M17X R3 First Impression Dr. J

I just uploaded ThrottleStop 2.99 today that should support all of the new Sandy Bridge CPUs. Dr. J is my first mobile tester and everything looks OK so far.

Here are the official Intel specs for a Core i7-2630QM

Intel® Core? i7-2630QM Processor (6M Cache, 2.00 GHz)with SPEC Code(s)SR02Y

TDP and TDC work a little differently in these new CPUs so the window in ThrottleStop to control these has changed. The TDP for a 2630QM is 45 watts and his ThrottleStop screen shot showed that. It also showed a maximum current value of 97 amps. This is very high which means that it will not interfere with getting maximum turbo boost. Both of these values are locked by the bios so neither one can be changed in Windows by any software. Many of the previous generation processors like the 720QM and 820QM were also locked like this so this isn't a surprise.

When running the wPrime benchmark, you must have had it set to 4 threads. Your CPU supports hyper threading so you can increase that to 8 threads within wPrime to get some better benchmark numbers. While running 4 threads, all threads were reporting the 26.00 multiplier so turbo boost is working correctly. This is the amount of turbo boost you get when 3 or 4 cores are in the active state on a 2630QM.

The new ThrottleStop power consumption meter showed that you were getting very close to the 45 W turbo TDP limit. If you run 8 threads of wPrime, that will likely put you over that limit so the amount of turbo boost you get will be reduced. The previous generation didn't give you any turbo boost when fully loaded so these new CPUs might be the same. The default multiplier in these is 20 so if you run 8 threads of wPrime and the multi drops down to that, then you know that you are exceeding the TDP limit and turbo boost has been turned off in the CPU. When you are near this turbo limit, you might see turbo boost rapidly cycle on and off so the average multiplier will be between 26 and 20 before dropping down and staying at 20 when fully loaded.

Thanks for your testing Dr. J. I appreciate it. If you have any questions, just send me a PM. Everything looks normal so far.

 

No. There is a large list of "regular" games that nVidia rates as good, very good, excellent or not recommneded as part of the 3D package software. If I recall, it may even be part of the 3D section of the nVidia graphics control program.

 

Yes, 14K+ after I set everything to default in the nVidia control panel, including disableing 3D steroscopic. (I was messing with the settings previously)

I am not sure if that particular setting made the difference or not but I can run the bench with and without later if requested.

If I can put it in "game mode" shutting off everything in the background or possibly forcing turbo mode on the cpu as someone suggested perhaps different scores.

The bench was after 4 hours of so or running too and was done only once after resetting to defaults. I will retry this am just after boot and post results.

What else do you want to see?

 

I don't want to overhype it but I mentioned above that the static demo pictures that came with the bundle "blew my socks off". The substantial depth was beyond what I expected and there is a setting in the driver to add up to 15% more 3D effect which I have yet to compare/try.

 

I appreciate your detailed explaination of the above and all the work you have done for so many on this forum and elsewhere UncleWebb.

If there is anything else you want me to run and picture, just ask.

 

I think battery test is what most people really want to know right now after this disappoint that there is no Optimus with the 3D version, also many people did not order yet unless they get more info about the battery without optimus

Try leave your laptop on playing a DVD or a bluray test and see how long does it last?

With optimus it was possible to use intel GPU for media and get 5hours easily (AW Claim up to 6hours too)

 

The battery estimator seems inconsistant or still learning if you will. I have three data points::

All in powersaver mode
99% charge 3 hours
100% 3:23
86% 3:11

Seems odd but will continue to check. I rarely ever unplug my machine and even then not for more than an hour or two, fyi.

 

How about command centre is it a the same or does it exclude some things. Maybe some of the alienFX.

 

I didn't see command center on the system before I wiped it and it's not on the resource DVD. Dr. J can confirm this, maybe I just missed it.

Side note: It's not on Dell's support site either for the R3.

 

I would be VERY surprised if the battery life was 6 hours....my qx9300 and 9400m IGP can only get 3.5 hours. I know that the SB architecture should be more efficient but not nearly 2x.....

 

It's not only about CPU, New optimization of hardware(Motherboard/battery/etc)/software can increase battery life, R3 LED screen consume less power than R3 RGB Screen

And SB is the deal breaker SB Quad consume less power than I7 dual core from the previous generation let alone Quad 2 generation.





And that's with 2820 not 2630 Quad which consumes even less power by about 20% from other benchmarks i saw
That's why some people are pissed, without optimus you kinda lose SB battery advantage which was promised by 2 years ago, no idea how nvidia didn't get this right.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4084/intels-sandy-bridge-upheaval-in-the-mobile-landscape/9

" Yes, those figures are accurate. Best-case, running at 100nits, quad-core Sandy Bridge still lasted nearly eight hours on a single charge! What’s more interesting is that our standard Internet battery life test that loads four pages with Flash ads every sixty seconds still checks in just shy of seven hours. Finally, H.264 playback also comes in at the top of our charts, providing more than four hours of demanding video playback. If 240 minutes of content off your HDD/SSD isn’t enough, we also were able to watch a Blu-ray disc and still get 220 minutes of 35Mbit VLC playback. Wow"

 

I am no expert on 3dmark06.. does anyone know if it fully utilizes all the cores for the benchmark score? The reason I ask is because DR j's score of approx 14085 is only 200 point above my I7-720qm w/5850 that I posted in the m15x benchmarks 2 days ago. 13840 or something close to that. I know it's a synth bench but I assumed the new SB would kick the score up much higher.

For me, it's not so much about the synth benches as it is the game performance. So I hope that Dr J finds the SB and Nvidia combo to work well for gaming and produce solid numbers.

Good Luck and Congrats to Dr J.

StevenX

 

I could see this material getting torn up and looking bad after time..

 

can u post some more pics from the outside and bottom? does the red color look vivid? can u see fingerprints on the outside?

 

Can you play crysis maxout, please? Thanks

 

lol....age old question.

 

Questions are answered at the beginning of this thread, please take time to research and read...

 

Alienware Command Center is there with a link on the desktop and on the function keys.

 

The material does not seem thick enough to tear as there is no play to get a grip or edge on it.

 

Sorry, I do not own Crysis.

 

Ah, I didn't see it.

Not missing much.

 

No fingerprints yet. Will get a batch of pictures ready to transfer soon.

 

Hey Drake,

Any tid bits from what you have seen/learned so far toward tweaks?

 

Nope, I don't have a fully working OS yet and I'm not at home to work on it. If you have the time can you supply a screen shot of Device Manager expanded out? I have an unidentified unknown device in mine. Thanks.

 

If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to see a shot of the laptop with all lights set to white. The R1 did get it eventually, but it's terribad. Different zones have different hues, and the laptop as a whole comes out looking awful.

Thanks in advance!

 

Done. Picture links with this and other requests in minutes...

 

I always assumed white would be a default option. but come to think of it i've never seen an alienware with white backlighting nor anyone ever mentioning it.

I could live with a light blue or green though....i think.

 

Hey DR.J
Have you seen anything about, the wireless display?

 

The HD wireless display is not yet available. It will be in late February or March.

 

Link to new batch of pictures per requests. No particular order...

<embed width='480' height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1100.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg402%2FMX17R3%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" />

Sorry about bottom of laptop pic's absence. Noticed my OS ID and Dell Reference numbers there after taking pic's and did not think I should post for the world...

 

What made the difference in between your first two score of 12600 and the last one of 14000 in 3D Mark06?

 

As far as I remember, he turned OFF 3D

 

What Leo said plus went back to default settings in every menu in Nvidia Control Panel. I had been messing with it so that 14093, don't jip me on the 93, is total stock.

I just opened a second R3 and will run a bench on that as well. It is identical, for my identical twin sons...

 

really? nice present for em!

 

lol, I have b+g twins. I guess that's the secret to who get's the systems first.

 

Then you would understand the trouble with getting one system yesterday and the other today! Both ordered at same time.

 

I knew your score of 12600 was low the first time around.

I can't wait to see what you guys will be able to do with the BIOS items that seem to be unlocked.

I am also sure that the 460M might be somewhat easily overclocked.

 

I have been using ATI tool for my amd cards. What do you guys use for nVidia?

 

Back in the R1 days it was just a plugin for the Nvidia control panel called Nvidia System Tools.

 

I remember those days with my GT 7800. I think I bricked one of them flashing the BIOS... Reminds me to let the boys damage them, not me.

 

Dr J - I used EVGA Precision for Nvidia overclocking on my old m11x and I loved it. Others use msi afterburner.

Good luck and again congrats on 2 cool notebooks!

stevenx

 

How much color loss or vivid can you experience in the 3d mode with glasses on?

 

No loss of color but definitely darker with glasses.

 

Its worth repeating here that I hate the location of the SD card slot on the right side of the laptop. It is directly above the slot for the DVD and easy to slip the SD card into the DVD slot and loose it potentially damaging the DVD player.


Here is a photo of my CPU and GPU temps after playing for a while: CPU 71/GPU 65

<embed width='480' height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1100.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg402%2FMX17R3%2FCPU%2520GPU%2520Temps%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" />

The first picture is a random window that pop'ed up after shutting the laptop and pulling out the powercord quickly so I could free my SD card from the DVD slot and then opening up the laptop again.

 

Dr. J- After checking out your pics, is it me or is the "rubbery leather" a finger print magnet? Thanks for the great info.

 

GPU Fan 100% when temperature in the 6x is kinda overall....i hope it's not noisy fan -.- i rather the fans kick in 100% when it pass the 80c and remain 50-60% max when it's 60c, many laptops can handle 100C cards

 

Good pick up. I noted that the outside edge of the lid had a couple of prints too. I was eating a sandwich with mayo to be fair but if your hand is greasy, it will print. This is also noteworthy on the inside next to the touchpad. There is residue there as well but not nearly as bad as my XPS 16. Definately not a magnet however.

 

Compared to my XPS 16, about the same or better noise wise while running a game. The only time it is objectionable is at start up with a blast to clear the dust I guess.

My 4670 gpu on the 16 approaches 90c at times... From what I have read on the net, this 460M GPU may not ever see 80c's...

 

Does the HDMI input work with the speakers too?

 

I am going to try to run my external sony blue ray dvd player into the M17X via HDMI tonight or tomorrow...I did not get a BlueRay built in since I'd rather watch a movie on a big screen plasma.