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

We should be grateful Clevo doesn't lock their BIOS. Without custom BIOS those systems would also be stuck.

Although technically we can run custom BIOS if someone replaces PCH. I just don't know how to do it myself

 

Even without the bootguard it would be difficult

 

There also seems to be a trend of under-engineering on power delivery on Alienware systems. Even if the BIOS was or could be unlocked, it's anyone's guess how it would handle it, or if it would be emasculated due to silly low power caps like the Alienware 18 suffered from. Might go up in smoke if they cut corners as they often seem to do.

 

Totally agree with you here. The Area-51m is a system not ment for the uninitiated. I haven't even been in the DTR game for many years and just reading a few pages of this thread tells me the situation that is going on here. This thread has been bashing this not for the past 50 pages, but the past 1000 pages, literally. Reading the same complaints over and over that are user fixable is annoying. Honestly Im a bit perplexed as I enjoy my system so much, it makes me wonder if people dont have the know how to solve minor issues or if there not spending any time at all and just bandwagging complaints what has already been a slaughtered dead horse for thousands of pages.

 

What an oddity it is that a few people are willing to defend the deception, insolence, and technical incompetence of a large corporation. It is difficult to fathom.

All of the things that make Alienware products undesirable to the truly tech-savvy performance enthusiasts, and much of what is complained about in this brand/model sub-form, are absolutely not user-fixable annoyances. Many are product defects with no remedy.

 

There's a difference between bashing and constructive criticism. I bet most people want these products to be good, but reality is that corporations only care about their bottom line, regardless of how they get there. @Mr. Fox has been around the block a few times with the DTRs through out the years, and has experienced the decline of AW and other brands, more so than others. He sees these DTRs through a lens with a critical eye, from an enthusiast perspective where performance is king.

It's cool that you enjoy your system, it should be enjoyed. But you should't dismiss others, who have a different experience with these machines than you.

 

Welcome to the internet, but it's probably the same few people bringing most of these posts around so as someone already suggested beforehand, if it bothers you, it takes only a few clicks to c/p a few names to the ignore list on your user's control panel.

 

Annoying? I guess opinions vary.

When the same or similar complaints are posted over and over, but by different people it signifies there's a deficiency in a product itself or possibly a problem in production. I appreciate people are willing to share their experiences. It a public service that lets others know there may be bumps in the road with a new purchase or if they already purchased (as in the case of the R1), what possible problems one should be on the lookout.

 

Incidentally, by following this advice, one would end up filtering out some of the most experienced, knowledgeable and insightful people on the forum.

 

Just pulled the trigger and ordered myself a Alienware area 51m R2 with the i9 10900K and RTX 2080 Super, 300hz 1080p panel 32GB 2933hz ram in lunar white.

Should be a massive upgrade from my old laptop in my signature. Can't wait.

 

+1

 

Finally! Someone gets it!

 

BIOS 1.1.0 released:

 

Now, does "enhanced the graphic thermal performance" mean they increased or decreased temp/tdp limit?

 

Knowing our friends at Dell it'll be a decrease to protect them and warranty claims.

 

Try it and let us know!!! LOL...

I know @Spartan is probably already tinkering with it...

 

I just realized that this is for the R2 lol!

 

- Enhanced the reliability of the system power state transition.
- Enhanced the graphic thermal performance.
- Enhanced the behavior of the Battery Hybrid Power.

So many power related changes at one time is amusing.

I wonder if the tech websites have already done their reviews of R2. Or if this massive change in bios only to make it ready for the editors on their preferred websites

 

What dell means when they say " Enhanced" means Throttled

 

Or call it temp cap It’s almost equal (when temp reach the cap you will see throttled in full flavor). Just try keeping your hardware temp below and you may avoid it halfway. One way to fix it is a less powerful Cpu. Same way R1 owners used 9700K to avoid what Dell implemented.

 

How does a deliberate act that requires such a significant amount of user effort as changing a memory module warrant a "warning message" and how is that message an "enhancement" that adds value? I don't get it.

 

I imagine it will be to do with the XMP profiles not being used.

You have an incorrect stick. Click here to buy ours.

 

By comparison with retail prices, their profit "margin" on RAM is in the ballpark of 200%. I could understand that a little if at that price it was the best memory on the market - it isn't!

Alienware: you don't get what you pay for. (R)

 

Ah crud. They nerfed it already?!

 

AW Battery boost is back with more intelligence. WOW!!! Its been 5yrs plus and they still aren't tired of Battery boost which will destroy battery in long run and warranty applies for battery for 1 yr only unless you pay more for 2 yr extra warranty especially for battery.

 

Have seen they removed the extended warranty on batteries after they implemented it in their web customization. Maybe they have come back with it. Don’t know. But they switch as it fits them. A sick tech adopted from MSI!

What I think... Let Power from battery offset and reduce burning problems from too high power draw from the AC power delivery inlet.

 

lel

 

Dell's configuration don't make sense. You can't choose 3200mh RAM for the 300hz FHD screen. 3200MHz. RAM is only for the 144hz FHD screen. Then if you go to the configuration which has the 300hz screen, it only has 2933 MHz RAM. I called them but the lady I spoke to said maybe it's not compatible. I'm like what does a screen have to do with the RAM speed? She said I don't know it might come later or it might not come at all

 

Like my interest in buying Dell...

 

You know it’s hard changing how they work? Can’t change course of a sinking ship. Everything is hard put in their soul. You’ll need several years bruh.

 

I work as a middle man between Dell and certain Enterprise environments. The logistical crapshoot they hand me every day of the week isnt worth my pay rate lol.

They make money off of me for literally doing nothing besides being a part of the contract, and there is nothing I can do about it.

They make too much money off of the enterprise to give a crap about enthusiast markets in any real sense.

Obviously, Im biased though.

 

I would like to use area51m r2 as a graphic workstation (8 hours at day), I design whit Solidworks complex metal structures, it doesn't matter that the geforce is not a certified card isv, Is a good idea?

 

yes

 

which screen is better 300hz or 144hz with g sync?

 

I think it depends what you want to do with it. Personally I don't buy into Gsync, I think it's over hyped. I can't even see the difference with it on or off on both my Area-51m or my 17R4. Maybe because they both are max specs the FPS is just high enough it does not matter. Personally I would go with the 300hz screen if it was me, but that's personal preference. I know test show the difference between 144hz and 300hz is nowhere near as big as say 60hz to 144hz.

 

depends on the latency between the 2.

 

Ditto

 

Its very simple, if your into the esports scene ala fortnight, counterstrike global offense, overwatch, games like these that reality dictates you can actually achieve 300 fps in the game, you want the 300hz. If your not into esports titles, then go with the 144hz. Thats really it...I am a hardcore gamer but I dont get into the esports titles of those I just mentioned or any others for that matter besides quakelive and the FPS is limited on that game AFAIK to 144 fps. Battlefield titles are limited to 200 fps, but the jump from 144hz to 200hz even if I did have a 300hz screen, would be infinitesimal. If I was in a pro league circuit for it then I would, but I am not so the 144hz screen that I have on my R1 is spectacular.

Any games, RPG games like Resident evil, mmorpgs like StarCitizen, RTS games like Anno 1800, all these games, a 300hz screen would be useless and 144hz would suffice. Your looking at esports titles making up maybee 3% of the games available to play out of the gaming industry as a whole, it doesnt make any sense to not get G-Sync for future games that will require more GPU power then your machine will handle a year or two down the road. Tearing in games, well when you first have a good example of it in a GPU hungry game you play, its night and day being able to use G-Sync.

These are the facts as I know it being a gamer. Its completely cut and dry. Just asking the question, which is completely ok, its good to ask questions, not everyone has time to know all there is to know about gaming...lol, but it tells me your understanding of a simple concept isnt there. Maybe spending 4k on a new alienware Area-51m should wait. I do dearly enjoy my R1 unit though, and I would never turn someone away as I think its an amazing piece of hardware, my advice might be to look at something possibly more modest before your spend the big bux. Maybee you might find out you really enjoy esports titles and then you know exactly what you want to lay down all that hard earned cash for.

Unfortently, there really isnt very many good systems to buy to be honest at the moment. Consumers all praise this BGA(soldered on CPU/GPU to the motherboard) thin garbage of laptops that are being sold the manufacturers can already see there bank accounts swelling before RD (research and development) has even began. They already know what is going to be developed before any data/info/testing is done, its going to be soldered togather garbage that eeks out 10 extra minutes of battery life they all will orgasm with joy how smart they are stealing the consumers money and creating a garbage product.

Jeez I could go on and on about that, I will stop there and try to think of a stepping stone system before plunking down 5k on a new alienware area51m. I dont want to condone or recommend what I was just arguing against but I bought the Helios 300 on black friday last year for 750$. Even tho its BGA garbage, Acer isnt stealing from you. Its a decent price for what it is and you can game on it with decent temps. Its a good starter gaming laptop that can get your feet wet and give someone that doesnt know alot about gaming an idea what they want to step up to next and the accompanying internals. If you wait till like black friday say, you could prob get it for 700-800$. That gives you a decent chunk of performance in a laptop form factor that can better inform you where your heading.

Any way, just a thought. Not to be in any way a negative remark about you personally.

 

When will people start recieving their units ? ive seen not one single unboxing video on youtube

 

There were a couple of people on reddit who received theirs but nobody who's really posted any benchmarks or thermals.

 

Just to mention the perhaps not so obvious: Gsync introduces noticeable input lag so it's useless for any competitive multiplayer games.

 

My two Area 51m R2's have just changed status to shipped. So should have it within a week.

 

Excellent, what specs have you ordered?

 

In my signature now but here it is anyway.

Alienware Area 51m R2 Intel Core i9 10900K RTX 2080 32GB 2933Mhz RAM 1080p 300hz Display 2x 512GB SSD in Raid 0

 

Haha. Did you order two to increaee the chance of receiving a functional unit? Nice Dell QC hack!

 

I like your thinking

The other one is for my wife, she's big on gaming too.

 

Nice, although surprised they bother with RAID0. There is no performance benefit and reliability is halved. I guess it works out a bit cheaper for them...

 

I'm really curious to see how far it is to R1 in terms of performance and temperature

 

So I just checked the UK website and this IS possible!



Yet the Dell Sales agent I spoke to said she has no idea when will this be adjusted on their site (the US site) maybe it's not compatible or it may never happen!