*OFFICIAL* M17xR3 Owner's Lounge Thread - Part 2

So basically I have to find someone from USA to buy for me and ship to uk damn it's a pain in the back side
Could u plz tel me any reseller for USA maybe I can email n get them to post to uk I m sure there will be someone here on NBR

 

You may be able to find someone here on NBR. The problem is you will still have to pay for the shipping and VAT. And declaring as a gift is at a lower value has not been working as people have been getting their stuff checked at customs by UK now so it still will be pretty close to the same price, and then your warranty is useless

 

Tell u what for the £1000 price difference I might just buy a plane ticket come n buy in person have a couple of days holiday would work out the same price

 

Now that is something worth doing haha

Like I said though, the warranty will still be a headache for you

 

the warranty is fine, it transfers, get your system from HIDEvolution, there's a thread here already just take a look first couple of pages

 

thats great thanks geofxx i found it perfect

 

Did not know you could transfer it out of the original region.

Now I am smarter

 

maybe staying in that freezer so long is effecting ur brain its slowing down lol

 

Na, I just have no international experience for stuff like that and was working off what I had read here (hearsay in court haha)

 

Not sure how ya would do that, its not like its a store where you pop in and buy it. You order and they ship it to you......

There are reshippers here you could use....and for a small fee someone here might be convinced to do that also....They could make the purchase, and transfer the warentee and ownership....but yea there is shipping/VAT/and whatever else needed.

 

Ok. I am having a BIG issue with my new alienware m17x r3 that I jsut recieved in the mail. I am new to forums but the specs are
320 7200 hdd(single drive will configure with extra drive for raid later)
4gb ram(will be upgrading to 16 soon)
nvidia gtx460m
intel i7-2720 6mb cache
non configured for 3d

Here is my issue...
System works fine but after being left on overnight for downloads or at sporadically while on and being used video locks up for bout 20 secs and then BSOD. reviewed dump files and it seems the csrss.exe is crashing due to the C:\Windows\system32\nvinitx.dll trying to call a user function that is bad of some sort. I already know the dell drivers are crude and I cannot download the new nvidia drivers cause IDK how to modify .inf and the .inf are different but I am hoping somebody here would know how to get the new drivers straight from nvidia to work or how to modify the .inf or something. my system has BSOD 7 times in the 2 days since i bought it and dell in unable to resolve(of course) im trying to update to the 266.66 driver set from my current dell OEM driver of 266.08. anybody help?

 

Quick question about antannae. If I order the stock wifi then put in the Intel 6300 later myself, will all 3 antenna connections be there?

 

Yes, all three are there!

 

I got 2 BSODs on the 2nd day of ownership. The first was while Windows was updating to SP1 via windows update. The 2nd one was during updating of BFBC2 via the updater in program files. Because I'm too noob, I wasnt able to screenshot it and write down the info. I havent experienced a BSOD since then though.

 

My BSOD's seem to happen when the unit is left overnight. If i leave it overnight downloading something when I wake up in the morning it has crashed. It is all tied to that driver as above mentioned. My only recourse for now is to shut the unit off isntead of leaving alone for downloads. Hopefully somebody posts a good fix for this as I would love to remediate this issue.

 

Just curious if there are any folks who have ordered mid-March and got a delayed order email? I ordered mine March 15th, was supposed to be delivered April 4th, just got an email today saying that it has been pushed back until the 25th. Supposedly there is a problem with a supply of motherboards. Anyway, I went full tilt, 2820QM/16gb/HD6970 (have a brand new 256GB SSD significantly cheaper than Dell). My only concern is will there be new options available by the time I receive mine

 

25th????? WHAAAA, damn Mine is slated to be shipped out soon, I hope mine doesnt get delayed too much. I have a feeling though its more likely because you ordered with the 6970 there selling like hotcakes so they may be on short supply. There is also a rumor going about, a dell rep had said that one member should wait on getting the 3D model, becuase a even better card than the 6970 was going to be released soon. IE the 485m, and they pulled their 3D package off online so they may be upgrading it to the 485m's

 

My 3/18 order is still showing EDD of 4/13. I also ordered 2820 and 6970, but only 4GB RAM. Very strange.

Ira

 

Do the switchable graphics only work once? After I swtich the first time, I usually have to restart and then it will let me switch back. Anyone have problems switching back/forth between the IGP and the GPU?

 

Mine will switch back and forth with no restarts at all strangely. And to the OP the 460m driver issue is a major problem that Dell is just starting to realize, they are replacing mine for the 6970m because nothing but a desktop driver will allow the system to run without bsod'ing all over the place. Because a modded desktop driver can void your warranty they had no choice to replace it. You may want to call Dell and have them help you trouble shoot it to see if it can be fixed. When you do call ask to speak to a level 2 technician or manager.

 

One thing I'm wondering is if a factory 6970m owner can take some pics of their heatsink and preferably the factory thermal pad arrangement for me? I'm wondering if the heatsink for the 460m and 6970m are different as I'm having a tough time getting the temps in check and the gaps seem very very odd.

 

My order got pushed back until the 11th and I ordered on the 11th of last month, They screwed up the order and I got pissed so I canceled it and they gave me an incredible deal(atleast I think) I posted the deal they gave me in detail on the m17x forums here in "Do you think I got a good Deal?"

 

Anybody here hooking up their r3's on hdmi tvs? The video is fine but the sounds just keep remaining on the laptop. How do you make it work?

 

right click on your audio in the bottom right, playback devices, then disable your current and use the HDMI instead, it should auto enable

 

I had no problems whatsoever. I hooked the HDMI cable up before booting. Computer did everything after Windows came up, only thing I did was disable the Lid Closed = Standby feature. Sound and Video were automatically ran through HDMI at the laptop's native res (1080P).

 

Oh shoot. That's why. My r3 could not work with 6970m now. A dell technician Came in today and fixed my speakers. And i just noticed it now that he kinda messed up my sytem! The palm wrest isnt flushed anymore and creeks. I found some scratch under my system probably he sat it down with the screws under the system. And now, my 6970 wont work. Shizz. I need to have a replacement with these. I was busy that day on fixing stuff on my house that's why i didnt payed attention at him. From his looks, He just wanted to replace the speaker in a hurry and take off. Now my system got even worse from a cracked speaker.Would you help me guys out?

Here, Snapped one quickly. And when you press on it, It kinda creeks.

 

What GPU temps should I be seeing for idle and basic websurfing? In High Power setting I was up to 65 degrees. In Balanced setting I'm around 58-62 degrees. PowerPlay is definitely downclocking my GPU. Now this is without raising the back of the system. I noticed a nice drop in temps, once I elevated the back of the R3. Starcraft 2 on max settings, temps went from high 70's to low 70's after raising the back. But still, I think my temps are pretty high for non-gaming situations LMK what temps others are getting. The fans are running but they are quiet.

Edit: Just checked my temps after this post.....GPU-Z reported as high as 69 degrees, just sitting here posting

 

You should be able to switch as many times you want. Cuz I can. I usually right click the desktop and do it, but Fn+F7 works as well.

Welcome to the camp, Dane!

Can you PM me the instructions? I'll be glad to do it on Saturday or Sunday if time permits.

My temps regardless of what I'm doing have never exceeded the mid-70s. My computer sits on top of a 2inch thick calculus textbook, with the vents exposed, cuz the book is narrower than the width of the lappy.

 

With the back raised up about 2 inches and the fan inlets free and clear, I only hit about 72 degrees playing SC2 on max settings. I'm more worried about the idle / basic tasks temps.

 

Right now the only thing I'm doing is typing to you on NBR, on battery and on the IGP with WLAN on. It's about 70F in my room right now, and I have a fan blowing upwards at me and the computer. HWmonitor says the CPU cores are around 51C and ram is around 44C. Is this good or bad?

 

ur asking the wrong guy on that one but I'm running the GPU right now, which I'm sure produces much more heat.

 

I would expect the CPU to idle in the 30s. Sandy Bridge is supposed to be pretty efficient and has a low idle power.

 

Also noticed that the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel in my system tray is having some issues. Whenever I right click it and select Configure Switchable Graphics, nothing happens, regardless of IGP or GPU running. Anyone else notice this?

 

Mine's the same. Haven't tried that since the first day... The software that Intel+Dell supplied us is mostly clunky. And slow too.

 

Has anyone noticed one fan spins faster/is louder than another? The fan on the right of my system (when I face the computer) is louder than the one on the left. Is that the one for the graphics card? The other one spins up, but not as loud.

 

The one on the left side (near your ESC button) is cpu. The one on the rightside (near your media bar and numkeys) is the gpu. It's bound to be louder.

Mine are near silent/off most of the time.

 

Mine are too. Its only when I'm playing Crysis, or Borderlands that they spin up.

 

Can someone review my GPU-Z log? At 3:30pm I full screened SC2. This was all during SC2 on EXTREME settings, while on battery. It started at 400/900 when I first started Gpu-Z, then when I opened up SC2 in windowed mode.

Does this mean that going on battery, the 6970 is weakened? Also, how come i've never seen it at 680/900? The highest I've ever seen Gpu-Z show for it was 400/900.

EDIT: I reuploaded the log. At 3:39, I started up BFBC2. It seems like the GPU will run at 400/900, but the game was like half the fps it was before. I didnt have fraps on, but yes, it was laggier than when I played while plugged in. Graphics is all there, but everything's slower.

Please advise.

 

of course the GPU is weakened when your not plugged in, its a gaming system, but games are not meant to be played on battery.

 

Why's it weakened? And also, how come my GPU doesnt ever go 680/900 even if I'm plugged in?

 

wrong thread sorry

 

I already spoke to dell and level 2 engineers. they SAY they would be rolling a driver update out but eta is unavailable. I seem to have fixed mines somewhat by removing the 3d driver sets as I dont have hardware to support it. after I did that the BSODS stabilized though it still seems to happen occasionally (albiet much more rarely) anybody with BSOD issues should try uninstalling the nivida driver from device manager and reinstallling the dell nividia driver but ommitting the 3d drivers. Seems to have worked somewhat for me until the driver patches come out whenever dell moves their rear ends.

 

Dookie, what I have found is if you are on integrated AND battery and switch back to the 6970 plugged in, you need to restart the computer and it should go back to the correct clock speeds.

I have tried this several times. For whatever reason, switching from Intel to AMD causes the 6970 to remain at 400/900 until reboot.

 

That might not be true. I did GPU-Z again, and was playing SC2 while on plug. I havent restarted since my last post. It ran at 680/900. Woohoo!

 

When i was playing Crysis 2 earlier today, my CPU reached 83 C, GPU reached 81 C. Was that normal?
Alienware m17x R3 2720QM + 6970M + 8G ram
Crysis 2 was running on extreme settings 1920 * 1080

 

Depends on your room temp. Last nite I was playing BFBC2 (just the beginning of the game), and I got like 72C. Today was playing SC2 for like an hour on max-everything, and got around the same temps. Are you lifting your computer on top of a book or something? Cuz most of us are.

 

Thanks. No, i wasnt lifting it and the room is pretty hot.

 

Just to letcha know, you're not gonna need a cooler. The cooling system on the R3s is really good. Most of the time it's silent, and I can't even tell if fans are on. During gaming, who cares how loud it is, cuz it's doing its job dam well. I'd recommend just propping the lappy on top of a textbook, like how I've done. I'm pretty sure your textbook will also be narrower and shorter than the full width of your lappy too, which will allow airflow into the vents underneath. Pretty neat cooling system imo.

 

Thanks for the advice. But some one told me he got 55 C CPU temp?
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/566995-question-about-r3s-temps.html

 

WOW! Looks like Dell is getting ready to put the R3 in the outlet already, that's nuts I guess they must have had a lot of returns already.