*OFFICIAL* Alienware 18 Owner's Lounge Thread

So you read a tutorial or watch a YouTube video and learn. Being an average consumer isn't an excuse for laziness. It's really easy to do and you have to start somewhere.

 

Guys, keep the insults out of it, the forum rules are pretty clear on that.

Yes, it's a shame that Dell removed the overclocked option though, but there's nothing that the technician will do that you can't do yourself.

 

The insults are over. I guess they both got a bit carried away, it could have happened to anyone. Now we are all discussing on a civilized manner. I believe there is no need to fret over what happened in the Dell shop, although it'd be interesting to find out why Dell did such a thing.

 

I was surprised to see the new Alienware 18 has dual 765M GPUs as standard in the $2099 base config, but also disappointed
that there was no lower-tier option with a single GPU, even if it was only a single 765M and not a 770M or 780M.

The M18x offered a single 560M as the base GPU, and the M18x R2 offered the 660M. I realize this was cost cutting, and a bare-bone base config
to give the appearance of a low starting price by only offering a single GPU in a system designed for two, but it still worked out well for those of us
who only wanted/needed a single GPU and either didn't need, or didn't want SLi/Crossfire, and simply wanted the M18x for the 18.4" screen.

While i think the dual 765M config at the $2099 price point is a fantastic gaming option, (and finally having 8GB of RAM and a 750GB HDD standard is great too)
I'd still like to see some sort of single-GPU factory option.

Yes, I know I could buy one and remove one GPU or both and replace it with a single 770M/780M, but that's not what I'm talking about, I realize
single-GPU M18x owners are in the vast minority, but there are still plenty of people who buy an 18" laptop for the larger screen and larger size, but
don't want two GPUs and don't want to pay extra for it.

Surely they could offer the same base model, with one 765M GPU for ~$1899.

Any other single-GPU M18x/M18x R2 owners out there not thrilled by this?

 

I really have no idea how they did it past years as I'm only been apart of the Alienware community for less than a year, but I hope that the configured models they are offered now are just so they can just mass produce them to meet a expected high demand. Then when demand falls, they give you more options to customize your machine.

Doesn't necessarily explain no single GPU option directly, but offers a loose hypothesis of the overall situation.

I could be completely wrong though. Could be because they think it will benefit them in the long run to use this model.

Sent from my SGH-T999

 

There is no such thing as an "overclocked 4900MQ" versus "stock 4900MQ" CPU with respect to the physical attributes of the part itself. They are the same part. What determines whether it is overclocked or not is the BIOS settings, which are completely independent of the CPU. If the BIOS settings are default, then it is "stock" so, in the grand scheme of things, it's no really no big deal whether they offer it or not.

I know some folks have different needs and preferences, but the idea of buying an 18 without the dual GPU setup seems so odd that it is difficult to understand. That option is the primary reason the 18 exists as a high-performance enthusiast laptop, so maybe that's the reason they don't offer it. Now that the 17 has similar build quality to the 18, that is no longer a differentiator between the two machines.

 

Like I mentioned, ever since the M18x came out, the base model had a single GPU, first the 460M, then 560M, then 660M. You would think the 760M would be the natural base GPU, but they bumped it to a 765M.

I have no doubt the limited stock configs, and even the really low number of options, not just on Alienwares, but on Dell's entire lineup, is in favor of cost savings and profits on the most profitable options.

It's benefical to gamers to get a dual 765M setup for just $100 more than the M18xR2 with a single 660M would cost, and I'm sure it will attract a lot of attention from those who want or need to graphics capability, just it's going to suck if they will not drop the bottom lower for a few hundred off for those of us who want the large screen but don't want two GPUs.


I was trying to build support on this and maybe get the other single-GPU owners to chime in on a dedicated thread so some reps could see there were actually people who wanted an 18 with a single GPU. Looks like this just got merged into the Owner's Lounge blob and will just get lost in the abyss. Thanks guys.

 

Well not that Im thrilled about just DUAL-GPU ONLY option, I believe single GPU's will be available later down 3rd quater when sales slow down after the debute, but however, I am most likely am not going to buy this year refresh AW 18 model due to several different reasons (not gonna go about that now), but I do personally know at least 3 people who has their M18X R1 and R2 with single basic GPU's like 560m 660m and there good with it as they dont game at all, they needed something nice along the fresh fashion lines and large high defininiot screen, sturdy chassis etc, and they were happy to pay less for larger screen option, knowing them paying more for hardware they wouldnt use would hardly set them buying M18X in the past, probably would have gone to some other brand of 18"+ screen option for cheaper, but because of nice features combination such as massive selection of I/O ports, metal chassis, backlit keyboard, long battery life, reliable hardware and fast processors AW was most tempting option, and i do understand that myself.

I dont game alot at all, last time I gamed something was ~3 months ago (I would game if only something seriously interesting comes out that catches my interest), most I do I work with file management, multimedia solutions, editing and photo/designs etc, I needed big screen and reliable long battery life machine that I could take anywhere and could rely on it, just because I dont game alot or dont game now at all, doesnt mean I wont game some time later etc, so I do love have things ready to fire the explosives if I ever have to, hence I dont mind haveing sleeper-machine and when on demand power and performance is all there in a distance of a button. If only new M18X R3 design would have suited me more, I would have bought one with totally basic configuration just for the office so I have spare fle management machine, but now I am either staying with one R2 and probably just getting desktop for office.

 

Unfortunately, I think we've seen the end of the days where Dell offered single gpu configurations in the flagships dual gpu machine. The benefit to us buyers of that option was that they could grab the platform they wanted (18.4") and upgrade it themselves later on down the line with gpu's off Ebay and the like. I imagine that Dell took the stance of "If you want a single gpu machine, the Alienware 17 will fill your requirements". Basically, what they've done is to say "Hey, if you want a gpu, it's gotta be one WE provide you with so that WE get the profit that would normally go to aftermarket resellers" That kinda neatly ties in with the preconfigured bundles. No longer can you select the top tier gpu with base ram and cpu etc. with the view of grabbing aftermarket memory and a cpu from Shirley's. If you want a top tier gpu, you HAVE to have some of Dell's chosen upgrades, too. Smart move for profit, not so buyer-friendly any more.

Brother Luis Pardo mentioned that the structure of selling in this fashion is not likely to change any time soon, so I doubt we will see Dell starting to offer something like a single 780m option for the Alienware 18, even though they would probably shift a few more units if that option were available.

Sure, it effectively penalises those who maybe cannot stretch to 780m Sli at the outset, but still want an 18.4" form factor, with the option to upgrade to 780m sli themselves later on down the road. From that perspective, it's sucks.

Ideal for buyers? - nope. Ideal for Dell's profit margins? - Hell yeah.

 

Let's also not forget the ignorance which is abound out there among consumers. Tell them they have a discrete GPU, they will instantly classify it as a gaming laptop. Tell them that you have a SLI/CFX configuration, whoa, that's got to be a monster gaming rig no matter which way you put it. Many companies out there are cleverly reaping the seeds which companies like Apple have sown, and they're feeding off consumer ignorance - I myself use it to my advantage whenever I have a tech gadget which I'm done with and want to sell. I can bet you anything you like that "normal" consumers out there would wager that a Lenovo Y500 with 650M SLI is way more powerful than a single GTX 680M. The bottom line is that the majority of consumers will feel like they're getting more bang for their buck if, at the same price as a base M18x R2 (at the outset), they can get an Alienware 18 with a dual GPU setup. Clever move by Dell, and not something which affects the majority of consumers either way.

 

I agree. I think it was a good business decision on Dell's part to stop offering a plethora of configuration options, especially single GPU in the 18. If I were in their shoes on making decisions like that, I think I would have done exactly the same thing. They are in the business of selling systems, not basic components for a DIY smorgasbord. If this helps them keep the lights on and become more profitable, I say "way to go" and support that decision.

 

My estimated shipping date is 24th July, yet the estimated shipping dates shown on Alienware.co.uk for the 18 are 19th June (few days from now).
I really wish I didn't have to wait so long. I wonder how long I will be in pre-production for!

 

If Alienware will "milk" consumers to that extent, I hope that it starts offering systems that are higher-quality than competitors in almost every way. I would like to see 100% gamut RGB LED screens (or better).

 

Offering a limited set of options is "milking" consumers? How so? I think it makes perfect business sense to set a goal of pleasing most of the people, most of the time, instead of trying to please all of the people, all of the time. The latter is a guarantee of failure. If someone doesn't like the options, they can either accept one of the offered alternatives they can live with or go buy another brand and hope everything turns out OK. The more options they make available the more difficult it becomes to manage the business effectively and make a profit. No profit means no product. Is there sometime in particular that you have identified to be a problem with the new PLS display in the 18?

 

Exactly this. Unfortunate that their will be some 'casualties of war' so to speak, because they can't customize to the degree that was offered before. I know that in the past, people have bought single gpu M18x's with a view to upgrading them later. Dell aren't interested in the 'later' part. If you want dual gpu's, simple. Buy an 18. If you want a single gpu, buy a 17.

Although the new structure isn't going to please everyone, I imagine that if Dell continued to try to do so, it would eventually effect profitability, and then who knows what sort of cutbacks would get made in future.

Perfect business sense to me. I back it, personally.

 

My comment wasn't really about the 18, as I haven't seen its screen. I would just like an across-the-board improved selection of screens.

I wrote "milking" because I was comparing Dell's customization options to those offered by Clevo and MSI resellers, though I admit that the comparison is unfair because those companies are much smaller. I don't have an issue with few options. I just want Alienware to offer superior products if it decreases options.

 

Oh, I guess I just assumed too much since it was posted in the 18 Owner's Lounge. I agree with you about offering superior components. However, that is still going to make some people complain. If they only offered the 18 with the option of selecting a 4900MQ or 4930MX CPU and only offered GTX 780M SLI, people would complain because they can't buy a cheaper config. I think it would be wise for Alienware to not offer any mediocre components, period, and take the go big or go home approach... especially on the flagship 18. Make it an awesome or nothing deal. That would also simplify service and support.

 

What Fox said. By them doing this their able to offer better prices to the masses instead of catering just to the hardcore upgraders. Sure it sucks but the new laptops are cheaper than expected (in my opinion). I ended up paying only $400 (after haggling) for a maxed out 18 than a maxed out M18x R2. I'd say this is very fair, especially since they are so easily taking 10% off their BRAND NEW laptops if you have some haggle skills!

 

The good ol' days. I remember when they not only sent out their computers with individualized benchmarks, they also didn't ALL have the SAME components! People would open up their case to make sure they got the "BFG" cards. Some dedicated forum members from another site even got some duct tape and crisco in their AW case (old old school reference). It almost looks like Falcon NW is the new premium boutique and AW is the mainstream boutique. However AW offers the best notebooks out there...and the best components as a package.

The new 18 design seems a bit of a miss. The front grilles of the older versions really stand out and have an Italian aesthetic to them much like a Lamborghini Murci. I liked the illuminated touch based inputs for volume, brightness etc too. This new designed, in ways, mirrors the gen I AW m15x with it's silver only color option, tapered and rounded design with the glow of lights (LEDS now) around the computer. So the sacrifice in grilles (a big one), does gain the led lighting throughout the majority of the computer. It does wonders for the back of the screen (an area admittedly we won't see often).

As long as the 780m cards perform as advertized, the warranty support remains tip top...things will be fine. If there are a bunch of heating/cooling issues, throttling GPUs and CPUs and whatnot, then I imagine this would be a problem. As I always say though...wait until the consumer tests them. Then the truth shall be known...and will will spread like wildfire

 

Wonder if these new models will have issues with the Samsung 840 Pro like the R2 did. I'll be using a single drive, so I'll be able to confirm if everything runs smoothly once my unit arrives. Also, kinda bummed there's no nameplate this time around

Totally forgot to post my specs:

Windows 7 Ultimate
Intel® Core™ i7-4900MQ
32GB2 Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz
750GB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200 RPM) + 64GB mSATA SSD Caching
Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M with 4GB GDDR5 - NVIDIA SLI® Enabled

 

A single 780m with the new PLS screen would have been a good offering for that machine because the screen is not only bigger but better in pretty much every conceivable way then the TN panel in the M17, so it too me at least it is not so cut and dry where if you only want a single GPU machine just get the M17 etc . Those TN panels they are using have been around now for ages so they should have employed some new tech in the M17 period..

If they offered IPS then yeah there would be very little argument to be had but since they dont well....


Just sayin .

 

I just found this forum and I'm starting to get sucked-in (other threads regarding hardware). I purchased a the M18X R2 so I wouldn't have to obsess over what I didn't have. I haven't been able to tax the processors. I have more memory than I ever need. I've never been able to get it above 30%. Loading the OS and running Toad for SQL are fast with the SSD drives. Only backing it up seems slow (dead slow if done wirelessly). And now that I've read several posts, I'm starting to obsess over the graphics cards and I don't play games that really use them. I've even started to obsess over the WIHD issue again (which really isn't a real issue for me). This is my home business computer and I want to run dual screens in every room in my home. I have that in my home office and that should be good enough.

My point being that if I let myself get sucked-in, I'd be able to tell you the part number of every component in this computer. I'd be able to tell you the advantages and disadvantages of every component that isn't in my laptop. I'd let the obsessive nerd that I am run away with my life. God, that would be fun. I'm glad I've found this place. But at the same time, I don't need to obsess over the parts--I have a great machine. I need to hold myself back from the arms race of having the fastest...biggest...best. It'll only drive me crazy.

As for the current discussion about the new Alienware laptop line, I just find them ugly. I don't want to own one. Red is my favorite color. I thought the personal tag was stupid, but I found a name I like and it helped me get attached to this computer. I've named the computer because of that tag. I've never named my cell phone and I could care less about that thing even though I use it every day and have it configured to my personal tastes. But this computer with the 50s car styling...I'm attached to it like it's a member of the family. It follows me from room to room like a pet. We talk about it by its name. We have an Apple, an HP laptop and a Dell, but this one I'm attached to. You can throw as much technology as you can at the laptop. I'll compare it against the competition, find few differences and in the end go with the one I like. Customization was a major part of that. That's why I purchased it. Alienware can try to get away from it, but it'll just make them look like the competition.

 

My biggest gripe about the new models is 1 less HDD slot in the caddy. I'm not sold on the palm rest and keyboard either.
Apart from that its ok.

 

Good post. I have pointed out the pros/minus of the aesthetics and I am a huge lover of anything aesthetic. I'm no rich man but was able to find a used clean, 1 of 35 Dodge Viper GTS ACR in 2009 and enjoy that beast. The R1/2 are quite aesthetic and the front grilles resemble that of Lamborghini. The new design actually continues to grow on me. I am disappointed about a few things but nothing major. I definitely like the lighting around the case and throughout the lid. I think the lid is quite an aesthetic improvement. I may or may not keep my current machine but I will examine them both. However it's impossible not to point out that the screen appears to be a big improvement and the 780m and haswell are smaller improvements. Should anyone with an R2 and 680m SLI upgrade? No. Not really. Unless you want the best to bench. But I am one with an R1 with 580m SLI. I'd rather pay more for the R3 then less for an R2 and that's obviously pretty objective since I just went through a lot of my own analysis on it!

 

Agree on that brother deveb98!...

 

I guess I am the only one who thinks that 765m SLI for 2100$ compared to the R2 with a very basic 660m for 1999$ (?) is a great deal !

 

It is a good deal because your also getting the new screen on the R3 plus the extra GPU for a very similar price point. They have a $100 off coupon on any machine over i think $900 so it will be $1999 for alot more computer.

 

Now I just don't know what I want anymore.

Originally was going to purchase the MSI GT 70 Dragon Edition 2, but the idea of dual 780m's on the Alienware 18 is intoxicating. I'm going to have to drive down to Fry's electronics some time this week and see just how big an m18x is (I've never owned anything larger than 15.6 inches and I'm currently rocking an m14xr1) to see if I can really deal with something that massive on my desk. The Alienware 17 doesn't excite me at all so thankfully that doesn't come in to play also.

Ugh first world problems.

 

18 or get out.

And ewwwwww! That Dragon Edition has to be one of ugliest computers I've ever seen in my life.

 

Blasphemy!!! - be gone, devil....I cast thee out of the Alienware 18 owners lounge! LOL - seriously, I agree with Satan (maybe that's not quite what I meant, god save my soul) but that thing puts the hide into hideous. If I owned one, I'd not want to go out in public with it in fear of mockery. It's truly an 'in yer face' tacky design....

 

Go HARD or go HOME! M18X FTW , R1 R2 or newest 18, not saying MSI are bad or whatever wrong but dragon edition is totally not my taste either. I in fact admire quality and durability of MSI laptops, and had few in a past, but when you need something very serious - you want something along M18X lines

 

lol point taken on the flashiness of it, although I don't think I could say the Alienwares are exactly subtle in their design either. I think the non-dragon editions are all black though, but I'd prefer to see them all in person before making a purchase anyway. Definitely going to make my way to Fry's electronics sometime this week for that sole purpose, and to at least see the general dimensions of the Alienware m18xr2 (too bad there aren't any demo units of the new models anywhere yet )

In the 17 inch and under category I think the MSI's unarguably have better bang for the buck this year, but the 18 is in a class of it's own. I can't imagine that thing will have trouble running games released for the next 4-5 years given the relative specs of the XONE and PS4 this gen.

I'll let you guys know if I'm ready to be part of the cool kids club soon.

Oh and I didn't realize "damn" was against forum rules, didn't get filtered out and all. lol, sorry

 

First time AW buyer here, go easy one me.
1.Is the 765m sli just alittle slower than single 780m?
2. Are sli on AW stable or reliable? I see alot of member say they rather get a single card than dual due to dual gpu being unstable and causing fps to go up and down. Also they say sometimes a overclocked single gpu can even beat the dual.
3. Not all games see improvement with sli?
4. Has this keyboard ghosting issue been fixed yet?

 

1) 780 is ALOT faster. ALOT...umm.. ALOTTTT
2) SLI is reliable. Single GPU faster? That member is talking out his a$$
3) The only games I know of are GTA4 and Arma 2
4) I never noticed ghosting. Maybe someone else can chime in here.

 

1) Ditto - not sure why they even bother offering the cheaper card
2) Ditto, Ditto - people that say such things are simply exposing their ignorance - SLI is 50 to 100% faster depending on the application (see answer to #3)
3) Some games don't work correctly, but that's a sign of game developer incompetence, not because SLI has problems (this may explain #2 to some extent)
4) Unless you're hugely into MMORPG and uses tons of key combos, this is totally irrelevant, but I remember reading somewhere that it was fixed with the new hardware

 

It's not the flashiness of it, it's just ugly. I would have been embarrassed in 3rd grade to have something with a huge dragon plastered on it. I wouldn't be caught dead with that thing in public. The non-dragon ones are really nice looking though.

 

1. why do you guys say 765m is crap? from notebookcheck its in the upper mid range that can run almost every game in high setting. Equipped with 765m sli im guessing its performance is between a single gpu 770m and 780m.
2&3. from what i read, most games arent designed to run specifically dual gpu or has the option to. So when your running a game using dual gpu some how it does nothing in performance or worse slow down performance.
4. Dont play mmorpg but if i ever start playing, i would like the keys to work. btw can you please post the site your saw it at, if possible.
Also from the review, it stated the new 18 brightness is 254 lux which is lower than the 17 at 307 lux. How bad is 254lux?

if im wrong any of the above, please correct me as im new to this.

 

Who said it was crap? I don't see that posted in response to your question. It's not the most powerful GPU available, but that doesn't mean it is no good. There are a lot of GPUs out there that work OK even though they are not the best.

On 2 and 3... you're listening to the wrong people. I am on my 7th generation of CrossFire and SLI and I have no desire for a single-GPU system. I consider them inferior, and so do many folks. If you find a crappy game that doesn't work properly you either adjust your settings to compensate or simply turn off CrossFire/SLI and play the game exactly the same as you would if you had only one GPU installed. Doing this involves nothing more than changing one setting in the GPU control panel. You have a greater degree of flexibility and MUCH higher performance than what is possible with a single GPU. I find that 90-95% of the games out there work great with dual-GPU. People that say it hinders performance don't know how to use properly tune a multi-GPU computer.

I don't remember where I read that that the ghosting issue was fixed with the new systems. I read so much stuff on the web that it's impossible to keep track of it all. Had it been something I care about, I might have saved it to my favorites. Since I haven't ever really experienced an issue with ghosting I did not. I think the keyboard on my M18x is a fine keyboard and have no issues with it at all. But, I do remember thinking to myself at the time that it would make MMORPG fans happy. If I stumble upon it again I will post a link.

 

You made it sound like it when you say "not sure why they even bother offering the cheaper card." Anyways thats not the issue lol, thanks i did not know you can disable sli, that would give the 18 more flexibility. My only concern right now is
1. 765m sli performance, theres no benchmark on this but is it wrong to assume its performance will be alittle below a single 780m? I would love to upgrade to a high end 770m sli but that would really hurt my wallet lol and the 13' Mustang GT that im currently making payment on and among other things. Its tough being a part time student. How much does it normally cost to upgrade later on?
3. Do i really need the 64gb SSD? or the 18Gb ram?
2. Reliability, I see too many pissed off AW customer on forum and youtube lol. Idk but it just seem like ever since Dell took over quality is on a decline and customer support doesnt help much either.

 

1. There is nothing yet saying its equal to or slower then 780m and hard to really compare across the board because so many games use SLI differently. Its going to be fast when its working well that much is certain but as to how fast your guess i believe is as good as anyone's right now.

2. You should have some sort of SSD caching or a small SSD that at least runs the OS because the experience is 10 fold so i will say yes you do need an SSD . 16gb of RAM no you wont need that and 8 is plenty because if you needed that much RAM you would already know why you need that much so no to that one.

3. Angry customers are always a minority but they are heard the most because well more people complain on the internet then come to praise something. The people enjoying they're machines are well.. Enjoying them .


Good luck

 

1. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, GTX 770M and GTX 765M SLI Performance Unveiled | VideoCardz.com
While it is lower than a single 780 and definitely trumped by the 780 sli the 765 is very capable of doing what you need it to do. It could play bf 3 in ultra around 40-50 fps with just a single card. It is comparable to a single 780m. I think some people are just too wrapped up in their 780 or break world. They are using the 765 because it is cost efficient and does great. Some people just need to get off their high horse o.o.
2. would the 64 gb be caching or standalone? 8 gbs of ram tend to suffice but you never know what you will need over the next few years, it is always upgradable.
3. With any product there are malfunctions and unsatisfied customers. But they have great customer service, especially compared to the other high end gaming computer companies which is sketchy at best.

 

You're right when you say a 765m/765SLI are very capable. I don't think its a case of people on their high horse. Some people just want the extra overhead that comes with 780SLI so that when that killer future app comes out, they can play it at 60fps without scaling back on the detail.
If you're buying a m18 it goes without saying that performance is a priority, so it's no wonder people want to future proof and maximize the hardware on their investment.

 

1. So i was right it just performs alittle under 780m niceeeeee. No need to break wallet for now, but does anyone know how much it will cost for me later if i wanted to upgrade to 780m? will it be the same cost as config ex. $450 or more?
2. Its a 750GB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200 RPM) + 64GB mSATA SSD Caching. On this video SSD Caching as Fast As Possible - YouTube @1:15 he says its not good to have two separate drive like this in a notebook and its better to have a sshd instead. Thats brings up the question is the speed going to be noticeable or significant? if so is 64gb sufficient? how many games can i use on this 64gb?

 

It will cost alot to upgrade after. Provided you can use the same heatsinks and don't need to shell out for new ones, you will need to source 2 x 780m's. They are stupidly expensive now, about $800 - $1000 on ebay. The current 680m's have come down over time but still cost $500 - $700 give or take, that might give you an idea of the price a year from now. If Dell let you pursue an official upgrade through their services, it will still cost you a similar amount, maybe more, but you have a chance to organize warranty which is a plus. It can be a royal head ache to upgrade GPU's in a laptop because you can't readily buy them off the shelf like desktop GPU's. So my best advice would be to make the jump now if you can afford it.

I've used 64gb SSD just for OS boot in my current setup which is just enough for the OS and basic programs if you manage your space well (no games). I've never used a SSD as cache but the idea is it organizes your most used files so they are getting SSD speed, its something that will get faster and optimize over time. Normally your windows boot will end up benefiting and I'm guessing any other programs you frequently use. If you only plan on having a 64gb SSD, this may be the better option.

 

That really sucks, why do they make mobile gpu so expensive............ guess i have to go for the 770m............that will drive the cost up 2.7k............. doesnt look so affordable at that price point, lol now im starting to think if i should put that money tours a ps4 and a supercharger for my pony.

 

About $700 per GPU to upgrade later, unless you wait long enough for 780M to become obsolete. You can buy them now for a bit under $800 each as TBoneSan indicated. It's better to get the most GPU you can afford in a new system. No only does it save time and hassle, it can be more affordable and covered under the warranty. If you want the most powerful laptop available, it will not be inexpensive no matter how you approach it. Awesomeness is never inexpensive. If you do something that is "affordable" to the average gamer you can expect average performance. And, there's nothing wrong with that if you're happy with it.

 

I feel Dell went totally in the wrong direction going back to a 2 hdd in the caddy arrangement. It was good having 2 x smaller (and cheaper) SSD's in raid to experience god like speed for the hardcore stuff, and also having a data drive without needed to rip out the ODD. I feel its a definite step back there.

 

I own a ps3 and i never understand how they make beautiful games like god of war 3/acension, heavy rain, last of us...etc on a device thats over 6 years old. While pc on the other hand needs a top of the line gpu, cpu, ram etc to make a beautiful game. The worst part is after 2 years, the notebook performance is at its mid life. I think pc game developers are not fully ultilizing the hardware like consoles developers lol they have no choice but squeeze every juice out of dusty metal. Again AW has made me rethink about purchasing their rig, i feel if i dont get the 780m sli ill regret few month down the road with new games requirements. But going all out also leave me broke for other things in life. Want one so badly but cant afford it, no choice have to get an ps4 instead. I hope ill be back one day and see yall with my AW someday lol.

 

Its pretty much comes down to optimization. The Devs know exactly whet hardware they have to work with, and they also learn the ins and outs over the years. Hopefully we'll see a bit better optimization for multi-platform games since the console hardware is closer to PC than previously. I'm counting on this gen being more multi-platform games than we've previously seen.

 

Hi guys.

Couple of questions with the 18

1. I'm a architecture major, use a lot of Rhino, AutoCad, VRay and also play games. Was wondering if the SLI configuration on the 18 impact rendering in the above software significantly more than the single GPU in the 17? Thinking about going for a 770SLI. Does anyone know if software like rhino or Vray will be able to utilize the SLI configuration in an optimal manner?

2. Is buying say a 3 year warranty from dell recommended and accidental damage as well? Or just the warranty?

Cheers!