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

I'm not sure. I don't think I can justify paying 500 extra on top of 2,200 already.

 

The 680m has already been overclocked tho, albeit with many complications. Hear a lot of chatter about BIOS etc, and the card is so new we just gotta wait for all the software and everything to support it. But yes truth is that radeon's are usually the ones that overclock with little effort and less difficulties than geforce. And show great performance.

The 3D screen is 250$ more
680m is 350$ more than the 7970m

680m + 3D is $600 more than an equally performing card for a person willing to give up 3D. 600$ can do a lot in the future.

Tbh if this is already a huge graphical jump for you... you will not notice nvidias TXAA or PhysX features, and for graphically intensive games and the future PhysX isn't attractive performance wise for single GPU setups.

So if you get a 7970m with 0 issues... You will be very satisfied, especially if you plan to overclock.

However if you aren't planning on 3D anyways... is $350 dollars that much for a slightly better card, power efficiency, and reliability?

It's really late so I'm probably just rambling non-sense any questions?

EDIT: And with $350 - $600 you could upgrade you RAM, CPU, or hard drive.. get a solid state drive if you already don't... I dno but if you don't want 3D, you could get a fantastic 7970m and upgrade some other parts of your beast.

 

I think the 7970m will be just fine. But I'm not sure. I can always upgrade the memory and hard drive by myself. But the computer will be used for school. Same with my m14x. So. I have a feeling I might go with it, then again I'd really like all the upgraded parts.

 

Alienware looks really expensive if you don't get any discounts. If your company/university/etc. has the MPP I highly recommend talking to a sales rep. I was able to combine a 15% discount on their site, with the 9% MPP discount, and a $100 coupon code...my system ended up with a total discount of over 26%. I got the 680M, 3D, Killer 1103, Blu-ray, etc...for less than $2k ($2150 or so w/ CA tax).

It just arrived at home! Work day can't end soon enough...

 

I'll call them by the end of the week see what they say. I am a student but that's like 50$ off. And the deals going on now have th 5,10,15 % off a certain amount so that helps. But I'll see if anyone can really help me out.

 

One other thing to keep in mind is that if professional apps will be important to you, such as Photoshop, CAD programs, etc...the 680m is reportedly a very poor card for that as it seems to be optimized specifically for gaming. If all you do on this is game and basic MS Office, browsing, etc...then the 680m should be just fine. It sure sounds like a great gaming card.

However, the 7970m tears it up on the professional apps from what I have read. Just food for thought in case those things are important to you depending on field of study, hobbies, etc.

 

Well, there will be a lot of gaming. But photography is a hobby of mine, I also will be using excel, word, and power point. Personally I always have to have the biggest and best. So if a rep can't help me achieve a reasonable price with what I'd like I'll just go with the 7970m.

 

The 7970m is the biggest and the best. From AMD.
The 680m is the biggest and the best. From Nvidia.

680m OVERALL is a SLIGHTLY more powerful card. But from benchmarks seen so far the 7970m pulls a tiny bit more fps in Battlefield 3, Metro 2033, and I think Crysis 2 as well.

AND the 7970m can easily be overclocked really well. So don't think for a second that going with the 7970m isn't getting the biggest and the best.
The main reason for 680m is the 120Hz 3D. In addition to that there's minor Nvidia things such as PhysX, but with a single GPU and how rarely it's seen in games it shouldn't be a huge selling point. Power efficiency would be a seller when using it at school. And Nvidia is known for better driver support, but if you get a great stable driver from AMD it's just fine.

So basically, in optimal conditions they have the same performance, both can have great drivers. 680m has the advantage of better power efficiency (slightly more battery life), and 3D if you want it. But both are BEAST cards, so if budget is important, the 7970m is the biggest and best and awesome bang for your buck.

Hope this helps

 

Actually it did. Thank you I just need to know how big of difference in battery life there is.

 

Anyone who got the 3D m17x can give me a bit of info on if its worth getting ?
The gaming and Blue-ray 3D movie experience?
Thanks

 

Yes! drop the extra coin and get the 680m with it as well. I originally got the 7970m with standard 1080p display but it arrived damaged so I swapped it out and went with the 3d display and 680m. I just got it today and damn is the 3D impressive! I always thought it was gimmicky but nVidia has it super polished. Surround sound headphones and 3d enabled brings a whole new experice

 

Hm well as far as I've seen the battery life benchmarks I've found have varied from 2 hours to 3 hours to some with 4 hours, so they aren't really reliable.

One video comparing the 7970m and 680m:
Sager NP9150 (7970M) vs. Sager NP9150 (680M) Review by XOTIC PC - YouTube

At 5:50 they compare the battery life. But you'd have to do some Google research to find more information. glad I could help

 

excuse me, i have burned the recovery file into DVD, can u guys show me how to use these DVDs when i need to recovery in case of losing recovery partition. thanks you very much

 

Been scouring the web for info on the differences btw the GTX 680M and the 7970M, and finally decided to go w/ the AMD. Sounds like it's the best value for performance at the high-end right now.

 

Have you read this?
Review GeForce GTX 680M vs. Radeon HD 7970M - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Yes, the 7970 is the best for the value. Each card has it's wins and loses. 7970 wins in cost, but loses in product support (drivers) and power consumption. The 680m has pretty much the opposite wins/loses.

 

Loses in power consumption? I thought they were (theoretically) equal there. (thanks for the link)

 

Nope 7970m loses hands down. Ivy Bridge + Kepler + (without 120Hz 3D you get Optimus) = great combination of power efficiency

And AMD's Enduro solution has a lot more problems than Nvidia's Optimus. Benchmarks and reviews have shown the 680m has plenty better battery life.

 

I have to echo what someone else said about not understanding all the obsessing about battery life when buying a gaming laptop. They more or less said it was like buying an exotic car and then worrying about gas mileage. So true. I cannot understand this mindset.

Nevertheless, I have had my PC on this morning for just over 50 minutes not plugged in (it was fully charged to start) just doing basic web browsing, and my battery indicator says 5 Hours 32 mins remaining and 84% charge left. PC is on the default balanced settings with brightness turned all the way down...because this is a VERY bright screen and even in a well-lit room I find it way too bright to use much more than one or two notches above the dimmest selection. In a dark room, even the lowest brightness is almost too bright for me.

 

I have no idea what this is meant to mean. Under no circumstances will an m17x last 6+ hours. Especially with a 7970m.

If said person if using it for school, the 680m is clearly the better choice. Some people say their battery lasts an hour, some say 2, rarely say 3, even more rarely say 4 hours. The best bet to be sure of having the best battery life is the 680m, which will still have mediocre battery life in comparison to so many other notebooks.
Obviously with Alienware's and such powerful gaming laptops, 'mileage' surely is going to be an issue. But when wanting something like this, and at least having somewhat decent battery for low end school tasks and classes... it is definitely worth considering getting the best 'mileage' for your performance.

 

I am also in doubt if I should spent the extra money on the 680 in favor of the 7970. I don't really care for the battery life, and untill a better driver comes out for enduro I don't mind turning it off.

What I am concerned about is the driver support, I have tried to find GPU drivers on nvidia en amd's websites but could not find any drivers available for download. Do both companies refer to the notebook manufacturer (Dell) for driver support?

 

Thankfully I have a 14x which lasts me about an 4 hours and 15 minutes. So it's not a huge deal, but the 680 sounds like a more peace of mind card.

 

Exactly the point. Nvidia cards are more reliable, better driver support, and power efficiency gives you battery life.

AMD is simply an equally performing solution for a far better price/performance value, but with less benefits.

 

I think for us Europeans the decision is even harder. The price difference between the two cards is higher than on the US site. In the USA the difference between the two cards is 350$ in Euro the difference is 330€, with current rates that comes down to 412$. Only upgrading the gpu to a 680 would make the system cost 2000€ (2500$).

 

Got my tactical Orion messenger bag in today. The thing is sweet! If only I had my laptop

 

I did not mean to imply one could expect 6 hours of battery life but that is what my battery indicator says after the time unplugged I mentioned. I rarely go more than an hour unplugged, and it has never gone below 80% in an hour of use. I have allowed it to discharge down to around 10-15% a couple of times, and I did not clock it but it took several days for me to get there with light use. Also not arguing about anything, much less which card has better battery life (since I don't care one bit about battery life). I just don't understand the focus on that in a gaming laptop and made a comment, that's all. Obviously others agree with me, as evidenced by similar statements. Of course, there will be those of the opposite opinion, too. That's what makes a forum great...we all have the ability to share opinions. :tongue:

Edited to add: If said person is a student in engineering (like my son) who uses CAD and/or other professional programs, the 7970m is clearly a much better choice. Plus I do believe they have things called power outlets at the universities. LOL Just joking around on that last part no offense intended. But seriously, engineering students would be making a huge mistake to get a 680m from all I have read about how poorly it handles professional apps.

 

Very true

 

This has been my experience, as well. I've been unplugged for about 1:10 right now, and I'm currently at 75% remaining. I've been actively browsing the web and posting on forums the whole time. Also, I have Enduro disabled, running on the 7970 exclusively. Screen set to the lowest brightness, medium wifi power saving, AlienFX off, 7970 set to maximize battery life.

EDIT - 2 hours and 7 minutes on battery, just hit 50%, says I have 2 hours and 15 minutes remaining.

 

Wow. That's not what I was expecting to hear. Maybe I should stick with the 7970m..

 

That is fantastic news!

However it differs as to what a person considers light use. And Windows battery estimation hasn't in my experience always been reliable.

But good to hear that Alienware's laptops are starting to gain some battery life.

 

Sure, that was strictly web browsing, so if you are doing anything more productive...as always, ymmv. And you're right, it may not be reasonable to assume linear discharge, so 2+ hours on the first 50%, may not necessarily equal 2+ hours on the second 50%.

I should also point out that everything I was running was installed on my SSD, so the HDD was shut down, not spinning.

 

today i visit AW.com, but i dont see gtx 680m for 17x, what wrong with it???

and this is our "expert saler" in USA
03:18:01 Mohammad S
yes, I agree it's already released but not yet launched on the dell systems
03:18:15 oneheart563
no
03:18:16 Mohammad S
however we will surely launch it on dell systems very soon
03:19:31 Mohammad S
I understand but I am sorry it is not available on Alienware m17x
03:20:16 Mohammad S
In fact it is not yet launched on all high end alien ware systems
he even dont know there is a video hands on with this system

 

Been keeping my eye on Alienware m17x prices and specs the past few weeks waiting to pull the trigger (UK Based).

One thing I noticed is that since about 1 week ago, the 3d display package has not shown up in the configurator. Now as of yesterday the 680m is no longer showing up in the configurator? Anybody using the UK website having the same issues?

 

The 680m is most likely out of stock. It should be back there in no time

 

Probably, but they usually put a 'this item may delay your order' when selecting - not just remove them - poor for customers looking for a 3D product
I'd try a call, sales usually answer quick but it's pot-luck if you get one that 'understands' the custom build side of Alienware

Edit: I see you did try a call, not very promising, maybe try again, a different rep might be bothered to find out

 

They will pull a part out of the order config once it has reached a certain point of back orders. They did this last year with the 580M. I got stuck in that delay. The day after I placed my order, the card was back ordered. It sucked, but I still lived.

I don't know the exact numbers, but just an example, say Dell puts up the "this item may delay your order" and 50 people still add it to their configuration and place their order. It may flag in the system, and then they remove it as they don't want more orders sitting waiting for the part. The reason I think this is why, is the fact that people will start to cry and demand compensation (just look through this thread, you'll find a ton of posts), even though they know their order is going to be delayed. The problem with the 580M delay was the fact that Dell didn't know when or how many cards they will be getting in. They usually get an EDD of a "batch", but are unaware of how many will be in that batch.

Don't get me wrong, I was upset when my system got delayed 3x. But I was more upset because of the fact that I was moving out of the country and needed the system delivered before my move. Luckily I got it 2 weeks before having to move. I could have waited and ordered one in the UK, but then I wouldn't have been able to use my military status and order online through AAFES (thanks to the whole lithium-ion batteries not being able to be mailed through the USPS).

To everyone that is being delayed, most of us have been through it, it sux, but you will get your system eventually. It may take a month, but it will get to you.

 

So I just got off the phone with Dell EPP. I ordered mine on the 2nd with the GTX680M and the 3D screen and was asking her if there is a delay.. This is the email she sent me after our conversation.. I will keep everyone updated with her response and maybe we can find out what is goin on with this GTX680M watergate issue..



"Thank you for choosing Dell. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to you on this order. This email is with regards to the Order# 1xxxxxxxx. Kindly note that the estimated delievery date of your order is 08/20/12 I have submited a request with the factory to find out if there is any delay on the order due to the graphic card, I will let you know once I hear from.

The issue has been assigned Service request number xxxxxxxxx. I will follow up with you until the issue is resolved, in case you need any additional help regarding this case, It is my endeavor to ensure that your "Issue is Resolved" and you are a "Satisfied Customer" with Dell. Looking forward to your continued patronage of our products and services. Thank you for choosing Dell and Have a nice day!"

 

Well I guess it's good they ran out. Just gives me more time to get more money so I can upgrade to the 680. And get more memory and a SSD.

 

To follow up on the battery life discussion, I had some time this weekend and decided to track my time unplugged. Both days I had the exact same settings, which I use every day, with one change (described below). My standard settings are basically stock out of the box Windows "balanced" settings, with screen brightness turned all the way down. No other tweaks to save battery life at all.

I do have AlienFX lighting enabled as personally I think that is one of the coolest features of Alienware to have all the lighting on the keyboard, front grill, etc. So I'm sure the battery life could be extended if turning off all lighting. Also, both days was similar activity, just web surfing with browsers open, nothing demanding like gaming. Both days I was downloading some small files (nothing large and only a small percentage of overall time online). My downloads go to my HDD, while the browsers and OS are on my SSD, so for at least some of this time both drives were in use.

Yesterday I had Enduro enabled so I was running of the integrated graphics chip, not the 7970m. At one hour, I was at 80% battery life remaining (which as I have said before, this is standard for me). At two hours, I had 60% battery remaining. At three hours and 20 minutes, I decided to play some games and needed to plug in. At that time I had 34% battery left. That is approximately 200 minutes for two-thirds battery usage. I am not suggesting that the battery discharge would be linear (this is by no means scientific), but if that average did hold up, I'd have approximately another hundred minutes (giving me around 5 hours of battery life total). Perhaps one day I'll have time to test this to see how long that final third of the battery will last. What did hold up is the approx. 20% per hour discharge I had been seeing on my first hour, over the three hours and 20 minutes (or the first two-thirds of battery discharge).

Today, I had the same type of activity, but before going to bed last night I had switched over to the 7970m using the FN+F7 feature so I was operating solely on that card (all other settings the same and very similar activity as well although I did watch about 15 minutes of Youtube videos today vs. no video yesterday). At one hour and 45 minutes I was at 47% battery life, suggesting that well over three hours may be possible if disabling Enduro and running solely off the 7970m. For me personally, that hour and 45 minutes is likely more than I will ever need since I am usually never unplugged more than an hour or so, max.

Again, I am by no means claiming any scientific statistics here...this is just my real-world battery usage. If I were considering battery life at all in my purchase, i'd want someone who really had the card to post results, so I hope this may help someone who values battery life more than I do. :wink:

 

Hello guys,

im confused between these two laptops:

Code:

Alienware M17X R4 with Soft Touch -
3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.3GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz
17.3-inch WideHD+ 1600 x 900 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M
500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
Intel 2230 Wireless-N
Windows 7 OS Label

OR

Code:

  Intel Core2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
    8 GB (2x4GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz
    1TB (2x500GB) Seagate Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
    Nvidia Geforce GTX 260/280M 1GB in SLI Integrated Nvidia Geforce 9400M
    17 inch 1920x1200 pixels (Perfect condition screen without any dead pixels marks etc.)
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
    Intel Advanced-N 6230 2.4/5 GHz 300 Mbps - Bletooth,WLAN card 
    85 WHr 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
    Bluetooth 2.1 module with EDR
    Integrated Webcam (2MP)
    High Definition Audio 5.1 Surround Sound
    Slot-Loading dual layer Blu-Ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD-+RW, CD-RW)

Appreciate your help!

 

What are you confused about? The first one is new, and the second one is 3-4 years old.

 

Lol I know I just thought I might need another opinion. Thanks!

 

First one:
- 1600 x 900 screen what are you thinking
- GTX 660m what are you thinking
- 3610qm and 7,200rpm HDD, would suggest minor upgrade

Second one:
- what are you thinking

 

Hi all don't know if this has been asked before didn't fancy going through 110 pages but
Can the 3920XM be put into the R4 its not alienware option on the site but it should be the same motherboard and socket. Has anyone here tried it?

 

It should work as the R3 was able to upgrade to the Sandy Bridge XM series without any issues (unless you start to OC). The only thing you start to run into is heat issues. Definintely have a good paste, the dual pipe heat sink (don't think they make a triple pipe like in the M18X), and keep the back elevated.

 

Yes you can. It might not be available on the Alienware site but on other sites such as xoticpc.com and hidevolution.com you can choose that CPU.

 

Is xotic a good company?

 

Yes, they are.

 

As far as I hear it is, but I started looking at configurations on hidevolution because their website is a lot simpler and have great praise for international shipping.

I don't know anything in depth about either company, but Hidevolution is an expert at international shipping and I live in the middle east.

On Xoticpc's website when I configure the Alienware, I notice a lot of spelling errors and so many useless things you could get with the actual laptop... which in my opinion make it seem unprofessional. But personally I have no substantial evidence to support any opinions I have towards either company, so I suggest you research it. But I'm sure xoticpc is excellent.

 

I've hear mixed reviews that's why I asked. I've heard they're good. And then I've heard they rip people off. I want to try them. They actually are up the street for me, but I'm hesitant

 

One of their big selling points is that you don't have to pay sales tax if you are out of state, but if you're in Nebraska, that unfortunately doesn't apply to you.