R3 going to waste

Is there anyway I can use my R3 like a desktop, or should I say as my main desktop?
Basically my R3 has only been used about 3 times over the last 4 months. I have lost interest in lugging the big unit into the my lounge area. The HP DV6's that I have are much more appealing for this short usage.
The only thing I could do with the R3 is use it as a desktop replacement, but my actual desktop even though it is a Core 2 Quad Q9550 does a much better job due to being quiet, pratical, and on the floor out of the way.
Bottom line is there is alot of R3 sitting on my actual desktop side table going to waste, and I cannot find a practical way to set this up like a desktop, e.g. connection of ports and cabling, having to open the lid to power it up, and somewhere to put it on top of a desk main central area.
Any suggestions for a good desktop usage without selling the R3 for a massive loss?

 

You can totally use it like a desktop.

I've had mine running nearly 24/7 since I got it in March. I've got an external 27in monitor and USB keyboard/mouse combo on it with the screen closed. It works great and is easy to disconnect if I want to take it into the living room or on travel.

If you do plan on using it as a desktop, I would recommend a laptop cooler for it. Also, disable hard disk shutdown in the power settings. This will avoid unnecessary wear and tear on the drive from spooling up and down all the time.

Don't sweat it.

 

Huh? My M17x R2 replaced my desktop two years ago. I gave my desktop to my brother. So I technically had no choice but, I've never looked back.

My M17 has a mouse, gaming keypad, external hardrive, laptop cooler, and a surround sound system including subwoofer all hooked up to it. Believe me it's hooked up like a desktop. And if I ever need to move it there is a lot less cables to deal with than with a desktop.

Need I say more?

 

how about a dual monitor setup. thats what i plan on doing with mine when santa brings it.

 

Honestly, I don't even understand the question - you do know you can hook up external stuff to the R3, right? Not only do I suggest doing what Ryan said, why not hook up an external monitor AND use the R3's display?

1 monitor, a USB mouse and keyboard, some speakers, and you have a very powerful, quiet, efficient, full-featured desktop.

Or you could sell your R3 and build a more powerful desktop and have money left over. Seriously. R3 components in desktop equivalents will cost you about...$900.

Protip - stop buying computers

 

One of the keys to this is going to be to get a decent high speed USB hub and a cooler. You'd put the R3 on the cooler on the desk, and then have absolutely everything (mouse, keyboard etc etc) plugged into the USB hub. When you plant the machine on the desk then all you've got to hook up is power, monitor and a single USB cable (you could run the cooler off the hub as well). I go through the same set up with my M11's and my Macbook all the time. Works like a charm. As others have said though, you'd simplify your work area greatly by ditching the desktop completely and that might alleviate some of your stress.

 

You could sell the R3. Or get a USB hub, and plug wireless keyboard, wireless mouse into it and use an externam monitor. Thats what I do with my R2, though I to get an external monitor. Thats been on the back burner.

For my R2, I have the following hooked up.

1 DVD Burner
1 Blu-Ray burner
1 wireless mouse
1 Nuforce uDAC2 Audio
1 500GB HDD
1 750GB HDD
1 Printer/scanner
Ethernet cable

Sometimes I'll swap peripharals for various reasons. I have a 7 port USB hub.

All thats plugged into the computer is a tiny wifi mouse reciever, ethernet, Nuforce uDAC2, and USB hub.

 

Keep the ideas coming, this is good. I am giving it a trial at the moment as a desktop.
Why am I asking? I have never bothered do this with a laptop. This is my first big and overally expensive laptop.
Seem ok but it a little on a loud side. What I mean by that is the desktop normally use is barely noticable as it runs a single 7v intake and a single 7v out take fan.
More ideas the better, I not convinced that this is better than my old silent Core 2 Quad setup.

I have these parts connected:
* Power cable (of course)
* Wireless mouse and keyboard
* RJ-45
* Speaker cable to amp
* HDMI cable to a Dell U2412M monitor

Problems I have had so far:
The displayport cable when connected to the monitor cause the monitor to flicker at random. The cable works fine on a mac, therefore I think the R3 may have a faulty displayport.
Fonts and text look really crappy on the monitor.
Noisy and lots of heat directly on the desktop.

Good points:
The R3 is actually powered on and not sitting by the wayside.
Applied the modded BIOS, the options are increadiable. Flicked some switched and now it will do 3.1 GHz on all four cores without dropping, only drops to 2.9 GHz once at full load for more than 23 seconds.

Answers I still need:
Can I get the CPU fan to turn off when plugged in, as like on battery?
How do I get the system to wake from sleep mode, without lifting the lid, using the keyboard and mouse?
Dell must think most people are blind that use the R3 alienware! Most importantly, the font is some kind of screwy alienware bloated font, where as the default is 125% and if I change to 100%, the text everywhere looks bad and blurry as it then becomes undersized, even though it is 100%. How do I force 100% as the new default?

 

HWiNFO can be used to control the fans manually. It does wonders on my R2 and I'm sure it'll help to quiet down your CPU fan. PM one of us for details and links on how to use it.

As for the fonts, I haven't experienced that problem. Maybe you could try reinstalling Windows.

 

I currently splurged on a 47" flatscreen and am using my R3 through it for games and such. My only complaint is the sound of the GPU fan but it is within my expectations for a cooling system in a laptop. Pretty powerful laptop I'll give it that.

 

I've always had the ambition, when I settle down and not travel too much, to actually convert my laptop into a desktop. Replace the heatsinks with waterblocks. I've even looked at some to see which ones fit and some actually do. Prop it on it's side and put it in a case turning it into a desktop.

 

I also prefer notebook to desktop, first of all, no cables second of all, if you don't want to log it around a lot however you will still need to carry it from place to place every once in a while, it is still doable

 

agreed, I might build a desktop eventually, but for now, I'm a desktop replacement junkie

 

My only hangup with gaming laptops is the inability to easily upgrade video cards.

I essentially paid $2200 for a GTX 460m.

 

well at least the m17x gfx cards aren't soldered into the mobo like both of its smaller brothers.

 

Dell has pushed in something crazy in the way the fonts are setup. I have tried changing everything I can back to default, but it seems Dell have forced their own font in to the system at 125%.
If I reduce to 100%, then I basically end up with 125% undersized and the fonts look terrible, even though 100% should be the ideal setting.
You can see what I mean in the screenshot.
Anyway to change this without reinstalling windows?

 

T2050, if you're not using your alienware anymore, while your R3 is still worth something, wouldn't it make sense to sell it and then buy a desktop that has more power?

Just a different thought path, since even a $1000 desktop will probably be more powerful than your R3...then you can go out and buy the sickest monitor

 

Now I see why you have so many posts after such a short time as a member here: You just repeat the same stuff people have already said before you in a post.

"Or you could sell your R3 and build a more powerful desktop and have money left over. Seriously. R3 components in desktop equivalents will cost you about...$900."

 

i do alot more than repeat bro...if someone said that before, then my bad.

 

Dunno if anyone has mentioned this yet, but, you could sell your R3 and build a more powerful desktop and have money left over. Seriously. R3 components in desktop equivalents will cost you about...$900

 

I faced a similar situation once before. I was actually all set to go for the same components as an R3 in a desktop, and thus only spend about $900, but alas I took an arrow in the knee.