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

Now I'm scared for my Geforce GTX 680m's life LOL.

Been using it 2.5 years and so far so good. I guess if it died I might be able to get the system back to using the horrible Intel video, get some more life out of it, but I don't know what I'd replace this with because I guess the current Alienware notebooks force you to use Floptimus, and that ain't happening.

So far though this notebook's been one of my favorite PCs I've ever owned, well worth the money.

 

If you've got an M17xR4 you can use a 980M in there if the 680M fails. If it's an R3 then the 980M is not compatible. You could upgrade the M17xR3 to a 780M, but not worth it these days for that old card - may as well buy a new laptop. 680M is not gonna fail, unlikely too - I'm overclocking my Kepler card like nobodies business for 2 years now, no sign of failing.

 

You should be fine (fingers crossed)! The 680m is the most hardy GPU I've ever used. It's the only one I have not seen failures posted either. I run mine with a maximum overvolt and around +32% on the core clock - solid @ around 72c - he says cautiously...

 

Yeah the denting in the pads is something noteworthy. Also, one of them was totally loose...keep in mind I've never even opened it until after this issue arose. I think that's definitely a sign of defect.

I did happen to buy a third party insurance policy for up to three years which does include mechanical and electrical defects. I think that this might be applicable and hopefully they'll agree.

Thank you for your opinions and please wish me luck! I read this somewhere during this fiasco and chuckled, "may our FPS be high and our temperatures low"-- for you all out there, including Wolfpup mentioning his 680m -_-

 

For Alienware M17x R4 users I installed Windows 10 for you. Here is what you will require to get the system working 100%

For the most part Windows will install 100% of the hardware with compatible drivers. Doesn't matter if Enduro is on or not (I have AMD). I can't say the same on Optimus although most will have it on unless you have an unlocked firmware from upgrading your card or other issue.

With that in mind if you do have an upgraded card then you may need to hold off a bit until drivers are pushed out.

Anyways for sofware that you will needed...

From support.dell.com:
Alienware Command Center 2.8.10.0 (Windows 8)
On Screen Display software (Windows 8.1)
Sound Blaster Recon 3Di audio drivers (Windows 8.1) (See Note!)

From intel.com (optional):
Intel Chipset Device Software

Synaptics Touchpad Drivers/Support Software
64-bit: https://catalog.update.microsoft.co...updateid=f8b51bde-762a-4f94-bf72-ac707b39f6e4
32-bit: https://catalog.update.microsoft.co...updateid=78fcc101-0a2a-4db7-b5cc-4cf331930796
The last links disappeared on me. If it changes again start here and look for version 19.0.15.2 dated 7/9/2015

Note: It doesn't detect for some reason or at least not for me but these packs worked fine when I used them. Edit: These may auto-detect now. Don't know for sure.

Alienware Command Center is needed for AlienFX
OSD software is needed for Enduro toggle

Sound Blaster Recon 3Di drivers are needed to allow the side ports to work properly. They won't hot detect otherwise. They may not even cold detect. Didn't test that part.
Note: The driver pack installs only the drivers by default when you run the exe from Dell directly. If you want the control panel and extras you need to extract the files from the package then run it from the folder. If you already installed the drivers it will allow you to modify the installation otherwise I assume it may just default to install everything. I found that you don't even need to install the Windows 8.1 driver. Still extract the pack. When you run setup do a custom install. Do not install the driver. Install everything else. Reboot and you should be good to go.

The control panel does work on Windows 10.

Known Issue: Build updates for insiders seem to break the sound drivers each time. My only theory at this time is that when it reinstalls the drivers it uses the newest matching drivers each time and therefore reinstalls the broken Windows 10 defaults vs using the working Windows 8.1 versions that we installed. Repairing the install by re-running the installer then rebooting will fix it again.

Once that is done you essentially have a fully working system.

Tested Build 10162/10240

 

Clean install or upgrade?

 

It was a clean install.

 

Thanks, now we need someone to risk an upgrade - might be me!

 

In terms of M17xR3 I'm thinking Alienware Command Center might be a problem, no Win 8 drivers for this one, just Windows 7 - wonder if they will be compatible with Windows 10? Also the Synaptics touchpad I wonder, as well as the media key strip at the top of the keyboard and the Function keys for screen brightness - these are all areas where I'm expecting some incompatibilities & loss of function. What do you reckon?

 

The function keys and media strip at the top of the R4 works out of the box with no additional software needed. It is very possible that the R3 will too. I can post the device id list for the synaptics drivers that I linked if you want and you can see if the R3 touchpad is listed. If it is then you got that covered too.

EDIT: Ehh... Here is the list.

Code:

acpi\dll0436
acpi\dll0437
acpi\dll0446
acpi\dll0447
acpi\dll0448
acpi\dll044a
acpi\dll044b
acpi\dll0455
acpi\dll0456
acpi\dll0457
acpi\dll0459
acpi\dll0467
acpi\dll0468
acpi\dll046b
acpi\dll046c
acpi\dll046d
acpi\dll046e
acpi\dll0470
acpi\dll0471
acpi\dll047d
acpi\dll048b
acpi\dll04b5
acpi\dll04b6
acpi\dll04b7
acpi\dll04b8
acpi\dll04bd
acpi\dll04be
acpi\dll04bf
acpi\dll04c0
acpi\dll04c7
acpi\dll04df
acpi\dll050e
acpi\dll051f
acpi\dll0520
acpi\dll0521
acpi\dll0522
acpi\dll0523
acpi\dll0524
acpi\dll0550
acpi\dll0551
acpi\dll0552
acpi\dll0570
acpi\dll0571
acpi\dll057b
acpi\dll0580
acpi\syn0606
acpi\syn0609

 

Yep, that would be great if you could do that, I'll check the device ID for the touchpad now and list it in this post.

Hardware ID: ACPI\DLL0490
Compatible IDs: *PNP0F13

EDIT: thanks for posting your list of ID's, my ID isn't listed amoungst them, and at that link you gave there was no download link for that driver anyway and Firefox threw up some kind of untrusted connection warning as well. Thanks for listing those ID's though, I'll have to see what happens to the touchpad when I upgrade & if I can find any compatible drivers.

 

Oh yea... You have to use IE to access the site. It requires an ActiveX control to work. XD

EDIT (8/19/2015): Found out that Windows Update drivers actually work fine but have the wrong pin configuration for our systems. Installing ONLY the control panel and extras from the Windows 8.1 pack is enough to put this in place and the drivers will start working.

Comparison of driver versions:
Dell Alienware M17 R2 Driver
5/20/2015
6.0.100.2055

Dell Alienware M17x R4 Driver
8/21/2013
6.0.100.2042

Windows supplied
7/21/2015
6.0.100.2056

 

When i compare gpu triple heatsink (nvidia vs ati) from R3 and R4 version they look same except some pads. It is possible using gpu heatsink from Ati to nvidia with new pad nevermind if R3 or R4 version? thanx

 

Looks similar, scale wise at least.. Should be fine...

 

Hi, I've helped a couple of people that have used AMD heatsinks on NV cards and they worked fine. You do need to remove the black tape around the core area and if possible use an NV x-bracket. This will ensure the correct heatsink/card clearance. The only problem with that is that the captive screws on an AMD heatsink are a different size. You have to remove those screws and get the correct ones. One guy used the AMD x-bracket as well and got away with it but that was on a 680m and they run cool (usually around 65c at stock) so there is room for it to run a little hotter. If you was going for a 780m or 9xxm then you really should source the x-bracket and screws.

Of course the pads placement and thicknesses will depend on the GPU you go for. R3/R4 no difference.

Good luck.

 

Hello,
first of all i'm new to this forum and i bought an alienware m17x r4 recently for the first time.

I got the following specs:
i7 3630qm
gtx 675m
500gb hdd
6gb ram
900p screen

I wanted to upgrade the screen to an 1080p one but i'm not sure if it would work. Anyone got any knowledge about this? I also found a cheap gtx 780m out of an MSI laptop , the gpu looked very alike. Would that fit in the r4?

 

Hi, welcome .

You've got a good starting point there and I guess it's down to funds and how much work you want to put in? Take a look at the 120hz panel upgrade sticky. It's the same amount of work physically and depending on your use is a great upgrade in quality and contrast for gaming.

MSI cards seem to have occasional issues in AW's, it's usually clevo/sager I see working OK. Maybe someone else knows? There is 'messing' required for any GPU upgrade except for the 680m in the R4. A card I still recommend as a solid gamer with plenty of headroom for overclocking .

Don't overclock the 675m! They are notorious for gimping, and maybe look at an SSD as a good starting point?

.

 

I was planning on an ssd and new hdd first (sometimes laptop freezing a few seconds). I just was curious if any screen would work. I have read that 1080p vs 900p is a big difference in quality.
About the gpu, i asked about the msi one because i can get it for half the price of the ones on ebay. But if it doesn't work, i'm aiming towards a 7970m
This is the one btw
http://www.2dehands.be/computer-gam.../laptop-2001-3000-mhz/gtx-780m-254353383.html

 

Well if you go for a 780m you will need an unlocked (A12) bios to disable the on-board Intel GPU for it to be detected and used. This is the case for any NV gpu that is non-standard for the model. The 9xx cards are an exception to this but come with their own bunch of caveats.

The 1080p panel will certainly be a big upgrade BUT if you were to go for the 120hz panel this plugs into a different port on the MB bypassing the Intel GPU. Upshot is that you don't need an unlocked bios to use a 780m. In both cases you loose the Intel GPU and get less battery time. As the 680m was a stock card it is plug-and-play with no messing.

You also need to modify the NV drivers to allow them to install with a 7xx card. Not so for the AMD or the 680m. Your heatsink is fine for any card but you do need to get the x-bracket for the card (and for the AMD a set of mounting screws as they are larger). Of course the pad thicknesses and placement will need researching as well - lots of info here on NBR .

Food for thought....

 

I found some cheap screens here:
http://www.laptopscreen.com/English/model/Dell/ALIENWARE~M17X~R4/?set_currency=EUR
I see that there are matte and glossy ones. I never seen a matte alienware m17x version. Is this site trustful?

And about the gtx 780m. It will be way cheaper for me than agtx 680m and even cheaper than a 7970m. What is your suggestion?

 

I can't speak to their trustfulness but they look OK enough for me to purchase.

Depends on your usage as to matte or glossy. I prefer glossy as there is no loss of clarity but I only use it indoors with low light when gaming.

The 120hz option there would need you to source the cable as well but negate the need for an unlocked bios. With a 60hz display you will need to find a copy of that unlocked bios to use the 780m, but you can do that before getting it. I know one setting you need to change is PEG but there is another one you'll need to find out.

You can get a modified inf file for the driver install for the 780m from here: http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers. Just ignore the search and follow the link for the driver you want to install.

You can re-use the 675m x-bracket at a pinch but it's best to try to get the x-bracket that comes with the card.

HTH.

 

Hi everybody,

It's been a long time since I posted. I downloaded the new Star Wars battlefront 2 beta and it prompted me saying my drivers were out of date I have the AMD 6970m and windows 7 64bit.
Required driver is 15.7 or later. It said go to amd.com and update...I did that and I tried installing Catalyst suite 15.7.1 and after it completes installing it says no graphics driver detected....very very strange. I tried the beta driver as well and still no success.

I am on catalyst version 12.6. (I last updated July 2012 I think)

Can anyone help please?

Thanks

 

Hello,
when i got my m17x r4 i formatted it and downloaded all drivers from the alienware download page. However the intel HD 4000. What i want to ask if it will switch automaticly now?

 

It should do. It will startup on the Intel then switch when a game is started. Did the driver install OK and do you see both cards in Device Manager? Also check on a right click of the game start icon and see if you have an option to run on a different GPU?

 

It shows in device list, and i can also choose which gpu to run something with .

 

So, if you start a game it does not switch? Have you tried something like MSI afterburner to see which card is running? You do need to be on mains power as well - just in case you're not

You should only need the hot-key if a game refuses to start on the NV card. If 'run from' works but not auto-switching then you might have to just put up with it until a new driver comes along that might fix it?

 

*** SOLVED.
by disabling driver enforcement in windows.


Please point me to the right forum but right now I think this is one relevant to ask for help in.
So, I need help with Nvidia drivers.
I just upgraded to windows 10.
Everything works except my geforce card, which I expected to fail.
I made an upgrade from 580M to 680 M about 3 years ago and I have ever since relied on modded nvidia drivers.
Now when upgrading to win 10 I supposed it would have been the same story. But now not even the modded drivers seem to work. I tried installing 352.84-notebook-win10-64bit-international-whql but I got the error that the set up wasnt able to detect my card.
I am using M17 r3.

I can see in the device manager that it is rooted under "unknown device"
in the location: PCI Express Root Complex
It has to be it, other thing I see is basic display driver under the display driver folder.

 

anyone know how to stream music/audio TO a bluetooth device FROM the M17x R4? the only other thing I found on here doesn't work at all

 

BIOS question for any R4 owners: I have the A13 BIOS, and noticed tonight while poking around in there that the setting to let you switch the graphics between integrated/dedicated is gone. At least I can't seem to find it in the "Performance" area of the BIOS. Can anyone with the A13 bios confirm this setting was removed?

I know way back when I got my R4 that it had a spot in the BIOS to let you switch the graphics... is there an older BIOS I could downgrade to so I can get this setting back?

 

CCC had / (has?) an option, to permanently assign the different graphic-cards towards specific programs, so you can set it to run the ATI while you play a game and set it to use the Intel, when you're working with Chrome / Firefox.

 

Yes, I use those Enduro features, but some games run at better FPS if you can switch the laptop to dedicated mode. Just for some reason that is now missing in my A13 BIOS.

 

You can still switch to dedicated mode using in the FN+F7 combination (which does exacty the same as when setting it manually in the bios).

Almost every game runs much more worse when running in Enduro mode (one of the main reasons why the M295X in the new AW15 performs so badly as an example as it can only run in Enduro mode)

 

Right, I was looking in the BIOS because currently my FN+F7 won't work. Some kind of driver or software issue. I tried re-installing the command center, it did seem to go smoothly, but FN+F7 still won't work and also the command center button doesn't do anything.

 

You have to install the "Alienware On Screen Display Application" for the FN+F7 combination to work

 

Right. I do have that installed, version 0.32.0.8C. Also the Command Center is showing 2.8.10.0. I think all the latest versions? For whatever reason, the FN+F7 and command center buttons don't do anything.

 

Weird, I would recommend removing them both and reinstall the OSD application first.

 

You could uninstall the lot and then reinstall the drivers available at dell.com and confirm that switching is working, then upgrade the drivers with the ATI enabled

 

hello, I'm doing a clean install and I'm not sure which drivers to install for the LAN and wireless. On the dell website it says I have: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 b/g/n 1x2 MIMO Technology
but it doesn't say what my LAN card is. Which drivers should I use? Thanks!

 

Found a driver for this on the Intel support page. Seems to be working good.

 

Hi guys!

I want to (try to) keep this short, and please direct me to a relevant thread promptly if you know of one. I'm at the brink of losing it.

Keyword: Tremendous all-over performance lag due to "unsupported AC adapter". I've seen several threads before, but none seem to be specific for this. For about 1,5 years my R3 has been struggling to charge my battery, but I've survived with solutions like removing the battery and pressing the power button to discharge everything. Usually after that the battery charges. I also replaced my battery, but that had limited success, but it was nonetheless nice with a new battery that held a 2 hour charge.

If my battery is full and the AC is not plugged in, 50% of the time the performance is normal, 50% it is unbearable.
If my battery is empty and the AC is not plugged in, 50% of the time the performance is normal, 50% it is unbearable.
If my battery is full and the AC is plugged in, 50% of the time the performance is normal, 50% it is unbearable.

You catch my drift, the performance is unbearable. I see what I type here being typed 5 seconds after I'm done typing.

The last 5 days, it just doesn't want to charge at all. I managed to get it to charge once after removing the battery for the night. Now I'd be all for just throwing out the battery all together and use just AC, but the horrible lag is there no matter how I use the laptop. The only time it is not laggy, is when the battery manages to charge and is somewhat full, but recently even then it is laggy. My JOB is working with video material and typing so this has become such a pain. I can not work full screen anymore, even if it IS charging and the AC is recognized.

Is there anything I can do to fix performance? I realize there might be a physical problem with the power connections, but when it DOES charge it charges to full, it's not like its flaky like that? I mean, I wish I could just fool the laptop into thinking there is no battery to be charged? I'm willing to try anything. I just want this lag DEAD and gone.

I guess I am down to:

Figuring out if it's my motherboard.
Trying a new PSU.

 

What happens if you run the laptop with the battery removed (just on AC) - is performance always good then? I'm thinking that if you've got a bad battery or problems charging the battery, then maybe your power brick is having to constantly output a lot of Watts trying to charge it - then maybe there's not enough Watts left over to provide good performance for your gaming or whatever else you do. Trying it with the battery removed could prove this.

 

Just as bad without the battery I'm afraid, maybe 5% better. Which doesn't make much sense. I just ordered a new PSU to see what happens.

 

Fingers Crossed! I find it useful to have my power adapter plugged into a KillaWatt meter - enables me to see how many Watts are being consumed from the wall - can be useful in diagnosing performance related issues I find.

 

Thanks! I'm crossing everything that can be crossed.

 

My God, it worked. Battery charges normally, AC adapter is always recognized, with or without battery, performance is not affected in any way anymore. I can even work full screen again. I should have bought a new charger and not a new battery one year ago!

 

Good news - well at least now it's fixed!

 

EDIT

NVM, sorted

 

Hi guys,

I have an opportunity to get an deffect M17X R3. The owner says , dead mobo , does beep , no more info. I can get it for dirt cheap, 580m / 2860qm / full hd screen so if it's totaly dead i can get my money back in parts.

I think it's a dead gpu, pretty common as i have seen on Gtx 580m. So i will start by un-mount the mxm and do a blind flash for bios resetting. I have seen that the screen can cause some trouble.

So :

- can i start the thing without the dgpu and without the gpu fan ? Only on intel gpu.
- can it start without the onboard screen ? On an hdmi screen without the LVDS screen connected ? I don't want to throw 70 € in a new screen for nothing if it's a dead mobo

If i get it back to life i am planning to put in a 7970m, the 240w psu can handle it ? My M17x R2 shut off the 240w power supply as soon as i lunch a game even in single Gpu with a 920xm oc and two 7970m.

An other thing, can throttlestop keep the 2860qm at turbo speed ( 3.5 Ghz ) ? 920 xm are cheap but 2920xm ...

 

Hi everyone, out of curiosity, does anyone know if 980M is compatible / works with the 120Hz 3D Vision panel in the M17x R4?

 

I'd make a post in the Alienware forum section instead of following this post.