*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R2/R3 Owner's Lounge

Takk

 

So I've come to realize that the built-in speakers of my Alienware 17 R3 are really mediocre. I miss the built-ins in my XPS M1730, which were quite adequate (and supported 5.1 sound to boot).

The Alienware 17 R3 offers some weird setup of very tinny, fairly quiet stereo front speakers combined with a tiny bottom Klipsch "subwoofer" that I can't even tell is doing anything except for the fact that I can sometimes feel my keyboard vibrating a little.

Dell seems to know that the speakers are garbage, as they included a Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di integrated sound chip that is optimized for distorting audio to compensate for bad speakers. This is unsatisfying for many reasons.

This has really been gnawing at me lately, especially since I've hooked up some old MIDI synthesizers to use with 1980s & 1990s games. Has anyone else come up with an alternate solution? Maybe a sound bar, or somehow modding the built-in speakers (would be nice if I could swap in my M1730 internal speakers for example)? Small desktop speakers might also be an option, but space is limited for me because I'm using a small-ish folding stand.

 

oh in my country it hard to buy that item for mod :'(

 

Hi guys,
First I introduce myself. My name is Bart, I bought a second hand Alienware 17 R2, very carefully.
The specifications are:
I7 4980HQ (microcode 0x12)
CPUZ info: MB version A00 - Chipset Rev 08 SouthBridge Rev C2
BIOS A00
GTX 980M 4GB (w / bios prema mod 1.1.1)
16 GB RAM Kingston CL9
SSD Samsung 850 Pro 250GB
Dell 240W Power Source
Repasted with Grizzly Kryonaut and Thermal Pads Minus Pad 8 (1 mm) on memory VRAM, heatsink and SouthBridge.

All the modifications have been made by me, the laptop I bought as standard.
I take this opportunity to thank Papusan, Jack34 (ThrottleStop) and many other members of forums in the networks for the great amount of information they offer and thanks to which, I have learned a lot these days.

I have a question, do you know of an optimal configuration to avoid the power package throttle for my computer?
I have no Thermal Throttling (88 ºC ~ Full load) but Power limit is making me crazy.
I have my speed locked about 3300-3800 Mhz, but not stable because power limit exceed (rarely) and Power limit throttle.
I wish to have a stable speed.
I use the original Dell 240W adapter

Thank you very much and a pleasure to meet you

 

Welcome, have u tried undervolting ur cache ?? that is the main cause.. there is no way to monitor how much volt is thrown to PCH.. so called south bridge i believe.. if ur using 240w for GTX 980m. try the latest BIOS.. there shouldnt be any power throttling, and remember ur sensors could be faulty.. becuz of PCH.. this is what i know about haswell and skylake models.. they have bad sensors..

 

Thanks a lot, i will try the new A08 tonight.
BTW I use throttlestop, undervolting
CPU -0,0732 GPU -0,0605 CORE -0,0576
VCCIN 1,8175
All Cores multiplier x38
BD PROCHOT and C1E Disabled
Voltage ID shows ~1.095
NO POWER LIMITS, AMP, TIME WINDOW OR C STATES MODDIFIED.

This configuration is stable,... but throttle with Power limits

Thanks again, later i will post again

 

Bios A08 installed. It seems runs fine, a bit higher temps (reach ~90 ºC eventually) but Power throttle persist.
Yertesday i opened again back plate and founded DC conentor jack to the MB browned (overheated?), but without signs of real burning.
I will change, i think this maybe the cause. All the other hardware is ok.

 

Hey guys, just created the account to do a +1 on this post.
I have an AW 17 R3 and seems NOT to be an isolated case. My computer when I got it on January 2016, it was working perfectly, however, few months later, I've started to notice some kind of FPS drop, suddenly. Not so hard, but something like 10 to 50 ms of freezing, using application intesive apps like CS GO, Battlefield, OW, etc. I could not fix the issue since then. Even Dell agreed to replace my motherboard completely, the issue never dissapeared.

I had before the problem of bluescreening with IRQ_NOT_LESS bugcheck and other like system memory corrupted, I really thought it was a Memory issue, but it was not. It's an issue with the Intel Rapid Storage (iastora.sys) that conflicts with the Dell Support Assist app, and causes Blue screens like, 10 per week. After I removed the Intel Management Framework, the computer never crashed again, so have this point in mind and do yourself a favor, remove the Intel framework app, now.

Beside of this, after the Blue screen issue was solved, I still had some issues with FPS drop and the micro stutters so started to investigate about this. I've carefully monitored the temperatures and the load of the CPU and GPU (I have an thermaltake laptop pad so the temperatures never raises 80º). However, one day I've changed the "Theme" of alienware to change when it's on battery to Plugged in, and noticed that when I was playing Games with intensive GPU and CPU load, the laptop started to jump between "Plugged in/Charging" to "Battery" mode, back and forth back and forth.

So I decided with HWInfo64 to add another graph that was "Charge Rate" and then I was amazed what I saw. When the laptop was under normal load I saw like Charging rate, 20w, 32w, even 65w, or 96w with no issues. When the huge load starts to arise in CPU and GPU, I saw it dropping from 50, ro 40, 30, and then starts to doing some "jumps" in a very erratic way like +30, -30, +25, 0, -25, +25 (looks like a square signal) and this causes to not fulfill the amount of energy required by the laptop during gaming or intensive load and somehow, playing for few hours noticed the batter at 50%. Also started to notice some bad smell of cable burnt the last days.

So I decided to open it like xshooter726 did, and found exactly the SAME scenario. The DC IN Cable was Melted! the plug in jack to the motherboard is mostly brown and with some part in BLACK and also the cables coming to it, are almost glued all together. Awful, simply. So I just ordered a new genuine cable from Ebay that will arrive in few days.

I hope this solves the charge rate and performance issues but, for sure, follow the xshooter726 advice and CHECK the DC IN cable, because this could easily short out your motherboard or even start a fire, because the temperature of the cable and battery raises dramatically.

The part to order is 6RPMJ for R3 and T8DK8 for R2. Just to a search in ebay, you will find from 17 to 30$

I will update in few days with the cable pics and the results of the replacement.

 

with a haswell cpu I wouldn't doubt the melting dc in cable

integrate vrm into cpu silicon ayyy

 

Thank you Ramone,
Mine is exactly as shown in pictures, my AC conector to the MB is melted; sure.
I´m waiting for a new cable T8DK8 for my AW17 R2.

 

Hi,
I got the 17 R2 gtx 980m
If I buy the amplifier and use with a 1070 i.e will stop having throttle?

 

It is hard to say. The amplifier will help by reducing the heat that the heatsink has to dissipate but these systems can throttle at very low heat (mid 70s °c). The best thing you could do is to open it up and put high quality thermal pads and thermal paste on, get a laptop cooler to blow on the bottom of it, and then undervolt the cpu also clocking it down untill it doesn't throttle in each game.

The easiest of these options are the undervolting and underclocking. You will lose performance but you will gain consistency. The thermal paste and thermal pads are probably the hardest. Look for a guide there may be one that says the size of thermal pads you need. A laptop cooler is pretty easy I use the cooler master notepal u3.

You can also use hwinfo (a program) to lock your fans on high while gaming.

If you did the thermal pads, paste, undervolt, graphics amp, and laptop cooler then you might not have to even underclock it.

Then again it varies somewhat from machine to machine.

 

cpu always throttle at 45w even though your temperature is fine

 

I used to throttle in overwatch underclocked to 2.8 ghz undervolted and with a laptop cooler and staying under 25watts. These things have so many throttle conditions its crazy.

 

Better check your settings in XTU or TS.

 

What does limit reason say in TS?

 

Hey there,

I just made a thread about my failing 17 R3 ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/17-r3-no-power-help-advice-needed-tnx.806777/) and I just wanted to ask if there is anyway to deal with fixing the laptop when I just ran out of warranty? or if it is possible to extend the warranty after expiration? and will the basic warranty cover this kind of damage? cause if I am unfortunate and its the Motherboard thats fried, it will probably cost around at least 500 euros to get it fixed
Thanks for any help in advance

 

You can extend the warranty I think. But it will cost more to buy the same term of warranty.

 

Wrong thread, sorry

 

--------------------------------------
Really appreciate the information provided here. This is definitely a global design flaw across many alienware machines!
Do you know the part number for alienware 15 r1 ? I am in the same situation. Trying to figure out the part to order from ebay. Is the part number DW854 compatible with the alienware 15 r1 ?

 

It's an issue with all "echo" model Alienware.

Try not to pull too much current through the computer for an extended period of time.

Oh wait, that defeats the purpose of a gaming laptop...

 

Hi sorry if this question has been answered previously. Couldn't find it anywhere else. I have the R3 with 1080p, out of warranty and the screen has a problem with a pinkish hue on one side of the screen. Since I reckon it needs a new screen, is it physically possible to upgrade it to the 4K screen? Thanks in advance.

 

I don't think it's impossible.. I thought about doing the same thing. They use the same motherboard.. Not sure if it's the same cabling though.

 

the problem is that the 4k screen uses 40 pins while the 1080p is 30 pins. I found the cable (not sure its the correct one) stating its for uhd screen. But even that the connector on the motherboard side have to be the same. Problem is I could not find anywhere else that states whether the motherboard for the two screens are the same. Any idea if there is a parts list for the r3?

 

Isn't there a chip that separates from the motherboard for the screen? I'd call and ask Dell for the part numbers.. That way you can buy the bits easier.

 

Hi, can anyone help me with the charging issue?

I've been using my AW17 R3 since January 2016. The problem started last month. I can only charge the battery to 72-73%. After those numbers reached, the battery just stop charging (the status says plugged in, not charging)

I've tried :
-draining the battery and connect it to the supplied 240W power adapter
-Run ePSA (press F12 immediately after boot) and no problem detected on battery and power adapter
-Run Dell SupportAssist (no problem)
-Updated the BIOS to the latest 1.3.12
-Disconnected the battery connector near the RAM slot, pressed the power button a few times, waited about 10 mins before connecting the battery again

The battery life is still very good. I opened google chrome, listening to youtube, doing my assignment on Word and powerpoint, watching movies and still last about 3 hours from 70% to 38%

 

You have Desktop mode battery charge enabled so right click on the battery icon in system tray to change the setting.

 

I tried disabling the Desktop Mode Battery Charge and still the same

 

Check wear level of battery.

 

Here is HWInfo64 Smart Battery Result

Full Charged Capacity: 82020 mWh
Wear Level: 14.6 %

Current Power Status
Power Status: On AC Power
Current Capacity: 63315 mWh (77.2 %)
Current Voltage: 16.802 V

Right now the battery icon on taskbar shows 77% (plugged in, not charging). Once I reach 73% and the battery is no longer charging, I unplugged and plugged back the AC adaptor again until I reach this 77% but the battery can't get any further than 77% no matter what I do.

 

Did you click on Charge to 100% this time only option in desktop mode before disabling it?

 

All so check to see if you have the latest version of Alienware On-Screen Display or reinstall it to see if it fixes it.

 

Since I have purchased my brand new Alienware 17 R2 i having problems please HELLP:


1. the fans problems: the fans start working in full speed every time I am doing reboot to the machine, it is last for few seconds each fan and than frizzing my machine for few seconds. I have reinstall win 10 but the problem still coming up.

2. Driver problem: I can’t install one of the drives (“ Chipset – Intel Management Engine Interface Driver 10.0.30.1072, A00 ”) that recommended by SupportAssist DELL software. it is installing the driver but after i reboot the machine.. the driver show up again, why?

3. sound problem: I have no sound after resuming computer from standby or sleep mode.
My sound card is: Sound Blaster Recon3Di
My driver is: Creative Malcolm chip+Recon3Di AP Driver (Version 2.12.12)
The Recon3Di is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) product.
I have done some search on Microsoft website and it is seems like i need to update my Sound Driver, the issue may occur if my sound card uses the Aureal chipset. link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/266034/no-sound-after-resuming-computer-from-standby-or-sleep-mode


**please if someone can help me, I am having this problems in the last 1.5, i have reinstall win 10 and did the full DELL diagnose test online but still no luck.

 

Ignore driver issues from Support Assist better uninstall it.
As for Recon 3di, yours actually is a Malcom one as per Dell site and don't believe Support Assist.
Use a stand or bigger bottle caps to elevate the rear of the laptop for better airflow and heat reduction.

 

Guys bios A09 is out for Alienware 17R2, I installed it and noticed that my temperature is a lot lower compared to the other bios in A06-A08 0.o? Placebo effect? Can some one verify?

Another thing I noticed, GPU score in firestrike has gone from an average of 9900 to 10070. First time break the 10000 mark without a driver upgrade.

 

Thanks for the info. Just installed bios A09 on my 15R1 and yes, the temperature is lower compared to A08 (about 5*C when idle), which is the same as bios A00. Haven't tested firestrike yet.

 

Do the Alienware Reps still frequent the forums? I tried PMing a couple, but they didn't respond. I am wanting to get depot service setup up for my R3.

 

I had Alienware 17 R2 GTX 980M
feel confused about my problem with this laptop,i had 240 W adapter (not original) from ebay,when I play fifa the problem start occurred,my adapter automatically plug in and out that makes major loss of performance,even the performance is better when my laptop is on battery than it charge,what should I do ?
thanks

 

Is the BIOS updated to latest one, IIRC I saw A09 bios listed.

 

Does anyone have an 960 EVO SSD? I recently bought one for my AW 17 r3 and Hwinfo is reading two temperatures for it and one of them is reading up 85C. I'm not sure what to do in this situation as the first temperature reading doesn't go beyond 60C but the second reading shows it gets way too hot.

 

Use crystal Disk Info to determine correct temp, which slot the ssd is currently?
Screenshot would be helpful.

 

Using Crystaldisk the temperature reading doesn't go beyond 60C, I guess I'll just follow this reading. Here is the pic https://imgur.com/24M0xSU

 

Hi good day i am also having the same problem burnt dc cable with power switch from ac to battery. Warranty expired too. Hope you guys can help me. Thank you so much. Btw i am from the philippines

 

It may be a burnt dc cable like mine.take a look..

 

Sorry for late reply.. Yes I've clicked that option and still the battery only charge up to 75%. I even uninstalled the Alienware OSD and reboot the system and the battery still won't charge to 100%. I installed the OSD again and as expected, nothing changed.

 

Check battery wear level, I think its wear down considerably.

 

Battery wear level is still at 14.6% .. No change since your last reply to my post a few pages back

 

Is hibernate turned on or off?
Maybe discharging below 5% and recharging it would fix it.

 

I've just changed the reserve battery level setting from 7% to 4% . I'll report back for the result
Thank you

 

I disabled the desktop battery charge and drained the battery to 4% and the laptop shut down by itself. I disconnected the battery connector near the RAM Slot and pressed the alien head button repeatedly about 1 minutes. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I connected the battery again and charge the laptop while off. The battery still only charge to 72%. I tried turning on the express charge menu on BIOS and no effect.

I think I need a new battery. So weird because the battery life is still great.