*OFFICIAL* Alienware 18 Owner's Lounge Thread

My EDD is Aug 6, my original order says June 16 but it was actually June 13. Cancelled on June 28 and reordered automatically and cancelled July 15 and reordered automatically again. Departed sort facility/depot U.S.A. GROUND LINEHAUL at 13:31 today. I usually get stuff really fast from dell with purolator, order one day it is at my house the next day. I am at the cottage for the weekend, left early so it will probably come late tomorrow or Saturday when I am not home.

 

Hey guys would this be a direct replacement to add blu ray capability to the 18?

Blu Ray BD ROM Player Drive DVDRW Burner CA10N for Dell Alienware M17x M18x | eBay

Doesn't have a faceplate, eject button, or indicator light but I'm curious if y'all's do.

 

so... haven't skimmed through the owners forum lately.... it seems as though this new iteration is littered with problems? so many people returning them either for one reason or another. meanwhile, there's also no Youtube reviews etc from non-professional reviewers who's probably played with it for no more than 1 hour. Was really looking for feedback from people like those on this forum who knows what they're talking about and having owned previous alienwares to compare things like build quality etc to.

so far the few who initially had great things to say about the machine ends up updating that they're returning it 2 days later? should i still be considering this or just buy a stupid MBA 13" and bear with the ridiculously small screen and no power for 1 yr but maximize my resale value and wait for r2 of this new iteration?

 

Stock is a slot loading 12.7mm. Original part number is Hitachi-LG CA40N.

 

Same here. Returned my order on 7/16, placed a new order on 7/18 and it shipped out today.

Anyone know if Alienware offers a Windows 8 upgrade?

 

Is there a way to image the drive before turning the machine on? That is, can I remove the drive and use some external USB to SATA adapter and Acronis True Image or something on another machine to image the stock HDD?

Good deal I know how to do that. Thanks.

 

hello

Sell M18BTX Brand-New http://forum.notebookreview.com/not...nware-18-btx-4800mq-sli-780m-16goddr3-br.html

 

I used Clonezilla. I prefer DOS. I cloned it using the machine, but you could use another machine too. I have not tried that but it should be the same. It's all disk drives.

 

Why are you selling ?

 

I have too much P4G

 

Can anyone guide me to the proper download link for Killer Wireless and Killer LAN?

I have tried downloading multiple times but whenever I install the Killer Wifi, it doesn't show up. Still using broadcom wireless adapter.

I've been lagging in online games (ping spike) and maybe this is due to this?


Thanks in advance.

 

M18x r2 right?

Windows 7 driver

Windows 8 driver

 

Hello FeelTheThunder,


We can assist you to track your package. Please e-mail the tracking number to [email protected].

I look forward to hearing from you.



Kind regards,

Julie Hotton
Customer Care, Purolator Inc.
Tel: (888) 744-7123
Purolator

Follow us on Twitter
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AAAAYYYYYYEEEE!!! an alien is on his way! after 3 modifications from dell on my original order on june 20 it finally shipped yesterday july 25th at 4pm. bout freakin time! can't wait to switch to new computer for gaming and coding. vs2012 gonna be a breeze on this.

 

I have the latest Alienware 18. Is that the M18x R2? I thought the newest models don't have the x after the model number?

Thank you.

 

Yes, discard those drivers of my former post. These ones are those you need (direct download link from Dell page) >
Alienware 18 Killer Drivers

And this is the page where you can find all the drivers you may need for your new beast.

 

I've actually done downloading that and installed it - as per Mr. Fox's instructions.
However the Killer Wifi adapter does not show up. It only installs the LAN adapter. I downloaded the Killer wifi driver and installed it as well.

Here's a screenshot of my network adapters:

 

Hi all. Newbie here from Canada. Ordered first Alienware July 15 after old HP died.
Just received email from Dell that shipped from Texas (I think) last night so should get it next week.
Will be big change as upgrading from Vista.
Hope I don't need too much help.
Currently using my TV for web so kinda limited.
Moe

 

Congratulations brother. Have fun!

 

Welcome to the forum,

Good to hear from another Canadian , I skipped vista altogether, win 7 is a breeze, not sure about win 8. This is my first AW also, My 09 Vostro and wifes Studio are still doing fine on Win7. Getting ready to backtracking to my overclocking days......

 

Oh man, you'll love 7 coming from Vista. I switched day of release and haven't looked back since, nor have I really considered 8 yet. Not a fan from dealing with it on others' computers. Will have to see what it looks like after 8.1 is released and reconsider, since I can upgrade for basically free through school.

 

Just sold my Retina MBP and ordered me one of these:

Alienware 18 | i7-4800MQ | 780M SLI | 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz | Broadcom 4352 | 750GB 7200RPM+64GB mSATA SSD

I CANNOT WAIT.

 

Now I don't want to look like I'm reaching out too far, but it may be due the fact that somehow your wifi is stuck in airplane mode, therefore disabled? (switched off, unable to communicate with the system and to appear under device manager?)

Try this network utility I downloaded from the network driver page for AW18/Win 8 > Airplane mode on/off.
As well, if that doesn't work, try this driver.

 

Just took my new AW 18 out of the box and ran 3Dmark11, I set the power plan to high performance and enabled SLI (4930MX and 780M SLI), got a score of P11647, which I think is on par with the rest. I ran the test with HWMonitor, was going to take a screenshot but the laptop crashed right after 3Dmark11 finished running (had to press the power button for 5 sec to shut down and reboot), so I didn't get the image. But both CPU and GPU temps have a high of low 80s.

BTW, does anybody else feel that the USB ports are very tight? When I tried to pull my USB mini-transceiver for my mouse out, it was extremely difficult and I felt I have to use lots of twist motion to get it out. I'm really afraid that the rectangular part of the USB port might break (don't know the name, but it's the component in the middle of the port that has metal stripes to interact with the external USB device)...

Also, I think the optical disk drive is making a sound every 5 min or so, which is weird.

 

When you start running the 3Dmark, it will detect the stuff in your comp, so the optical disk drive will make sound. If you run HWiNFO, it will make sound too.

 

Hey guys I got my barebones 18 a couple of weeks after ordering, ran 3dmark11 and got a 6945 - how does that sound for sli 765s, 4700, and 16gb of ram? Drivers are 9.18.13.1148 and they weren't recognized by the program, are these out of date?

 

NM, I found the 326.19 drivers and my score went up to 7039. There's a 7700 score online with the same config!

 

Hey guys, I just came across this forum on the web and thought I'd post. I recently got an AW 18 due to a system exchange. I had an M17XR4 before this and it ran like a GOD. that being said, I wish my 18 would do the same. The following are my specs.

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4900MQ CPU @ 2.80GHz
RAM: 16GB DDR3
VID: x2 770M GTX
Hard Drives: x2 750GB WD Blacks(RAID0) x1 Samsung MSATA 128GB (OS)

I am not quite sure what the issue is, but for some reason this system is not as snappy as my M17XR4. Things seem to load slower, when I run my Newsleecher program it seems like the refresh is off as the progress bars are very choppy and not smooth like they used to be. Also, I am unable to install any other Nvidia driver other than the one on DELLs website as the other drivers cannot seem to find an nvidia card in my system. So I am stuck, for now, using the 311.48 drivers. Which seem to have been released in June.

If anyone could give me some advice on what I could possibly do to troubleshoot further that'd be great!

Thanks!

P.S. I have re-installed the OS on the MSATA twice now, using the drivers from my service tag look-up page. Is there another place to get updated drivers by chance?

 

My scores were pretty similar around 7k, the max temp on the cards is pretty low though 64 degrees so maybe there is some throttling going on.

 

I have ordered a Samsung PM 841 512 gb Msata card to install in my forthcoming M18. Reviewing the installation and removal procedure for the Msata card in the M18 (as outlined in the manual that is online), a reference is made to the removal and replacement of a screw that holds the Msata card in place.

Is anyone aware as to whether or not, the screw is already in place if there is no Msata card installed when the laptop is shipped?

If it is not, can someone please advise me what size of screw is required?

Thanks in advance...

 

Should be a M2.0 x 3mm. The WiFi card uses the same size screw. I doubt there is one in the screw hole. You can buy them on Amazon and many other online sources, but you might get one for free or close to it by visiting a local computer repair shop. If you want a nice assortment, you can buy them in kits with a full variety of sizes.

 

Thanks, Mr. Fox.....I kinda thought that I would get the laptop open and then be annoyed with myself for not checking.....thanks again.

 

You're welcome. This web site is helpful also: LaptopScrews.com | Mini Solid State Hard Drive Screws (SSD)

 

Mr. Fox, this is great!....Now I can replace all those itty-bitty screws that I have dropped into the black plush carpet .....and have never been seen again....I've heard them....when the wyfe goes by with the vacuum (central vac) and no, they don't make it to the collection bucket...unfortunately.

Thanks again, Sir!

 

Hey guys,

By any chance, anyone got the beeps code for the new Alienware 18 ? Managed to get 4 then 2 beeps for no obvious reasons after repasting...
Cheers1

 

That sounds like a memory issue or GPU issue pau1ow. Did you try reseating the memory modules and GPUs already? Sometimes the PCI-e slots are extremely picky about seating.

You can try this, too. It might help.

Alienware 18 Troubleshooting | Dell Support

 

Thanks buddy, I found out what was it, just the keyboard cable that was not correctly plugged in...weirdo! All sorted

 

For anyone wondering, the Everki Titan backpack fits the new AW 18, but because of the angular protruding design of the AW 18, it's becoming quite a snug fit.

View attachment 99802

 

That is awesome to hear, thanks for this info!

Does anyone have an Everki Beacon to tryout?

My 18 is coming in a few weeks and I really, REALLY want to get the Everki Beacon...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-would-fit-alienware-m18x-22.html#post7623680

The previous M18x was a tight fit according to this post. If so, the AW 18 will probably not fit, and it might scratch the corners if you force it in.

 

Awesome. Been looking around trying to find one to order for my 18 since the Dell ones are so ugly (IMO) and they're no longer checkpoint friendly.

 

I love my Everki Titan; best backpack I've ever used.

 

Thanks for the info, my hopes are crushed now

Any clue on how much bigger the 18 is VS the 18x

 

M18x R2: 17.17" x 12.7" x 2.09-2.15"

18: 18" x 12.9" x 2.3"

 

Where did you get yours and what did you pay for it? I ordered an Everki Lunar briefcase ($115 on Amazon vs $149 anywhere else, for anyone interested) to use around town, but I'd definitely like to have the Titan for trips. I just don't like paying retail when I can get it cheaper.

 

It's more expensive on Amazon. I bought mine from Newegg. Buy.com on Ebay sells it for the same price too. Haven't found anywhere that sells it for cheaper price.

 

I am a proud m18x r3 owner from Canada!

Received it 3 days ago and didn't have the time to game much with it (770m sli)

I got a couple of questions for those who can answer!

1. I lag very bad on the wireless! I get around 25ms on speedtest while my ''old'' m17x r4 gets 5ms at the same location in the house ?! I looked a bit on google and someone said he can't install the killer-wireless driver and I can't too ! Maybe this is why I lag ?

2. I only got 8 gb of ram cause I had 16 gb ddr3 ready to be put in but when I do put it in my m18x, the OS doesn't start and it makes beeps beep beeps (I absolutely need ddr3l?)

3. Finaly, I can't seem to find the second location for the HDD ? In the m17x, it was all open so it was easy to install a second hard drive ! Where it is located lol ?!

 

I have the BCM4352 instead of Killer wireless, I reinstalled the driver and it worked fine again (second link on the page: Driver Details | Dell US).

Perhaps the RAM is not seated right. There's RAM settings in BIOS but RAM voltage is not unlocked yet. To test, you could remove the 8GB of RAM and put in your 16GB of RAM and test if the machine boots.

The second HDD is just below the main HDD. It's a drive cage. The screws for the second HDD are at the end, towards the speaker. Take the cage out and you will see it.

 

Did you people get the Dell mystery coupon? I was in the 9% customer group that has a 20% discount. I could have bought the 18 with 4930MX and 780M SLI for only 3.4k, and with tax that will only be about less than 3.7k. Talk about heartache...

I am interested to get the 4930MX, if any Dell rep sees this please PM me.

 

thank you for your fast answers !

It's strange, I deleted the killer drivers and now I get the same 5ms as my m17x? Maybe it was a bad driver !? I am currently downloading your link tho

I guess I will retry to install the ram but I already burned a desktop motherboard cause of a bad seated ram lolol!

Didn't kow it was seated over and under ! Thank you very much again !