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

I won't move it around that much, but when I do, it will be pretty often. Problem is, the AW 14's GPU is way too weak. Basicly the GPU is the only thing that's holding me back.

 

Ahh ok I missed that. Damn, how do these review sites get the measurements off by 2 inches?!

Amazing that my M15X weighs more and has more depth to it. The M17 looks to be 1.3" wider, but I should be able to swing that. Now I just need to see some user benchmarks and throttling testing and I can hopefully pull the trigger on one

 

Ill be doing benchmarks the moment I get my M17. Just need Dell to produce and ship it out faster

 

I'm back from a little break, and glad to report that a new Alienware 17 should show up in just about a month. It took a lot of hammering (sorry to the multiple Dell people I talked to...) but I ended up the the rig in my signature for $2284, plus tax, no shipping. Looking forward to seeing that box at my front door.

 

Enjoy, but isn't this just option 3 ($2399) with a $115 discount?

 

Logged in to check on the status of my order this morning to find out that it had been cancelled for some reason. After talking to a Dell sales rep it appears that it was cancelled in error due to a software issue on their end. Waiting for the order to be re-booked, but i would recommend logging in and checking your orders to see if you have been affected.

 

Got my option #2 with 780M for $2,055 + free next day shipping after some hammering as well. Dell doesn't like discounting a brand new system. Seems like ~$150 off might be the norm until the system gets a bit older.

 

True but if they offered the same storage options as Asus is on the G750JH then Alienware would most likely cost more.

 

That is quite true now. Many of us on these boards got lucky with getting pretty large discounts (I recalculated mine and I got between 20-21% off the new 17") Unfortunately, many that did get these large discounts also had their order cancelled (Mine is actually being built...so I think I got lucky). Now it seems that they are sticking to a strict limit ($150 off and/or $200 Promotion card) on discounting systems. I reconsidered getting the 18" but given the deal I got, the difficulty to negotiate now, and the 120 screen I think I'll be okay.

 

Do you know if the 120 screen is glossy? I was told that it was, I'm going to be sad if it isn't since I opted-out of it because I prefer the matte style.

 

From what I was told...it is glossy. However, they also said it wouldn't be as prone to glare as previous models. I think we will have to wait and see as no one from the Dell reps have probably seen the units. I do wish we could change 2 things from the 17" (Make SLI possible + make the bezel around the screen smaller or get rid of it) I liked the old screen design as these look more dated.

 

Been reading a long time, figured I should register and stuff...

Ordered on 11 June
Expected Ship Date: 18 July.

Rep told me it would probably ship early July, regardless of what the status page says. We'll see.

Alienware 17 Base
32GB Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB GDDR5
750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s + 64GB mSATA SSD Caching
4th Gen Intel Core i7-4800MQ (6MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
17.3 inch (439.42 mm) 120Hz WLED FHD (1920 x 1080) TrueLife w/3D Bundle

 

Dell TrueLife™ LCD Screens - What is it?

Should clear it up

Sry, it's not glossy like the old ones. Just a shiny finish with anti-glare technology...

 

How many years of warranty did you guys get with your system? I don't want to waste my money on a warranty I may not end up using, but then again I don't want to be screwed if something does happen. What is the best way to approach this?

 

I didn't get the system with extended warranty when I customized it as I didn't want to push the budget/discounts. However, I'll probably see if I can negotiate to get 2 years + accidental insurance. The reason I would go for 2 is that I usually upgrade my computers after 2-3 years. Technology moves so quickly that you would probably want to upgrade. So I figure after 2+ years it would be better to get an entire new system as opposed to upgrading all the parts and spending +/- the value of a new system.

 

You have two ways to go. Either just get one year and renew as you think fit, or buy big up front for a discounted warranty. I was not sure I would be keeping mine so I went with one year (on the old model) but another thing to think of is that if you want to resell it an existing warranty is important to purchasers

on-site repair is an awesome feature and saves a lot of pain if there is a problem...

 

I bought the 2 year accidental, which requires 2 year warranty. No way am I losing an expensive laptop because I elbowed a soda.

 

Do you know how much it costs to renew the warranty? Does it cost more or about the same as purchasing it up front?

 

I'd haver to check back but it differs by country. If I recall correctly it's around 30% - 50% cheaper to purchase up front.

 

Can anyone with this mSATA SSD caching setup elaborate on its performance? I am trying to decide if I just leave it be or separate the 750GB as a storage drive and the SSD as a boot drive.

 

Since you're buying an Alienware I'm making an assumption you're going to be playing a lot of games, and in that case I would say using the mSATA as a boot drive would be the best solution for you.

The caching SSD doesn't speed things up right away, it makes a list of frequently accessed files over time and starts storing them on the SSD so that accessing them is much quicker. If you're playing games and switching games a lot this will likely have little effect as games have a tendency to sporadically access the filesystem. For example if you're playing a single player game and progressing through it, you'll likely load "level 3" just a few times before never loading it again or until you start accessing it infrequently again as you do additional play-throughs/etc. Only your most frequently played games will have the ability to benefit from the technology, if it works for them at all.

On the other hand, using the mSATA as a boot drive will allow you to decide what gets loaded quickly. The OS and any apps you install on the SSD will always be quick and if you want reduced load times (sometimes) you can move your most frequently or currently played games there.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I wanted to add this bit: mSATA drives tend to be a tad slower than dedicated SSDs. A great setup would be purchasing a ~128GB (or larger if you desire) dedicated SDD, installing it in the second drive slot and using it as the boot drive. After that, maintain the mSATA caching setup on the 750GB drive and you'll have a great system there!

 

I do beg to differ with the previous poster on the benefits of the cache drive. I did not reply initally hoping you would get a response from someone that has used it. I have advised two AW owners that added a cache drive to their systems and both experienced an instant speed up to almost dedicated SSD speeds in just about everything.

The 'frequent access' part of the algorithm only applies when the cache drive is full. Up to that point every access to the HD is cached. Once it is full then access numbers are applied with lesser accessed files being droped in favour of recent frequent access. In practice your windows will always load at SSD like speeds. Another advantage is that if in future you have the cash to add a dedicated SSD and install windows to that, your existing HD (data now) is accelerated without you needing to do anything. A 64gb cache drive is going to fill up quickly with games if you want them to load fast - my 250gb is already almost full.

The diference in game load screens is one or two seconds when I tested by loading the same game to the SSD and the HD. Game itself does indeed load faster but as my SSD is dedicated this is not an exact analogy of a cache drive, but both users were very impressed with the simplicity of installing (just put it in and turn it on) and the performance.

FWIW, In conclusion, I say that the effort to use the cache drive as a standalone SSD is not worth it. Stay with an accelerated large HD and add an SSD at a later stage

HTH

Edit: missed previous posters edit! Yes

 

Having used both, of the two, I'd would always advise going for a dedicated SSD over a caching solution. It doesn't speed up your entire 1TB (or whatever) storage drive, but it is a hell of a lot more consistent. I just find it quite annoying to be playing game X, play game Y or Z a couple of times, and then have game X take longer than expected to load. It can be a little jarring.

That said, if you can afford it, the obviously best solution is to have an SSD for your OS and applications, then a cached storage drive for games and everything else.

 

Thanks for all of this. I currently have a Momentus XT, so I am sort of familiar with the caching format (all 4GB of it...), but I was thinking about getting another SSD anyways, so now I will.

 

Hey! Im new to the forums, but dove into the computer scene about a year ago. Was a mac guy, still am. But i really enjoy piecing pcs together. Built a gaming rig last summer, and about 3 years ago had the M11X r2 unit that really got me into PC/Laptop gaming.

2 days ago, i ordered my AW 17. Upgrades i chose was Windows 8, 1920x1080 screen, and the gtx 770m 3gbs vram. Stuggled hard between the 765 and the 770. 780 was already out of the budget, and 770 was pushing it, but i figured the 770m would hold over games in the next 2-4 years a bit better than the 765m. My delivery date is july 22nd, so in the meantime, im trying to revive an old dell xps m170 from 2005.

Look forward to hearing your guys unboxing and experiences over the next few weeks!

 

Ign recently did a hands on unboxing ofr the AW 14 and put it next to the M14x R2. Its really about the same size. What makes is look chunkier is the face that the front end of the laptop doesnt have that deceiving slope down design that the older models have

 

Ok I'm wondering about my configuration options. I will, or should be, getting a new laptop for college (since I need one) and I won't be the one buying it so I'm trying to keep the price reasonable. I configured 3 options: a $2199 model with a 780m, a $1899 model with 770m, and a $1649 model with a 765m model. Since I don't game on PC yet and I'll only be recording FHD games via capture card and video/photo editing will the 765m be fine till I can buy a 780m?

Also can I upgrade the gpu myself and maintain any warranty?

 

If you're not going to be gaming the 765 will be fine, even when you start gaming the 765 will perform okay to get you by until you can upgrade the graphics card. Just keep in mind a 780M upgrade will probably be in the range of $750-$800 new.

As long as you follow all recommended procedures (use static prevention devices, don't stab a screwdriver through the motherboard) Dell doesn't void your warranty for opening the case like many other manufacturers do. You should be fine.

 

I have a question concerning taxes. I recently moves to the US from Germany and I was wondering if I have to pay additional taxes on top of the prices advertised on Dells page?

 

That is directly dependent on which state you live in. In Connecticut (where I live) its a %6.5 sales tax. Some states have no sales tax. However it should be noted that if you buy from a 3rd party vendor like HIDeveloution or Xoticpc they will probably not charge any sales tax unless you live in Nebraska (state law for online vendors I think).

 

Does anybody know what the RAID0 options are for the Alienware 17?

I know there is a possibility of MSATA plus two SSD HDD in this model, can all three be put in RAID0 configuration and if so would there be any benefit in performance?

 

States Without an Income Tax - Seven States Have No Income Tax

 

Well I live in California. Damnit, I was surprised how much cheaper the systems are compared to Germany...Now I know. Thanks for ur answers though.

 

Buddy. If you aint footing the bill like most of us here... Go for the $2199 w/ 780m and feel very lucky and blessed! Or you could be very generous and find the happy medium and go for the 770m.

 

Hello everyone, I'm sure it may have been stated thus far in the conversation of this thread but I'd like to know whether I should get Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8 (regular) or Windows 8 Pro? I'll be using a new Alienware 17 for all sorts of tasks including gaming.

Also for the new 17, are all options for screen 120hz or is that just for the 3d truelife bundle? I don't see anywhere specifying the "hz" for other screen options. If the next best screen with out 3d is 120hz then I will go with that, if it is only 60hz then I will get the 3d truelife bundle I suppose.

 

Hi there,

Just my opinion but I'd stick with win 7 ATM. I haven't seen any advantage of win 8. Being obviously designed for the touch screen market, and being new, it has it's own issues. Whereas win 7 is a mature stable product. I suggest you try win 8 out at a local retailer and see if you like it - I simply hate the interface, I know that can be fixed but too much messing around for zero performance gain IMO (except for a couple of seconds at boot if the machine is configured carefully), and MS are still developing it, 8.1 is hitting the streets now. I got my AW with a cheap win 8 upgrade as part of the package. I purchased it but the CD still sits in the cupboard waiting for a good reason to use it

If you do go for a 120hz display even the win 8 fast boot option is not available so another reason not to be bothered with it.

Re the 120hz display, it is targeted for the 3D market as it's a requirement of nvidias's 3D system that will come with a 120hz model. The emitter for the glasses is also built into the panel assembly. Many people get the 3D bundle for the 120hz display and never want or use the 3D. I was in this group but once I tried it out, well, awesome is all I can say. No good for on-line gaming (except portal 2) so I am told, but those guys are looking to reduce latency by miliseconds ("I'm sure I shot first!"). I don't play on-line battle games so it's not something I can state with confidence. I also have heard that simply having the 120hz display without the 3D is better than the 60hz though in these games.

Oh almost forgot, the win 8 'fast boot' is also not available because of the iGPU being disabled. This may be fixed in a future update and might even be working on the new models, something to ask if you go for win 8 since it's the only performance gain to be had that I am aware of.

The extra level of realism in 3D is something I do not want to give up on now. Metro LL, in 3D, lights out, and it using the full alienFX KB integration, total immersion - and is my current fave (with Max Payne 3 a close second). Some games simply are poor so it's not something that works for every game, Farcry 3 for example is very bad in 3D and unusable , Tomb Raider on the other hand is perfect . What I will say is that everyone I show it to (batman AC is excellent in 3D also and what I use to show it off) say the same 'How can you go back to normal gaming after that!'. Your eyes will be different and for some people they just can't get on with it.

Something that dell do not advertise (and it annoys the hell out of me!) is that the laptop will not boot on the intel GPU with a 120hz display so they have hardware disabled it. No optimus (which I prefer on a gaming rig anyway) and battery life is around halved (I get around 2.5-3 hours). It may be better with the new models on the latest power saving chipset but I wouldn't expect it to be comparable with the 5 hours or so that people say they get on 60hz models. As a primary gaming purchase this is not an issue but for a multi-purpose machine it might be too much of a compromise.

Good luck!

 

This is a great tidbit! Personally I don't care for either 3D or 120hz but this, this makes me want the 120hz panel now, haha. I guess it'll have to wait until my next Alienware. Tired of the sub-par implementation of Optimus by PC manufacturers, ugh.

 

Oops, double post.

 

I am planning to buy an Alienware 17 for $2199 with a week or so... So if I get the regular 60Hz monitor, will optimus work normally on the laptop?

 

As normally as optimus works

It's only the 120hz panel models that do not have a working iGPU

 

I am new here, having previously used Inspiron and then XPS laptops.

I have just ordered my AW17 build with 2x750Gb 7200rpm drives in RAID 0 with a 64Gb mSATA cache. I had waited for the new Alienware models because I wanted the combination of power and customisation, but needed something slightly more professional looking than the old models (plus a few other nice refinements like a matte screen). Unfortunately, the new limitations on customisation made things less easy than I wanted (and they are even more limited in Australia than the US).

So....I am intended to put a SSD drive in the optical bay as soon as possible, so that I can load OS and apps onto that and use the RAID0 HDDs for data (video editing, primarily). Can anyone point me in the right direction to buy a 2.5 inch HDD/SSD caddy to fit the optical bay? Also, does anyone know the type of SSD Dell are using in the higher spec version? Any recommendations for which SSD I should use (probably aiming for 256Gb)?

Thanks for any advice.

 

Hi, Can't advise on the hardware you need but I have seen this done on an R3 so it is available. I thought back in the early days of the new models dell said the ODD drive could be replaced with a SSD to have a 4 disk raid. If they had this in mind originally then maybe there is a dell part number for the caddy? Luis?

You do have one other option, that is to replace the caching SSD with a much larger one then it is straightforward to set it up for part cache, part dedicated drive. Of course you are discarding 64gb of SSD but I would think it has resale value (and you get to keep the ODD). Just an idea

..yes the limitations on configurations is IMO a huge drop in service from previous models

 

Sounds like the first batch of 17's are starting to ship now. Sucks my order from June 11th had to be re-entered as I probably missed the cutoff for the first batch. Hopefully it ships this week or next.

 

My ETA is 7/5, but since I'll be out of town for the Holiday weekend I'll have to wait till Monday 7/8 to sign for it.

Still, I'll be happy to post any pictures, impressions, and run some tests / benchmarks for the community next week.

 

Unboxing maybe?

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

I'm thinking to buy the one with an overclocked i7-4900MQ.
Is the overclocked processor safe for daily usage?
From what I know, overclocking might shorten the lifespan of the hardware.
But on the other hand, I've also heard that as long as the heat doesn't reach a certain temperature, it is perfectly safe.

I don't really play a lot of games.
The reason I'm interested with this laptop is because I do a lot of CAD works.
And I usually run multiple CAD programs at once.

Thanks

 

Pics sure, but no unboxing video from me. I don't need the rest of the internet seeing me scream like an excited 16 year old girl.

I'll take pics with my iphone 5 and attachment them here, after all is said and done!

 

I dunno. My order from the 11th is still in production with no indication of it shipping soon. I assume the first batch is whatever was entered in the morning since I didn't order until ~3pm CST.

 

So I ordered my AW 17 yesterday. Since AW doesn't offer any SSD options for my configuration, I'm planing on buying an aftermarket SSD (any reasonable priced 256 GB suggestions?)
Of course, once unwrapped I don't necessarily want to waste time with installing Windows, drivers etc. Is there a way to download the System recovery partion files somwhere so that I can already set up everything and just have to plug in the SSD?

 

Sounds like the perfect candidate to benefit from the OC. Dell will only be using the default overclock settings intel offer (bit of a con really since it's a simple, single BIOS selection) and if dell use them then you can be sure they have tested the thermal characteristics - they have to for compliance reasons. As long as you ensure adequate ventilation, or better still get a cooling pad, you will be fine

Easiest way I have seen this done, use alienrespawn to create an emergency USB backup. Insert new ssd. Go into BIOS and change the boot order (nothing else!). Restart and tap f12, boot from USB and the restore should start with the machine ending up exactly the same as it was. Good luck