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

Yeah, I wouldn't be happy giving NVidia my money at the moment in light of their recent ban on overclocking. I've noticed now that more & more tech websites are covering this debacle, and doing so in a more objective (& hence for us) positive stance. I hope NVidia reverse their decision. Frankly, I think they have loads to gain by re-enabling overclocking - it will prove they're listening to consumers which will be good for their brand, and to have overclocking as a possibility is a consumer positive aspect in itself.

Here's the petition for NVidia to reverse their decision if people who are reading this haven't signed it yet!:
https://www.change.org/p/nvidia-re-enable-overclocking-on-geforce-equipped-notebooks

Yes, you probably have the AA ramped all the way up when you're running them maxed out. AA can often be lowered without noticing any difference but getting huge fps increases. It's an awesome machine, wouldn't mind that 120Hz and those 2 GPUs to max out Titanfall at 120fps!!

 

Indeed.. Micky, have you tried messing around with your 4810MQ while benching with XTU? You can easily get a better Physics score and more fps.. Give it a shot.. Might be worth htiting up @D2 Ultima about tweaking the 4810MQ..

Mehh... Seems fine.. Are you in Optimus mode or dedicated?

 

Hey could someone give me some insight if the latest intel HD 4000 drivers that came out this january are stable on m17x r4? I kind of want to upgrade but I am afraid since I sadly won't have much time troubleshooting if that thing crashes my pc.

 

Thanks, I am sure there is quite a bit available it's just I had a bad experience with XTU - brick. Mr Fox said to contact him as well, I'm saving that one if I get stuck .

Certainly a hobby task since nothing touches it when gaming.

 

AA is exactly it. I can barely see any aliasing with just FXAA although today was a little different. I was playing AC: Unity for the first time on this machine and I was getting really bad texture flickering. Everything was at max except AA on FXAA. Anyway, after a mess of changing settings with no joy I tried ramping UP AA to TXAA and it went away. Beautiful but lost 10fps! Not that it is noticeable when gaming at 50~75 anyway .

 

So I take it not an AW 17R5 review

 

It was going to be, I really tried to get one but with dell letting me down again and again and then the PSU issues with the first machines delivered I realized the AW R2 (there is no R5, it would be called M17x ) is not for me so I canceled.

I like tuning for games and with the machine only just capable of operating out-of-the-box I don't need that as a starting point .

The R4 is still a great performer (and looker) so I plan to keep it and still hang here .

 

Optimus mode. the HD drivers are installed, but in nVidia control panel, I set nVidia processor to preferred. Is there any other way ?

 

Hi!

does CPU FAN need to work all the time, because it stop work 2 days ago and now CPU temp is idle 90C.... I did order new one from ebay.... but Im confused.... there is no any warning from laptop how FAN is not working.... and in BIOS there is no option to check FAN speed... or temperature

GPU fan works properly


Im running W8.1 on latest BIOS A13 ???

 

HI, I thought the CPU fan was tested at boot, you usually hear then go full blast for a couple of seconds?

You need to use HWInfo to see fan speeds. You can use it to change the tables but it's not simple and I managed to stop my fans altogether . If you do this you also loose individual fan control and both fans operate as a single unit.

Good luck.

 

you could always use the test utility built into the bios. My r3 has some uefi deal where it goes through and tests everything. It should show up there if it isn't working properly. hit f12 I believe at boot and you should be able to select the test mode.

 

CPU FAN dont work, I tried load tests,.... still under BIOS options there should be normal option for FAN speed control and beep sound if FAN dont work....
sill from Alienware... my wife on hers 700$ Asus has all settings in BIOS.... here if I like to have all the options I need some custom firmware.... ridiculous from Alienware side... totally ridiculous

again from another side, I purchase it 6/2012, and this is first serious "problem" with it ..... (aside WD USB3.0 HDD wont work properly)

 

Yeah, dell are famous for locked out BIOS. They don't want you messing with the thermals, or overclocking .

Maybe the fan check is simply a power test and not that it's working? You could test this by just unplugging the fan but whatever way you need a fan.

 

until my new Fan arrive I change thermal paste.... now on cpu and gpu is Arctic cooling mx 4, temp is 15C lover ?!?!? WTF....

 

that stuff wears out over time.

 

I know but 15C ?!?

 

Yeah it be lower for a few days and then back to normal for me.. Whereas with IC Diamond, 2 months and it's been quite good.. Need to clean fans though...

 

so hard not to pull the trigger on a 2920xm for only $229.99. Then a 780m or 680m and I'd be good for another couple years. Probably also gonna swap out both fans and do the m14x fan mod because it looks pretty simple. Also gonna try to get a new gpu heatsink if I go with a new gpu too

 

Yep, sounds good. Although it depends on what you mean by "good" for the next couple of years. You won't be able to max out all current, let alone future games over the next 2 years with good framerates at 1080p with a 780M, but I think they'll at least be playable at reduced settings, and you'll be able to max out some of them. It's a good upgrade from a 6990 though!

 

it will work for now... Long enough for AMD to release something or Nvidia to get their head out of their butt.

 

I receive my FAN, and now temps are around 50 C in normal use...

problem is when I was taking them out and cleaning, there is no deep sound or any other alert, so it is very hard to know does they work or not....
I know Alienware is mainly used by "geeks" but where I work few "casual" users own Alienware, how will they know fan is bad or not working... ?!?

Big minus for Dell & Alienware .....

 

Like MickyD said in a post earlier - use HWInfo to monitor the fan speeds. Run a CPU intensive task like Prime95 for instance & see if HWInfo shows the fan RPM increasing. (You'll definitely be able to hear the fans speeding up too if you run Prime95). Good that you've managed to replace the CPU fan & are getting better temperatures now!

 

I can do it for my self, but honestly there should be BIOS solution for FAN fail.......

 

Anybody successfully installed a R9 M290X in their R4?

 

M290X is basically the same chip as the 8970M, and 7970M (although 7970M slightly lower clocked), and the 7970M was offered in the R4 (not sure if the 8970M was offered), but I don't see why the M290X wouldn't work. You'd need to be using modified inf's for the NVidia Driver install, not sure if you'd need a modified system BIOS (I don't think so). It's not a card I'd buy for the R4, I'd buy a 980M for it, and make sure I was using Windows 8 (Windows 8 required for Maxwell cards in Alienware it seems). (Various threads here on NBR and Tech Inferno on how to get a 980M working in an R4).

 

Oh I'd be selling it, not buying. And given the large price difference, I can see why someone would be interested in this card vs a 980. It's almost 1/3 the cost.

 

Given that you'll need to use modified inf to install drivers for the M290X in the R4, and that you were planning on then selling it, I don't think that's a good idea because you're selling a non-standard configuration that requires 'special' ways of upgrading the video driver, not very consumer friendly for the average consumer - unless you're selling it to a techie close friend then I wouldn't put a non-standard card in it.

 

I have a 17 R1 (Ranger) that came with the 290X by default. I'm selling it (the 290x) to a guy who bought a M17x R4 with a fried video card. Based on the questions he was asking, he seemed to know what he was doing (he new about making sure it had the appropriate heatsink, was aware it was the same architecture as the 7970/8790, knows about modded drivers, etc).

I totally understand your point though - I'm making sure they know what they're getting into, since I don't want to have to provide tech support 6 months down the line.

 

Ah, I see! I think the M290X will work in the R4, and if he's a bit techie then that's even better, he'll have to make the decision whether or not to buy it from you, I don't remember anyone having tried that card in the R4, but I would bet that it would work.

 

Has any one tried the 980M/970M upgrade in an R3? I have a mate who is keen to try but I just haven't seen it done yet and don't want to waste his money...

 

It looks like the 980M (and probably the 970M) don't work in the R3. A long time NBR member here, "Reborn", tested a 980M on his R3 and it wouldn't get past the POST. Also, another long time member, "Mr. Fox", tried to get it working on an M18x of the same generation as the M17xR3 and it wouldn't get past the POST screen either. Looks like the 980M/970M won't work in the R3!

 

I thought so seeing as I knew the m18x r1 didn't work like you said, so then then the 780/880m is the best you can go on the R3?

 

Yeah, for sure the 780M, which outpeforms the 880M even when both are flashed with svl7's modified vBIOS. Not sure if the 880M is compatible, I expect it is, but can't 100% remember seeing one!

 

Hi all, quick question (I have searched maybe not well enough...)

1:I have a 7970m from a clevo p170em, would this plug and play straight into a m17x r4 or is it a no go?

2:Also are the alienware GPU Heatsinks for ATI and NVidia different?

3:Also last but not least if the answer to question one is yes it will work, and question 2 is they use the same heatsink, does anyone know what mm thermal pads I need to use to fit?

 

1. Should be but not too sure
2. No, the 100W(Triple Pipe) are the same... Just make sure you remove the black tape around the GPU die if you use the ATI heatsink for the NVIDIA card
3. Get some 1mm pads and stack according to the thickness needed...

 

TomJGX made some good replies to you, but I'd like to add that the X-brackets are different between NVidia and AMD - the post heights of the X-bracket are different, so you have to use an NVidia X-bracket with an NVidia card. (You might need to get the screws too, they might be different sizes - not sure on that one.)

 

I have an x bracket from when it was fitted in a clevo machine, not sure if it's the same as what would be used in the alienware

I'm going to have a play with it later today

 

OOps forgot that bit ... The screws are different too as you said.. These are the screws which secure the heatsink to the computer...

 

Defo need new screws, does anyone know what size they are?

 

Screams for @Mr.Fox... I have no idea about the NVIDIA heatsink screws...

 

Hello Fellow M17X R-3 users. Quick question, i was wondering if we got a better BIOS then the modded A12. Id like to stop having to disable HD Audio. =\Anyone have any info on that? i googled it and all i get is the A12 BIOS that i already have.

 

The svl7 "A12 BIOS with SATA Tweak" is the most comprehensive BIOS that I know of for the M17xR3, and it's the one that I'm using as it also allows for SATA 3 speeds in one of the drive bays (the drive bay that contains my SSD!):
http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/2279-[m17x-r3]-bios-a12-unlocked-sata-tweak.html

 

Has anyone tested the OSD software from Alienware on Windows 10? Specifically the bit for the GPU switch that flips Enduro on and off. Windows 10 is right around the corner and I need to know if need to test it or not.

 

I don't know, but I think I remember another Alienware user stating that they had issues with OSD and Windows 10, but can't remember what machine they had. Here's a Windows 10 thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/windows-10.762434/page-90

 

Hey guys, I wanted to share my post from another thread here in the forum just to get your feedback. I didn't realize when I made the post and my account that the section was specifically for M17xR4s but anyways, here goes. Please give it a read and let me know what you think. Before you read, question: Is it normal to have 7970ms die in two years?

In the same boat as the OP. I am extremely angry and disappointed because I'm afraid that my 7970m on my M17xR4 has died as well. It started two weeks ago when the display crashed. After reformatting the OS (win 8 and 8.1) and my SSD, updating, recovering, and downloading many (many) times, everything is once again operational minus the 7970 card.

I was looking at google maps of all things when the display crashed. I played Skyrim for about 400 hours on ultra settings, and insurgency on steam for about the same time, and a lot of SC2, but really, I never really pushed the card too much. I also had a Cooler Master underneath the machine since day one. When I opened up the computer to look, I had virtually no dust or anything around the card or spaces and just a tiny bit of residual dust on the fans (nothing even close to detrimental I would imagine).

Currently, I have uninstalled all of the drivers for the card and the basic microsoft display adapter is read. I can use the AMD Catalyst system detect and it shows that I have a 7XXX class card, and prompts me to the install. But regardless of whether I obtain the drivers from AMD, Dell, or Windows the display always crashes in the same exact spot: I get one flicker of the screen, recovery, and then crash to black screen during display driver installation.

If I would have known that the flagship piece of hardware on this laptop would crash in two years, I would not have bought it. This is my first gaming laptop and unfortunately it has been a debacle.

I seriously wonder if one of Dell's automatic updates with Support Assist Agent (which caused many of us M17xR4 users critical errors and incessant GPU fans spinning) played a part, because the computer never felt like it ran quite as well afterwards, even after I deleted the Support Assist.

 

That all sounds very frustrating, hopefully I can help with some ideas. First off I think we need to know if your card has failed or not. So, basically you can't install any AMD drivers because it won't complete the install process. To help rule out software driver problems I would use DDU to remove all traces of AMD drivers from the system ( http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html), and then I would try reinstalling the drivers. I would probably try installing the latest AMD drivers from the Dell website, and then if that works fine try updating to the latest AMD drivers on the AMD website. (Did you change anything in the BIOS before this problem happened? Not expecting it to be that.). You could try reinstalling the OS if none of this works, or restoring from a known good backup image you've done in the past.

If that stuff above doesn't work then maybe it is your card that has failed. If you keep getting failed cards, then maybe your heatsink is not padded up properly & certain chips on the card are gettting too hot. You could visually check that the layout of the pads match the card if you take it apart. What were your GPU temperatures when gaming? If it's still in warranty you can get the GPU replaced for free as you know, and perhaps ask them for a replacement heat sink too, to rule out that your current one isn't padded up properly.

 

It does sound very much like the card has failed. It's not uncommon and two years is very much an average lifespan for a for of people. My R3 had multiple card failures and three months was about the best I got. When they replaced it with the R4 that also had a card failure. At that point I put in a 680m myself and that card has proved to be reliable.

You purchased an expensive product and it's unreliable. Bleeding edge, low yield, components cost more and are running at the top end of their design. Don't confuse a premium price product with premium quality.

Many times I have seen GPU's fail simply updating a driver. It get's worked a little harder and cannot cope. Of course you hope that you get a few years out of it and why dells warranty is worth the money. You are no longer rolling the dice on a new and untested component. Sure it's a pain having to deal with support, but at least you're not paying for it.

The 7970m is only recently showing itself as EOL after a couple of years, there are very few surviving 580m/675m's by now so it's not just that card. There was a period about a year ago where I was seeing 2 or 3 a week!

 

Thanks for the reply. Trust me, I have pretty much configured drivers in every way imaginable. Firstly, I never had past issues downloading drivers from the Dell page for my service tag; now that crashes every time. I would often install the default Dell driver and later replace it with AMD's new drivers...never any problems. Even the Windows updates that show as ATI, after I tried to download them as a last resort, the installation goes exactly the same way. I always crash on the second flash of the screen on the display installation. I have reformatted the OS this epidemic alone at least 15 times, trying to ensure that I meticulously had the BIOS settings, driver sequence (and correct versions), and windows updates (while keeping them turned off while doing all this) in the correct order. I too used the program that you recommended, the guru display driver removal, in safe mode but to no avail.

Temperature is a good question, because I didn't monitor it. I know, what a totally noobish thing to (not) do, but as this was my first gaming laptop, and I had the Cooler Master and kept the laptop always well ventilated, I didn't think that I would encounter critical temps. I never overclocked or pushed the GPU, other than as I mentioned, perhaps Skyrim, but even that ran reasonably well but did occasionally crash; but I blame that on mods and not the GPU. Besides, even my mods were typically gpu-friendly, as I never wanted to push the computer too hard. I did however take note of the thermal paste and heat pads when I inspected the card. I am going to post pictures for you guys and perhaps you can tell me by the paste or pads if heat appeared to have been an issue (if you can diagnose or recommend from the pics anyways). Again thanks for the reply.

Thank you as well for the reply. You know, I did try to research as best as I could for a mobile gaming laptop. For the most part, back in 2013, the M17xR4 pretty much had solid reviews, from critics and consumers alike. It was indeed expensive, but I reckoned that if it'd last me 4 or 5 years (hah) then it would be reasonable. Hell, I did take the laptop to Afghanistan and back and it didn't give me any problems, except for boot mode and startup miseries before I left (from me not knowing windows 8 [fault really belonging to myself and not the computer]).

And even with a dead GPU, I have to say, everything else is working fine. I did install the Samsung 840 Pro SSD and it has been great, and it's still going strong (*BANGING ON THE WOOD OF MY DESK RIGHT NOW*). The Seagate 750gb HDD is still operational and none of my keyboard keys have broken off. I've had very little problems with the FX or processor or wireless etc., but at the end of the day, the GPU dying is like shooting this laptop in its Achilles heel. I do have some audio device crashes sometimes, but I've read that others do too and it is easily fixed with a restart.

I just don't know if I'm willing to fork out an additional $500+ for another 7970m, when I really don't even know why the first one died, and I do not have faith in its life expectancy. I'm even less willing to spend more money than that on one of the Nvidia cards (although I'd like to if money wasn't an issue). I hate comparing computers to consoles but hell, I could have bought two of the newest gen consoles (and probably a basic economy laptop) with most accessories and online play for the amount I've paid for one gaming laptop, not even counting a replacement GPU.

Edit: I've actually got AMD Radeon 7970m showing in the device manager again (following a botched installation), but it doesn't work. When I try to use it, baaad things happen

Edit Edit: Downloaded the newest AMD driver today, it actually finished installation (I was surprised but not at all excited yet). But, as anticipated, on startup the start screen crashed to black screen and the comp was unrecoverable.

IMG_20150704_242505113 by antonichen posted Jul 8, 2015 at 4:17 PM

IMG_20150704_242423238 by antonichen posted Jul 8, 2015 at 4:17 PM

IMG_20150704_242357060 by antonichen posted Jul 8, 2015 at 4:17 PM

 

Looks like it's pasted up OK, perhaps a bit too much paste, but shouldn't have been an issue. The rectangular thermal pad in at the bottom left of your heatsink (as seen in the photo) looks like it' been slightly damaged - looks like it got snagged on the large square inductors when it was being screwed together. That bit is not supossed to contact those large raised square inductors, so it's possible that if that thick blue rectangular pad (the damaged one) was caught under the inductor during install then that might have created an uneven heatsink where other chips on the card might not have been contacted effectively - particularly the line of small rectangular chips at the top of the card which are supposed to be contacted by that very long thin blue strip on the end of the heatsink. If those parts overheated due to bad contact it could have caused the death of your card. I'd get the card & heatsink replaced by Dell.

 

I agree with @Robbo99999 , it looks like a borderline pad job with a little too much paste as well. The dents just don't look right to me. While this would probably not cause overheating to be apparent even if you were monitoring it, the circuitry is the VRM's that have to dump excess voltage as heat. Poorly placed pads will not cause an immediate overheat but may well have shortened it's lifespan?

I also see that they are unbranded components, cheaper but also a contributor to low lifespan IMO. I have seen some cards with branded VRM's and others like yours so it's probably a dice roll depending on what the factory had at the time.

Dell place the pads on the heatsink and then assemble. While this is easier for production-line assembly, it's far better to apply the pads directly to the components (except the thin strip at the edge) and then assemble. I have seen some atrocious pad placements from the factory, one of mine even had a pad missing!

With the recent spate of 7970m failures I would have to assume that any investment in another one is going to be a two year investment, but maybe just taking care and good paste is all that is needed to give many years of service?