waste your money. I only bought it for data collection.

 

Comedy for Today, Tomorrow and perhaps Years to come...

Does Crest Toothpaste preform better than Dells stock stamp or any OEM paste? .... (I have the answers and it'll shock you...will post soon with Fire Strike, Time Spy and Unigine Heaven.)



*You know them disclaimers you see on certain things that make you say, Duh?! Well for the record, yes we know that toothpaste would dry out blah blah blah....guys this is just a joke and in good fun lol...It's sad that I even have to mention the obvious, but there are those certain peeps..lol

 

Powered by: Crest Toothpaste

Here's a link to my 14608 run (stock GPU clocks) with Crest: http://www.3dmark.com/fs/11078347

 

And how much do you think Dell normally pay for similar 30grams tubes but in big bulk with thermal paste? 50-65 Cents for 30 grams? Yeah, and how much will it cost Dell for each machine they push out?

 

gonna try this right now. Let's see if it works

which blotwares do you mean? could you tell me, so i remove them?



Also, by switching FN+F7, does that affects any "heat problems"?

I saw some topics of @iunlock saying that core i7 6820K could "heat" a little. With CPUID, my cores (Core #0, #1, #2, #3 and Package) they keep floating around 45 °C to 74 °C (max i see). didnt monitor IN game.

 

Dell's stock paste is likely FREE, because it is some unknown industrial waste that a company is trying to get rid of. That unknown company is likely thankful for Dell taking it out of their hands to recycle it for FREE.

Maybe the paste is the byproduct from Crest? Not even the Toothpaste itself, but the waste left over from making it.

That makes the most sense. Proof is proof LOL...

 

Got the 15 r3 with 6820hk + 1070... Reading almost all your post while waiting for the beat to arrive. First thing first TESTING CPU TEMP. Man i'am disappointed... just 2min of battlefield 1: core 0 hit 99℃, core 1 89℃, core 2 98℃ and core 3 88℃.... gpu 65℃.... So really a CPU/heatsink problem... already having arctic silver 5 so got repaste and **it got the same number.....

 

And what Bios version is shipped with the machine?

 

Would you be able to take screen shots with HWiNFO64 and post them up? Please make sure to include all the important info in there showing all the core temps, cpu package power etc....

Thanks.

 

Highly likely 1.0.8 and if that is the case...wow...just wow... for a crippled bios to be doing that....

However, I'm thinking that there is not enough paste or the heat sink is definitely a lemon.

 

Have you ever seen similar big amount of failures in all the different brands sub threads? New and old? Almost none of the new Aw gaming machines work well out of the box!!
Maybe @hmscott can put a light on this.

 

The way that I see it, there are two categories.

Category 1: An issue that is fixable, but absolutely insane. (Ex. thermal paste, pads, heat sink, etc...)

Category 2: An issue that is NOT fixable and even more insane. (Ex. Locked bios, locked 6700HQ, crippled GPU etc...)

Right now, although it is on the extreme end, the new AW's are mainly dealing with Category 1, however for those who can't or don't want to repaste / apply the fix...they are now in Category 2.

So at the end of the day, Dell is hanging on by a string at best. It's a Hybrid issue....one that is at the extreme end of things both ways....

The new AW's are only beneficial if one is willing to repaste and apply the "semi-working okay so far," fix.

As for the other brands, the choices are limited and they can have issues of their own. The big one right off the bat are the crippled GPU's etc...

There are some nice MSi machines that would suit a user that doesn't want to repaste etc...much better than AW at the moment...

 

Besides the hot running 6820HK running hot does the same apply for the 6700HQ?
Love the specs especially the 120hz screen but all this talk about hot CPU temps has me second guessing myself.
So is it even worth getting the 6820HK even with a repaste? Is the 6700HQ going to limit the 1070?
I already have a amp so this was a logical choice but then again....

 

Right now it's a toss up. We're hoping Dell will take action in addressing the thermal paste issue by replacing it with something decent and to fix the uneven heat sink issue. At the end of the day, if you plan to repaste with something worthy like Grizzly Kyronaut and/or Liquid Metal, you'll have a well built machine that can be enjoyed. Be aware though that Dell is shipping out the new units with the crippled 1.0.8 bios so if you are a heavy user, then you'll have to roll back to 1.0.2. - Some people may be perfectly fine on 1.0.8 due to their usage habits, but I would not buy a machine with a GTX 1080 only to have it crippled, allowing a GTX 1070 run neck to neck or even surpass it at only ~120w compared to ~160w ... so it all depends.

 

Ok so it looks like you are able to get in the mid 60s under load at 2893.6mhz. This is better than the 2.6GHz base at least.

 

A big problem you don't talk about... Forget update firmware If newer firmware is needed. You are really screwed if you are locked down to Bios 1.0.2...!!
Not a very credible solution/fix in the long end!! I think @hmscott is agree with my conclusion on this. And I think you as well in the long end.

 

Yes for someone in it for the long haul, that's not good news so basically the new AW's are only good as the distance 1.0.2 will take a user. Once that limitation(s) is reached, then it's the end of the road for good... For those like me that don't keep a system for more than year, 1.0.2 will be just fine as it is actually pretty good so it could go a little longer ...who knows...

The real answers will come with how AW goes about applying all these changes to the R5. We'll just have to wait and see....

 

Just curious, what is the difference in 1.0.2 and 1.0.8? I had returned my 15 R3 to re-order with the black-friday prices so I am sure I will get the 1.0.8, since I don't even have it delivered yet

 

Changes to the 17R5 or 15R4 will never help owners with the current models from today!! They are stuck with what they already have purchased. Not a very good solution. And you never know what will be important in next Bios/Ec update. Only a new re-designed heatsink for the current models is acceptable + power settings from working Bios 1.0.2. Not only switching to a better thermal paste

 

1.0.2 is good. 1.0.8 is crippled. It depends on your usage habits. Either way, you can still flash back to 1.0.2 if you want. It comes with many benefits, but only if you utilize it.

 

1.0.8

 

Will do...

 

Well of course and that can be said with any machine. Dell should be recalling all the systems to be honest and making adjustments to the heat sink and shipping them out with better thermal paste. That would be the right thing to do, but you know them share holders (private or not)...they see nothing but $ signs, which is their God. So sad...watch when it all crumples down, because right now they are artificially living high at the expense of innocent people....you and I both know that such an act will not go unpunished. Just saying...some call it karma etc... but those that know who know understand that the longer this goes on the deeper the hole is getting for Dell to crawl out of. Right now it's the perfect time for the other OEM's to strike like MSi and heck even HP with something enticing that will catch the attention for all those let down by Dell. At the same time, Dell needs to realize that the clock is ticking and for every moment that goes by without having a solution is another nail in the coffin. In today's day and age (information age) the power of things going viral is very real. One would be an absolute fool to think that we as the consumers can't raise havoc... Sucks for Dell to be walking on thin ice, but it's their time to act..right now...with a solution.

 

This is the Band-aid fix from Dell. Not a credible fix for all the heat problems!!

 

Problem is that all reviews are praising this laptop as great one and maybe the best one on the market, without mentioning all these problems. And I don't think that many consumers read this forum.
And probably Dell is more worried about corporate clients who will never buy Alienware, therefore there is no need for them to pay great attention to this issue.

 

The problem is that AW is a small niche in their whole big portfolio. A minor company would react much faster. If not.., They're out of the business very fast.

 

Things can change in a blink of an eye. Anyone would be a fool to underestimate the power of the internet. The amount of emails, PM's and contacts that I get with people who are flamed at the issue is astonishing. I'm sitting here calming people down when talking with them, rather than adding fuel to the fire. Dell are you listening? For every 10 people we are keeping from returning their machines is ~$25,000 ...do the math... now what would happen if the YouTubers all started to report on this issue? Mind you...some of them have many subscribers.... That's why I've stated that, "One would be an absolute fool to think that we as the consumers can't raise havoc.."

Dell - Fix the heat sink and change out the thermal pads, before this gets really ugly....the ones that understand the issue and that have been investigating it can only keep the flames at bay for so long. Do you realize the influence we (the good folks here and elsewhere) have on this issue?

Just do the right thing. (- And guys to be fair...they are...I can tell you that much.) So on a positive note, for the newcomers go look at the temps that can be had. The point here is that, it is possible if you're willing. If not, well....freedom of choice, but you won't find a better built machine and if you do....call me.... I'm not loyal to any brand and will call it like it is. No sugar coating and no bubble gum cartoon business here.

 

True, but that doesn't make Dell invincible to the reality of serious issues that can weaken their stance in the segment from the ground up. It's no secret that they are riding on two waves. One being that AW has become a house hold name from the brand that they have built from way back in the day, and two from benefiting from the resources of Dell to pump out well build machines (material wise). If these two things don't remain in good balance, the brand will start to sink along with the crumbling foundation (reputation), which will bring permanent and irreparable damage that will be devastating. On top of that if MSi and other OEM's step up their game in the material, fit & finish and tolerance level category, it would only excel the ticking clock for Dell....so all in all they better act fast or it could get really ugly. (- And they are listening....will leave it at that.)

 

What they should do is as the problem gets resolved on the physical end with a more even application of HT pressure they add a toggle in the bios that restores 1.0.2 power levels so that users who have a unit with working cooling can get the max performance again.

 

how i can downgrade to bios 1.0.2? where i can get it?

thx for the hint.

 

There : http://www.dell.com/support/home/us...roductCode=alienware-15-laptop&driverId=FY6GJ

 

As you remember from early 2015 ... Dell pushed out the 18oW flimsy psu with the first Aw Echo models and Gtx980m. The complaints rushed in and Dell launched similar Bandaid fix as now. The well-known amazing Hybrid bios that offered battery boost when the weak flimsy 180W could not manage the task to providing enough power was the ultimate fix. As you can see... Dell continues to offer the same crippled solutions on problems they self have started. This is not credible and is big shame!!
It took a long time before Dell acknowledged the power throttling problem due the flimsy 180w. People had to argue long time with Dellienware support until they received the strong enough 240W psu to solve the problem. Many months. Even a year after this mess said Dell the problem was fixed with that crippled Hybrid firmware. Don't expect to much this time as well bro @iunlock
Same for other buyers of Dell's products.
I think @tilleroftheearth can write under this.

 

dell support assist, product registration etc

that seems alright, temps are under control using 1.0.8 because the cpu has a better overheat protection

however, once you repaste and gain temperature control, overclocking and performance should be much better on 1.0.2

 

So I got off the phone with Dell today.

I had run their Support Assist and yesterday it crashed during the video card test, but today it finished the test. But the cores got to 98-99 deg in all 4 at one point and all 4 were throttling with a CPU package max of 101. So you aren't the only one. I'm glad I didn't repaste myself because if it didn't fix it for you it probably wouldn't have fixed it for me.

FWIW I also downgraded the bios to 1.0.2 at one point and hit thermal shutdown repeatedly.

A few days ago I called out on twitter and got a response from AlienwareTech by DM an also a repsonse non DM from Frank Azor that mine must have shipped out before they started the 'screening' for heat problems. They are listening.

I hope you have at least 1 year premium warranty because that will make things much easier. It was cumbersome until my service tag got in the system but they were still able to work with me and get the repair process started. On twitter they said they got second opinions and wanted me to send it in vs have a tech come. They know it's an issue.

Now the service tag is in the system and the conversation went very smoothly. Even though the guy on the phone I couldn't show him any true thermal shutdowns or test fails he is still having me send it to their repair facility to look at the heat sink and also the screen (the bezel is separating from the bottom).

It sucks I have to send the machine in but it's better than trying and failing at repasting it myself. If stress temps were in the 70s-80s I would be confident a repaste would help. I'm hoping in some restitution after all this but honestly, dell support has been pretty good overall.

It's still a super strong machine. If I disable turbo boost the temps hover at 74 max so it's safe and still runs most things fine.

Attached is my HWiNFO from the stress testing, just the max's though are accurate. This is on stock settings and voltages.

 

That's what has me questioning if I should order or not, most reviews are stellar but coming here we see the opposite.

 

I will have mine shipped to dell service to. I do not have mention my repaste.

 

Sorry for the post but how do i insert image?

 

most reviewers out there don't know their left from their right, so that explains the stellar reviews that this crap heatsink laptop gets

 

use imgur.com

NEVER USE NBR FORUM ATTACHMENT IT IS CANCEROUS AND NEVER LOADS AN IMAGE

@Charles P. Jefferies @John Ratsey @downloads - this problem been happening for long time in this forum, when will it be fixed?

 

AW must have done something right. The replacement I got have consistent temps within 1-2 degrees most of the time. I ran a bunch of tests and nothing pushed the CPU over 80.
OCCT ran for an hour and reached 70.

This is in huge contrast with the first unit that was going to 100 all the time.

 

Haha you are definitely right. But also I think it comes down to this. At current time, even high heat the machine performs well for current gen titles and tasks. Even turning off turbo boost the 1070 is enough to make up for it in many situations and most games and with turbo on it just throttles a bit but still performs. 3 ghz is enough processor the 3.5 is icing. And the machine is otherwise well made so reviews are good.

But in 1-2 years you're gonna need every bit of that turbo and no throttling and we all know heat kills stuff. So letting it sit running 95 daily isn't a good idea for long term usage and for 2k this should last a couple years at least (maybe not on ultra settings but you know what I mean). Reviews don't take 2 years from now into account so it doesn't matter to them but in real life it's a big deal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Greetings guys,

Just an update for the community that Dell is fully aware of all the issues and more importantly, they are listening and taking action to address these issues. They are fully aware of the uneven heat sink problem (as I've addressed in the video) and the lines on the QHD. These things are actively being addressed as we speak. So for those curious about that "other fix," in addition to the bending of the tension arm; although it has been mentioned in the OwnordisOwn video where I talked about the clearance levels, we can now put a seal on it as Dell confirms this to be the issue causing the unevenness.

One assuring thing that I was told when asking the question of, "Will AW always have an unlocked CPU and GPU in the line up?" was that they would never get rid of that and it will always be an option.

In regard to the bios issues, it is confirmed that there were some errors in the DTPF within the stock bios profiles that caused the systems to throttle. They are also checking on the PL2 limit for us and know that there is a hot request in place to look into that. It was said that the throttling of any kind was not a deliberate act done by AW. I know that may not make sense to you, but lets just wait and see what happens with the next bios update. You can count on me and others to dive right in once it is released to confirm any changes.

As for the Killer WiFi 1535 cards, they know of this issue and will take action to get it handled. Hopefully Dell switches up the line up to the Intel 8260 and 8265's. - Here's a fun piece of info., the antenna array on the new AW's are much bigger than the previous generations so the wireless performance is much improved.

All in all, the important thing here is that they are listening and willing, so if you guys have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me or just let it be known here in this owners lounge thread and it'll be noted then passed along accordingly.

There was a lot of information that was discussed in the 2 Hour meeting so I've highlighted the main points to keep this from being a TLDR. Hope this helps and we'll surely keep you all updated. - Team LHz ( @DeeX, @Mobius 1, @zergslayer69, @iunlock)