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    Driver Updating

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by zombiegoat, Mar 31, 2013.

  1. zombiegoat

    zombiegoat Notebook Consultant

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    After some careful consideration and window-shopping, the house CEO has given me the greenlight to eventually replace my current laptop with another Alienware model. It's a good day. :) However, I am curious about something and I don't know if it's been previously addressed, so bear with me...

    Has the video card driver updating process been addressed, or is it the same kettle of dank fish it was previously? As the owner of a M17x R1, nothing that will install without a Herculean effort has been providing for update past version 257.38. It's possible to go with higher versions, but not without a great deal of annoying stop-this, paste-this, delete-this, re-install-this and so forth. You can't just go to the Nvidia website, pick the most current version of drivers, download and install them without a great deal of heavy lifting that, very bluntly stated, I don't have the patience or inclination for.

    With the R4 (which is what I am looking at, with the Nvidia card), is it as easy as download, install and you're on your way, or do you have to go through this annoying process with anything higher than what Dell has co-branded on their support site? Thanks for the input!

    PS: It should be stated that I absolutely love my laptop and its performance is why I will be getting another... but this driver business is pretty bush-league. I want to know what I'm in for before I give Alienware another $3K.
     
    zombiegoat, Mar 31, 2013
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  2. MickyD1234

    MickyD1234 Notebook Prophet

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    Hi, my experience with an R3 and R4 is that the NV drivers are getting a lot better. When I first got this R4 only modded drivers would install. NV say that they don't add a new computer ID/card ID to new hardware straight away. Early 680 users had the same issue, could only use older dell published drivers.

    The rule seems to be, if dell sell the combination then NV drivers will work out-of-the-box. IF you're trying to use a card that dell did not sell with the model it's driver mod time :(

    HTH and good luck with your choice :D
     
    MickyD1234, Mar 31, 2013
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