*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R4 Owner's Lounge

With all the thermal issues the 7820/1080 builds were having I decided to go 7700/1070 and if I want I can overclock the 1070 later on. I didn’t really need the extra cpu power.

 

Ultimately, I came to the same conclusion and just now ordered the same config, so thanks for your input!

 

Honestly, I'm not seeing the thermal issue, I've had 2 separate units, both stayed under 80. What kind of benchmarks are people running?


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Can you show us some screen shots of some numbers while playing and also showing some thermal numbers after running Firestrike and or Aida?

Just curious to see. Also, where did you order it from and what is the build date?

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7820/1080 here and I don't have temp issues or throttling. Purchased this 2 to 3 weeks ago on amazon. I'm also overclocked; GPU stays under 88C at the absolute max and CPU stays in the 70 to 82C range after a couple hours of gaming at 4GHZ with a -115 undervolt. GPU could be a little cooler but as long as my clocks stay at boost I don't care.

 

How is your replacement unit? Mine is delayed in production still.

 

Sadly whenever I overclock my 1070 I seem to get higher fps but also microstutters. I think the power system is already close to its limit and with gpu boost 3.0 I am basicly just shifting the voltage-frequency curve so even with the "undervolt" the system will just draw more amps due to higher frequency. And the power systems on these 1070 models seem to be at thier limits. Theres a reason they didnt certify the 1070s to go over 120w.

 

Honestly, I'm not seeing the thermal issue, I've had 2 separate units, both stayed under 80. What kind of benchmarks are people running?


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Please share screenshots, ambient temperatures and If raised or using a notebook cooler. After several repaste attempts I managed to fix CPU temps but failed with the GPU. After 15~20 min of BF1 or Overwatch my GPU temp slowly increased and transfered heat to the CPU resulting in 95~99C max for CPU and constant 90C for GPU what a f mess... I am returning my unit

 

Sure, here's after 1hr+ playing PUBG. Haven't run Firestrike yet. I ordered from the Spanish Alienware site on Sept 8th. Not sure of the build date, don't know where to find that info.

 

You should definitely reach out to aw/dell for a replacement because that isn't normal. Like I mentioned I've run the same benchmarks (heaven and firestrike, I ran kombustor as well on the first unit) and after 45 mins of continuous benchmarks I was peaking at 83-85. I had my sager np8672-s with a 980m running right next to it and I was seeing that system dip into the 99's on firestrike with the same exact benchmarks (but at 1080 and not qhd). I've been able to repeat the same results on two different machines, so that's why I was asking.



Edit : I'm sure this probably has to do with build dates since they did start using different pads and paste method, at least based on other threads I saw on here. Might look into that.

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But working through the problem and solving it is fun

 

Got another question regarding the m2 slot. Anyone know if the 17 r4 m.2 slot is both Pcie and Sata compatible?

edit: NM found it, for those that were wondering the same thing, it appears it does support both.
https://community.dell.com/thread/24460-correct-m2-ssd-for-alienware-17-r4

 

You wasted how many weeks of your life and how much additional money fixing something that Alienware promised worked great out of the box, and most laptop makers deliver working out of the box for no extra effort or cost?

An out of the box working laptop is the minimum basic requirement by most buyers of a new laptop, and Alienware fails that basic minimum requirement most of the time.

You can't possibly recommend this laptop to someone that just wants it to work out of the box.

I wrote that post in June you just replied to in September, it took you that long to get the laptop, spend weeks (months?) fixing it, just so you can reply to it.

Congratulations on finally getting your Alienware 17R4 working.

Alienware should start advertising in Maker Faire newsletters and have booths at DIY conventions. Selling their Alienware laptop's with "mystery problem's in a box" as the "DIY Problem Solving Edition".

 

https://imgur.com/a/YovAk

What in the world is this thing? I remember someone also found this part, not sure if they ever figured out where it was supposed to go.

 

I have my new 17 R4 finally being delivered today. Will do some temp testing to see if their new paste/pads are any better than before. Coming from a 15 R3 I had to repaste. Cant wait!

 

Congrats! I'm anxiously awaiting mine. I wish the order status had more info than "Confirmed", though. I wonder when it'll actually arrive since I sprang for expedited shipping. When was your "expected delivery"?

 

Thanks. Dell is pretty bad with their ordering system I will say. I have only ordered 2 Alienware laptops from them and both times there were issues. Even though it is out for delivery their website still shows as in production and not as shipped. The website also says my delivery date is NOVEMBER lol. I had to chat with them almost on a daily basis to make sure theres no problems. I should have it later today thankfully!

 

November, wow! Mine says 9/21-9/26. Thursday would be great, just in time for my long weekend. Sounds like the order status is pretty useless then lol. Oh well, crossing my fingers.

 

Yeah they had no idea what was going on. Luckily I will get it today and I have my extra ram and ssd drives ready to be raided and going

 

That thing should scream with 2 960 Pros. I ordered with the free 256gb SSD promo, but will probably throw a second one in there. I'm really anxious to see the screen though (ordered the QHD as well). Coming from a 6 year old G74SX, when LED backlighting was desirable instead of standard lol, this should be a huge difference. I have to say though, the Asus has been an absolutely fantastic laptop.

 

I am curious about the fan noise on the 1060 and 1070 models under non-gaming loads? I'm fine with using headphones when gaming, but not when doing ordinary productivity work.
Currently trying out a Gt73vr which is more than decent in that regard, but the Msi is just so insanely ugly (and I miss that comfy Alienware keyboard).

 

I use my laptop in bed often and my wife is a tremendously light sleeper. My previous sager np8672 would wake her up under full load. The alienware with a 1080 has yet to do so under full load and is inaudible above ambient noise when browsing / light use. I've used an decibel meter and compared it my sager (only point of reference) and the sager was 4-5 dbs higher at all times. Also I totally get your point with the msi. Honestly, that's what thew me off the predator and gt73vr. They're absolutely gaudy looking. At least with the aw you can tone it down when needed. Luckily for me I live next to a microcenter and was able to get my hands on pretty much all of the current laptops (minus the aorus x7) before deciding.


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Thanks for your reply! Being less lucky I have to lean on reviews when making these decisions, and opinions about the noise levels on the 17r4 varies wildly. How is that QHD screen working out for you?

 

I totally get it, I gotta say even under load when it gets loud, it's a much lower pitch and not as high strung as my previous sagers. I haven't gotten a chance to hear the MSI at full load but it's literally right there with ambient noise when browsing and perfectly acceptable and much lower at full load on synthetics benchmarks.

I looked into the whole QHD branding issue and i was worried initially but I haven't seen anything out of the norm for me, at least when comparing it to the pics i saw in the threads on here. I'm coming from a 60hz IPS display(choppiness galore) so it's definitely not as a vivid but boy is it silky smooth and it's fricking bright as hell! I did have One (1) dead pixel on my first unit but they literally sent me a replacement 4 days later, no questions asked.

 

:O wow that's seriously impressive! Don't think I'm gona risk that many V's through my cores tho but nice!! Answers why you're Firestrike physics scores are much higher than mine ;D

 

Wow that is impressive


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Yea, the MSI GT series laptops are total clunk boxes in terms of looks.

I can't say I agree with you regarding the Predator though. I actually like the look and build quality of them.

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Fair enough, beauty is in the eye of something or other I suppose lol. Tbh I'm just not a fan of red vents and painted laptops. I like the fact that you can go incognito, as incognito as a gigantic metal slab on your lap will allow you to be anyways, and rgb geek out when you want. Frankly I don't remember the predator to be anything remarkable build quality wise. They has the 21x though and that thing was gargantuan.


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Yea, I love the look of the R4. I personally think it's the best looking large laptop out there right now. Just wish Alienware would get their QC under control with the thermal issues.

Regarding the Predator, they are built very well. They are nice and solid and that soft touch plastic all over feels very nice. Just a nice uniform build. Next time you're in Micro Center, pick it up again.

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Hmmmm guys?

I just got my 17 r4 delivered. Ran a quick prime95 test on stock and it's not even breaking 65c 100% load after 10min.

Crack it open to install my ram and ssds and THEY ARE USING A NEW TYPE OF HEATSINK!!!!!!

I repeat. I'm sharing at a more supported heatsink with double arms now for each post and what seems to be full metal around some extra parts.

I'm on my phone right now and will post pics once I have the machine reloaded!!!!!

I'm jumping for joy. And not even 1 piece of backlight bleed. Oh yes.

 

Umm... what lol?! That sounds pretty sweet.


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Im highly skeptical without seeing a picture, but if its true, im curious to see how they accommodated an extra screw hole without changing the motherboard.

 

Hey guys/gals, I've spent years wishing for a new gaming laptop and finally got my wish. I just ordered a m17 with a 1080, 120hz qhd display, 7820HK, and 8gb of 2667mhz.

I understand this ain't going to be a "cool" running laptop, but can anyone confirm if alienware/dell has fixed the heatsink issue? I also understand the 7th generation i7's have fixed the overheating issue of the generation 6's.

I'm not new to pc's but I haven't built a system or bought a laptop since around 2010 lol

 

Temps are under control.


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Yeah, it's pretty normal have lower temp if the processor run below its default Boost clocks.

 

What do you recommend using to stress test? Highest I can get it to hold was 3.5ghz, still same temps though


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P95 and OCCT is good enough. I expect you will run stock clocks so the results is ok.

 

I definitely got carried away but the heatsink looks the same as what iUnlock posted in his repaste lol. It looked different than my 15 R3. Either way, its running perfect as is and I do not have to repaste.

 

Hey buddy, whilst I agree with some of what you said you've gotten completely the wrong end of the stick.

My R4 that I received in early September worked perfectly well out of the box (for most people) on stock and even running BF1 at 4GHz overclocked with GPU overclocked as well. I provided evidence of that in my post you quoted, did you not see it? I just wanted to see how far I could push /improve it with LM and all the other mods since I done those already before, had some left over stuff and have honed my skills since the first time when these were necessary.

I absolutely would recommend an 7820HK or 7700HQ R4 to anyone that wants a good chance of a working laptop out of the box. Things have improved a lot recently and evidence is on this board, from the hundreds of people who don't post, and personally my own unit received this month. It seems like you and @Papusan hate over the R4 so much because you want one and you don't have it? The only thing I can think of is that it pleases you to try and ensure no-one else buys one either.

The truth of the matter is these are fantastic laptops period with powerful components to go toe to toe with the best in the business with a thinner form factor than all in it's class and the best in class build quality. Alienware is no worse than other brands for issues out of the box or in general except that Dell has fantastic, unrivaled on-site support (which I've used more than once with no issues on my old laptop) with more and more attractive prices with the many discounts available. Plus, unlike other laptops, ALL Alienwares issues can be resolved with a little bit of research and work under the hood.

You were wrong, it took me in total <6hrs work to "IMPROVE" (not fix) my 7820HK to the way I wanted it since the 7th Sept when it arrived. It only took me this long to post because:

• I had to order some more parts (Total cost < £40)
• I haven't had time to sit down and write up such a big post because I've been enjoying playing games on my laptop!

Peace...
Pete

 

Try the Heaven or Valley benchmarks. Since these laptops share a heat sink between the CPU and GPU you want something that simulates a demanding 3D game by stressing them together and that will give you an accurate measurement of gaming load.

Or, just play BF1 or PUBG with hwinfo running in the background logging temps.

 

Yeah, I've run the heaven benchmark, consistently getting 71. The occt gpu stress test ran for 17 mins and capped at 75. Now that the baseline has been confirmed I think it's time to overclock lol


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What? Show us

 

I'm not *hating* on the AW series, there is plenty of that coming from owners with thermal problems.

All those posts from people with problems out of the box right here in this thread and other threads started to work through the thermal issues are why we warn people off of getting AW laptops, unless you want a DIY starter kit requiring repaste and re-padding:

[Alienware 17R4 / 15R3] - Disassembly + Repaste Guide + Results

Warning: Some i7-6820HKs and i7-6700HQ have Uneven Core Temps due to Uneven Heatsink

Alienware 17 R4 GTX1080 in game random Stutter & Freeze

[Q] AW 17" R3 / AW 15" R2- Repaste now or wait until your warranty expires?

Before you jump into your AW 15R3/17R4 to "Unlock" the cooling system

PCH heatsink mod alienware 15

If you got one without any thermal problems and still pulled it apart, you really did waste your time pulling it apart

 

Looks like a raiser, broken off from the base. Remove the back cover and it should be easy to see where it used to be attached to. Its screw might still be in place, but it could also have snapped off, taking the raiser along with it.

 

Hello, new to the forum and to the Alienware group. Just got my new AW 17 R4 and definitely enjoying it so far. Always had custom build desktops but a beast "portable" machining is really nice. Anyways, wanted to reach out and discuss the current fan speeds on 1.1.9? I was expecting some noise but when ingame sounds like they are full blast (I don't have performance mode enabled). Temps are good, GPU hovering around 60-65 and CPU in the low 70's. Whats going on here? Am I just assuming it would be quieter? I figured they would turn on slower/later based on temps but the fan curves seem really aggressive.

Cheers and thanks!

 

Indeed..

Yea there is no perfect gaming laptop and I still stand firm on the fact that all gaming laptops need to be repasted...

I have an Aorus X7 on deck right now and am going all out on this one to see if I can beat the 17R4 in varies categories of tests....

It's a 7820HK / GTX 1080 and with a proper 4 point mounting CPU and GPU design LOL... plus it has 4x RAM slots and 2x m.2 slots with a 2.5" HD/SSD Bay....

The fans seem to pump out more air than the 17R4, but I haven't checked the cfm's yet....

Could this take the throne in this category/class? We'll see...

I've just got done with my heat sink balancing and am letting it cool right now...as soon as I get this thing up and running with LM etc... we'll see what it can do...

Anyhow, back to the topic of AW, what I wanted to emphasize is that there is no excuse for any company to not implement a proper 4 point mounting system along with 4x RAM slots, 2x m.2 and a 2.5" in a laptop that is thinner than the current AW 17R4.

If this Aorus X7 can pull numbers better than the 17R4, Dell is going to have a problem...

* Also, although it is important for a gaming laptop to work out of the box like it should, there is also fun in being able to mod the system like we would with cars for example. However, that is no excuse for any ODM to take short cuts to save some dosh on releasing an incomplete product.

.

 

Can you take a photo? Or dell part number? Please...

 

Someone else has a problem with applying settings intelXTU IccMax? Bios 1.1.9

 

Aorus is still with 230w Psu and 1080 ? Could yoo max out and post what your Ups showing of wattage pulled from the wall?