Alienware 18 vs Clevo P770DM-G

Hi guys,

I am really confused here.

I don't want to wait another month for the Clevo P870DM which has a desktop GPU.

I really wanted that Skylake CPU clocked @ 4.0 to 4.2 GHz out of the box as I am done with the headaches of overclocking.

But then again, the Alienware 18 can now have a Dual 980M GTX setup

Firstly, did the throttling issue of the 980Ms get fixed with the latest BIOS A12 or are there still problems?

Secondly, what do you think is the wiser choice to buy and have future upgradability, the Clevo or the Alienware 18?

The reason I am leaning towards the AW18 is due to the fact that I can get local support here + warranty whereas with the Clevo if anything goes wrong I have to wait for parts to be shipped from the USA and that may leave me without a laptop for a while.

I am really confused and I need your help in deciding.

The Clevo I configured has 64GB of DDR4 RAM @ 2133 MHz whereas the AW18 can only go up to 32GB of 1866 MHz. RAM but has better GPUs.

Additionally, the Clevo I configured has Dual SM951 PCIe NVME SSDs in RAID 0 but the AW18 is limited to SATA SSDs

@Mr. Fox @Papusan @Ethrem @toughasnails

 

I strongly suggest you wait for the P870DM. It will blow everything out of the water that is currently on the market.

 

Alright thanks bro, I sent an email for HIDevolution to cancel my P770DM-G order

 

The P870DM is a BEAST

 

That comparison isn't quite direct. The P770DM-G isn't a match up directly to the Alienware 18 because it only can have one gpu. Like everyone else is saying wait for the P870DM. You also asked about upgrading, and the Clevo will be better as the cpu can be replaces easily. Any reason you need 64gigs of ram? Its a huge premium over 32gigs, also the P870DM should be able to have sli 980s eventually.

 

I only need 4 GB of RAM usually but if I buy a computer, it has to be fully maxed out (OCD), I have to fillup whatever the heck I can, so if it's 64GB of RAM so be it I hate opening the laptop in the future in order to access the 2 RAM slots behind the keyboard so I'd rather buy it this way.

 

Good move. The P870DM aka The Phoenix will probably be the greatest laptop in existence from 2015-2016 at a minimum.

 

Right, what would be a wiser choice, a single desktop GPU or dual mobile GPUs in SLI?

Bearing in mind that nVIDIA has been having crappy drivers since more than 6 months with bad SLI profiles and such but still, what would j00 get?

 

Well the 980M SLI still beats the Mobile 980, and I think there are early reports that the mobile 980 does NOT have an SLI connector on it, so you would be stuck with a single card config. I would stick with 980M SLI.

Mobile 980 here:

 

Forget AW18. = EOL + power limit on the motherboard. Can't use dual psu.
Right now is SLI a better choice if you want best performance but it will be a more expensive upgrade if you want a new set of graphics cards in sli when new cards been launched next year. Next launch with a new single Gtx1080 desktop card(if this will be the name), will be a faster graphics than current graphics cards in Sli and cheaper upgrade I think. Difficult choices. Depends on how long you want keep this laptop and if you want to upgrade to latest cards next time. Seems this is a difficult choice. Both SLI and single Gtx980 in Clevo P870DM is tempting.

 

Are you serious? That's... Ridiculous. 32gigs of ram should last years... There is no need to get 64 for how much it costs. Also it would still be "full" it would be bigger stick sizes not more sticks. You're other hardware would become obsolete before ram like that. On the other hand if you actually need that much ram get it, but man idk that's not useful for gaming at all.

 

it's just for bragging rights brah!

 

...It's your money. I just would rather go UHD if I had that kind of power.

 

again there is a lot of nitpicking about minimal tech issues DUAL GPU SLI and more important DELL ON SITE REPAIR seem to be and are the most important purchase decision

 

Sorry to bump in but where is the best site to Buy P870DM -Phoenix , is it BGA or can we upgrade later single 980 to SLI

 

Phoenix is not BGA at all. Uses LGA desktop CPUs and MXM GPUs.

 

thanks for the info, i plan to stay away from BGA crap specially in High end models and badmouth at every-step possible

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

And, bragging rights ye shall have... in great measure...

If you compare my 17K 3DMark 11 score to Futuremark's reference "4K Gaming PC" (4790K and GTX 980 SLI) and it is pretty clear the EUROCOM SKY X9 Desktop Laptop clouded up and rained some hellfire and brimstone all over their model desktop... And, it's still a work in process on the firmware. Watch the Sky... something wicked this way comes.

Result: Futuremark 4K Gaming PC versus EUROCOM SKY X9 Desktop Laptop

This fierce little quad-core 6700K just STOMPED their 4790K on the physics score, LOL!

 

Soon 12000 in physics ? Max 3% up.......... Or just 2.3% . http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nvidia_geforce_gtx_970_and_980_reference_review,20.html

 

If this machine were running Windows 7 instead of the crappy Windoze OS X turdmeister operating system it would already be over 12K, probably just running 6700K stock.

Windows 8 or newer suck at physics performance, but we already knew that.

 

Order away

This is where I ordered mine:

HIDevolution

Their customer service is one of the best and they offer free shipping to their base for warranty claims 2 times per year even for international customers

 

But we are forced to use WinNazi 10 bro since we need to use our Dual M2 PCIe NVME SSDs in RAID 0

 

If I were going to place an order today, I would probably choose the slower non-NVMe M.2 SSD options so I could use Legacy/CSM and Windows 7. The benefits of Windows 7 (for me) outweigh the benefit of having to put up with Windows 10 for nothing more than NVMe RAID0 in UEFI mode. But, that's me personally, and I know others may feel differently. I just find it very difficult to actually like Windows 10.

 

As much as I hate to say it brah, you know Windows 7 is a bit limited on these technologies, as in, no pure UEFI boot and now no nVMA support for a boot drive. Then comes DX12 which may seem beneficial in the long run. We cannot stick to yesterware forever and need to find a way around things.

Install Classic Shell, remove the search bar and task view button from the taskbar, restore the libraries in the left pane in Windows Explorer and you will at least make it bearable. Although to be honest, when I look at the right bottom taskbar icons, I see my normal programs icons all colorful then I see the black and white wireless icon, sound, windows notification center, they look so weird, as if they werent supposed to be there since they look so pale with no color, I just feel like throwing up when I look at them but I have to live with it since I want to be running the latest and greatest SSD.

 

I specifically DO NOT WANT pure UEFI booting. This is the doorway for the Redmond Nazis and OEMs to own us and our machines and drag us around by our private parts. UEFI can be used for good or evil, and so far they have stuck to the path that leads to death and darkness for enthusiasts, especially where notebooks are concerned.

I'll start being OK with newer versions of Windows and actually appreciating them when they stop crippling CPU performance and stop pandering to panty-waisted sissy-boys with tablets. Tech is only valuable when it adds value, and honestly... there ain't much added value to speak of. Just a bunch of command and control baloney. These morons don't even let us choose color schemes. Micro$oft is not my daddy... and they suck at their job. The only reason Windows 8 was tolerable and Windows 10 will eventually be tolerable is through end user hacks and third-party mods. As presented in default form, it's a pile of poop.

 

Thanks for the link, while i was configuring , it came to my mind that will 2 x 980 sli would be available to configure in this , also are there other non BGA laptops with 980 in them with 18 inch screens ?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

We are a dying breed old friend. We are witnessing the literal extinction of what was once a proud mobile computing platform.

 

@Raidriar - at least we can go to infinity and beyond in the glory of smug satisfaction in knowing we are superior to the masses. Doesn't matter whether or not the majority disagree... totally irrelevant. They're messed up and it's not open for reconsideration, LOL. Gosh, I love being an elitist. Unfortunately, the stupidity of the status quo adversely affects everyone. Mom was right... the bad choices we make in life always affect others whether we think so or not.

 

AW A12 stock BIOS and vBIOS throttles the cards all over the place. Prema vBIOS fixes that.