*OFFICIAL* Alienware Area-51M R1 Owner's Lounge

If I had a secondary display at home I might be the same, but the 51m would be my main PC for work and play and an external display is currently not an option so want to make sure the built-in one is the best it can be.

As for the 1440p/120hz vs 4k/60hz that is something I am still struggling with. While I do play a fair bit of games the laptop would also be used for media production and consumption, so still not sure what would be a better option.

But if we have to wait until the end of 2019 to see 4k panels, by then I would expect to see 4k/120hz as a viable option as well.

 

Okay, just double checking myself...Clevo cards seem to be able to pull 1000+=2000, but are still hindered by 150W max TDP. Generally without doing anything extra, but higher temps of course will lower the clock by 13Mhz at each stage. And the others on 3dmark are averaging 1800 to 2000 Mhz

 

I agree, my m14x r2 was like this. I think the 13 r3 with the edge to edge glass is the best. Looks the nicest. Not sure why alienware is going backwards now. Especially that glossy plastic (wind will scratch that $h!t).

 

Hell,
I ordered my unit a week ago but for some reason I don't seem to have been charged (yet?). Is this normal behaviour or should I contact Dell and see if the payment didn't come through or something ? The sales person told me it came through when I paid over the phone.

 

You are invoiced upon delivery.

Sales will process a dummy transaction when you place the order to confirm you have the funds

 

This is the highest I was able to clock my 2080:

https://www.3dmark.com/fs/18634776

 

Not true at all.

The CPU has 16 lanes yes, but the z390 chipset offers 24 PCI Express lanes.

By your logic, you could only use one PCIe x4 NVME SSD. Thunderbolt also has a x4 assigned to it.

 

How about ctrl + f in afterburner for voltage or does it not work

 

Edit: Probably a false alarm. Seems like the 9th generation processors already have some Meltdown protections baked into the hardware, so this application can't tell that it's protected already because it's not seeing any mitigation at the OS level.

Anyone notice this? This is using the Windows image that came with the machine. Update to the latest 1.2.0 bios, everything else is up to date too.
Tried doing the "Enable Meltdown Protection" and rebooted, nothing.
I'll be honest, I'm not fully up to date on what is needed to get this protected... but I thought as long as we had the latest everything, they should have patched these things.

 

Okay guys I just got my laptop! I'm not huge on pushing it to the max or anything. I just want to play games like metro and do my programming. Now what's the first things you guys suggest doing? If I remember going through all these posts. Update through Alienware first and then go download nvidia experience?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

That tool is broken and doesn't work properly since many months. Even if you Enable to disable the protection and reboot, it doesn't change anything so don't trust it

 

Ok thanks. I was thinking something along those lines. Especially since I have been just reading that the 9th generation processors already have some form of Meltdown protection baked into the hardware of the new processors. So maybe Windows is trying to say it's not protected because it can't tell that the hardware has already been updated/patched.

Thanks.

 

You don't really have to anything TBH. OC is pretty much pointless for real life gains at 1080p (more heat at minimal gains), so don't bother. Update to latest NVIDIA through Geforce Experience - yes. Always do that.

Undervolt. Yea, sure if you are comfortable with it. You should be able to do -120-150mV depending on you CPU (based on i7 9700K), but again, there's no major real life gains.

Fan profile performance is kind of the sweet spot between noise and minor throttle. If you are single and have good headphones, max fans will obviously get you the very best temps.

Most important - enjoy you new laptop!

 

For what it's worth, I'd have ordered this from HID if they could config it with international keyboards, but alas, it was not meant to be. ;-)

 

Talk about aftermarket memory. I hope Dell will do it better than they did for last years Aw models.

Maybe you have problems with the tool on <your machine and or OS install>. The tool works as intended. We have discussed this before

 

If they do they do, if they don't they don't.
It's not gonna make a major difference in my gaming session and they never promised they would support higher than 2400mhz.

 

If you guys want the Nvidia game bundle we should probably put some pressure on Umar.
I believe if a few of us message him we may get the bundle.

https://twitter.com/aw_umar/status/1104074914183741445

 

Would be really awesome, means we get Division 2 from Tobii and 3 other games from Nvidia!

Little update, after a short delay my order has been shipped, eta monday 11–3!
The 10% discount has been applied to my account aswell. Hopefully this unit is going to arrive in pristine condition!
And please pixel Gods, if your out there. No pixel defects on my new machine please!

 

Please check what I have added to the Umar post and see I'm in the fight for this as well I been blowing up dell for 3 days. I also have a pdf I captured of the dell chat I received.

We need more people to chim in on Twitter don't be lazy boys n gals. This is how you make it happen

 

If you don't mind me asking; what specs are you planning on going for in the 51-M and price?

 

The sad part is any time you need support that actually does something you need to contact Umar or Azor on Twitter instead of the Alienware support chat/phone/email.
This is a really poor state of things at Dell/Alienware, and I really hope at least Alienware (if not whole Dell) manages to get better support team together instead of outsourcing it to people who don't have a clue.

 

Yeah, not the big numbers differences but some of us want what's possible.

I hear yooo, but then why post this in the Press Releases? Only for the Press?


Ps. Your reply on Reddit. What have changed?

 

9700k, at least 16gb ram, at least 256gb SSD (will add samsung 970 1tb later myself, as well as move my current 2.5" 1tb ssd), probably an RTX 2070 (maybe 2080 if I can get a discount code of some sort);

As for the display waiting for at least 1440p/120hz or 4k/60hz (would be great to see 4k/120hz but not counting on that), still undecided what would be a better option between these two if they are both made available at the same time.

Regarding price ideally would like to fit it under $3500.

 

Me personally; I would go with 1440p 120-144Hz over 4k 60Hz. I originally was going to wait on better screen options and then decided to just go ahead and get it. Will buy an external monitor for 1440p. Just can't decide on if I want a normal 1440p monitor or an ultra-wide 1440p monitor.

 

Welp I royally f'd myself trying to use this guide to revert RAID to AHCI. http://support.thinkcritical.com/kb/articles/switch-windows-10-from-raid-ide-to-ahci

Upon selecting AHCI and rebooting into safe mode, I'm stuck at the login screen due to the password not working, which I assume is due to no internet connect on safe mode...

Knew I shouldn't have messed with it. If anyone knows a quick fix, I'd appreciate it.

Edit: Ended up having to do a fresh install via USB. Was a pain in the ass, and i suggest anyone that wants to attempt the above method, DONT. Followed it to a T and it still went wrong. Just reinstall windows with AHCI enabled if you want to switch from RAID.

I also tried booting into safe mode with networking on, and it would not work.

 

9700k / 2080
https://www.3dmark.com/3dm/34350877?

Am i the new GPU record holder?

 

Yes well that's what happens when you outsource absolutely all of your customer services and tech support. I feel Alienware's premium price should give a satalite location in each major country Alienware sells to or Closer to in the correct languages to do requests and troubleshooting ect.. Last night I was on the phone with 3 different people from Dells support and their Indian accent was so strong I couldn't understand anything they were saying even when I asked them to slow down lol.. I got why I wanted done but it took 2 hours on the phone vs 25 min with English person.

Just go for the new Samsung Super Ultrawide CRG9(1440p version shown as CES 2019) I'm getting one soon as it hits the shelf.

 

I can't get past 5.2Gh on 9700k

I've tried 5.3 @ 1.40V and it wasn't stable during the whole benchmark.
Shall i push a little more? tbh i'm not really used to push the voltage like that a whole lot on a Laptop so i'm not entirely sure whats other people opinion on this.

 

5.2 is at least solidly decent. I don't think there are a whole lot of 9700Ks out there running 5.3 or 5.4 stable through benchmarking. I'd be happy with the 5.2, especially if your temps are solid.

 

I completely agree... Add a few mm and give everyone the options they want. Some like the 4k, some like the 2.5k, some dont. Just give options and sell more. Very weird decision of theirs. Its akin to "my smartphone is .2mm thinner than yours, but i have to charge it every 12 hours..."

Personally i love my 4k in my 17r4 at 200%. So sharp and crisp!

I could live with the quality 1080 of the 51m as well, but... variety is the spice!

 

Same, I just don't get the thinking behing releasing a new top of the line laptop with desktop CPU, upgradable GPU, 4x ram slots, yet somehow only limit it to 1080p when 1440p and 4k are already available on your cheaper less powerful models.
When I saw the pics that the panels are nearly identical +/- few milimeters I just could not believe Alienware could have screwed up the design process so much that few milimeters were worth a year long wait for better displays and countless lost sales.

On a more positive note, how is the 4k display on the 17r4 for gaming? Any regrets of not getting a 1440p/120hz one?
Still undecided what to go with on the 51m once they make them available on it.

 

Well I went full retard and got one. I say that because I was waiting for either Zen 2 or a massive sale, and a couple going around gave 15% off to the first 1000 users, and then I can combine that with my dell advantage rewards and ebates......... Can't do that if you call in and ask for a discount lol

Lunar Light
144hz
9700k
32gb ram
2080
512 gb raid 0

It's gonna replace my alienware 13 r3 1060 7700k oled and my aurora r6 that I have kinda had sitting around collecting dust.............

 

I have only used the internal panel a handful of times for gaming, as I'm usually plugged in HDMI to my 55" HDTV in a darkened living room for the immersion factor. When i do it's no trouble though, looks great! I usually set rez to 1080p with max details, scaling looks fine to me at 17" (I've read some people's horrors of it... but I don't see similar issues myself.)

I use the internal panel often at work (mainly when traveling to my outer offices, as at home base i have dual 2.5Ks) and every time i turn it on i am so happy its mine!

I do find it odd that many people use the internal panel for gaming at home though... I mean, 17" just isn't enough and half decent monitors are CHEAP. Factually; it's the last part in this expensive chain of tech that actually gets you in to the game... where the rendering meets the eyeballs!

 

Yes indeed... I see the truth in what you are saying here. With further research, I must edit this comment of mine:

"- The 51m's 2080 execution is about equal in terms of power and cooling as the P870tm's, if not ever so slightly better."

To more appropriately summarize and expand at this point would be:

- The 51m's 2080 execution is slightly better in performance than the P870TM1, due to more wattage being available (at this point in time.) Additionally; although the Clevo can ultimately dissipate significantly more heat from its GPU than the 51m, both machines can adequately cool an RTX 2080 Notebook GPU (both at their current respective power limits, and most likely at any power limit ever made available to the 2080 while powered by these chassis, officially or successfully modded) to a level that doesn't induce thermal related performance losses.

TL/DR - - the Clevo GPU cooling system is BETTER, yet also THE SAME (!) as the 51m, depending on if you refer to their maximum thermal dissipation abilities or solely the ability to keep a 2080 in BOOST indefinitely while overclocked within it's available wattage.

Perspectives vs conundrums vs statistics, hahaha. It's been a long week with my newborn! Throw me some more facts related to the GPU TDPs, PLs/durations and burn in peak thermals so I can adjust/expand again to re-summarize.

- Jim

 

This is stable for you? Nice one!

And yet the world is full of people who had no problem performing this procedure. Don't worry thou, the world is also full of people who fail most things in life. ;-)

 

Yes! Indeed you are. Very nice. Keep it up, break through the 30k graphics barrier so the 51m can continue up the ladder. You are RIGHT THERE. Heck, maybe all you'd need is to set her on a cold stone and run a quick TRIM command prior for the win! haha.

 

Seeing as the highest single 2080 desktop card FS graphics score I can find is about 32,800... Its impressive that the 51m is pulling off near 30k already in it's svelte chassis... no doubt. I mean some of those desktop RTX cards are almost the SIZE of the 51m!

 

Yes, cannot be described in words. Unless you see it you will not know.

Just about adequate. The GTX 1080 can barely keep up with 4K@60Hz depending on settings. It is the equivalent to FHD@240Hz... The RTX 2080 is faster, but could it power a 120Hz 4K ? Not sure. And, are there any 4K@120Hz on the market?

Yes this is it. Your first and most significant interaction with your computer is by far, the screen; you look at it all day. Who cares if you have a 32 core CPU at 100GHz, where all you can see is through a pitiful FHD?

And by the way, a AUO 17" 4K panel is about £60 to the end consumer on ebay, probably DELL buys them in at £30. There is absolutely no reason to fit garbage panels on £2000 or £4000 laptops.

 

Well, nowhere in that guide does it tell you to disable the safe mode password before starting this, so theres that.. On the plus side, I've reinstalled with AHCI enabled.

 

So after having Killer software uninstalled with their uninstaller, and having their probe installed that supposedly prevents it being re-installed from windows updates.
Today windows update on its own re-installed killer network service.
This time, I simply stopped the service and disabled it from running on startup. So I won't be uninstalling it anymore.

Also using that probe, causes lots of warnings on the system event logger.

 

Here you go: https://twitter.com/ultra_male1/status/1104341187803140098

 

For me bro, 1080P is the perfect resolution on a 17 inch laptop. I had the 1440P on my previous Clevo P870DM3 and while I was able to see stuff without having to rely on the crappy Windows DPI scaling, it was soo small for it to be comfortable to read text for prolonged periods of time. 1080P is the best if you want to have the sharpest image with no DPI scaling, add to that the extra FPS from the lower resolution coupled with a high refresh rate and you can't beat that combo.

If they offered 18.4 inch screens, then 1440P is viable but never 4K! not unless you have a 32" screen or above or want to use a magnifier to see stuff on your screen

 

Same reason why I mention this tip for using Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode, passwords/PIN don't work in Safe mode. I never have a password on my laptop since and only use a local account not the dreaded Microsoft Online Account:

 

What's the best laptop cooler to use on this thing? Something that doesn't cost a fortune?

 

Not sure what password that would be as I had no problems with that. If it works now then all is well.

 

Been a long time since I last posted...

Bit the bullet and went for an Area 51M. Spec's in signature, but went for a 9700k CPU with 2080 GPU. Opted for 16GB ram, will add 2x 8Gb sticks further down the line and the 256GB SSD. Added an Intel 660p 2TB SSD in the 2nd M2 slot.

Wasn't going to pull the trigger, was going to play the long wait game and get a 4K screen. 90% of the time I'll be connected up to an external monitor (27" 4k screen), and really just wanted the symmetry between the laptop panel and external panel. Suppose I got too impatient and just went for it but glad as hell I did! Love it so far! The 1080p screen will actually work better for me, as when I do use it as a laptop, I can just use one of the PSU's.

Just a few thoughts / questions.

1. Mines is noisy. Its loader than I expected (loader than my previous M15x and ASUS laptops). I'm not overclocking yet, but it doesn't take much (when connected to both PSU's) to kick the fans in at 75% (using the 'balanced' plan).
2. Undervolting - Never really done it before, but want to try and reduce my temperatures (to combat the noise). May look into it and play around with it and even try a repaste on the chance it makes some difference. CPU quickly gets to 100c within minutes of firing up a game (at 4k).
3. PSU's. Got the 330w and 180w power supply. Have changed the BIOS setting from 'adaptive' to 'standard', but will play around and see what difference either one makes to CPU / GPU speeds. Not sure if someone has done this already? I do have a 240w PSU that I use for my M15x, so will see what happens with that as well.
4. Free games? Been following the last 80-100 pages closely, but has anyone managed to get the Intel bundle (BF V, Anthem and Metro Exodus)? Would be interested to find out about that.

Alll in all, anyone sitting on the fence about it, just do it. Great laptop!

 

When I eventually get mine I'll probs use a Coolermaster Notepal U3 (I think thats its name) you can then position the fans right across the vents under the chassis. Plus there are guides on here on upgrading the fans for more air if needed .

 

New 51M owner here! (2070/9700K). Love it so far... it's amazing how much of a difference the larger form factor and faster processor makes on this laptop vs the thinner 2070 laptops out there right now (MSI GE75, Asus ROG STRIX).. tried both of them, but had a lot more issues with various performance problems.

Couple of questions regarding the AW command center:

- Is it correct that it does not come with any FX profiles for the keyboard? I seem to remember my AW m17's in the past having a few default themes?

- Speaking of themes, is there supposed to be more than one wallpaper with the Alienware Windows 10 theme? Seemed odd that there wasn't much to it... not sure if windows updates cleared it out (my initial windows were black bordered and themed but reverted back to normal windows colors after some updates).

- It seems to come with two default OC profiles on the OC tab... but I can't see that they are actually configured for any particular overclocking? Are they just place holders so you can modify them? I probably am not going to fool with OC'ing for now, but I do want the option.

- Any quick tips for making a keyboard macro to auto switch the temperature profiles or do I have to set that on a game by game basis? I like having performance (with higher fan) for gaming, and balanced for regular use.

 

Check this thread, 2nd and 3rd post has Wallpapes and OEM info logo: Alienware Area-51m Drivers

 

Yes, you are now the current gpu record holder for that benchmark. what about the rest?

Edit:
There are like at least another 5 other benchmarks to run or a total of 12.