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

Yeh unfortunately Dell is one of the very few brand that you can buy direct and configure since you can only buy from reseller rather than direct for most other brands like Asus, Aorus and MSI.

Once I get my refund for the R2, I'm probably gonna get the new MSI 240hz 1440p after comparing it with the new Asus and Aorus.

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/GE76-Raider-11UX/Specification

https://www.aorus.com/laptops/AORUS-17X--Intel-11th-Gen/Specification

https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/2021-rog-zephyrus-s17-series/spec

Since the trend for all the brands now are all about who can make the thinnest gaming laptop, these are pretty much the only choice we got when buying a new gaming laptop at the moment.

 

Though I agree The GE76 is a nice laptop I stand by what I said before. November is going to be a huge month for laptop users and those of us who are willing to spend a bit more for the best in the space.

 

What's getting released in November?

 

Desktop replacements seem to be a dead category.

 

If you with the time find used MB for the R1, all you'll get is a ticking bomb.

Clevo X170 is the only remaining DTR. And it support 4 ram sticks.

Have you some links to backup your statements?

 

This is the only thing I know about November which 12th gen launch is rumored for November.

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/7927...e-launch-in-november-pcie-5-0-ddr5/index.html

 

I just bought an Area 51M R2 (scratch & dent) from the Dell Outlet store. I wanted a desktop replacement, and I use my machine for both work and personal purposes, but do need to take it into the office and to clients on occasion. As the only real difference between a powerful development system and a powerful gaming system is a GPU, I've favored Alienware, because the Alienware Graphics Amplifier (AGA) affords almost desktop-level performance; there is minimal performance loss.

Dell has EOL'd the AGA (sadly), and so I wanted the strongest system available that's still compatible with the AGA to carry me 2+ years. My presumption is that Alder Lake and the next Ryzen will move to DDR5, but the first incarnations of it are going to be slow (CL) and expensive, so I'm not sure how much of a benefit it'll really afford.

I was able to find a 10700K with 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB (Dell) NVMe and an RX 5700M for $1750. I bought a 10900K and 64 GB of Crucial Ballistix RAM (3200, but the 51M R2 only recognizes XMP1, so it runs at 2933.) I'm OK with that, as the memory is CL16, and slower at 3200 anyway.

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with performance—3DMark (Time Spy) is average ~13.2k, with a 6900 XT in the AGA hovering between ~18.5 and 19.5k, for an overall score around ~17k.

---

Perhaps more importantly, I know there's been a lot of headache in getting the AGA to work with newer GPUs (RTX 3000 and RX 6000); a lot of people have found resolution with Nvidia GPUs by using the latest drivers from Nvidia, which solved the resource conflict issue they were having. However, some are still having problems with "Code 12" and "Code 31" issues, where they connect the AGA but their GPU isn't showing up in the Device Manager—they see a device error for a PCI(e) Device (Root Complex) or for the GPU itself.

I had the same problem (Code 12) with the Area 51M R2 I just bought.

In trying to find resolution, I found this: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/tr...nt/error-attach-pci-express-expansion-chassis

In my instance, 200 fixes the Device Manager issues. Notably, here are the steps I followed to fix it:

1. Connect the AGA with the GPU inserted and power on (as normal), encountering the error state (Code 12 or 31 in Device Manager)
2. Open the Registry (via RegEdit.exe) and make the change cited in the article linked above, again using 200
3. Reboot
4. Upon reloading Windows, the Device Manager had detected my 6900 XT, but had a new device present which required drivers—either run Windows Updates or install the latest Intel chipset drivers via their Chipset INF package
5. Reboot
6. Voila, the PCIe Root Complex bridge(s) are enumerated properly, as is the 6900 XT, and working properly.

I asked another user with a different model (M17 R4) to follow the same steps to help resolve the same issue, which he followed here: https://github.com/Shidell/OpenCaldera/issues/6 with success.

Between this change (and Nvidia's updated drivers), I believe all GPUs are compatible with all models of Alienware systems with AGA ports now, and I've reached out to others on reddit who expressed issues here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/...xploring_adding_unofficial/gy4vb14/?context=3 to try to (hopefully) help them (and see how many people these fixes will work for.)

@Justin Stuever , I wish I would've discovered this earlier to help you with your system.

---

Perhaps even more interestingly, I've been investigating Resizable BAR on Alienware systems (as the newer M15/M17 R4 models support rBAR after a mainboard firmware update, a dGPU firmware update, and updated drivers from Nvidia.) I updated to the latest version of GPU-z and was inspecting my 6900 XT (in the AGA), and was surprised to see that GPU-z was indicating that Resizable BAR was enabled.

Surely it must be a bug, as my 6900 XT does not have a "Large Memory Range" value in the Resources section of the Device Manager, which is the standard method of checking for rBAR.

So, I sent a bug report to W1zzard @ TechPowerUp (the admin and developer behind GPU-Z), and after a dozen or so email exchanges, including many screenshots and registry excerpts, he is confident that the Area 51M R2, on firmware version 1.7.0, is supporting rBAR to the 6900 XT in the AGA. We emailed back and forth a bit as I remarked that Alienware has no option for rBAR in the firmware; there is no "Above 4G Decoding" or the like change, and of course, the Device Manager isn't implying a "Large Memory Range." Interestingly, he said it's not presenting in the "expected" way, but he is confident, at least at this point in time, that is enabled and working, and he gave me permission to quote him as saying such. (Note that he did say that he's not infallible, and could be wrong, but based on everything so far, he believes it is enabled.)

I plan to do more research on rBAR, including looking for tests I can use to confirm. I might look for specific (new) Win32 APIs, if any exist. Maybe there's something in DirectX I can use to check programmatically as well. At the current time, I don't believe AMD has an indicator for whether or not SAM (rBAR) is enabled.

 

Be careful to avoid talking too much about this because it might be accidental. If Dell was planning on holding back this feature as a dangling carrot to sell their next-generation system to people that think they can't live without it, then they might intentionally break that functionality with a firmware update. They are very deliberate about using firmware restrictions as leverage to get people to purchase a new laptop they literally do not need apart from the withholding of fully compatible features through firmware manipulation.

 

Don't know if this is crossing any TOS lines but thought I'd make a second reference to a Dell Interposer board I just posted in the market place forum ... it allows the installation of two additional m.2 drives in the 2.5" drive bay of the Area51m R2 (will not work with R1) ... I found one local well before this arrived from overseas so posting it about...

I'll be including a print out of the installation instructions from the Dell website. There's also a link to the same at the below market place post...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/fs-area51m-r2-2-5-inch-bay-dual-m-2-nvme-expansion.836020/

...

 

how you did to install a crucial ballistix ram in your r2 mine works only at 2600mhz?

 

Mine runs at 2600 MHz stock; I have to expand the "Performance" section of the firmware menu and enable "Overclocking", where you can then select XMP profiles, and when I do so, I see "XMP1", and that runs at 2933 MHz.

 

it's weird when i put the xmp1 profile my pc doesn't start anymore and an error message appears secure boot invalid! after I have to put back the original ram to restart the pc! I had thought that the xmp profile was not compatible since it works at more than 1.20v! did you activate or deactivate something in the bios?

 

I've read about some oddities with the 51m R2 and how it validates RAM (early on in this post.) The memory that it came with from Dell is DDR4-3200, but only runs at 2933 (non-XMP), which is odd. Dell is sending new RAM that should be here tomorrow (which should run at the full 3200), and so I'll try it and run some tests and respond here.

 

Strange Brigade gameplay
Ultra everything @ 2560x1440
------------------------------------------
Area 51m R2
10700K @ 5ghz (static all cores)
RTX2070 Super +150 core / +100 memory
External monitor via displayport @ 1440p/144hz

Pretty nice game I'd never heard of until just a few days ago ... $50.00 on Steam ... but you can sneak it for $5.00 at CDKeys.com LOL ... was to good to pass up ... and super well optimized; runs like a dream on the A51m R2...

Watch full screen with the 1440p option enabled for clear view of stats. Machine hardly ever gets out of the 60C's ..



...

I am only the messenger.

 

in general games like strange brigade require few resources! open world and fps require the most resources especially if you play online (rdr2, battlefield 5, watchdogs legion, etc ...)
the most beautiful game level graphics for the moment its still remains rdr2 game dating from 2019 but still number 1

 

Hey there, I've an opportunity to acquire one of these machines (51m r2) And I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on it. I'm not as into AAA games as I once was but I do find myself still in need of a mobile PC with large amounts of power.

So of course a gaming laptop fits that description, I haven't been in the market for one since mid-2016 and everything has changed so much now that I've been looking. Most systems seem to be heading towards "thin and light" builds with difficult-to-service parts, no storage options beyond two M.2 slots and dubious thermals.

I was under the impression that gaming laptop were still stocky, well-built beasts with ample room to move air. Now I find myself disappointed by the majority of them. The A15m r2 fits what I'm looking for in theory. But I have some questions I can only ask actual owners of the system:


-What is the typing experience like? I'd be using the built-in keyboard for occasional gaming and lots of typing as I'm an author. Have read the key travel is very nice but I've noticed the "chin" of the laptop is raised up by it's own thickness and the feet. Is there an ergonomic issue with the wrist rest being higher than the average laptop?

-What is the software experience like? Do these things have much bloatware or forced updaters installed out of the box? I've never owned a Dell system before.

-Should I go for a Dell officially refurbished unit? It'd save me a little but I'm unsure what kind of quality I'll actually receive.

-What can I expect from the dual power supply? Can I boot and run on the larger one with reduced performance?

-By default if I order with no 2.5" drive will I receive mounting equipment?

Thanks for any input in advance, I apologize if this is the incorrect spot to ask about a system I don't actually own yet.

 

@velkar

What's your full use case? You indicated that you aren't as into AAA gaming as you once were (but... you still are?), and that you are an author, but that you need high performance? ...I would assume you need some degree of portability, though, as you want a laptop—and how much graphics power do you need? Do you need the Alienware Graphics Amplifier (external GPU enclosure?)

The Area 51M R2 is, bar none, Alienware's most powerful laptop (right now.) Because of shortages, you cannot order one with the highest-end Intel i9 10900K, but you can order one with a 10700K (which might be sufficient for your needs). Personally, I bought a 10700K from the Dell Outlet and installed a 10900K personally, which is an option for you, depending on how much power you really want or need.

The keyboard on the 51MR2 is good, I don't mind typing on it, but Alienware's newest laptops include Cherry MX switches, which are supposedly a delight to use. That's anecdotal based on a few reviews I've read (and one I watched, by LTT.) As an author, I think that should probably weigh heavily in your decision... unless you're going to be docking this at home and using a separate monitor and peripherals.

You can run without using both PSUs; the 330w is sufficient, at somewhat reduced overall performance (obviously.)

If you order a unit from the Dell Outlet, you will probably receive a 2.5" bay as opposed to the dual NVMe interposer. I ordered an interposer via eBay two days ago for $80 shipped. Dell informed me that they do not have any in stock (via their Parts department over the phone), again, as of two days ago.

Without knowing more, I would encourage you to start by looking at the Alienware Ryzen model. You lose the AGA port, which you may not care about (and it's discontinued, but I digress), but you gain Cherry MX keyboard option, the Ryzen CPU is extremely performant and efficient, and the 3070 is a solid GPU that can extend it's capability with DLSS. All that and it maintains a high degree of portability, especially in comparison to a 51MR2.

 

The Ryzen model does catch my eye but it seems to be using the same flipped Mobo as the M15 and M17, which seems like it hinders user serviceability a bit. That and I haven't seen any information on what it's thermals are like. (At least RAM isn't soldered anymore)

As for use case I probably should've clarified that while I'm not interested in most AAA games out at the moment there are upcoming titles I'm interested in and would like to future-proof for. At the moment I mainly play simulators, heavily modded older titles and indie games. The games I play rely more on scripting and CPU than graphics output. So the AGA isn't a requirement.

 

I've conducted some experiments with RAM now that Dell's replacement memory has arrived, and I hope you (and others) will find this useful.

Forewarning, I have to explain what I discovered in-order, and so it's a little verbose, but necessary for context relevant to what I discovered.

All results from an Alienware Area-51M R2 with firmware 1.7.0.

The memory I received from the Dell Outlet, preinstalled in my 51MR2:

SK Hynix 8GB 1Rx8 PC4-3200AA-SA2-11
HMA81GS6DJR8N-XN N0 AC 2027

• No XMP settings exposed in the firmware, only "Disabled"
• Runs at 2933 MHz despite being listed as 3200 MHz memory and not having any XMP profile visible or set

​

The memory I bought independently via Amazon:

Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4 DRAM Laptop Gaming Memory Kit 64GB (32GBx2) CL16
BL2K32G32C16S4B

• Exposes XMP1 via the firmware menu
• Runs at 2933 MHz (faster timings) and 3200 MHz (slightly slower timings), see notes below

​

The memory Dell sent me to replace the original RAM that was preinstalled:

Kingston 8GB 1Rx8 XMP4-3200-SA2-11
9995700-004.A00G 8930021-2041
XX60FT-MIE T20413BBY0

• Exposes XMP1 and XMP2 via the firmware menu
• XMP1 and XMP2 both run at 3200 MHz, with XMP2 having better timings than XMP1

​

Results:

When I received the laptop, the preinstalled memory ran at 2933 MHz, despite being listed as 3200 MHz, and exposing no XMP profiles in the firmware. I ordered Crucial Ballistix memory and contacted Dell Support, who shipped me replacement memory.

I received the Crucial Ballistix memory and installed it first, where it exposed an XMP1 profile. When activated, Windows (Alienware Command Center and XTU) indicated it was running at 2933 MHz, with fast timings (CL15). This is strange, because the XMP1 profile for this memory should be 3200 MHz. Presumably, 2933 MHz is a fallback?

I then received the Kingston replacement RAM from Dell and installed it, and it exposed XMP1 and XMP2 profiles. I activated XMP2, and Windows indicated it was running at 3200 MHz.

I then re-installed the Crucial Ballistix, and set the firmware profile back to XMP1 (it changed itself to Disabled, presumably upon detecting new memory was installed.) Interestingly, Windows was now reporting the Ballistix running at 3200 MHz, but with slightly slower timings (CL16 instead of CL15 @ 2933 MHz.)

Strange, right? One appreciable difference is that upon changing memory, sometimes the laptop takes much longer to boot—even to the POST screen, where you can press F2 to enter the BIOS, or F10 to select a different boot option—like 20 seconds, maybe even longer. So, presumably, during POST, the motherboard is reading memory profile(s) and making some kind of change(s) to the firmware regarding how it recognizes and accepts memory.

So, to test, I reinstalled the original SK Hynix memory, and then installed the Ballistix memory. Even at XMP1, the Ballistix memory was now running at 2933 MHz once again. I looked for OC options in the AWCC as well as in XTU, to see if either exposed additional XMP profile information or other options I could configure. I was wondering if perhaps I could set it to run at 3200 MHz without apparently needing to first install the Kingston RAM for whatever difference it makes to the motherboard. I couldn't find any additional XMP profile information or method of changing or setting the speeds; AWCC didn't expose any OC information (for the memory) and XTU only showed XMP1 as if 2933 MHz was normal.

And so, I installed the Kingston memory, selected the XMP2 profile, confirmed 3200 MHz in Windows, and then swapped the Ballistix memory in, choosing XMP1 in the firmware, and here we are—Windows is reporting 3200 MHz once again.

I don't know why, but it sure appears that the Kingston memory made some appreciable difference to the firmware, and definitely impacts how it recognizes XMP1 on the Ballistix memory.

I need more time to test in general; I want to confirm that the system is "stable", I've only had it like this for less than a day.

Here are the memory timing values from each state:

SK Hynix (Original memory, XMP Disabled (No XMP profiles available)):

• Voltage 1.20
• tCL 21
• tRCD 21
• tRP 21
• tRAS 47

Crucial Ballistix XMP1 @ 2933 MHz:

• Voltage 1.20
• tCL 15
• tRCD 17
• tRP 17
• tRAS 33

Kingston (Dell's replacement memory @ XMP2):

• Voltage 1.20
• tCL 22
• tRCD 22
• tRP 22
• tRAS 52

Crucial Ballistix XMP1 @ 3200 MHz

• Voltage 1.20
• tCL 16
• tRCD 18
• tRP 18
• tRAS 36

There has been a lot of discussion about memory and Dell potentially locking-out certain motherboards via firmware and/or based on the model ordered. This is definitely interesting behavior, as it appears that mine was "locked" at 2933 MHz until using the Kingston memory, which "unlocked" 3200 MHz.

I don't know what to make of the behavior I'm seeing. Welcome any thoughts.

Hope this helps, @Asdesas

 

@velkar An inverted motherboard does hinder service, but service is generally pretty infrequent, and I don't really consider the extra time necessary to extract an inverted motherboard to be a huge deal. I do recognize that it's a PITA and would prefer it not be inverted, but it's not a dealbreaker (imo).

I think it really comes down to how much power you need. The Ryzen CPUs are pretty powerful (for 45w); but if you think you need more, then the 51MR2 with a 10700K or 10900K will give you more. I think it becomes a trade in portability and the Cherry MX keyboard, for you personally.

 

@Justin Shidell

Yeah I'm no stranger to opening laptops and replacing thermal paste and such but never dealt with one that had an inverted Mobo, not sure exactly how concerned with it I should be. Otherwise it looks like a good laptop.

 

thanks for the info i will retest my crucial balistic rams, if it works for you i think it should work for me

 

Regarding this talk of XMP profiles and what not, are the firmware settings that you speak of in the system bios? I'd like to look into some of these settings myself as my RAM has an XMP profile of 3200mhz, according to CPU-Z but it's running at 2667mhz ... and just checked my purchase receipt and my system shipped with 32gb of 3200mhz of ram so would like to know how to access the firmware/performance menu ... thanks ..

 

Nevermind the above, figured it out ... enabled "overclocking" in bios and then saw the XMP1 setting; selected this and it did indeed bring the RAM up to 3200mhz but the timings are just stupid ... 21 21 21 44 ... that's insanely slow timings ... is it just the crappy Dell memory? Will have to run some Aida64 memory benches to see if the slower ram speeds with better timings are better than 3200mhz with 21/44 ...

Wonder if Dell could supply different 3200mhz RAM with better timings? 21/44 tis the suxor man...

 

@velkar

The A51mR2 keyboard is decent for an "island/chicklet" style keyboard; honestly, I was very upset that the A51mR2 did not come with the traditional, flush style Tactx keyboard that has shipped with most of AW's high end gaming laptops, including the A51mR1. My AW R4 17 has the traditional flush mounted (non island) keyboard and it's been the best typing experience I've ever had on a laptop, seriously nice to work with. The A51mR1 also has this same flush style keyboard and that's what I was expecting with my A51mR2 but alas they went with the typical island/chicklet style keyboard which, though better than most of such styled keyboards, is still no match for the traditional, flush style AW keyboard. But I've gotten used to it and it's still a better keyboard than most gaming laptops, good travel, nice firm response ... here's a visual comparison of the traditional AW flush keyboard versus the island key style on the R2:

AW51R2 / chicklet style keys:


Area51mR1 / AW R4 17 Flush style keyboard (much better IMHO):

I personally think the bloatware issue that plagues so many vendor systems is not bad at all on the A51mR2, no trial virus programs, no trial office programs, etc.; and unlike many, I actually really like the Alienware Command Center software (AWCC). It's great to be able to configure individual fan speed settings and power settings for every game on my system and the fact that said games are all listed conveniently in the AWCC game library. I personally use Throttlestop to manage my AW51mR2 overclock (typically 5.0ghz or 5.1ghz daily usage) but AWCC also lets you manage your overclock quite handily and you can save many different overclock profiles. The fan control and profile managment in AWCC is also good in my opinion, although I use static fan speed settings (45% fan speed/55% fan speed/75% fan speed/100% fan speed/etc.) and simply save them as profiles as opposed to the utilization of fan speed curves.

I bought a "scratch and dent" AW51mR2 from the Dell Outlet during the spring sale week a few months back and was pleasantly surprised to see it inspected as a perfect, like new unit. Absolutely flawless cosmetically. Considering the sale week, I got a near $4000 machine, with 3 years Premium Support for a mere $2400. But from what I've read around the intrawebz, buying refurb/scratch and dent machines from the Dell Outlet generally results in a perfect machine cosmetically.

You can run from only the larger, 330w power supply just fine and many users online highly recommend it if your not too concerned with charging your battery quickly. The battery *will* charge using just the 330w power supply but very, very slowly. Here is a link to a very thorough analysis of using both power bricks versus using only the larger 330w or only the smaller 180w power brick. According to this writeup, using only the larger, 330w power brick equals 94% of the performance of using both power bricks, which, for me and other users is completely acceptable if it means not hauling around both and if you don't care about battery charging; I highly recommend reading the following Reddit post .. it's quite informative regarding the various power brick options: Area51m R2 - Single power brick vs Dual Power Brick performance analysis

If the machine ships with an empty 2.5" drive bay, it *will* include the mounting frame for a 2.5" drive but no screws. However, any new 2.5" drive you order will come with mounting screws so you'll be fine. Here's a pic showing my 2.5" stock drive bay, empty from the factory. You can clearly see it has the mounting frame for a 2.5" device. That's from when I repasted, check out that Dell factory toothpaste on the CPU LOL!:



BTW: instead of installing a single 2.5" drive in my empty bay, I bought this Sabrent dual m.2 RAID 0 adapter and am running two 1TB Samsung EVO m.2 drives NVME (SATAIII) drives which the AW51mR2 sees as a single 2TB SSD. Works very well. FWIW ... the 2.5" drive bay in the AW51mR2 is limited to being a single SATAIII interface so even though I'm running dual m.2 SATAIII drives in RAID0, the array still operates at ~500GBps speeds. You could also just install a 2.5" SATAIII SSD and see the exact same performance; I just happened to have those two 1TB m.2 drives laying about so the Sabrent adapter worked well:

Personally, I'm totally pleased with my A51mR2 purchased as "scratch and dent" from the Dell Outlet. Not too concerned about the "end of life" status of these machines. My AW R4 17 is 4 years old and I haven't had any issue getting parts from Dell (just had a new keyboard installed last week).

Hope all that helps...

 

For anyone thinking about repasting/tearing down their Area51m R2, save yourself a wee bit of time/trouble and don't unroute a few of the cables ... you can leave these three routed and simply fold back the plastic shield, allowing clear access to cooling assembly removal. Here's a vid I did when repasting a bit back (pardon the language LOL):

 

@s1rrah

Awesome write-up, thanks a lot. I love the old AW style of keyboard as well. The internals are interesting, only other laptop with a plastic "skeleton" covering I've seen is the older Alienware 17.

 

Exactly. To be clear, the Wi-FI card needs to be unscrew only, but leave the cable connected on the WI-FI card and the Toobi cable unplug form MB. Those 2 cables can stay on the plastic shield.

 

Do you still have this panel? Mind sharing the part number been trying to look for a replacement panel for my A51m R2.

 

The part number is b173han05.1

 

Once again confirmed by Dell Tech support. If you didn't have the money and spent it for the extended Premium warranty, you're pretty screwed with an Unrepairable laptop. And the upgradeable moniker is worthless!

Re: Area-51m R2 processor upgrade on Alienware. ‎05-19-2021

This was the real reason Dell stopped offer upgradeable graphics cards on their webpage for the Area-51m burning mess! They needed all parts for own repair. Same also for the Area-51m R2 refresh.


Their assertion in the promo video on the sales page is in short worthless!

 

I have the A51m R2 and indeed did purchase extended Premium warranty support through 2024. I'm sure they would have replacement 10700K's for a good while as that is such a common CPU so I'm not too concerned about that ... and I'm not interested in upgrading the grafx card as they are stupid expensive. So I'm just re padding everything with fujipoly thermal pads and hoping for the best. LOL ... should it ever not be fixable ... I'll simply ride them for the best replacement/alternate I can get ... my R4 17 has been solid as a rock for 4 years ... if I get that out of this A51mR2, I'll be stoked. As with the R4 17, I only use it at work, about 8 hours a day and mostly office duties with turbo disabled and running at 3.8ghz ... it might get about an hour of gaming every other day and at full 5.0ghz all-core overclock but that's about it ... idling at 35C at the moment ... so hopefully it lasts cuz it's just a beast and I love everything about it (just wish it had the old style keyboard like the R1's and my R4 17 came with) ... this chonk of a laptop runs neck and neck and sometimes faster than my 5.3ghz 8086K/1080ti desktop at home LOL ... and has Raytracing to boot which I've really come to enjoy ... been playing Metro Exodus Enhanced with max ray tracing and it's 70 to 100+ fps at both 1080p and 1440p with the A51mR2. Should it fail completely 2 years from now, perhaps they will have something better to replace it with?

 

BTW: has anybody delidded and lapped their 10700K CPU? I'm seriously considering doing it. Pretty sure this would void the warranty but I'd buy a temp replacement to install if warranty service became necessary. I've lapped Intel CPU's down so thin that you could see the rectangular outline of the CPU die through the IHS LOL ... next best thing to running direct die mount ... will post some before/after numbers once I do it ... studying how to remove the solder effectively at the moment ...

 

well this sucks, i was really hoping to go from a 1660ti to a 2080S...... i wish dell would pull their heads out of their asses and properly support a product.

 

Your Area-51m is equal upgradeable as their desktops. Nothing more or less. If we are nice and change the wording upgradeable to replaceable instead, this doesn't mean a squat if the OEM won't supply you with the needed parts. And this won't change. If you look at this video you'll know what I mean

 

that was really depressing to watch.

 

Pure and unadulterated garbage. As we already knew, everything they sell is crippled and proprietary, making it to where you cannot do something totally uncomplicated and ordinary, like upgrade their crappy mobo or CPU thermal solution with an aftermarket part that is something actually worth owning. Absolutely dishonest and totally unwarranted nonsense on their part. The only reason they would do this is to screw everyone that buys one. It says a lot of bad things about them as a company, and it shows how little value they place on their customers and how little intelligence they ascribe to gamers. Truly pathetic and deplorable.

 

I bought another second-hand processor and I made a delid by myself with the kit sold by rockit! and I keep the other cpu for the guarantee! Do not hide it the prices of parts are cheaper elsewhere than at Dell and I just ordered the 4k uhd 120hz screen that I will install in my area 51m r2 !

 

can you provide a link to the display? or the model number of it.

 

I order it on this site
https://www.lcdfavor.com/collection...73zan03-3-laptop-lcd-matte-screen-replacement

 

the reference of the panels:
b173zan03.3 this is the 4k 120hz version

b173zan03.2 this is the 60hz version sold by dell

 

let us know how the install goes and how the display performs. i may consider upgrading myself if it works out for you.

 

I ordered it the screen is on the way! for more info there are people who install it on this post
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-area-51m-4k-120hz-display-upgrade.832479/

 

i hope you don't have to physically modify the eDP cable as the author of the post had to do.

 

the seller must have sent him a bad screen, another person ordered the screen and no modification of the edp cable is necessary! read the 8 pages and you will see

 

got my 51m r2 - really happy with it so far, however on battery I see some strage behavior... the GPU can pull 55w or so at max but the CPU gets capped at 7w... obviously 7w for the CPU makes the whole PC garbage to use as the CPU gets stuck at 800mhz most of the time.

Is this a bug/issue? what power draw do others see when running on battery?

My model is the 10700/2080s

 

Probably related with Windows Power Slider. Just make sure it's at high performance not the better battery side.

 

yeah checked that, was definitly on high performance, I have the GPU set to prefer maximum performance in the control panel. I will try to change this over.

In other news... I have an AGA here that I am attempting to get to work before deciding to pursue this option further however when connecting the AGA only the USB ports work, I cannot seem to get the GPU to actually show up in the device manager. Dell support are telling me that the Area 51m R2 does not support the AGA.

Any 51m R2 owner here used an AGA ?

 

I suppose the port on the back is just for show?

 

I am disguting by Dell's answer on spare parts .
The worst thing about this, is not only they don't sell spare parts on a just over one year old laptop!!!!!
But they won't sell you extended warranty for more then 4 years so eventually we will all end up searching the web for dell parts.

I am the exception because they sold me 2 extended warranty back to back but on my last system exchange they notcied their mistake and really pushed hard to cancel my extended warranty. I had to use all my charm to keep it active. Not everyone is has charming as i am .

Edit: At least Chris from Dell was nice enough to give the customer permission to search the web and on top of that he gave him the parts number he needed to search for. Great customer care. Can't beat that.