The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    M17x r2 updgrade suggestion

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by SnifMyBack, Sep 22, 2015.

  1. SnifMyBack

    SnifMyBack Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Hello,
    I am new to this forum. I studies in electronic engineering and I kinda like playing video games.

    About a couple of weeks I trade a recent HP laptop for the AlienWare M17x R2. As far, the laptop is very good in my opinion (even if it is very heavy in my school bag).

    The configuration is:
    - i7 720qm (if I'm right)
    - 16 GB of RAM
    - One SSD 250 GB of Crucial
    - One 500gb harddrive from Seagate
    - One ati radeon 5870 (the reason I came here for help)
    - with a 150watts power supply (that OSD keep saying that it is not supported)

    The main reason I came here is to ask if a configuration with a crossfire 5870 would be good in term of power/price. I have a limited budget but just one of these card seem to suffered when I play at Next car game: wreckfest (for example). I try to search for piece on eBay and a lot of different site and they are very hard to find.

    If not can you help me to choose a good configuration? And if you can explain me what I need to buy and to do would be very appreciated.

    Thanks
     
  2. TR2N

    TR2N Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    301
    Messages:
    1,347
    Likes Received:
    255
    Trophy Points:
    101
    Hi and welcome to NBR [​IMG]

    The 5870 in crossfire would be a poor setup.
    Best if you can find this card is a 7970m v1.2 - clevo card or dell card. Also a 680m is preferable as both have similar performance and would easily beat the 5870 in crossfire.
    These cards are hard to find online and also with a limited budget may be too costly for you. You could always try the classifieds here @ NBR.

    Good luck.
     
  3. SnifMyBack

    SnifMyBack Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Okay thanks for the quick reply. When you talk about the 680m card do you mean that I would better put it in sli or just in a single one configuration?
    Thanks again ;)
     
  4. Rengsey R. H. Jr.

    Rengsey R. H. Jr. I Never Slept

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    2,771
    Likes Received:
    1,020
    Trophy Points:
    181
    details about the 680m. It blows CF 5870 away with just a flick of your finger. :) I have it in the m17x-R2. Above post has temps and score of the single gtx 680m.
     
  5. SnifMyBack

    SnifMyBack Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    6
    I looked over a website where it was comparing 5870 in CF vs the 680m. I was encouraged by the fact that it seems to be very more powerful with just one card... But when I looked on Eurocom, the price is 890$ for the kit! So I think that I will stay with 5870 in single configuration because it is so costly for me!

    I forgot to say that on the same website, a secondary 5870 with all the stuff would cost to me 540$... So I don't know what I will do... Anyway thanks a lot
     
  6. Rengsey R. H. Jr.

    Rengsey R. H. Jr. I Never Slept

    Reputations:
    1,084
    Messages:
    2,771
    Likes Received:
    1,020
    Trophy Points:
    181
  7. SnifMyBack

    SnifMyBack Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    6
    I'm so noob... I dont know where I can PM you!
     
  8. SnifMyBack

    SnifMyBack Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Anyway I'm very interested to buy it! Do you have the secondary fan? Do I need the 240 watts powersupply? Thanks