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

I am gonna use I think IC diamond or maybe my noctua (because this spreads soso easy, just make a cross on your die (so you get all corners of the bare die, that's how i feel comfortable).

Hope the thermal pads i bought are as squizy as I think, then I would be relative easy I think, I keep you guys updated.
The videocard should arrive somewhere next week and all components should be here also.

Senshin

 

IC Diamond is likely to scratch your heatsink and GPU if you ever have to or want to reapply it in the future. I don't like it for this reason. The little scratches it causes mean that each time you reapply IC Diamond your temperatures could theoretically get worse as more & more scratches mean slower thermal transfer.

 

I never used IC diamond tilla few months back, i had it laying around the whole time.
I applied it on my CPU and I have better temps then ever, but what you said about the scratching is true, but also how you remove it.
But I also think with some effort and alcohol you can clean it relative easy (takes a amount of time yes).

Also after some research i did lately about IC diamond it's more likely to get bad when you are obsessive about your cooling and repaste it like 10 times.
In normal application it shouldn't be a problem and if you do a repaste every 3 or 4 years I think your just fine.

The other issue i have is it's tickness, it's relative tought, you need relative good pressure to make it work good and also to be sure i goes on the hole die.
This is the reason why i think noctua is better, it's really thin and it spreads out so easy, you cannot go wrong, and after 2 death videocards, i don't really wanna take a risk or think about a wrong application.
I have some other paste's, but these 2 i am thinking about.

Senshin

 

Yep, ease of application is the most important part of a paste's performance, because if you end up applying it right & doing a good job, then your temperatures will be low anyway - there's only a max of 5 degC difference between the best & worst pastes, so as long as you've got a paste with a half decent reputation you'll be fine - it's all about the application.

 

ordered my build minus the graphics card, display, and mobo. Didn't find any deals on the one of the three mobo's I was looking at.

 

Bump ... Can anyone help ?


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Doesn't the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver improve performance of SSDs and hard drives? I know different versions of the driver could create different benchmark scores for my SSD - not wildly different though. If so, I'd just go ahead & install the latest version from the intel website - that's what I've done anyway, working fine for me. (Don't know about your 6990).

 

We had a similar problem with a Crucial SSD and solved it by upgrading the drive's firmware.

 

With some versions of the m4 firmware the SSD can go missing and no longer appear. I think I read that the solution to this was to boot your computer into the BIOS setup menus, and just leave it there (doing nothing) for 15 minutes in the BIOS setup screens - this somehow resets the SSD and allows it to reappear. Once it has reappeared flash the latest m4 firmware from Crucial's support pages.

http://www.crucial.com/uk/support/firmware.aspx

 

after a clean install and installing all the drivers i got one missing but dont know wich one...
on device manager under
Other devices says unknow device
right click and properties
says
device type: other devices
manufacturer : unknow
location : on PCI bus

device status : the drivers for this device are no installed (code 28)

under Details
value : acpi\smo8800
*amo8800

does anyone know what drive do i need_

 

This is usually the accelerometer. Driver Details | Dell UK

 

Thanks the help


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hello,

I ordered my stuff a while back and now the heatsink came in, with thermal padding on it!
But there is a catch, i hope someone can help me with this, else i maybe need to buy a other heatsink just be sure.
After checking and checking the part numbers, it's clear i bought a m17x r3 nvidia heatsink, and this part number V1K2G, it's for a 580M.

It fits in my laptop, but it this any good for my 680M? they are both 100watt cards..
I think it will work anyway, some photo's i have seen on the internet i can see a small difference from the upside but the other side?

If nobody can give me a good answer to this i just gonna buy the correct heatsink.

It's my own mistake i bought the wrong heatsink, but just wanna know if it works "great".
The look so identical..

Senshin

 

That's a shame. You should be fine though. Only the x-bracket is questionable. It will deff fit but make sure you monitor your in-game temps. Anything over 70C and you have an issue with the heatsink. I would expect low to mid 60's C as perfect.

It's been said that the part number difference is for each model and the R3 does not have a 680m part number. Don't know about that but the component layout is identical from what I have seen.

Give it a go, you're not going to fry it if you monitor it, and it will shut down if it gets very hot very quickly.

 

The x-bracket is good I think, i checked that part number 10 times, should had done the same with the heatsink, i thought there where all similar for the GPU's (only amd and nvidia differences), but there are small changes.
Are these small changes to make production cheaper or for better cooling?

Thank you for your honest answer, I think then I just try the heatsink and the temps are good and the thermal pads make good contact.
I feel little bit stupid :/, just should have checked it a extra time or something :/.

Senshin

 

Just make sure all the pads are in contact with the different chips - check that it fits together well while allowing the heatsink to sit flat against the GPU core.

 

That's my biggest concern now, that it sits flat against the surface.
We will see.

Thank you

 

Wonder if my 6990m is capable of pushing 144hz through HDMI on my new benq monitor. Would be a nice toy to play with while I wait for the rest of my desktop parts to come in.

 

I believe you'll need to use the display miniport for that. It's a dual-link DVI with audio at the basic level. In my tests it did not matter what refresh rate I connected over HDMI all I could get is the HDTV standard refresh rate, 24hz at 1080i and 50hz at 720p resolutions.

Could work though with a dedicated monitor, I was testing with a high refresh rate TV...

 

Yes, the only true way of doing it is buying a display miniport cable, and i am almost certain your benq monitor has that, then you have proper 120/144hz.
I can verify you need that cable, I always use @ home my Benq display @ 120hz


Senshin

 

sweet I'll have to see if I can find a cable locally then. Don't wanna order any more crap from amazon. I've already got live 5 different shipments as it is.

 

lol, great time of year to be chasing a bunch of shipments. Holidays are coming, holidays are coming....

 

Just hope nothing gets lost in the mail... I wanna get this machine up and running already!!!

 

Hi,

I need help, M17x R3 lights (Alienware and Alienware Logo at back panel) is stop working. I already re-installed Command and Windows OS but still out of luck.

 

Only those 2 lights?

 

Yes only those 2 lights (Front "ALIENWARE" and Alienhead Logo)
Any help will be highly appreciated.

 

Might be a loose cable or something? That would be my guess at least as both of them are part of the LCD assembly.

 

Anyone achieved to get downsampling working?

Right now i have an Alienware M17x R4 and i tried CRU (Custom Resolution Utility) . But after i change Resolution to anything higher than 1920x1080 the screen goes black.
Would realy love to have downsampling working on Games like Dota2 and Torchlight 2.

 

Well here is my ghetto test bench plus the rest of the item's i've got. Just need to get my case and monitor here already!! and then decide on a graphics card. ;p

 

Excellent air flow, and no need for windows! Best design I have ever seen!

 

Since none of the people on Amazon are buying my laptop, damn them, is there anyway to replace the horrible screen on the r4 with my perfect screen from my r1? Or do I really need to go spend $300+ on a new screen?

 

Where in R4 is SouthBridge (PCH) on motherboard?
have 95°C (203 °F) on PCH after 3dmark, think to add small heatsink, but can not to find it.

or other ways to reduce temp?

p.s. video 7970m 69°C & CPU 3720Qm 3.8ggz 70°C in 3dmark11

 

Thanks man... Can't wait to get everything into a case so I can make it look nice and pretty.

Naw the screens are different aspect ratios as well as different sizes so they won't fit.

 

So today my 680M arrived and I installed it!
Typing right on it

It did all new thermal padding on the wrong heatsink (remember r3 heatsink)
Just one place is a problem but i stacked it liked 3 times x 1,5mm, the other where easy with the 1,5mm.
The backside I also did thermal pads becuase there where also VRAM chips and for protection vs motherboard i geuss.

Running fine now, 65 degrees in 3dmark13 with a score of 4200 what i geuss is pretty normal in the new 3dmark.

EDIT: it idling around 48 - 50 degrees, is this any good number, house is 20degrees.


Finally!

 

I'm a little depressed, Dell is going to replace my R4 with a R5 and with better specs even. I just don't like the R5's design, the keyboard, the lid, and everything else about it. The grill especially!

Sigh.

 

Wanna change system? ^^ haha.

 

Too bad you're not in my area. Maybe they can find me a R4.

 

I really think you should be happy

 

Probably once I have the machine in my hands.

 

Temperatures look good. Good Job! Your score in Firestrike (3DMark13) is right in line to where it should be.

 

Today second day
Still working and changed the Vbios! (they never learn to they?) xD

Let see what's next.

Performance in blizzard games alot better with nvidia and let input lag o.0 then the 7970M

 

hey guys is there any way i can prevent my laptop from charging above a certain limit. btw im using m17x r4

 

I guess if you flashed a modified VBIOS to it (like Tech Inferno's SVL7), then some large overclocking could be on the cards! But, be careful, and keep an eye on your temperatures, while watching for artifacts & crashing.

 

Is there not an option in the BIOS to turn it off? There is such an option for the R3. In the R3 it's called something along the lines of 'Power Adapter Behaviour' or 'Charger Behaviour' - something like that - I set it to Disabled, and keep my battery in the laptop at a 50% charge level, which will slow down the rate of degradation of the battery.

So, for the R3 you can't stipulate it to only charge to a certain level, you can just manipulate the setting in the BIOS to completely turn off battery charging.

 

Alienware/Dell are good @ this.

The battery in a R4 anyway, stopt charging when it's full and it won't charge again till you restart or pull out the cord or something.

The R4 is very nice in design of that, so your battery will not go death, just remember sometimes discharge it and charge it again else it will get a lazy battery

Hope this helps.

 

I dislike the temp sensor on these videocard becuase really, they don't say alot about temps on the board itself, like transistors etc.

Now running 950/2000 on stock voltage, my 3dmark11 score is 7800 now (66 - 67 degrees in 3dmark11, and look if this is stable 24/7)
I think ill settle for this, increase my voltage for 50 - 100mhz extra but I don't think it's worth the risk...
any thoughts?

Senshin

 

Well, the battery still discharges when it's not being used (when plugged in), and will periodically charge up to 100% when it detects it has lost some charge. Keeping the battery fully charged at 100% is quite bad for the battery, and will decrease the overall useful life of the battery. Li-on batteries like to be stored at about 50% charge to maximise useful life of a battery. The reason is that the elevated voltages within the battery cells when the battery is fully charged is harmful to the battery over the long term.

(R4 & R3 - same behaviour)

 

That's very good indeed! A very good overclock for stock voltage I think. Temperatures are still good. That's 780M performance you're getting now. If you wanted to see significant differences in frames per second by overvolting, then you'd have to overvolt by quite a lot to see a substantial difference, which would raise temperatures quite significantly too. I think you're right to leave it as it is, because you managed an excellent overclock at stock voltage - you got a good card!

Yeah, we only get the temperatures of the core.

EDIT: Based on overvolting to the 'max' at 1.05V (from your current 0.987V) I estimate that you'd be able to get in the region of an extra 100Mhz. So, you might be able to get 10% more performance, but temperatures & current consumption would climb quite dramatically - I'm not sure it would be worth it.

 

They say 60% is best for a battery, but a fully charges battery is not bad either, you can always go look the hard way, and fully charged is sometimes relative because not every battery will use it max capacity.
Just discharge it sometimes!! that's very important, if you don't do this, you battery can lose a big deal of it's capacity after time.
On R4 it will stop charging and for the R3 i heard you have button for it to turn off the battery on you keyboard (correct me i am wrong)

My battery is fine after a year, i can use it 2 hours non stop without a cord (on the 7970M i remember).
I think I can fairly say i did a good job with me battery

Problem with most laptops/elektronics is the charging/discharging state on 95% - 100%.
So they charge full, and discharge, and do this the hole day destroying your battery a bit by a bit.

I think it's good to keep it fully charges, it's more painfull if a battery is fully discharged.

So yes keeping, keeping 100% forever is not good, just discharge it once in a while.


You can also charge your battery to 60% and take it out, I think that's the best of the best of the best, I don't know any software that can do this.

you shouldn't worry about it.


Battery are a big topic, the best way is just use them and one day they are death and you buy a new one, and sometimes they can be used for years easy, but's that's how battery's work =).

 

This is a hard one, i really bad wanna overvolt, it's just i am scared of everything that happened to my AMD cards, even without the overclocking.

Let's, I am gonna fight with this today a little bit and see what i gonna do, am small voltage increase wouldn't destroy my core i guess .

Thank you for your input, it's really nice of u