Alienware M17x R4 Pre-Order Configuration Questions... Ask HERE

The purpose of this thread is to guide new customers into purchasing their new M17x R4.
Lets not fill up the forum with these type of threads.

Reference the M17x R4 Documentation before posting as it may answer many of your questions:
Documentation

 

Was curious about the sound card and the network card. I noticed many users are getting the recon3D as sound card choices, but when I ordered my system on 4/24 I didn't seem to have that option. Also the Killer Networks cards people seem to be getting, wasn't an option either. What gives?

 

Does the R4 use Floptimus with either the GTX 660 or 675? I can't see any reference to it, so I'm HOPING that means it doesn't.

If it doesn't, this looks pretty perfect...nicely loaded it's just over $2000 with a 675 and a 2.6GHz Ivy Bridge + Blu Ray.

It's a little weird that the 675 is actually a last gen part, while the 660 is newer...but who cares if the 675 is more powerful! (And they're both SM 5.0 I guess!)

I guess the M17x really comes with a second drive caddy/cable already installed even if you only order it with a single hard drive? (I'd order it with 2 if I had to to get the second cable/caddy but obviously I don't want to since I'd just be pulling it out and swapping it.)

 

To answer your questions: to overcome Floptimus, just get the 7970m. It is cheaper, performs 60% better than the 675m. Yes you will get two caddies no matter what.

@BiH the creative sound card comes as standard. It is built into te mobo and controlled via the drivers. Don't worry you are fine. As for the Killer card, Dell is probably waiting for Bigfoot release the 3 antenna version of the 1202.

 

Awesome, thanks for the clear-up.

 

can i upgrade myself later to the bigfoot killer when it release ?

 

Yes, definitely.

 

and it easy to do or complicate ?

 

you have to remove the keyboard to get at the wireless card. Its not hard. There are tutorials online

 

A link to the manual is available in the first post, it will help you draw a conclusion wether it is easy or not

 

ohh ok nice
and now this is the computer i'm going to order ( i cancel my last order) there is anything i should change or everything fine ?

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology with WiMax and Bluetooth 4.0
750GB 7,200 RPM + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD

 

If you find the RAM to be overpriced, you could always order with less, buy yourself the amount desired for less and install it. It will save you some.

Other than that, your config looks good.

 

Any problem running 2x3GB + 2x4GB of RAM?

 

6GB ram exists as 4+2GB not 2x3GB as 3GB sticks don't exist.

 

Well I am still waiting on Allan to reply but below is the configuration I was thinking ...

One question though - at first it was suggested by Bill (Dell) that the SSD drive that will ship with these should be the Samsung 830 but it may end up being the 810 (although he is still checking to see why there may be a few people that mistakenly received the 810).

Now supposedly the Samsung 830 that is supposed to ship with the M17 is the mSATA version ... which from what I can tell is a slower in writes. Do you think it would be very noticeable?

The SSD is 256gb ... would it be OK to use as the main boot drive (Win7 Pro) as well as having several applications on it?

So anyway ... here is the config - whatcha think?

Alienware M17X R4 with Soft Touch
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (2DIMMS)
English Keyboard
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M
256GB SSD SATA 6Gb/s
Quasar Blue
Nebula Red with Soft Touch Finish
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
Intel® Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology with WiMax and Bluetooth 4.0
Alienware Documentation
Shipping Material - Red
1 Year Advanced Plan
Standard Nameplate


Dave

I am also wondering how many bays are available for adding other drives - either the lame spinners ;-) or another SSD later on.\

(and on a side note ... adding the Killer wireless-n 1103 when I can find one - other than from ebay!)

 

I was also wondering about the SATA/mSATA drive options but went with the cheapo 500GB for now and will just figure it out later. I thought there was room in a 17 for mSATA plus 2x SATA drives?

 

Correct mSATA + 2x SATA3. With an additional that can be concerted to from the optical bay.

 

I dont know ... I thought that config was for the M18?

It would be nice if there was 1 mSATA and 2 SATA III connections


anyone know?

***edit***

ha ... thanks widezu69!!

that was fast!

 

Are we sure the creative recon is a card rather than just software? In the specs it just says Intel 5.1

 

Well it's not a real hardware accelerated audio card. It is a chipset audio card, sort of OEM sound implementation as you were. The R2 was Realtek, R3 was Klipsch/IDT and now the R4 is Creative. Not a real chip or anything like on some desktop mobos.

 

ya, that recon 3di is doing a lot of stuff in software. So looks like the X-fi is still safe for the moment

 

Hi guys,

Here is my configuration that I just sent to Allan.

3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz (2DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M
500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s
Blu-ray combo

I'm planning to adding 2 Crucial M4 SSDs in a Raid 0 as well 16GB Corsair Vengance 1866MHZ later. And maybe a Killer WiFi card, I have heard good thing about it.

My main goal is have a good performance/best value ratio. So, I was wondering if there is much difference with i7-3720QM? any recommendation on SSDs and RAM?

Thank you

 

There is zero difference between 3720qm and 3820qm (I mean in numbers, but you are gamer I assume, so it won't matter for you).. if you are benching then get 3610qm and upgrade to 3960xm whenever you have money, if you are not following numbers, you won't see any difference between any i7 processor..

 

I'm a gamer but not crazy about bench numbers but I was just wondering if clear difference for just 2mb cache and 0.1 mhz or if 3820QM have more OC room that the 3720QM. If it is like you said I could save $200 just by getting a 3720QM and put that money to SSD and RAM.

So what about RAM?, 1600MHZ over 1866MHZ. I was reading some post that some 1866MHZ are not estable in the R3 but does this apply to the Corsair Vengance 1866mhz?

Thank you

Edit: I was wondering about the 500GB HDD + 32GB mSATA for caching, is this a bit pointless with Raid 0?

 

Ah, thanks!

 

Very good questions There is not noticeable difference between the rams. The Corsair ones are good but the upgrade from 1600 -> 1866 is not worth the money.

As for caching, you can Raid 0 two 500Gb HDDs for improved performance and then use the mSATA to cache your most used stuff. so you will basically get SSD performance and plenty of storage

 

The i7-3820qm doesnt support the 1866mhz ram. Here is intel link to the processor:

Intel® Core? i7-3820QM Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz)

wide, can you use a regular sata ssd and make it msata?

 

there is any diffrent in the computer between the r4 with the 3rd gen or the r4 with the 2nd gen? ( i mean like the motherboard and things ) or whenever i want i can upgrade to the 3rd gen and it will be exactly the same ?

 

No I think the mobo is the same the only difference is the CPU.

No you don't understand. mSATA is the port. It means mini-SATA. They way PC companies implement this is for you to have whatever storage you want using HDDs and then stick in a tiny (physical size) SSD with better speeds allowing the mobo to automatically cache the most used data onto there. If you are asking whether you can cache a SATA SSD then yes but it's not worth it as you might as well get one to actually install windows on.

 

Yes I expect you can. Although even if you order 2nd gen now, chances are your laptop will get bumped to the 3rd gen anyways.

You ca upgrade later to the AMD card only if you went with the non-3D option as far as I know.

 

yes i take the regular screen 1900x1080 60hz so it ok right ?

and they shipped my laptop today and when i talk to the supprot they told me i got the 2nd gen and not the 3rd

 

Oh right if it is shipped, you can do they upgrade yourself at a later date. I'm curious what your specs are. You must be the first!

 

my spec is that i hope it enough :


Alienware M17X R4 with Soft Touch - Direct
1
319-0583
2nd Generation Intel Core i7-2860QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
1
317-9892
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
1
331-6912
English Keyboard, 101 Key, M17X R4
1
320-3275
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
1
317-9894
2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M
1
342-4424
750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
1
331-1350
Custom Nameplate
1
330-6106
Personalized Nameplate Trigger
1
331-6859
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
1
421-7439
Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
1
421-5830
Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
1
318-2314
Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
1
410-0548
Adobe Acrobat Reader
1
318-2005
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
1
318-0424
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
1
430-4711
Intel Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology with WiMax and Bluetooth 4.0
1
430-4706
Internal Wireless Bluetooth 4.0
1
331-7193
Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
1
331-6865
Alienware Documentation
1
331-6868
Placement, M17X R4
1
331-6867
Shipping Material, M17X R4 - Black
1
461-8389
NO VIRUS PROTECTION REQUESTED
1
331-6909
Resource DVD, M17X R4
1
331-8045
Windows 7 OS Label, Alienware Notebooks
1
420-9691
DataSafe Local BackUp
1
420-9956
PC Restore
1
421-0092
DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1
421-3874
Camera Software 2.X, Factory Install
1
421-4289
Dell Support Center Software 3.0
1
421-7440
Quickset, M17X R4
1
312-1334
90WHr 9-Cell Primary Battery
1
995-6083
Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
1
995-6103
In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year
1
950-3337
1 Year Limited Warranty
1
950-9797
No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1
421-1723
Soft Contracts Dell In-Home Hardware Agreement for Alienware
1
994-3730
Warranty Support, Initial Year
1
421-1587
Alien Red Glyphs
1
421-1597
Alien Red Glyphs
1
330-5090
Thank You for Purchasing AlienWare

 

Don't listen to support on this one. Check your system for Ivy when it arrives; you should get it. All M17x R4s should ship with Ivy. The reason they are listed as Sandy is because due to embargo, Dell couldn't list a computer for sale with Ivy. All M17x R4s, M18x R2s, and M14x R2s *EXCEPT* the i5 option should ship with Ivy.

 

Yikes, 60% better?

Doesn't it use switchable graphics too though? If not I guess I'll do it, even though I like that Nvidia supports their GPUs longer and (without switchable graphics) I have fewer driver issues with Nvidia, but I'll take AMD if it gets rid of switchable graphics!

And thanks for the caddy info! That's really cool Dell does that!

 

Unsure whether it will have switching or not. Don't compare AMDs GPU switching efforts with Optimus until one can actually test it. Who knows, it might work exactly the way you want it to. But yeah 7970m is light years ahead of the GTX 675m in terms of performance.

 

Hey All,

I think I want 3D for gaming. I haven't a 3D game in action but I like the idea of it.

Anyone out there have a old m17x running 3D? Do you think it is worth it?

So 3d with 675m or no 3d with 7970

Don't think I can wait until July for the 680m.. too long.

 

7970m hands down definitely..

 

Thats what I am leaning towards
Something odd with 7970. I was reading some stats that said 7970 plays BF3 at 80 fps. Correct me if I am but with a 60h screen you woudln't see 80fps anyway? (or did I get it totally wrong with hertz and fps)

 

7970m. 3D in gaming is nauseating. In films it is nice because the director and editors tweak the 3D and make sure everything is photogenically pleasing. In games, everything is moving too fast, and your eyes are getting confused. Especially in fps shooters when aiming down the sight, I mean in real life people do that with one eye anyways so there shouldn't be any depth. What would be good is for a games company to implement 3D in a way so that when aiming down the sight, it is 2D.

I'm waiting but if I couldn't. 7970m all the way.

You are correct with fps is basically Hz in terms of speed. You could always v-sync and keep everything running at 60Hz smooth.

 

Cheers thanks.

Think that just sold it for me

 

no it never goes to 80fps in the first place, that is insane..

also 120Hz (3D panel) tends to cause a lot of headache for a lot of people, don't like it

 

No problem brother

 

You know, I've never really pondered this and I've been gaming a long time. If the screen is only refreshing sixty times per second, then that's the most frames you will see. Don't dismiss 80FPS just because of that, though. Having a GPU that can outrun your screen is a very good thing. I have a 3D screen and I love it. I use 3D on every game where it works correctly which is a large number of the games I play. There is the occasional game where it doesn't work well.


I too would be conflicted if I were buying one today. A much more powerful card versus 3D is a tough call. I think your decision is this... "Do I buy a system now with the most powerful card possible and do without 3D or do I buy the 580m system to get 3D knowing full well that I will have to buy a better card when it comes out this year." I personally intend to purchase a 680m immediately when it becomes available to replace my 580m. However, that is added expense. If the issue is money, the 7970 is the smart choice. If the issue is getting exactly the laptop you want with 3D being very important, I would either wait a bit and buy that version or buy with a 580m/675m and upgrade later.

It's hard to gauge 3D without having one. I love it. Other people think it's gimmicky. You can always play 3D with an external monitor if you want. I wanted it on board. I'll be in New York next week on business but I'll be playing 3D games in my hotel room every evening for two reasons. The first being that I can because it's built into my laptop and the other being that I'll have every evening to myself without anyone nagging me about fixing this or that/cooking dinner/doing dishes/doing laundry/whatever. If the thing sits parked on the same desk all the time and you rarely travel then maybe you'll never miss the 3D screen.

 

Will I find a big difference between the I7-3610QM and the I7-3720QM?

Gaming will be the most demanding thing I will do with this laptop.

Thank you

 

Gonna give you the most scientific technological answer you need: Nope.

 

Does the i7-3610qm differ much from the i7-3720qm for OCing?

 

Both won't OC much at all. Locked multipliers.

 

Yeah, and when you think about it, the CPUs themselves have overclocked as conditions allow for the last 3 generations. My 2GHz Sandy Bridge in my Asus G74 actually maintains a 500MHz (self) overclock with 100% utilization for MONTHS, which is really impressive IMO. (Err, that is to say it's been running under 100% load since late January and is still running 500MHz faster than it's default clock speed!)