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

That's what I needed to see! Thank you for posting that, I feel a lot better about buying the 7970m now.

 

I'm glad I helped you out. More video gameplays coming soon. I'm going to record all the graphics extensive games. (Metro 2033)

 

It's either a problem or no problem... If you get it just fine, the 7970m will play BF3 on ultra no problem. But yeah the premium comes from nvidias drivers, reliability/stability, power efficiency etc... but in games they perform equally

 

Is there a way to fix the problem?

 

As others have said along with me, there is no problem on BF3 for the 7970m. Or any other game I have tried up to this point for that matter.

 

I don't know if I should ask this here or not. But I might get good answered. What's the difference between a msi gt70 and the m17x? Is there anything special about the msi?

 

Nope. Alienware is better.

They have practically the same components... but Alienware build, design, AlienFX, and ports are better... + it's an Alienware.

 

I was heavily considering the GT70, but was thrown off by the keyboard design. The 2ndary key layout (vol and what not) look like a total hot mess. After actually using the keyboard, which I love how it felt to type, I just couldn't get over how much I hated the key layout.

 

The reason I ask is because they have that screen between the keys so you can't pick them out.

 

It's not one simple problem... Just that some people get their laptop and the card is defective, some have problems with heat, some just have bad performance or something..

But these are very rare cases (rarer for Nvidia ofc), but still possible. But often no way to fix if its a physical problem on the hardware /:

 

Alienware seems to have better build quality and customer support from my research. The MSI GT70 seems to be cheaper for similar specs. The Nvidia GTX 680m is available with 4GB on the GT70, but with only 2GB on the M17x. The M17x is actually customizable and has the option of a 120hz, 3D Vision compatible screen. It's actually the only laptop I've seen on the market with both a 3D Vision screen and the 680m. I'm not sure if you can upgrade the video card on the GT70, but you can upgrade the video card on the Alienware. I believe you can upgrade the CPU, RAM, and harddrives on both models. I am leaning towards the Alienware, but ymmv.

 

Oh I'll still get the Alienware, I just wanted to ask. Does dell cover the problem of the 7970m if it over heats and or doesn't work properly

 

So I've noticed that the Clevo Nvidia GTX 680m cards seem to all have 4GB of RAM, and the MSI GT60 and GT70 laptops with the 680m also have 4GB. The M17x (and M18x for that matter) only have the 2GB version of the 680m. I'm planning to purchase an M17x with the 120hz, 3D screen. Has anyone heard if Alienware will be offering the 680m with 4GB? I want this laptop to be as potent as possible for as long as possible. How much of a difference do you guys think the extra RAM will make now and over the next 2 or 3 years, especially when running games in 3D at 1920 x 1080 resolution? I'm really torn on waiting and hoping for a 4GB version and just biting now and getting the 2GB version. Thanks in advance.

 

Hi guys! Which is best video card AMD ore Nvidia? I want to buy M17x R4 but dont know which video to choose. Please help

 

Well, if you have a lot of budget. Go for NVIDIA 680M plus the 120Hz 3D screen.

 

The Nvidia 680m is the most powerful, fastest graphics card you can get for a laptop today, and it is significantly faster than the AMD 7970m. The AMD 7970m is actually faster than the Nvidia 675m despite costing less. You can't get a 3D screen from Alienware withe an AMD card. Also, the 3D situation on AMD in general is far behind Nvidia with most games requiring users to have the TriDef or iZ3D drivers, but the situation is improving with AMD's HD3D as some games start to support it natively. Nvidia in general seems to have better driver support and less problems than AMD from what I've read on the forums, but I know people who swear by both brands. For my dollar, I'd get an Nvidia 680m, but it is expensive.

 

2GB vs. 4GB = No difference

Don't be fooled by the marketing ploy. 2GB is enough to run every single game at 1920 x 1080.

Larger amounts of VRAM are used when using multiple monitors for huge resolutions. Otherwise there is NO difference whatsoever unless you're gonna hook up your laptop to 3 screens with Nvidia surround.

Don't be fooled. And don't expect a 4GB model from Alienware, as it will make no difference.

If you want the 120Hz 3D screen, 680m all the way.

If you would get 60Hz screen anyways, 7970m if you can't afford the 680m.

They are practically equal in performance, but Nvidia is known for better driver support, reliability, and some features. But gaming performance wise they are equal...

 

Many thanks for replies!

 

Please explain how the 680M is significantly faster than the 7970M?

 

Originally I recall reading that the 680m was significantly faster. In looking at some possibly less biased reviews, it seems that on some games they are about the same. On other games the 680m is significantly faster, and on other games the 7970m is significantly faster. It seems hard to justify the extra $350 unless you want the 3D Vision ability. Sorry for any misleading statements. Here's a decent looking review: Review GeForce GTX 680M vs. Radeon HD 7970M - Notebookcheck.net Reviews I would like to see this review updated with an Alienware M17x R4 with a 680m though. It seems odd that the M17x R4 with the 7970m is almost always faster than the Clevo laptop with the 7970m. The reviewers seem to believe it's because of the graphics switching tech that is not in Alienware M17x's with the 7970m.

 

That I thought so too. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Are there any DELL reps here working today?
Thanks

 

Saw you had some awesome accessories so I had to update my signature too Getting the Blackwidow very soon, already got the rest... gonna be an insane setup

And HIDevolution already has the M17x 3D + 680m in stock, and I can get my exact spec there... so should have everything around mid to late September

 

Kyrius,

How would you rate the Razer Blackwidow?

I noticed that it has quite the audible click when pressing buttons... what are your thoughts on the keyboard?

 

My $.02

I liked the razer, but found that I loved the Corsair K90 the moment I started typing on it. For me, razer doesn't compare. K90 is considerably quieter.

Once I figure out how much space my m17x r4 will take, I'll see if I have room/need for a keyboard.

 

After having the Blackwidow Ultimate, I can never ever go back to a normal Keyboard except our Alienware M17x's keyboard. I love my mechanical keyboard! I just hate the glossy finish because it is a huge finger print magnet :S

 

So I posted in the msi section. And I just can't justify buying one. I really want a red m17x. Haha. Just waiting for the next pay check.

 

What is your budget?

at Hidevolution.com you can get the M17x with the 7970m for less than $2,300
(i7-3610qm, 7970m, 1920x1080 screen, 8GB Kingston HyperX RAM, 1.5TB Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid Drive, and Killer Wireless-N 1103)

or for $2,500 you could get i7-3720qm CPU + 256GB Crucial M4 SSD + 750GB 7,200rpm HDD

I've got a huge budget and mine + accessories will cost almost $4,500 :S
But you can get a just as beast machine, with a great GPU, for really cheap just by reducing some meaningless components? so what was your budget

 

Heck, I got my Alienware M17x R4 for $1,945 TOTAL. No tax, no shipping fee. Brand new, from eBay from BTOTech. I told them to open the box though so they can check if it has some dents or any loose parts, told them to ship it to NJ to a relative then told him to ship it back to the Philippines. You may see the specs of my Alienware M17x on my signature. Such a good buy. :O SSD is not included btw. I got the SSD for only $110 from Amazon

 

Not too sure. Id like as low as I can go. But I want the 680m I've decided. I've been back and forth with it and I feel like its a better choice to go with. I just feel more comfortable with it. If I buy from xotic it's about 2200 with the 680, and warranty. And that's just upgrading the model they offer. Or it's 100 more from dell themselves. Which, I feel a lot more secure about buying from dell.

 

Hello everyone,
Excuse for my English, it isn't my main language.

I have several questions and it would be great if you could answer them:

1) "Modernization" anyway affects a guarantee? As I plan on adding more RAM...
2) Is mSATA a worthy investment? What is the most efficient way to use it?
3) What benefits can I get purchasing it as a UK student? (from UK ofcourse)
4) Will AMD 7970m overheat without overclocking?

Tnx for your attention

 

1) You can add more RAM... but if you use the warranty, you need to put all the old pieces back. Change whatever you like, as long as Dell receives it with the same parts they shipped it to you with.
2) If you are only getting a 7,200rpm hard drive, then yes I believe choosing one with mSATA would be worth it.. because its pretty cheap. If you have enough money I would suggest an SSD though.
3) I don't know sorry /:
4) Without overclocking definitely no, but confirm that with someone who has the 7970m.

Hope this helps

 

Well I would definitely suggest the 680m. But if that's gonna make you buy like a 5,400rpm hard drive, 2GB of RAM, and other bad components (exaggerated of course), then I would say 7970m so the system overall is more powerful.

About security with Dell, I have to disagree. HIDevolution as an example, because I'm buying from them:
- Do a full diagnostic to make sure there are 0 faulty components before they ship it out.
- Offer a warranty which covers everything Dell does, but HIDevolution will pay for the shipping there and back to repair it.
- If it arrives broken in any way, you can get a replacement or refund no problem.

As far as I've read I hear that Dell has lousy customer service sometimes, and that repairing or somebody coming over and checking it takes a long time etc...

But of course you might just order from Dell, and get a fully functioning laptop which has no faults for the next 4 years. But you never know.

 

Can you vouch for HIDevolution? I've had a good experience with dell so far. And I'd rather upgrade the parts my self

 

Well I'm ordering from HIDevolution in less than a week, so I don't know personally.

What I do know, is that I've sent a hundred messages to them... and almost always I get a reply within a couple hours. Ted, the main guy, is extremely helpful, direct, and knowledgeable about international delivery etc.

And you get great warranty, in which the pay both ways if you need something repaired. Excellent customers service before and after purchase.

But check out these testimonials, every person praises HIDevolution for being excellent.

Testimonials

 

It's more from them with the same things as from dell and xotic.

 

Well not by much... I dno its up to you which you choose

 

I still might be able to get a rep from dell to help me out too. so there's that as well.

 

I don't get it. I tried to use the dell preferred account and got denied. The reason I tried to use it is because I'm trying to build credit. I have the money for one I just would rather build credo if I could. And the 1 year no interest would be nice too. Which means I could drop a little more into it. Why would I get rejected?

 

Need some input as to which of the spec's below is the most worthwhile, can't really decide myself!

Specification 1

PROCESSOR - Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM
OPERATING SYSTEM - English Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)
GRAPHICS CARD - 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M
MEMORY - 8192MB (2x4GB) 1600MHz DDR3 Dual Channel
HARD DRIVE - 750GB 7,200rpm SATA 6Gb/s HDD
LCD - 17.3" WideFHD (1920 x 1080) WLED LCD
OPTICAL DRIVE - BluRay Combo
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY - Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO with Bluetooth 4.0
SERVICES AND SUPPORT - 2 yrs Next Day In-Home Hardware & Premium Software Phone Support
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE PROTECTION - 2 years Accidental Damage Protectio

Price - £1908.64


Specification 2

As above but including the Nvidia 3d bundle + 120hz screen

Price - £2,088.41


Specification 3

As above except with the processor and GPU below;

i7-3610QM
HD 7970m

Price - £1690.87



My thoughts on the above, spec 3 will probably be good enough for my requirements, but may be less future proof and has no 3D compatibility.

Essentially, is it worth paying an extra £400 to get the gtx680, better processor and 3D capability?

 

Worth $2169 + tax? I have a PM to Rachid to see if they can do any better.


Processor
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)

Memory
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz (2DIMMS)

Display Panels
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED

Video Card
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M

Hard Drive
500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s

Optical Drive
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Audio
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software

Wireless Networking
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0

Hardware Support Services
1 Year Basic Plan

 

Most definitely, AMD video cards are a PITA to perform driver updates on and based on reviews posted on here by real world users, not worth the hassle.

I have two AW computers with them and am disappointed with both thanks to the cards.

 

Specification 1: is good. But why would you get the 680m if you're not gonna get the 120Hz screen? Might as well get the 7970m.

Specification 2: is the one I'd go with. A tiny bit more expensive, but you get the great 680m, and from what I hear the 120Hz screen and 3D are really awesome.

Specification 3: I'd say no way. You're getting a worse processor, no 120Hz screen, and no 680m. The 7970m is fine, but nvidia is known to be more reliable, and have more features + better driver.. and the 680m has lower power consumption.

Anyways. If you have the budget, get Specification 2 no doubt! You will not regret having made that decision.

 

Well it looks fine to me but, why the 680m and no 120Hz 3D?

If you're looking to cut costs, why not get the 7970m if either way you're gonna have a 60Hz screen.

If you can budget it I would definitely suggest 680m + 120Hz 3D.. even if you have to reduce your processor to a 3610QM.

 

I will not spend another penny on an AMD product until I hear of VAST improvements in driver support market. Sure, they're great when you finally get them working right, but my time is more valuable to me than a few hundred $$$ to not have to waste it on inferior products.

No desire of any kind for a 120hz 3d capable screen on a 17 or even 18in computer.

 

Great well then get the 680M, apparently its amazing. If you don't want AMD then yeah thats your only logical option, and a much better one. And if you're not getting the 3D anyways, then you save a couple hundred bucks. awesome

 

Wow!!!! That is one great deal! Take it!

 

You most likely either do not have any credit, not enough prior credit, or poor credit in general. There are a number of factors involved. It's also possible that they might not be able to give you the limit you requested so they denied the request as a whole. When I applied I got a $2000 limit but that increased sometime between then and now and it had gone up for me.

 

I was worried about the screen size too for 3D but every time I use it, I thank god that I got it and couldn't imagine not having the option.

 

17.3" is a big screen. And you play pretty close with a laptop. I hear that NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 is really really awesome cant wait to try it out!