*OFFICIAL* Alienware 15 R3 Owner's Lounge

You're welcome!!
Yeah, higher heatsink pressure on Die will reduce temps.

 

By using this and the Temps have gone down by 10°



This is using BIOS 1.0.12

Added a -1.55 Undervolt - I get this (laptop sitting flat on table) :




and also using the amazon thing above I am getting temps like this :



)))

 

What do you guys tend to do with your new laptop regarding OS? My 15r3 is getting shipped with only a HDD and I'm putting in my own intel 600p SSD but I'm a bit split between getting a completly fresh installation of windows 10 or just migrating the OS from HDD -> SSD. Any suggestions/experiences with performance etc?

 

It's a 7200rpm HDD... Which imo is way too slow lol. Once you use a SSD, you won't want to go back having a OS on HDD.
If time is money to you, definitely install it on the SSD. When I got my 15R3 in October I had to wait a month for black Friday cuz I wanted to buy a big SSD on sale. That was the worst month ever, no exaggeration

 

Do a fresh install on the SSD. All the drivers will download from windows update site.

 

Alright guess I'll go grab windows media creation tool then thanks

 

Someone had mentioned controlling the fans via HWinfo on these laptops, how is this done? It seems like the laptop likes to not run/run them very low until like 60C and then it likes to turn them up 2-3 settings all at once. Any way to make a custom fan profile with HWinfo?

Edit: you gotta update to the latest version (non-beta works). Currently working on a preset that fits my temperature ranges and sounds requirements(wants).

This is what I'm working with right now if anyone is curious about how it works. It's pretty self explanatory if you used other software but one thing I noticed that the Alienware BIOS doesn't do, is as soon as it hits another temperature range, the fan speed changes instantly. Which is both good and bad in a way. Good because your temperatures won't go from 40 to 60 in a matter of seconds with a loud fan spinning to compensate. But bad because if the ranges set don't have some room for... lack of better words, increase/decrease? Then the fans will go up then down up then down up then down, which I am not sure if it would wear them out more or less then just running @ 2500RPM vs 1500 on off on off on off. There is a BIG difference in 1500 (near silent) and 2500 (near jet engine imo lol).

But this is how mine is:
Below 46C - silent
47 to 63 - very very quiet fan sound, should be perfect for playing games like League of Legends
64 to 74 - 74 was about the highest temp reached when running Heaven with the previous fan values in place (it would be much lower with Alienwares Jet-engine profile).

But, I am unsure of how to test the GPU with a program that is just GPU HEAVY. I know Kumbustor was a program that did this, but that isn't considered safe anymore. But since I can't think of a game/program that can stress ONLY the GPU, I doubt it matters whether or not the "temperature 2" works on not, Idk how to test it now, the CPU is always higher than the GPU. Maybe lock the multiplier very low on the CPU and run heaven?

 

Btw, does the OEM register even though I use a new SSD and a fresh install from a windows image made with windows media creation tool?

 

Yeah its built into the motherboard. Not sure of the specifics, it just gets the key somehow haha

 

Try the Alienware support assist gpu stress test. That always did the most gpu temp stressing for me.


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Hey guys, just ordered the 15 R3 with the i7820HK and the GTX 1070, super stoked. Quick question though: the 256GB boot drive is a bit small, so I want to add a NVME ssd like the Samsung 960 EVO just to put games and the like on. Can I just install it into the second M.2 slot without issues? Been reading a little about CPU PCI Express lanes and what not and I'm not sure if having three drives (2 SSD's and the HDD) is a problem.

 

You should be able install the drive without any issues.

 

You and me both buddy! Also planning a second SSD! What RAM did you get? I went for 16GB 2400MHz...

What's your delivery estimate? I ordered mine 29 March (UK) with EDD of 19th April, currently 'In Production'.

 

Quoting this because 3000RPM doesn't speed up/down the fan apparently. So 2900 or 3100 works.

Good to know. I actually ended up running Heaven a bit and that actually runs the GPU hotter than the CPU while my CPU has turbo disabled. Temperature 2 Source does in fact work.

It's weird how these little fans and heatsink can remove so much heat with a little added RPM. I wish Noctua would get in on making laptop fans, it seems like these type of fans have been the norm for years now (some just add/remove fins). I'm sure we could get both added cooling and reduced noise with a cost. But I guess the problem is not many laptop manufacturers would allow fans to be removed without voiding warranty.

 

Does anyone know what CPU Performance Mode does in the BIOS?

I know if you have a i7-6820HK is allows overclocking etc..

But what if you have a i7-6700HQ?

Anyone have it enabled?

 

Ok I enabled it on mine and didn't notice any difference.

Fans were running a little higher (although quietly) and Turbo Boost Power Max went up to 92w (usually 45w).

Also lost my undervolt settings.

 

If I bought a UPS would that fix the electronic noise from the laptop? It's obnoxious when using multiple displays. Usually when using one display and undervolted there is no noise, but since the GPU runs at about 30W with multiple displays I guess the extra power drawn causes more noise. I don't mean obnoxious like something is wrong, I just mean obnoxious just like any other desktop computer could also create noise from the GPU

 

My understanding is that even if something is running from UPS - the power draw would be the same.

 

Got the 2667 MHz, was a $50 upgrade on the website but I'm not sure the small clock speed upgrade is gonna make an any difference. EDD for me is 12th of April (US), but I did splurge a little bit and go with Express delivery 'cause I couldn't wait. Let's hope our systems have no issues!

Neat, thanks so much!

 

It was only £11 ($14) extra for the 2667MHz here but general consensus was that the benefit is negligible. Kinda wish I'd just done it now! It's free delivery in U.K. until May - didn't get option of express delivery. Orders through chat after I wangled 15% off.

Ditto on the issues!

 

Is the Costco Alienware 15R3 at $1299 a good deal?

i7-6700HQ
60hz IPS
GTX 1060
16GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM
256GB SSD + 1TB

https://www.costco.com/Alienware-15...VIDIA-Graphics---1080p.product.100315342.html

Can get it with 4 years of Costco warranty if I use their credit card.

 

Scratch that.

Ordered Wednesday evening and now showing as 'shipped'!

 

404 page

 

Its been going in and out of stock the last few days.

 

I'm not sure how their warranty works for stuff like this. Dell will treat you like gold if you have their premium warranty and like dog doo if you don't.

I'd assume you have to go through Costco or square trade or something which means they won't know a lot about the machine and the warranty might not be worth much.

In the flip side you should be able to test it out and return it to the store if it's a bad unit. If it's a good unit the chance it needs warranty in the future is small.

I'd make sure to ask all those questions first. Can you return no questions asked without restock fee? You don't want to try to argue "yea it works but it runs hot so it's defective" to try to get out of a restock fee, for example. Ask who the warranty is through and how claims work as well.

Price for specs isn't bad per se but it's not amazing. A 120 hz or 4k screen with 1070 will run about 2k with the same remainder of specs and a 3 year dell warranty fwiw.


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Just got my system and did a clean install. It keeps on saying device id not compatible. I have the gtx1060+6700hq+120hz panel. can anyone shed some light into this issue? thanks

edit: manage to install video card driver via dell website but i cant seem to get the latest ones to work. weird

edit: after installing drivers from dell i downloaded geforeexp and i downloaded the latest drivers from there so all is good now

 

Curious if repasting will help.

Temps are 75-80 average after ten hours of Mass effect. Spiked to 91 one time.

I have prolimatech pk3, as ceramique and ic diamond 7 in hand

 

Yeah you should be able to lower Temps by about 10C I'd say. Keep in mind it depends on ambient temp too though. Also lower Temps = longer hardware life and quieter fans.

This has me curious now, I have a cheapo IR temp gun, I kinda wanna try it with stressing the GPU and memory overclocked to see if it even has any significant effect. But not sure if it's even possible to find enough of a memory/VRM chip to scan

 

So ive had the laptop for 24 hours now and i have to say i am quite pleased with it! My cpu temps maxed out at 82c and differential was 3-4c max on the cores. The panel is very good maybe bec i am not that picky also i am coming from an ips panel on my 770dm. I will pick up the gtx 1070 + 6700hq or 7820hk variant and hope it does not have this problem. I might just give this unit away to a family member as i cantseem to find a problem with it.

 

Yeah what people need to understand is all laptop manufacturers have problems. Most of which are the same as these Alienware, hardware and customer service.
Pretty much you go for aesthetics/price and just be mature about the problems and they'll be fixed, usually in the buyers favor (upgrades)

 

Well ive owned the 15r1 and that unit was messed up! 4 visits from a dell technician in a single month! now that has to be a record lol! This machine certainly won me back. I hope that the 2nd one i am getting will be as good as this one! I love how portable it is too(maybe this is just me cause i was used to bringing my 17inch laptop with me) the lights one the side are refreshing to see . Another thing i dont like is that it only has 2 regular sized usb ports, what a bummer!

 

There's a Anker USB 3.0 to 4x USB 3.0 adapter for like 10$ on Amazon, that's what I bought and use daily. I use it for my mouse, keyboard and a 3.5" external HDD. Sometimes for my mouse/KB and a external DVD drive, so it definitely works. Not that Anker is a questionable company.

 

imo its only worth to do a repaste if it affects your overall performance e.g. throttle. 90s is fine with me

 

70+ is very loud though on the 15's. Lower Temps = longer lasting components too. Since these aren't desktops that you simply replace a faulty part with, the CPU and GPU are BGA. If there is any damage, you gotta buy both again (new motherboard)

 

Just get an extended warranty and be done with it. If you really want to tinker id suggest doing it under the warranty so incase you mess up just call the hotline bling

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Oh I did, but most others I think choose not to go with a warranty. I just prefer gaming in quiet peace with my AV setup. That would be impossible if my CPU hit 90. I probably wouldn't even game lol

 

Hey guys,

13" owner but had a few issues with it and they've agreed on a refund. Going to change to a 15" and looking at the 7820k/1070 with 120hz TN. Wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on it if you have one. Temps / clocks on cpu and how you find the screen for gaming....

 

Nailed it, fans are on at idle.

I repasted with the pk3, pretty sure I put too much on. Min temps dropped by 12 or so, max temps dropped by 5-10. I redid the pads too, but didn't have enough. Game temp is the same, 65-75, but its boosting up to 3.7ghz where before it was boosting to 3.2 mostly. Wondering if it was a bad paste job, or if Dell really upgraded the paste. Bought some conductonaut and all the supplies, including extra pads. Will do it again in two days.

 

What thickness of pads are required on the 15"?

 

Hey guys!
I've been a Clevo man my whole life (but secretely always wanted an Alienware). I see their price has come down quite a bit these last few years and I love the 15's 120Hz screen aluminum construcion and 99Wh battery!
I will try to read most of the topic but for now I just want a bit of direction.
- Has the 15 been a good and succesful laptop? are most people happy with theirs?
- What are some of the most worrisome issues? BIOS fan tables, overheating, throttling, screen lottery, anything like that?
- I'm quite fixed on the 120Hz TN panel, it seems good from what I've read, how is the IPS 60Hz one though?
- Does the 15 have Optimus? How long does a charge usually last on a GTX1070, 120HZ one?
- Dell only offers 1 year warranty (in my country the law is minimum 2 years, but I have to order it from another EU country) and the 2nd or 3rd extensions are damn expensive! Are they worth it? Are they usually problematic? Should I just get the Accident coverage for 1 year (which is much cheaper at 30€)?

Thanks!

 

1 - yeah each of the Alienware sizes have been considered very good. Normally I'd say go with the 13 for small size or 17 for big size + quietest and best cooling.. but I figured out how to set fan profiles in HWinfo so I can have both a reasonable size and a quiet laptop.
2 - pretty much the most talked about it temperature problems. Which is usually fixed by a repaste and repad. Though if Dell uses the right pads in the first place, you don't need new pads (but its always better).
3 - I have no complaints on the 120Hz, but if I could I would save my money and go with a non-Gsync 60Hz to keep optimus, as I just use my 144Hz monitor 90% of the time anyway
4 - Only has optimus if the screen doesn't use Gsync. Charge lasts for about 5 hours when not gaming. Gaming it will only last about 30-60min (running RE7)
5 - I purchased 4 years of accidental damage. Seems like they're more inclined to help and get stuff fixed quickly if you pay for it. I think its worth it, it was like 600$ in warranties for me and if anything happens in the next 4 years (150$/year) its covered. Nice peace of mind

 

Thanks!
2 - Okay so repasting is pretty much mandatory I see. What are some good pads to get?
3 - Does the 120Hz panel support Nvidia Smart Refresh?
4 - Ok cool didn't know that. So with the IPS panel and Optimus the battery should be even better.

 

Dell has gotten much better with paste but they still release some laptops with terrible temps. If yours is one of them, definitely get ahold of some aftermarket paste, preferably Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut or Kryonaut.
Not sure what Nvidia Smart Refresh is, never heard of it.
Yeah, Idling around the GPU ues about 7watts. Typing this it uses about 10-11Watts. I'm not sure how much the integrated Intel GPU uses, but I can see it using half or 1/4 of what the 1070 uses for browsing or videos

 

Thanks!
I'm really tempted by it, there's a sale on the spanish site on the 15 (7820HK, 16GB 2667MHz, 120Hz Tn, GTX1070, 256GB NVME, 1TB HDD) for 2079€. 350€ off!
Cheaper than a Clevo with similar specs!

 

You could try making a post on Facebook on a Dell page for your respective country asking if there are any Dell Brand Ambassador's that want to help you make a purchase. They'll try to do the whole "ok what do you want to use the laptop for?" and they'll think they know better than what you want, but just kindly let them know you know what you want and enjoy the 15% off or so they will give you when they go through the quoting process haha

 

I'm in Portugal, Dell is like a ghost town here... their website still has the old 15s and 17s with 880m and stuff... Can't order new ones here, gotta be from spain, germany or UK.

The 350€ off is already equivalent to a 16% discount

 

But if its 350E off without a coupon code, you can still get more off with a coupon code or someone making you a quote

 

Thanks for the tip bro! Got a deal for 1950€ with the Vindicator 15 backpack included!

Tough cookie is that Alienware Spain doesn't ship to Portugal, I'll probably use some forward-shipping service or something like that.
Anyone know of an european Alienware shop that ships to other EU countries?

 

If it existed but it does not. The 7 series AW15 R3s do not have Optimus only the older 6 series did. If you have a gsync display on your laptop it is impossible to get Optimus support.

(on the 7 series the IPS is a gsync ips so no Optimus)

 

Guys I got a problem with my 15r3 7820HK.
I was updating the BIOS when half way through screen went black and fan on max.. 20 mins past nothing happend so computer shutdown and now it wont restart. Alienware power button flash red with bipping noise... what should I do ?