New to AW and the board

Hi all As a surprise, my husband ordered me an Alienware 17. He is pretty technology retarded (still love him lol) so he pretty much just had the basics. Once I found out he did this and found this forum, I realized "man, should have upgraded some stuff". The upside is that I don't play FPS or very intense games - newer games haven't grabbed my attention that much. About the only newer game that I would try to and push is Diablo 3 and possibly Skyrim (but I have this on my Xbox already). I am more RPG and played Baulders Gate, Neverwinter Nights when I did have a PC that I gamed on.

I think even though he left it pretty much stock, it should (hopefully) push what I want to play. If not, I might pass that one on to him and order my own He did get a good deal and he knew I have been wanting one for YEARS so it was nice of him :thumbsup:

Right now, it is in production even though a shipping label was created - but no data from Fed Ex yet. I can hardly wait!!

If you have any recommendations/suggestions - I would be very open to them. I don't need multiple hard drives or anything - I am pretty simple lol

This is what he got (and I know it isn't the "best" there was):

• 17.3 inch (439.42 mm) WLED HD+ (1600 x 900) Anti-Glare Display
• 4th Gen Intel Core i5-4210M
• Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (9.5mm)
• Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
• 1TB 5400RPM SATA 6Gb/s
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics with 2GB GDDR5
• 8GB (2X4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz SDRAM Memory

 

u really need to get an SSD. that HDD will be a major bottleneck on your system

 

I would have no idea how to even begin that unfortunately

 

very easy

Firstly, choose on of the below SSDs:

- Samsung 840 EVO 1TB $404 USD

or

- Samsung 850 512GB SSD (one of the fastest SSDs in the world, I didn't put the 1TB 850 PRO because it is ridiculously expensive) - $371 USD

- Samsung 850 PRO 256GB SSD - $200 USD [ I recommend this highly, it's cheap, has superb performance


Now, when you get the SSD, you would clone your currently installed OS to the new SSD, The Samsung SSDs have their own free data migration wizard which makes this task a breeze

Next, after you have cloned your preinstalled OS and verified you are booting off the new SSD, you would wipe you 1 TB HDD that came with the laptop, and keep it as your D: partition for storing those large videos, pics, etc. files that don't really need any fast performance

But your OS, installed programs, games, would all go on the SSD

Loading times would be a fraction of what they would on that slow turtle 1TB 5400 RPM HDD and the overall system snapiness would be like a night and day difference

Furhteremore, we are all hear to help you do this step by step, it's very very easy

 

Thanks so much! I will take that 256GB one lol Once I get them all, I will post if I have any questions

 

Perfect choice! That's what I have, it is way better than my 840 EVO 1TB and my previous 840 PRO 512GB

Look how it does in real world benchmarks here:

AnandTech | Bench - SSD

Bear in mind these are REAL world benchmarks not some synthetic benchmarks which don't necessarily translate into real world performance.

Additionally, the SAMSUNG dirves are known for their reliability and they come with an awesome tool called Samsung Magician which enables you to easily configure them and tweak the OS for SSDs without having to do many registry tricks, it's a once click tweak button that actually works.

 

Suppose I need to get a cable or does it just plug in the empty slot? (I am searching around here lol)

 

Hi, the only 'downside' I see (other than an SSD) is the panel res. The 1080x1920 is way nicer.

Right now he managed to duck a bullet though! The top GPU, the 880m is one of the worst cards to come out of NV for around 3 years and now has a reputation of 'Do Not Buy!'.

As there is a technology update coming along (soon hopefully) there should be some killer deals as dell try to off-load stock right now .

As for gaming, try out Batman Arkham City. Cheap as dirt right now, very pretty, and who knows, 3rd person perspective, open world, with some thinking involved, might open up a whole world of games

It can be a bit of a button masher sometimes but get an x-box 360 controller for windows and you are gold. Also, if you like 3d puzzles/platformer then get Portal, it's also very funny. Truly gave me some LOL moments.

Good luck and as said there's a lot of good help available here.

Game Victorious

 

no you don't need to get anything

your alienware's SATA cable that is currently connected to the tutle HDD actually has two cables in it, one that is connected to the HDD and one that is lying around freely

so you simply first clone the HDD to the SSD, then remove both and swap their positions as the HDD would be in port 0, so you would wanna put the SSD in port 9 and the HDD in port 1, they are also labeled on the side of the drive bracket so don't worry, we'll be with you as I said step by step

 

Thanks both of you!

Well good thing to know he didn't get the bad card LOL I figured for the non system draining games I play - what he got would be sufficient lol However, my games do drain a normal laptop which they aren't even "normal" any more. I LOVE portal - have played it on my xbox

Sweet on not needing anything else... Drive purchased!!

 

My all time favorite, played it through a few times just to make sure I didn't miss any dialogue while laughing! Portal2 time then. Steam is a good place to buy games, and looks like it's going to be the only survivor of the one-stop-shops war.

If you do go for another one, wait a few weeks and go for a 120hz display. Portal in 3D is just awesome/jaw dropping (as are many other titles)

 

If I get another, it will probably an 18 and not until around the 1st of the year some time

 

Good choice, I went for the 18 and 17 at the same time so I could send one back - typical mail order purchaser .

The extra screen size was nice but once I saw how good the 3D was the 18 went back. I'm always trying to promote 3D since most people have seen 3D films and are not impressed. This is a totally different system, it gives 5 times, yes 5 times the refresh rate of a 3D film and twice the vertical resolution. I know that 3D is very subjective but so far everyone I have spoken to loves it as well.

You also get the smoother (subjective term) 120hz display. Contrast is much better - and I had them side-by-side with identical settings.

If you're waiting then research the Maxwell NV cards when they are released to be sure NV haven't messed up again! You wouldn't want two of them fighting you haha.

Enjoy

 

hahaha I will do that... honestly, I am NOT a 3D person at all .. I refuse to watch anything with it lol It hurts my eyes too much (other issues with that). I had a ruptured Brain Aneurysm July 3rd so my eyes are sensitive which is probably why he didn't get that screen lol

I am really stoked though to get it. Just waiting on that magical moment when it actually ships lol

 

The 120hz refresh may be better for you without the 3D, but as I said you cannot compare it to the eye-straining 3D you see in films, I hate that even though I got a 3D TV - never use it. It just bugs me how badly it is implemented.

On this I can game for over two hours without any eyestrain but if you try both then please let me know how it goes.

Sorry to hear about the Aneurysm, recovering from a stroke and brain surgery myself, not fun!!! Hope it's continuing improvement for you.

Hahahaha, my eyes!! I just looked at your location and saw Displaced Call Girl

 

LOL hope you recover as well.. apparently I had 2 strokes before I went to doc for my "headache" and never knew .. whoopsy! Yeah we moved to Virginia (such a crap state lol) ... until I can upgrade the screen - I have this I was hoping to use?

ASUS VS228H-P 22-Inch Full-HD 5ms LED-Lit LCD Monitor - Asus VS228H-P Specs - CNET

Think that would be OK?

 

So weird. I was living in Reston VA (been there 10 years) when I had two prior mini-strokes, then the major one, then a pulmonary embolism. Finally found out the cause but way too late for me. I'll PM as medical discussions are not allowed here.

The monitor looks fine to me. A straight HDMI cable should work fine as well.

 

Perfect! Post back when you get it and we'll be virtually with you in every step

 

Look at these benchmarks and you'll se the 850 PRO 256GB SD beating even the 1TB 850 PRO which is a very strange senario

AnandTech | Samsung SSD 850 Pro (128GB, 256GB & 1TB) Review: Enter the 3D Era

 

So to give you a good laugh for the day.... I have had a fed ex tracking number since Sunday(I believe) and the tracking hasn't moved and says "initiated" .. never updates. Then I go to my order on dell and it says: "Your order is partially shipped.
Your items may be shipped separately and delivered on different dates in order to complete your delivery as quickly as possible."

That would be interesting delivery - in pieces lol

But my drive will be here Saturday - already shipped

 

Don't go by that "in production" thing on the website..and waiting for it to go to "shipped". I just recently got my 17, and when it surprisingly arrived at my door(I actually missed the Fedex guy by 10 minutes because I had no idea it had been shipped and wasn't expecting a delivery),the website order still said "in production" I've heard that happens alot with Dell/Alienwares.

 

I think the configuration is fine. It's not something we get here much since we like high end and all, but the 1600x900 resolution will work great with that processor and graphics card.

The Samsung 850 PRO is probably one of the best SSDs you can get. That was a good choice. I run 840 PROs in all of my computers currently and they've been rock solid.

I prefer doing a fresh install using the windows reinstall disc the computer comes with, but if that seems a bit too much then cloning will be more convenient.

 

lol no I wasn't going by it... I just found the humor in the partial shipment

 

actually playing rpgs w/o SSD is still fine imo, i got my D3 installed in my secondary regular HDD and i didn't see drops in FPS.
i originally installed D3 in my SSD @ launch but D3 was meh, so i moved it to HDD to save space. I got back playing D3 after patch 2.0 and i didn't moved it back to SSD since i thought i'm just testing it.
Turns out 2.0 was awesome and i ended up still playing it from HDD until my GPU died recently.
So yeah no noticeable bottleneck on D3 between playing it from SSD vs HDD.
The only noticeable difference on SSD would be on windows startup imo and some productivity programs.
On games your bottleneck would be mostly on the GPU and latency for online games. Correct me if i'm wrong.
But since you already bought the SSD anyway, congrats, i never thought buying SSD is a bad buy like some ppl keeps telling me. Oh and that specs on AW 17 is just fine, i think your husband did a great job.

 

Thanks I don't play online... like ever... so I don't have to worry about that part too much Just something that has never interested me ... I am pretty sure my games are so old school that everything should be proficient .. I am lame like that

 

So finally it is on a Fed Ex truck - picked up and coming from Chicago... it said be here tomorrow and I laughed because delivery on Saturday isn't happening so I figure Monday... SWEEET!!!! I am so excited! I have been redoing my office area (painting, carpets, furniture etc... ) so that it will be all pretty for its arrival.. My SSD is here already and everything else so now just waiting... and I am soooooooo not a patient person

 

Congrats, i know the feeling, and you gotta wait thru the whole weekend, oh the agony. Hope you can sleep well if at all. LOL.

 

Oh my!! Fed Ex is delivering it today!!!! It is "Out for delivery"...

 

Did you post lookouts at the end of the street, haha....

 

What does the delivery day say?

I've had a package from FedEx that was "out for delivery" on Saturday and didn't get it until Monday. I believe FedEx Home Delivery does Saturdays while FedEx Ground does not. So if it's shipped through home delivery you will probably have it today.

 

Home delivery

 

Should be getting it real soon then :thumbsup:

 

And I have it!!!!!! So purty

Now setting it up and will play some in a bit.... Wooohoo!!

 

Enjoy your new toy Try not to drool on the keyboard lol....

 

whew! got the SSD in, clean installed windows, drivers, alienware look/feel (because I like it lol) and had to reinstall some games. Changing the boot order in the bios took some brain power I didn't want to give up but finally got that part

Now it's good to go and I will return to playing my lame old games

 

Shame there's no hyperthreading in the i5 series.

 

not sure that would matter for me lol

 

you got it, playing D3 won't use any hyperthreading whatsoever. Enjoy.