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

If you mean clearing the CMOS then yes that can force memory retraining. You can also force it by removing the RAM and replacing it with a single stick of something else with different speed and timings. Boot from that, then shut down and install the other modules.

 

Not quite: You see, when you boot a new AW laptop motherboard (either in a newly built laptop, or after a mobo replacement), on the first startup the BIOS comes up in this special "build mode", which has its own menu etc. Well, that would be a good place to "specify memory speed", i.e. lock max memory freq. Curious if anyone heard of a way to bring that special BIOS mode up, I am sure it would be interesting and revealing. Something to pay attention to if anyone is getting their mobo replaced onsite.

 

That also would make more sense to me.

 

Anyone notice that if you out the System to sleep and wake it up to game the performance is worse? Same gpu clocks, CPU clocks, and usage but lower frames in all games by about 30 percent. Then when I restart the system it’s perfect. It’s only if I put it to sleep and wake it up later to game.

 

Or... Dell could have a trash bin (MB that didn't survived QC for XMP/faster speed than Intel's specs). Just pick MB from the worse bucket for orders with lower specs. Important info as this can then be added in the Service Tag for own sake (tech support). When the trash bin bucket is empty, just use the good MB all over. No need to mark it as two different MB revisions. You ordered lower specs. Then you can't expect more than you got, afterwards. All roads lead to Rome

 

Hmm, yup. That sounds like something that these nitwits would do.

 

I have seen this happen on the R1, but it's very sporadic and I don't use sleep mode either. When it did happen I saw it after running on battery mode and going back to AC mode. It didn't happen every time and just like you a restart fixed it.

Like I said it's very sporadic and it does not always happen after running on battery, it's pretty random. For the most part I don't run on battery much so it does not cause me much grief. The once every few months it happens I just restart and the issue is gone. Ghost in the BIOS maybe. I am running 1.7.3 so maybe it's gone in newer versions, I don't know.

 

This happened with my R1 pretty frequently when I would plug it in from using it on battery. I can’t remember what I did in the bios to get rid of this, but like you mention a simple reboot fixes it. So if you get into the habit of turning off your pc when it’s unplugged you should rarely see it.

 

Has anyone played the new CoD on their 51m r2? This game chews up and hits the CPU hard. I usually see about 90w power usage from the CPU alone in big games but in this game I’m getting 120+ Watts. CPU temp spikes can be in the 90s after a little while of running this game. (10700k, 5ghz all core)

 

I have been playing it. Haven't checked CPU temps. Will monitor it the next time I do. GPU has been doing great for temps. 81C max I have seen in the 3 hours I played it continuously. I have a 10900k and 2080S.

 

yeah my overclocked 2070S hits 64C max, but the CPU is getting hammered hard in just normal team death match games. Not complaining, as I’m happy to see a game that uses 8 out of 16 threads at 100 percent. Also glad I have 32GB of ram as this game puts me at up to 16.3GB memory usage, another record when comparing to other “last gen” games

 

It seems that my CPU does indeed hit 99-100C once in a while during gameplay. But quickly goes back down to 90-95 after a few seconds. While doing that, it does 4.8GHz most of the time with occasional boosts to 4.9GHz

I logged data using HWInfo.

 

Hello everybody
i would ask somebody who possess the r2 version with the 2080super to share the vbios
I don't exactly know if it's possible to do, i have an hp omen 17 with intel 10885h and 2080 super, and i would like to flash the 200 watt vbios from the area51, like i did in my previous hp omen with the 2080.
Now if someone save his vbios from gpu-z and i try to flash it, will it work as did in the 2080 case?
Thanks

 

@etern4l @ratchetnclank @normand668 @Normimb @kylera

Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 working perfectly on my Area-51m R2

 

Greetings everyone! Those of you that have had your laptops now for 4-5 months, how are they holding up? Any problems/concerns?

I am strongly considering getting a system with the following specs, With the BF sales and a few stacking discounts I can pick it up with about a 28% discount from "list price":
i7 10700K; 2070S; 16GB 3200MHz (so I can *upgrade* to 32/64GB HyperX CL20 3200); 300Hz 1080 Panel; 1x 512 M.2 SSD (will add my own assuming I can find the heatsink, interposer board and cables)

I'm a casual gamer, do play some AA titles but nothing hardcore and also do some development work in Linux (usually in VMs). Not really much into OCing, delidding / pasting (though I can and have done it), benching, etc. Mostly I just want a system that performs to spec and lasts 3-4 years.

I previously had an Alienware 15 R3 that was solid as a rock for 4 years, until I had a touchpad button and keyboard problem and entered dell-support-hell. Sadly I agreed to let Dell "compensate" me by replacing it with a m15R3 and I have to say I agree with the "Jokebook" moniker. WTH were they thinking?! You have your choice of portable toaster or portable jet engine. Really hoping the Area 51m R2 can get me back to the performance and quality I had with the 15R3. Sadly at this price point and as lousy as Dell's service has gotten they're still looking like the best bad option.

Edit: Also can anyone confirm the nvme slots on the "interposer" board operate at full speed? I know I saw somewhere you can't raid one of the slots, which is fine more interested in if they are x4 or not.

Anyway would appreciate your thoughts,
Thanks!

 

Could you please share the vbios of your laptop Spartan?

 

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER VBIOS v90.04.96.00.9A

Make sure to right click on the file you just downloaded, go to Properties, then hit Unblock from the bottom right as it may be blocked since it was downloaded from the internet, if you don't do this before you flash it, you may brick your machine.

To prevent this automatic blocking of files in the future so you don't have to go unblocking every file you download to ensure it runs properly, follow the guide in this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/are-you-sure-you-want-to-run-this-file-yes-or-no.825668/

Disclaimer: I am not responsible if you brick your laptop

 

Thank you for the sharing Spartan
This didn't work anyway, bricked, or in any case nothing is anymore displayed, display totally off, I assume the GPU doesn't start anymore.
Could you please give me some advice about?

 

The Dell order dates are always wrong. I've ordered 2x 51m R2s in last 30 days. Both shipped within 4 days. Both had 30 day out delivery estimates.

 

10900k and 2080s I have a custom OC that I limit the cpu to 4.9ghz with a -80mv undervolt. Seeing low 70s on cpu and 60s on GPU after hours of play in new COD CW

 

Have r2 with lower spec and looking to do some upgrading this black friday, hope you guys can give some advices to which route i go. Thank you in advance!
10700, 16GB@2933, 256GBx2 RAID0, 1660Ti, 4K@60.
Use mainly for adobe apps (photoshop...), also has a S2719DGF monitor to make up the screen "slowness" with gaming.

1) Has two 180W bricks. I know i can upgrade to 10900 without changing anything else. What about 10900K; beside getting a 330W brick, does it use different cooling system also?
2) Decided on HypeX 32x2@3200 CL20; I look up the spec sheet and both 2933 and 3200 are on XMP profile. Will it still boot on mine even if its running at 2933? (plug and play)
3) Planning to buy Samsung 980Pro, even running at gen3 its still faster than evo plus. Any reason I should still use raid 0 beside just wanting a bigger singe storage for my boot drive?
4) I know thats the sole purpose of r3, but should i hold out for rocket lake and pray for a miracle from dell to upgrade the bios?

Much appreciate!

 

Has anyone here had success ordering the interposer board and cables for the extra 2 nvme slots?
The only thing I can find is this person on reddit claiming they were able to order (in the UK) https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/...ware_area_51m_r2_solidstate_drive_interposer/

seems ridiculous to blow $200 on 3x 512 drives I don't need just to get the slots. (no 3x 256 option on the us builds that I can see)

 

If you are wanting to run the 3200 XMP profile, many more knowledgeable than me here have stated you MUST purchase the system with 3200 memory. Rumor is either the motherboard is different or the bios is somehow locked out of the 3200 profile at the factory if you don't. In my case I plan to go with 16GB of the "Dell special" 3200 (a $49 upcharge) then replace with Hyperx myself.

If you're doing video editing (you mentioned Adobe apps, Premiere Pro?) then I'd look at the 10900 as the extra cores will benefit you greatly there. If you're just doing photoshop/graphics work and gaming, the 10700K would be my recommendation as it should run cooler (and very similar performance) with 2 less cores, and the extra cores aren't going to have a huge impact on photoshop or most games. If you're going to be gaming much I'd also suggest replacing the 1660Ti with a 2070/2080s if its within your budget.

I would not even waste a prayer on Alienware producing a bios update for rocket lake, it would cut into their R3 sales.

Since you already have an R2 and if it is working ok for you, I'd hold out a few months into next year when rocket lake, RTX 30x0 / rx 6000 mobiles will all be making their appearance.

 

Nope. called 4 times spent 4 hours plus. got the part numbers eventually and then was told they don't make the parts and I could only back order them and wait.

 

The build quality and performance of the A51m R2 is great, you won't be disappointed with it. You don't need to replace the paste/delid stock paste with an undervolt is fine. A 10700k should be easier to cool too.

 

I haven't had this for 5 months, but 1 month now. If you've done your research by now, you will have noticed a lot of complaints about AWCC. I bought this laptop knowing of this issue, but never realized it would be as annoying as it turned out to be. I have asked about it here to no avail, and frankly, I've just given up on it at this point, and deal with it when I absolutely need to.

Besides that, I don't really have much to say about the hardware. I'm like you in terms of usage minus the dev work, and the laptop tackles them with aplomb. The fan gets fired up when gaming, but that's to be expected. No slowdowns, no freezes (unless mismatched OC as in too much undervolt for too much overclocking was involved), no overheats.

If anyone asks me about the 51m, my recommendation will always be "recommended with reservation."

Edit: I want to clarify that the users here have been helpful with tackling AWCC issues. It's just that the solutions haven't worked for me unless I go nuclear and restore from the last good image.

 

OpenCL and OpenGL Compatibility Pack

 

I have the 10700 and RTX 2060 version, but my power bricks are 180w and 330w ones but I mostly use the 330w powerbrick. So far no issues and the temps are good even in hot weather.

 

Still boggles my mind that these panel makers are still making these gaming screens max out around 300 nits, which is dim and dull compared to today’s standards. I remember the TN panels on the Alienware 17s being 400 to 450 nits and being great. I just don’t get why the 300 and 360hz screens stick to the 300 nit range when many great displays today are 500 to 1200 nits

 

Had a question. Do people here prefer Intel XTU or Throttlestop for their undervolting. Also which has been more stable in the long run for people who do undervolt. I have used AWCC and have gotten too many BSODs to consider that as an option.

 

Does that matter as much if you're just gaming? It's not like most people will bring their gaming rigs to play outdoors during daylight.

 

I prefer dimmer screens. They're comfortable for me. I always use screens at their lowest brightness settings since that's normally the only level that's comfortable for me to look at.

1000 nits and over is eye searingly bright and I don't know why anyone would want such a panel. Even 300 nits is getting eye searingly bright to me.

As for sticking to the 300 nit range, it's probably for cost savings.

 

I agree with you as regards productivity/ SDR content. For me about 50% brightness on a 400 nits panel is about right, but happy to go lower on battery. Higher brightness comes into play with HDR, but HDR on IPS panels tends to be a sad joke anyway.

 

it does especially in a well lit room. Games that are darker also benefit from it. Plus take into fact that these panels backlights degrade over time and dim, you want some extra brightness on top of what you normally use.

 

I suppose I never really noticed since I've been lazy with replacing my now-dimming bulb in my room.

 

Ive managed to get the interposer board and cables for 72GBP. The problem is its not currently a part which they can officially sell. Atleast this is the UK perspective

 

1) Supposedly from what I have read the 10700 and 10900 models (like the 10700 I have) do not come with the vapor chamber heatsink/fan assembly.
2) IDK
3) Having RAID0 present itself as one large drive is a chief benefit. To me the main point is that: RAID0 is a fun toy. It sort of harkens back to when one might RAID0 two hard drives for games to lower load times. That is less of a practical need these days. I still think gaming book with RAID0 is a fun toy to have, so for me that justifies it. This is a personal preference and others will disagree.
I would still upgrade the memory or storage with larger capacity though. That is always worthwhile. I have have 32GB and 2x1TB RAID0 in mine.
4) I wouldn't count on upgrades like that from Dell (or Alienware) or much any laptop vendor. It is really best to just get the spec you want when you get it (from factory or 3rd party soon after) because upgrade promises are often either disappointing or don't exactly pan out - either in difficulty, trouble with firmware, or cost to benefit isn't there.

I tend to agree with quan74, they laid the CPU upgrades out for you. I think the 10700 (non-K) is pretty compelling chip. The boost clock is pretty up there (4.8GHz) while the base clock is pretty low (2.9GHz). So with a lower base clock (2.9GHz vs 3.8GHz for 10700K) will get you some great battery life and while having decent all around performance. I would look into the 2070S/2080S upgrades. The 2080S especially would be a very compelling upgrade for gaming, considering you would be coming from the 1660Ti. That would be where I would look.

Though if you do want to upgrade for whatever reason (want or need) it IS great that we have a platform (Area 51m R2) that does allow for socketed hardware and some limited upgrades.

 

Not 4-5 months but 2 months here! So far the AW Area 51m R2 is holding up great. You can find the SSD heatsinks fairly easy on ebay. I picked up a second one to use with my 2x1TB RAID0 that I picked up 3rd party (it came with a single 512GB from the factory). My usage case for the Alien Serenity is as a personal workstation (mainly programming) with some gaming. I feel I will get 3-4 years out of it easily.

 

I honestly agree. If I’m in my living room I like to have my shades open. So sun light can be an issue with the way I have it setup. I don’t think 400 nits would be out of the question to be a new standard of brightness. But most screens that are labeled as 300 nits are actually 350-370 nits. So most of time you are getting that extra brightness without really knowing it. It makes more sense for smaller laptops as they’re more likely to be moved around and be used I. Brighter settings that might make viewing the screen more difficult. Maybe there is some limitation to making them have a high refresh rate and being bright at the same time?

Really? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard this. Do you have special eye wear to protect your eyes? Only reason I ask is because I always wondered if those glasses for computer use help with eye strain or not.

 

Hi,
In my setup, I have 2x1To SSD in raid0 and 2 more 1To SSD non raid.

I made 2 partitions with the raid0, 500Gigs for the system and 1.5Gigs for games.
The other 2Gigs non raid are used for data and low demanding apps.

But i wonder if that's a good idea.

Having the system and some games on the same physical drives (the raid0), doesn't that make any bottleneck?

My question is, does it matter to have the systems and App/game on different physical drives or I don't have to care about.

 

did you sweet talk support into sending them to you?

reason I ask is I would really like to get a hold of them, lol.

 

I guess I was persistent. But also lucky because the tech advisor that I spoke to had dealt with a similar issue a couple of days back. They mentioned how currently the system doesn't show it as a saleable item hence the confusion. However they sent an invoice with the following description

 

nVIDIA Graphics Driver v27.21.14.5687

 

Isn't the latest one 27.21.14.5730? Atleast that's what my device manager is telling me! Bare in mind, I own the 2080 Super so I'm not too sure if your referring to a different GPU.

 

That's the latest form DELL not nVIDIA. Dell's drivers provide better performance in my testing. Think of nVIDIA Drivers as BETA Drivers. Yes they may say WHQL but they are very buggy since the last 3 years and the phrase "latest isn't always the greatest" applies here BIG time.

 

You had better luck than I did. I called in about 4 times and spent about 6 hours on the phone with the horrible/rude Dell Indians. It took 2 hours to finally get tech support to give me the part numbers. Then another 4 hours trying to get them to sell me the parts. No luck. I returned that laptop. They kept trying to give me money to keep it haha.

 

I feel your pain. However contacting customer care or even sales did not get me anywhere as they don't know how to send parts out imo. AW Tech Support is the one who sorted it for me!

 

FWIW, I'm a four-eyed glasses wearer. With each pair I get a "blue-light" blocking layer added. I sit in front of a PC about 10-12 hours a day, and I can say that my eyes rarely feel tired with the blue light coating on my glasses. But I also do things, like every couple of hours step away for a minute or two and try to look at something off in the distance.

HTH

 

I tried the Alienware tech support as well. As far as I can tell, all Alienware/Dell numbers in the US lead to useless Indians. It was Dell tech support that was finally able to find the part numbers. Oh well.

 

Got my Alienware 51m r2 this august for my birthday, but its the base model and i want to upgrade to at lest to a RTX 2070 or 2080. the one thing i would want to know is if the R1 GPU is compatible with the R2, cause im thinking about buying used RTX 2070 or 2080 of ebay