*OFFICIAL* Alienware M17x R3/R4 Owner's Lounge Thread

Hi! Both the drives of my R4 broke down recently and I have to reinstall all drivers. I have a 7970m. I was previously on driver version 13.4 (yep, pretty much didn't update for a long time) but it was a bit unstable.

1. For those with 7970m, what driver should I use? I tried installing a later version than 13.4 but I kept on getting BSODs to I rolled it back.
2. Should I install the Intel driver first? I read posts that said it comes with the AMD driver already.

 

I know with the R3 and an NVidia card you're best off installing the Intel graphics driver 1st (specifically the intel driver on the Dell website), then you can install the NVidia driver (or in your case the AMD driver). I'd try that. (Then later you can update to the latest Intel graphics driver from the Intel website, but with the R3 was important to install the Dell version 1st though).

 

Exactly what I was going to say Robbo.

Always start with the drivers dell list for your machine. They may be old but so is your machine (relatively ). You might want to run DDU to strip out the driver software. : Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) 13.5.4.2

Good luck

 

Clean the old drivers first (intel and amd)

Use this tool:
Display Driver Uninstaller Download version 13.5.4.2

Then install the latest intel drivers while running the intel+amd mode (fn+ f7 to change the gpu switching).

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProdId=3712

Then install the latest AMD driver:
Download Drivers

And it should word with graphics switching. You might get a warning that it can't find the amd card on the first time you switch the graphics from the AMD+Intel to AMD and back, just reboot and it should work.

With the R4 and the 7970M you don't have to use the old outdated Dell drivers, I'm currenty running the newest intel driver and the amd 14.9 (although the latest is the 14.12 omega but the 14.9 works like a charm so I don't see the need to update it to 14.12).

 

Thanks! Will try this in a bit and see how everything works.

Also, should I install the ST Microelectronics Motion Sensor Drivers?

 

if you are using a mechanical drive then yes I would recommend it

 

Hey guys I'm rather new to the forum but hopefully you can give me some advice. I've had my R4 for about a year and a half now and all of a sudden the words "Alienware" quit illuminating right below the screen. When the computer is asleep it will light up then go off again after a few seconds. It is very odd. I did a complete uninstall and reinstall of the command center as well as a complete reinstall of the OS and all drivers and still acting the same way. I then opened up the computer and disconnected all of the cables coming out of the monitor and into the motherboard. After reconnecting and installing once again I'm having the same issue. Everything else seems to work fine. I'm at a loss. Anyone ever experience this or have any advice on what steps I should take next?

 

Hi there, welcome.

Probably live with it I'm afraid. Mine did the same and dell replaced the panel assembly and the cable. The cable fixed it IIRC but he put the panel in anyway since he had it and I had seen that some color selections were just 'muddy' looking.

If you can track down a cable then it might work for you but it could simply be the LED failing, and it only comes with the full assembly so uneconomical to repair IMO. Have you tried different colors to see if one works?

 

Yeah unfortunately I have tried every color with the same results. It's odd cause like I said it will illuminate for the first few seconds the computer starts up but then clicks off and this only happens for zone 7 (the Alienware words). I may try and hunt down a cable but it may not be worth it. I'm thinking about selling it to get a new laptop with the 980m cards which is a shame since it is in perfect condition otherwise and tiny things like that can seriously hurt the value.

 

well upgraded my desktop to x99. Man its eats just about anything I throw at it. Was thinking about buying a new alienware 15 to replace my aging r3 to take to college and take notes and such with, but its supposedly got a bga processor and a soldered graphics card and that scares me. Not sure what i'm gonna do. Hope everyone has a happy new year!!! Glad to see micky and robo are still here.

 

Happy New Year to you too! Yes, I too am saddened by the new Alienware lineup. If I was you I'd either hang onto the R3, or just buy a cheap ultra book for portable use (you have your desktop for gaming!), but depends on what you want to use your mobile system for I guess?

 

I like being able to game on the go if I need to. might just do what you suggested and just buy an ultra book. My r3 isn't going anywhere though. Ive had to many memories with that damned thing to sell it or give it away.

 

Or if you wanted more gaming performance, you could try & pick up a cheap 680M & install it in your R3 - of course using a modified vBIOS from Tech Inferno! Might cost £300 or so - with you being in the States probably cheaper. Should be able to get 880M performance from an overvolted & overclocked 680M - MickyD knows this from experience!

 

I just might have to do that eventually hehe. definitely gonna have to look into that.

Edit: looks like $500-$600 just glancing at ebay. gonna see if I can find a good deal and then I will do it.

 

Coming from a 6990 I think you're gonna need an NVidia X-bracket, post heights are one reason I think. I think you can re-use your heatsink though after re-positioning the pads, and maybe buy a square of 1mm padding that you can cut to size for other areas (stacked upon each other where more thickness required). (Oh, and take the black tape off the heatsink contact surface too!).

 

I got my original 460m in a box somewhere. bet that xbracket will fit. I will defintetly buy some 1mm padding as well. And I was the one that found out about that black tape the hard way. I was getting 105C gpu temps till i figured it out.

 

Yep, 100%, that X-bracket will fit - I'm using a 560M X-bracket & heatsink with a 670MX (which is also GK104 like the 680M). Haha, you're sorted then, an old hand at this given your learning by mistakes!

 

I'm also probably gonna need to get the higher cfm fan that came with the 100 watt gpu's. It will help with temps and make my machine not as loud.

 

Really?! I thought the fans were all the same, I just thought it was the heat sinks that were different - a bit more copper on the 'base plate area' for the 100W sinks. I have a 560M 75W heatsink, and temperatures are not above 67 degC unless it's Summer & 26 degC in my room, that's with the overvolt & overclock I have - it uses about 90W for the GPU according to extrapolations from my Watt Meter. You've already got the 100W heatsink, so that's good (coming from a 6990), I didn't know about the fans, but that can't hurt!

 

yea I got a 6990m heatsink from a guy across the pond who sent it to me for free and it works well. The higher CFM fans just don't have to run as much so they are quieter.

 

Have you got a website link to one of the higher CFM fans, I'm thinking I might upgrade mine just because, if they're cheap?

 

I personally was just gonna use ebay. Here is an example. I have a 2.3 cfm fan I believe. This one is a 3.0cfm fan so it should perform better.

Dell Alienware M17X R3 Cooling Fan

 

Thanks for the link. When I open up my laptop I'll google the part numbers on my fan & try to find out what CFM I have. Doesn't seem like much of an increase though: 2.3 to 3.0 CFM. I think I remember a mod where someone put an M14xR2 fan (10.4 CFM) in an M17xR3 - it wasn't night & day but it helped out a fair bit, but 2.3 to 3.0 CFM, that's small!?
http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/3479-m17x-cpu-fan-upgrade-mod-2cfm-10-4cfm.html

I can't be bothered to do the mod at the link above, as I don't really need the cooling, but if I could just buy a cheap significantly higher CFM fan that would just drop in without modding then I might go for it.

EDIT: that fan you linked is a CPU fan anyway, didn't you want a GPU fan? According to this link it's a CPU fan for that part number:
http://www.cpumedics.com/dc280009af0.html
But other websites say that part number is GPU cooling fan. Confusion confusion.

 

Ill look up part numbers and figure it out in a bit. If you look on the yellow sticker it shows right on the fan what cfm the fan is btw.

 

Yeah I bought one of the fans from the m14x-r2 and I'm waiting on delivery to compare its performance (after modding). From my experience, it needs more cooling, the 17R4's with XM cpu's get hot past 4Ghz OC's

 

I have no problems cooling my R4.. I've done 4.2GHz in benchmarks and hardly break 80C with IC Diamond..

 

I haven't had to INF mod drivers in over a year. I think they finally stopped checking the HWID's and stuff.

 

For any model of GPU that wasn't offered as part of an original configuration possibility from the laptop manufacturer, then you need to use a modified inf. But for say your M17xR4 you don't need a modded inf with a 680M, because 680M was offered as an option for the M17xR4 from the factory. Any non-standard GPU laptop model configurations need modded inf's.

 

Have to say thanks again for this link below. It saved me for a second time with the 5 beeps of death. First time one of the c lips that hold the screws to the hdd carries fell off while secured in the machine. It much have bounced around in the causing intermittent issued one day till it would go past post. Second time was last night when one of 3 screws in the p marked holes backed out and was bouncing around in the machine.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-m17x-r4-bricked-bios-recovery-not-vbios.html

 

to buy or not to buy.......tempted to just deck out my r3 and wait for some more promising laptops... idk though.

Intel Core Mobile i7-2920XM

New Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M

Battery for Dell Alienware M17x R3

or hold out and buy a nice 15 for $2k with a 980m and advanced warranty.

 

bigtonyman, that's an interesting idea. I see your list of parts comes to $760 to upgrade your R3. For that you will get a CPU that will be as fast when overclocked as the new CPUs - at least the base models. The 780M when flashed with a unlocked vBIOS when comparing gaming overclocks to a gaming overclock of +135Mhz on the 980M will mean the 980M will be about 40-50% faster based on what TBoneSan said about comparing his 780M sli overclocked to 980M sli overclocked. So, really you're paying $1240 for an extra 40-50% GPU performance. The new Dell laptops only have 180W adapters, and unknown cooling ability (they are thinner).

You could look at it like this, if you upgrade for $760 now, then this might tide you over for a couple of years until the next proper proper upgrade cycle when new CPU & GPU architectures hit, at which point you can drop the money you've 'saved' by spending only $760 on something truly monumental! But, if you're not gonna be happy with overvolted & overclocked 780M performance for a year or two then consider buying a Maxwell laptop, but maybe get a Clevo or something that's more upgradeable or has less thin & light & weedy power adapter compromises.

EDIT: or even hold out to see if a 970M will work with the R3, Reborn is looking like he might test it soon. Here in the UK they're the same price as 780M, but overclock like nobody's business and are faster than 780M, and run cooler.

 

Biggest thing was getting something smaller and easier to carry around for school, but I might just hold off anyway and wait for something better. Really torn right now.

Could also go this route for fun...

OEM Genuine DELL Alienware M17x R4
Intel Core i7 3920XM Extreme
plus the 780m and the battery. just another option though its a lot more expensive.

and I can wait on the gpu upgrade atm.

 

Haha, but you need the case no?! It won't fit in the R3 right?!


(& no amount of upgrading is gonna make your R3 thin & light, so that's for you to weigh up!)

 

I think its the same exact case and everything as the r3. They didn't change the physical layout at all.

Also looking at this: Sager NP8258

Smaller, has the upgradable cpu and mxm and would only be 1405.53 with a 970m for now with the option for an 980m down the road. Definitely gonna keep on eye on that.

 

Many many options!

 

I know it almost stinks haha. I Really like this machine and it comes soldered, but I can make do with that for the price.1500 for system with a 980m???? I'm very interested!

Clevo P650SG

Edit: Probably gonna end up with one of these sooner rather than later. It can fit dual HHD's and has room for Msata, has dual fans on the gpu and a separate fan for the cpu. Just working with exotic PC right now to see how good of a price I can get on it.

 

The P650SG is quite compact.. Personally, if I wanted a 14-15" laptop, it would be the number one option.. Too bad for me, 17" is the norm and what I want 100% of the time due to the greater screen estade...

 

17 is just to big for me now. I will mostly just use my new machine on the go since I have my desktop for at home. seems like the perfect balance between awesome performance and a portable package while also not costing an arm and a leg.

 

Worth bidding?

Alienware M17XRB with Alienware Bag i7 CPU 2 20 GHz AMD Radeon HD6870M | eBay

Think sometime in the future will do 2960xm/980m, but for now it's just to replace my lowly ASUS laptop :/

 

Just beware that 980M/970M hasn't been proven to work yet M17xR3. It might not work! So far the best proven GPU that works in the R3 is the 780M.

 

I see, thanks for the input.

Any reason to why it might not work in the R3 but works in the R4?

Edit: will the 6870 HS work for the 580M GPU?

Edit2: 580M heatsink assembly costs 33USD from Dell

 

The R3 does not have win 8 UEFI boot support. The R4 was updated when win 8 was released. UEFI is needed for the 9xx cards to boot.

For the heatsink, if it's a three pipe model then it will work but you'll need the retaining screws for the NV backplate as the captive ones are not the same size.

 

I see, thanks for the info. Will there be a modded UEFI BIOS for the R3?


I'll message the seller for detailed pictures of the GPU HS.


Can you completely disable optimus and route all displays to the dGPU btw? I was looking to use the mDP to drive 144hz/1080p.

 

1. No modded BIOS. Dell only did it because win 8 came out during the R4 as a current model. Once a model is superseded dell never update the bios, unless there is some specific problem it fixed.

To manually disable the igpu, and in effect stop optimus you need an unlocked bios that gives you access to the settings. You should be able to find a lot of posts on that subject. Otherwise it's the hot-key and restart every time you power down, (if I have read it correctly). I have never had optimus with a 120hz display .

 

Ah, I guess I'll wait a year or so for the 780M price to come down. There's a 580M cheap on ebay and I heard you can flash to 670M and have 0.92v overvolt.

Where can I find this modded BIOS? Is it the unlocked A08 BIOS like in the XM overclock thread?

Can you put a different Wifi card in? I'm looking at the Killer 1525.

Thanks for the input.

 

For the BIOS it probably is the one you found as long as it says R3. As for flashing the 580m and overvolting, Nooooooooo. It's a borderline card out-of-the-box so for any sort of longevity you stick with stock. They are cheap for a reason . The 680m is a super overclocker and requires the same work in an R3 but I just managed to break 1Ghz (1006Mhz) on mine with a voltage boost .

 

I'll try to see if there's a 680M cheap on ebay or here. (Hs compatability? Do I need a new one, how mich would it cost?) also, is there a specific brand that the 17x r3 does not work with (clevo, msi, dell card)?

The 580M on ebay is 75usd+free shipping.

As for the psu, members here say you can just use XM3C3 ADP-330AB adapter for the m18x? Does this psu need modding or such to get the max 330w?

 

No brand issues, in fact the clevo seems a better deal since it comes with 4Gb of RAM and the vbios is not locked to a max of +135 (easily fixed though).

All I know about the 330w PSU from the M18 is that it appears to work on most models but, the R3 is a finicky bugger.

The 580m HS will be just fine, if you get a 680m I can link you to pics of the pad layout for it. Safest option, and one I checked out, is to buy the R4 680m heatsink from Dell. It was around $25 in the US and comes with all the pads and paste in-place to simply assemble it - I have pics of that as well .

 

Nvm, found a Dell M18x 780M 400$ for sale. Will it work with the R3 w/o vBios conflict? And will it work with the same 6870 heatsink or do I have to buy the 25$ 680M heatsink from Dell?

Will the R3 refuse to charge from the 330W power supply? Though this member claimed that the R3 will work with the 330W just fine: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...r3-what-s-worst-could-happen.html#post9465713

Edit: I read somewhere that the Nvidia and amd cards have different spreader brackets, where can I find a standalone bracket/compatible hsf for the 780M in the R3?

Sorry for all the questions, but my old laptop is on it's last leg now :/

 

Yes, the 780M will work in the R3, it's been proven, but you do have to do a slight workaround on the install procedure in order to not lose the sound, but it's just a matter of following the instructions - install procedure listed somewhere on these forums or TechInferno forums. With the 780M you probably want to make sure you're using the 100W capable heatsink, this is the one that has a lot of copper on the MXM card contact surfaces (in contrast to the 75W heatsink) - so you can check what yours looks like. You'll need to re-organise your pads on the heatsink to fit (and buy a small sheet of 1mm padding that you can cut to size to make sure you have enough pads - these can be stacked to fill spaces greater than 1mm), and will need to purchase an NVidia X-bracket, and the screws that go with it (not sure if AMD screws will fit an NVidia X-bracket). You'll also need to remove the black plastic tape from the heatsink that is attached to the GPU die contact plate. You can buy the X-bracket & screws from ebay I would have thought.