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

I got a strange noise from my laptop yesterday, something between a really loud coil-whine noise and a kind of WHIRRRR-WHIRRR for half a minute when I turned it off (sleep function) and when I turned it back on.

After opening the case and finding nothing abnormal, I turned it back on, and there was no longer any suspicious noise.

All I know is that it came from the left side of the laptop. Any idea what it was?

 

Thank you for your response. After trial and error I have two announcements to make

1. For anyone wanting to use 5.1 sounds from a usb sound card. DO NOT get a Turtle Beach product! Requires a driver that IS impossible to install... Trust me I tried and it is a common problem and the product is completely useless.

2. No longer do the 3.5mm ports support digital audio. No more mini toslink adapters!

Looks like I am back to using mini display port to hdmi for sound to my receiver. Only problem is I do not like how I have to go into the Nvidia control panel to enable digital audio. My computer treats my receiver as a monitor. I feel that I am unable to change the equalizer settings under the enhancements tab in sound properties because of this.

I am a huge audio guy so this slightly bothers me. Sound is still great but sounds flat compared to the PC i replaced.

I may go for Amazon.com: Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with THX SB1095: Electronics looks like the upgrade to yours Alienwolf.

Cheers

 

That's a little off. Remember ~8GB is for system hibernation. About 4GB virtual memory in (in advanced system properties). Also the Alien Respawn Recovery is on a separate partition not considered part of the "229GB" partition. Besides that, about 200GB free is average; but Alienware has a bunch of its own software, and Cyberlink software installed, so what you got should be good.

 

left side (front) is where the second storage bay is. If you have a HDD in that bay, it could have made the noise which is no good. My HDD is practically silent, excess noise could be a sign of a problem (or it could be nothing, but you should swap it out with Dell anyway if you have the coverage)

 

guys just hit 93c on my 780 after about 2 hours of payday 2. is that normal? I don't think so

 

Whelp. Seems like it's my hard drive. Ran HD Tune's Quick Scan and it made the same noise.

CHKDSK's fast scan didn't reveal anything though.

 

That's not normal. You should probably check your GPU and repaste

 

When i check my order status and it shows in production but ith no estimated delivery date hence i talked with dell today as i am getting replacement for my m17 gtx 780 as i got it with scratch.they placed my order on 19august for replacement and say that i will recieve it something in this week or aug23.i am amazed that they process it soon compared to the time when we order a new system as mine took total 20days.i asked them why so soon and was told it depends on parts availiblity.i hope everthing is working well & i get a new scratch proof system this time.any views guys

 

Damn. Figured time to repaste. Already.

 

Thanks so wrong about the split but 189 is around a normal amount of space from factory?

 

Sounds about right to me. Your hibernation file could be a large one, depending on how much ram you have installed. Typically, the hiberfil.sys size is around 75% of the total amount of ram installed. You can recover that space by turning off hibernation - we don't really need it with SSD's as they are so fast, hibernating is a bit pointless. If you have 16gb ram, you should be able to free up around 12 gb of disk space by doing this, which is quite a lot on a 256gb SSD.

Hibernate - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Help Forums

Solved How to turn hibernate completely off? - for Windows 8

 

Might be worth trying to clean out the vents first.

Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk 4

 

This machine is about 2 weeks old! There shouldn't be any dust in there. At least not enough to cause overheating like that.

 

yea makes sense. Only other thing it could really be is a crappy factory paste job.

 

Yea that's what I'm thinking. I guess a repaste couldn't hurt ?

 

At 93C I'd consider a repaste necessary. It won't hurt, just do a good job.

 

This was happening to me, it turned out the gpu in mine was a faulty. I would do a repaste and if that doesn't help just call dell. Dell replaced mine and my temps now are 65-69c which is a massive improvement.

 

Ok I'll try the repaste first. It'll be a pain getting another 780 though aren't they on back order ?

 

Yep, they're back ordered and won't be available until next month, or so it seems.

 

very annoying seeing as I might need one

 

I think replacement parts come from a different stock than parts that go into new systems - so even though there might not be 780ms available for new systems, there could be some for repairs.

 

I think at the moment they are pulling from the same warehouses. There is a huge parts shortage right now.

 

All I know is 92c is too much

 

I don't think so. I called to get a replacement palm rest since mine is peeling on my 18 already, and they just offered me a whole new build with a lead time of a week. Didn't take it, since replacing it over a peeling palm rest is ridiculous, but they've got at least some stock they're holding back.

 

I think what's happening is that Dell have lots of pre-built machines, from the various tiers, that are just ready to be shipped. No changes specification wise, just ready to buy off the shelf. That's why some people can get a brand new one within days but others have to wait for a true custom build to be 'made'. The pre-built scenario cuts down on lead time for those who just want one off the shelf, and cuts down on production.

 

The manual mentions a Torx screwdriver is needed for disassembly of the AW 17, which are the screws concerned?

Will I have a problem installing a 7mm SSD (500 GB Samsung 840) in place of the primary HDD which is a 9.5mm model? With only a Philips screwdriver?
Can you confirm that primary HDD mentioned in the manual (the one sitting in the centre of the laptop) is the one I have the OS on?

 

I took mine apart to diagnose the motherboard issue and just a phillips head screwdriver was needed.

 

My Alienware 17 finally arrived!

Here is my score:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M and Intel Core i7-4700MQ
BIOS A04, drivers 326.19, everything stock.

 

That's a nice score. Congrats on the new system.

 

Well, that's the best answer I expect. Wish I could try these laptops out.

 

I got my alinware 17 gtx 780 on 14 august and noticed a scratch (dent on the black rubberised screen lid above the left speaker) hence i called dell on 16aug but alienware replacement team is off on weekends.on 19aug they offered me new laptop replacement with an estimated shipping date of 23aug with new order number.Today my system still shows in production hence i called them back and was told that there is shortage of gtx780 cards therefore my order was not shipped.they also told me it may delay as they may not recive gtx780 cards till maximum 1month or whichever earlier.i asked them shall i wait for then 1month hence they told not necessary but they may recieve 780cards soon too as a month was the maximum time asked by their vendor.THE DENT IS REALLY IRRITATING ME.but i cant wait so long also.the time when i placed my replacement order i also asked for some discount as i had bad experience with my new system and was told they will definately consider it and will work out as i recieve my new system then only they give me some discount.Guys now what i think is that i should cancel the order and get the part replaced and ask for the best discount or ask them to extend my waranty as it will save my time and their replacement also.guys am a newbie here and really need your veiws regarding this matter.plz tell me what should i do now.I REALY CANT BELIEVE HOW THEY DO SUCH MISTAKES.i simply cqnt resist that bloody DENT.plz help me with your views.THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

If the system works flawlessly except for that dent, then I would ask them to send a tech out with the replacement part for your laptop but I would definitely ask them for a discount for going through this trouble so early and also because of the shortage issues they should either give you the discount or get some help with the warranty.


Sent using Tapatalk 2 on Mobile

 

I will be a fellow Alienware 17 owner soon once my order is built and shipped! I have gone for a 256GB SSD too, does anyone know the model of this? Also how accurate are the predicted shipping dates?

 

My laptop apparently just shipped. 8 days from time of order. Looks like I wasn't affected by any of the shortages. On holiday at the moment, but it's nice to know it'll be waiting at the depot when I get back.

 

What do you think should talk to a Dell service due to the CPU temperature, 2 weeks ago I used it paste on the CPU and GPU, I used Arctic Silver 5 GPU is Ok but CPU....
Only if I use the internet or watch movies, around the CPU at 50°C, but if something slows the CPU 100% then the temperature will be around 100°C




I think this is my problem.... Ivy Bridge CPU temps: IHS removal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXs0I5kuoX4

 

Only desktop processors are affected by that, mobile processors have their die exposed. As for the temperatures, I was going to suggest to repaste it but since it was done two weeks ago, you might want to call and have the unit serviced.

Have you checked if your fans are working properly?

 

I tried to repaste my GPU, but it turns out that one of the screws of the heatsink is screwed really hard.

I couldn't apply more pressure to the screwdriver without making the video card starting to flex, and ended up slightly damaging the grooves of the screw whilst trying to unscrew it.

Moreover it happened to to be the last screw of the 4 screws and I had to screw back everything.

Should I give up the idea of repasting the GPU?

 

Firstly, have you got the right tools for the job? - correct size phillips screwdriver? - the screw went in, so it should come out. Out of interest, did you completely undo the other 3 heatsink screws completely before even attempting to undo the last screw? - as you know, they are all spring loaded, so if one corner is still tightened down, the fact that the other three are loose could be making the final one unusually hard to undo because of the additional pressure coming from the undone screws.

I'd screw them all back down, then try and crack the stubborn screw first, just until it moves - then revert back to undoing each screw bit by bit, in turn in the numbered order on the heatsink itself 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 until they re all undone.

 

Did Alienware remove the compatibility of connecting your PS3 to the 17? Whenever I tried to connect, it said, "out of range". I also tried holding the on/off button for 2 beeps and nothing is changed.

 

That's what I did, I screwed all three back and took another shot at the tight one. It was still too tight. And I have the proper Philips screwdriver.

 

I'm getting a weird issue with my 780M. It's stuck at 614 MHz.

I had been looping Unigine Heaven (1080p, 4x AA) for the third time and the temperature stabilized around 80C when suddenly I got a drop in framerates.

Checking the GPU-Z logs, the drop of framerates was due to the GPU going from 849MHz to 614MHz, and the VDDC dropping from 1V to 0.9V.

Thinking it was a temperature issue, I let the GPU cool down to idle temps (50C) before running Unigine Heaven again. Despite a low starting temp (60C), the GPU was still stuck at 614MHz (VDDC is 0.9V)

From then on, the VDDC would be going under 0.9V when the GPU wasn't doing anything but didn't go higher than 0.9V and 614 MHz at full load even when barely warm (~50C) I'm thinking it's the VDDC being stuck at a 0.9V maximum that prevented the GPU from running at its nominal clock speed.

A restart made the GPU allowed at 849MHz again, until I ran a stress test for a few minutes and the clock got stuck at 614MHz.

No overclocking, no EVGA Precision, NVIDIA inspector or software of this type.
Driver: 326.80 beta
AW bios: A04

 

was checked yes it works, but 3 weeks ago, the Dell technician will replaced the fan and heat sink, because the fan does not work.
.

 

wince You may have just really screwed up your heatsink. The correct method of removing the heatsink is to do one turn on screw 4, one on 3, one on 2, one on 1, and repeat until they are all undone. Unscrewing them out of order or too quickly can cause the heatsink to warp, or for a screw to jam.

Unfortunately I have no idea what do do about it now....

 

256 SSD should be Lite-On.

 

It does suspiciously sound like you have A Philips screwdriver, but I could be wrong about that of course! I've learned the hard way that having the wrong tools just brings more pain. I know that from bitter experience of working on my own computers (and my car).

Something like this is working well for me for my computers:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hama-000396...785&sr=8-1&keywords=Hama+Mini+Screwdriver+Kit

 

How much better is the 3D screen over the standard one? Just wondering if its worth it as you loose optimus then.

 

I don't have that nifty kit with the non slip grip, but I had one of those small kits with six screwdrivers including a Philips #0 and a Philips #1.

 

I know the result isn't valid but damn it's a high score for me NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4800MQ,Alienware unknown

 

With the high price of the config with an 120hz screen you're better getting a top of the range external 3D 144hz Asus VG248QE like I did.

 

Yeah that score is crazy - it would be excellent for a GTX680/770, let alone a 780m.What kind of clocks is it running at, something like 1480mhz core?!?

Posting a CPUz and GPUz screenshot would be much appreciated.