*OFFICIAL* Alienware 14 Owner's Lounge Thread

Has anyone had any problems with the Broadcom wireless card? I was thinking Broadcom was an upgrade over the killer, but now I see that all alienware 14s are coming with the killer with no option to change to broadcom. I read on another forum that people where having issues with the Broadcom.

 

Bought a 14 this week at a pawn store, it was so darn cheap that I just couldn't resist it. So I'm officially and owner of a 14 that aside from a SSD was fully loaded and has a warranty until 2017.

Not sure if it will be replacing my 'old' m14x r2, sure the 14 is faster and has a better build chassis but the downside are the looks, sound and some minor other things that bother me. But the good side is I can compare them both and maybe make a video review of them when I have some time .

 

Has anybody figured out how to get Linux installed on their AW14?

I've read into it a bit and it sounds like there's issues with the GPU due to Optimus and the fn keys need drivers to make them work. I'm okay with having a manual software level switch to go from iGPU to dGPU, but would like the fn keys to work. I don't have much experience with Linux, but would like to try it if the setup isn't too hard and it can be used without any major issues.

 

Linux works great on the AW14 !!! I've personally used a few different distro's, Fedora 20 seems to be the best so far.
I don't even recall if the function keys work or not, as I don't use them too much myself.
You can get Optimus to work through a project called BummbleBee, altough I've not messed with it. I really do not do much gaming in Linux myself. I'll boot back to Winders for that.
On my AW14 I have a 500GB SSD as the main boot drive for Winders and my games (WoT, WoWP, Titanfall, etc...) and a 256GB mSATA SSD for Linux. This saves from having to mess with the Windows partitions and keeps the two completely separate.

 

Adding an mSATA for Linux isn't a bad idea. I wouldn't need more than 128GB but it would be fun to try if I decide to stick with Linux in the long haul and continue to use it. Until then I'll partition my drive.

I'm not too familiar with Linux and was recommended to learn it by my CPE Lab teacher. I've used Ubuntu and like its UI (reminds me of OSX). In what ways is Fedora 20 better? Completely honest question, no trying to sound rude. I don't know much of anything about Linux so I'm trying to figure out which one is best to learn on. I'm okay with integrated graphics for Linux since I also have Windows for my gaming.

 

It really does not matter which distribution of Linux you use, as long as it is a fairly new version (so that drivers for the AW14 hardware will be present, and UEFI support is there). I would go with the distro that the CPE lab teacher recommends, that way you have someone to lean on that is familiar with your distro should you have questions.

 

Good news! I'm currently typing this post on Ubuntu 14.04 (or something like that, whatever the newest one on the official Ubuntu site was) from my AW14. Install was very easy, and I'm enjoying it. I've missed OSX since leaving my MBP and am glad to have some of that feel back. I'm running on the iGPU right now, and may mess around with getting the dGPU working in the future. I have W8.1 for gaming, but wouldn't mind having the 765M functioning since it's already there.

EDIT: Trackpad is kind of a pain. I'm having issues with it dragging when I tap to click. I've looked through the system settings and they don't seem to have a "tap and drag? setting like I'm used to in Windows. Once I can figure that out I'll be happy. I'm tried of it dragging random windows around when I'm trying to close things.

 

Hi looking at upgrading soon but i need to have vt-d support in Bios can anyone confirm there is VT-D support as the m14xR2 does not. Also is there a unlocked Bios for this model? I heard a soldered jumper may be needed for the m17 model?

 

Not sure about unlocked bios, I know svl7 has a modded GTX 765m vBios. As for VT-d, Haswell CPU's above 4700mq (according to Intel) supports VT-d. According to Intel's ARK spec's, the mobile Haswell refresh would be similar to their predecessors in that the base I7 does not offer VT-d much like the 4700mq does not. 4710mq does not offer VT-d, however, the 4810mq, 4910mq and 4940mx do offer VT-d......not that we'll be seeing an extreme in our little monsters - officially, anyway.

Again, according to Intel, HM87 chipset supports VT-d, so that shouldn't be an obstacle, afaik. Maybe someone with a 4800mq or above could chime in and check bios for VT-d settings - I've only got a 4700mq, unfortunately.

 

awesone would love you see Bios Screen shot for the m14

 

For unlocked BIOS's you could try looking on TechInferno. They usually have those there.

 

I am fixing to do the clean install of windows 7 on my 14 laptop on the new SSD. I have a disc that came from dell with windows 7, but I do not have a second disc for the divers, or alienware software. Will it be on this disc I have or will I have do download it somewhere else?

Thanks!

 

You'll need to download all the relevant drivers for your OS from here: Product Selection | Dell US - simply enter your service tag, select your OS and download from the list. You can also reference this thread for "how to clean install": http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

 

Having some issue's trying to overclock my 14... or rather to say I want to down clock it a bit for better battery life and so on. But when I enable overclocking I do not get the usual options:


Cpu is a 4800mq and running A07 bios

 

This is pretty much all you'll need. You can also get the rest of the software that came with the PC from here.

 

Hi. Bought an Alienware 14 last August while working in UAE, have since come back to the UK.

I noticed my hinge is wobbly yesterday, still nice and stiff when opening and closing though. the screen can move side to side a mm or two, even when it is shut. Heard of this on m14x but rarely on 14.
Anybody else had this problem how can I fix it? Not going back to UAE till July so can't use my local warranty till then.

 

Hi, can anyone tell something about the quality of the 720p screen? I can't seem to get the price for a configuration with a FHD screen and a 750 GT GPU along with a 3-year warranty into my budget of 1500 USD... Does anyone have any haggling tips from their own experience? Unfortunately I can't call DELL, I can only chat with a US rep.

 

The quality is hugely different from the 720p compared to the 1080p in terms of contrast, viewing angles, colors and of course the pixel density itself. I would personally always go for the 1080p screen, it will also have a higher resale value if you ever consider to sell it in the future.

 

I also recommend getting the best screen available at the outset - it's a much more expensive part to replace should you find you do not like it, as opposed to buying it when you configure your machine. The 14" IPS 1920x1080 panel on the 14 is pretty awesome in terms of colours and viewing angles etc....I think you would regret NOT configuring a machine with it from the get go.

 

Thanks, will try to get the FHD screen then. Can someone tell me if the interpolation is OK on it? Since I wn't get the GTX 765, the GT 750 will have to be enough and thus I will want to lower the resolution i order to get good FPS. I intend to play Skyrim on it. I want to get the i5 CPU version. The reason for this is that I need at least the 3-year international warranty so I have to cup back on the config. I intend to use it 3-5 years, if not longer. I usually sacrfice resoultion for the details.

 

Interpolation is not a problem, at least not for me. As for Skyrim, I've still got my GT750m (1gb vRam variant, yours will be 2gb) motherboard installed at the minute (not had time to put my 765m board in yet) and it runs Skyrim beautifully. I used GeForce Experience to optimise it, seems even the 750m can handle high/ultra settings and run the game very well. Take a look at the screen shot in the spoiler below. I doubt that having the I5 would make much of a performance hit, so you should be fine. I can even run Skyrim at 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 on my external monitors and it plays very nicely.

Of course, if you can stretch your budget to include the IPS panel and the GTX765m, I think it would be considerably more capable with a whole host of more demanding games.

Spoiler

 

Is there any BIOS mod for the AW14?

I have had a brief look around but there is nothing obvious standing out.

On the newest BIOS version A08 with Nvidia drivers 337.50

I can't even bump up the GPU or it memory speeds with EVGA tweaker or even MSI afterburner.

Needing a bit extra, playing around the UE4 tech demos, and is pretty demanding, so anything will help. Also if I can get a little bit more out of the GPU then I likely reach a solid 60 FPS in a couple of games I play without dropping the eye candy.

Seems the latest BIOS and Nvidia drivers are not allowing any tweaking at all, any way around this?

 

I'm not sure if there is an unlocked main bios for the 14 that allows cpu overclocking more easily, however, there is a modified GTX765m vBios for the gpu - thanks to svl7 over at T|I. See here:

NVIDIA Kepler VBIOS mods - Overclocking Editions, modified clocks, voltage tweaks

 

Hey guys, so instead of this problematic Precision M3800, I might be switching over to an Alienware 14. I was wondering that for a normal user, are there any issues such as heat issues or noise issues or even the most simple things like coil whining that could be annoying in a quiet setting? Also, how is the build quality of the machine? I'm a former Macbook Air user, so maybe my build quality expectation may be higher, but as long as things don't look cheap and flimsy, that's fine... Thanks

 

Strange, was play a few games last night and GPU was max on 600MHz, no turbo what so ever, actually running under stock speeds. I was running balanced power setting, although I wasn't running of battery, though it would of still at least run stock of 800MHz. I wonder if this has anything to so with BIOS A08 and Nvidia drivers 337.50?

 

Hi, I'm trying to haggle the price for the 14, but so far I've got the price down to 1550$ with a student's discount. The configuration is i7-4710MQ, GT 750 2GB DDR5, 8GB RAM na 500GB SSHD. I also have a 3-year warranty because it will be used in Europe and bought in the US. Does somebody have any advice on haggling? I tries looking up information on various forums but mostly the info there is outdated.

Thanks

PS. This is all done via chat, but the price with tax is over 1650 so I will have to try something else.

 

You can do much better than this! I got a better config for $1247 with a 1 year warranty I can give you the reps name and contact if you like

 

That would be great. Could you e-mail it to me at [email protected]? Can you tell me what config you got?

 

Sure thing!

Core i7 4700
1080p ips
Gtx 765m
500gb sshd
8g ram
1 year warranty

 

so nobody else with wobbly hinge? ideas how to fix?

 

No wobble hinge here. I opened and close it a few times a day carrying it around for work. Still as tight as the day i got it.

 

Hey guys I have a quick question, I bought my Alienware 14 with Windows 8 basic not pro, so I was thinking of getting an SSD as I've seen many people telling that the SSD will help the performance and won't take off too much battery but I saw that you will have to make a clean install of Windows 8. The problem is that In the box it only came with the Alienware CD drivers and software, there was no windows 8 disc so I'm worried about this, the disc didn't came or it was because i have windows 8 basic? how can I install windows 8 on the new SSD i will buy if I don't have the disc for installing the OS?
Thanks in advance

 

Just download the windows 8 iso here:
Upgrade Windows with only a product key - Microsoft Windows Help

 

Yes mine was tight and stiff for 9 months! Still nice and stiff, but the wobble only seems to be prevalent when the lid is shut/almost shut. Any disassembly instructions? perhaps there is just a screw that needs tightening

 

As far as I'm aware no windows 8 CDs are given. Your product key will be on your laptop just download the iso and put the key in.

I actually found after installing an 840 evo ssd that my battery life improved. It also made the laptop completely silent. With the HDD in it used to keep the fan on all the time to varying degrees, now it only comes on when I am gaming.

 

I carry my laptop around nearly every day all day, and walk a couple miles a day around campus. My hinge is still plenty tight. Opening the hinge requires me to hold the base of the laptop in place or it'll pick up the base some as well when opening. Overall I'm very happy with the hinge.

Alienware made these things tanks.

 

I agree. No problems with hinges either. Same as above, hinges are that firm that occasionally it requires a gentle hold on the palm rest to avoid the base lifting up at the same time. Saying that, you could probably have a go at fixing a wobbly hinge yourself fairly easily. Have a look at the service manual and you can probably tighten up any loose screws which might be attributing to your hinge issues:

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...laptops/alienware-14_Owner's Manual_en-us.pdf

Page 67 onwards details how to remove the display panel - if you wanted to check to see if the hinges were screwed down tightly. I suspect maybe they are not (see page 69) and those would be the ones to tighten.

 

ahhh didn't know there was a service manual -_-

will give this a try if i'm feeling up to opening it, if the problem doesn't get any worse then I might wait until my warranty runs out in case something else breaks!
but I have faith because yes, this thing is like a tank lol

 

If it's not bothering you too much, and if you aren't comfy reseating/tightening the hinges, then waiting isn't a bad idea....just be sure to get it resolved under warranty if it is still an issue come expiry time.

 

Ok thank you! but do I have to download it and put it on a usb so I can install it on the SSD? also I would want to know if I can pass all my programs and configurations from my HDD to my SDD, is it possible?
Thanks!

 

Yes, you would need to create a bootable USB with the Windows 8 .iso image on it to allow a clean install on your new SSD. In doing that, your new SSD will have a fresh install and you would need to install the relevant drivers for your machine from Dell Drivers & Downloads support page. You would then have to re-install your other stuff fresh or from a back up.

 

IT's better to install them as needed.

 

im planning to buy alienware 14, do you guys know where to buy it around melbourne or sydney for the best deal? thanks before

 

Finally got some free time to do my GTX765m upgrade - bought my machine with a GT750m off Ebay UK for a steal and bagged a new motherboard with a 765m soldered on to it relatively cheap. All in all, the upgrade went very smoothly. The machine itself is easy enough to disassemble. Obviously, replacing the motherboard involved a pretty complete teardown to the bear chassis. Didn't need to remove a lot of stuff as I was thinking - was pleased that the keyboard etc all comes off as one unit attached to the palm rest. Had to remover the display, too - I was expecting that LOL. Got everything stripped down, swapped over my 4700mq to the new board, repasted with some Prolimatech PK-1 and reassembled. Idle temps in first spoiler for cpu/gpu - bear in mind that my little beast is running my U2711 2560x1440 right now and the 14 is sat on my U3 with the fans on....not too bad methinks.

Spoiler

Anyway, it took maybe an hour or so to do the work, but I was taking my time. I did have one hairy moment where I accidentally pinged off one of the connector latches for the palm rest ribbon cable seen below:



Fortunately, it did not break and I was able to replace it. Stupidly, in haste, I was trying to pull the latch away from the socket when it actually just lifts up. I should have paid more attention to the arrows instead of assuming it was like the other ribbon latches......anyway, I won't make that mistake again in a hurry - brown trouser moment for sure!

Anyway, all's well that ends well, and it did. I'm back up and running now, happily typing on my 14 with a GTX765m under the hood instead of the GT750m. Pic in spoiler to show:

Spoiler

And here are a couple of pics during the upgrade:

Spoiler

I'll edit the post a bit later with some benchie differences between the two. One thing hit me as a big design flaw was that to remove the heat sink requires the motherboard to be removed to get to it - making repasting a tedious large teardown.....Dell did not think that one through....

 

Nice job... tried to +1 you, but I have to spread some around first. You'll have to grab one of svl7's unlocked vBIOS for that 765M. Looking forward to the before and after benches.

 

Yeah, that's on the "to do" list LOL - probably be tomorrow before I can do that.

 

One quick question Alienware 14 peeps! :thumbsup:

My 14 came with just a standard 750GB hard drive and I just bought a msata SSD that I would like to install as a caching drive.
How do I go about it?

Just whack in the mSata drive and then boot up and install Intel RST. It is already installed however there is no acceleration mode that I can see where you would normally enable caching.
Do I need to do anything else? Reinstall Intel RST or something?

Do I need to set BIOS settings to RAID and then reinstall the OS?
Stevie sent us this link in the past http://www.dell.com/support/trouble...cles/ArticleView?c=us&l=en&s=gen&docid=564442 Thanks Champ! PS/ Nice upgrade there!

Thanks heaps!

Cheers.

 

Yes, the BIOS needs to be set to RAID. You can change the registry settings to avoid the need for an OS reinstall. Scroll down to the end of post #1 in this thread for instructions on how to do that.

If you still do not see that option try running a Diskpart "clean" command on the mSATA, then open Windows Disk Management utility. It should offer to initialize the new drive. Choose MBR (not GPT) and then see if RST has the acceleration option at that point.

 

Legend the Fox to the rescue again oles!!! :thumbsup:
I'll try this out when I get a chance and report back results.
Thanks Champ!

Cheers.

 

Got it all working - Thanks again Fox! :thumbsup:
Turns out I had to update my intel RST software and it was finally detecting the accelerating mode.

Cheers.