M18x Memory Discussion Thread

Just go to their website( Thaiphoon Burner - Official Support Website). It is under tips/tricks. I tried just setting it up under the BIOS and all I got was errors.

 

looking at:

CORSAIR Vengeance Performance 16GB (2 x 8G) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1866 Laptop Memory Model CMSX16GX3M2A1866C10

CORSAIR Vengeance Performance Model CMSX16GX3M2A1866C10 Laptop Memory - Newegg.com

a few bucks more then the others. thoughts? thanks in advance

i also see that going to a higher speed will require a change to bios. hmm.. thinking now..

Kingston HyperX 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX16C10P1K2/16

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104402

also need to check the pin count. hmmm..

 

Hey Nycro,

I have same ram waiting to get to me along with laptop. Did you get Corsair 8GB sticks to work at listed speed of 1866 out of the box? or did you download Thaiphoon Burner to get them to work?

Thanks,
Brad

 

If the BIOS is set to "Auto" it should just work automatically. My Kingston HyperX PnP required no changes to settings. Regardless of the RAM, if it runs slower than its rated speed all you have to do is change the setting from "Auto" to whatever speed you want. It's not a big deal or a hassle. Simply press F2 during POST, change the setting and press F10 to save and exit. (Choosing a setting higher than the memory is designed to run will not cause any harm, but it will not make the memory run faster than it is designed to run.)

 

Worked fine out of the box

 

They must have updated the memory firmware or something. They used to only work after being tweaked with Thaiphoon Burner. That's really good news.

 

Guys, should I replace my stock ram 32 GB 1600 for 16GB ram at 1866 speed?

 

Unless you run a lot of VM or some huge memory hog applications, go with 16GB ram at 1866 speed for better performance.

 

This is my first time doing this, but I'm wanting to add more RAM and swap out my GPU, is this a fairly easy DIY thing? I've been looking at tear down vids and they seem pretty straight forward.

Also how do I find out the exact type of RAM I have so I know which ones buy?

 

Hello, and welcome to the NBR forum.

If you post your system's specs, or better yet put them in your signature, it will be easier to assist you.

 

If your in a m18x two slots of ram is very easy. The other require a full tear down so if your going with four sticks of ram plan on doing it with the gpu upgrade. If your not comfortable when your tearing the comp down stop and take it somewhere. W arranty is useless with damaged caused by you self upgrading. The tear down isnt hard but the hdd cable is EXTREAMLY fragile! Careful with it. And your paste job on the gpu will make it or break it. Monitor temps after install.

And please do put your specs in your sig. Really helps on the forums.

 

quick question on mem. i ordered 6gb. but 4 slots for ram. so.. 2 at 2gb and 2 at 1?

lol.. gonna grab 2 8's and toss them on the bottom one. 8gb is the biggest yes? thanks in advance!

 

Unless your doing rendering or something 8gb of good 1866mhz ram. Is more than enough.

 

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name MININT-XXXXXXX
System Manufacturer Alienware
System Model M18xR1
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM CPU @ 2.00GHz, 2001 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Alienware A03, 7/29/2011
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 7.98 GB
Available Physical Memory 5.41 GB
Total Virtual Memory 16.0 GB
Available Virtual Memory 13.2 GB


That's what I could find, if it's all there I'll add the important parts to my signature. But I'm not sure how to find out what type of RAM I've got other than opening it up and looking at labels.

On replacing the GPU, would I just be better off taking it somewhere? the warranty is up on the laptop as well.

 

Its much cheaper to do it yourself but very dependant on your comfort zone with you ablities. I wouldnt try it if you werent sure you were able to. Really the hdd cable is the hardest part especially because if you break it you cant find just that part.... from what ive read you have to get a whole new mobo or just rig it to work. Watch q lot of vids on pasting too before you try and monitor temps after if you do it.

As I said give it a try but if you feel uncomfortable stop right where you are and take it all to a pro.

Enter your service tag number on dell site and you camn see your specs. There are also some apps that work well too

 

Thanks for the suggestions I found the RAM type. I might just take it somewhere if it's not too expensive

 

There are tons of guides and videos that walk you through disassembly. As long as you've got the tools and are comfortable using a screwdriver and following instructions, I'd recommend doing it yourself. Once you do it once, you'll be fine with any other laptop in the future.

If you do decide to do it yourself, don't mess with the hdd ribbon cable clip. Just unscrew the hard drive assembly and remove the hdd by unhooking it from the SATA connector. That clip is extremely fragile and if it breaks you'll have to buy and install a new motherboard (trust me, I've been there lol.) It's better to avoid messing with it imo.

 

Good advice FWD. I'd give it a crack yourself Bluren. Just be careful with the ribbons and cables and ground yourself from static and you'll be fine.
There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction that you'll gain along with a valuable learning experience. To be honest, now I've done it myself I know I'd rather me do than a tech because I'm going to be more careful than they are.
Remember you've literally got the best recourses on earth right here.. A forum full of teardown vids/DIY guides and like minded brothers who are the most helpful bunch you'll ever meet.

 

Appreciate the replies! I'll keep looking for vids and try to decide what route to take when I get there.

 

I would really appreciate it if someone could help me with a memory upgrade I am trying to do. I've called the Alienware support more than 8 times now and I am getting a different answer every time.

I currently have:
Alienware 18x R1 Notebook
i7 2670QM @ 2.20Ghz
4.0 GB DDR3 1600Mhz
SLI 2x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
64-bit Windows 8 Pro
2x SSD OCZ Agility 3 120GB

For the following questions, price is not a concern. My 1st question is, can I upgrade and run memory at 32GB 1866mhz with the following model?
CORSAIR Vengeance Performance Model CMSX16GX3M2A1866C10 Laptop Memory - Newegg.com

If not, which one of the following is a better option:

16GB at 1866Mhz (4x4)
Kingston HyperX Model KHX1866C11S3P1K2/8G Laptop Memory - Newegg.com
or
32GB at 1600Mhz (4x8)
Kingston HyperX Model KHX16S9P1K2/16 Laptop Memory - Newegg.com

 

I can't remember if Windows 7 Pro supports 32gb or not, but I'm pretty sure it's only Ultimate that allows up to 32gb (please correct me if I'm wrong.) As for the RAM, I would just go with 16gb of the 1866mhz. 16gb is way more than you'll ever use (even with heavy photo/video editing and other memory-intensive tasks) and you'll benefit from 1866mhz more than you would an extra 16gb that you'd most likely never use. 1866mhz will improve your CPU benchmarks and minimum framerates while gaming.

 

Good advice.. I'm having a hard time justifying going from 8gb to 16gb as it is. But like a lot of us here, I'll do it just incase. Even after leaving my computer on for 24 hours I still have 5gb free.
Either way I'd go for the 1866 MHz ram. I think there is even a 2133mhz hyper x available now too

 

Same here. I had 16gb on my last two laptops, but I never got anywhere close to using 8gb the entire time I had them lol. I might pick up another 8gb down the road since RAM is so cheap these days, but I'd rather focus my funds on other components in the mean time.

 

Hi all,

Well it took awhile for new M18x to be delivered from house in Washington then to hotel in Japan, then to get new LCD panel(first one was bad upon turning on for first time - new one installed today and tech installed ram while it was open), BUT the new Corsair 1866 8Gb sticks all run at advertised speed right out of the box with no tweaks to bios. Verified with CPU-Z. Next is to make recovery discs then put 3 new drives in(2 ssd's in raid-0 and 1 HDD for storage).

Brad

M18x R2 3740QM 32GB 1866 Dual 7970 GPU's 500gb HDD Killer 1303 BT 4.0 DVDRW Win 8 (soon to have 2 Corsair force 3 180gb SSD's in raid-0 with an HGST 1TB HDD)

 

I know there have been issues with the corsairs but I had to bite the bullet. I ordered 2 kits of Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1866MHz PC3 15000 SODIMM Laptop Memory 204 Pin CMSX8GX3M2A1866C10 from amazon warehouse deals for a total of $78 for like new sticks (16GB total). Hopefully I have no issues with them.

 

Just picked up the system listed in my signature after upgrading from a M17x R2 that I've used and upgraded for the past few years. The M18x came with 32GB from the Outlet and I've no need for that much, and want to upgrade to 1866 memory anyways.

Checks of Amazon and Newegg have their Kingston 1866 memory going for $82. However, they've also got Kingston 2166 memory for the same price.

Is anyone overclocking this memory? Using BIOS? Thaiphoon?

 

I'm not but I know that Mr. Fox and Johnksss have successfully got the 1866 to run at 2133 speeds with TB.

 

damn if i didnt buy desktop memory.. way to pay attention.

 

Just ordered an m18xr2 dual gtx 680 i7-3840QM and am curious if I can expect 32GB 1866 Corsair memory to work?

CORSAIR Vengeance Performance 16GB (2 x 8G) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1866 Laptop Memory Model CMSX16GX3M2A1866C10

From searching this I seem to find mixed opinions.

Is there anything else I should try?

I like the latest games (Bioshock infinite, BL2, sc2 hos, and whatever comes up in the next year or two). I also like to do development and run multiple VMs to simulate our production environment for determining configs and such.

 

I would stay away from the corsair memory with the r2, as some work has to be done to "fix" it to work properly. On the other hand kingston hyperx 1866mhz pnp is great because it can be flashed to 2133mhz easily and works great stock without any issues.

 

Any idea where to purchase? I can't seem to find "kingston hyperx 1866mhz pnp 2x8GB" on Newegg or Amazon.

 

I don't think there is a 16gb kit for the 1866 - just the 1600 according to Kingston's website....

 

Any suggestions for 32G 1866 (4x8GB) memory for m18xr2?

 

I think the only manufacturer doing 1866mhz 8gb sodimm's is Corsair. Their Vengeance memory comes in a 16gb kit of two 8gb modules, like these: CMSX16GX3M2A1866C10 - Scan.co.uk

Saying that, I am not sure how they perform in the R2 - heard and read some stuff about the Vengeance modules that wasn't too good. A possible alternative would be to get lower speed ram and use Typhoon Burner to overclock it, but I couldn't comment on wether or not it would prove succcessful. I know that Johnksss and Mr. Fox have OC'd their Hyperx 1866 (4x4 modules) up to 2133mhz with the same method. I don't know how well it would work when overclocking the 8gb 1600 single HyperX modules.

Is there a specific reason for wanting to go for 32gb?

 

Actually I have the Corsair(1866mhz) 4x4G in my M18x R2. At the start I had issues because so profiles were missing in the SPD. I purchased Thiaphoon Burner and updated everything as per the You Tube video and all is well at 2133mhz. Im actually selling them as I also have some Kingston that from another laptop that I'm parting out.

 

I also do development in addition to gaming. Testing and proving various configs with big software like Peoplesoft, Business Objects, Oracle, JBoss, JSF apps on VM s (sometimes multiple VM s).

Mainly the futureproofing thing though. I know the common consensus I am seeing on here and other various forums is I don't that much, 8 or 16G will do. Then again didn't Bill Gates say in 1981, “640K of memory should be enough for anybody.”

 

This looks pretty interesting. Did I get that right? 16 bucks for this. Is this a difficult procedure, or straightforward?

 

Pretty straight forward. I can do anyone can

 

I picked up 16GB of the Kingston HyperX 2133 memory from Amazon. The price was a few $US cheaper than even the Kingston 1866 and Corsair 1866. Installed it and PnP worked perfectly. My memory score went from 7.7 to 7.9 and I haven't even messed with overclocking.

 

Can you give me the exact item in amazon that you ordered please? I am trying to get the same but I am not seeing it. Thanks

Edit: I found it had to order 4 x 4GB in the 2133. Seems I will have to wait a few weeks for it to deliver though.

 

Kingston HyperX Plug n Play 8GB Kit 2133MHz DDR3 PC3-1700 Non-ECC CL12 SODIMM Notebook Memory KHX21S12P1K2/8

Amazon.com: Kingston HyperX Plug n Play 8GB Kit 2133MHz DDR3 PC3-1700 Non-ECC CL12 SODIMM Notebook Memory KHX21S12P1K2/8: Computers & Accessories

Click on "More Buying Options" and select Amazon.com to get them for $85.74 and free shipping if you've got Amazon Prime. It does show 2-3 weeks for delivery. Got mine at the price from Amazon.

If you want them now, Memory Unlimited has them for $101 plus $4 shipping.

 

Ok, so I got both sets now and have installed 4x4GB @ 2133 and it works perfectly. I set the 2133 option in the bios but I would like to know if there are some good custom timings for these. If anyone has tuned these I would like to see your settings.

 

The HyperX PnP modules have no custom timings or XMP profiles. You would have to add XMP profiles using Thaiphoon Burner. The tables where XMP profiles would normally reside are empty. You can experiment with custom BIOS settings within the BIOS or using XTU. If the settings are incompatible, the machine will reset during POST and revert to defaults. I haven't found any custom settings that produced any measurable benefits in performance. I found the settings typically do not hold across multiple reboots and I stopped tinkering because it proved to be a waste of time.

 

I set mine in the Bios at 12,12,12,36 0 issues

 

Aren't those the default values, Brother Harlon? You should not need to manually set default values.

Here is what my timings look like by default, without any need for manual settings.

 

Before I even put the ram in I had seen John's screenshot of his timings and manually set to the above numbers. I forgot they were P&P and would have set automatically.

 

Ok I so I don't have to do anything, I checked and my numbers are the same as were posted above. Thanks for the guidance :thumbsup:

 

Just wanted to know if there was any noticeable difference going from 16GB to 32GB? Are you just gaming or also Photoshop/video editing?

 

difference is noticeable when you do a lot of virtualization. I used to be able to easily max out my 16GB when running Exchange DAG's + SCCM 2012. So, it depends on what you do I guess.

 

Please ask Mr FOX help with my Kingston could make changes to her work in 2133 because I have no intimacy with the program.
I thank you very much.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=45C5817EF3D53827!382&authkey=!ADGV-EBsWdlv340


UPDATE:

I LOVE THIS MACHINE!!!!



remembered the published files of the model in 2133 and courageously reprogrammed.

I thank all of this wonderful forum where people only have the highest quality.
Happy life.
increasingly I love this machine.
Fox, Jhon, thank you so much for being such good friends with all who resort to requests for help.
A big hug to everyone.