*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R4 Owner's Lounge

you could include this video for people who prefer video based disassembly like me

 

HeHe. Post in the forum and hours before put up new drivers on your website. Random? +rep

 

Is there a major difference from what you have seen between AW17R4 and AW15R3 in the QC (I know 17R4 has Gtx 1080)? If you look from this thread you can see one have already 6 MB replacement and 2 system replaced. This is probably record from what I have seen for now. @VICKYGAMEBOY have the record for AW15R1 with 6 MB replacement. Hence I ask if you know if there is a main difference between the two models.

 

Well he's on other board since yesterday. On his second board already on 15 r2. He still faces 800MHz throttle. I simply can't believe it. I haven't seen mine go that low.

 

@Killer_Networking Any update for extreme range feature of Killer 1535 on Linux? So far, linux kernel 4.13 does provide sort of extreme range on 5GHz but 2.4GHz signal strength is very low on Linux.

 

actually its my 4th motherboard with all different revisions on R2 6700HQ, no matter how cool the VID for CPU is.. or the temps. I stressed in watchdogs, 80% cpu usage on all cores, 98% on GPU with Shadowplay hammering NVMe drive, max temps recorded 83C, but throttle started at 72C of CPU temp.. PCH was around 80c. TS registerd as BDPROC, PL1, PL2 on yellow which is fine.. no luck. flip that ratio, its more like 60-40.. if u want I can send u my motherboard history, I mean @iunlock @Papusan, even with LM apllied previously with max temps of 65c, it still throttled, with fujipoly pads, with no problem on cpu/gpu sides, and for Voltage regulators as well, wth is triggering PROCHOT, someone needs to find out, keeping PCH temps help a bit, but it stil triggers randomly..

 

No, we just update our drivers fairly often. We are constantly tweaking the Killer Control Center, especially, to keep up with Windows updates. I think the previous update to the basic driver packages was less than a month before. But good catch.

The extreme range feature is only applicable to the 5 GHz band. It uses two external 5GHz signal amplifiers, so it isn't specific to the OS or drivers. The 2.4 GHz signal strength will be dependant on your router's capability more than anything else. To increase your 2.4 GHz range, make sure your sideband or side-control is set to 20 MHz on your router. The only time you want to increase the sideband is when you have no competition in the 2.4 GHz band, and you need the signal to try and get around many solid objects.

-- Anthony with Killer Networking

 

Anyone update their NVidia drivers to the 388.00 release? I'm getting about 800 points less in the gpu score in Firestrike, just wondering whether anyone else experiencing this? gtx 1080 gpu.

 

Is this a FCU thing? The taskbar freezes and when I minimize the window... the desktop doesn't exist. Always have to reboot, super annoying.

 

Ok, thanks for clearing that up. Windows picks the signals better than Linux when WiFi has too much attenuation. On 2.4GHz band: Same room, same router and PC location with signal strength 45% on Windows 10 can maintain my max ISP speeds of 10Mbps with little packet drops (1 in 100). Same scenario like before Linux doesn't or cannot maintain/connect to the Wifi and often switches to 5GHz band.

Another test case for you, my old router which supported only single band 2.4GHz had Wifi signal strength of 28-35% and only Windows 10 w/ Killer 1535 and my old Nokia Lumia could pick it up whereas S7 and iphones couldn't even get a stable link at all. Even Intel cards were crap since it is too close to router only 5 feet away and showed only 2 bars of reception whereas Killer cards 10-25 ft away shows 2 bars with too much interference(due to walls and cupboards) and had zero latency/speed issues. Strange issue indeed!
Note: These tests were conducted on Killer Control Center aka SNIPER Beta drivers. Killer Network manager was crap compared to KCC which caused many issues than I already had.

Are you talking about momentary lag or stutter? If so, I had this yesterday and turned down the graphics quality from Ultra High to Very High and that fixed. Watch Dogs 2 was the game.
I think your GPU memory is saturated and switching from VRAM to RAM is the cause. I'm unsure but simply stating a possibility.

 

no im taking about cpu going to lowest clock speed, due to PROCHOT / BD PROCHOT getting triggered, this time, i dint even change Intel ME firmware, its the same old 11.0.1194, Just Updated BIOS to 1.3.12 with all Alienware 15 R2 stock Drivers on August Update, I just update TI power delivery Firmware, Intel Thunderbolt Firmware, AlienFX Firmware thats all, Intel ME is same, 84c on PCH onpoint i get throttle.. or sometimes even lower like 82C..do you think its a good idea to flash all OLD bios.. from 1.1 to 1.1.5 to 1.2.2 to 1.2.7, then to 1.3 division ?? or there is no need cause 1.3.12 might contain all the fixes those previous BIOS had. i just played GTA V, Madmax, Blackops 3, BF1, Wolfenstien 2, Ghost Recon, its all the same, 800mhz straight after few mins, even on balanced mode, where cpu stays around 1.6 - 3.2 depending on load. its time that i contact some alienware rep.. @Papusan @iunlock any suggested names ?? cause there is no way all 14 motherboards had same issues,

 

Best bet on this forum... @Alienware-K_Castro as he was here in the end of September. Maybe try Alienware's own main forum alienwarearena.com. Better chance seeing Alienware reps over there.

 

@unclewebb @Papusan @Alienware-K_Castro This is what happens when BD PROCS, and if i disable BD PROC on TS temp limit is upto 90c on PCH instead of 84C, after 91c whole system hangs, like both gpu and cpu to lowest speed, and i get this warning of PL1

 

You didn't turn on TS mate.
Enable Nvidia GPU in Options. You have a software based apps causing config mismatch. Can you provide me a list of apps you've installed. Pm me.

 

It was turned off for the screenshot on both, but anyways i saved after disabling BD PROC.. no extra softwares, just MSI afterburner.. nothing much, even without that it drops down.. u can see from ingame FPS / CPU which runs on Vulkan..

 

I hope the rear is elevated. Something is clearly wrong somewhere.

 

I get prochot sometimes not sure what to do about it.

 

sensors are pretty much complicated, Specially PROCHOT ones, i feel Voltage Regulators are causing minor spikes on components, best thing is to reflash from old to new bios, and make sure all thermal pads are in contact with ur chips and vrms... today i dint get throttle until 90C, i ran AIDA64 extreme on all, CPU+CACHE+MEMORY+2 GPUs+SSD.. max temp 84C on CPU, PCH 90C.. but until that point it dint throttle, guess some magic happend.. same goes in game.. until 90c there is no throttle.. all i did was flash from oldest bios to newer ones one by one, and yes the main thing, apply thermal pads on every single IC, VRMs, and other small thing.. ill test for few more days and let u know..

 

K5 Pro works well to bridge vrm/ram to heatplate gaps. Get as close as you can and then dab a glob of K5 on - don't spread it out - and it will be thick enough to hold shape. Keep the laptop flat for a few hours for it to set up before you move it or stand it on edge.

https://www.amazon.com/viscous-thermal-replacement-60g-Aspire/dp/B00K04D3UK

There are many sizes, and it is cheap and stores well unopened.

 

I just ordered a brand new R4 but I’m confused about what they did with my order. I originally ordered my machine with DDR4 2667 and the order became cancelled due to some internal reason. When I was on the phone with sales they were giving me DDR 2400 until I complained. They then re-placed the order but for some reason on the build sheet it now says DDR4 2666. What is going on ???

Note: it is no longer possible to select by online order the DDR4 2667 option. What did sales do to bypass it? And why does it now say 2666 on my build sheet?

 

i had same issue with 15 R2, no matter how much i align, Memory Chips always had gap, it was a new heatsink.. now i changed to 1mm.. not everywhere only for VRAM.. also heatsink design is bad.. even on echo models.. they should simply add better mounting mechanism or flat heatsink without any bends..

 

Anyone experiencing this?

 

I am in Austin, TX. And yes, I've followed the other thread all year too - but the community has waffled back and forth between this being a PCH cooling issue, and a cooling issue with the GPU.

With my last motherboard I used fujipoly pads on the PCH, but they didn't have any positive impact. So maybe it has just been the GPU all along. How can I positively identify this as a problem with cooling on a specific area of the GPU, and what are my options for undervolting? Given how much work has been done on this laptop, I am not eager to crack it open again just to play around.

Thank you!

 

There is no sensors outside the one for gpu cores who can measure temp and show it in software. Only use of correct thermal pads thickness / quality can make a difference.

 

Hey @vickygame long time! Hope all is well..

I've been testing the newer bios and seeing the change in character... the latest seems to be holding up well so far...

If I have time this coming week, I'll try to map out the heat "points" like I did on the XPS 15 to target the culprits...

They might be in the process of switching out a SKU/part number in place of a different RAM that will be shipped with future systems. 2666/2667 are the same thing and the ones so far have been the SKHynix RAM which are pretty decent for being included stock in the systems.

Congrats on your purchase...

 

Do you really care? Lol
I didn't even bother checking

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

To be honest if you've tried to fix it before and just want the best job possible with it all working. I'd just send it to a pro at team LHz.

Alexnvidia created a thread with your exact issue as he said. I'd read that as well first to help you decide

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

Yo, good to see you back here, u were the guru of repaste guides.. yes take ur time on R2 / R3 systems, im planning to order new sets of thermal pads / heatsink / paste.. i almost spend 200 dollars just on these extra stuffs.. for testing etc etc.. i wish the cpu die was slighty taller on HQ series CPUs, its so slim right now, hard to balance between GPU, VRM and CPU Die.. new BIOS is 1.3.12 for this system, which had Microcode Updated to BA, Some GOP udpate and Intel VbIos, But currently on GPUZ it shows unknown BIOS.. and alienware center is buggy, it keeps checking for online update everytime, takes 5-6 seconds, without internet if u try it takes 2-3 seconds, even if i turn updates off inside CC it still randomly checks something.. apart from that, i got a LOW VID. my previous motherboard all max out at 1.251 Volts at one core short boost, now its maxed at 1.175 and average of 1.100 volts.. wish dell would change these PROC things on BIOS level, and they dont update drivers often like lenevo does.. hows everyting there ?

 

I got this one https://www.amazon.in/Arctic-ACTPD0...pID=41TORJ4Vx6L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
Its imported from the US and will take 2-3 weeks. I think PCIe lanes are being starved w/o enough lanes so that could be the reason your CPU is stuck at 800MHz.

 

im just using single NVMe SSD.. so it shouldnt be a Lanes Issues, btw yesterday amazon global store was selling 145X145X0.5mm for 1350RS including shipping.. sadly its out of stock now.. ill get one soon. tests done today, Dying Light game for 1hour - 82c PCH max, 76C cpu max, 68C GPU.. no throttle.

 

What? No in Hell!!

 

Do you turn off VSync in game? I always use VSync to reduce screen lags and even enabled adaptive screen refresh rate through nvidia inspector.

 

i dont like to use vsync.. or anything which syncs.. unless its gsync or freesync. haha.. just for testing maximum thresholds.. im playing uncapped for better stress on components, that would reveal all the hidden culprits.. today i saw a dell xps 15 IFNTYEDG edge display.. so gorgeous.. and alienware 13 OLED is another level.. i would get that screen with gtx 1060 rather then having big dull screen + a 190W system.. hehe

 

What happens if I remove the thermal pads on the north side of the cpu, and replace it with thermal paste ? Core#0 and Core#2 are still running a lil hot (9°C Max core difference, it was 13°c first)

Would like to get rid (or replace) the thermal pads. It looks like my heatsink on the cpu side, is still not making proper contact with the die.

My temps are high (running at 4.4 ghz) with sometimes a occasional a thermal throttle at #core1 (it will spike 1 or 2 times in 30 minutes occt) but while gaming or developing it never overheats/throttles (just like to get my temps a little bit more down, they're not dangerous and pretty normal considering i'm running at 4.4 daily drive)

 

See post #7229. Don't replace pads with ordinary thermal paste.

 

Thanks !

 

Why not run 4.3? The air is a little thin above that for the 7820HK. I.e. needs a lot more V for a tiny clock frequency gain.

Anyway to answer your question I wouldn't use thermal paste to replace thermal pads, they are designed for different things. I use K5 Pro when replacing pads with something more liquid based, it's great stuff and won't dry out on you

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

So,
Just purchased/placed my order for the Alienware 17 R4. The cooling issues related to the thermal pads have been resolved with this latest version/build correct? Or, does the issue still exist and I may have an issue with this latest build? Order was just placed two days ago. Please advise,
Truckin

 

as much as i hate to say this, it was never fixed in the first place. they only made ONE attempt to fix it which was back in late december last year simply by swapping out the thermal pads covering the CPU chokes with a really thin one. that's it. CPU core temp differential and overheating out of the box especially if you unlock PL1&2 is still present in every single unit coming out from their assembly line till this day.

if you like alienware as much as i do, you need to get your hands dirty and perform repaste and heatsink adjustment to fix or reduce this problem. you need to lower your expectation on the CPU side otherwise you will be really disappointed.

 

Hi Alex,

Just got my Alienware R4 7820 with 1080, was keeping up my expectations but now back to reality.

And of course I’m suffering from this stuttering issue

Cuz I’m in Australia, I have ordered everything from amazon. Thermal grizzly Traditional paste not LM, And going to do a repaste and repay on this weekend.

I’ve read the most of iunlock’s and your post. But still not clear about power delivery component issue. Can I add you on Facebook or WeChat to ask you a few questions? I don’t know how to pm you. Plz pm me you contacts if possible.

Cheers
Damien

 

you can find more info in this thread
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...gtx1080-in-game-random-stutter-freeze.804499/

alternatively, you can head on to @OWNORDISOWN youtube channel and find the interview about the stuttering issue.

 

@Papusan lead me to a post about the k5, ordered one today will be arriving by 24th of this month. Yeah you're right about that, a 7700k can push 4.5 Ghz at 1.25mV the minimum i need is 1.32 for 4.4. But !!!!!! the butttttt issssss, 4.4 gives me alot more consistent fps, in regards to 4.3. i've tried 4.3 with a undervolt and without and i couldn't stabilize them like on 4.4 Gz. the temps drop also heavily when going from 4.4 to 4.3, but the experience is definitely noticable (even though it's just only 100mhz) call me stupid (or a no life) but i like to play FSX while programming. Programming isn't that heavy on my cpu (depends on how big the database is and how many queries i run etc etc) but FSX is like a Tank. so my cpu also needs to pump out some Mhz to counter the drawcalls from FSX. don't ask me why, but over the years i've grown acustomed to having to do 2 things at a time (while programming) so i'm pretty heavy on the CPU usage side.

i do hope that the K5 can finally close the gaps i have. i've opened my system a few times already trying all sorts of things, and i think that this really is my last option (except for using LM ofcoarse)

 

[email protected] is more like 1.050v or [email protected]

 

EDIT: After about five hours of randomly plugging and unplugging things ... the Display Port cable finally started working ... seems there was some strange "confusion" at the hardware/port level between the HDMI port and display port ... so random ...

Question regarding multiple monitors:

Since I've owned this AW17, I've always used an external 1080p screen at work; I've never had a single issue and switching between the laptop screen and the external screen was always as easy as <Win - P> ...

Just this morning, I come in to work as I have hundreds of times before, plug in the mini displayport to display port cable and ... nothing ... I get a connection tone from Win10, letting me know the OS recognizes that I've plugged an external monitor in ... but can never get any image on the actual external monitor.

So weird things:

1. Device manager clearly shows that the Asus external monitor is present but I cannot make it active/viewable
2. Nvidia Control panel also shows the external monitor but I cannot make it active/viewable
3. I've updated to the latest Nvidia drivers with no luck/change.
4. I even restored back to a three month old system image (Macrium Reflect) and still the same problem: external monitor recognized by OS but no way to get an image to display on it or otherwise "enable" it.
5. And finally ... the kicker ... when I remove the mini display port to display port cable and instead run an HDMI to DVI-D cable ... the external monitor immediately recognizes the signal and displays an image perfectly. Problem is that HDMI to DVI-D is limited to 60hz and this is simply unacceptable. LOL

...

Since the problem persists even after restoring to a three month old image and since the HDMI cable works fine, my first hunch is perhaps a bad mini display port to display port cable ... which is easy to verify as I have several brand new ones at my house that I can try.

Otherwise, I can't imagine what could be the issue ...

Any thoughts?

joel

 

Hey guys!
If you have the full Tobii eye tracker stuff make sure to collect your free game! https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/7eipok/have_you_collected_your_free_game_for_alienware/

The Division, Deux Ex Mankind Divided and 5 other Tobii compatible games to chose from.

I chose The Division and already regret it

 

can you still claim if you have previously claimed before many months ago?

 

I think so. Just follow the steps. Update and Login to Tobii and you should be elegible for a new game.

 

My only choice was Agents of Mayhem. Meh.

 

Hello. Help me please. What is it? New alienware

 

If I followed the flashing codes on the power LED properly it looked like 2 red 7 blue which translates to LCD failure.

http://www.dell.com/support/manuals...341b78-b63d-499c-89d4-d341c006e437&lang=en-us

Was it working before, or is this right out of the box?

 

I just got it out of the box. Bought today.