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    *OFFICIAL* M17xR3 Owner's Lounge Thread - Part 1

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by BatBoy, Jan 11, 2011.

  1. BlackestNight21

    BlackestNight21 Notebook Consultant

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    Yeah, probably a good idea to hold off on the torch and pitchfork until there is some confirmation.
     
    BlackestNight21, Jan 25, 2011
    #1101
  2. Mazzyrich

    Mazzyrich Notebook Enthusiast

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    From the negativity I fear I have made an unwise decision in my first venture into the pc gaming department.
     
    Mazzyrich, Jan 25, 2011
    #1102
  3. DaneGRClose

    DaneGRClose Notebook Virtuoso

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    Not a bad computer based on what we know so far, I just made my decision with battery life as a big factor. No Optimus=sub-par battery life.
     
    DaneGRClose, Jan 25, 2011
    #1103
  4. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    If you have ordered the R3, do not worry. You won't regret it. The negativity is mostly so far about the battery life which is still much better than on the previous version the M17X.
     
    Joebarchuck, Jan 25, 2011
    #1104
  5. Texasrho83

    Texasrho83 Notebook Consultant

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    Glad I don't really care about battery life in a gaming rig - but if any of y'all want me to drive over to Dell to give them your rants in person, I'm about 3 or 4 miles away from a Dell office :D
     
    Texasrho83, Jan 25, 2011
    #1105
  6. HSN21

    HSN21 Notebook Deity

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    Alienware site actually say 6hours battery :p but yeah without optimus it wont pass 3hours
     
    HSN21, Jan 25, 2011
    #1106
  7. Mazzyrich

    Mazzyrich Notebook Enthusiast

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    How does it fare for a first time gaming pc buyer who wouldn't know as many component based details?
     
    Mazzyrich, Jan 25, 2011
    #1107
  8. bumbo2

    bumbo2 Notebook Deity

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    where is mandrake?
     
    bumbo2, Jan 25, 2011
    #1108
  9. DaneGRClose

    DaneGRClose Notebook Virtuoso

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    And Optimus more than likely won't give you 5+ or even 6. Unless Dell did some major reworking of Optimus it switches the GPU's too frequently, it'll improve the battery life but definitely won't double it.

    Mazzyrich- if that was my first computer I'd still be as thrilled as a kid in an adult free candy store.
     
    DaneGRClose, Jan 25, 2011
    #1109
  10. vviz

    vviz Notebook Consultant

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    Does anyone with non3d r3 expect a delivery today? I sincerely believe we need that person's perspective on optimus stat or there will be riots :)
     
    vviz, Jan 25, 2011
    #1110
  11. HSN21

    HSN21 Notebook Deity

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    RGB Screen use more battery plus SB power consumption at idle is MUCH lower than the previous i7 so it's possible but yeah without optimus any noticeable benefits are gone
     
    HSN21, Jan 25, 2011
    #1111
  12. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Probably work. Gotta be able to pay for the toys. No doubt He'll be on later, but I wouldn't expect an indepth review from him until at least the weekend.
     
    DR650SE, Jan 25, 2011
    #1112
  13. jywang

    jywang Notebook Evangelist

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    I don't care about Optimus autoswitching if the function key can disable the discrete graphics and enable the Intel integrated graphics. Can someone please try the key combo and then look in the Devices control panel to see if the driver is switched over to the Intel driver?
     
    jywang, Jan 25, 2011
    #1113
  14. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Just got home and took a quick snap....

    [​IMG]
    M17xR3 by Mandrake Photography, on Flickr
     
    Mandrake, Jan 25, 2011
    #1114
  15. miahsoul

    miahsoul Notebook Deity

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    Damn that's hot.
    I WANT IT
    :O
     
    miahsoul, Jan 25, 2011
    #1115
  16. its.kvn

    its.kvn Notebook Consultant

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    omg its so sexy...mandrake please confirm this optimus thingy
     
    its.kvn, Jan 25, 2011
    #1116
  17. DaneGRClose

    DaneGRClose Notebook Virtuoso

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    Very good point here, I highly doubt it but it may have manually switchable graphics on it rather than Optimus.
     
    DaneGRClose, Jan 25, 2011
    #1117
  18. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Oh snap! :p Thats cute! :p, Not a bad looking system.
     
    DR650SE, Jan 25, 2011
    #1118
  19. miahsoul

    miahsoul Notebook Deity

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    Anybody test how good the speakers are?
     
    miahsoul, Jan 25, 2011
    #1119
  20. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    Drake,

    How is the feel and construction? Does it feel solid or weak?
     
    Joebarchuck, Jan 25, 2011
    #1120
  21. miahsoul

    miahsoul Notebook Deity

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    miahsoul, Jan 25, 2011
    #1121
  22. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    The lid and keyboard don't feel as solid as my M15x. It has a rubbery feel and a stench to it. Like it was protected with some strong smelling chemical.
     
    Mandrake, Jan 25, 2011
    #1122
  23. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    Joebarchuck, Jan 25, 2011
    #1123
  24. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    That's not too good. And compared to an Asus construction?
     
    Joebarchuck, Jan 25, 2011
    #1124
  25. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Mandrake, can you start up a thread with your review of the system? I'd like to see at least one thread going from someone who received their system today. Thanks!
     
    BatBoy, Jan 25, 2011
    #1125
  26. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Similar to the G73. Palm rest seems fairly solid and the track pad is even farther to the left it seems. Speaking of the trackpad it doesn't have that rough surface like the old one.
     
    Mandrake, Jan 25, 2011
    #1126
  27. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Sure but it's a bit of giving my opinion as I start it up. Nothing too in depth yet.
     
    Mandrake, Jan 25, 2011
    #1127
  28. miahsoul

    miahsoul Notebook Deity

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    Awww. That M18x better be Aluminum.... Is there any lid flex or structural flex? Does it feel like metal when knock on it?
     
    miahsoul, Jan 25, 2011
    #1128
  29. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Not a problem - doesn't have to be in-depth ;) you can always edit post#1 later as you crank out more testing. Regardless, have fun with that system. Looks great!
     
    BatBoy, Jan 25, 2011
    #1129
  30. bumbo2

    bumbo2 Notebook Deity

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    Wow! Congratulation Bro Have Fun With That Baby
     
    bumbo2, Jan 25, 2011
    #1130
  31. Emm3

    Emm3 Notebook Evangelist

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    Wow guys no pics yet at all?

    Grab phone. Snap pic. Email to photobucket. Post link. Voila picture!

    I'm excited to hear more from those who bought these already.
     
    Emm3, Jan 25, 2011
    #1131
  32. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Be patient.
     
    BatBoy, Jan 25, 2011
    #1132
  33. johnnobts

    johnnobts Notebook Deity

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    really like the black mandrake. I had a black M15X and decided to go red this time. Hope I like it.
     
    johnnobts, Jan 25, 2011
    #1133
  34. Emm3

    Emm3 Notebook Evangelist

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    My apologies I noticed his thread afterwards :) super high Res pic too that he put up!!
     
    Emm3, Jan 25, 2011
    #1134
  35. Irb Digital

    Irb Digital Notebook Consultant

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    damn, that is a sexy laptop....i'm still torn on waiting, but the battery life thing is a downer. Hopefully a higher gpu option will be a nice pick-me-up.
     
    Irb Digital, Jan 25, 2011
    #1135
  36. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    No it was broken. That is why I decided to blow more money on something decent somewhere between pg 95 and 99 I posted my story
     
    LVNeptune, Jan 25, 2011
    #1136
  37. Knocturne

    Knocturne Notebook Geek

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    Well guys, mine came today. I've been messing with it for the last several hours.

    ...I absolutely love it. It's incredibly sharp looking, the performance is great, and the only issues i've had so far are troubles with my internet connection.
     
    Knocturne, Jan 25, 2011
    #1137
  38. Astrogiblet

    Astrogiblet Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey, if you want, try and fill out some of the questions we haven't yet answered or don't have a lot of information for yet! It would be a big help for potential buyers. Screenshots, benchmarks, performance figures in games, anything you can provide me for that FAQ would be awesome.

    http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...m17x-r3-initial-impressions-observations.html
     
    Astrogiblet, Jan 25, 2011
    #1138
  39. Santoku87

    Santoku87 Notebook Geek

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    Alright, since overall this is sounding like a good system, I went ahead and pulled the trigger. It's not as rigid as the R2 I returned, that's okay, I'm sure it'll still be better than any other plastic laptops out there. I hope I didn't get too used to the RGB from having the R2 for a couple of weeks. My one and only issue for the R3 was the weaker GPU, but I will upgrade when the 485M or 6970M comes out. Plus, I'm certain the 460M will hold me off for a while. I mostly just play FFXI :p Sometimes I play FFXIV though which requires a lot of GPU, but I'll live. Now if it weren't for the AAFES discount, this might have been a whole different story.
    I got the following upgrades:

    Intel i7 2720QM
    NVidia GTX 460M
    WLED 1080p 120HZ + 3D Bundle
    Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300
    2 Year Advanced'sh AAFES warranty

    Final Price: $1600
    What do you guys think?
     
    Santoku87, Jan 25, 2011
    #1139
  40. Astrogiblet

    Astrogiblet Notebook Evangelist

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    Nice deal! Wish I could get the AAFES discount! Although I don't deserve it nearly as much as those that can get that discount!
     
    Astrogiblet, Jan 25, 2011
    #1140
  41. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    BatBoy, Jan 25, 2011
    #1141
  42. Jasperiel

    Jasperiel Notebook Enthusiast

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    I wanna see some benchmarks or vantage scores, I might return my r2 but I only have a week to decide. If the nvidia card gets good FPS im sold. Consider helping us noobies out, post some benchmarks, yeah?
     
    Jasperiel, Jan 25, 2011
    #1142
  43. Le0-

    Le0- Notebook Evangelist

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    @ Jasperiel read other threads, for example, Dr.J has posted his benchies.
     
    Le0-, Jan 25, 2011
    #1143
  44. DaneGRClose

    DaneGRClose Notebook Virtuoso

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    Jasperiel- The Nvidia card will turn decent FPS but your current R2 will wreck everything the R3 can currently offer other than maybe the top CPU. Also keep in mind that while benchmarks can give you a rough estimate on real world numbers it's not always going to be acurate for in game numbers.
     
    DaneGRClose, Jan 25, 2011
    #1144
  45. Le0-

    Le0- Notebook Evangelist

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    Agree with DaneGRClose
    i only purchased r3 for misc. options like hdmi in (yes, i need that for real) usb 3.0, optimus (not there - disappointed) and well... 3d too.
    if you need the all powerful - you can get r2 for same bucks (if refurbished, on ebay) even so you got one, don't bother to getting r3 if you only need gaming as priority
     
    Le0-, Jan 25, 2011
    #1145
  46. Kevin

    Kevin Egregious

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    There's plenty of GTX 460M benches out there. It's 5-10% slower than the Mobility 5870. That's nothing to get excited over. At stock, less than 7k in vantage.

    The R3 isn't worth buying until the 6970M comes out. That's just my opinion, of course.
     
    Kevin, Jan 25, 2011
    #1146
  47. santiagodraco

    santiagodraco Notebook Enthusiast

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    It won't affect framerate (only GPU/CPU, and to some extent memory performance do) but it will reduce load times for loading assets in the games. So, area transitions and such will be faster. Those "hiccups" you feel sometimes when something new hits the screen.
     
    santiagodraco, Jan 26, 2011
    #1147
  48. Astrogiblet

    Astrogiblet Notebook Evangelist

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    Yea, especially in unoptimized games like Crysis. On a slow system it can take a couple minutes to load a new map/level. Or while running into a new area you can experience pretty big hiccups in that game.

    With an SSD these wait times are greatly reduced.
     
    Astrogiblet, Jan 26, 2011
    #1148
  49. LVNeptune

    LVNeptune Notebook Virtuoso

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    Just FYI. Talking to a company about purchasing a GTX 485M :)

    Asking if they'll accept a return on it if it doesn't work or if they will be able to test themselves.

    Looking about $800 with shipping for the card.
     
    LVNeptune, Jan 26, 2011
    #1149
  50. bug3eater

    bug3eater Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey LVNeptune,

    Where'd you find the card on sale at? Not that I'd buy one now... but for future reference in case I wanna upgrade my 460m in maybe a year from now.
     
    bug3eater, Jan 26, 2011
    #1150
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