Pics for M17xR3(Sandybridge) and benchmark(you may wanna c)

Did you check the Avatar 3D on the Panasonic TV at BestBuy? That's the most impressive 3D experience I had.

 

Sandy Bridge does not support Optimus technology. I mean the IGP shuts off if there is an additional GPU.

 

yea 69xx is still a 40nm chip and if a single mobile graphics card was hitting scores like that we would be looking at a 5850 performance which we all know is not possible at this stage.

 

When they'll end with this glossy frame on screen...

 

That might be because 3Dmark06 is detecting the wrong gpu.Maybe when the software is detecting the system specification,discrete graphics isn't activated.

There's no way the Intel graphics can score so much.

 

Sandy Bridge does not support Optimus technology.

How can it be? I thought that everyone waits for this chipset to have ability to switch off discrete gpu while surfing on interrnet or office work.

 

I couldn't find extremely solid information about sandy bridge and optimus (like an official spec sheet) however according to this article:

Intel's Core 2011 Mobile Roadmap Revealed: Sandy Bridge Part II - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

Optimus will be supported.

 

Thats more like it Cause i personally wait for laptop with 4 cores and hybrid cards, discrete for gaming and intel for looooong battery life

 

Sorry this is a duplicate post from another thread, but this one is more active, and perhaps more appropriate:

Hey guys. Been lurking around this forum a long time for info on m17x r3. This will be my second laptop purchase following a 5'sh year old 13" macbook with intel core duo. not core 2 duo. I've been rather torn with whether or not to wait for r3, but I took the plunge and got the r2 in the end because I think I got a good deal. For $2400 shipped at a lil less than $900 off. I got i7 840, 6GB ram, CF 5870, 1200p RGB, intel 6300 wireless. Didn't bother with HDD upgrade, and the 6GB was starting option for this model. Anyway. I just got notice that the system shipped, but I was wondering what you guys think about me taking it back since r3 is just around the corner. On one hand it'll still be an unheard of upgrade from my macbook. And if I did get that good of a deal out of it, maybe I should just keep it and wait for r3 to be refined later on. Which by then, newer technology will have come up and make me want to put the wait in a loop. However, in this case, we're maybe talking usb 3.0, sata III, 120Hz monitor, and more refined chassis. I think I can wait, but if it means this newer technology will have a $500 + price increase from my own, maybe not wait. I really want sata III, and usb 3.0 Although, I might be able to get usb 3.0 via express slot. If I could still get a similarly spec'd r3 with usb 3.0 and sata III, I'll wait. But I'm still torn all over! Please help.
P.S. What are the chances of Dell being out of the R2s a year or three from now that they would replace my R2 with an R3 if I got the warranty and broke my laptop?

 

I think you should wait CES in early January to make your decision.

There are a lot of rumors and while we start to have an idea of the R3 : we can be all wrong in the end (it might be a M15xR2 haha).

 

no wonder the score's so high with intel... waiting to see how great it actually will be after CES...

 

They should launch an affordable 17" like they did with the M17. It would be quite different, rugged, and less frills, just business. It's extremely doubtful though. I can't even find good enough reasons to do this, aside from the price and more model variety.

 

You have a simpler 17" in the XPS series I believe. You can also trim down the M17x with a single GPU and lower end CPU and cut a lot of the cost. Below that you just need to look at Dell's other 17's.

 

I understand, but I was talking about what Alienware did before with the M17 and the Area-51 M17x. The XPS line is just not an Alienware. The guys that owned an M17 will understand. That was a good machine, at least with the Core 2 Duo's.

It would definitely make little sense for Dell to do that now.

 

That was an informative article. Thanks for linking.

 

When was the M17 any of that? All i ever heard from my friends about it was trouble.

Panther214

 

the m17 is how to say .... special

but looking at this R3 many details in the desing makes me think of my actual m17 who know maybe skullcape will be back and the base model an be have for 999.99

 

It looks like I'm in the minority here, but I happen to like the new design. One of the reasons, I was originally attracted to Alienware back in the day, was the alien accents they used to put on them. I wanted a laptop that stood out. There are plenty of other companies out there that make laptops that are just as powerful, but they look like your "run of the mill" $500 laptop. I use my M15x at work, but if I wanted a laptop that blends in at the office, there's plenty of gaming-spec rigs out there that look generic. I like the looks of the current AW line, but I do prefer the curvy lines of the older designs. IMO it just makes it look futuristic. My M15x looks more like a Cadillac CTS, than some alien artifact. So I'm for the new design. I also love the 2 hdmi ports. 2 outs, would be nice, but 1 out and 1 in would be even better. I've caught myself many times wishing I could use my laptop screen, versus the seldom occasion where I'm trying to output to 2 external displays. I do hope its thinner, and a little lighter (these babies are huge).

Ever since I was disappointed in the Black Fridy/Cyber Monday deals, I decided I was going to wait and purchase the new R3. The most important things I'm going to need to make it worth the price increase over the current model is:
(In order of importance)
1. USB 3.0
2. Switchable Graphics for increased battery life
3. Better GPU options
4. A gaming display on par with the RGB LED. If it comes with 3D fine, but that has no bearing on my purchase decision. I care more about image quality and speed. 120Hz, Bright whites, dark blacks, and vibrant colors are more important.
5. A better option for surround sound headsets than 3 analog jacks. Spdif or Optical audio out please.
6. Sandybridge sounds promising. I doubt I will notice much speed difference, but if its more efficient and can extend battery life, I'm all for it.

 

Agreed on your 1, 2 and 5

 

A 3D screen can't be too bad. Take a look at my shots of a e-ips 2209wa next to my 3d screen. I think the colors are pretty decent.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6961413-post5040.html

 

I also want usb 3.0, but more so a new mobo for sata 6GB. I think we can get expansion card for usb 3.0. They better not take away the beautiful screen. Lastly, switchable graphics, yes please! That would do more good than a more efficient proc. Anyway, I think I will play around with r2 and hope more info on r3 comes out soon. If it's worth returning I'll try hard to not get hit with the restocking fee? What's the policy on that anyway? And of the return shipping?

 

The laptop under the table looks like it might be a new M11x . . . hmm or one of the older Clevo/alienware hybrids.

I can still see why some people think it's a M15x. When I first saw the pictures I thought it was a M17x. But these M15x arguments have been kinda growing on me.

Although I can't get around the keyboard. Too big for 15.4" form-factor. My 15.4" HP Elitebook has a full sized keyboard, but it is VERY smooshed compared to that one.

 

Ha, that's kinda true, I never looked at the other laptops more carefully.


Edit...doh, I forgot those are pictures of two different R3's
I'm still 100% sure that's just too big for a M15x though

 

I think the Desktop "Premium Graphics" might be able to hit 8500-9500. Intel's has been repeatedly saying that Sandy Bridge's graphics will be "order of magnitude(or more)" faster than the 2008 65nm graphics.

Laptop parts might knock off 20% or more off that score though.

 

forget 8000ish scores, 5000 would already be (too) much.

I score 9000 3Dmarks with my 4830 mobility.
I would be astonished if they could reach half of the points with an IGP...

Intel HD graphics now score 1500 pts
Sandy bridge will probably get 3000, which is indeed astonishing if you compare it with the previous gen. But with 3000 you still can't play most games. But maybe on low games will be playable now.

 

I couldn't care less about the USB3.0, 16:10 vs 16:9 and anything similar. The two things that might be improved on m17x is the weight and fan noise. Neither is too big of a deal for me, but those are the places I see where they can improve stuff. Any Core i7 CPU and 5870 crossfire are way more than enough for 99(.9?) % of the uses. For example, make optical drive optional. I'd toss out ExpressCard too. Offer RGB LED matte screen.

The design looks almost the same to me, as R2. With the difference in LED status board.

 

It cannot read the wrong GPU since it locks the active driver and thats where its getting its info.
Sandybridge WILL have the ability to use Optimus. However, the graphicshave already switched before 3dmark records HW info.
Thats why I asked a current Optimus user to prove me right, or wrong.
Everyone keeps saying what numbers are true or not on a platform that is not even out yet they've not even seen.

 

I agree
need to improved on weight and fan noise.

I really wish they make one for 7lbs (15x) with battery

 

I agree 16x9 vs 16x10 is a big deal to me. However I do like running native 1080p for my 1080p blurays. Less weight would be nice, but I don't think there's much they can do for that. When you consider all of the dual GPU's and 17+ inch screens, etc..., its tough to keep weight down. I never thought fan noise was an issue, but I haven't experienced the M17x yet (my M15x is pretty quiet). Expresscard is nice, but I use it so rarely, that I wouldn't miss it if it was gone. I do like the new control bar. I think the current (glossy/plastic) one looks cheap, and doesn't consistently recognize my button presses.

 

1. I like express card and would miss it.
2. I will miss 16:10. 16:9 is just not right for working.
3. As long as it is quiet as the R2, then i have no complaints

 

I'm new to the whole integrated graphics and discrete graphics thing. I wanted to know, is it possible to use both integrated and discrete GPUs together (similar to SLI/CrossfireX)? If not, I can only hope that AW/Dell will do something to make it possible. This Sandybridge processor could really be a nice graphics boost.

 

Some notebooks let you switch between Intel's IGP and a discrete GPU but can not use both an Intel IGP at the same time as a discrete GPU to increase performance.

A few older machines used to use hybrid graphics that combined Nvidia or AMD chipset IGPs with each companies' low end discrete cards but support for that has died out. Hybrid Crossfire will hopefully return for AMD based systems with Fusion APU.

 

Would be kind of Dell/AW to at least give us the bare essential specs to take away some of the "avid discussing" that goes on in threads like this.

And try to remember in less than one month we'll likely get to see what all the choices have led to in a new machine.

* 580/570M
* SB 2.5Ghz extreme CPU
* RGB LED screen 16:10 preferrred, 120hz would be nice, but 3D unnecessary
* Optical out (not necessary, but would be a nice touch)
* Expresscard with the upgraded pci=express connection
* USB 3 (all ports would be a real plus)
* Latest bluetooth (a plus, but I'll take what comes too)
* Something fairly good in the sound area (don't want the Sound blaster software thingy, but some decent internal sound components would be good)
* Trackpad that has good polling and isn't broken out of the gate
* Something like Apple's magnetic latch system to keep the system closed if there won't be a physical latch
* The ability to turn off all lights in all areas and go stealth
* Optimus would be a real plus, but unsure if Intel is going to allow it
* Intel SSD's as a Dell installed option

This isn't in perfect order of desire, but it's a roughly complete list of hopefuls. I don't think there are any dealbreakers in what I see with the new model. I also think a strongpoint is the ability to choose AMD or Nvidia graphics, since there are folks who like both and that just let's folks pick what they want. If I had to choose 120hz or the RGBLED, I'd probably take the RGBLED. I do know that 120hz is good, very good, but that's just my take on that choice. Remember that 120hz is likely to guaranteedly be 16:9 only. However the glossy acrylic front panel means they can likely offer 16:9 or 16:10 monitors in the same physical frame to cover both bases. Or they may have given up on 16:10 entirely. 16:9 is where most of the market is headed eventually, much as I wish it wasn't so. 120hz will probably never make it to 16:10. In an absolutely perfect world, I'd get 120hz on the 16:10 RGBLED panel, but that's likely pure dreaming that will never see reality.

USB3 is really going to get a huge upswing in 2011. Missing that on a "new" model that expects to sell during the 2011 year would be a huge mistake.

I don't think the world is ready to get rid of expresscard. However they may well have put in just a 34mm expresscard option in that slot above the CD slot. The wider expresscard isn't used very much.

HP has shown that paying some attention to the internal sound components is something the market appreciates. I don't think it's worth going overboard (cost vs appreciated benefit at work here) but for a gaming notebook some halfway decent sound is always a good idea.

Long hoped that Intel SSD's would come from Dell. I don't care really as I can install them myself, but it would save people that step to get G3's straight at build time.

Optical, or at least digital non optical out would make one connection to many decent sound systems when at home. It's not required, just a nice touch.

A magnetic latch to help insure the lid stays properly closed after years of opening and closing when things don't operate quite as crisply as when they were new would be a nice touch.

And of course, let's get the trackpad functiong right from the get go this time, not 6-9 months later.

That's about my list

 

I am raping this thing.
What are the exact specs then?

 

SPECS?! specs? We don't need any stinking specs... to speculate!

 

don't get too hyped up guys, it might be a let down. could be either fair improvements no wait time, or awesome improvements but no release to Q2.

 

Fan noise is not that bad. Under normal use it's pretty quite and that's important. Under heavy load like gaming I could never hear the fans in ambient gaming sound.

So far the display will very likely be 16:9 right? That makes me stick with R2.

And I don't see why watching movies on 16:9 wpuld be better. After all:

- 99% movies and music video out there are in kinda 16:6 to 16:8-ish range. There will ALWAYS black area regardless.

- The outter part on the screen is black anyway. Why bother with some extra black area?

 

I wouldn't mind if it's postponed in Q2-Q3, I would buy a R2 right away.
I have been staring at this RGB screen for a long time at Dell store (here in Japan).
But as long as we don't have information about what's coming in the corner: I am stucked .
So many amazing Japanese PC game releases these days...I need a new notebook haha.

 

That's only because 16:9 is cheaper. There's no other reason. Alienware is a premium product, and should remain so. It is not "most of the market".

 

With my system coming in less than a week. I would cry to find out that r3 has USB 3.0 and Sata 6GB. THOSE are the upgrades I want to see. 16:9, 16:10, don't matter as long as its RGB. Although with 16:9, there won't be as much empty space below the keyboard. They could even put bigger speakers on the left and right of the keyboard to improve that sound. Weight is not an issue, what do you expect from a DTR? Sound only *needs to be quiet during light use as Silly Honey stated, it's no biggie. I know it's selfish, but I almost hope that it's a let down so I can just be happy with the r2 that's on the way. Other than that, the performance is already top notch. I just want the extra amenities.

 

Well you are going to cry as it is evident that a sandy bridge platform is going to have USB 3.0 and most likely sata 6gb.

 

Don't cry man. Just return within 21 days and get a new one.

 

you guys are talking about bigger and better things... there are (techy-wise) starving kids in africa that would love to have your (laptops current performance). now finish up you're (usage of the current laptop) and think of those (techy-wise) starving kids in africa!




sorry... I'm beyond the reasonable amount of time a human should be awake for, and my mind comes up with weird things that i think are funny at the time, until later i read them again and am like " was i thinking?"
oh well i got a giggle out of it.

 

@Santoku87

If I were you, I would have just waited. When i ordered my m15x and wanted to return it, even with the box not opened they would charge me 20%-25% restocking fee. Unless you have a good reason, ie. return it for another system (order right away on the phone), or unit is not working properly, they would charge you. If you are paranoid that if you return the computer, Dell might build you a crappy sandy bridge in return, than might as well keep your current system. After all, i liked my m15x. I will order the m17x-r3 when released.

 

Does anyone have info about the new Radeon 6900m series card that goes in this? I mean, any info about the 6900m out there yet?

 

@miahsoul

That would be great, but do you know if that 21 days gets hit with restocking fee?

@usual nite

Are you saying that a good reason of returning it for another system will bypass the restocking fee?

 

If you order another system in that 21 days they will let you return your current one in place of the newer one without any restocking fee.

Theoretically you could keep doing this until the r3 comes out...

 

@Santoku87

Correct, if you order within the 21 days as stated by entityX. You will not be charged the restock fee. But again, if you keep returning computers or anything in general, don't expect anything good from it. After all, who know what Dell installs in your system. Used sandy bridge? I'm jk.

 

21 days no questions ask, no restocking fee.

 

The real question is:

Will it blend?