*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R4 Owner's Lounge

I think I will leave BIOS, but update the VGA BIOS when I start playing with the system more. I want to do benches before bios, after bios and after conductonaut repaste.

 

Now I just realized when my system is coming back from sleep state my panel turn on but no video display

 

Well, I just finished reading through all 492 pages of this thread. The saga of this laptop has truly made very interesting reading. Yet, here I sit with an Alienware 17 R4 of my own on its way. Ordered Sunday, build was completed on Monday and I haven't heard anything since. Once I receive it, I will add my $.02 and supply some benchmarks and I will most certainly be checking temperatures. Wish me luck!

I ordered with 8 GB's of RAM. Does anyone know if this comes in a 1x or 2x4 configuration? Either way, can someone either recommend a companion stick or a full 16 GB kit?

 

Wow well done that's one he'll of a read how long did it take? Welcome, you won't be disappointed and any issues rest assured we can help you resolve them!

If Dell miss the deadline they state initially for delivery, even by a day, pick up the phone and complain! I got £200 refund on my unit for a 15 minute call.

What was the full configuration you ordered? Not sure about the RAM I suspect it will be 8GB but I'd definitely recommend you get at least 16!

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Sounds like drivers. Nvidia hot fixed their most recent drivers because the screen was not coming back. Have not had the black screen issue since I installed the hot fix drivers.

http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4453

 

In the USA, it should be 1x8GB (they do not offer a 2x4GB config). The best way to get a companion stick is to wait until you get the machine, pull the stick it came with, and enter its part number on eBay. You can usually find a matching stick for a very reasonable price.

I believe they bulk ship these machines from China to the destination country, which can take 3-4 days. After its broken off of the pallet and gets into the Fedex system you should get a tracking number update. Recently I have even gotten emails from Fedex as soon as they create the label; which is usually much faster than when Dell updates their system.

 

Thank you sir! I'd say it took probably about a week to wade through. I spent an hour or two everyday chipping away while I worked in the background! Happy to hear you've all got my back on this purchase!

Right now the laptop is slated for delivery by April 25th so they're still well within their window. I'm just excited and want a tracking number

I got the full Monty configuration with the i7 7820HK, GTX 1080, QHD 120hz display. Will order a Samsung Evo 960 M.2 SSD and then will order some RAM to bring myself up to 16 GB once the computer arrives.

 

Excellent idea. I'll see what it came with once I get it and order another stick! Thanks for the information on shipping as well. I assume it's probably on its way to the US. The last I heard from Dell it was "being tested in Asia."

 

Haha I'll sell it to you for a discount.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. I placed my order for the same system (only with 16 GB of RAM) on the 13th. It showed the build was completed when I checked Monday, but the status hasn't been updated since then. I have Next Day Delivery on the order so I'm assuming Dell's website doesn't show when the order has been shipped from China... it updates to "Shipped" once it's scanned Stateside. My estimated delivery date shows 4/19 - 4/25.

 

Would you happen to know where I can find instructions on how to do this? I'd love to just fix this thing myself. It would also be great if someone could point out the location of the BIOS chip.

 

Glad to hear I have a buddy. Probably on the same plane, though I'm at the tail end of your estimate. Hopefully we both see Fedex tracking number here shortly! I have the expedited delivery option that's free for people with a premier account. Is that next day air or what shipping speed should I have once it's on the ground in the US?

 

Just wanted to drop a quick note that Tobii Eye Tracking 2.8.0 (full suite, not Tobii Aware) dropped sometime last night. A check for updates from my Tobii app didn't see it, but it's available at help.tobii.com. It claims to fix "an issue with the Power Features for customers using Windows 10 Redstone 2" (aka "Creator's Update," aka 1703). While I didn't have this specific problem, upgrading did resolve my issues with Windows Hello.

 

I believe it's the shipping speed once the laptop has arrived in the US.

 

Lol that would be crazy if they shipped ddr memory as one stick. But hey what do i know.

Dell has a history of charging an arm and a leg for the memory. Say you buy a full high end 2x8gb kit online. It will probably still be the same price as 16gb from dell and faster. So you cant really go wrong getting your own.

I was able to upgrade to the top tier ddr3 for my 17r2 for the same price as dells upgrade that would have been two steps down in mhz and effective latency.

Sadly i have looked on here to see what the highest speed ddr4 these systems can have and it was inconclusive. With the 17r2 i was afriad because intels specs for my processor (4720hq) said that it could handle up to 1600 but when i poped in the 2133 it ran full speed no problems.

Good luck. Again you cant really go wrong buying your own vs paying dell.

 

I have a question regarding external Gsync monitor compatibility with AW 17 R4 with optimus screens (FHD or UHD). Would Gsync work connecting an external Gsync monitor using the mini-displayport?

 

Very nice! You should have had a tracking number by now in order to get it by the 25th though! I'd Start preparing for that call for a part refund if I were you!

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You think so? Maybe I'll have a chat with Dell first and see if they can give me any update.

 

It has to be connected to the nvidia gpu. You can check on the physx configuration tab of the nvidia control panel what connections go to what gpu's. On my 17 r2 it was all optimus for all connections. On my 17 r4 with qhd gsync it is all nvidia gpu for all connections.

 

Picking mine up on friday!

 

Exactly this, you won't see a shipping update usually until it hits the processing plant in the states.

 

Crossing my fingers I wake up to an update tomorrow!

 

Ordered one today! Can't wait for it to arrive!
1060 6gb
i7-7700HQ
1920x1080 IPS
8GB ram
1TB HDD (will slap an evo there)

Also, it says confirmed in the order status, I don't remember seeing that when I ordered previously... what does that mean?

 

Well, no email this morning but I checked the status page and there's now a DHL Global Forwarding tracking number! Unfortunately the page leads to no where as it appears to be too fresh to have details

 

Well, I do not have the exact link for the 17R4 at this time (I'll try to find it asap), but a few weeks ago I thought my system was bricked and I read some Dell info stating all their MBs have a workaround solution for failed BIOS updates. This Bootblock recovery apparently work for the R2 / R3 I guess will work for the R4 too.

 

General question: would you recommend to update the vbios to the OC version from dell?

 

I see the article for 2.8.0 but the download link at the bottom taking you to the latest release just takes you to 2.7.0 Have you got a direct link?

 

Here: https://tobiigaming.com/getstarted/ when you press on Download Software it leads to 2.8.0, though title says that it's v2.7.
Direct link: https://files.update.tech.tobii.com/Alienware_Eye_Tracking_Core_v2.8.0.6094_x86.exe
I've installed it and it's indeed v2.8.0.

 

Thanks

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Same status for me. The link provided for the DHL tracking on the Dell Order Status page is bad. You should be able to track the package at this DHL link: http://www.dhl.com/en/logistics/cus...ng_and_applications/air_freight_tracking.html

I believe you'll see your laptop arrived in Chicago this morning! Shouldn't be much longer before it's given to FedEx to be delivered.

 

Ahh you're right! Awesome, it's in Chicago. May our computers be transferred to FedEx and into our hands quickly!

 

Here they are... about to turn it on now and run some tests.

I've been gaming and running RTSS ( btw v7.0.0 is out but still beta...working great so far without issues) to collect some data...



Now I can OC the CPU to 10.0GHz right? That's what customer care told me...but I have to use my XPS 130W PSU too...

j/k

*Repost from the [Confirmed RAM List + Feedback] - Alienware 17 R4 / 15 R3 thread.

 

Repost from the RAM thread...

LOL...okay so for fun and what it's worth (to many it's worth nothing as it really won't make a difference...) but I ran some tests with what I had in my unit stock:

Samsung 2400MHz @ Cas 17 vs HyperX 2667MHz @ Cas 15 vs SK Hynix 2667MHz @ Cas 19



The HyperX is obviously faster, but look at the Latency of the Samsung 2400MHz. Like a BOSS.

Also, that SK Hynix 2667MHz...so sad. ...Great quality / integrity chips (the best actually next to Samsung) but with horrible timings out of the box.

What makes it really bad is that you can't adjust the timings on the 17R4, but on the 17R3 you can? Mmm yea...that needs to change.

So I wonder how those SK Hynix 2667's will do tuned.

As for the Samsung at 2400MHz and holding its own, what can you say...it's Samsung. The King of Chips.

So is it worth it to upgrade your RAM? For 99.9% of the users, NO.

However...

I'll stick with the HyperX 2667MHz with the Cas 15-17-17 as in this case with not being able to change the timings, having faster RAM speed paired with the Kaby will at the end of the day brings more benefits to whatever degree that is worth to the user.

In this case...I rather have the faster RAM, since the timings are the best we're going to get for the 17R4 / 15R3, until there is miraculously a bios update that will unlock it.

.

 

You seem like the one to ask, is there a list of things I should do before and when I receive my 17 R4 next week? I can't pm yet I guess because I'm new? I'm getting an i7 7820HK, GTX 1080 QHD 17 R4 with only 8GB of RAM. I was planning to do the repaste, add a samsung 960 M.2 ssd, and I'm not sure whether I should go with 16GB of 2400 CL14 or 16GB 2666 CL15 Kingston HyperX Impact RAM for around $135. Or maybe even go with a 32GB 2400MHz set of Kingston RAM? I ordered 2 days ago and I'm unsure if I should have upgrade the RAM with Dell or if I'm better off finding RAM on newegg or amazon to install myself. What kind of RAM does Dell use stock? Crucial, Samsung, or ..? I hope I'm asking on the right thread... thank you for the time and any help.

 

Sure thing.

K so when you get your unit, just check for the basics and make sure everything is working like it should.

Next install hwinfo64 (configure it to show all the relevant info) and wPrime v1.55 (advanced settings -> change the core count to 8), then run a 1024M test.

Screen shot and post it here.

I'm actually right in the middle of testing RAM as we speak...

It's a toss up between the HyperX 2400 and 2667 due to the timings....

There's only one way to find out haha... I'll post up the results..

The stock RAM in the AW are either SK Hynix, Micron or Samsung. You'd be lucky to get the Samsung as they are very good. The chart that I had just posted are the stock Samsung RAM that came in my 17R4.

I would not upgrade to the 2667 from Dell. The brand is good (SK Hynix), but the timings are bad, which wouldn't be an issue if the 17R4 had the ability to adjust them, but unfortunately it can't. (whereas on the 17R3 you could. Crazy I know...)

So the bottom line when it comes to RAM is...to pick the best combo that is available..which is clearly HyperX.

Update:

I'll stick with the HyperX 2667MHz with the Cas 15-17-17 as in this case with not being able to change the timings, having faster RAM speed paired with the Kaby will at the end of the day brings more benefits to whatever degree that is worth to the user. In this case...I rather have the faster RAM, since the timings are the best we're going to get for the 17R4.

 

Thanks for the quick response. I guess it's too much to leave it up to chance for Dell to choose Samsung RAM, and I guess there's no way to request it as they are building it. Yea, from what I've seen, it looks like the Kingston HyperX Impact RAM has been the most reliable for many, with a lot of good reviews. Now I don't feel so bad about leaving 8GB in there and buying RAM on my own. I guess I just have to hope that 32GB of 2400MHz HyperX go for $130 again instead of $260 or I'm probably better of with a 16GB set if I'm mostly gaming and editing from time to time. I'll be following to see your results with the 2400 vs 2667 battle. Would you say 2800 and 3000 aren't worth it for laptop mobos and their limited cooling? What kind of temps is your 17 R4 with the 7820HK running? What can I expect going stock with base clock and then the repaste? It looks like the GPU stays nice and cool from low to high 60's under load/gaming, but how about the CPU? The reviews I've seen on Youtube worry me and it's hot in Florida...

 

Isn't the Latency of the HyperX on par with Samsung sticks? Like a BOSS?

 

Weird issue today. My laptop has been sitting, with the lid off, powered on for days because I have it doing some background stuff. It turned itself off unexplicitely, and changed some of the bios settings on me.

So when I powered it back on, the laptop was looking on the network for a boot image, rather than to the SSD.

Very odd. I'm the ONLY person who has access to the laptop and I don't install random stuff off the internet, so I don't have a clue what caused the issue.

 

You mean...isn't the 2400MHz Samsung that came stock with the 17R4 on par with the latency as the $300 HyperX 2667MHz?

Yes. Samsung, like a BOSS man. It's a slang in N.A. to indicate the boss man or boss like status.

 

Hey you have you tested your SSD2 slot instead of SSD3? I would like to know if someone has tried this because my SSD runs WAY cooler in slot2. I know your samsung runs cooler than my ocz/toshiba but I was just wondering if its just my unit

 

Ah yes, that's correct...Slot 2 has slightly better air flow and I have tested this with toshiba drives running RAID. Especially with max fans, slot 2 stays cooler by several degrees.

Let me pull up the data and I'll post it.

The Samsung drives run very cool with the max on my 960 Pro with max fans on being 58C during a 5gig rendering session.

 

Looks like the tracking has disappeared from my order page, though I can still track on DHL. Still says out for delivery this morning.

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't the ribbon cable or even the keyboard at fault. The onsite engineer changed the keyboard today but it's still not working. Looks like it's going to need a new motherboard!

Not really acceptable on a brand new laptop. Not sure whether to get the board replaced or send it back and order a new one. Or give up finding a decent gaming laptop altogether (this is my fifth in as many months)

 

Great info, all this is keeping my expectations up for this machine. Do you have a post with the thermals for the 7820HK? I think I've only seen the numbers on the 6820HK and I wasn't sure if it was going to be the same with this new version. Great video on YouTube of the repaste and the performance before and after.

 

I jumped ship. Returned the laptop to best buy. Bought a bunch of parts for a desktop.

 

I wish I had the option but I've lost the room I had my PC in to a 6 month old baby


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Is the new 2017 Razer Blade Pro worth the $4,000 USD starting price? I was cross-shopping the Razer Pro with the AW17 R4, before deciding to pull the trigger on the AW. But if my AW arrives with issues, I may send it back and see if I have better luck with the Razer.

 

You're paying $4k for a GTX 1080 in a slim form factor with good build quality... For me, if it were $1,000 cheaper, it would be worth it but not at $3,799. I'd have gone with the Aorus x7 v7 when that comes out if I didn't get the 17 R4, but it's taking them so long to get the v7 x7 out.

 

You could build one hell of a desktop for 4k

 

Sure can, I already have a nice gaming desktop... but it's absolutely useless for me when I travel.