*OFFICIAL* "All Powerful" M17x-R2 Edition Owner's Lounge - Part 2

Sounds nice I'll probably buy it tomorrow, I might go searching for a 920XM too. I need one. Lol.

 

Ebay has some pretty sweet deals, just search i7 920XM and a few come up for pretty good prices. I have no idea if they're legit but they seem to be from reputable sellers.

 

They're QS/ES they're probably my best bet. There super cheap too.

 

Just be weary of the ES processors having physical damage. The chip works fine but the heatsink won't make proper contact w/the CPU because the top surface of the processor is chipped. A lot of people have run into this issue. As long as you're willing to take the risk, you'll save about $400. Keep in mind you get no warranty with those CPU's either.

 

I have had nothing but good experiences with QS chips.

And you get a few days to test them out if you buy from the right sellers on ebay.

 

Trying to find a Decent priced OEM chip might be tricky. I guess i can go searching for one.

 

Hello all. I have been having issues with my screen flickering in the last couple of days. The flickering only occurs when I am gaming. I am not sure what is going on. My guess is it is a power supply issue, but I am not sure. I have 10.3 ATI drivers and the most up-to-date BIOS update. When playing Mass Effect 2 there is constant flickering. The flickering can even be seen slightly when there is just text on the screen, the text appears to move. Here is a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLNaI9r21g

Here are my specs:

Intel Core i7 820QM 1.73GHz (3.06GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)
Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 in CrossfireX
320GB Raid 0 (2x 160GB 7,200RPM HDDs)

Thanks in advance.

 

Defective video card, call AW tech support. ATi quality really blows.

 

True that...I don't like the 4870 TBH, I rather a 285 or another decent card like the 470. That would be nice.

 

I'm not sure I'd want the 285 at this point since it's just an OC'd 280M. I however am looking forward to mobile fermi whenever that shows up.

 

I have not noticed anyone reporting flickering with dual-core configuration on R2.

 

The 5870 is tearing it up.

Best part is you can get them in systems now. I have been waiting for Fermi for what seems like forever.

 

Just so we can clear up the term flickering and how it was originally applied (due to a bad bios) see this post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=6059355&postcount=4615

One is flickering (bios/power issue that A02 fixed) and the other is simply a case of having a bad GPU. Both look quite different. It seems people are confusing the two issues which is understandable but hopefully that post makes a clear distinction for those that didn't know the difference.

 

And it isn't all ATi fault as TSMC makes the chips for them.

From what I have heard and also see, ATi is having production issues not with only the 4870 but the 5870 as well.

 

470 is the Mobile Fermi i think its GDDR5 etc DirectX11 Or however you spell it. It just came out for desktop..who knows when it'll be out on Laptop. I hope soon...

 

I just hope the 5870s don't GSOD and prematurely die like they do for the G73 version. I'll probably grab a pair once dell spare parts has them.

 

Asus makes there own cards and, obviously, they cut corners as they are cheap.

The 5870's in the W870 are def either ATi or another better odm like foxconn.

 

Yes but the GSOD issue that's plagued ATi cards has still not been fully resolved since last I checked ATi resorted to clocking the cards higher as a temporary band aid. Personally I trust nVidia hardware to be more reliable in the long run than ATi.

 

IMO the hardware side seems equal between red and green.

The software/driver side always was one-sided towards green.

I think with ATi now providing drivers directly this might help though.

 

I am an owner, but am still having flickering issues. Hope to resolve them with Dell Friday morning. Love the laptop otherwise.

 

Now I know the NV cards aren't perfect, but honestly TSMC builds chips for both NV and ATI and the ATI ones are having problems. So I think that's a choice on the quality of chips that pass QC, which doesn't leave me with warm fuzzy feelings for ATI.

What ATI does have is performance and DX11. So they are equipped for the fight. Just waiting to see if the bugs get worked and the drivers start flowing every 30 days. So far, I'm not convinced.

I wouldn't touch a NV chipset if you paid me. But the GPU's, while not the fastest in every area, at least work when you want them to.

 

I can honestly say I have NO issues with my nvidia chipset thus far....only thing that could become a concern is the overclockability. But so far the cpu voltage is low enough it is never a concern

The driver support could maybe be better, but the storage drivers are not needed (and actually should be avoided if you want TRIM support in win 7).

 

Took some more pictures to share:

http://imgur.com/OwKmP.jpg
http://imgur.com/jS6wm.jpg
http://imgur.com/USbu3.jpg
http://imgur.com/d5I9o.jpg
http://imgur.com/QZdPh.jpg
http://imgur.com/Zb7Ve.jpg
http://imgur.com/MFJTQ.jpg
http://imgur.com/LdsGY.jpg
http://imgur.com/58nDQ.jpg

the last one was supposed to do the screen justice, but it didn't. You really have to see the RGB LED in person.

 

Sweet pics!

 

Alright, another fan of silver!

 

Silver = no fingerprints. My m17x R-1 was black and I'm so glad I returned it.

besides, all the places where there is lighting (besides the alienhead on the back) is surrounded by black.

 

It is also VERY hard to see the scratches you may accrew on the silver (mine goes in and out of a backpack alot next to zippers and a clipboard).

And everyone else does not have silver, unlike red and black haha. I think I would only want black if I could replace the alienhead with a batman sybol and have it always be yellow haha

 

Can you PM me?, I want to ask about using these pics. Thanks!

 

I should have gotten silver the first time, but of course my R2 replacement came in black.

 

AMD released a driver update specifically for ME2, if crossfire is enabled along with AA that might cause flickering. Try the fix maybe it works.

AMD Hotfix

 

What is the screen level brightness? 15 levels or still 7 levels, like the CCFL 1200P. ZenithNoesis, nice pics, mine is also in sliver less hard to see fingerprints i agree. Where do get the picture? I want more like that its awesome dude!

 

7 levels of brightness.
Regarding the fingerprints, yeah, black's a pain, but for now i keep a microfiber cloth nearby and clean it every day or two..

 

Yeah a second request for the wallpaper - very cool.

scook your Batman suggestion is pure quality. I want one now!

 

Silver FTW.... on finger prints!

Truthfully, I think the Lunar Shadow of the M15x beats them all... the Lunar Silver is just a bit more "look at me" than I care for. Ah, but I love it just the same !

 

Seriously, would it be cheaper to get them through Dell as spare parts? I thought everyone was saying that was the worst way to go... unless maybe you can apply an EPP discount to the purchase

 

So what's the word on i7 720 vs. 820 in terms of gaming only, worth the $350?

 

No.

10char.

 

Livetaswim and Joker,

Thank you. I will try the ATI hotfix when I get home from work. Hopefully that will solve the problem and I will not have to go through the hassle of dealing with tech support.

Ryan

 

wow, Joker was right. Metro2033 rapes the 4870 crossfire.
I am playing on High@native resolution and i can't say it's completely smooth.
Plus the cards get hot.. Memory on the slave card got to 80C...

 

That's why they call it the "Bleeding Edge". You pay a huge money and the next demanding game kills it, hehe.
I remember how scary it was to play Dragon Age (on max) with cards hitting 80-85c stable....

 

Could it be that the game is just, I don't know, "inefficient"?
I can't say the game has the best visual quality I've seen yet it's the most demanding I have seen.

 

I'd chalk it up to unoptimized code + the lack of driver optimizations for it. It's an nVidia sponsored game so that doesn't help matters much. Visuals are okay but definitely not the best, I prefer the BFBC2 visuals.

 

I like the Wikipedia description that says the graphics look like a PS1

How's the game play btw? it seems to get good reviews despite the graphics...

 

Graphics are as good as an Unreal Engine 3 game. They're pretty good IMO.

 

Hi guys,

I just got a sweet deal on an R1 this morning. I was holding out for an R2 5870 but the deal was too good to pass up.

What are your thoughts on performance of an R1 4870 cf vs the R2.

With all the R2 issues i've read about i'm comfortable with a R1. I have one i bought my wife and the dpc studder is now gone and the wireless issue was fixed using the 1510 driver.

Considering that most games are GPU intensive now i didnt expect a huge difference between an OC'ed qx9300 with CF and an i7 system.

i paid 2900 with tax for this system:
qx9300
RED
1200p
8gb 1333
2x 256ssd raid 0
4870's cf
bluray burner
BT
W7Pro
3yr complete care
2day shipping

 

Pretty good deal and the performance difference will be minimal in games. The i7 920xm definitely outruns the qx9300 but you will only see the diference in very CPU intensive games and applications. The R1 is a perfectly good alternative as long as you're okay with the CCFL. For me, the RGB LED is the primary reason I got the M17x with the dual card configuration being secondary. BTW what issues with the R2 are you speaking about? The system as of right now has no real flaws. It's missing virtualization but that should come in a bios update.

 

I had read about numerous issues like loose cf cables, studdering, problems with the 920's.

I'm glad to see that the issues were addressed.

of course assuming the sweet sales going on now are to clear inventory for a R2 5870 announcement next week i could change my tune. we'll see.

thanks for responding joker.

 

Toshiba introduced 750gb and 1tb 2.5" hdds.
http://sdd.toshiba.com/main.aspx?Path=StorageSolutions/PCNotebookHardDrives/MKxx59GSMSeries

 

Can you please stop cross-posting in all these threads? HIGHLY annoying.

And you did it with your pictures too.

 

i never cross posted my pictures, and the nfo about the hard disks was a honest mistake.. so i edited it out on the other thread and posted it here.

What's up sleey? having a bad day ?