*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 R4 Owner's Lounge

You should ask, it most likely is.

Also leverage that with the older models they offer 240W to users who are having the exact same problem as you (battery drain under load).

 

If lower TGP limits is ok, Oh"well. Regardless. You all haven't got what Mr. Azor advertised.

There isn't much benchers anymore like before on NBR. Probably because the newer laptops have soldered hardware and overclockers have jumped on desktops or Clevo models. Just see older AW threads.
We should have numbers from stock machines as well. But I expect numbers will come.

Don't look on physics. Just the graphics. Remember we talk about graphics and not processors now.

http://www.3dmark.com/compare/fs/11153153/fs/11105136/fs/11150918

http://www.3dmark.com/compare/fs/11119132/fs/10909764/fs/11087827/fs/10766696

 

You dont know if that is the case as our cards are not needing the wattage to hit normal clock speeds.
If my card is running 2000mhz or even 2100mhz why should I care if its hitting 180W?
The clock cycles are all that really matters so long as its stable. Why would you want a GPU to be putting out more heat etc for the same clock cycles?

So now I guess we can just try and hit that wattage. Challenge accepted!

 

I understand that TDP does not mean everything. But currently the maximum power I had gotten for my 1080 is around 165W while I am playing COD12 and Witcher 3, not even running a furmark test.....So I have two questions: a. How could not the GPU reach its power limit ( let's assume it's 170W) by running furmark test? b. Is there any games or other software that requires higher power than Witcher 3( With ultra effects)

 

Exactly. I used to be an enthusiast overclocker and bencher on my laptops. My last custom built desktop was in 2006 with an FX-55 and Two SLI 6800 Ultras watercooled. I remember Johnkiss and his helping me tweak all the power I could out of my riggs along with the guys at techinferno. We are living in a different period and I am not even a fan of overclocking now and hardly see any merit on these BGA soldered machines. There is hardly anything to customize, not many variables to play with and it's really not a smart option IMO anymore. We are dealing with basically "throw away" machines; but very expensive ones. Gone are the days of owning an M15x or m17/18x and upgrading CPU/GPU in SLI and having all the custom bios to support some really cool stuff. I could justify overclocking with those machines.

I say if the AW 17 R4 performs AS YOU WANT then just get it. It's gonna run hot stock, you need to know how to wrench it, and it's kinda gimped. It's not a great buy for the money unless you have money to blow or can wrench a machine. If you can't wrench a machine get a system with a 1080 that comes working properly and you don't need to tweak to get the best performance. You shouldn't have to with these type of machines that aren't enthusiast. What I'm saying is you shouldn't have to be an enthusiast to make a non enthusiast (soldered, gimped, not upgradeable) machine run properly.

I see some people asking for certain members "clocks" which means they shouldn't even tamper with their hardware because like cooling, overclocking is an art. It's increments at a time. It's basically a sport among enthusiasts but I think the real enthusiasts see these current systems for what they are and have run away awhile ago. I have gathered that with talking with some old school guys on this forum.

I would be lying if I didn't think the MSI is not the better system for many people I see typing on the forums just because it appears to work much better out of the box. If you can truly work around this R4 then yes the thermal limits are really high and there is some creativity to be had but the costs/benefits are only worth it for some imo.

 

Hey man, under what circumstances your GPU reached 170W?

 

It's really surprising to see so many R4 on the dell outlet? Would you guys advice against buying from the outlet? Anyone here had positive results from the outlet?

 

I honestly don't know the details of this system so you may be fine but to outline the concept in general; A card running at a frequency can use a whole range of power at that same frequency depending on what parts of the card are being used and how much power they eat. You could be seeing 100% load on gpu z at max frequency with 180w TDP but you are not using all the tessellation shaders. Then a year from now you load up a game that uses those heavily while keeping the same load on the rest of the card and it wants to eat more power than your system allows.

It's not something that we know will be a problem with these systems. More testing will need to be done for that to be clear. What is bothering is that to overclockers and power users we want to have more options in more scenarios. If a game does use more than 180w and the card is cool and stable and the power is there then you should be able to use it if you want. I hope that all is well with these systems. I highly doubt anything will change on dells side as far as the limits that are already in place. Right now it doesn't look like a deal breaker to a regular user but if you really want to be sure you are getting the most from your system then it could be to you.

 

Well I have in the past as they are covered by the same warranty.
However with all of the past cooling issues etc I cant help but wonder what people have tried and what the inventory is currently like.
I personally wouldnt trust it this go around. However if you do want to save that cash then it might be worth the headache as they cover it the same as new.
Meaning, if you get a bunk laptop they will fix it for sure.

 

Yeah best system I had was a refurbished m17xr2. This go around I'd pass. Many were probably averaging 95c Temps (not peaking but averaging) and that's a whole Lotta potential phonecalls. I'd pass

 

Actually I think I stand corrected and do see the said power limit. Its very strange because yes indeed under certain conditions I have surpassed it and had normal clocks and normal limits. Time to investigate and get this taken care of if it is indeed an issue.

 

Haha..Okay...so let's just look at Graphics then...so you're saying that even with this known "crippled, gimped etc..." or whatever you want to call it, that these graphics scores are not good? (AW1080)



I'm also well aware of the difference between physics and graphics score. I think you're being a bit nit picky now... so what if Dell does unlock the power limit and the graphics scores achieved are higher?

Regardless, I'm glad that we're discussing this issue, because Dell better fix it. In the meantime, I'd like to see some MSI GT73VR Fire Strike scores (graphics, physics and combined) as I know that it could obtain some nice scores...

The whole point of my previous reply was the fact that even though we know the AW1080 is limited to ~170w (for now?) that I would like to see some numbers from other OEM's with a higher power limit on the GPU. So far, I have yet to see much if any break 18K's...

So please show me. I'd love to see them.... Gosh now yall are wanting me to go buy the GT73VR lol.... Now that I've sold my AW1070, maybe I will.... hmmm.... Team LHz will be tapping into the MSI's in 2017 for sure and am very excited about unleashing the beasts.

True...165W does seem to be the floating point for most games... The culprit is definitely is software related so Dell better get on this to at the very least unlock it to 180w.

Try to play BF1 and/or Warframe ...those are very demanding.

Well a couple of things... I agree with the fact that it is a much different game now with the shift in the industry, however, what you may think as a smart option may be very different than others. Keep in mind that we're dealing with Pascal here and whether a system has a power limited GPU or not (in this case the AW1080) the reality is that it will not make a significant difference, if at all, in anyone's game play. All this nit picking is just that. Nit picking. My game play will be the same on the AW1080 or an OEM's variant that has a higher power limit in this class. Zero difference.

True, these machines should not take an enthusiast to get it to run properly. The reason some of us aren't up in arms about it is because Dell is actually listening and doing something about it. We're seeing it now so let's wait and see if that continues.

Yes the MSI is a much better system out of the box and it can be even better with some work under the hood. There are other factors though, which are mostly all subjective. To each his own...

I do think that the data and results that some of us are showing are a bit much for a beginner to be able to achieve so in that regard, I also cringe sometimes when people ask certain questions. We're here to help, but do know that I'd be the first person to recommend another laptop like the MSI GT73VR if I knew that the person was wanting the advertised power, without wanting to get under the hood. It's a no brainer IMO.

I would only recommend the AW's if one will not be OC'ing and is happy with running it stock (power limited: CPU >45w and no GPU OC), OR if one is willing, open to and committed in repasting the unit. Because as you know with a little work under the hood, it can be great.

Sucks to have such a huge contrast from "Crap" to "Great", but it is what it is. A sports car that can't go past 60MHz is just that. Rubbish, no matter good it looks. Just telling it how it is...

It's a hit or a miss. If you are open to a repaste, then yes it's okay, but if you are not, then roll the dice.

Well said. We'll see if what Azor said in that tweet is true. Waiting for certification? It's only fair to give them a chance to see if they pull through. There's a lot weighting on them right now so I'm sure they are being proactive with this.

So far so good. We've shown them the temp issues, and the uneven heat sink and they've responded. It'll be good if this continues and from the looks of it, well...so far so good.

 

Hi iunlock, Hi other Aw 17r4 owners,
i didn't have time to read all the news about these laptos, as there is many new messages everyday,

but, i was considering buying this beast with GTS1080, as in France, there is student offers with more than 20% discount, but i must admit i'm a bit affraid by repasting it ( especially with liquid metal thermal paste from conductonauts ). i did it with my m17xR2 and m18xR2 but with mx4 which allows mistake, and from the videos and tutorials, those rigs seemed easier to tear down.

so iunlock, i somehow read from you messages that dell/aw is adressing the temperature issue ? so do you think if i wait one month or two, i might have not to repaste to have proper performance for such gpu ?

thank you very much for your informations guys, at least the repasting tutorial and overheat reasons explanations have been helpful for not buying immediatly and being too disappointed.

 

Bonjour. We (Team LHz) can find out for you if the units shipping out in Europe are also the fixed units. @DeeX would you be able to look into this?

You may be able to order sooner than to wait several months if there is confirmation. We're gathering a lot of data at the moment with the new systems (batch) so stay tuned for some reports.

 

AW17R4 - GTX 1080

New PR: Fire Strike Extreme

http://www.3dmark.com/fs/11201846
Broke into the 10K with a power limit of ~170w...more to come...


-Team LHz-

 

My order has just gone through for the 1080 and that was placed in Germany, should be receiving it mid Jan apparently so I can let you know if it has the updated thermal pads by then or not.

 

Sounds like a plan.

Cheers

 

@iunlock I think your right my graphic score is not much better .. I haven't done a repaste yet but I haven't been about to hit 18k but my graphic sore is good

Edit I'll run a few test today because I can get my Memory OC to 500

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Just this past holiday I learned the value of using the iGPU on the AW17 ... when hanging out at a bar and writing and what not, if I disable the Nvidia GPU and just run on the iGPU ... even with screen brightness of 40 to 50%, my battery life goes from about 3.5 hours (Nvidia) to around 9 hours (iGPU) ... just web browsing, writing, occasional youtube video, etc. .. general "office" type use ...

Dango ... that's ridiculous ... but so stoked I don't have to plug in when in public and just doing general work.

 

http://www.3dmark.com/compare/fs/11201846/fs/10295062

http://www.3dmark.com/compare/fs/11201846/fs/11135462/fs/10936575 See the graphics clock speed

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile board design is rated TDP 120 W(see link). And Mr. Azor says the 1070 design is 100w. Is also Dell's 1070 Mobile crippled with a lower power limit? https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2869/geforce-gtx-1070-mobile

 

care to share your order? i paid way more and can use that to get them to price adjust.

 

Not really, considering all problems being discussed in this thread.

 

Anyone know if the R4 is MXM upgradeable, or has the CPU/GPU soldered on?

Thx

 

Not upgradable


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

This was at 4ghz gt73vr



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Pretty impressive!

 

You could describe the situation in which the test was made? And the overclock? Thanks!

Sent from mTalk

 

Sitting on my desk .. the OC was 4ghz CPU and 200gpu and 450 gpu memory .. stock fan speed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I had a gt73vr 6rf. Very impressive. Very heavy very fat design. Very good screen (no light blending... & Best performances... But i canceled it because too loud in game

 

This has been so quiet playing games .. my Alienware r4 I sent to iunlock to help tame the fans and temps
I know he will get that thing running very cool

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Meanwhile in the Clevo forums....
People are saying:
"until Prema is complete with his updated bios, this system is flawed."
"other than the Dual GTX 1080, this laptop IMHO is a big downgrade"
"My sager was the same on temps being in the 90's originally"
"CPU I don't care as much about as I know it is throttling and will be fixed"

So it sounds like you guys are in the same boat.

 

when complain, people tend to make it sound worse than it really ise but no, alienware 17 is trashy up against a clevo even include those flaws you have mentioned lol.

i remembered when alienware was actually good at one point, they had their moments from m17x r2 all the way to m18x r2 or even haswell AW 18, now they pulled bga business and their top end laptop are only mediocre .

 

But with highest graphics and total score in Firestrike with single and Sli 1080 graphics You find the score in previous posts or take a look in Futuremark leader board. Not all can handle the power and settings

 

This is the kind of benchmarking @Papusan is talking about, expressed as a drag race.

Spoiler

Notice the "socketed" motors, for quick "LGA" swaps

 

I guess that depends on your definition of trashy.
We could argue this all day. There is no winning against fanboys.
Here's some real deal Holyfield facts.

Alienware has temp issues out the gate.
Alienware seems to be having some power limit issues on the gpu.
Alienware when properly re-pasted has has decent overclocks with really nice temps.
Alienware has an awesome build quality with a very solid feel
Alienware has a nice keyboard.
Alienware uses anodized aluminum (not plastic)
Alienware / Dell is in the process of getting things done when it comes to AUO and the lines issue on the QHD panel
Alienware will send parts directly to the customer or have a technician do the repairs in their home.

Clevo has temp issues out the gate
Clevo has some throttling / power limit issues
Clevo when properly re-pasted has some decent temps but still throttling issues with the current stock BIOS
Clevo has a horrible build quality.
Clevo has a horrible keyboard
Clevo uses tons of plastic
Clevo is doing nothing about the QHD screen and will offer the newer AUO once Dell gets AUO to fix it.
Clevo requires you to send your laptop to whomever your re-seller is and you must wait for the laptop to come back.

I'm a Dell guy, a Clevo guy, and an MSI guy...
I have bought and will buy them all.

Bottom line is they all have positives and negatives.
With the fact that they all currently have problems, the argument shouldn't be "Yo, your laptop is a turd" (which is some childish talk as it is), or "your laptop is trash"
but it should be rather be about the individual's needs.

Clevo has a crap build quality, with an even crappier keyboard with crazy EXTREME hardware. (even some very loyal Clevo owners popular on NBR have voiced this)
Alienware has an awesome build quality also with crazy innards but just not on an extreme level. (18,000 in FireStrike is often plenty for many)
(However right now there are thermal problems and some power limit problems, once these are resolved im sure the scores will be higher. )
MSI is somewhere in between but a bit over priced. (find a deal )
They all seem to be fairly nice.

 

True, but some people would rather have whole package with some decent horsepower, over the top dog (performance wise) with some physical flaws.
At the end of the day, when it comes to gaming, the performance difference is really negligible.
I would say I have just as much fun gaming as the guy with the Clevo or the guy with the MSI.

 

You may have a stronger GPU than my 1080... So far I've hit 11099 on the graphics which is an accomplishment in itself for this AW considering it is capped at 170W.

And? Such a shame. There you go nit picking again. In case you still don't understand, Pulling a 11099 in graphics and over 18K in overall with the new AW1080 capped at 170W is pretty good. - Or do you have too much pride to admit that? Because the truth is the truth and you should know that Clevo's has issues of their own as @DeeX have pointed out.

It's fun to see you always nit picking. Pretty entertaining actually, because the data in which you are using to try and cry about things has no merit due to the insignificance of the actual difference.

So far for the 6820HK w/ a GTX 1080 Notebook GPU, the difference is >1.x% in graphics score compared to my 18K Fire Strike run lol.... so you really think that >1.x% is going to make a night and day difference with ones gaming experience?

Let's be real now....

Trashy in what way? Have you seen my 775 review? The build quality of the Clevo is nowhere near AW's. Hands down. If you're referring to the whole LGA and bga fiasco (yes it's complete nonsense and I don't agree with the bga communism) but looking at it from a practical point of view; with pascal chips and a decent mobile 6820HK, there is ZERO difference when it comes to gaming between a DTR and AW (well equipped bga gaming laptops.) ZERO.

So where the 'trashy' would come into play here is the build quality, bios limitations, worlds worst keyboard, worlds worst track pad, fan noise and bulkiness of the DTR's. That's trashy. I did like the P775DM3 and it was a fine notebook, but it still had issues of it's own even after a delidd with LM treatment all around. The temp numbers that I was able to achieve were great, but that came at the cost of a lot of fan noise on F1, which didn't bother me much, but will absolutely drive others crazy.

Trashy is a bit of a harsh word to describe something that has little to no difference when it comes to the performance of the GPU and gaming experience between a DTR and the new AW.

Not all can handle power settings? You mean with the AW1080 with the 170W? - Maybe you need to be reminded again that even with a power cap of 170W, the difference in the 6820HK/GTX1080 class from my graphics score to the highest is >1.x% LOL...

Nit picking again .... it's quite hilarious, we're all laughing actually.

All in good fun.

 

Thanks for sharing! See that's what I'm talking about. The GT73VR has so much potential and can pull some impressive numbers.

Maybe I'll have my hands on a GT73VR soon? Hint Hint.... (Inside joke..)

From looking at the graphics score the GT73VR pumped out 24063 (200W+) while my last run on the AW1080 was 23465 (170W), which is a little over a ~2% difference.

Considering the power limitations, not too shabby for the AW1080. Also, the max TDP on that 18025 Fire Strike run of mine was only around ~165ish watts...so not even 170W.

I'm really curious how far I can push this AW1080 once the TDP is unlocked and also how far I can push the GT73VR

Great stuff... very fun.

 

I'll take the whole package minus 1-2%(if even that) in real world performance any day over anything out there that is big, bulky, and plasticky. Love the keyboard, love the build quality, and love the most industrial, modern, sophisticated looking gaming laptop out there!! And oh yeah.......it doesn't look CHEESY!! There are some issues just like anything out there. Dell is addressing them, we have fixed most of them. Damn mine is almost running perfect with the coolest running temperatures. Yep! I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

 

Alienware has temp issues out the gate. +(Monkey's at the factory and poor QC. However, Dell is and has taken action so kudos there, but the QC management needs to be fixed at the actual factory, because it's wasting away Dell's efforts. So get on it Dell.)

Alienware seems to be having some power limit issues on the gpu. +(At least we're hearing feedback from Dell eh? We'll have to wait and see what comes out of this. You'll be the first to get news about this so guys stay tuned to @DeeX )

Alienware when properly re-pasted has has decent overclocks with really nice temps. +(The best temps we've seen so far in this class.)

Alienware has an awesome build quality with a very solid feel. +(The best in this class and that's inarguable looking at it from a build quality and material choice perspective. It is what it is.)

Alienware has a nice keyboard. +(IMO one of the best and a lot of journalists/reviewers say the same.)

Alienware uses anodized aluminum (not plastic) +(Which is much appreciated...built like a tank and not a $150 budget laptop that can be found at Wally World. I actually saw a $150 laptop that had a better trackpad and keyboard than my P755DM3. Sad day. Truth.)

Alienware / Dell is in the process of getting things done when it comes to AUO and the lines issue on the QHD pane. +(Yes Indeed. Kudos to where Kudos are due...At least Dell's listening...this is positive stuff.)

Alienware will send parts directly to the customer or have a technician do the repairs in their home. +(This speaks volume in them actually pulling through with addressing a known issue. Kudos again.)

Clevo has temp issues out the gate. +(My P775DM3 was worse than any of my AW's out of the box. Whereas the AW's had 90C's on two cores and maybe high 70C's or 80C's on the other two cores, the 775 was all 99C/100C on all four cores.)

Clevo has some throttling / power limit issues. +(Clevo's bios is just as rubbish as any of AW's combined unless it has Prema magic. If it wasn't for Prema, the Clevo's would be doomed and everyone knows that, even @Papusan.)

Clevo when properly re-pasted has some decent temps but still throttling issues with the current stock BIOS. +(Also to add, the fans have to be on F1 mode which is like a rocket ship. The fans are very loud as I've shown in a video of the 775.)

Clevo has a horrible build quality. +(Truth. It is what it is... The build quality is no greater than a cheap budget line HP laptop. Amazing components under the hood, but the chassis is not even close to being considered quality. To be fair the display assembly on the P775DM3 was very solid so I want to point that out. As for everything else, the material choice, fit and finish and tolerance levels are very poor.)

Clevo has a horrible keyboard. +(The worst actually and even Clevo owners will admit to this. Typing on the keyboard was my worst typing experience and I'm being serious.)

Clevo uses tons of plasti. +(Definitely not the level of major OEM's in terms of quality, but if Clevo really focuses on upping their game on the quality of the machines, it could be a real winner in the quality department.)

Clevo is doing nothing about the QHD screen and will offer the newer AUO once Dell gets AUO to fix it. +(Reminds me of Apple and Samsung. People think Apple is the top dog, but actually Samsung has a ton of influence over Apple as Apple uses tons of Samsung's chips: CPU made by Samsung, Memory chips, Controllers, etc..., screens, battery cells, etc... so yes, there is an influence even in the computer world where the OEM's have a heavy influence on what will out for the Clevo's and such. ie... so with us addressing this issue with the QHD, will help other companies as well.)

Clevo requires you to send your laptop to whomever your re-seller is and you must wait for the laptop to come back. +(This can go both ways. The AW techs are donkey's and sending it into the depot (fancy word for retards who don't know what they are doing) is much worse than the resellers who may actually know what they are doing. Most of them are well versed in this stuff, but that can't be said for all of them. Sending out a laptop for repair is against many of our books, but if I had to choose between AW's depot zoo and a reseller, I'd choose the reseller, although I'd still cross my fingers.)

I'm a Dell guy, a Clevo guy, and an MSI guy...
I have bought and will buy them all.

Bottom line is they all have positives and negatives.
With the fact that they all currently have problems, the argument shouldn't be "Yo, your laptop is a turd" (which is some childish talk as it is), or "your laptop is trash"
but it should be rather be about the individual's needs. +(Yes, the name calling has been quite annoying. Although there are points to be made, it would be a lot more productive if the delivery of those points were executed better for a noob in the market seeking this info.)

Clevo has a crap build quality, with an even crappier keyboard with crazy EXTREME hardware. (even some very loyal Clevo owners popular on NBR have voiced this) +(@Papusan, every company has issues of their own.)

Alienware has an awesome build quality also with crazy innards but just not on an extreme level. (18,000 in FireStrike is often plenty for many) +(18K on GPU with a cap of 170W is not too shabby. Most gamers can get away with even a stock 1070, let alone OC'ed 1070 which is plenty to drive those games at maxed settings at 1080p.)

(However right now there are thermal problems and some power limit problems, once these are resolved im sure the scores will be higher. ) +(Muhahahaha,,,, you know it. We'll be diving in head first...)

MSI is somewhere in between but a bit over priced. (find a deal ) +(MSI kinda has the best of both worlds in a way... They got the heat sink nailed down pretty well. We'll have our hands on a few GT73VR's soon...)

Keyword: Whole package.

With a fixed AW unit, one can get the complete package for sure.

In the build quality department, 10/10.

In the CPU department, 10/10 in the mobile chip class as it's unlocked and I've pushed my 6820HK to 100W+.

In the GPU department, 9/10 in the notebook GPU class as I have yet to see any other OEM's with significant bench numbers to show some solid data. I'd say the GT73VR sits top in the GPU notebook category, but as of right now among NBR, it's still about even when you factor in the 200W of the MSI vs the 170W cap on the AW1080.

In the warranty department, Dell hands down. One of if not the best in the industry. There is value in that for sure.

In the aesthetics department, IMO it is the best, but even if we were to take a survey out of 1000 people and showed them all the OEM's offerings, I'll place my bet in that the AW will still come out with the most votes as the most pleasing to look at.

 

Yes the difference is very small and it is under >2%. Pascal brought a whole new light to the game and have changed things up quite a bit.

The unlocked 6820HK has proven to be a worthy chip and we've shown a ton of data on that with 12 Hours stability tests to reasonable OC's that can handle pretty much anything. Right now I'm running at 4.2GHz 100000% rock stable without any dips in any benches etc... I know @Mobius 1 is as well and likely some other guys.

We'll (Team LHz) will keep everyone informed on the latest from Dell. It's refreshing in itself to know that they are actually in the works as we speak to address these issues. Kudos.

 

Maybe I nit picking, but I don't talk about >1.x% in graphics score vs. yours.
More like 5% difference in graphics http://www.3dmark.com/compare/fs/11150918/fs/11153153#

I didn't talk about 6820HK/GTX1080 in this setting. What I said... Not all can handle the power settings <in the Clevo models>. Aka not all have power throttling or processor throttling.

 

Which even at that is not going to make any difference in ones gaming experience.

Oh the >1.x% was for Fire Strike Extreme. I should have pointed that out.

As for the Clevo's...yea true...people should only buy them if they can even handle the power, because that'd be like a noob buying a fully decked out Touring Race Car. They wouldn't have a clue how to drive it, let alone turn it on.

 

I want to thank Team LHz for all their work on this current generation of Alienwares. Dell owes you all big time! Anyhow, my friend lent me his Omen 17 for the evening - he is returning it tomorrow (1070, 6700hq). I was able to get a Firestrike score of 13,244 - 17,287 Graphics, 9870 Physics, and 5,911 combined. I was able to push the GPU core up 150MHz and memory 300MHz. Power seems to top out at just shy of 124w on the GPU. GPU temps top out at 65c. GPU clock tops out at 1961MHz. The Omen has a beautiful 4k Gsync panel though with minimal light bleed - one of the nicest I have seen. Hoping my 17r4 can hit 20k on firestrike graphics with the 1070.

 

I really hope i get my hands on one of these so i can do some tests of my own. If it does run cool and have a better build quality then that's a big plus. I just want to really put it to the test with some games.

Elite Dangerous for the heavy load on cpu and gpu along with how it uses the gpu to generate planets and asteriods, would be interesting to see if it can push the gpu into high wattage for a few secs and see what happens.

Overwatch just because its overwatch and its got a highly optimized multithreaded renderer that can get a high load on cpu and gpu simultaneously.

Doom 2016 because the vulkan async rendering mode could push the gpu to higher wattage than any other game assuming it uses the tessellation units on the card.

 

I ran an ultra test with 3dmark13, and the maximum power of GPU finally hits 180W````

 

These changes are great and the fixes make this model so worth it. However, I'm not sure I could purchase another 1080 model without first being able to test the keyboard. The 1070 model I purchased from Best Buy had very noticeable flex on the 10-key area, but I thought it was just a lemon and returned it because I only bought it to see the build quality. Then my 1080 model came in with a massive gap between the bezel and screen and, again, very noticeable 10-key flex, to the point where pressing on the '5' caused the entire 10-key area to depress--like the 10-key area was floating on something instead of a reinforced steel backplate. That one was returned, too. I didn't even mind the screen much--I could only see lines two inches away so I thought it was actually pretty good. Now I've a GT73VR model on the way. Fingers crossed. I still like the chassis of the Alienware far better, though. And yeah, the 1440p 120hz is cool too. If I ever see a 1080 model in a store and can test it out, who knows....

Also, Team LHz is awesome.

 

GT73 probably has the same build quality as the AW but ends up being less dense because MSi uses plastic for most of the chassis material.

The rubber coating on the AW still sucks balls though.

 

Gt73vr build is ok definitely not as good as AW but still nice and very easy to open


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That's good to know on the quality side. I saw some reviews stating people were surprised by how light it was for such a large machine. I really enjoyed the full-metal weight and solid feeling of the AW, that's for sure.

Haha yeah, the rubber attracts fingerprints. Then again, so do the aluminum panels on the MSI. Ah well--I'm only trying to keep the insides and screen clean, right?