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

Would I be losing out a lot if I don't upgrade to ssd? I'm not particular about benching numbers as I use it to game. So long as games don't lag I'm fine.

 

the caching concept is interesting to me. i almost bought one of those OCZ caching ssd's just to try it on my desktop. The reports have been favorable so far

no you won't lose much if any. SSD's make your system snappier, bootup comes in 15 seconds, files transfer quickly. Your split second waits are no more. However, the way typical games work, an SSD won't make the game run any faster...it may load faster though. And...some games that load all the time will run smoother

 

Alright thank you very much for your time. So it seems it is not imperative, nevertheless, I will still be looking forward to my system

 

@slickdude80, I found this interesting: Chipsets — Intel® Smart Response Technology User Guide

Edit: for anyone else reading; step 1 and 2 for the bios and windows/software install are not necessary on an out-of-the-box R3 or R4.

 

Thanks for the link...very interesting stuff ++

 

You're welcome. I think that you might have been like me. I thought this caching ssd thing is noob fodder. Just a way to off-load all those small ssd's now the larger ones are getting a reasonable price. Seems it does have it's merits...

 

Hi All! First time to post on the boards so a big hello to everyone here! I should be receiving my M17x within the next couple of weeks and I am pretty excited to say the least.

Since i currently work in China, I shopped through a 3rd party to get my lappie shipped in from the US (much cheaper). I had opted for the 64gb msata boot drive, but the fools there accidentally configured the 32gb caching drive. I asked them to change the order but by the time they went back, the 64gb boot drive was no longer an option on the website! Long story short, they offered me more RAM and a discount to take the 32gb msata build.

When i accepted, i was of the impression that windows is on the 32gb ssd, but now im reading elsewhere that its on the HDD and the ssd just helps to cache and speed things up. Not sure if anyone can confirm, i have looked around but didnt find anything definitive.

Ive also put in an order for a samsung 830 256gb ssd, but now i'm wondering whether i should bother doing a clean install on it. What will become of the 32gb msata caching drive?

If i dont clean install, will the 32gb ssd keep my boot times snappy enough, and i can just put all my other programs and games onto the samsung?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

See my earlier post for how it works. From experience of a user here that did it from a single hdd, it works better than it sounds.

If you add a sdd drive, you can reconfigure the 32 as part of a single raid 0 drive. All you'd loose is sata 3 speed as (I think) the msata port is only sata 2. You would then need to reinstall windows onto the ssd array as you'd be running win off the single HD at that point.

Or you could just be happy with the speed of the caching system and have somewhere fast to store your games

Edit: oops forgot, welcome

 

You will want to make your SSD the system/boot with a clean install (there are other avenues then reinstalling, which are easier, but outside the scope of this post), and leave the msata caching your HDD. This is the optimum setup for what you have. Since you did put in an order for an SSD, you would have ended up with a 64GB cache drive instead of 32GB, provided you choose the optimum setup.

The setup you are getting from the factory uses the msata drive as cache, which will cache what's used the most, and that usually means system files, those needed by windows.

 

Thanks MickyD,

after lurking for so long, it's good to finally part of the community!

Also thanks to harolds.

It's given me something to think about. I guess I will try out the existing setup to see how the 32gb cache performs. Maybe it will be pretty snappy straight out of the box (im coming from a plain old 5400rpm mechanical hdd) and I'll be happy with the speed. (and it does sound like less hassle )

If not I might look into harolds suggestion of clean installing onto the samsung and leave the 32gb ssd caching the hdd. I assume after im all set with the samsung i just need to format the hdd and use it as plain file storage?

Also could anyone quote how fast they boot with the 32gb cache + hdd setup? I saw some reviews saying on average between 26-32 seconds. Just wondering if that's in line with what everyone else is seeing!

 

You are correct about just formatting your hdd. Hassle? That's up to you, for me it's no question.

And if the numbers are correct (26-32 seconds to boot) you will cut that in half booting from the SSD.

 

Got it! I was scared I was gonna have to send it in at first because when I turned it on only the number pad was lighting up on the keyboard. But once it finished configuring windows it worked. Now I just need to install a game to test this out

 

You're very welcome.

The only 'problem' I can see with Harolds suggestion is that you would end up with a sata 3 ssd being cached onto a sata 2 ssd. If I read it right. Kinda defeats the object of caching speeding up a mechanical drive as well. But still a valid option.

It will be probably be fastest with a reinstall of windows onto a new ssd and using the new ssd and the caching ssd as either separate drives or a single raid array. Or the caching could be applied to the mechanical HD as it is now but the OS coming off the ssd. But this speed increase will probably only be visible in benchmarking numbers.

Makes your head spin thinking about all the options

Good luck, let us know how you get on - always good for others to see real world experiences

Congrats. Choose wisely young padawn

 

It runs great. I decided to go ahead and put in the SSD I got. Do I have to do something to get it to show up or did I put it in wrong? It still only shows my 750gb HDD.

EDIT: It shows up under device and says it is working properly. So do I just need to go into the bios?

 

What I said was "and leave the msata caching your HDD", because you choose which drive to cache.

 

I assume you're not using it as a boot drive.
Start
Control panel
System and security
Admin tools
Computer management
Disk management
Mark partition as active I think. I don't have any blank drives. I'm going off of memory.

 

Does it show up during the Bios bootup. If so then you don't need to go into the bios, you just need to assign it a drive letter as described by jwimsett, but if you are going to do a fresh install of windows, just boot using the windows disk and select the SSD as the drive to install operating system to.

 

Yeah that worked. Thanks a ton. My plan is to have it as my boot drive. Should I update the firmware on it before I go and do anything like that? I have the crucial m4 128gb.

 

No, all you need to do is run the Intel Rapid Storage Technology which should be an icon on your taskbar and select the new drive as caching.
Chipsets — Intel® Smart Response Technology User Guide
Start from the step: Enabling Intel Smart Response Technology
EDIT: missed your last post - you're going for a boot SSD. Ignore.
You just need to run disk management and assign it a drive letter.

Sorry, misunderstood

 

np, just wanted to be clear just incase someone else misunderstood.

 

What firmware is on it? The previous steps were unnecessary if you're making it your boot drive. You could have just slapped your windows cd in and it would have taken care if it. I would format your current boot drive afterwards though unless you want 2 boot drives.

To check which firmware revision you currently have on your m4:

Start
Control panel> System> Hardware
device manager
Expand disk drives
Right click on the m4 and select properties
6) Select details tab > select hardware lds from the drop down menu and the firmware version will be displayed towards the right hand side after some underscores. I think current is 000F

 

Yeah it is on 000F which appears to be the current one. I had heard about older firmware resulting is BSOD after so many hours so I wanted to make sure to avoid that.

Yeah I plan to format my HDD once I make sure the SSD is working properly.

What do I do with the recovery partition on the HDD?

 

The old one? I believe you can delete it. It should make a new one on the new boot drive.

Edit: My mistake. I confused the recovery partition with the system boot partition. A recovery DVD will solve any problems though

 

OK. I now think I know what I'm doing then

 

I wouldn't delete the recovery partion if I were you

Sent From My Rooted EVO 3D

 

As long as they burn a recovery dvd, it will be ok.

 

Hi there,

I am considering the Alienware M17x (standard 1,499 one) and I have a few questions I would like answered before purchasing.


What is the battery life when just surfing the web and doing general things?

How long will an Alienware last (Not as in handling games...as in how long will it go until something goes wrong)?

Is getting an extended warranty worth the huge price? (It seems crazy overpriced compared to other companies)

Is there any upgrades to the base model that are VERY worth it?


Thanks.

 

Hi, I will tell you that I have an m17x r1, Its a few years old and I still love it just as much as the day I got it and it can still handle anything I throw at it just fine.
Now as far as battery life, You will have to understand that these are first off gaming laptops so the battery life isnt great, but I can get about 2 hours out of the battery. But I dont use any power saving features, Im sure that could be greatly extended on any of the newer models especially when not doing anything graphics intensive.
How long will it last? As with anything there will be units out there with their problems and there will be others that last years working just as good as the day they were built. I have had mine 3 years now i think... with no problems.. other than the ones i cause myself..lol
The extended warranty is a personal option, but you do not have to purchase it when you buy the computer, you can wait to decide and buy it later if you think you want or need it.
Upgrades... Ram and hard drives can be purchased cheaper at your local best buy or frys or comp usa, whatever you have, and installed by you.
To make your computer forward compatible I would upgrade the cpu and graphics as far as you can comfortably afford to ensure that anything that comes out in the next few years wont give it any problems trying to run.

I say go for it, get what you want, and you wont be disappointed.
Good luck

 

LCD upgrade for the base model is worth it. I still regret the day that i got a 1440x900

 

1. battery life so far for me during my work is about 5-6 hours, with IGPU, no lights.
running programs : google chrome, ms excel, ms word, ms access.

2. nobody could really say for sure, some ppl got faulty pc right out of the box, some lasts for years w/ w/o minor issues. (applies to other pc brands, desktop and laptop alike)
so there where the warranty comes in. my suggestion if you're seeing yourself using the laptop for the next 3 years, then buy 3 years warranty.

3. dell have on-site service, and accidental dmg warranty, so i think its worth it.
again this is relative for other ppl, some may find it worth it some don't.

4. i'd say the GPU upgrades if you're a gamer, and CPU + RAM if your work programs requires it e.g CAD, rendering, virtualization, etc etc.
and definitely get the FHD display.

 

Oh yes. Alienware's are built to last a while.
For example: I have an m17x R2. I got it in Fall of 2010. My cousin HAD an Inspiron 1525. She got that in August 2009. One year older and that thing is literally falling apart. She was on her second battery, second MB, third CPU and power brick. The screws that hold the case/frame together will not tighten because the screw holes are worn out. The LCD screen will rock 2-3 back and forth if the machine is moved because the hinges are worn out. The list goes on and on. Apart from having some hardware failures (motherboard, DVD drive), this thing runs like a champ. My XPS M1710 never ran this reliably. Definitely worth the higher price.

 

The must have upgrades are the 1080p display and the 7970m video card. You can always upgrade HDD/SSD and ram later.

 

Thanks for all the responses, I definitely will upgrade the GPU...as for the display I think I will leave it standard because I have a 24" monitor to switch to when I am in my dorm and I don't know how useful a better display will be when doing minor things mobile.

 

Well, the Alien has landed!

Got my SSD installed, configured everything the way I wanted, and installed one game so far...NBA 2k12. My old laptop ran it on pretty much medium settings (although still at 1920x1200 resolution) at about 30 fps and got very hot playing it...sometimes crashing to desktop.

This beast ran it totally maxed including 8xAA, every single setting dialed up as high as it would go, over 100 fps, according to the in-game benchmark. And it wasn't even warm. Ha!

I think this thing just opened up a whole new world of gaming for me.

 

Get the best processor and graphics card you can afford. Getting a killer processor and a poor GPU sucks, just as having a killer graphics card with an underpowered processor will bottleneck performance.

Always get a warranty. It will protect your investment, and if anything goes wrong they will either replace or repair it, free of charge.

 

congrats dude!! these machines really are beasts

 

FYI, after a new SSD, when I came to re-install alienrespawn it detected I had no recovery partition and made one (optional), then backed up to it. My own 'factory' recovery

 

Hey does anyone know of a good plastic shell that will fit the M17x? What I mean is some kind of hard plastic sleeve that you can put around it before you put it in your laptop backpack etc. Don't think I trust my backpack to protect it enough if it takes a good whack. Cheers!

 

So happy I had today off to sign FedEx, been waiting for almost a month. It came with 2 500gb drives and I was wondering if I should run a raid 0 for performance or raid 1 for data loss? Thanks peeps

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

0 = 1TB
1 = 500GB
So you will lose half of your hard drive space running raid 1.

 

I dont know anythign about a plastic shell like that. However in your box there should be a thin clothing cover for the whole laptop already. Also you can purchase a fake leather skin cover on ebay for cheap.

 

RAID 0 is more capacity than performance. Ultimately it comed down to whether you need a terabyte of space or can you live with only 500GB of space.

 

Great point, I run raid 1 on my desktop because of the years of valuable files stored (also backup on external hdd) but I plan on using my alienware for school, gaming, and leisure so I'm leaning towards raid 0

Sent from my VS920 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

Dont be to happy, Patriots fan!!

All kidding aside, awesome man.

 

Did you mean to say more capacity and performance?

Because it has both over raid 1.

 

Yes and no. Case in point: I use a RAID 0 array with my Wii and it R/W's a hella lot faster than either a single drive setup or a RAID 1 array. But that doesn't seem to be what people use a RAID 0 for. Everyone I've set one up for wanted it more for capacity than the increase in I/O speed. But then again, most of them aren't as seasoned as me and don't fully understand the concept of RAID arrays.

 

Does this not have an optical output?

And do any of you have to open command center to make all of the lights come on? Some themes are all the way on when I boot up but then others the track pad and number pad won't come on til I go to command center then they work just fine.

 

Just got into the PC gaming since Ive been working in Afghanistan for a year now and its hard to drag around a Tv and Xbox everytime we move sites. I've never owned a gaming computer and im not much of a techie. So with that being said I just ordered this.
Nebula Red Alienware M17x R4
Ivy Bridge i7-3610QM 2.3-3.3GHz
2 500GB (4GB SSD) 7200RPM Hybrid drive
16GB 1600MHz RAM
nVidia 675M
I ordered the bigfoot network killer 1103 seperately so im going to install that when I get back to the states in a little over a week. Any tips on things I should do? Im going to buy Metro 2033, Microsoft FSX, and COD Black Ops 2. Any other good games I should know about? Thanks!

 

In my opinion, I would change the graphics to the 7970 is cheaper and the card is a lot better then the 675. The 675 is a rebadged 580. 7970 is beast of a card. Also change the ram back to 6gb. You can get 16gb of Corsair Vengeance for $99. It would save you another 100

 

Congratulations on your purchase and I hope that you enjoy it.

There are a lot of good games that I would recommend, such as:
-Amnesia: The Dark Descent
-Just Cause 2
-Battlefield 3
-Crysis