Ordered my M17xR3, a few questions.

Hey all!
I am a soldier currently deployed to Afghanistan. I ordered an Alienware M17xR3 today, and I'd like to see what you all think about my build.

Things of note:
1 - Money was not an object. I'm single (well, a fiance, but no shared account).
2 - I have little access to upgrading my computer while I'm over here due to the fact that most online technology stores (i.e. newegg) have a problem with shipping to APO/AE addresses. That's why I elected to have Dell upgrade it so much for me.

Here goes -

Intel Core i7 2860QM 2.5GHz (3.6GHz w/Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
16GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920x1080 120Hz WLED w/ NVIDIA 3D Vision Bundle
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
750GB 7,200RPM HDD
Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

Those are the key parts, from what I can see. My questions are -

1. Is there anything I should look forward to having to upgrade to optimize it upon getting back home, or if resources become available?
2. What things should I do to optimize it when I crack it out of the box?
3. Is this gaming rig good enough to play the latest games? I suspect so, I'd just like some input.
and finally, is the 3D Vision cool?

I may have overkilled some aspects of this computer, such as amount of RAM, but all the same - money wasn't an object and I kinda wanted to overkill it.

Thanks for your time in advance!

 

It looks great to me, I wish I had went with the killer wireless I heard its pretty sweet. Are you going to eventually upgrade to an SSD?

1. Read about the GTX 580M throttling issue
3. I have similiar with the 6990m, and I can play everything on MAX Skyrim/Batman/SWTOR...

 

I'll be upgrading to an SSD when I learn more about them and do the 'search on what's the best brands and such. Also, I'm kinda hoping that by the time the year is out, they'll have more storage capacity and I won't be replacing an HDD more than once in my initial year.

I've read a little about the throttling issue. I hope that's not a retarded complex fix, I really would like to get the most power out of my purchase as I can.

Thank you for your reply and time!

 

2. I did the standard utilities, but really I am not going to mess with the drivers...I will get my SSD tommorow...

 

Nice. Pop back in and let me know how that works out for ya.

 

hi crystalCity, welcome to the nbr!

As blitz mentioned, you'll have to do a fix for the 580m power throttle at 67c. The fix is easily found here. Repasting the GPU and CPU will also be in order. Further, just raising up the back of the laptop slightly will drop your temps 7-8c so its a worthy excercise.

Some have also had issues with the default killer N drivers, so they have opted for the default atheros drivers. Just something to think about

As far as SSD's go, price/performance/worry free stability goes to the Crucial M4. Just upgrade the firmware to 0309

your machine looks fabulous

 

SSD is a nice touch performance wise for the price. Plus you can stick another HDD in the second bay and run two hard drives.

 

Investing in an SSD would be one of the best choices you'll ever make. The difference is just insane

 

SlickDude80 - Thank you so much for your good advice. I'll have to fix that throttling issue. I hope my machine turns out to be fabulous.

I just worry about the loss in storage space with SSD. I don't have a lot of other storage options.

 

My advice, especially since you are not where you can easily get support and are likely to have higher ambient temperatures, would be to change to a 6990m.

The 580m throttling problems are really understated on this forum, yes, you can get rid of the 63c throttle, but you cannot get rid of the 77c throttle. Basically, if you cannot keep your laptop GPU below 77c then you will not be able to game on it, period. Any ambient temp above the high 70's Fahrenheit (or like 30ish C) will probably make it literally impossible to avoid the 77c throttle.

There are several members on this forum who live in hotter places and have done everything and still cannot use their 580m cards. It really is a pretty giant issue. The 6990m on the other hand has no throttling AT ALL, and will perform as good or better than the 580m, especially after you factor in that you can OC the 6990m and still never hit a throttle.

I guess it comes down to your attachment with the 3D screen, but if you are willing to give it up then the 6990m is by far the better card right now. I would also just get the SSD direct from Dell. Right now their $400 SSD upgrade is using a Samsung PM830 (which retails for roughly $400), one of the best drives available, and easily in the top 2 with the Intel 510. The money you would save from ditching the 3D screen would almost pay for the SSD, and using an SSD is night and day from even the best HDD. It really is a "must have" upgrade.

I hope you enjoy your machine either way, but I have a some worry that the 77c throttle might ruin it for you if you stick with 580m, it has certainly tarnished my experience with the M17x.

 

The m17x can support two HDD. Or one SSD and one HDD.

 

Thank you for that well thought out and informative response. I really don't think it's going to be such an issue in my particular case, given that my assignment is in northern Afghanistan in the mountains and the temperature rarely escalates beyond 60 degrees. I'll have to keep that thought in the back of my head though, I really appreciate it. I am not so attached to the idea of the screen, I just knew Nvidia as a company better than I did ATI from past experience, which explains my choice in the card.

And jwolf, thanks for pointing that out. I'll have to pick one up.

 

Good luck with your system. I'm in J-Bad and had placed an order for one with the 580m but when I learned about the throttling issue I tried to change the order. Dell wouldn't allow it so I canceled.

I did find someone there that finally knew what they were talking about and have since gotten a quote on an i7 2760 with 8GB of 1600 Ram, Blue Ray, the 6990m and some other upgrades for $2036 shipped out here but I haven't decided if I'm going to pull the trigger on it yet or not. The customer service to this point has been nothing short of horrible and I'm wondering if that's going to be the case should I have issues down the road as well.

One thing to consider, you aren't going to be in Afghanistan's mountains for the rest of your life and having been in Alabama before I know it gets DAMNED hot there..........Air Conditioning or not, do you really want to be limited to where you can take your laptop and use it?

 

The specs look great, good luck with your system!

I have the 560M chip, and the 3D was a pleasant surprise for me, as I was gambling on it, thinking it may be gimmicky.

Personally, as far as the SSDs go, I would recommend adding one as soon as possible. Like others have said, the difference is huge. I would recommend Samsung, as I've always had good experiences with their hardware.

Also, if you do get a SATA III SSD, you should install it in Bay 1 (in the middle) and be running BIOS A08 instead of A09. Bay 0 sometimes goes down to SATA II rates, and A09 flat out reduces both speeds.

 

Slimshady - I was in Gamberi up until a month ago, it's crazy we were that close. Chances are it'll either be used to type school papers or play games stationary. I guess I'll just see how things go and if it's that big of an issue, buy the 6990M and the heatsink and try to change it out. Thanks for your advice though! Alabama does get hot, hot as hell actually.

Washu - I'm glad the 3D turned out to be better than expected. I'll definitely pick up an SSD as soon as possible. Thanks for the tips.