M17xr3 CPU GPU upgradeable?

hey iv owned two alienware labtops over the past year and i recently just bought a m17xr3 with maxed out specs. are the processor and graphics swapable? like when the ivy bridge and the 600 series come out will i be able to upgrade to those??

 

Yes they are!

 

A lot depends on bios support. Technically, you can remove/replace both the CPU and GPU, but whether or not 600 series and ivy bridge will be supported depends on the system bios to support those. My guess, is that Dell will release a new line up sporting ivy bridge tech, and will not release bios support for ivy bridge in the M17x R3/M18xR1. Dells about the $$$

 

ahh its all about the 'BIOS'

So is the Invy Bridge worth delaying the my purchase plan?

 

figures..i heard about the m17xr4 ,m14xr2, and m18r2 coming this year with 600 series gpus and ivy processors i just hope il be able use the upgrades in my m17xr3 as well. perhaps they will release a new bios for previous models of alienware notebooks for such support with the new tech coming out soon?.
im pretty new to alienware but i noticed the m17xr2 had dual gpus opposed to the r3 whats up with that?

 

It's possible that they can release an update, but ultimately I think it's unlikely from profit standpoint. Once the R4 is in production, The R3 will no longer be built, so Dell has no real motive to release such support because they won't be selling systems with it. The 600 Series GPUs will be with the R4, and so Dell will not offcially suport a 600 series card in the R3. Again it comes down to sellinn systems. If it works, and it may, ti will come down to luck. Like an M17x R2 with 6990s. Not supported by Dell, but the cards happen to work. Though there are some minor issues such as no Audio over HDMI ect.

The M17x R2, at the time it was launched came with dual GPUs as it was Alienwares flagship system. They shifted thier focus with the following line up. M15x was discontinued, and replaced by the M14x and M17xR3. The M18x Was now the flagship system with dual GPUs. They did so to try and appeal to a broader audience to promote sales.

The R2 maxxed from Dell supported upto the 2x 5870 Mobility cards. We got lucky that Clevo 6990s would work in the system, though not officially supported. The best part of the R2 in my opinion though, is the RGB LED, as it has stunning vibrant colors and 100%+ Adobe Color Gamut. It also has 1900x1200 resolution. Since then, Dell has not offered the RGB, or 1200P resolution Which is why I will be hanging on to the R2 for a few more years.

As far as Ivy bridge delaying you purchase plan, I really can't say. I'm not sure what the specs are on it, or when it's supposed to launch. But if your not pressed for time and can wait it out, I probably would.

 

i see ur point it makes sense so that people would go buy the new line up. perhaps maybe after 6 months to year once they maximized sales they might although it wont benefit them any.

 

No not really. You have to ask yourself if you need the computer right now, or if you can wait. IVY and the new vid cards will be at least another 3 months away...maybe longer. If you can wait, wait, however, you can't just wait forever, eventually, you'll have to pull the trigger

They came out with the m18x that has 2 vid card slots...and a much higher price tag.

There is a high probability that we with the R3 will be able to use next gen vid cards. Don't know about the CPU, however, if the need arises, get an XM processor and you are on your way to 4ghz goodness. Heck, i have a computer in my office with a 3 yr old desktop core i7 920 @ 3.8ghz (everyday) and it is still a very potent CPU, so i wouldn't get too hung up on Ivy bridge

 

yea ivy bridge is gonna be more about power than battery life increases, or so I have heard.

 

That's what i heard too! AND it will also have the new Intel 4000hd integrated graphics...but we are owners of Alienware computers...we dont really care about integrated graphics

 

Of course, because according to the changes plan found in Intel website, it is report to consume less power yet give you a better performance, that's kinda happening all the time, the next generation will always beat the previous generation. For me this is why I'm waiting for Dell to release the M17xR4 with the Ivy Bridge and the newer NVIDIA/AMD GPU. However as I figure with what happen with the M14x, eventually Dell might also release a BIOS update for the M17xR3 for Ivy Bridge compatibility just like what they did when the Sandy Bridge version 2 came out. So it is just a matter of time (if you can wait).

 

Im only gonna buy after June. Thats cuz im gonna be busy with heavy stuff atleast till then.

sweet! i guess its worth the wait.

So if R4 comes out R3's production will stop?


what about its spare parts? as in if someone burns off a chip or something of R3, or R2, can he still get an original replacement?

 

Then you will most likely have an Ivy bridge CPU and a next gen nvidia 6xx or amd 78xx/79xx

i'll be upgrading my vid card by the summer time too, or get a m18x

 

u reckon 600 series would be somewhat in the same price frame as 580M? i dont wanna spend like 300 extra then 580m -.-

Isn't M18x too bulky?

 

Yea, warranty support will still be there for the R3. When the R2 came out R1 production stopped, and sales stopped a month or two after. Same thing with the R2 when the R3 came out. But if your still under warranty and they can't replace, you will recieve an upgrade. So R1 users in this situation got an R2, R2 owners got either R3 or 18X depending on thier config, single/crossfire/sli. Dells policy is "equal or better" when it comes to warranty replacements.

All a matter of opinion. Based on needs/desire.

 

no idea what the pricing will be, but i assume that it will be about the same price as the 580m when it first came out.

The m18x is more bulky, but i like the 18" screen and i like the dual vid cards. I guess that the price i have to pay to play

 

I'm looking at building a desktop next i think once I get an 2960 for my m17x. Maybe ill spring for an m18x next year when the 7xx nvidia series comes out.

 

Jeez BigT, they are definitely paying you guys too much up there in Alaska lol

 

Thats nice.

What if at the time of purchase i buy 1 year basic warranty.

And just before 1 year finishes i i wanna buy 1 more year on a laptop that has been removed from production line?

 

nah i just budget for it. the desktop is gonna be for folding more than gaming, but if I can afford a 2700k or ivy bridge equivalent and maybe a 680 ill be happy.

 

Then you can upgrade your warranty. But just know it's cheaper to buy two years up front, then to extend the warranty. And if your warranty expires, Dell will most likely not allow you to purchase additional warranty. I've seen where they have on a few occasions, but not often. And it gets pricey. An additional year can run almost $300. Best thing to do is to get your CPU/GPU upgrade as much as you can at the time of original purchase, and as much warranty as your budget will allow. CPU you may be able to save some money by going with a lower end CPU, and buying an Engineering/Qualification Sample (ES/QS) chip on ebay.

 

Is the Advanced warranty worth it?

can u explain more on the Es/qs thing?

 

ES = engineering sample
QS = qualification sample (very similar to oem cpu)

You can get these CPU's cheap on ebay. I currently have a QS CPU in my laptop

 

Are they any different than normal ones?

And how much did yours cost you?

 

ES/QS Chips are created by Intel or the manufacturer and sent to companies so they can design thier products around them. Because they are ES/QS they are not final OEM, so some may have bugs. Most do not though and reputable ebay sellers will offer them with a small warranty. It's a good way too save money.

Advanced warranty is worth it because it covers accidental damage. So if you drop the system or spill something on it, Dell will cover the damages either by fixing or replacing the system.

Engineering Sample - Wikipedia

Engineers arrested for selling sample CPUs on eBay

 

Ok, then ES chips would be something to consider.


Thanks guys

 

my core i7 2820 cost me $270US shipped...as you can see, it is much cheaper. And it performs solidly. I then sold the 2630qm that came with my laptop. So this was a free upgrade.

A good strategy is to get the lowest CPU from dell (because they charge a nice sum for ugprades), then get a QS CPU from ebay

 

Me getting lucky:



Minus £100 I got for my 2630QM. Gonna last me a damn long time this is!

 

WOW. a that only for 390? :/ u lucky duck :/

 

And this was an OEM version...so a tad more expensive.

There were 2920ES versions on ebay not that long ago (full unlocked multiplier) selling for around $300 shipped

EDIT: 2920ES still selling for around $300 shipped:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Intel-i7-mob...400?pt=CPUs&hash=item3a708145e8#ht_926wt_1344

 

Keep warranty in mind when selling your original cpu.

 

True...this is very valid. If you're worried about warranty, keep the original CPU. However, i'm not concerned. I only have a year warranty anyways...nothing is gonna happen to this laptop in the next 6 months

 

famous last words my friend..... be careful

 

Intel i7 mobile CPU i7 2920xm ES 2.4Ghz | eBay



BTW, if i upgrade my CPU, does it void my warranty? and same question going for RAM? SSD? HDD? etc?

 

If you're really worried, keep all your original parts and set it back to stock configuration for warranty service

 

does your warning apply to ram , ssd, hdd also?

 

You can upgrade ram and hdd without a worry. Generally cpu, gpu upgrades won't be much of an issue either but just to be safe, keep the original cpu and gpu and in case you have repairs, then just put the original config back.

Goes without saying that the new custom cpu/gpu/ram/hdd will not be covered in warranty.

 

well obviously they wont be covered in the warranty

 

LOL... rep for making me smile

 

Can anyone please provide me a list of CPU and GPU I can upgrade to in M17xR3 and M11xR3. My existing configs are mentioned in my signature. I would definitely like to upgrade M11xR3 CPU to something much faster (fastest available CPU ?) and can live with the 540m GPU. In my M17xR3 I would love to upgrade both my GPU and CPU to maximum possible available options (Heck, its my main gaming rig, while M11xR3 is only for on-the-go gaming / consulting work that I do for a living).

I would be happy to give rep + to anyone who can help me in this. Consider no budget limitations for your advices. Thanks.

 

You can upgrade your M17x R3 CPU to 2820QM, 2860QM, 2920XM and 2960XM. As for GPUs you can have the 6990m, 580m, and 7970m.

You can not upgrade your M11x any further.