*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 Ranger (2013) Owner's Lounge Thread

Hey guys,
Odd query. Have a AW 17 R1 (M17x R5) - one of the key (letter B) recently became lose - one of the tiny rubber "latch" under the key fell off, so it no longer attaches the key in place - the butterfly bit is fine. To replace the whole AW 17 keypad in the UK is pretty costly (even used). There are cheaper options from abroad, though takes 2 weeks from China (slow). It's easier and more cost effective for me to replace 1x key than the whole keyboard.

I could track down a AW 14 keypad more easily and cheaply. Would a key from the backlit AW 14 fit on the AW 17?

 

Alienware 17 System BIOS A15 (Release date 23 Feb 2018)
Fixes & Enhancements
Update to the latest CPU microcode to address CVE-2017-5715 and associated Intel Reboot issue

 

Surprising

 

@javers

Would you be able to tell what microcode this is using? I looked at the BIOS details on the dell site and doesnt really mention anything. If this is just v23 then its a skip for me.

If not then is it possible to inject the updated microcode into the A14+ BIOS or would we need to re-unlock A15 ?

 

Read. Results from the Updated firmware for AW18.

What is your µCU code on your Aw 17? And is it from Dell's old Bios? Thanks.

 

Im on v22 its in my signature, the BIOS as you may recall is the A14 BIOS with the updated code, but not with v23 (as that was a botch job) or v24 as is indicated in your link to that members feedback

Am I reading that correctly? The loss of performance is even greater than the previous iteration?

 

v24 as indicated in the link is the updated µ-code for AW18 (from the new Bios released 23 Feb 2018).

 

Looks like the performance isnt great either unless I am reading that wrong...

 

Seems awful. The result would be even worse if he have the test results with Meltdown protection disabled (old bios).

 

I have install it on the AW17, is Microcode 24

 

Yeah, I know. But have you tested the performance vs. what you got with older µ-code and bios? Thanks.

 

Not so good...

µ-Code 22 BIOS A14: Geekbench: Single Core 4807, Multi Core 16401
µ-Code 24 BIOS A15: Geekbench: Single Core 4404, Multi Core 14002

 

hello, does anybody here have the prema mod gsync vbios working download link backup for gtx 980m for alienware 17 r1 120hz? ive been searching for it since yesterday but cant find a working link uploaded here in the forum...thanks in advance

 

Contact Prema.

There is no gsync version of the Ranger that I am aware.

 

None should share mod firmware they haven't created themself.

 

but is it ok to flash a modified non-gsync gtx 980m vbios on a aw 17 r1 120hz? i installed a msi gtx 980m g sync (with device id 1617) with stock bios on aw17 and got a very low firestrike score of 7300..so i think modifying the vbios will solve the problem..tnx sir

 

Screen also needs to be G-Sync.

Also I wouldnt know about flashing untested vBIOS onto a working card. If you cant find any precedent for it then its basically up to you to figure that out.

 

Quick Question:

What MiniDP Version the AW 17 R1/R5 has?

I'm having issues with the DELL Visor if using the 1.4 HDMI output.

 

I've tried a 144Hz external monitor and let me configure properly, setting the monitor as the external cable is a DP1.2,

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

Thanks!!!!

 

Thanks again!

I can confirm is 1.2, now I have HDMI 2.0 Adapter working and Dell Visor is working great!

 

A few new benchmarks from my old Alienware 17 (the last true AW17 from Dell's factory). @Ashtrix +++ all not mentioned, but not forgotten.

https://hwbot.org/submission/3843980_papusan_cinebench___r15_core_i7_4930mx_876_cb


https://hwbot.org/submission/3843983_papusan_superpi___1m_core_i7_4930mx_8sec_384ms


https://hwbot.org/submission/3844005_papusan_wprime___32m_core_i7_4930mx_5sec_280ms


BGABook,TurdBook,JokeBoo

 

help\

I have Alienware 17 Base, geforce GTX 780 with 4GB.
Can I upgrade my graphics card to GTX 980M or higher

 

Heads up guys, on the mSATA we have in our machines. Samsung silently pushed an update to the 860 series mSATA, we now have Samsung 860 Evo 1TB option for $299 for this with 3D V-NAND 3-Bit MLC (Which is TLC) and MJX controller upgrade from MEX is a huge plus and the 600TBW unbeatable and world leading endurance is insane as well & warranty is at 5-Years, same. A tip - the new Samsung T5 drives they have 2TB mSATA drives in them. Custom made by Samsung you can try them if you want moar storage. BUT the controller is MGX which is power efficient and high latency vs the MEX in the 850 Evo. And the latest 860 packs the best with MJX.

Also I think after their new 860 Pro (4TB SATAIII is an option ) & 970 Pro refreshes (unfortunately no 2TB, still not worth the hassle for thee NVMe drives as they heat up pretty fast drop in perf and need passive cooling and not so much improved speeds over SATAIII except for OS boot) with 2-Bit MLC 3D V-NAND that would be the last of MLC technology as a whole simply because no competition and no one has an MLC drive anymore worthy to mention, a few couple of them are there but very old either or the perf, endurance and warranty cannot meet the same class. SanDisk Extreme Pro 960 is the last great MLC drive from SanDisk with 10YR warranty which pushed Samsung for 850 Pro to have the same 10Yr warranty, no more of that sweet warranty as WD bought them and they are heavily invested in BiCS 3D NAND technology (Co Developed with Toshiba) which is a TLC again but reliable and worth the price.

Here enjoy these video(s) too

Yes you can, check the unlocked BIOS thread. It has all the info you will ever need. Please take your time to read is slowly and do the upgrade. A heads up for you is to make sure which panel you are running the 120Hz or the 60Hz.

How to know which mode ?

- Use fn+f5 if it asks for a reboot it means you have 60Hz, Also another way is to go to device manager and see under display adapters if you see both Intel and Nvidia then it means 60Hz again ofc if you are running the Nvidia only mode then it will only show up as Nvidia. So the best way is fn+f5 which works from both the modes. (60Hz - Optimus, 120Hz - dGPU / PEG - which is only Nvidia GFX mode, preferably the best and only mode worth to use, unless you want battery backup)

And prepare the system for Full UEFI support as the Maxwell and future (Pascal) will need the BIOS settings from Legacy option and UEFI with Legacy (these are options 2 of 3) should be changed to UEFI only (3rd option of 3). Again please read that thread if you really don't want to miss anything on this machine as it has lots of information.

Update : As with the 970 series Samsung slashed the price off the mSATA as well to $270 now.

 

I AW17 family! I've just finally 'upgrade' from win 8.1 to win10 and it was time for it

Do we have a Win10 driver order list thread somewhere? If we do I could not find it.

 

780m is now dead. Irritating since I had it at 56c load temp for practically the last 5 months.

Guess Ill have to look for a m6100 when I get some cash, should work well enough until I can get a WX7100.

 

Man... Sorry for u. I have a 880m and 980m. I'll send u a pm.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

Good to hear from ya, I am broke a long while yet but selling off some Ranger parts in the mean time.

 

Hello all, my Alienware 17 have a R9 m290x that is faulty (everytime that I install the AMD driver the computer freezes and won't enter in windows anymore) a v-bios can fix something or not?

Anyone has a 880m or a 980m for a good price?

Thank you in advance,

Enviado do meu Huawei Mate 10 Pro através do Tapatalk

 

Hit up @Nomad

Might be worth an inquiry

 

Hello everyone,

This is my first time here and I would like to ask pointer if possible, thanks in advance

I have an Alienware 17 (bought it late 2014 with service tag of FZD5Q12) So i guess it is a R1 version.

Display: 60hz matte display
OS: I upgraded it from win 8.1 to 10
BIOS ver: A15
CPU: i7-4910MQ
Heatsink: 3 pipes
Adapter: 240 watts
GPU: nVidia geforce gtx 880m (maybe dead)

Apparently my device encountered a VIDEO_XXX (sorry forgot) error and my device freezes and then shutdown.

When I restarted it, my gtx card could not be used anymore, somehow the Device Manager (Display adapter) for my 880m gpu have "!" with code error 43, and yes I spent 1 week to do all the tricks online to fix this but with no avail.

I bought a gtx 980m online to replace my 880m because I thought that I can do a simple update on my AW17 however I'm hesitant to do the upgrade as I've noticed that I have to update my BIOS as such base on this thread, sorry I'm new to this so I can't understand much and the term used.

The reason that I bought the 980m is because I thought it is an easy upgrade by following these tutorials:

and


Question:
1. In the videos I have not seen the need to update BIOS or use VBIOS (are these same)?

2. Do I need to use modified gpu device driver when I use my 980m?

3. Does the video tutorials are wrong?

I'm currently doing my best to readback on this thread and on any other thread for help, however it would be much appreciated if you guys here could help out. If you need more information from me please let me know.

Best Regards,

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-17-with-gtx-980m.803688/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/7nrep3/help_with_upgrading_alienware_17_r1_to_gtx_980m/

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3467107/alienware-2013-upgrade-980m.html

 

Hello Sir, thanks for the links, but I have seen these.
What I'm looking for is the step by step procedure how to upgrade to 980m if possible.

 

I found these

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/alienware-17-60hz-gtx980m-upgrade.768673/

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-m17x-r4-without-optimus-working-great.777145

It seems more difficult than I thought.

I wish I could communicate with @DARCODER since I don't have the privilege to post in your forum or send you a message. I only wanted an advice how I could properly install my 980M to my AW17 R1, infos are posted above. I hope to hear from you. Appreciated.

 

Well , I installed a gtx 880m in my current M17X R4 , so I'm assuming it's the same process for AW 17 R1

1)I flashed unlocked bios
2)Install the card (maybe modify heatsink)
3)Download nvidia driver and modify nvidia nvdmi file
4)Reboot with signature verification turn off
5)Install nvidia driver
6) Boom .. all set.

I might be installing a gtx 1080 today in the M17X R4.

 

Hey good luck on the install of the 1080, all attempts of installation on the Ranger were fruitless

 

Thanks for the support lol.

 

I think the Ranger just cant handle 200w out the MXM slot and thats why 3d applications failed but worked fine in Windows. The MSI 1070 worked fine and that was at 150w. But of course it could be something else that were unaware of.

Maybe the R4 was better built as many feel the decline started with the 2013 / 2014 update.

In any case Im sure people will be quite interested in your results

 

I currently have the M17X R4 and will be getting the AW 17 R1 by tonight. I have the dual PSU 330 Watts ... well in any case , we will find out lol.

 

Hi thanks for the info, I have questions.
* The unlocked bios, where can I get those? Currently I have A15 or A14. Are they called unlocked bios?

* I assume that your step #3 is the failed installation of driver, then after the failure modify the inf file, then continue the installation at step #5. Is my understanding is correct?

Thank you sir much appreciated.

Btw goodluck to your project, I have such a weak heart to do 1000 series so I stayed on 900 >.< but I will follow your results, it would be nice to see how you do it. Goodluckkkk

 

You may want to consult with @EepoSaurus as he has previous experience with his attempts with the 1080 on the Ranger, it may prove useful in your attempts

 

Can someone link me to the latest AW 17 R1 Unlocked bios ?

 

Hi guys, anyone had any success using Oculus Rift or HTC Vive on a Ranger with the GTX880M GPU? I know it's under-spec for VR, but if it can be used even with settings lowered, I would be tempted, I'm planning on building a desktop purely to run VR on, but can't afford to buy the whole lot in one go!

It's only my GPU that is underspec - I've got the i7-4930MX CPU and 32gb RAM. Anyone tried VR on their Ranger?

Regards
Dave

 

Alienware 17 doesnt need anything more than 330w unless A. GTX 1080 is confirmed working and TDP modded for 200w (assuming the zotac card can handle 200w and also the 17's MXM slot can deliver it) and B. has a modified CPU heatsink to handle more than 120w.

M18x R2? sure, Aw17 Ranger? seems like a waste of money to me.

 

I have the Windows Mixed Reality from Dell, works like a charm with the DP 1.4 Adapter to HDMI 2.0.

Note:
I own the GTX 1070 & 4940MX

 

Hi there Fellow Rangers!

Wasnt here for a long time but boy I wish I had earlier...

So alls fine with your rangers since last post is from september?
Thats great!!

Have some problems obviously with the machine - bsod

I had the following text in a word document prepared to post here long ago - but I did not post it ormaybe i did in the alienwarearena site to papusan but got no reply so went on with using my comp.


"I have 4710MQ, Radeon R9 M290X, 16G (4x4) 1600 MHz RAM, and these disks inside:
Windows 8.1 OS on an SK hynix SH920 mSATA 256GB ( it came with it out of the box in 2014).
1T TOSHIBA HD for storage ( it came with it out of the box in 2014).
Samsung SSD 850 PRO 256GB (added later for games and programs)
I thought of putting OS and some programs on Samsung since its much faster then Skhynx one.
Installed Samsung SSD a while ago but didnt have the nerve of messing with windows reinstall.
Decided that win10 was not for me.
Didnt even feel comfortable making Samsung AHCI mode in bios, had no time figuring out why and how so I thought of asking for advice.
Have the factory alienrespawn files on an usb stick since the beginning but in a folder not in root - is that a problem when reinstalling?
Does the position of the HD, SSD inside mean anything or is it of no importance, my HD is in the middle."


So the only thing I had ever done to it is repaste cpu/gpu and put an aditionalSSD. And cleaned the fans few times.
And the other day it starts bsoding on me, going into boot repair loops with blue screen and those messages.
As far as I can tell its windows reinstall time.
My >C disk was way full for some time and I suspect its the cause. I have tried deleting things, not installing anything new but the damn thing got fuller and fuller.
So thats why I said I wish I did this post earlier and avoid this situation.

I would like to reinstall windows 8.1 to samsung sataiii ssd and have the msata ssd (current os ssd) for aditional storage.
What do I do?
I have the windows cd and the alienware drivers cd. I have the respawn image too.
Do I have to remove skhynx ssd to do the reinstalling to samsung?

Help please

 

Im not really sure what it is you're asking.

Are you asking for advice on how to install Windows 8.1? In any installation you can point to what ever installation medium is available. If you have 2 SSD's then you would pick one to install to.

 

Well, I guess so.
How do you reinstall on the second ssd while the main one, curently, is bsoding in the boot loop?
I can get to bios - then what?

I know this looks pretty nooby coz it is.

 

During the installation of Windows you select what SSD you install to.

Remove the ssd you think is having an issue from the boot order.

Though its hard to tell whats causing your bootloop, if you installed as RaidOn and you changed to AHCI then you will have bootloop.

 

Havent changed a thing ever.

That was my trouble - do I remove the msata or is there a way around it, you know its no easy acces.