The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
← Previous pageNext page →

    *OFFICIAL* Alienware Area-51M R2 Owner's Lounge

    Discussion in '2015+ Alienware 13 / 15 / 17' started by Spartan@HIDevolution, May 9, 2020.

  1. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
    That was myself, unfortunately the 3200 I purchased were indeed unstable. They crashed under load and defaulted to 2 different timings that the system reported as not supported. I reverted back to my stock 3200 and haven't had an issue since thankfully. Not to say HyperX or another specific speed wouldn't work however.
     
  2. Hypertora

    Hypertora Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    8
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    So an FYI for anyone looking to try Sabrent drives above 2TB. I managed to get just one (4TB) working in slot 4 on the interposer board, but slot 3 will not take anything above 2TB (Kernel security check failure). I had to switch my second Sabrent Rocket 4TB for a Firecuda 2TB. Not sure if it has something to do with the way that slot interacts with the Raid controller, as slot 3 is raidable but not slot 4. Got to work out what to do with this extra Sabrent drive now... wasn't cheap.

    On a positive note, still no issues for me with the Hyper X Impact 2933 CL17 I installed.
     
    c0ach, etern4l, DreDre and 3 others like this.
  3. etern4l

    etern4l Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,916
    Messages:
    3,530
    Likes Received:
    3,482
    Trophy Points:
    331
    Nice, hard to go wrong with HyperX.
     
    raz8020 and Hypertora like this.
  4. pathfindercod

    pathfindercod Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    1,940
    Messages:
    2,343
    Likes Received:
    2,345
    Trophy Points:
    181
    Probably a power issue. 4 and 8tb nvme drives require more power than most laptops provide in those slots.

     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2020
    c69k and Spartan@HIDevolution like this.
  5. Biker Gremling

    Biker Gremling Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    314
    Messages:
    367
    Likes Received:
    448
    Trophy Points:
    76
    Well, so my replacement R2 laptop with 2080 Super and 10900k arrived yesterday. Haven't tested it much, but these are my initial impressions:

    • The Lunar Light paint does feel different. The R1 has this Soft Touch finish, while the R2 feels rough.
    • The R2 keyboard feels like any other chicklet keyboard. The R1 has a completely different feel, kind of a very good membrane keyboard. The R1 keyboard also makes you feel like you are typing on a full size keyboard due to the bigger keys. The illumination on the R2 keyboard is slightly better than the R1, but still not amazing.
    • The touchpad is exactly the same on both versions (no glass = not nice).
    • Cooling: The GPU can run at 200W without ever reaching 87C in very prolonged gaming sessions. The CPU can run up to ~195W without reaching 100C. Undervolting is a must to tame the 10900k, but AWCC allows up to -100mV which is enough for sustained 4.9GHz all cores in Cinebench.
    • I personally haven't noticed any advantage with the 300Hz screen, but not that I have been able to test with a game that goes that high fps.
    • Audio from the speakers is slightly better, haven't noticed pop or crackles. The headphones do hiss after a while.
    • Build quality, fit and finish is exactly the same as the R1 (i.e. very good).
    • My example does have coil whine on both the Motherboard and the GPU, but so far seems acceptable (although noticeably louder than average). The problem is that the R2 (like the R1) continues to be a very quiet machine when idling, and the fans just can't hide the whining inside.
    Overall, to me, the A51m R2 feels like what the A51m R1 should had been from the beginning (although I personally prefer the R1 keyboard and 4 ram sicks). To me, the R2 is not an upgrade,but rather a fix to the problems the R1 had (obviously the multitasking capability of the 10900k is a big jump ahead from my previous 9700k, but the 9700k could OC so well that for gaming both are neck to neck).

    @fire @Normimb @ssj92
     
    ssj92, jclausius, 0lok and 7 others like this.
  6. AMoo-Miki

    AMoo-Miki Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Thanks for reconfirming; that is enough to scare me away from G.SKILL.

    This is great. HyperX is selling their sticks at a discount so I ordered 2x32GB; don't ask why! It has been about 45 seconds since I placed the order and I wonder if I would ever need 64GBs...
    ... but then I don't game either so why did I get this AW? ... ignore me or just tell me I did the best thing (to make me feel better).

    On another note, got the machine yesterday and love everything about it... except the not being able to scroll with Tobii.

    Thanks guys for your counsel before buying it and now.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2020
    normand668 and etern4l like this.
  7. etern4l

    etern4l Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,916
    Messages:
    3,530
    Likes Received:
    3,482
    Trophy Points:
    331
    Hard to comment on whether this is the right laptop (or right amount of memory), for you based on the info so far! It is certainly an overkill for Web browsing! Excess RAM will be used by the OS for caching, which to be fair is a less noticeable benefit in the era of NVMe SSDs.
     
    AMoo-Miki likes this.
  8. AMoo-Miki

    AMoo-Miki Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    I am sure both the laptop and the RAM are overkill for me. I used my XPS L702x for 10 years, 9 of which were at 4GB RAM! When I get used to something, I find it very hard to change and I am hoping this machine will last me 10 years too, only so I won't have to endure change.

    (putting my logic hat on)
    10 years ago, 4GB was more than "enough" but then IDEA and PS begged me for more; they soon might start asking for more than 16 or 32GB. I figured paying $100 now for 32GB and then realizing I need 64GB several years later when they are cheaper (say $100) would be the same as me paying $200 now for the 64GB. It somewhat makes sense, right?
     
    normand668 and etern4l like this.
  9. etern4l

    etern4l Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,916
    Messages:
    3,530
    Likes Received:
    3,482
    Trophy Points:
    331
    Makes sense to me.
     
    AMoo-Miki likes this.
  10. Hypertora

    Hypertora Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    8
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    I don't game very often either (maybe because my old machine got too slow for it). But I do a bunch of 4K media editing and Data Science work which justified me getting this machine. Future-proofing is nice too. My last laptop I shelled out for 16GB with the option to upgrade later to 32GB and it lasted me 6+ years. At least you will be able to open a bunch of chrome tabs at the same time.

    I've already disabled a couple of the Tobii features, including the light touch to move the cursor. I lightly rest my hand on the pad sometimes or go to move the mouse and it jumps around more than I want it to. Sound wise I also found disabling the voice enhancer in AW CC makes the sound much better, as it made videos sound a bit tinny/echoey when there were people speaking.
     
    normand668 and etern4l like this.
  11. etern4l

    etern4l Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    2,916
    Messages:
    3,530
    Likes Received:
    3,482
    Trophy Points:
    331
    BTW Form the point of view of users looking for longer term value, upgradeability and potentially memory-intensive applications, it's a real shame Dell cut the number of SODIMM slots from 4 to two.
    Never mind the DGFF fiasco.
     
    normand668 and Papusan like this.
  12. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    1,506
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Once DDR5 hits the market the RAM would become more expensive again anyway so you do right buying it now.
     
  13. Calipha

    Calipha Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    4
    Messages:
    54
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    16
    What games do you play in which the GPU runs at up to 200W? I can't push mine that far unless I play at upscaled 4K.
     
  14. Biker Gremling

    Biker Gremling Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    314
    Messages:
    367
    Likes Received:
    448
    Trophy Points:
    76
    Train Sim World. It's basically a playable Furmark.

    Enviado desde mi GM1913 mediante Tapatalk
     
    Rei Fukai and ratchetnclank like this.
  15. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    I picked up an R2 from Micro Center with the i7-10700K, RTX 2070 Super, 16GB DDR4 and 1TB NVMe SSD. It is still completely stock but here are a couple thoughts from an owner of the R1 (9900KS, RTX 2070).

    CPU Performance
    The cooling on the R2 is much better than the R1, for both CPU and GPU. My R1 could dissipate about 140w of heat on maximum fans with stock paste/pads and the R2 can sustain about 185w before cresting the 90c mark. If I ran the CPU up against 100c, it would top out at about 200w. The attached Cinebench R20 score (~5000) is the best I could do on stock paste. This is at 4.9Ghz x 8 with a -100mv undervolt. It pulled 190w at the beginning and as temps rose, it increased to about 200w.

    [​IMG]

    GPU Performance
    The RTX 2070 Super is still TDP limited to 115w, just like the RTX 2070 in the R1, and I have been unable to raise the limit thus far. The cooling is excellent however, never exceeding 55 degrees on a Time Spy stress test with maximum fans. On balanced fans, it still never exceeds 67. Dell's practice of deliberately TDP limiting the 2070 to sell more 2080s is a bit annoying but predictable. Overall, my Time Spy score is about 10% higher on the R2 compared to the R1. For some reason, it does not properly detect the RTX 2070 super.

    [​IMG]

    Software
    Alienware Command Center is so much more useable on the R2 compared to the R1. I've updated the software on both to the newest version, but the R1 lags, crashes and does not always acknowledge my changes. The R2 is much better. I might actually use it this time around.

    The Tobi software finally includes an easy way to disable the entire service. It still shows in task manager, but it uses no CPU.

    The R2 shipped with Windows 10 1909 and other than the typical Dell/AW software, it does not have any bloatware.

    Keyboard and Touchpad
    I prefer the R1 keyboard, especially with the macro keys on the left side (the R2 still retains macros on the right.) Keyboard lighting appears more bright and vibrant on the R2, but it is very uneven. Most of the keys are brightly illuminated on the left side of the key and poorly illuminated on the right. This would not have been much of a problem on the R1 keyboard, but with the island style used on the R2, it looks really silly IMO.

    The touchpad feels identical to the R1, it still occasionally misses mouse button presses when a finger is on the touchpad and it still has awful drivers with very little configuration possible.

    The power button on the R2 is far more tactile compared to the spongy R1.

    Display
    I have the 1080p, 300hz display, reported as an AU Optronics (AUOBE8E) with part number B173HAN (Dell: 7783G). It is a nice upgrade from the 1080p 144hz model on my R1. I don't do color accurate work but the R2 has less backlight bleed than the R1 and while I did not expect to perceive a difference between 144hz and 300hz, it is slightly noticeable to my aging eyes when comparing the two back-to-back. The display still has a piano gloss finish to the bezel which I anticipate will be scratched up within an hour.

    Body / Case
    The paint (lunar light) feels very similar to the R1, but with a bit more rough texture. I don't mind the change. My R1 stained after only 3 months so hopefully their fix improves durability. The body of the R2 creaks far less than the R1. The speakers do not distort or rattle at loud volume like they do on my R1 but the otherwise sound the same.

    Configuration and Equipment
    My model from Micro Center included a Samsung PM981a NVMe SSD and while it is not configured with a hard drive, it does include the 2.5" hard drive assembly and SATA cable pre-installed in the body, partially affixed with masking tape.

    The included memory is 2x8GB DDR4 from Micron, model 8ATF1G64HZ-3G2J1. These are specified at 3200MT/s, 22-22-22-52 but configured to DDR4-2933, 21-21-21-47 according to CPU-Z and HWInfo. Alienware Command Center incorrectly reports these as 2933, 17-17-17-39 in the overclocking profiles. Nothing I can do seems to actually allow the memory to run at these tighter timings. There are no XMP profiles on the RAM. I have 64GB of HyperX 2933 on the way.

    The SD card reader is a welcome addition. It maxes out my Sony SF-G64 (UHS-ii) at just under 300MB/s.
    [​IMG]

    Misc
    Thus far, I have not had the USB problems I did on the R1. When live streaming with a USB capture card, webcam and several accessories plugged in on the R1, it would occasionally drop USB devices and require them to either be unplugged and plugged back in, or disabled and re-enabled in device manager to work again. Fingers crossed this continues working well.

    I plan to pull a few GPUs out of hiding and try out the AGA in the near future. I will also plan on trying a few thunderbolt docks and thunderbolt PCIe enclosures to see if stability has improved over the R1, where I would occasionally get a BSOD with thunderbolt devices/enclosures attached. If the AGA and TB3 work as I expect them to and if the stability improvements continue compared to the R1, I will probably replace the 10700k with a 10900k/10850k and make this my new primary mobile workstation. I am really bummed to lose the 128GB of RAM supported by the R1 but otherwise this is a satisfying upgrade thus far.

    If you have specific questions, I will do my best to answer them.
     
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2020
    MikeBloo, ssj92, jclausius and 10 others like this.
  16. Spartan@HIDevolution

    Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative

    Reputations:
    39,567
    Messages:
    23,559
    Likes Received:
    36,825
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Nice and very detailed review. Are you going to keep it?
     
  17. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    I hope it will replace my R1 as my main portable workstation. Just need to stress it a bit with my normal routine and see if it holds up.

    With that said, I've found the first really interesting thing about the R2 compared to the R1. After benching the system for a few hours, I let the fans calm down and went to work on some more routine tasks. There is a little bit of coil whine, but it's better than the R1 and most machines have it now days. However, the fans on the R2 sounded different to me at low speeds compared to the R1. Where the fans on the R1 sound like a bit of lightly moving air, the R2 fans have a coarseness at low speeds, not present on the R1.

    To be clear, this is not something most folks would probably notice, but I am especially sensitive to such sounds and I work primarily in low noise environments. At full speed, the fans on the R2 don't sound particularly different from the R1, but given the different sound signature at low RPM speeds, I figured Dell surely changed the fan supplier. After completely disassembly the cooling system, I was right.

    The R1 fan is made by Delta and rated for 19CFM. The R2 fan is made by Sunon. If you have had a Dell Precision 7530/7540/7730/7740 and sensitive to fan noise, you might be familiar with the Sunon brand harshness I am referring to. I am considering moving the R1 fans over to the R2 (they will fit with minimal modification), but the Sunon fans are rated for 25 & 23CFM (CPU & GPU respectively). If the CFM measurements are comparable between the two brands, R1 owners who are less sensitive to noise may opt to install the R2 fans in their R1 as an upgrade. Pictures follow.

    PS: I replaced the Killer 1650i with an AX200 without any issues.

    R2 Bottom Cover Removed
    [​IMG]

    R2 Heatsink Removed & Stock Thermal Paste
    [​IMG]

    R2 Heatsink (Top) and R1 Heatsink (Bottom)
    [​IMG]

    R2 Fan Specifications
    [​IMG]

    Edit: AX200 not AX201. PCIe M.2 WiFi cards work in the CNVi slot.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2020
    win32asmguy, Foraya, G46VW and 5 others like this.
  18. Normimb

    Normimb Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    1,750
    Messages:
    565
    Likes Received:
    1,040
    Trophy Points:
    156
    Good review. Thanks.
     
    Biker Gremling likes this.
  19. Spartan@HIDevolution

    Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative

    Reputations:
    39,567
    Messages:
    23,559
    Likes Received:
    36,825
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Out of curiosity, why would you replace the Killer WLAN card with the Intel one? If it's to avoid the Killer bloatware, it won't matter you'll still get it unless you block the Rivet Networks drive using the Windows 10 Hide Update tool since you still have the Killer E3000 LAN so it won't matter.
     
  20. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    1,506
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    The killer cards are just intel cards anyway so you can run the killer uninstaller and just install intel drivers.
     
  21. BladeBook

    BladeBook Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Is there any way to confirm what model 2TB (single) m.2 my order will ship with?
     
  22. Biker Gremling

    Biker Gremling Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    314
    Messages:
    367
    Likes Received:
    448
    Trophy Points:
    76
    What overclocks are your achieving guys with the 10900k? If I boost to x50 all core the laptop crashes (no undervolt). For some reason XTU is stupidly wonky for me.
     
  23. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    My organization uses MAC-authentication for some network services. Swapping to the authenticated AX200 helps me avoid a chat with IT. :)

    I only mention it here because the factory card is a CNVi 1650i and I swapped in a PCIe AX200 without a problem. The M.2 slot can support both standards in the R2.


    For anyone interested in my saga with the R2 fans, I already got sick of the Sunon fan sound. It took me an hour to tear down the R2 and swap them with the Deltas from the R1. To summarize:
    • The Deltas require minimum modification to work in the R2. You will need to lengthen the CPU fan connector by 1-2 inches and the Sunon fans have one mounting point that is slightly more recessed than the Delta. The recessed mounting point leads to a fan that sits slightly lower in the housing than the Sunon, but it is not a large difference.
    • Both Sunon and Delta report the same RPM at max speed (3600 & 3400 for CPU & GPU respectively)
    • The Sunon fan blade is slightly taller in the housing compared to the Delta. I'm guessing this is where the extra CFM comes from if it exists, but I don't have a good way of testing such a specification. The blades are nearly identical but not exact.
    • You will need to cut a substantial amount of black thermal tape connecting the fan to the copper housing. I replaced this with foil HVAC thermal tape as I have done in the past.
    • In pursuit of a quieter experience, I have lost about 25w of CPU heat dissipation at full speed (hitting 100c now at 175w instead of 200w.) This is even after repasting the CPU and GPU with NT-H2. The GPU appears unaffected, though it was already ridiculously cool to begin with.
    • Unless you are also particularly bothered by the Sunon sound, I do not recommend doing this. In fact, the performance delta between the Sunon and Delta fan might suggest the R2 fans could be an upgrade for people with the R1.
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2020
  24. aeffect

    aeffect Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    7
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Sign into Dell, Click Order Status (below Profile/Account), click your [Hyperlinked] order number (Once status is Shipped, or possibly even Confirmed), click View Packaging Slip, copy/paste Service Tag into Dell's Search, click View System Config, expand Storage drop-down, google search the description code(s) to get a hit on the mfg/model.
    (Unfortunately, I got the Toshiba XG6, instead of a Samsung EVO or PRO o_O.)

    Otherwise, if your anticipated date is far out, Tech Support might know, if the Class was labeled (but, I think they stopped showing drive classes/tiers). Good luck!

    - ae
     
    Vasudev and BladeBook like this.
  25. tmarshallg

    tmarshallg Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Sorry for my ignorance. I'm new to gaming laptops, is voltage offset what you guys are using to undervolt?
     
    jclausius likes this.
  26. Spartan@HIDevolution

    Spartan@HIDevolution Company Representative

    Reputations:
    39,567
    Messages:
    23,559
    Likes Received:
    36,825
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Yes
     
    jclausius likes this.
  27. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
    Thats correct, the Alienware Command Control Center (AWCC) allows you to undervolt by upto -100mv, resulting in generally a significantly cooler and more optimal performance. You can use other software such as Intel extreme tuning utility to go further, some reaching upto -130mv, however the stability varies and performance can be adversely affected. Regardless the R2 thermals are great it seems so far so the necessity for undervolting is less than it has been (though still i'd say recommended by most) by comparison to say the 8950HK in the AW 17 R5.
     
    DreDre and Spartan@HIDevolution like this.
  28. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
  29. tmarshallg

    tmarshallg Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Thanks guys. I appreciate it.
     
  30. G46VW

    G46VW Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    142
    Messages:
    286
    Likes Received:
    217
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Is there anyone out there that has the I7-10700 with 2080 super that can give us some thermal performance numbers? With max fans, while gaming, undervolted vs non undervolt etc...Id like to have an idea of the temperatures that can be achieved compared to my R1 9700. As this is a gaming laptop, when I get my next Area51m, well Im trying to talk my self into getting the full 10 core CPU but I live and die by thermals as we all do if you do any substantial gaming on any laptop. If the 10700 cools drastically better with the vapor chamber there would be no point in trying to push 10 core. Kind of like set it and forget it. I know it was posted some where but which models of the R2 dont get the vapor chamber?
    Also does Throttlestop work with the R2? Thanks guys.
     
  31. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Yes, no problems thus far.
     
  32. Rufaro

    Rufaro Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    So...I have had my laptop for maybe 2ish weeks? I am noticing a very annoying audible noise. It sounds like an old hard drive loading and its quieter and louder in different games. It only comes when I am gaming. It kinda sounds like a fan blade brushing against something soft? I dont really know exactly how to explain it. My daughter says it sounds like a shower is running in the background. All I know is that it is very annoying.
    Does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be or how I can fix it? Should I ask Dell about it?

    Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2020
  33. Clamibot

    Clamibot Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    645
    Messages:
    1,130
    Likes Received:
    1,559
    Trophy Points:
    181
    I believe what you are describing is coil whine.

    Electronics can produce audible noise during operation at high power draws. In the case of gaming, it's normally the GPU that produces the noise. Both my desktop and laptop emit a soft, high pitched noise from their graphics cards when gaming. This is normal and is not indicative of a problem. Normally the coil whine is drowned out by the loudness of my laptop's fans unless I put my ear right in top of the keyboard. However if the coil whine is really loud, like the sound of a junebug's wings, it may be a bad quality part that should be swapped immediately.

    If the latter is the case, I'd recommend reaching out to dell support to swap the GPU.

    If the former is the case and you'd like to mostly eliminate the coil whine, I've found that turning on Vsync in games helps lower the noise.
     
    jc_denton likes this.
  34. G46VW

    G46VW Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    142
    Messages:
    286
    Likes Received:
    217
    Trophy Points:
    56
    No crap, the chicklet keyboard is just that, a stupid chicklet keyboard. They're everywhere, I dont see where the hell this dude is getting off telling us all that this POS chicklet keyboard is some how better then all the other crap chicklet keyboards that are out there and that it is better then the R1's. I love the R1 keyboard, they should have left it in for the R2...What else needs to be said?

    Thanks for the review, very informative.
     
  35. Rufaro

    Rufaro Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Thanks for the reply. I am pretty sure that this is what it is, but I am now able to hear the noise (faintly) when I move my mouse around as well...
    I'll have to let Dell know I think, I've owned a Alienware 17 r5 for 3 years and I've never heard it make a noise like this.
     
  36. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Fwiw, all 3 of the R1 machines and the R2 I have used exhibit quite a bit of coil whine. Most manufactures have this problem to some degree. It definitely bugs me too but there isn't a great resolution.
     
  37. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    1,506
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Noise cancelling headphones. :D

    Also i don't get all the hate for chiclet keyboards? They work well enough and seem to be more durable than the normal island ones in my experience.
     
  38. Rufaro

    Rufaro Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Bummer. I guess I can just deal with it. I am a little concerned I could get one that's even worse...
    I dunno, it just sucks i spent a good chunk of money on a beautiful machine (best looking and most powerful computer I've ever owned), that sometimes scratches a chalkboard.
    I wish there was a fix.
     
  39. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
    No harm in highlighting and requesting a service or even replacement. If anything it will better inform you of any support they may offer and Dell of this issue. Also can be used at least as a possible aggravating factor towards any further support requests you may have.

    Tbh in my opinion at least ive found Dell and very much Alienware support very good and willing to try and remedy any customer concerns. Another way of looking at it is why should you be unhappy with a system you spent so much on with a problem others like myself don't seem to have?
     
  40. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    1,506
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Yeah my comment was tongue in cheek I've seen others have had their machine swapped on reddit for cases of really bad coil whine. Luckily both my units only really have a slight amount at very low fan rpm speeds.
     
    normand668 likes this.
  41. Hypertora

    Hypertora Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    8
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Finished with my delidding and repasting today. Repasted with Gelid GC extreme paste and thermal pads replaced with Gelid Gp Extreme/Ultimate. Initial benchmarking below. Idle around 34-40 celsius (fans on).

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2020
  42. alaskajoel

    alaskajoel Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,088
    Messages:
    1,031
    Likes Received:
    964
    Trophy Points:
    131
    For anyone interested in AGA performance on this model, it is as expected. These results are with an i7-10700k and an EVGA 2080ti XC Ultra in the AGA. I'm struggling to get Nvidia provided drivers stable for both dGPU and AGA GPU at the same time so these results are using the Dell Nvidia drivers.

    Time Spy: 14328
    https://www.3dmark.com/3dm/49660963?

    Fire Strike: 28165
    https://www.3dmark.com/3dm/49661058?
     
  43. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
    Nice, im glad it worked out. Presumably those scores are at stock? Have you also noticed any improvement from before?

    I may be lucky but my idle and benchmark temps are roughly the same with stock thermal paste and pads. Though ofc components will vary naturally and environmental factors etc will have an impact. Im also thinking the improved R2 thermals generally have positively reduced the gains we may achieve compared to other systems.

    I'm still in two minds whether to go to the trouble of repasting, new pads and delidding. Regardless great to see it done again successfully and really appreciate the info.

    Anyone have any thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2020
  44. Superbibi56

    Superbibi56 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Hi,

    I just received my R2 but I have a little problem with the Geforce drivers.
    The latest from Dell are the 451.55 whereas the one from Nvidia is the 452.06
    I launched Horizon Zero Dawn and an error appeared at launch saying the driver is outdated.
    The game runs but there are a few glitches (Nvidia said that its latest driver corrected these problems).

    So, I'd like to know, is it safe to install the drivers from Nvidia?
    Which driver do i have to pick up, the notebook or desktop one (I have the 2080 super)?
    How often Dell updates its GC drivers?

    Thanks.
     
  45. normand668

    normand668 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    80
    Likes Received:
    112
    Trophy Points:
    41
    [/QUOTE]
    I feel your pain, I'm a huge fan of HZD and been awaiting a decent patch to allow me to replay it on PC with at least better optimisation, even though I have been one of the lucky ones with little to no bugs or crashes (its an absolute cluster for many I appreciate). I've been tracking, bench marking and testing the patches amongst other tweaks and mods for HZD and found that the Nvidia drivers from their site have been better than the older ones Dell currently provides. This is usually the case for most games, though there are cases sometimes where games or software may have a negative impact and its recommended to revert to an earlier driver. This is not very often and over the years I've generally always found and recommend you use the drivers provided by Nvidia direct, either through manual download, its Geforce Experience app or even via (recommended) occasionally searching online for a "hotfix" driver that precedes a WHQL certified major release.

    HZD however currently has numerous problems across multiple types of hardware that are almost certainly attributed to many problems on Guerrilla Games PC port, not necessarily due to the driver, though also its not helped that even the most recent driver has not stated its game ready for HZD (yet Geforce Experience does support it for auto optimisation - which btw is usually ****e).

    Anyway, i recommend the laptop drivers direct from Nvidia and though i'm unsure to exactly how often Dell update the ones they provide, they are in the end just older regular Nvidia drivers. Main thing is HZD is likely going to have significant issues regardless so i recommend you wait out and play something else for the next couple weeks at least whilst a couple new patches are released and feedback provided.

    As a quick pointer i recommend also the following guide if not already seen that I've found helps with HZD.

    https://gameplay.tips/guides/8263-horizon-zero-dawn.html
     
  46. Hypertora

    Hypertora Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    8
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    19
    Trophy Points:
    6
    The scores are using ACC to OC to 5.4Ghz, with between 75-100mv Undervolt. 100mv wasn't quite stable at that frequency with some of the benchmarks. I did attempt 5.5Ghz which tested fine in the control centre but proved unstable before I got round to any benchmarks, though I'm yet to test it with less of an undervolt at that frequency.

    Certainly, the lower end of the idle temperature has improved greatly. If I force it to have the fans on at idle then I can get the cpu down to 32 degrees celsius. I did some quick timespy scores before repaste and delidding at stock clocks and the temps seem not that far off what I got post changes with the extra .4 Ghz overclock. There's some standard GPU overclock profiles but I had trouble getting them to be stable at much past the default overclock on them so I usually have it switched off in gaming as planet coaster was crashing with the default GPU overclock after 10-20 mins gameplay. No issues with it off though.

    I did try and liquid metal the GPU but reverted to Gelid paste as I couldn't get good enough contact between it and the heat sync and didn't want to overload it with liquid metal encase of spillage. Not sure if this is because of my thermal pad replacement. This was my first time delidding so was an interesting experience. I used conformal coating on the top of the cpu encase of overflow. I also got the 2 part thermal paste cleaner, which was great when I realised there conformal coating spilt over and coated the underside of the CPU! Luckily came off easy with the cleaner.

    The stock thermals are pretty good as they are though. Re-pasting is easy enough, but delidding takes a bit more time and effort.
     
    DreDre and normand668 like this.
  47. Mr. Fox

    Mr. Fox BGA Filth-Hating Elitist

    Reputations:
    37,213
    Messages:
    39,333
    Likes Received:
    70,624
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2020
    ssj92, DreDre, normand668 and 3 others like this.
  48. ratchetnclank

    ratchetnclank Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    1,506
    Likes Received:
    898
    Trophy Points:
    131
    My timespy cpu score is higher than the alienware also stock. Graphics is higher than mine though.
    https://www.3dmark.com/spy/13230474

    And i'm sure spartans binned one out-performed mine by quite a bit.

    Looking at those CPU's neither of them turboed to 5.3ghz at all and are limited to 4.8ghz?
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2020
  49. jc_denton

    jc_denton BGA? What a shame.

    Reputations:
    10,923
    Messages:
    3,036
    Likes Received:
    5,781
    Trophy Points:
    581
    CPU score higher than both of them? It's higher than the other R2 however, X170 is 14361 against your 13375.
    It's just a bit of friendly competition. I'd like to see how they both stack up in R20 and respectable temps.

    Edit: I think baseline was to test all core boost at 4.8Ghz for performance/temps, before going further.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2020
  50. Mr. Fox

    Mr. Fox BGA Filth-Hating Elitist

    Reputations:
    37,213
    Messages:
    39,333
    Likes Received:
    70,624
    Trophy Points:
    931
    Having one or two cores boost up to 5.3GHz can be misleading and it doesn't provide a tangible benefit unless you are using a program that uses only one or two threads. Depending on how you have the power management configured, you may never see that per core max because the all-core boost will take over. If you are running a benchmark that fully utilizes the CPU the all-core turbo clock is the only one that matters and that is the clock speed that should be captured to give an accurate understanding of the results. Otherwise it would appear that the one running 5.3GHz (even though it wasn't) is not performing correctly.
     
    jc_denton, normand668 and raz8020 like this.
← Previous pageNext page →