Alienware 18 with 980M SLI by HIDevolution

There's really no need to upgrade 780M SLI, anyway. Unless you're a benchmark junky.

I have a single 780M on my laptop and I can play the latest games at 40-60 FPS on the maximum settings. Just knowing that the 980M will outperform the 780M by a good 50% is enough for me to feel comfortable about waiting because I know that the price will decrease, and I know the upgrade will be worth more the longer I wait.

 

I hope my 7970M Crossfire or 780M SLI will run GTA V, MGS V or Arkham Knight max settings 60fps. If it can run, there is no need for me to upgrade.

 

In truth to this there's only two games I found I haven't been able to run properly with my 780Ms with exceptions to technical problems - Watchdogs (I don't know what's wrong with that game) and Skyrim with ENB mods enabled and a ton of texture mods installed. Even then Skyrim runs almost to 60, just dropping from time to time in certain places.

Still going to get my 980Ms though first chance I can!

 

I failed. About you?

 

HIDevolution is selling the Alienware 18 with 980M SLI. [ HIDevolution Alienware 18-HID19 NVIDIA Dual SLI GTX 980M Gaming Laptop ] so it has to work correctly. I find it too difficult to believe that a reputable vendor like HIDevolution would be offering it for sale on their web site if it doesn't function. Doing that would be harmful to their business.

It should work fine in the Alienware 18 or M18xR2, perhaps even with the Clevo vBIOS. If not, it's most likely something with the Clevo vBIOS that either a Dell vBIOS or a generic/reference 980M vBIOS will rectify. I doubt there is anything about the Alienware system BIOS that is causing it to act up.

Drivers won't be a problem. You just mod the INF and go. I don't use OEM display drivers on anything and we don't need OEM driver support for anything else unless it is a brand-specific component like AlienFX.

If you want to send me the GPU, I would be more than glad to test it in the M18xR1, M18xR2 and Alienware 18 machines sitting in my office. I won't charge anything to test it.

Side note: I would be surprised if Dell offers the Alienware 18 with 980M SLI. I have a bad feeling they will not be selling it with any GPU. I have a gnawing feeling in my gut that they will release a 17" Ultrabook with BGA CPU/GPU and offer no laptops with SLI or MXM modules any more. The days of buying a laptop from Alienware and upgrading it for several generations of GPU refreshes may be over. Perhaps they feel there is not enough money to be made selling machines that are good for 3 to 5 years worth of GPU upgrades. Having everything soldered to the motherboard would solve that dilemma for them instantly. Then comes the hard part... getting any self-respecting Alienware enthusiast to consider buying that kind of garbage. If they find enough console kiddies that like Ultrabooks and are willing to buy crap like that, they may have had their marketing analysts crunch the numbers and decided they do not need to care about retaining their old enthusiast customers.

This is all rumor-based speculation and I hope I am totally wrong. It makes me terribly sad because I really don't want to have to switch brands or go back to using a desktop. Although, I will do that before I would entertain the notion of buying an Ultrabook or laptop with BGA-mounted CPU or GPU. Speculation aside, just stop and think about it. Why in the world would they not offer the 17 or 18 with 970M and 980M right now if they were actually planning to continue selling the current machines? They are already losing sales because of not offering it, or even mentioning that it is coming soon. But, we have not heard so much as a peep out of them... definitely not a good sign.

 

If AW doesn't offer a highend sli 18 then my AW days are over. I'll go with another brand laptop or makena luggable ITX crazy water build.

 

I'm right there with you, bro. I'm not willing to accept any kind of BGA junk, nor am I willing to accept even a "real" high performance laptop that has only one GPU... no way, Jose... ain't good enough.

 

check it out in TI.
someone succeeded with optimus.
I dont like it thought

 

Thanks. I just commented in that thread. I think you should try to contact that person and ask if they will send you their vBIOS. It may be only a coincidence that Optimus is enabled on that system. I doubt having it enabled is a requirement, and I would also want that to be disabled. I really hate Optimus and Enduro. Manual switch is the only way to fly.

 

Great Fox, forgive my ignorance but what is the issue with Optimus?

 

I dont think it is coincidence.
I just flahsed v10. Now installing.
I will post screenshots on TI soon. (testing on some slow R4 without SSD )

 

So it is abnormal for AW to be so late with releasing the latest and great GPUs in their systems?

 

No, not that late for distirbution... but, late to not even be talking about it or taking orders for it. It's not a good sign.

Looks like Dell is going through another round of layoffs. Cy Jervis, whose name some of you will recognize, the social media manager of IdeaStorm and an occasional contributor here in our Community is a victim of their latest round of reduction in workforce. I just found out today. Here is a link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cy.jervis?fref=nf - condolences to a great guy that deserved better than this.

 

Damn!! That's hard to hear....

 

I want to bring this up. I spoke to the sales rep at HIDevolution to see if they can upgrade the 980M SLI to my AW 18. The sales rep told me this:

"we have not testedthat configuration just yet, I would recommend checking in on monday."

Although another sales person named Ted (friendly dude) told me that this is the project they are currently working on and he will put this is a priority.

 

Eurocoomm posted their video yesterday for their 980m SLI laptop with benchmarks for sale on their website and YouTube.

Here is the YouTube video for it with benchmarks. First benchmarks I have seen for 980m SLI

 

Just checked their pricing, the price difference between 780M SLI and 980M SLI is $100... interesting.

 

Listing without even tests. Insane.

 

I know. I do hope it is their priority to work on these cards ASAP.

 

It may simply be the case that these cards will need a Dell bios to work properly. Let's hope so.

 

I really hope so. It would be great if they would release dem Dell Bios for us AW users.

 

Well after readin problems of 980m on Aw systems. It makes me worry I already ordered Two 980M.

 

Damn,! You did, mate?? When and where? I thought it was too expensive for you?

 

Hopefully i will get it by next Friday Actually my friend who is working in China ordered it for me Well it still expensive tho but got to give my baby some extra wings

 

Ahh.. card from Clevo, right?

Well, maybe next week we might find something and it would work.

 

Well i have no idea, but i guess it will be Clevo as Dell card still not out. Unfortunately, card will come without warranty

 

I salute you with taking a risk to get it. :thumbsup:

Mr. Fox and company will help you while I cheer for you at the sidelines.

 

lol Thanks man, im looking forward to it

 

Well, I got some news.

I spoke to HIDevolution and kudos for them for doing this. This is what they are telling me.

"our team is working on creating a compatible vbios so that alienwares will recognize the 900m series cards"

"we hope to get this done by next week"

 

The fact that HiD are selling 980M AW18 systems is a joke if they don't even work lol

 

So the laptop they're selling on the page linked in the first post doesn't work correctly?

I added one to my cart and started the checkout process. No warnings or anything that I could see.

 

Hey Turby!

A lot of people have been asking HiD if it works (In their online chat) and the response seems mixed. They are in the works of a vBios so that the Alienware 18 recognizes the new 980M cards. As it currently stands no one has got a 980M working yet, not even that chinese guy.

 

I will check tomorrow with them on the progress. I want to upgrade my gpu

 

I got an update with HIDevolution. According to them, the techs are consulting with a third party about 980M to work on AW. Hopefully we can get some news this week.

I may check Friday about this.

 

Wonder if it is svl7 and Prema, or Prema and svl7?

If they are having to resort to consulting with a third-party, I will take that as second demonstration of engineering incompetence from NVIDIA since 880M. Are we seeing a trend here? Ya think? Or, NVIDIA just passing the buck to enthusiasts to sort their vBIOS problems? Oh, wait... that's a trend, too. Nice!

 

Man, it kinda sucks that 980M cards won't work on the spot with our Alienwares.

 

Well, I received an update from them and it looks like HIDevolution has made some progress with the AW17 working with a single 980M. Hopefully the 980M SLI fix is forthcoming for the M18xR2 (and AW18, of course). I'll wait a month or two, or even three before I get too worked up about it not working. It's not like I "need" more horsepower than I already have with 3920XM and 780M SLI in the R2, but more is always welcomed... no such thing as "too much" horsepower.

 

Nice. That's great news.

 

Oh yeah, check this out, brothers!!!

https://www.facebook.com/hidevoluti...24520777561/10152628138947562/?type=1&theater

 

With optimus, any alienware can handle 980m.
I am really waiting for someone for us to fix the vbios so we can use it without optimus or use it SLI.

 

Is that optimus in that pic? How would it affect gaming?

 

Alienware 17 (r5) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M upgrade - YouTube

At 00:53, they show us the device manager.
I dont think HID did any vbios yet.

You gotta google yourself how optimus affect gaming.
Lots to talk about that. I can simply say, I'd rather sell alienware if I had to use optimus.

 

I can't believe HID still listed AW18 980m sli with "In stock ready to ship! ".
Full of BS.

 

Yup, Optimus and Enduro are pure crap. "Hybrid" is very seldom an indication of something desirable. It is usually secret code for "junk" product.

 

Except for SLI though, in some cases.
I think SLI system was the first hybrid
It might have been the motive of Optimus and Enduro back in 2010.
Nvidia'nın 2010 planları: Optimus teknolojisi yolda!

 

Unless it's hybrid AA of course. SSAA + MSAA = heaven. Really makes me appreciate my Maxwell cards even more, because it allows me to game at "3K" without sacrificing 120Hz. Although I may look into getting the ROG Swift next year when price come down a bit. I'm not paying more for a TN panel than a GM200 card lol.

 

Key words: seldom, usually

 

how and where did you get gta v ?!?!?!?

 

I am talking about future games.


We are going to have HID or Eurocom benchmark some games. That is the litmus test. 3D mark means nothing to me if the games would not run well anyway.

 

Gwapo, you got any update from HID, as 980M SLI working on Aw18?