*NEW* M17xR3 Available for order... details and discussion here

Yeah but Eurocom is known to offer products not yet available or that don't even exist at all.

 

^^^Rather wait than waste(money/time or both)

 

Pretty handy place to "decorate" then eh? - they allow more airflow around the gpu's as they are right next to 'em....regardless of if they were designed to do so or not...and the abscence of them on the R3 can only reduce airflow which isnt a good thing for gpu temps however you look at it....

 

New member, I have been reading these forums for a week or so now since CES when I saw the new R3 announcement as I have always wanted an Alienware but have never had the balls to pony up the "cool tax" for one. Got a chat with a sales rep while doing a config on the new R3 and thought I'd post the answers here as they address a few questions. Take them with a grain of salt.

5:54:41 PM Customer Roger
1) If you choose no office install does it come with office 2010 starter like the xps?
5:55:15 PM Customer Roger
2) in the last hr the 3d screen and options have disappeared, should I wait a few days to order while it gets straightened out?
5:56:35 PM Agent Md Maqdoom M
1) The M17x R3 does not come with Ms Office Starter. We have option for Ms Office Home and Student and other versions available while configuring the system
5:56:59 PM Agent Md Maqdoom M
2) And I see that as of now we do not have option for 3D display on M17x R3 and it is expected to be available soon


5:59:57 PM Customer Roger
oh i did have one more question if its nto too late
6:00:06 PM Agent Md Maqdoom M
Sure
6:00:51 PM Customer Roger
I can't tell form the details, is the shell all plastic, or soft touch plastic over magnesium like the m11x? or is it metal like the m17x r2?
6:02:37 PM Agent Md Maqdoom M
As per the update we have, it comes with Aluminum/Magnesium chassis
6:02:59 PM Customer Roger
ok cool thanks.

 

Do you guys know that over here , in the UK, the R3 is MORE expensive at base level than the R2 is.....thats madness....

R3 in the UK is a joke.....$2800 for a system with one gpu which isnt even a great one, no rgbled, no more aluminium outer shell...the list goes on..AND THATS THE BASE SYSTEM

The only good thing about R3 is SB, but that aint worth $1300 for UK people or anyone for that matter....

In fact, if anyone from the UK wanted to buy an R3, it would be cheaper to buy from the US, pay vat and import duty and it would still work out cheaper than the UK price which is plain daylight robbery...

 

Look closely inside those vents They are just for DECORATION. The gpu fan intakes air form the bottom of the laptop and exhausts it to the back of the laptop period.

 

What a major disappointment. The R3 is basically like a bigger version of the M15x.

 

from what I have read from intels wireless HD site it does not work with protected content so no blu-ray, but it looks like m17x r3 has everything it needs to do wireless HD.


Intel Wireless Display


edit: oops never mind that's the older site before they updated it for HD so maybe it does do blu-ray.

 

Where is the R3 on AU site? I can not see it. I've been refreshing the page all the time.
I dont want to see something similar as the UK site on AU site

 

New R3 is pretty reasonably priced on the UK site imo, especially the RAM:



See for yourself: The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

 

psssshhhh.....just expense it

 

Shame they dont offer 64gb as i have a quarter of a million laying around here somewhere.....now where did i put it?????? - im just suprised it didnt have a "dell recommend" next to it to bleed even more cash outta us....lol

 

*sigh* Pretty disappointed in this release. Would have pulled the trigger with crossfire.

 

$5299NZD for us Kiwi's... that's plain laughable. I'm quite sure they've lost the plot now.

 

fair enough, but since march is like 3 months away, might as well wait for the elusive M18x you mentioned earlier. and since price wise, R3 is no cheaper (in most countries other than US) than R2, the future doesnt look too good for M17xR3 at the moment

 

that's what we all get for living in the UK. my M17xR2 is $1000 more expensive than buying in the US and worst part is i cant even claim that VAT back!

 

Alienware M17x Laptop Details | Dell Australia

 

Oh, what an unprofessional website update. I was looking at the Alienware Computers - Custom-Built Gaming Desktops and Laptops and nothing updated there.

BTW, why we in AU dont have the options to customize ourself. All we got is a way overpriced fully loaded R3 (2820M, 16G RAM, 460M, 1.5T raid0) with out ATI card option. We dont have a chance to change anything. I remembered Alienwares were claimed all built to order.

Seems the only thing we can choose is the screen (LoL we still have 3D screen listed although for AUD$400ish).

I was planning to put down order today but not $4000...

 

I noticed that too...im currently messing on the Aus site and see that you guys are stuck with 2820 and 16gb ram...no option to lower them and for $4000aud, without 3d screen which takes it up to close to $4500aud ($4600usd), thats a big no-no in my book! - 16gb as standard??? - talk about overkill.

Thats a whopping £3000gbp.....as a base spec (maybe take off a bit if you dont want the 3d screen - but then this is hyped for 3d isnt it?)

Be thankful, we in the UK have to pay over £100,000 for a 32gb upgrade LOL (obviously a typo)

 

so does the R3 support the intrgrated GPU ?

 

who cares at this point LOL - but i imagine, as some of those photos taken from various leaks showed integrated 3dmark06 scores of 16k, (obviously high score due to SB cpu on cpu dependant benchmarking software - without SB, that score would be alot lower meaning gpu performance aint that good in realt terms - its buffered by the cpu) i would think so....cant recall where i saw them sorry.

 

wow i so glad i got my xps 1730m replaced by a M17xR2. I really can't believe they have dropped SLI & RGBLED Screen

 

I think alot of people will be feeling like you mate, I am one of them!

 

Alienware was a bit out of my budget range of around 1500$ for a new laptop before until I see the new r3.

So now im wondering about upgrade option and pricing. Currently I dont see the new model on epp discount yet so I dont know if I can get any discount being a college student.

So the upgrade im looking at is the gpu and display. Is 1600x900 a big no on m17x and 1080p is a must have?

I checked gpu rating and see that 6870 has higher rating than 460m although 460m is more expensive.
If I upgrade both means it gets to 1700$ and hope somehow get discounted to the 15xx range...

 

Anyone seen any benchmarks (at CES or whatever) of 6870m and how it compares with 5870m crossfire? GeForce GTX 460m is a little weaker than or the same as 5870m according to benchmarks (it's roughly the same on Vantage)... but it costs more than 6870m?

I agree with others, lack of an RGB LED screen is a major MAJOR disappointment. That's the best part of R2.

 

some do care stevie.

noodle, since it was just made available today on the main site, you'll have to give it a few days to show up on EPP. This is usually the case when Dell launches a new product. You can call into EPP and check with them - there is no reason why they wont be able to configure one for you. Give them a call.

EPP Order Line:
1-866-535-3578

 

Every single one of your posts is just negative toward this R3. If you don't really care then go discuss the R2 in more appropriate forums. I mean you just got your R2 a few months ago and made clear you weren't looking to upgrade and were wondering about future proofing etc. Some people do care about the R3 as an Asus competitor. Some people actually probably are deducing probable performance expectations of the 6970 and are looking at this as a computer that could be upgraded.

Regarding 3dmark06 in another post on this page, while it is CPU dependent, it isn't to the point where 16k with integrated graphics is something to dismiss. I have a hard time even believing integrated GPU can get 16k on a benchmark. I mean most integrated GPU's can't run CS 1.6. My 2.5ghz penryn and 8800mgtx can't even break 10k.

Either way, the R3 will probably fit the bill for current people shopping Asus and trying to find a competitor. When the R3 has the 6970, that will be a very attractive single GPU solution with a great CPU and other "nannies" for about 2k. If people want bleeding edge, wait it out a bit until after Cebit and watch the hype for the next flagship.

There is value in the AW lineup and unfortunately people jumped to their own conclusions and it is their fault they are "let down."

 

Last time this is posted...

 

Agreed... I am even more appreciative of the RGB LED on the M17x-R2 now... Hope we might see it on the M18x.

Sounds like we will likely get over time, likely losing the M15x...:

M11x
M14x
M17x
M18x

 

I was considering placing an order for an r3 since it's a shocking +$50 from the XPS L702X (Feb 1)

....but it's still not even available in Canada.
There's not even a link to the product page. I just tried typing in the address format used on the USA site, here's what I get.



The r2 has some pretty nice savings right now though, ~$600 off with a package (though I don't see how the package is worth what they're advertising it to be)

EDIT:
Also, looks like they eventually plan to offer 1866MHz RAM
"Search and destroy with confidence with the new optional Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and optional XMP 1866 MHz memory."

 

Give your CA sales a call - they might have additional information and can most likely place an order even if its not showing on the CA site.

 

Does anyone has an idea of the weight?
It's written 5.3kgs in JP website but it seems a copy/paste of R2.
I love the 6 hours battery but if it's 5Kilos, it won't improve mobility at all.
Also there are 2 HDD in the notebook it seems which is a good surprise.

 

Rep: "...you are correct, sir. We also do not have access at this time."

 

Is it just me, or is it no longer showing the 3D screen in the US configurator?

 

It wasn't even there when I checked at 3pm EST (~7 hours ago)

 

I like how the red color is no longer 99.99$
The price is really not that bad too..
Although the video card choice is pretty poor..

 

I must say Dellware is pretty smart. I know the die hard gamers think the R3 was the next big gaming rig, but looks like Dell has figured how to get the mass public a Alienware. This new R3 will sell out the door to all the people not willing to spend 3 or 4k for one. It looks to be a really nice rig for a 1499.00 start price. I think they have done a good job of putting 3D good power and looks to get the sales. I can not fault them for that. On the other side we still have the R2 and now can see it for the cutting edge laptop it is. And there most likely will be a 18x coming soon as that makes great gaming since. Other companies have done the same like Harley Davidson to make their outlaw bikes mainstream. Smart marketing!

 

hopefully the prices in non US countries will come down. at the moment i cant imagine the R3 would sell anywhere except the US.

but thats probably a tactic to keep US supplies high and the US consumers happy in the initial batch.

 

The US is the biggest market so it makes sense to cater to it initially.

 

3D and Sandy Bridge are fine but having only a 460M or 6870 and no RGBLED are the dealbreakers for me. Looks like I'm going to have to wait a while longer.

 

Here is a conversation that I had with a US Dell sales rep a few minutes ago.

10:33:25 PM System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat

10:33:25 PM System Connected with Mohammed F

10:33:35 PM Mohammed F Welcome to Dell US Chat! My name is Mohammed and I will be your Dell.com Sales Chat Expert.

10:33:56 PM Lichensoul I have a few questions about the new Alienware m17x r3

10:34:10 PM Mohammed F Great! I would be happy to help you with that

10:34:46 PM Lichensoul Well i noticed that it does not have the led rbg screen like the rev2 is that going to be a upgrade later avaible for it?

10:35:32 PM Mohammed F Yes that's right we don't have the option for that ..And it will be upgraded with that later time in future

10:35:44 PM Lichensoul I also niticed that it does ot come with duel video card options. It something that is just not available at this time and will be available later also?

10:36:39 PM Lichensoul Also is the resoliution gonna stay at the 1080 or will it have the 1200 like the r2?

10:37:10 PM Mohammed F Well not pretty sure on that option if that will be added or have to go with the standard for the graphic card

10:37:50 PM Mohammed F the 1080 will be standard to upgrade not better then that on this model

10:38:37 PM Lichensoul So basicly this is going to be a down grade from the rev2 except for the proccessor and the sata/usb 3 support

10:38:50 PM Mohammed F Yes that's right Lichensoul

10:39:40 PM Mohammed F Compare to the old 17'' Alien ware

10:39:45 PM Lichensoul So is the another laptop that is going to be comming out that has will be a total upgrade from the m17x r2?

10:40:45 PM Mohammed F Well Lichensoul we don't have any official information on that as if now

10:41:05 PM Mohammed F We haven't got the details if there will be any soon
10:41:49 PM Lichensoul OK thank you for your time.

So this tell me exactly as I tought this is a computer Dell designed for Asus competition nothing more.
However it does sound like they will be getting a RBG screen for them prehaps but only a 1080 version of it.
And from his vauge response to my total upgrade question I would think there is a better option comming along soon.

 

Thanks for the answer.

How about 900p vs 1080p, is the 150$ upgrade worth it? Im currently using a hp envy 17 3d with 1080p and i love the screen idk how good alienware screens are.

 

Dave the m17x-r3 better support the igp otherwise Dell UK has majorly screwed up, the UK site states that the 460m config has Optimus which I'm guessing is where they got the extra battery life from that's been claimed on this model. Here's a screenshot:

Natadiem I don't know that anybody has any acurate info on weight, dimensions, etc at this point as the info on there now for the US site shows what look to be the exact specs for the R2. Where did you see 6 hours battery life at? That would be amazing but even with Optimus I think 6 hours is a tight squeeze no matter what config you get, if you have a source on that I'd like to see it.

 

RGBLED is dead sexy compared to the normal 900p screen and still sexy compared to any 1080p screen I've seen, but that's just me. If you ask me, 16:10 is superior to 16:9 too.

 

When I was looking at CES images for the r3, I saw a picture of the HD6970m gpu.

I cant find it anymore, but if anyone can remember it looked twice as long as a standard 6870m mxm board. So we are either looking at a desktop level 6870 labeled as a 6970m, or a dual gpu on a board design to replace the crossfire HD5870m option.

Either way, it looks like there is no crossfire/sli option for the machine at all. Overally, a downgrade for sure. It makes me think there is a M18x coming, but I doubt it.
Perhaps a M19x?

Personally, I dont care for multi-gpu setups. I would just like a full power desktop gpu in a laptop. It would take the same amount of space as 2x mxm cards and roughly the same amount of power.

Time for a new MXM standard guys! Geez! enough of this half power garbage.

My next machine will be a sandy bridge shuttle. No more lappys for me until laptop graphics get significantly better, and noise is addressed.

-Ash

 

According to uk AW website:
"Game from anywhere with best in class battery life – up to 6 hours. Power through hard core games and intense applications with the latest Intel® Core i7 CPUs."
Since the WHDI option is not ready, this is the only selling point for me.
But so far I only find 5 kilos in the detailed spec (in US, UK and JP websites...).
If it weights 3-4 kilos, I might be interested...

 

I think 3-4 kilos might be a tough squeeze for the hardware that's in it and the size of it unless it's carbon fiber or thin plastic. The 4-5 kilo range might be a bit more realistic. Even the thinner design isn't going to shave 2 kilos off of it as the M17x-R2 I had weighed in at about 6 kilos, and realistically the only peice of hardware this doesn't have that the R2 had is a second GPU.

 

I was at CES to see the M17xR.3 ( i live in vegas). The R3 is definitely shorter than the R2 and about two pounds lighter. The rep on hand said the graphics card in the unit was an AMD 6970 card. He even stated that it was an upgrade option to the 460 nvidia card. I have no idea why it isn't listed on Dell's site.

 

To the best of my knowledge the 6970 hasn't officially been released. Dellienware also usually saves the best equipment until a while after release even if it is available. Prime example of that is the Extreme SB cpu not being available and what happened with the 5870(s) in the R2.

 

This is unfortunate.
I tried last week end the P150M from Clevo which can host a 485m: it weight 3.1 kilo with the battery.
The P170M is 4 kilos...
I will visit Alienware shops in Tokyo this evening. Who knows... maybe there is a demo protoype already...