*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R4 Owner's Lounge

You essentially traded a beast for a soldered piece of junk in a fancy outfit. Looks pretty, but that's about it. That's all Alienware is these days.

 

I would strongly disagree. Over the past 10 years I have owned an AORUS X5, 2 ASUS ROG machines, 2 MSI SLI's , and 3 Alienwares (All Laptops - I work with Ships and travel frequently so I need my gaming setups to be portable)

The Alienwares have given me consistently better performance and less headaches/problems than any other of my previous machines, across a wide variety of climates (I have worked in the Arctic, and also in hot Equatorial countries like Sierra Leone and Nigeria). And yes they DO look better, and feel better, than other competitors.

Dunno about the other posters here, but I'm buying my Nextgen Alienware Laptop because I am more confident that it will not let me down like the other brands have done.

 

I've owned about a dozen Alienware's, too. Not new to me. The only ones I haven't owned is this new 2016 model year, and that's for good reason. Have you seen the dozens of threads discussing issues? It's quite embarrassing. The new Alienware is focused more so on streamlining production with Dell's products and compromising than dominating a niche market, as it used to.

We're entitled to our own opinion, but Dellienware is a lost cause. All Alienware is today is a Dell laptop in disguise.

 

I haven't had any issues running only on the Nvidia card. I've kept the Intel GPU disabled from day one ...

And sure ... try lowering the refresh overclock in small bits till you get to your stable overclock ... 100hz works well on mine with zero issues ... but 80hz, 85hz or 90hz ... still a really nice upgrade to the 60hz stock ...

My particular panel is the 1080p LG panel ... BTW ... other 1080p panels don't seem to be as overclock friendly ...

...

 

What's the best way to overclock the monitor and test it out to make sure it works properly? I should be getting mine soon and I'm building up a to do list haha.

 

Ah I see your line of reasoning. I kinda agree that they are trying to become more accessible to the masses (and thus compromising on various aspects here and there) rather than maintaining their previous image as an elitist brand for the hardcore gaming clientele.

No I have not followed the complaint threads for this year's systems. Gonna see how mine performs, and if any glitches arise, of course will chip in my two cents ;-)

 

You find more if you Google. But start with this thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...ven-core-temps-due-to-uneven-heatsink.797477/

From https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/5enl0x/woke_up_this_morning_to_see_this/
I sum it up for you + you will find more of the same everywhere

 

1. Disable Intel GPU by hitting FN/f7...
2. In Nvidia Control Panel, under the "Display" tab ... select "Change Resolution" ... then create a custom resolution and specify whatever refresh rate you want to try ... start with 75hz and just move up till you hit a ceiling.

To be sure it's a genuine overclock (if you have the LG IPS panel, it will be) you can test it at this site:

http://www.testufo.com/#test=framerates

...

best of luck

 

I´ve cancelled my order ( 6820hk with GTX 1080 )
Too much bad comments of Alienware
the more comments I read the more happy I am that I took action early!

 

I'd like to order another power supply for the 17 R4, but I'm not finding links on their site yet to order it. Anyone else seen it? I imagine the 17 R3 supply works, but if there is going to be a newer one posted eventually I guess I'll wait.

 

So i plan on calling dell today to order the 17 with the 1440p screen, HK, 1080, 512GB SDD model version with the 4 year warranty.

The total comes out to $3094. So with the 10% back in the gift card ($309) and the 12% ebates thing ($371) it comes out to around $2414. Most likely just going to just do the 18 month 0% financing since i can easily pay it off in that time.

I know people have had luck calling to get the price lower, so im going to give it a shot. Anyone have any advice on what to say? I know i cant do the ebates thing if i order over the phone. So if i can get them to atleast knock off the ebates discount from the asking price i will be happy. But i just dont really know what to say when i call. So if anyone has any advice let me know. Thanks.

 

Guys, I just received my alienware with the g-sync tn panel and the 1070 gpu. It was working perfectly for the first 10 minutes and then suddenly a red line appeared on the screen from top to bottom. I tried to phone call dell service center but it was already closed for the weekend here in Greece. Then after 1 hour of use with the red line I did a restart and now it doesn't working anymore!!! The leds lights up and I hear the fans working but nothing shows on the screen and if I leave it like this it switches off itself. I will call dell from Monday morning and I hope they have a quick solution for me because I need it for my work as soon as possible.

 

Oh man that sucks! Sorry to hear that. Hopefully in the end it will all work out. Besides that, what you think about the screen before it went kaput on you? Scanlines or light bleeds?

 

The screen didnt had any light bleed, it was perfect. The scanline effect is visible if you look very very close, but not so much as others saying here, at least in my sample. I was expecting to see clearly visible lines but its a very minor problem. It doesn't downgrade the 2K resolution as someone said here and after a calibration with my spyder express 5 the screen lost its blue tint / cold temperature and was very good and warm. I have also the ASUS PG279Q monitor in my desktop pc and as you may know this is one of the best IPS panels out there, so after my first contact with the alienware TN 2K screen I say that its acceptable and I will not return it back to buy something else.

 

meh the "black friday countdown" deal seems to be just the base 15 inch... and not even that big of a deal.

Looks like I'm buying nothing this year.

 

I respect that. I hope you like what you get/got.

 

And your reasons for hanging around here are?

 

So the HWiNFO app tells me that I have a Chimei monitor 173HCE. It is Dell part # N1YPX. I tried overclocking it and it is stable at 62Hz... That really blows...Light bleed is not bad. I couldn't really notice any so far.

Edit: I mean I do have some minor light bleed, but would it warrant me asking for another monitor in hopes that it would be different and I could potentially be able to overclock it more?

 

Seems the LG panel is the best overclocker, then ... more lotto ... LOL ...

 

It said my monitor was manufactured back in 2015 as well. Is that normal having a year+ old monitor inside of a brand new laptop?

 

You might want to try one ... I think reading too much in to negative comments on niche forums like this is sort of neglecting the fact that alll hardware from all vendors will have issues ...

I have a 2.5 year old Gigabyte P35 (860m) ... an MSI GS70 Stealth Pro ... a very old but very solid Sony VPCCB Vaio .. an HP "generic" laptop that our secretary uses for Quickbooks Pro ... all good machines and all still going strong after 2 to 6 years of use ...

But this AW17? I mean it's ridiculous how much better put together it is than the Gigabyte and MSI machines ... especially the Gigabyte which is just a travesty of keyboard flex and fragility ... the MSI GS70 is close ... but just can't touch the AW17's build quality ...

This being my first Alienware machine? There is no competition ... it's simply the best put together bit of laptop I've ever encountered. I really don't see myself buying anything else going forward. It's classy enough to break out in a business meeting and doesn't look like a kids toy trying to go fast sitting still (sorry MSI, I love you but the whole plasticy ultra "gamer" look just doesn't do it for me). The AW17 is just a brick of solidity and (at least mine) perfect functionality .. keyboard, screen, chassis build quality ... and yeah ... I'm totally okay with the stock temps, although I do plan to re paste when I get the nerve/inclination ... but for now? CPU maxes around 82C and GPU around 62C ... after a week of real time recorded stats? Those are the maxes in my typical work environment (23C ambient all the time) ...

So I wouldn't read too much in to the bright flames produced by those who (as I have myself on many occasions) might have received a bum kit ... it happens with every product ...

...

Another thing? I love the flush mounted keyboard on this thing ... I thought I'd have an issue going from chiclet style keyboards to this more antiquated take on keys ... but the AW17 keyboard has really grown on me ... I like the fact that the flush mounted keys actually look like the letters are back lit and not just the underside of the keys ... on my GS70, with it's Steel Series keyboard (which I enjoy typing on) all the light is coming from *under* the keys ... the actual letter portion, though illuminated, is far outshined by the light coming out from under the chiclet key ... the aW17 is a far more functional back light scenario ... great keyboard ...

 

I provide support & feedback to members of NBR. My goal is to keep members informed. I am quite knowledgeable when it comes to Alienware (and computers in general).

 

If you game on the laptop screen much? It might be worth trying to get one with the LG panel ... I might just be sensitive to such things but going from 60hz in-game to 100hz? It's night and day to me ... I don't hate playing at 60hz .. not by any means ... but 100hz is *SO* much better ... most folks with LG panels are getting 90hz to 100hz ...

Hell ... 100hz even makes my OS/Desktop use far more enjoyable .... LOL ... nothing like sliding them windows around at 100+ hz ... or just scrolling down a web page ...

;-)

My particular AW17 is just a random, walk-in purchase from Best Buy ... had no idea what I was getting ... just lucked out on the panel lotto ...

 

Maybe better with https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/5enl0x/woke_up_this_morning_to_see_this/

 

Could I request a LG panel when I talk to Dells customer support? I mean we should not have to play the lotto when it comes to screen manufacturers. I don't know why they have so many different ones. To me it would cause a problem. I mean I got a unknown brand lol

 

No ... they wouldn't entertain that. They just have to put out a panel that does what they advertise. Overclocking to 100hz isn't part of their claim ... but really? Unless your just all worked up about the whole 100hz overclock issue? I wouldn't gamble on it if you like everything else about the screen ... really good screens are hard to come by ... when I find a good one I stick with it ... the overclock function of this particular panel is just gravy, really .. my main concerns are no backlight bleed and really good color/brightness/contrast ... if my particular panel didn't overclock at all? I would totally still keep it ... just too beautiful to look at ...

 

Zero issues. So far? This thing is a masterpiece of industrial design ...

 

Not intended to offend but after a rant like "You essentially traded a beast for a soldered piece of junk in a fancy outfit. Looks pretty, but that's about it. That's all Alienware is these days." it kind of seems like there isn't all that much more to add to the discussion.

 

It's hardly a rant. My rants are paragraphs long.

It's best for members to know the truth about a product. Sometimes the truth hurts.

 

It has its defects (small to me) as every technology device I know has including the high end ones.

Piece of junk is at least exaggerated

 

It's a figure of speech.

 

Somehow I don't doubt that

I'm going to take a wild guess here, your opinion is the truth and anyone who might not agree with you are...wrong?

 

Nah, that's not true. If you don't agree, that's fine.

My opinions are just that: opinions. However, my opinions are usually based upon experience and are easily supported by facts.

 

Presenting an opinion as the truth kind of suggests that anyone not agreeing would be wrong

Might I ask what is good enough for you liking that is superior to the Alienware?

 

Anyone know how to get the watchdogs 2 code that dell advertise? From the nvidia site I read that also all laptops with GTX 10 series can get the gears of war 4 promo and on the bottom of the page it has the best buy icon which is the store I bought the laptop. So, should I call best buy and ask them for both codes?

 

Superior in what way? Overall or in performance?

@sazistas You bought the Alienware from Best Buy? You may not be able to get it, but I would call and ask.

 

yes from bestbuy and now I returned back to Greece where I live, so I am trying to find my friend who lives in NY and ask them by phone because I tried by the online chat and they couldn't help. If you finally call and ask them , let me know

 

So i got my laptop after 28 days today. Haven't had a chance to check it out much but i did do a few benchmarks. Build is fantastic, no weird keyboard, no gaps etc. Very solid and super heavy, very impressive. The 120hz screen does have the lines, but i cannot notice them unless im a foot away from the monitor. At normal distances i don't notice anything. The screen has very good colours for a tn panel and the blacks are also very good for a tn. The only issue i have with it is on a full black screen the very bottom has some small bright spots from the leds along it. I dont notice these after the initial load screen however. The keyboard is really nice, sound is a lot better than i had anticipated. I got 82 fps avg in heaven compared to my 6700k with a 970 tower which got 57 im happy. Although i feel like its still being held back and should be higher The temperatures are good honestly, once undervolted .150 not breaking 70 degrees with a 6 degree core differential while doing the valley benchmark is pretty good, and 71 degrees while doing prime is fine, Once i repaste etc, it should run really cool. Also for those wondering this system was built on Nov 14. Ill post more thoughts later.
Sorry about the weird pictures, i should have cut them better...i guess im just lazy.

Cpu prime 95 no undervolt
Cpu undervolt

Cpu valley benchmark

Gpu valley benchmark

 

Aww...glad you finally got your laptop. Really appreciate the feedback so far. I have to agree, coming off from owning a lot of Sagers/Clevos, Alienware build feels like it is second to none. It just feel like a tank ooze with quality as soon as you lift and touch them versus others that are cloned from each with an abundance of cheap plastic. It has it kinks but boy when you have it dialed in and running perfect, you wouldn't want to trade it for anything else. Well....beside for an Alienware that has a socketed CPU and GPU.

 

Playing some league of legends etc, the screen is actually really nice, and the contrast is quite good. Id go as far to say close to a cheap ips. Actually sitting infront of it at home, after listening to the complaints its actually the number 1 thing i'm impressed with. Super happy with it, I've seen very few tns with this kind of contrast and smoothness.. I did find another con however. I Hate the points on the bottom left and right corner where your arms rest, they are super sharp/pointy. Just need to adjust to a slightly tighter typing position.

And ya the build quality is really good, i can grab it by the front and lift it feeling 0 flex.

 

Finally decided to pull the trigger and placed my order a couple hours ago. Here are my specs:


Description

Alienware 17 R4
Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ (Quad-Core, 6MB Cache, up to 3.5GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
Windows 10 Home 64bit English
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5
17.3 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300-nits Display with Tobii IR Eye-tracking
16GB DDR4 at 2400MHz (2x8GB)
256GB PCIe SSD (Boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Storage)
Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
Lithium Ion (99 Wh) Battery
No OS Recovery Disc Included
English Keyboard
Alienware 240W AC Adapter


Any opinions? Should I change anything? Does anyone have any suggestions or tweaks? Would appreciate it.

Also, I used the Turkey10 coupon to get 10% off, and the ebates 12% coupon, and for this config, my total comes up to $1566 including taxes ($1446 without). Did anyone get a lower price?

Does anyone have any suggestions for laptop backpacks for this? I know it's been asked before, not sure if there should be a whole new post with it, but would appreciate any answers.

 

Dang, that's discouraging...

 

Guys, I managed to power on the laptop again, I re-seated the ram and its back alive again. Unfortunately the red line on the screen is still there but I will call dell from Monday and I hope to fix it soon. So, I run the 3dmark firestrike benchmark and the score I think is very low for a 1070. My 980ti gets a lot higher score in my desktop pc.

The temp on GPU is fine, 71C max in full load, but in CPU I get up to 90-91C on the highest core while rendering on 3dsmax or stress it with prime95 and the difference between the cores is about ~15C.
I didnt notice any throttling during the benchmark.

 

Ya I would not accept that. If you are going FHD the only way to go is the LG panel.

 

Hi there, NBR newb here but long time techie. Decided to give Dell another try, bit of a leap of faith so to speak (esp given potential issues ie: banding/lines, cooling, macro buttons [blech, ctrl in the corner ftw], and size).

But that said, I'm optimistic about my purchase (aw 17 r4 gtx1080) an hour ago.

I plan on performing rigorous burn-in. Any advice is appreciated (I mean apart from the tools everyone should have beaten into their subconscious by now; e.g.: Prime95, memtest, etc). Anyone else here have the 1080 that could share temps, frames, etc? I plan on returning early if it's not performing as expected.

All in all a great deal for $2000 (2K for hardware after 800 in rebates between sale, cupon,&ebates -- but then +500 for 4y svc, so 2.8k oop).

 

Feel free to elaborate. Considering you view on Alienware I would imagine that wouldn't be to hard

 

I was hoping you would. Anyway, if you want to discuss my opinion about Alienware, send me a private message.

 

Order my 17 with the 1080 last night. Can't believe Ebates is giving me almost $500 back too. Says it will be delivered on December 2nd. So hopefully it's not held up or anything.

 

eBates is great but it takes them a while to send a check. Keep in mind that PayPal fees also apply.

 

Hi All,

Bought the 17" R4 with the 1070 last night, good deal at Bestbuy. Today I am tring to remove the bottom panel to get a better look, I am not a fan of small OS drivers and want to upgrade it. Problem I am having is the screws are so torqued in, I cannot remove them. Any advice here? Not being able to get in there is a deal killer for me, would just take the laptop back.. Any help would be appreciated.