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

ok you all have me freaked out with all of this 485 speculation. my r3 is due to arrive on 2/8/11. Therefore i called up dell and of course couldnt get any information about the 485 release (as expected). so i opened a ticket and got the support guy to document that he recomended that i keep my order the same (gtx 460m) and if within 21 days of receipt, if the 485 or another better card is available, i would return my r3 for a complete refund and no restocking fee and they pay the shipping. I just hope if the card is comming out, it is out within 21 days. i jsut read the benchmarks on the 485 and it is rediculous...it is on par with sli and xfire just as a single card!

 

Based on this forum alone, there seem to be a lot of people that would order an R3 immediately if it came with the 485m. It's in Dell's own specs for the system, so its inevitable that it will be offered. I don't understand why Dell doesn't just allow us to preorder the R3 with the 485m.

 

As stated, bud, I'd love (kill for ) the 485. However, if that hasn't happened (or indications of it given) by mid Feb, I'll either order the R3 with the 460m (would rather not resort to this), or investigate other manufacturers…

 

@jaaz
, same damn thoughts... I would patiently be waiting for my system to be shipped on certain date of GPU arrival... but i just think they dont wanna waste money on lower gpu options n let ppl who wanna order it asap order it with lower gpu ^^ those sneaky dell people...

 

Where, 'in Dell's own specs for the system' have you seen definitive evidence of the ‘ inevitable’ inclusion of the 485m?

Genuinely curious regarding this...

 

Just to answer my own post, i spoke to alienware on chat and this is the info i got.

Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Sure Amo"
01/15/2011 06:40:04PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Yes you can connect it to two monitors"
01/15/2011 06:40:34PM Amo: "can i use the laptop screen and the two monitors?"
01/15/2011 06:40:45PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Yes you can"
01/15/2011 06:41:10PM Amo: "ok thank you, can you tell me about the GTX 485m graphics card"
01/15/2011 06:41:34PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Well we do not have any updates about it as of now"
01/15/2011 06:41:45PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "When are you likely to make the purchase?"
01/15/2011 06:42:55PM Amo: "end of january"
Amo: "are there any updates to the spec that are coming soon that you know of?
there has been internet rumors of a m18x 18 inch version do you know if this is true?"
01/15/2011 07:00:12PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Since this is a new launch, there is lot of work going around the model."
01/15/2011 07:01:56PM Amo: "do you know the timeframe for the changes, i just hope that when i buy it 2-3 weeks later there isnt upgraded parts available!"
01/15/2011 07:02:42PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Perhaps two weeks is good enough time"
01/15/2011 07:02:56PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "How ever I shall keep you informed."
Amo: "ok thank you, you are very helpful.
Say i buy the laptop end of jan, and 2-3 weeks later there is say a new graphics card for the laptop. will dell exchange with new one, if i pay the price difference between the new and old one?"
01/15/2011 07:05:20PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Well, you will have to pay for it in full and not the difference in price."
01/15/2011 07:06:51PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "Is there anything else that I may assist you with?"
01/15/2011 07:07:27PM Amo: "that does not seem fair to me, even though the laptop is only 2-3 weeks old."
01/15/2011 07:08:09PM Amo: "do you not think so?"
01/15/2011 07:09:14PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "I am afraid no. You will not have the option of paying difference for the video card upgrade."
01/15/2011 07:09:28PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "However you will need to purchase the graphics card and you can install it on your own."
01/15/2011 07:10:20PM Amo: "this is ofcource all hypothetical, the new gtx 485m card should be available intime for my purchase..so i will not be in that situation hopefully"
01/15/2011 07:10:56PM Agent (Asra_Sultana): "I will advise you to wait until the new card is made available and then you can make the purchase."
01/15/2011 07:12:25PM Amo: "ok, thank you.

 

Again it's probably an availability thing.

Dell can't offer a graphics card that they don't have a (good) stock of.

As for offering it for pre-order, the vast majority of people would go for it. This means that they're ending up producing far less R3s, but when they do get the 485M they'd be overloaded with pre-orders as well as new orders. Not exactly what a manufacturer wants.

 

Unless you post a verified source, please stop with the speculation of a 485M available with the 17xR3. According to the Documentation which has been available for several days now and linked to in post#1, the 485M is NOT an option.

Will it become an option at a later date? Nobody but Dell knows this.

Stop with the 'its going to be available by....' posts. Until its actually posted by Dell, its nothing but speculation and we wont be entertaining it here in this thread as it will only side track the thread with benchmark discussion based on other OEM GPU data listed on other sites.

Chat up the NVIDIA 485M here in the Graphics Card section of NBR - this linked thread is on the GPU itself and not limited to a specific manufacturer:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/545881-nv-gtx485m.html

Questions on this can be sent via PM to me.

Thanks.

 

Someone earlier mentioned that if you order the R3 with 4 or 6 gb or ram that it only comes with 2 slots. Is that confirmed?

 

I ordered my sample and am expecting delivery the first week in feb.

3d pack 120hz
gtx 460 1.5 gb
4gb ram
256 ssd
intel 6300
2820 cpu

 

After this I talked to other sales rep and he said thats not true. Ordering with 4gb or 16gb will give ya 4 slots anyway. Well, we'll only be sure after someone get one.

 

I have added the item to my wishlist and plan to buy on 1st feb. (unless anything changes) (wishlist item valid till 14th feb.) with the specs i posted on first pages and a $225 discount that someone kindly shared on also earlier posts.
p.s. I think I will make a phonecall order to get some additional $$ off my purchase, gotta get the right person though.

 

I dont see that being possible...I mean 2 diff MB's just for memory config ? I dont see it.

 

Alright, I just checked the support manual, and here's what it says:

So I'm assuming all quad-core units support 4 slots.

 

The other two DIMMS are still there, it's just that the SB dual cores only support #1 and #2.

You need an SB quad to use all four, but you have all four either way.

If you later upgraded to a quad, you could then use the #3 and #4 DIMM.

 

Well, added to my wish list:

System Color Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Stealth Black VBLKOperating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium,
64bit Processor Intel® Core™ i7 2820QM 2.3GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache) I72820Q [317-6115] 2
Memory 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS) 4G2D
A/C Adapter Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter 240W
Display Panel 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 120Hz WLED w/ NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle WFHD3DB
Video Card 1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M N460M
Hard Drive 640GB Raid 0 (2x 320GB 7,200RPM) 640GBR0
Optical Drives Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Sound Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio IHD51 [318-0424] 17Wireless Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology N6300

Post purchase I would:

Probably take the SSD and the XT from My laptop and put it in this.
And then sell one of my M17-R2's to make some coin back.

Of course, all subject to change...we will see

 

So if I order a system with 4 gb of RAM, do you think they will install it under the keyboard or in the more easily accessible compartment under the battery? Just trying decide if I should order 4 or 8... $250 seems like a steep upgrade for 4 more gb of memory, but I don't really want to take apart the system right away.

 

I think all the procs that AW has in this thing is a quad

 

If you look at the manual online, specifically here Documentation you can see how its accessed

 

Problem is, the base spec of the R3 is a quad, so it will essentially always support 4 DIMMs.

 

That disclaimer means they must be planning to offer the dual cores in the future.

I don't think they're available to anyone yet.

 

I'm getting ready to replace my 3 year old Sony VAIO notebook. Up until yesterday, I had my sights on the upcoming HP Envy 17 3D refresh with Sandy Bridge processor. But then I read last night about the new M17xR3 with the 460m and 120Hz 3D capable screen. One feature of the M17xR3 that caught my eye, one the HP Envy 17 3D doesn't have, is the HDMI input. I doubt I'd ever have a need to connect my PS3 to the HDMI input, but I would be interested in connecting my DirecTV HR23 HD receiver to the M17xR3 to watch ESPN 3D and the other 3D channels DirecTV offers. The Mitsubishi 73" DLP tv I bought back in 2006 isn't 3D capable. I'm not about to upgrade my current tv to one that's 3D capable anytime soon as I'm perfectly happy with the one I have. Perhaps in a couple more years, once I know this 3D isn't just a passing fad and sticks around. In the meantime, it would be cool if I could connect my DirecTV HD receiver to the M17xR3 to take advantage of the 3D programming being offered now. Is there any reason this setup might not work? From the way I understand it, the DirecTV receiver will only let you tune into a 3D channel if the tv it's connected to reports back that it's 120Hz capable. So I would think using the M17xR3 would work as long as you have the optional 3D kit with glasses. Before deciding to buy this notebook or the less expensive HP Envy 17 3D, I'll wait until someone with DirecTV HD tries it out and reports back whether it works.

 

According to this Intel's 'Sandy Bridge' Core processors - The Tech Report - Page 1 and ths http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Intel-Sandy-Bridge-Quad-Core-processors.43714.0.html dual core SB are out and avaliable

 

Hmm. Reminds me of what they did with the M15x... They made it start at like 1.5k and then lowered it to 1.2k when they got the dual cores.
Perhaps the M15x R2 will be starting at 900 dollars now?

 

New to the forums but I'm a pro lurker Just got off the phone with a Dell rep trying to hammer out a deal on this R3. Here's where I'm at so far:

Alienware M17x Soft-Touch, Stealth Black
Intel Core i7 2720QM 2.2GHz (3.3GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
MOD,DIMM,4GB,1333MHZ,DDR3,2X2G
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M
320GB 7,200RPM SATA-II HDD
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Roxio Creator Starter,No Media
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Intel Advanced N + WiMAX 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Dell Hardware Limited Warranty, Initial Year
Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year
1 Year Limited Warranty
S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
Steam and Portal Factory Installed
World of Warcraft Preinstall Edition
DHS $50 EPP DISCOUNT MATCH
-DISCOUNT/COUPON APPL

Subtotal: $1,874.00
Shipping & Handling: $0.00
Tax: $154.60
Environmental Disposal Fee: $0.00
Total Price w/Discounts: $2,028.60

No $250 discount was offered, even after I asked for further discounts. I tried to play hardball and mentioned the Asus G73JW-A1 (better pricing, more RAM, way more HD space, same vid card) is a better deal, but the rep said she could only do the $50 discount and that was only for today lol. I told her I'd think about it and she said she would be giving me a call in 2 hours to see what I decide. Will keep y'all posted.

 

Find out where the guys are getting the dis. Take my advice. when he/she calls back say you are upset that you arent getting the discount and you want to cancel the order. If they want the sale they will try hard to keep it and may offer something more. Worst case scenario just call back and try another rep.

 

If I'm not mistaken, you need to get the 3D screen to get the $250 discount with that configuration. Or at least that's how their website is offering it under the "Dell Recommends" option. No reason you can't ask for it with a 60hz screen though and see what happens...

 

dont take 60hz when u got option of 120
and 5abivt is right, tell the rep. u gonna buy asus and cancel the order. if she still doesnt change her mind - do another order, call back dell and u'll get another representative so easy. remember they DONT want to discount you as they know that: many people are calling them and telling about g73 even though still wanting to purchase alienware - meaning you want the deal as bad as reps do, and: they work on comission - the less you pay - the less they get, they always wanna strive for more. she wouldnt call you back if she wasnt interested - keep in mind

 

Not all that concerned with a 17" screen to watch 3D movies or gameplay when I'll be hooking up the laptop to a much larger monitor.

 

Came across this M17X R3 Customer Review...

Does Joker work in Dell's marketing department?

 

I should, shouldn't I? No, I presented an honest assessment of the R3.

 

They would then have to lower the M11x to like $500, which then i would buy one

 

Whether the R3 is R2's successor is inconsequential to me. I just want my first Alienware to be the latest one out lol

 

Fair to review a product you aren't buying or haven't receievd yet?

 

Why not? In the review it clearly states what I own. Any current AW owner could make the same judgment based on what we know of the R3 already. It's not rocket science.

 

Ordering mine right now.

/giddy

 

Enough folks. Posts have been removed. If someone posts their config, I dont want to see anyone replying back with negative comments attacking their choice. Simple as that.

You can suggest an alternative but do not pull out some off the wall response which will only start a back and forth.

Thanks.

 

Okay, almost done with my configuration. What do you guys think about the $70 Intel 6300 wi-fi card upgrade? Worth it?

The 256 gig Samsung SSD? $600 seems like a ton of cash for this drive, although I'm not familiar with the Samsung at all so I can't be sure. Just used the Intel SSD so far.

 

Laststops brother here. I'll be posting on his account while I report my m17x r3 experience. This is the first computer that I will buy myself and be all mine so I am very excited. He (actual laststop) tried to talk me into getting the R2 but all I do is play WoW and starcraft 2 so I don't need dual cards and the extra battery life is more important, thats why I chose the m17x r3 over the m17x r2 or even the m15x since the m17x r3 is the only one with switchable optimus graphics other then the tiny m11x (but I need a bigger screen).

So my config is as follows:

Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Nebula Red
Intel® Core™ i7 2820QM 2.3GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (4DIMMS)
1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M
750GB 7,200RPM HDD *Data storage Drive*
***Adding 256GB RealSSD c400 myself*** *Boot drive*
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 120Hz WLED w/ NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle
Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader
3 Year Advanced Service Plan


All coming in for a little over 3000 after taxes. Figure instead of spending 1000 on a low end computer once a year why not spend 3000 on a rly nice one for 3 years.

Just quick question about the 120hz screen. Does the 120hz screen reduce motion blur like the 120hz lcd tv's do over the 60hz ones?

 

windows ultimate? is that necessary? i always wonder why people go with any other version besides home premium

 

I use Win 7 pro because I need the XP compatibility mode that comes with it.

 

well i have thought hard about this and on tuesday after the holiday, i am going to cancel my r3 order. i realize that if you keep waiting there will always be an upgrade right around the corner. but the 460 to 485 isnt jsut a little upgrade. it is a monster upgrade. i would rather wait a month and pay 500 more and get what i will be happy with.

 

First post.

Really stuck on this 6870 vs 460 choice. I wasn't too phased about the whole 3d thing, but I would like 120hz. Which means I need the 460m. Will the 460m be on par with the 6870; to get it you have to pay more, so I cant see why it would be a worse card?

Also, the 485 would be awesome. But I cant imagine they would release within 3 weeks of the laptops release.. if they did that there would be a massive list of returns.

 

That seems like a great deal for those specs. Are you using any special coupons/discounts other than what's already been discussed?

 

Has anyone asked about getting the 120Hz screen, without the Nvidia 3D bundle?

What if I want the screen for the refresh rate, but with the AMD 6870M?

On that note, say I go 485M, and want the screen. Could I get the price of the Nvidia gear taken off my tab, if I don't want it?

Right, the 485M is essentially giving yourself 460M in SLI.

Not a thing to sneeze at.

The 460M isn't a 3 year GPU though.

 

And I use Ultimate 'cuz I want it to be in German.

 

I still do not know why you all are talking about the 485. It is not an option according to the owners manual and specifications.

Please, unless you have some documentation from Dell which supports that this is an option (soon to be or otherwise), stop the chatter about this being a definite - it only serves to confuse people.

See my post here:

 

Agree 100%. Just asking from pats experiences/previous alienware laptops, if a new and better card was to be released in the system can you purchase the card on its own and put it in yourself? Or would I most likely end up needing to buy a whole new laptop.

Thanks

 

Yes, you could however the BIOS will have to support the GPU - if it doesnt, all bets are off.

 

Would the R3 need an entirely new motherboard to support the 485? Also, how easy/much would it be to purchase just the 485? I just ordered and this would be my first AW as well as gaming laptop so I have nothing to compare it to.