The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
That is coming from the plastic border around the screen. They use double sided tape that is too thick and puts too much pressure in certain spots on the screen. Iunlock has a thread where he explains this and he actually took off the bezel and showed a picture with no bleed whatsoever.
Would a version of this machine with the 6820HK, GTX 1080, 1440p screen, 32 GB RAM, and 512 GB PCI-E SSD, and the balance of a 2-year in-home warranty be worth purchasing for a shade less than $2600?
So I got an mSATA SSD I want to use for the 17 R4. But I don't see any space to fit one.
If not, man I wasted S$520 on one and I can't use it >_<
Is there any cranky way I can fit it in somehow?
I am using the Samsung 850 EVO mSATA 1TB, for general storage not as a cache for the drives since, I would probably be using:
1 X Samsung 960 PRO 512 GB
1 X Transcend 2242 512GB
2 X Samsung 850 EVOs (1 mSATA and 1 SATA)
Could someone tell me the upsides of the Alienware 17 R4? Before I bought it I read only positive things. Watched some reviews and other forum threads and all they talked about was how great the build quality was, that it had the best cooling system around, that it was quiet and had a great screen. Then I found this thread and everyone here is talking about is that they are loud, have backlightbleeding, arriving scratched, overheating and wont turn on after bios updates. I am not to hopeful anymore.... I will receive mine later this week.
Other than the panel backlight bleed I have been super happy with mine. Great thermals, incredible build quality, and low sound overall when gaming. I think I will return mine for another in hopes to get a better panel construction with less bleed tho. I will update once I do, but still yet its totally worth it. I tried both the msi domimator with 1070 and then the acer predator and returned them both. Alienware has been my favorite and what I plan to stick with.
Your screen certainly isnt perfect but don't have to high hopes on these laptop screens. I had an Asus G750JX before and it had some bleeding to. Also I tried a Clevo P670RS and a MSI GT72VR before I deciced to go for the Alienware. The MSI was awful, I could see the backlight bleed even on the desktop and start menu. The Clevo was better but not good.
Can you see both nvidia and intel cards in device manager?
If you can, its most likely software bug of some kind, a reinstall of windows may fix it, or dell may need to send a technician, thou be surprised if it's hardware related
New Issue, Please help. I have been playing Resident Evil 7 for the past few days, but today I noticed some serious screen flickering after playing a while. The CPU is not being max only at about 70% and not hitting any temps above 80c max during the game play. When I start the game task manager shows the CPU running at 3.98Ghz. Once the flickering starts, Task Manager shows its down to 0.76Ghz.
I have found some information on this, something called Core Parking, but I have no idea why this is happening. The Laptop is not overheating as the CPU stays at or under 80c and the GPU never goes above 67c. Does anyone know how I can stop this from happening?
It's a 1080 and 6820hk. I don't think it's the GPU it's something with the cpu being restricted to a super low clock. After I stop the game it takes a minute or two before task manager will show the CPU hitting its regular levels. I'm not sure if this is it but I read something online about core parking that sounded a lot like this.
OK so I'm not 100% sure on this but the more I look into it it appears it may not be core parking but speed step. I tried disabling speed step in the bios but then my computer would not go over one 1ghZ.
Important info for all of you guys that have the AU Optronics B173HW01 V0 display. It is a poor TFT, TN panel! Exactly, not an IPS like we ordered! They MUST change it! I am very disappointed by AW.
I am a bit of an enigma here but I got a refurbished 17 r4 6700hq 1070 qhd and its been working fine. Temps were low under load when i got it. There was a high differential between core temps but they were still pretty cool before I even undervolted much. Screen was fine. Some banding but that is normal for any 6bit screen.
It could be many things. Try the core parking fix because thats an easy one and if it works youre done. But it looks like its a form of throttling. Get intel extreme tuning utility or throttlestop. The both have throttling indicators that can give you a little more info on what type of throttling you are experiencing.
Id start with intel XTU because it can track it and graph it in the background while you play. Enable all forms of throttling on the graph AND beside it. If a throttling event doesn't show up long enough to quantify a tick on the graph you can highlight the throttling types on the right of it and it will tell you more accurately tell you if they have triggered.
Now you want to try to confirm the form of throttling by changing the trigger and seeing if it still happens. It sounds like thermal throttling because it happens after a period of playing. Try underclocking your core multiplier in intel xtu. If you turn it down to 3ghz and it doesnt happen anymore then it is most likely power limit or thermal related.
At this point you have 2 options: show it to dell and make them try to fix it or try to fix it yourself.
If you show it to dell just be prepared to show them exactly what is happening with your cpu. The first time they will probably want to see you run the game and it happening so have the game and intel xtu graph ready. They may say they want to run some benchmarks or something to see if it is just the game. Most of the time when this happens in a game it is due to the dual stress on the gpu and cpu so it will not show up in most benchmarks and almost certainly will not show up in the ones that the dell techs use. If you have another game that can trigger the throttling that will prove that it is not game related. I would try overwatch, GTA V, battlefield 1 or 4, or elite dangerous when you're sitting in a station. If you can show it happening in more than one game and its throttling to 800mhz then they have to fix it and nothing they say can get them out of having to fix it. 800mhz throttling in a game is NEVER acceptable on a gaming laptop. Be nice to them. You have them backed into a corner with the evidence and alot of the techs can really chose what they want to do for you so just be nice and if they don't do anything say this is unacceptable and just call another tech.
Things to try on your own: in performace options in windows make sure you have the minimum and maximum processor state at 100%. If its thermal or power related you could try undervolting your cpu. I would use throttlestop to try out undervolt settings because you are testing them to see if they make your computer crash and throttlestop will not apply its EIST settings untill you run it. So if an undervolt makes your system unstable to the point that it cant get from the operating systems EIST initialization to the point where you can change it in intel XTU, you will avoid some trouble just by testing with throttlestop. You want to change the
relative core voltage setting to something between -150mV (-0.15V) and -10mV (-0.01V). Then you run some games and use your computer for a while and if it works and doesn't crash then you have a stable undervolt setting. You can use intel XTU to have it applied to your system every time you start windows.
My 17 r2 had bad throttling even under 80c. What fixed it was actually doing a clean install of windows 10 (that i got from microsoft cause i wanted to limit what dell crap went on there) and NOT installing the dell thermal framework drivers. Honestly a full reinstall of windows sucks but i wanted to include it in here because maybe you don't want to wait for the techs to replace your motherboard and it may be an option where you get to keep your computer and not wait around for a depot or home repair. Either way if they replace the motherboard and it still happens then a windows reinstall is your next step and if you are going to do that i would really recommend NEVER installing the dell thermal framework drivers.
So I contacted support 3 or 4 days ago, unloaded all my problems, they escalated it right away. The support rep said the engineers had never heard of some of these problems. Got a follow up call from support, transferred me to the exchange department, they set up an exchange right away. All in all, a nice and easy customer service experience so far.
So I ended up swapping my 17R4 out twice with best buy, second swap (3rd one) was a newer shipment (shipped December 30th 2016 per service tag) with a perfect panel and no thermal issues (notorious uneven heatsink). My first one shipped November 1st, and my 2nd one shipped November 20th, both of which had very bad backlight bleed/panel construction and 2nd one also had uneven core temps. So it does appear they heard the issues and silently fixed them. . . so if you didn't order directly from Dell. . . might be worth gambling a few times with Best Buy to get a good one. I'm extremely happy now!!!!!!
Looking for a bit of feedback here. Ordered a 17" R4/6820/1080 in the new year. Was supposed to arrive this week but was told that "All the order for this laptop has been cancelled and rebooked with the latest parts. You get the same configuration but with the latest parts". Does anybody know what parts they would be referring to? Ive heard from a couple of you that I'd have trouble getting one. Curious what these new parts are, new 1440p panel perhaps? Doubtful
You will most probably end up with the 78720hk and th uhd panel. I am waiting for mine as well but I am in France. They told me the same thing about newest parts but I couldn't get them to give me the details as customer support has no clues.
Ok a little update, my order just went into "sent" status and on the delivery order from dell's website the parts are apparently the same I ordered: 6820hk, gtx1080 and the qhd panel. I'll keep you posted once I get it.
Anyone have any idea if there's delays on the 17R4 with 7820HK, GTX 1070 and FHD panel? I placed the order on Monday and it went from Order Received past Order Processing and Preproduction into "Work in progress" all in the same day.
I've had two different orders that I've had to cancel:
15R3 with 6700HQ, GTX 1070, FHD IPS - Cancelled by me due to many unexplained delays
15R3 with 7700HQ, GTX 1070, FHD GSYNC IPS - Cancelled by Dell due to "invalid configuration"
I've been waiting for nearly 60 days for a system now if you count the two previous orders that were never received.
I'm slightly concerned about the "Work in progress" status, as that's where my last two systems died on the vine. Previous Dell orders that I've placed never went into work in progress, but instead to In Production.
Which version 17r4 did you get? The FHD or QHD? If it was QHD is the banding gone? What are your thermals (cpu and gpu) on this new unit compared to your previous two?
Mine is a late November build with a dell shipment tag of december 1st so I've got banding on my qhd but no bleed and avg core temps of around 55 to 70c with a 10 to 12° variance. Two of my cores go up to 80° c under stress tests. Today is my last day to exchange at best buy then im stuck with it :-/. Please let me know today if you could. Thank you!
Ive been waiting on an exchange on mine for over a month now. Ive heard a few people here say its going to come with the 7820hk and a 4K screen.
The only official thing i have read is alienware posted a video on youtube showing off the new kaby lake laptops and someone asked when the 1080 is going to be updated too. The alienware guy commented late February/early march. He didnt mention the 4K screen change, but its the only time frame ive seen so far.
He did not see it. I thought he could do nothing anyway. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow he will come again. He said it was the first time he replaced the screen of an Alienware... I am not optimistic about next results. The problem is Dell that does not train technicians.
My first alienware and I'm very much enjoying it. I'm not sure the QHD or Gsync would be worth it just to play WoW and I didn't notice a difference in the screens at BB. But I'm colorblind, so I don't pick up on a lot of subtleties.
Very excited that they put a gtx 1070 in. I purchased an HP Omen for $900 with a gtx965m and returned it to get the AW. The build quality between the two isn't a comparison and the gtx1070 will last much longer.
I want people to stop calling the issue with the QHD panel, banding. Banding is a term for a completely different issue. Banding is a picture quality problem where you see obvious transitions between color shades. The problem on the dell qhd is scanlines.
Also came to ask a question. If they are making the new panel for gtx 1080 the uhd panel, does that mean it will have the ability to switch to the Intel video to save battery?
So I just ordered the 17r4 with the extended battry as well as SSD/HDD combo. I kept it at the base 1080p HD screen because at only 17 inches it would be insanely hard for our eyes to tell the difference between 4k and 1080p. Now as you go bigger than id say 50 inches and sit less than 6-8 feet away you could tell a difference but at that laptop size I dont believe you can see it accept maybe the back lighting/contrast of color would be more accurate showing a difference.
Anyways is there anything special that comes with Alienware laptops like software or anything else I should be looking? I just need kind of a heads up on the ropes of this beast.
Also is there anything really cool that you can do on these laptops I should be aware of and also problems I should look for when it arrives that are common?
I suggest to take the 8gb and then upgrade it (they are too overpriced on the site). Tobii eye tracking I think is almost useless. I have the FHD too (AHVA display made by AU Optronics ), it is not bad but not great at all. The previous one by LG was better.
When it arrives you should check temperatures under stress tests. Now they fixed them so it should be fine (mine are great with 7700hq).
Light bleeding issue is very common. I had two defective lcd and now they should replace it again.
Overall construction is pretty solid. I hope you will enjoy it!
O mine came base of 16gb of Ram when I ordered o.o. I got the entire package with the 1060 6gb GPU and the latest i7 and extended battry for 1440$. Student discount along with the 10off coupon code and signed up for dell perfered account saved me another 50$ off the top and got me 74.96$ coming back I can spend on Dell probably on a Swiss gear back pack unless anyone else has a better idea of what to spend it on haha.
As a side not question can the Alienware 17r4 use a xbox one controller automaticlly wireslessly or do I have to buy the USB adapter chip in order to use it wirelessly?
My idea was to screen share my Laptop with my 65inch 9000 seires Samsung 4k LED and use my Xbox elite controller and game on it without any cords.
The Xbox One Elite controller needs the wireless adapter. The controller that comes with the S console is Bluetooth and can be used without an adapter once you update its firmware using the Xbox Accessories app in Windows 10.
DO NOT get the wireless adapter. It keeps dropping connection. Best is to physically have a micro USB to USB cable hooked up from controller to USB port on laptop. I wasted my money as there was no solution to why it Xbox controller drops connect repeatedly during use. I haven't tried the BT connection so that I can't comment on.
I've heard the eye tracker is pretty cool in elite dangerous as the game is designed around looking around the cockpit while you fly. But i use an external monitor so rip tobii.
Also i noticed that my battery is constantly dropping and charging while i play. With the 240w psu 1070 and 6700hq. I never unplug the thing.
Then you must have received a faulty adapter because the one I used was perfect with both a standard and Elite controller. I've since migrated to one of the Bluetooth models to free up a USB port. I had trouble at first, but once the controller's firmware was updated, it's worked brilliantly.
I haven't received my Alienware yet but I have the same problem with the wireless adapter and my Xbox one controller. It drops the connection and I havent found a way to stop that from happening...
The Alienware Support Assist just gave me a notification that says, "Critical BIOS update for Alienware 17R4," but when I click it, it says "Alienware_15_R3_1.0.6." Anyone know what that's about?
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
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