M18xR2 Pre-Order Configuration Questions... Ask HERE

and they do accept Debit card? if yes then I got myself an m18x R2

 

They appear to accept PayPal and Google Checkout, which both work with debit cards I believe. Good luck with your order!

 

I have been pouring over the M18x for almost two months now, and I am now ready to pull the trigger and order as soon as the nvidia 680m is an available option. My biggest question is, will I have any bottleneck issues with the system I have spec'd out below? Also, will I see much difference between 8GB of ram at 1600MHz and 8GB XMP at 1866MHz? The system below is $4567.00 before taxes and any discounts. The system below is priced with dual 675m's, and I know that the 680m's will most likely be a couple hundred bucks more than that. I also will be getting a 17% discount by ordering through the company I work for. I imagine when it is all said and done, this laptop will be a little more than 4 grand. The main use for this laptop will be gaming. I travel a lot for work.

Processor: Core i7-3720QM
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64bit
Memory: 8GB Dual Channel XMP DDR3 at 1866MHz
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD Raid 0 (2x 256GB)
Video Card: Dual 2GB nvidia 675m's (This will actually be dual 680m's. I am not ordering until they are avail.)
Wireless: Killer wireless-N 1103

Other stuff: Blue-ray player, Orion backpack, TactX headset, HD3 gaming chill mat, and 3 year warranty.

Any information will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Bothi

 

Memory Ram just get stock 6GB with 1600Mhz and upgrade latter with 1866mhz by use self it will be cheaper additionally i dont have much idea about Dell XMP 1866mhz CL timin if its 9 then good but usually it around 11, which wont give you performance boost. Or you can get 1600MHz CL9 ram which will be cheap and quality product.

Same with SSD, as my view just get stock 500GB HDD and later upgrade to 512 SSD by your self. You will get faster SSD with less price.

At last i cant much comment over Dual 680M cosz there is not much info. came out regardin to price, But it will be around $900 to $1200.
Hope these helps!!

 

hi, quick question, is HD3 Gaming Chill Mat - Black a good cooling pad to go with the m18x? or should just order one from somewhere else? since it says it supports laptops up to 18" and the m18x is 18.4", but why would AW put it as an option?

thanks in advance!

 

I reckon you can get a better cooling stand aftermarket...maybe the likes of a Notepal U3 or similar. Have a look at this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/593626-notebook-coolers-m18x.html

 

TY steve.

another thing i cant decide, i was going to get a decent laptop and a high end desktop, but i was wondering if its worth just getting the best alienware components possible to replace a desktop and i can also use it for college, (it will cost about 7k) i know its allot but if it can replace a desktop i will just get it instead of getting 2 things, note one thing, a 3 year accidental warranty added.

 

I would stay with the idea of a laptop + desktop for a few reasons.

1. Desktop computers are capable of higher performance for almost any given dollar value compared to similarly priced laptops.
2. Technology changes so fast, that within a very short time, your $7000 Alienware laptop will be "yesterdays news".
3. If something were to fail, requiring repair, on the Alienware, you'd have a desktop PC to use while your Alienware was being fixed.
4. You can upgrade/improve a desktop PC far more than you can a laptop. This increases the long-term usability of a desktop compared to a laptop.
5. If you're really into gaming, you'll get better performance from a desktop for less money than a comparable laptop.

For about $1000, you can get a screamin' XPS 8500 desktop with new i7-3770. Add in a SSD and a decent video card and that still leaves you with PLENTY of $$$ for an awesome Alienware laptop. This is just an example, and there are plenty of other suggestions from others, I'm sure, but I say don't put all your eggs in one basket. A $7000 laptop is overkill and not worth the money you are spending on it.

 

Hey Guys first time poster long time lurker here....i've been doing a lot of reading over the past month and man this forum/community is hella informative and helpful!

I recently moved to japan for an eikawa position and foolishly left my 7 year old aurora (which is still running like a ing beast) in the states. I came with a good bit saved up, so I think I am about to order an Alienware M18x from Alienware Japan. I have waited until now so I can get the Ivy bridge packages but I still have a few general questions.../


1. I keep reading how upgradeable the M18x is compared to other systems, but what components should i be watching to upgrade in the future?

2. Is this system with specs below really that cutting edge? I tried to max out the hardware...im just trying to imagine how tight this computer will be...

This laptop will be used for fighting gaming as well as streaming and other stuff... I mostly play fighting games but with the recent releases of sc2 d3 cs:go and PSO2....man i may clock some hours in these titles...

3. While predicting the future with tech and computers is often folly, Do you guys think that with regular maintenance and careful security...this system can last 6 years at least?

First off...I am a tech retard i am definitely ignorant, so please excuse me. After reading a lot of impressions and customer reviews, I am really excited to order this computer.

CPU 第3世代インテル® Core™ i7-3920XM プロセッサー (オーバークロック ターボ・ブースト適用後最大4.10GHzまで可能、8MB キャッシュ
OS Windows® 7 Ultimate SP1 64ビット 正規版(日本語版 変更
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M 2GB DDR5 SLI® 変更
18.4インチ WLED WideFHD (1920 X 1080)
24GB (4GBx2+8GBx2) DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz メモリ 変更
HDD 512GB SSD 変更
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO ゲーミング&ビデオ用

I appreciate your input guys and al the help...i will be putting in the order july 15 (next payday)...I am about to put a lot of money into this computer I am just trying to get an idea of how much bang i am getting for my buck....

 

1. About the only things that I would say are upgradable in the future would be CPU, memory (you're at 24GB and the maximum is 32 so probably no need to upgrade there), Graphics cards, wireless card and drives (bigger, faster SSD). Speaking of memory, if you've settled on 24GB, for $100 more, you might as well max it out and get 32GB so all your RAM is matched, Or better still, get the minimum RAM from Dell and go buy some 1600/1866 RAM from Corsair or Kingston cheaper than Dell prices and save some money!

2. While you do have other options from other manufacturers for similar hardware in a laptop, I think everyone here would agree that the quality of the M18x-series is fantastic. I think if you've committed to the price point of the M18x then there really isn't much else that is better (build quality, support (via Dell and forums like this)).

3. If you ask if the system will still be "alive" in 6 years, that's hard to guess. Buy the longest warranty you can from Dell. You'll almost certainly guarantee yourself a new R3 or R4 replacement should your R2 die later on. Dell will typically replace it with a newer model once the R2's are gone. That's nice. So your warranty in more than one way guarantees you'll still be gaming in 6 years and maybe with something new and more current! There isn't much in regular maintenance that would affect the longevity of the system, except blowing out the cooler fans every once in a while. If it gets bloated, slow, or infected, just reload it and you're good-to-go again, and just like new!

As far as "bang for the buck" goes, you should consider if you need a portable gaming system. You can certainly get better bang for the buck with a desktop system (probably half the cost and more powerful). Only you can decide that. And a desktop is much more upgradable than a portable, too.

Good luck with your decisions!

 

Ladies & Gents,

I'm ordering my m18x r2 today... and just as I was doing so, the 680M popped up as an option...

ONE CARD 358 GBP. wow. Not even an SLI option. (But thats likely an error & Dell are looking into it), and will get back with a price for SLI, BUT can I justify the expense over the dual 7970 GTXs I was about to buy?

I'm not sure I can.

And what is with a dual 675Ms costing more than dual 7970s, are they mad?

Am I missing something here? Comments please...

And for what its worth, specced out with 3920XM too, but with min RAM & Disk, as I have RAM & SSDs to go in already.

 

Shoot me a PM if you like and I can see if my rep can help you out with a discounted deal in the UK.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-aw-system-accessories-please-contribute.html

 

Thanks for the help, but ordering through father's business account, so will save the VAT anyway...

 

True but you might as well get a discount too along with the vat. My guy is in business sales so I am sure he could help you out ordering through your fathers business and allow you to physically buy the machine at a reduce price anyways...

 

I posted this configuration on the AW ordering advice thread, and I would like to get some advice on configuring the M18x I've been looking at:

PROCESSOR 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit edit
MEMORY 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz edit
HARD DRIVE 1TB RAID 0 (2x 500GB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM) edit
VIDEO CARD Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 675M - SLI® Enabled edit
WIRELESS + BLUETOOTH Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video and Bluetooth 4.0 edit
My Software & Accessories
COLOR Space Black Anodized Aluminum edit
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 3 Year Advanced Plan edit
SECURITY SOFTWARE No Anti-Virus Software Selected edit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
SOUND OPTIONS Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software

I'm undecided on the video option, not sure if the AMD xfire with buggy drivers or a single GTX680M would be better? Not to mention the other options... I haven't had a new computer since '05 and that was a desktop. I'm looking to replace it with this puppy. Not sure if I should be looking at a headset/ external mouse for gaming, external kb for that matter...?

 

Nope, Single 680m will not perform equal or even near about to Dual 7970m, Well regardin to 7970m drivers, yes its still have some bugs, but its not worse. It's not perform well within few specific games otherwise everythin alright. 675m is just rebarnd of 580m, so if your planin to go with Dual 675m or single 680m then better change it to Dual 7970m, as it will give you more performance almost twice.
While considerin HDD get single 750GB and later add another one by your self, it will give you more storage with almost same price.

 

I've been reading the very long threads about the AMD, and I also noticed the hardware advantage - I'm just concerned about getting BSOD due to the drivers, that sort of thing. I'm also curious about the CPU; 8MB cache is what is attracting me to the 3820QM, I know that will help in virtually any operation. the XM seem too expensive for too little added value.

 

Just received my confirmation!

Woo hoo!

Thanks to Steveijones133 on here for organising a discount better than I could get on my father's company account! (by 90 GBP)

Since I have i7 920XM, had to have the 3920XM.

Min disk & RAM (I have SSDs & RAM already), but got dual 7970s too. So AMD get your @ss moving with drivers!

Hope the backpack is nice...

ErikO.

 

Seems those ordering with the new 680m (at least the SLI configuration) are not getting the 240W to 330W adapter bump. When people start receiving these systems in a week and a half, they will find they can't use their brand new and hellishly expensive GPUs with the 240W adapter and likely not be happy campers.

Anyone that can look into this?

But - I received my backpack already! lol! (July 10 is my ETA date for the actual computer)

 

Glad I was able to help out mate. I am sure you will love your new machine....oh, and the backpack is great.

 

Sir,

I'm actually surprised Nvidia can sell two of these things (680Ms).

The price I saw was 358 (+20% VAT) for ONE, and 850 (+20% VAT) for two. i.e. 1100 GBP for two graphic cards ABOVE the default configuration.

Man I don't recall in my professional life EVER seeing a company charge you more than twice the single unit price, to purchase two of ANYTHING.

Imagine this conversation:

"How much are your hot dogs?"

"That's $2 Sir"

"Ok, I'll take two!"

"That'll be $6 please..."

"F**k that."

Really that was the nail in the coffin for my Nvidia purchase yesterday. After hearing of AMD driver issues (again), Had it been $GPU x 2, or less, there would have been a sale yesterday.

So Nvidia:

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

 

Is it nividia ripping us off for the dual setup, or is it AW though? I am inclined to think its AW...

Prices will come down to reasonable levels in 3-4 months hopefully.

 

The "price of one" is the upgrade over the base GPU (price changes depending which template you are ordering from).

The cost of the second is an outright cost since it is a wholly additional part rather than an upgrade over a base part.

Make sense?

 

No, it does not make sense.

I'm left with a taste of greed in my mouth.

So AMD's (trust me, I no fan-boy) offering is 2x a single card, but Nvidia's is > 2x.

Nope, no sense at all.

- Me.

Sir,

I don't know is my honest answer.

But if I were a betting man, I'd go 'all in' on it being Nvidia.

You think Dell wouldn't like to deliver a cheaper product, and thus compete with 'lessor' brands, whom shift higher volumes?

- Just my 2c.

 

I'm saying it's the AMD offering with the funky pricing, not nvidia.

In fact, it seems that Dell has just removed the single 7970M option altogether now (the site only lets you order the dual GPU option for the M18x), so your point just became moot.

 

Guys, it can't be Nvidia with the funky pricing - if you look at the US website, even though thay are an expensive option, if you want to "double up" on your gpu's it doesnt cost a cent more than buying two of the single....$550 to $1100 - using Erik's example, that's fair...two hotdogs for $4, not $6 when the price for one is only $2.

I don't know how many other countries Dell has tried this with...the UK gets it bad enough as it is.

I wonder if anyone in the Dell business/marketing department has ever heard of "economies of scale" where the more you buy of something, generally the cheaper they become - NOT the other way around.

 

I wonder if anyone in the Dell business/marketing department has ever heard of "economies of scale" where the more you buy of something, generally the cheaper they become - NOT the other way around.[/QUOTE]

+1.

 

The two GPUs are not the same part. The second GPU has an entirely different (as in facing a different direction) heat sink/pipe solution, and there's likely many less orders for the second part. Even though the nvidia GPU daughterboards are the same, the augmenting pieces and assembly are not, so they definitely don't come out of the same shrink-wrapped Costco 200 pack.

They could very well offer you a deal on two single GPUs that would fit in two laptops, not one in a SLI solution

I'm sure the price will come down as the supply ramps up to meet demand. In the meantime I'll just consider you jealous!

 

Tommy, if that is the case, then why is the same SLI configuration in the US exactly double the cost of the single? - surely if your logic were to hold any water, the pricing for SLI would also increase for the US too.

Thing is buddy, it's not that I can't afford it....heck, I could afford to buy a few 18x's with 680m sli......it's the principle of the pricing strategy.

 

The price for the second GPU is actually less than the first. (The price for the first is offset by the price of the base GPU you're upgrading from -- the price is an upgrade, not a base price).

But it's new. It's premium. Go big or go home, and all that. Dell will extract whatever price the first adopters are willing to pay, then drop the price as production ramps up to increase the sales volume.

Greedy? They're not a non-profit. And you're welcome for me financing your future purchase, lol

Bottom line is vote with your dollar. If you don't like the pricing, don't buy it!

 

Tommy,

You are completely missing the point here.

It's not about "go big or go home" or "whos got the fattest wallet to afford it" or about "early adoption". I am quite happy to pay £1000 if it were in line with the rest of Dell's pricing strategy but it is not.

For those in the US, its a simple thing..... "You want a single 680m...yes sir, that will be $550...oh, wait a minute, I will have two so that's $1100, right?.....yes sir...great! - thanks, Ill take two......."

For those in other countries such as the UK its a case of "You want a single 680m..yes sir, that will be £430....oh, wait a minute, I will have two so that's £860, right?......no sir, that will actually be £1020 because we are simply going to extract the urine from you for no good reason......ok, stuff your SLI.....bye!"

The principal behind it? - same tech should cost proportionally the same regardless of where you are. Of course we have higher prices which I am prepared to pay but I wont be made a sucker of without good justification for such price hikes.

I don't think you would be defending your stance quite so much if the shoe were on the other foot.

 

Smaller stock SKU, global distribution, less demand in your POPs in EMEA and APAC. Much higher cost to support the brand new SKU with low volumes not-in-the-US. I do understand the full picture quite well, even though it sounds more fun to complain and troll about uneven prices.

Until the production ramps up and Dell can stockpile the new part overseas (namely the second GPU, not the first), it will be more expensive than the US counterpart. Thanks to the scale of Dell as a global organization, it should be a temporary situation.

You're still making the mistake by assuming the US uses a 2 x $x formula. It does not, as I've pointed out no less than three times already.

I just payed US$1.1K over the stock part price for a GPU solution. Am I happy I didn't pay US$1.5K instead? Yes, but likely I would have found my line in-between and went 7970M instead crossing my fingers AMD wouldn't drop all support for that nightmare altogether.

 

Stockpile the new part??? - overseas distribution????..... wth are you going on about. These machines are ALL made in CHINA.....shipped from CHINA and all stock will be located in, guess where....CHINA.....

 

Service depots, SLA's, repairs. Sure, the parts come from APAC (Taiwan, actually), but not all of the assembly. You are honestly drawing a blank here? Your computer was likely assembled in Ireland and shipping coordinated from Bracknell.

If it makes you happy to be mad, by all means, go ahead with your bad self. Rant away, dude!

 

I'm not at all mad. I would just prefer you actually know what you are talking about before passing comments on things that you appear to know very little about.

If you can show me a Dell factory in Ireland (which actually closed years ago) that actually manufactures Alienware systems (or any other Dell computer for that matter), I will happily bow down to your almighty knowledge.

It would be extremely funny if you were right (which you obviously are not) because if you WERE right, then Dell choose to send my machines (supposedly made in Ireland, from what you say) all the way back to CHINA (Shanghai, actually - where they really do ship from and really are made) and then they like to (for the sheer hell of it) ship them back to me, via Europe, back here to me in the UK......no wonder they have increased the price of their components to cover their poor logistics of sending a machine (that is supposedly a few hundred miles from me) all the way around the world before coming back to the UK!!!

 

Seems like your found your own answer that keeps you happy no matter what tempests try to prevent you from tilting at windmills, so cheers, mate!

Sorry I can't lower the price for you...

 

It's all very well and good you quoting from Don Quixote at me, but I am not imagining things here. The pricing differential is real, and without justification, I fail to see why I (or others) should just sit back and "take it" ....

Well, you obviously havent been paying attention Tommy. That is clearly not the case. I just thought I would add this to the list of your "nuggets of wisdom".....

 

That point is that there is a "base" GPU that you upgrade from (the first price / price of 1) that we don't know what the actual cost is. But looking at your prices, the increased cost of the second could very well be more than that "base" price, so I'll concede the point.

So Dell is gouging the early adopters... Vote with your wallet, since trying to convince me isn't going to make any real difference

 

Guys, I wanted to ask if I could go to the Dell Franchisee here in Egypt and ask them to order an M18x R2 for me? Or do I have to order it to my cousins in the US and pay 200 dollars shipping (where it could be damaged). Plus I really prefer to pay cash.

and another question, does the 7970m support 3d? like if I connect it to an external monitor ?

 

Here is a coupon for a ten percent discount on the m18x. Alienware M18x Deals, Special Offers, E-Value Codes and Coupons

Sorry if someone has already posted it.

 

Exactly - it is double in the USA. As a dual citizen I was checking / thinking to get it there, but the UK customs grabbed my brother for buying his Dell there and bringing it back to the UK, and charged & fined him for not paying duty on it, and since I go through the UK all the time, I choose not to follow his footsteps, and purchase in the UK.

Anyway, it is not that I can't afford it either, I'm proud to say as a Long-Haul Network Engineer I do very well, so it was the principle, not the money. Indeed I'm writing this from my new pool villa in Asia, so again you see, it wasn't the money.

 

Hello folks (long-time lurker, first-time poster). Thanks to my braving teaching for a year I'll be getting a £3.5K bonus in a short while. Having bored the missus to death by talking about getting an Alienware M18x for months I'm finally just about ready to pull the trigger.

This is my preferred build after a fair bit of research:

Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.6GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD® RADEON HD 7970M CrossFireX™
RAM/storage I'll be sorting out outside of Dell (Corsair and maybe a couple of Samsung 830s?)

The only question I have (apologies for being slightly tech-ignorant) is whether or not there is a bottleneck in performance with the processor I have settled on. I can stretch to the 3820QM but I didn't know if it was really worth it. Any ideas?

Again, sorry for not figuring this out myself - I did search the various threads but I didn't see a definitive answer. Thanks!

 

The price of the GPUs is not double. The upgrade price over the base price is double... Math fail.. lol

 

Tommy,

The cost of the card is what the cost of the card is. Dell would have bought hundreds of 680m's (primary and secondary) at one go to take advantage of large economies of scale when buying. Assuming that is the case, they already have the gpu's at their disposal to distribute to whatever country they are ordered from so the cost per card does not change for Dell as they have already been purchased. This means that your argument that for those in the UK, increased cost for Dell to buy the gpu's means increased costs for UK customers to buy the gpu's, simply does not hold ANY water.

Now, if we assume the following scenarios:

Base gpu cost nothing. Correct. A single 680m in the US cost $550 over base. Correct also. Logic dictates that if it costs $550 to upgrade one gpu over base, it should cost the same for another gpu over base, which it does - IN THE US. None of the crap you have been talking about regards to increased costs due to a different heatsink or gpu orientation alters this figure for the US. Sure, the heatsinks are different and the orientation is too but that does not affect US pricing.

UK version - base gpu cost nothing. a single 680m costs £430 over base so two should be £830 over base not £1020 - Please don't give us any more of your crap that it's more expensive because of shipping logistics or parts stock availability or whatever else you may dream up to try and explain your own little thesis.

I'm sorry, but adding a secondary gpu does not increase the cost for the US customers and as Dell have already purchased the gpu's "upfront in bulk" and factored in UK additional costs with a single, they should be proportional, not more than double, for two.

You should be fine with the 3720qm, I would only consider upgrading to an XM from that because the 3820qm doesnt offer as much cost/performance ratio increase. As you are in the UK, you might find my thread an interesting read:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ssories-please-contribute-93.html#post8660057

 

Many thanks for the advice. I'll need to boost my posting count a bit but I'll be sure to be in touch when the time is right. Cheers.

 

No problem. Happy to try and help

 

The base GPU has a cost. You admit it, then try to write it off? This is our fundamental disagreement. All parts have a manufacturing cost (material, labor, overhead), cost of goods sold (COGS), a wholesale price (price to customer when it's an included part), and a retail price (the part sold alone). To say the base GPU doesn't have a cost is ludicrous, even if you believe Dell either absorbs it in the whole price or gouges you. Order a spare GTX 660M from Dell and amaze yourself that they'll charge you.

There is no second "base" GPU. Period. You add a second GPU in crossfire or SLI, ideally it should be the actual wholesale cost of the GPU as there is no "upgrade" involved.

I've tried explaining to you in previous posts that the "actual" cost of the first GPU is not necessarily the "actual" cost of the second GPU since they're not actually the same part (very similar, yes, but you can't install the second GPU in the first GPU's slot -- it won't fit -- the heat piping is different).

As the stock for both parts increase to production levels and the various depots get stocked parts to handle repairs, the pricing should come back in line.

Do you have a depot in the UK? Yes? They need to stock parts, and this affects the launch of a new SKU, both pricing and availability. This isn't my "thesis", but well-documented business practice shared by most US Fortune 500 companies, both domestically and internationally.

So does the same part cost more in the UK than the US? We'll leave this off the table for now, though obviously it's a conspiracy.

These are fairly simple concepts that you would rather ignore because it gets in the way of your ranting. Like I said, if it makes you happy... But it points to the fact that people in the US are paying MORE for the first 680m GPU than for the second, which is more out-of-line than your entire premise of unfair UK pricing.

I do appreciate the fact you help others in the forum. I do wonder why you get so defensive when someone else tries to help you. I'm not your enemy (but feel like an unjustly accosted windmill).

I do wish prices would come down and make things more affordable for others to enjoy their toys.

 

You can install the secondary gpu in the primary gpu slot. You ask anyone here (with more experience than you, obviously) wether its possible and they will tell you it is.

Why do you think that people can diagnose gpu problems by removing the secondary and swapping it with the primary to see if the secondary card is at fault. Sure, the HS might be different but that doesnt mean the card is. Maybe you didn't know (I will assume you didn't through your previous ignorance) that gpu's can be swapped between ports. I don't suppose you thought of swapping the heatsinks on the cards, did you?

I know you mean well, but you really do not know what you are talking about....I suggest you learn how to use/teardown a performance system before you start talking bull about what you can and cant do.......

As for your pricing theories, I will let you live in your own whacky little world.....one where you clearly think that:

When the math is very plain on the US website that one 680m is $550 and two is twice that at $1100

Anyway,

This has gotten way off the thread topic so I am not going to keep going back and forth at you - you believe what you like, I just suggest learning a bit more before posting.

 

MXM is MXM because it is a standard - but to be fair, the heat pipe layout was VERY different between GPU1 and 2 when I tore apart my M18X R2 to repaste the GPUs and CPU.

Regardless, remember 90% of communication is non-verbal, which we don't get through typing out messages. Let's be nicer to one another, and help out when we can

 

That, in itself, is meaningless, but I did some digging and it appears the heatsink is a separate FRU from the graphics unit itself. This is what makes the difference. The only additional overhead is the SLI cable, which retails for $34.95 as a FRU, but I'm assuming they've got plenty of these from the other nvidia SLI solutions.

Oh, I've torn-down much more interesting systems, but I admit this is my first AW. A teardown has little to do with manufacturing and assembly, except for FAV testing. Just because you can split parts apart doesn't mean that isolated piece is available without getting a larger assembly.

One 680M is a $550 upgrade from one 660M. If I get the 680M, do I keep the 660M? No? then it's a rip-off if I'm paying full-price for the 680M over the price that would have gotten me a 660M. Pretty simple math, and this is the single point that keeps bringing me back

Best way to learn is to start an argument. And judging by your post count, I'm sure you'll have to have the last word every time I post.

Very true - however I was assuming that the GPU and heat pipes were one subassembly, but now I see they are separate FRU's (no reason to believe the same isn't true in assembly), so stevie has a very valid point (though his actual reasoning is unrelated to the matter at hand).

There's been a bit of taunting but no out-right name-calling. I'd like to imagine this discussion over a few beers with a stubborn friend