M17x-R2 with Nvidia 480M (single/SLI), Rumors, Speculations?

So, now that Alienware finaly relaeased the 5870CF and most of us are alredy waiting to receive our new toys, I decided to start a thread for the next best thing that is coming around the corner, i.e. the nVidia GeFroce 480M and whether AW will be adding it to its flagship laptop, the M17x-R2.

So far, the rumors are that the card will be anounced sometime next month and will be the direct competitor (supposedly even better better) to the 5870MR. Allegedly, some of the specs for a single card are DX11, 2GB, GDDR5, 256bit, 100watt.

I've already read posts that some people are willing to wait for the cards but the question is when will AW add them to their systems (single and/or SLI) and would it be worth (it has Physx) the upgrade from 5870CF? We already know that the lates BIOS (A05) supports them.

I think that it might be a while before we see them as an SLI option but in the last year, AW has proven to be very unpredicitable, so you never know. Feel free to speculate (realease date, speed, price, etc.)...

 

I predict there will be an M17x released with 480m in SLI config...

 

The only thing we know is that the code name appeared on the log file of the BIOS. This is way far from supporting it in SLI on the current laptop and they will have to do some serious upgrades for that (or maybe butcher the potentials of the cards with a geniously engineered BIOS)

 

I think everyone is skeptical on the implementation of such cards in SLI config in the current design and chassis of the M17X. The cooling system does not seem to be up to the task.

I am pretty sure somewhere in an AW secret lab, some engineers are working on the implementation of such cards.

 

m17x R3 will have to be made to support these in SLI im guessing.

what do people think about 1 2gb 480m vs 2 1gb 5870 crossfire
alot of games dont utilize 2 cards good and only get a small boost from 2 cards i'm thinking those games will run much better on a single 480m while games optimized for 2x cards will probly run better on the 5870 crossfire but maybe not by alot.

 

I'm guessing it'll be available from Alienware in SLi form, around mid to late July.

 

Dual 5870's would surely win that battle on average I would imagine. As most if not all new games do in fact utilize Crossfire/SLI pretty well. I have yet to play a game lately that doesn't use it.

 

I hope the 480 SLI won't come with the R3 in a plastic chassis....

 

If I had to guess, SLI 480M will win by about 10% and cost $100-$200 more, run hot as the sun and lead to a heavier power hungry laptop. I'll stick with my XF 5870s for the rest of this year.

 

^ This. You'd also need a 400W brick to support 2 Fermis and a quad-core (if they are indeed 100W each as speculated).

 

That's just ridiculous...

 

Yes i totally agree to stick with ATI for now due to the power hungry nvidia graphics cards, but a single 2 gig 480GTX might work quite well in most games. But again the games are becoming to power sometimes themselves.

 

Which part? If you're doubting the power requirements, go check out the stuttering thread with proven documentation that the 240W power supply is gravely insufficient for the 280M SLI and a quad core processor. Users have documented almost 300W being pushed through the 240W adapter under heavy stress using ThrottleStop.

 

What about Physx? Is this something worth having? I've heard that it's been hit and miss but never had any experience with it?

 

When I had dual 260M's I always played my games with PhysX off. I don't miss it and it's not important.

 

At least with the case of Mirror's Edge, I get the exact same performance running PhysX off my quad-core as I do with GPU PhysX enabled, so I'm not worried about the shift to ATIs. Just make sure you have a beefy CPU.

 

Probably not, it would melt...

 

Agreed with Joker especially that the next upgrade from ATI towards year end might be much better such as the 5980's etc...

 

As far as I know, if you have ATI cards you can't use Physx at all, not even through the CPU, but I might be wrong.

 

Honestly I'd much rather have had a 256 bit 5870M with GDDR 3 instead of GDDR5. It would have run cooler and given the same or better performance. Maybe they'll create a refresh with higher clocks, 256 bit bus and GDDR 5...

 

There are ways..

 

Canth we just be happy?

 

This forum has taught me to be greedy and want the best and not happy..Ive ordered an M17x R2 as well

 

There is a phrase for this:
Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas

People will always want something more than they already have, it's in our nature I guess.

 

100 wattsss thats more than 2 core i7 820qm combined....

do u think that one fan can handle that???

 

this benchmarking hobby is turning out to be quite expensive

 

^ This.

 

Quite a bit different story from a few weeks ago. You said you would skip the 5870's and wait for 480 gtx's. What changed.

 

The 100W consumption changed my mind. I don't want or need a bigger/heavier power hungry laptop and that's what the R3 or whatever it takes to put those in SLI will be. Improved cooling would be great along with a beefier PSU and bios that takes advantage of that but any bigger than the current iteration of M17x and I probably won't go for it at this point.

P.S. I made this comment a few weeks ago: http://forum.notebookreview.com/6212987-post111.html

 

^ This, unless 1 card will equal the power of 5870 XFire. Even still, I've lost almost all faith in NVidia after 3 failed laptop models in a row.

 

I did not think the R2 mobo supported SLI ?

but I do hope with the Fermi that they re-introduce the lower power intigrated GPU for running on Battery.

 

Woot my Sig is back

 

any chance an m15x with 480? just curious..

 

480m SLI will cook your steaks and burgers more evenly and quickly than your George Foreman grill. One of the GPU fans will be modified to carry excess grease to those little foam trays.

 

I thought the GPU fans would be used for convection cooking..

 

Hmmm...that's an idea...

"The latest Alienware M17x...all powerful, grills your steaks, brews your expresso!!"

 

"The Alienware M17x, Better then your toaster oven"

 

"M17x: the ultimate welding machine!"

 

Hmm a laptop that can cook my spaghetti and meatballs. I might have to send the R2 back and get an M15x and lose the fiance

 

who is going to do the cleaning then?

 

i'm still sticking to the joke wich i made a few weeks ago
sli 480m will need sli power bricks too!

 

Water Cooled 480M SLI

Or even better Liquid Nitrogen

 

LOL! That's hilarious...

 

This summer is announced to be hottest summer in the last hundred years. The thing is the whole solar system is warming up, and what is more curious is that the planets that are farther away from the sun are getting more increases in degrees than those closest to the sun. Therefore, the conclusion is that something that gives of heat is wandering in the solar system, and there will come a day when all the people on earth will see it clear on the sky.
Anyway, since this summer is gonna be very hot, on top of that we have the fermi 480 GPU that's gonna make it even hotter.

I was thinking, and i suppose the best solution is to have a core i7 620m CPU, even if it's dual core, at least it has an integrated GPU on the CPU die, so when you dont game, you turn Fermi off, and only turn it on when you game. This way you waste way less energy, and things are gonna be not so warm.
To bad there's no quad core with integrated GPU, maybe Fusion from AMD will help here, but if there was a way to have another GPU with the quad core i7's, that would be the best solution.
Since the fermi GPU is so power hungry and since you don't game ALL the time, it would be a smart move to have a low performance low power GPU for the non gaming related stuff.

I know you guys are talking about alienware, but i saw the panther D900F from eurocom based on clevo chasis, and it can be equipped with core i7 980x hexa core, (or similar xeons), 24gb ddr3 viia 3x8gb dimms, and fermi gpu, 3 hdd drives, or 4 if you skip the optical drive bay.
That fitted with OCZ vertex 2 EX SLC 50gb sandforce 1500 controller for the oS, 400 gb OCZ vertex 2 pro MLC 400 gb sandforce 1500 controller for the installed games, and the 1TB western digital drive for storage in the 12.5 mm drive bay.
THAT, my friends, would be the real stake maker.
130 W CPU, 100 W GPU, 3 dimms, 3 hdd ) AND about 10.000 euros in price The mother and father of all laptops )

 

Don't you see?! The truth is crystal clear!
It's all because of Nvidia and their Fermi cards heating up the solar system!

 

I'm saving this.

 

This is an amazing post... You just have to love it...

 

Joebarchuck, you had a 820qm and crossfire 5870 alienware in your hands, and returned it ? Why ? Wasn't to fast enough to play mineswrepper in 1920x1200 full details )
How much 3dmark 2006 did it scored ?
PS: Thanks guys for the comments on my very first post

 

I realize this is a month late, but any news or anything? i'm getting a M17x soon, and i want PhysX, but i don't want a plastic case. Logically metal heats and cools faster and is better for gaming if you can keep the metal cooled which is easier than plastic, but i've heard they'll go plastic soon =(

And can you notice PhysX? anybody see it? i don't care about framerates, but in Dragon Age, can i see the bridge crumble and fall when the inflamed catapulted rock hits it? or does it just sit there, like PhysX doesn't exist?
If so, i'll not wait and just get the XFire 5870s. Less heat too, and a for SURE metal case =)
i kinda prefer Nvidia if they were equal, but ATI is better for DirectX rendering, which most games are nowadays (even more i'd imagine will, because DX11) and Nvidea PhysX nowadays (i love just watching smoke rise, or water drops in a pool, so if i can actually see a mountain crumble, i'd prefer an Nvidia any day for any price as long as i don't have to be homeless or something)

 

The engine used in dragon age cant use complex physx outside of particle effects (i use a deriviative of the same engine)

The bridge would look the same - its just a keyfram animation of a model.

Physx is nice and all... but with a single 480m, dedicating its resources to physx you would be lucky to have 20-30fps on a modern game at native res.

At those speeds... it would be a very pretty slideshow.

Ill take crossfire 5870m any day over single 480m.

-Ash