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    M18x Makes Landfall! Pictures, Videos, Unboxing Thoughts, etc. Share away!

    Discussion in 'Alienware 18 and M18x' started by BatBoy, May 15, 2011.

  1. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Stock clocks. I see 20-40FPS in Crysis 2 DX11 everything on max.
     
  2. steviejones133

    steviejones133 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Ahhhh - so with a little OC-ing, 6970m Crossfire does max it out.....well enough to get greater than 24 fps.....I would imagine.....still gotta get the SSD and games installed!
     
  3. xbladebrett

    xbladebrett Newbie

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    Just wondering if anyone has the 6990's in CF it would be really good to kno what's coming my way = ]
     
  4. cachexic

    cachexic Notebook Consultant

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    Really? That Carlos guy on Youtube runs The Witcher 2 at 60-75 FPS with max settings. Overclocked 6970's to 800/1050 though.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cajKn9YqxmQ
     
  5. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Those are not the max settings. What about multi-sampling? ;) Also, if you install the DX11 patch, Crysis 2 will be 20-40FPS at best on max settings with the 6970M CF. No OC'ing though.
     
  6. cachexic

    cachexic Notebook Consultant

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    Hmm. He said in the video that everything was max except for Ubersampling.
     
  7. sev7en

    sev7en Notebook Consultant

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    Hi to everyone! Here's my full unboxing... M18x powered by ATi's CrossfireX 6970m:



    [​IMG]

    The package...

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    my Alien ^_^

    [​IMG]


    Inside the box...

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    The signature...

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    A finally... the M18x!

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

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    [​IMG]


    The package (2nd time)...

    [​IMG]

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    The Touchpad Synaptics...

    [​IMG]
     
  8. NYC Drifter

    NYC Drifter Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks for sharing Sev7en!
     
  9. eCake

    eCake Notebook Geek

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    thx for the box it looks amazing :D
    cant wait drool
     
  10. bumbo2

    bumbo2 Notebook Deity

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    Cool cool man!
     
  11. cachexic

    cachexic Notebook Consultant

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    My M18x arrived an hour ago. Everything is great, but there's just one problem (damnit). AlienFX isn't working with my macro keys. The macro keys just stay orange no matter what I change them to. And I hate orange.

    What a shame.
     
  12. Shaden

    Shaden Notebook Deity

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    Alien FX doesn't change those keys on my computer either ...
    hit the Taxtx button and it will change the colours... but it doesn't do all colours
     
  13. cachexic

    cachexic Notebook Consultant

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    Oh wow, thank you. Doesn't do all the colors but that certainly helps.

    EDIT: I figured it out. It does do all the colors. You just have to change the Set 1, 2, and 3 through AlienFX. Click on the macro key section in AlienFX, and in the control panel thing, you can pick which colors you want to be for Set 1, Set 2, and Set 3. Then when you hit the Taxtc button, it will cycle through those 3.
     
  14. Redwarf64

    Redwarf64 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi guys, long time forum-stalker here, you're postings on the m17x awhile back and the m18x were of great aid to me. Finally got myself an Alienware machine, and thought you might like some unboxing/set up pics and thoughts.
    So far I've had no issues with it, but thats because work kept me too busy to actually do anything with it. Planning to assault it thoroughly shortly. So far it seems to have no issues, everything was there (thank god cause reading some of these forums scares the crap out of me). Only thing is that it seems a bit louder than I thought it would be (still not overly *loud* though), but I guess thats to be expected with such a beast.
    And now, images! I took more, but forgive me, for I am a poor photographer.
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Nice pics, Redwar! Congrats and enjoy the great machine! How do you like the space black color?
     
  16. Redwarf64

    Redwarf64 Notebook Enthusiast

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    The space black color is nice. I guess I see it as more 'standard', but I think the Nebula Red would have been too much for me. When I was looking at the m17x back when they were first introduced I was pretty keen on the silver coloring. As it is, this reminds me more of my G73, which I sold when I decided to get this one. In honor of 'Alien'ware, I've named it "Rippley" after the character from the Alien series of movies.
    For some reason, the specs/signature aren't coming up in the posting, so hear they are;
    i7-2820QM
    16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM (4x4GB)
    1TB 7200RPM Solid State Hybrid
    6990M CrossFireX
     
  17. Canious

    Canious Notebook Consultant

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    The red does look extremely attractive and i almost went with it - except i was afraid i might regret later. Silver/black is always a safe bet and i won't have issues what color my LED light would be on as well. Just a personal opinion
     
  18. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    About the signature, I think there's a limit on how many lines you can have there. Try making a single or couple of lines only, don't hit the enter key.
     
  19. sev7en

    sev7en Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks goes to you for this great thread! :p

    And yes... I love my M18x! :)
     
  20. MadMag83

    MadMag83 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Good for you, I can't wait for mine to arrive ... ;)
     
  21. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    actually it is not ok, especially if you are portable. stuffing the laptop in a bag and carrying to work and home every day will naturally cause some compression on the unit. the compression causes the lcd lid to make contact with the keyboard. over a short period of time the keys will actually start to form indentations on the plastic panel. unless the glass / plastic panel is of very high quality i am expecting indentation with since i am portable with my laptops. :(

    this has happened to me back in 2005 with my clevo d900t. clevo learned from this and placed two small rubber pads on their d900c model and i never have to worry about the screen getting all marked up.
     
  22. Zero989

    Zero989 Notebook Virtuoso

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    i dont see the alienware screen getting indented by the soft keys. all that will happen is grease transfer. maybe if there was something between the keys that was hard.
     
  23. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I was carrying my M17xR1&R2 to and from work (by foot) on a daily basis for about 1 full year and never got any indentation on the E2E glass. Only some minor greasy marks easily removable with fibre cloth. :)
     
  24. Shaden

    Shaden Notebook Deity

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    Ah good, I was wondering about this, always have marks on the screen when I open up the system after carrying it around at all...
     
  25. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    i only worry about marks becoming permanent. but maybe i should not worry since i got the 3 year warranty. i am sure dell will replace the glass if it gets all marked up from it's own keyboard over time.
     
  26. Shaden

    Shaden Notebook Deity

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    Yea I got the 2 year ... I am thinking the same ...
     
  27. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    i am happy to report that crysis 2 with 6990m xfire CAN be maxed out with latest DX11 1.9 patch with ULTRA settings and high res texture pack :D

    after recieving my m18x and playing though a small portion of the opening level the fps was averaging about 50 or so even through some of the small skirmeshes that are introduced.

    i don't want to state that the gameplay was perfect as the multi-gpu microstutter was being introduced but only at very small sections that did not have much bearing on gameplay, like shooting the water up close and watching ripples while strafing, as an example.

    this was on the stock 2720qm cpu but with about a 15% overclock on the gpu's @ 822 core and 1000 memory through sapphire trixx. 11.8 preview drivers with 11.7 CAP as well.

    one note, there is a bug with the drivers or game that xfire will not scale in the game until you change the graphics fidelity back and forth. so for example; launch the game and load the map xfire will not be working properly, then go into the menu and change graphics from ultra to extreme. xfire will now properly scale and then go back to change it to ultra once again. it took me an entire day to find this bug and it was persistance even with stock dell drivers the laptop shipped with and the 11.8 drivers.
     
  28. cachexic

    cachexic Notebook Consultant

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    Really? 50 FPS AVERAGE with DX11 and ultra settings? Wow.
     
  29. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I was talking bout stock clocks. I don't think you can avoid dips below 30FPS in certain areas of the game without OC'ing. Will confirm after we receive the first batch of the 6990M's.
     
  30. reborn2003

    reborn2003 THE CHIEF!

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    Any ETA on the 1st batch of 6990Ms Aikimox? :p

    Cheers. :)
     
  31. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    10 days :)
     
  32. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    TAKE COVER!!

    [​IMG][/URL][/IMG]

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    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 6, 2015
  33. steviejones133

    steviejones133 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    you can never have one too many M18x's lol - nice pics!
     
  34. Smooth_J

    Smooth_J Notebook Deity

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    Nice...

    Looks like a AW for each one of you kids...lol

    Saw two highchairs in the back (twin girls maybe) :p
     
  35. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    1.5 years apart :D

    they can look but cannot touch. :D
     
  36. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    i almost forgot that the red one came with the red sock and black came with black sock.

    [​IMG][/URL][/IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 6, 2015
  37. lnoton

    lnoton Notebook Consultant

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    The red looks incredibly. Love the sock in red too.

    Does anyome use the sock again though? Other than to ship your broken alienware back lol!
     
  38. reborn2003

    reborn2003 THE CHIEF!

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    Oh wow I never knew they gave out the RED sock sleeves!!!
    Awesome!

    Did everyone else whom ordered a RED Alienware M18x get the red Sock Sleeve?

    Cheers. :)
     
  39. steviejones133

    steviejones133 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Nah mate - as an early adopter, I got stuck with a black one...:cry:
     
  40. Xeneize

    Xeneize Notebook Deity

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    I did, i think it's any Red that shipped later than July.
     
  41. Endless Shock

    Endless Shock Notebook Guru

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    I too got a red sock. I have to give it back though. They missed a letter on my nameplate.
     
  42. ARGH

    ARGH Notebook Deity

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    you are going to send the whote thing back just for a nameplate? can't they just mail you a new nameplate instead?

    i mean, if you got a perfect laptop with perfect screen, why take a chance at recieving another one that may not be perfect? just ask for a corrected nameplate to be mailed.
     
  43. lnoton

    lnoton Notebook Consultant

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    I assume your joking? Right?
     
  44. steviejones133

    steviejones133 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I'd be gettin' 'em to just send out an ammended name plate if everything else with the system was fine....why risk gettin' a dodgy system if the one you got is working 100%....
     
  45. Endless Shock

    Endless Shock Notebook Guru

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    Well. There are a few things with it other than the nameplate. I'm getting some flicker on the keypad portion. The internal audio is inconsistent. Meaning it's there at times and sometimes it's not. I do use a USB headset and I do know about headset/mic ports.

    Regarding the nameplate; they can't send me a new one (generic or custom)which is unfortunate.

    I have been fortunate with the aero bug. I don't get it often. Actually, I only get it when do benchmarks. I'm using the Dell A00 6990 drivers on a fresh install.
     
  46. lnoton

    lnoton Notebook Consultant

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    Id be tempted to get the tech round. Flickering lights might just be a quick easy lose connection. Im sure they can send u a nameplate...that sounds wrong.

    Audio....no idea. Was it like that before the rebuild.

    Mine is scheduled for Wednesday delivery....hopefully its perfect...but i aint that lucky.
     
  47. Xeneize

    Xeneize Notebook Deity

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    I had a ton of issues with the IDT software/driver, it appears that when installed it also adds a couple of devices and if you add a headset with a mic it really gets confused... Is that your issue? I ended up unistalling IDT all rogeather and letting Windows manage the sound and have had no issues at all.
     
  48. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    That's perfectly normal, don't worry.
     
  49. Endless Shock

    Endless Shock Notebook Guru

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    I did a fresh install the other day. Went from raid 0 to an Intel 510. I didn't install a few things Bigfoot, IDT and Bluetooth. The rig seems to run more smoothly now. Have not gotten the Aero bug yet (fingers crossed), the sound doesn't fade in and out anymore - was probably a corrupted download on my part. I am waiting for a new keyboard which I should be getting soon hope that fixes the flickering.

    Lastly, the nameplate... I spoke to 3 reps - they all said they can't send a replacement nameplate. Has anyone of you or someone you know ever gotten a nameplate replaced?

    Thanks for all the tips btw guys/gals :).
     
  50. evil_mike

    evil_mike Notebook Evangelist

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    Three support reps said they wouldn't send a replacement nameplate? If you're within your 30 days, tell them you're sending the unit back then. See if they're willing to send you a nameplate then. For something that simple, you'd think they'd be willing to help you out.
     
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