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

ya its the Broadcom 4352

 

Is it listed as a DCOM error in event viewer? - are there as many instances of that as the error in autopsy? - if so, one of the things that I found was that I had to disable ipv6 connectivity, as UK broadband providers do not currently fully support ipv6. Maybe post a screenie or some more info....

 

Not sure about that yet, but the two fans do behave differently (at the same temps). I am waiting for HWiFO32's creator who wrote this:
"I'd need reports of new Alienware models which are not yet supported. And if there are no big changes against current models, I can add support pretty quick."
I responded, but he hasn't got back yet.

 

yeah the GPU fan seems to run quieter and much hotter than the CPU whenever in a game

 

That's because the CPU usually requires more cooling than the GPU does. The fans act independently of each other, obviously.

 

i tried disabling ipv6 thru wifi properties and thru regedit. neither helped the wifi recption.

 

I think this is because the GPU cooling solution is more efficient than that of the CPU. For a start you've got 3 heat pipes transporting the heat to the cooling fins, instead of the 2 or 1 (not sure) for the CPU, and also the TDP of the 780M is a lot higher than the CPU (100W vs 47W). For both of those reasons the cooling system for the GPU is quieter, yet at the same time dissipating/outputting more heat from the exhausts in contrast to that of the CPU cooling system.

 

Since people here say the CPU fan makes more noise than the GPU fan I would very much appriciate to be able to control the CPU fan alone. Make them run equally fast or something

 

If hwinfo is modified for the m17 then you will probably loose separate control. On mine both fans get triggered by the GPU temp and the speeds set are for both fans but I'm sure a different sensor (CPU) set can be used...

 

Yep, if you can live with the higher CPU temps.

 

I see, then hopefully I will be able to downvolt the 780M to keep them as quiet as long as I can
Can you make profiles with hwinfo? One for gaming, another one for surfing? Do you have to start the program everytime you boot up or do it automatically load up your fan speeds?

 

I think this is a complicated way of going about it all. I'd just ensure that the entire cooling system was optimised from your point of view: good notebook cooler or flat surface / possible re-paste of CPU & GPU if you find evidence of a bad paste job / make sure dust isn't accumulating. Then the fans won't need to kick in so hard, yet temperatures will still be good, without any need for undervolting, instead you may be able to overvolt & overclock!

 

So, are the 320.49 drivers working for the 780M?

 

Just the one fan profile table with trigger temp=speed. I believe it can be auto-loaded but I only used it for a short period. You'll need to research it (fan control in hwinfo64) as it can mess things if you get it wrong - I managed to disable the fans altogether with a mistaken setting (that I cannot remember )

 

I like doing it the hard way lol. I thought about using a modded vbios for 680M with lower voltage, but never got the time to do so.

With 780M its more important than ever since it tends to run pretty hot no matter what cooling system you have. There is only this much paste and a clean notebook can do you know

Im pretty sure Dell have a fan table in the firmware that have different steps on fan speeds vs temperature. If i can keep it at step #3 instead on step #4 its totally worth it. Especially if CPU follows the GPU temp

Yikes that sounds pretty dangerous. Well in normal scenarios with temperature increasing slowly, i think the hardware can endure something like that since they shut down the system if too hot. Would be worse if happen to run Furnark with temps going skyrocket pretty fast though

 

Looking to find out if anyone knows will a m17x r2 power brick work on the 17? Got an extra one left after I sent in my old r2 and it cost a lot.
Be nice if it the plugs are the same.

 

Anyone have any benchmarks?

 

Well I was thinking about updating from my R4 to the 17 because I really wanted a matte screen. I don't need to upgrade but the promise of extra graphics and CPU power would have been nice (Rome II is releasing soon ) but was not the primary reason I was thinking of upgrading. The only thing that was putting me off was the limited choices in customising the build. I would have been buying in Australia and there are four primary builds available and if you select the 780M graphics card then you have to have 2 x 750 GB hard drives in RAID 0 and I want an SSD as my boot drive. I know I can change it when I get the computer but it is a bit annoying; even so I was still thinking about it.

Well I have just had a read through the graphics throttling problems that some people are having and I remember clearly the angst with the R3 regarding this problem. Anyway I have decided that this problem + the limited builds available = me waiting till next year to decide If there were no reports of GPU throttling and if the builds were more flexible then I probably would have purchased a new 17 in September when I will be back in Oz but I am sorry Dell; my money is staying in my pocket until you can provide a better service.

 

The throttling is easily fixed through EVGA Precision X, and you can order from HIDevolution.com as they offer as many HDD/SSD and RAM configs as you could want (they ship all over the world and do direct dollar - AUD conversion). If you are waiting for more config options from an AW/DELL update I wouldn't hold my breath. It seems each year they limit the options more.

 

So.. after 5 failed repairs on my r4 in the space of a month and many calls to dell. A replacement new m17 was ordered after i had payed a considerable amount for the upgrade and for a GTX 780, the order was then cancelled after being in production for about a week with no notification from dell. Then the machine was reordered and i was given a new order number and all that.
At this point i haven't a working computer in about 3 months, finally the new machine arrived this morning AND..............
It's the wrong machine.. It's a GTX 770 and also the left side of the lighting it dead

Called dell and they "Don't have my prior correspondence on file"........
So i emailed him the spec that was ordered from my correspondence history and no word back

Worst service i have ever encountered

 

Is the cooler master u3 decent? Looks good with the USB fans

 

Thanks for that. I just visited HIDevolution and configured myself an absolute beast and I have to admit I am pretty happy with it. I will make a decision in the next week or so.

 

Running the fans on the new 17 at 100% they don't seem to be very loud.

 

How did you do it? Are you using an external program?

 

Nope, just get the sucker real hot and they'll do it.

There's not a good way to do it manually at this point in time. Mumak needs time to make HWiNFO64 compatible, and I suspect he will need volunteers for testing.

Now more than ever, this has to be looking like a wonderful idea to more people: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...enware-enhanced-customizable-fan-control.html

 

Done voting! I hope the AW17 uses the same EC Compal sensors as the R3/R4. :thumbsup:

 

Thanks! I hope so, too. It should make it easier.

 

Mr Fox, I joined and promoted it. Great idea!!!!!

 

Thank you! For the compliment, and for promoting the idea.

 

I'm curious about this as well.

In other news, it looks like Dell opened up the website to allow more customization between orders.

 

Didn't seem to when I tried. Wouldn't get past the compatibility check.

On another note, I must say I'm impressed with the 750gb hard drive. Seems really quiet and fast (I installed some steam games on it). I may even not get another ssd to go with my msata boot drive.
Maybe because it was 4 years ago but I remember being able to hear my hard drive on my old PC

 

Wow, I would feel so mad about that. If you can keep it together & speak to them rationally but assertively I hope they can give you the upgrade you were after free of charge for all your trouble - it's the least they could do in my eyes!

EDIT: Just remembered, there's an Alienware rep that occasionally visits these forums, maybe he'll be able to help you out directly if he sees your post. He last posted on here a few days ago, if you go back through the pages you'll find out who I'm talking about.

Hi, the only one I've got experience with is the Zalman NC2000 (in my sig). I move my machine to the front of the cooler so that it overlaps the cooler by about 1 inch at the front. This moves the inlets of the fans over the vent holes of the cooler for best cooling performance. It's been going strong since 2008, it's a good cooler in my mind. Are there any notebook cooler reviews around where they compare temperature drop performance?

 

So the courier picked up my Alienware 17 today to return to Dell for a full refund. Its a real shame as I loved the build quality and every aspect of the system, but the GPU temp limit and throttling just killed it for me. I'm simply not prepared to use 3rd party workarounds on a system of this price.

I think I will go for the updated version of my current MSI laptop, which will be the GT70-20D. The temp limits on that are manafacturer default (92c) for the 780M and from reading the forums here - even on stock paste and under full load - with turbofan on it does not get hotter than around 80-85. Just a shame that my local stockist won't have them in for another week or so.

 

Can you actually get a full refund even though you opened and used? Without a "restocking fee"

Yeah I saw that but thought having fans I could move would be better. Wish it was 17inch though rather than 19inch though looking at the dimensions of the u3 it would only fit an AW17 not an AW18? Mainly because I want to be able to get it into my vindicator messenger bag. So maybe it will fit after all

 

I got a question on the battery of AW17. Since AW14, 17 & 18 have embedded batteries now what are the procedures if one wants to replace them in the future? Wouldn't it be a bit more difficult to do? Also wouldn't the battery be a bit difficult to acquire as well since it's specialized.

 

Yes. I spoke with a Dell tech about the throttling problem. Unofficially they said they were aware of it. I asked politely if they were planning on "fixing" it. He said no. I then said I hope you can understand that this means I want to return the laptop for a full refund. He agreed, no protesting, no restocking fee, no nothing. The alone tells me they know about this problem for sure. Mind you, I ordered direct from Dell, and not via a reseller.

 

Did you ask if using 3rd party software like EVGA Precision or custom vBIOS would void warranty?

 

The representative from dell is "Alienware-Luis_Pardo" He asked for some PMs from users experiencing the throttling effect to look into the problem about a week ago. I wonder if there is some way to summon him and get an 'official response.'

 

According to the manual, you just have to remove two screws and slide the bottom plate out of the way to access the battery. Doesn't seem that hard at all really.

 

For those with AW17 that have 8GB or 16GB are they placed in module 3 & 4 (back cover) or modules 1 & 2 (front - underneath keyboard)?

 

Everytime I read a couple of posts in this thread, I end up debating about cancelling my order and get an MSI xD Then again, the A17 looks much better....

 

Did anyone order the 4930MX in their 17? Did it come with a triple pipe heat sink?

 

Received my AW17 yesterday, no problems other than the fact they've put the wrong plate on the bottom. Its fitted with a 780m and the plate says its 765m...! First a vindicator bag without the compartment separator, 3 cancelled orders and now a machine with the wrong details underneath. Its not a major problem as the machine itself is working fine (with the correct GPU) but I know for a fact that its going to be a nightmare to get the plate replaced with the right one. Its my first time buying from Dell and I have to say its not been great so far!

On a lighter note; the 17 is superb, quiet and cool at idle/browsing, the fans are no where near as loud as expected during gaming (from what little gaming i've done so far) and the screen is excellent with good viewing angles. I bought a Belkin CushDesk which is pretty much the perfect size for the 17, so that i can use it on my lap

 

What page was that pic of your bag on again in this thread? I'd like to check mine is okay

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...l-alienware-launch-discussion-thread-173.html

... about half way down

 

The Batteries are not glued in or soldered in. They are just attached by a removable cable. You just remove the bottom cover to get at them.

When I opened the bottom my RAM sticks where underneath. I didn't remove them however and the labels where not facing on the outside so I don't know if I have 2 by 8GB or 4 by 4GB

I think they only put a triple pipe heat-sink on the 100w GPU.

 

Ah thanks - I actually got a different one the messenger bag. I can't believe they could miss that off yours though looks so weird!

That crush desk you got is for an 18 inch laptop. Am I right in thinking the aw 17 dimensions are larger than normal 17 inch ones?

 

Usually extreme CPU's come with a triple pipe.

Can anyone confirm?

 

May I ask you what were the repeated issues you had with the R4?

Also, what country are you in?

The reason I am asking is because I have had an absolutely terrible experience with the R4 (2 engineer visits and 7 components replaced in total, with partial success), I am from the UK and trying to ascertain if we really do get sub par service and second rate hardware over here.

However, in spite of the above, I am still interested in the AW17 but cannot yet make up my mind.

Either way, please make sure you keep us updated!

I have a question for you guys:

How well have they managed to bond the aluminium screen back cover the the plastic? Does applying little but firm pressure on the aluminium/plastic show any separation at all? are there any gaps where the materials meet?

For those of you who have had the pleasure (?) of owning an R4, how does the build quality and structural strength/rigidity compare to the new AW17?

 

I have 2x4GB, both underneath the keyboard.