*OFFICIAL* Alienware 18 Owner's Lounge Thread

I kinda agree. However, if it means that ALL sata ports operate at 6gbp/s, I'd be happy with that.

 

Is there any way to customize an order on the Alienware 18? Perhaps over the phone with a sales rep?

 

Yes you can custom config a system over the phone and maybe haggle a discount aswell. Although note that you wont be able to get a single gpu.

 

Ideally I could get the 4930mx, dual 780m's and a 3 year warranty with stock/cheapest option everything else to upgrade myself later down the road.

What are the odds I can get that at $4500 or under?

 

Im an architect.

Rendering is done with CPU not GPU, atleast in Vray, maxwell and mental ray etc. and i have heard SLI causes crashed in Vray RT.

A single GTX 780 in a m17x will be very close to the SLI GTX770.

You are better off spending the saved cash on a 24inch ips screen for use at home and the rest of the money can go towards the overclocked i7 4900 processor. Which will help you with screen refreshes and all your grasshopper work etc.

Also, another thing. graphics cards mean little with rhino. I have used a $3000 quaddro card and i could not notice any difference. Anything dedicated will do fine.

 

Thank you! That was helpful!!

 

Here's one of the first reviews I've read on the Alienware 18:

Alienware 18 Review | Gaming Laptop Reviews

Same old same old, although it's interesting to note that they took a jibe at the palm rest - it seems Dell didn't do many favours by opting for a sharper edge. I don't think they received the unit with the PLS display which is being advertised, so maybe the small complain about the brightness is remedied in the final production version. Very disappointing to see they only compared the 18 with other comparatively mediocre gaming laptops (no offence to any owners of other notebooks intended) - at least, they could have provided us with a side-by-side battle against a fully-configured M18x R2. Still, it's a review site for the masses, so this was to be expected.

Another interesting thing is that they termed this laptop "hideously expensive" and gave it a 4/5, while it gave the M18x R2 5-stars! If anything, the Alienware 18 is much more decently-priced, and the base-SLI configuration as opposed to a GTX 660m card wasn't given any mention at all... strange, as Laptopmag usually has nothing but praise for Dell laptops. Still, it was an enjoyable read - nice to see the Alienware 18-inch category stamping and crushing all other notebooks out there as usual

 

Just ordered mine. Ended up taking the base config.

1 Alienware 18 BTX Base Mod
1 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4700MQ (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost) (Standard)
1 18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED FHD (1080p) TrueLife 400 Nit Display (1920 X 1080)
1 Alienware 18 LCD Hinge Up
1 8GB Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz
1 750GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s
1 Slot-Loading 8x SuperMulti Drive (DVDR/RW)
1 330W A/C Adapter
1 8-cell Lithium Ion (86 wHr) Battery
1 Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M with 2GB GDDR5 - NVIDIA SLI Enabled (Standard)
1 Broadcom 4352 802.11 ac 2x2 and Bluetooth 4.0
1 5G WiFi Broadcom 4352 802.11n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0 driver

Website Price £1999.99
Discount Price £1721.74 £278.25 off

14% discount not bad for 2 days haggling.

 

Nice one, Daz. Did my chap come good for ya?

 

Yeah that review came out a few days ago actually, and I'm still not sure why no other major review site has been able to come out with anything. No offense to Laptop Mag but I'd prefer a few more opinions.

I wouldn't say they compared the 18 to "mediocre" gaming laptops, they mainly compared it to a laptop with a single 780m, similar or slightly superior to an Alienware 17. The specs for the comparison unit were top tier for a single gpu notebook, which is what the vast majority of gaming notebooks are. The problem is that the 18 is not part of that regular gaming notebook collection; it's a desknote, and really the only comparable devices are the other handful dual mobile gpu devices like the sager and eon models (which are both hideous imo.)

Oh and I hope the edge digging into your skin thing isn't universally true :/

 

Hey stevie! was just about to pm you and say what deal i got. Yes his coworker rung me up as he went into a meeting and we haggled for about 30 mins and settled on 14% discount on base config. Will do upgrades at a later date including 780m`s and more ram and a SSD.

 

Anyones order changed from Pre-Production yet? Its only been 6 days but situations change everyday.

 

No, I think they are still getting parts and stock ready. I ordered mine about 5 minutes after they released them and I'm still in pre-production.

 

Woohoo! - sweet deal, Daz. Chuffed for ya, mate!

 

My ):

 

lol someone was waiting on them going live 5 mins must be quickest ive seen anyone order one from going live

 

n1 riri

 

First time here and first Alienware, I originally ordered a M18X with a Jun 18 delivery date but once I seen the new ones I thought I would go with that. Dell let me cancel my order 5 days previous to delivery and order the new one with more "stuff" then the previous one for only $300.00 more. I am not too much of a gamer but am looking forward to the speed, HD display and large hard drives. This will be my 3rd dell and have been very happy with my previous two. I also picked up the XPS 10 tablet for $200.00. I already received it and it is pretty cool for that price. A lot bigger then my iphone5 and no apple grief .

1 Alienware 18 BTX Base Mod
1 Documentation, English
1 16GB Dual Channel DDR3L at 1600MHz
1 1.5TB RAID 0 (2x750GB 7200RPM) + 64GB mSATA SSD Caching
1 Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BD-ROM, DVDRW, CD-RW)
1 US 125V Power Cord
1 Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M with 2GB GDDR5 - NVIDIA SLI Enabled (Standard)
1 Broadcom 4352 802.11 ac 2x2 and Bluetooth 4.0
1 English Keyboard
1 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, English
1 Broadcom 4352 Driver
1 Warranty Support, Initial Year
1 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Initial Year
1 In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year
1 Warranty Support, 2 Year Extended
1 Dell Hardware Warranty Plus On-Site Service, Extended Year(s)
1 In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Parts and Labor On-Site Response, 2 Year Extended
1 Manitoba $3.00 Environmental Handling Fee for Notebook Computers
1 Alienware 18 LCD Hinge Up
1 Shipping Box Alienware 18
1 Dell.com Order
1 Dell.com Order
1 Placemat English
1 Windows 7 Label, OptiPlex, Fixed Precision, Vostro Desktop
1 18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED FHD (1080p) TrueLife 400 Nit Display (1920 X 1080)
1 330W A/C Adapter
1 8-cell Lithium Ion (86 wHr) Battery
1 Software: Microsoft Office 2013 Trial
1 Alienware Command Center 3.0
1 Additional Software
1 Resource DVD
1 Thank You for Choosing Dell
1 None Required

 

Yep sorry if I made myself misunderstood, meant to say that it should have been compared to something of its own calibre... or even a desktop config with a GTX 680 card. I'm hoping to get more feed-back on the palm-rest thing - I do notice that my lower arm rests on the curves near the speaker-grilles when typing, and it's extremely comfortable. A sharper edge may present some problems... at least it doesn't shock me, like the XPS L502X used to do LOL

 

Just in-case anybody has note yet seen it, here's a little unboxing and comparison post I found:
the story of a fish...: Alienware 18 - Unboxing and first impressions

 

I will probably be cast out for such comment but that 18 looks so NOT GOOD compared to previous generation design, made me feel so sad about new 18

 

lol not sure I agree at the end that the Alienware 18 makes the 17 look tiny. If anything it made me wonder why the majority of people wouldnt get the 18 over the 17 given how similar in size they are, particularly the thickness. Weight is obviously different, and I guess it might look different in person (everything looks big compared to my m14x lol)

 

Yeah, it certainly doesn't look tiny in comparison but there's a difference. The 18 has more space and adequate cooling for SLI or Xfire, that's the main reason people choose the 18.

 

It's certainly much less flashy but I think its more sleek and looks more expensive. It's growing on me... slowly.

 

I cant agree on that, to me it looks bulky cheaped-out unfinished design with bad idea put trough production, now Im awaiting for the tomatoes lol

 

Order placed.

The new m18 max out, Accidental Damage Service, 4 Years, and 4 years Alienware enhanced support. Muahaha...

 

<<<--- Is the closest icon to a tomato! lol

I'm still reserving judgement until I have seen it and tested it. I can't wait for it to arrive. I have yet to see one mention of it looking bad or not as good from people who have actually seen, used and touched it. Everyone seems to agree it looks beautiful in person. Although I agree to an extent, it really is less aggressive.

 

Yea you should be able to compare them well because you've already had/have M18X R2 (model&design that I love) so we'll all wait on your personal impressions!

BR

 

i think the new design and looks are stellar, was getting sick of the old design. Hats off to alienware was about time to redesign instead of just updated hardware.

 

Although I like the old design, I'm certainly pleased and drawn by the new one, which is a welcome change of gears in looks

And congrats on your new beast :thumbsup:

 

thanks man, the 765m in SLI looks promising form early benchmarks sure wont lag behind in games with high/ultra settings. would love to have gone for the 780m sli but i surpose ill upgrade near xmas for a nice xmas present

 

Do the new range support wireless HD ??

Is this panel the IPS/PLS one >> 391-BBDS 18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED FHD (1080p) TrueLife 400 Nit Display (1920 X 1080)

 

new alienware lineup looks so much better in comparison, doesn't look anything like entitled brat's toy laptop just for kids anymore.

nice finish, way better material for chassis, retouched fans for cooling, and while thicker - it is also lighter.

good job on design

Also keyboard, screw the keyboard on the older model - looks like crap compared to newer. I went to expo and the feel is so much better when you just move your fingers across it...

 

do you manage to play anygames? i noticed the alienware 18 had Company Of Heroes 2 running on it

 

no i just talked to rep and examined the hardware and design

 

I'm impressed. I had not expected Alienware to fix the keyboard and (to some extent) screen options. The new keyboard looks like the ones used for Dell's business laptops: solid and comfortable. Perhaps Dell saw my complaints and decided to make changes.

Tempted to sell my r4 and upgrade.

 

oh ya, definitely, i mean the first and foremost when i examined the product, keyboard caught my eye. that was like love at first sight...trust me it's an excellent keyboard. i have to examine it more once i receive mine for durability but i really expect nothing less from what i was able to examine in 15 minutes or so...

 

The alienware rep seemed very clued up , seen him @ alienware for quite sometime now. Enjoyed telling everyone about the new machines but not a typical rep extreme talking to the point of selling.

 

I think the cooling system on this new m18 is better then the one on the m18xr1/r2. I also think that the interior look better!

 

Curious to check out the new keyboard. I for myself never had any problems with the current keyboard - although not as perfect as the old Lenovo keyboards, it's a close match and I rarely do any mistakes while typing. It's better than my old XPS 15's keyboard, and that one was decent in itself. I just bought a Lenovo E330 and the keyboard is so stiff - I'd pick the current AW keyboard any day. If, as you're saying, it's been improved, then that's good news. But calling the current keyboard "bad" is a bit out of place... it's received rave reviews from every website, and as a touch-typer, I find it excellent. Just doesn't manage to top Lenovo's old keyboard by a little bit.

 

well of course you have a difference in opinion. to me, older model looks childish. point being, 2013 model has finally matured - appeals to more people than ever before, you know alienware actually invited over 100+ relevant entusiasts to their hq for input? this is the result.

also, someone for the love of god edit wikipedia's alienware page... this isn't a revision. there are handful of people referring to this as m18x r3. no it's not. the design we see now is what they are going to continue with down the road. there will be new revisions of this model yes. but 14x 17x and 18x are irrelevant.

 

Well yes, the old design may be a bit extravagant, but that's the whole point of an Alienware. You don't want to stow it away and hide it from daylight. The more outrageous the design, the better. "Appeals to more people than ever before" isn't exactly true - I for one haven't warmed to the new design yet, and plenty of others feel the same as well. When I saw that the speaker grilles were changed, I was a bit disappointed... don't know what I was expecting, but certainly not a slab-like front. We're still waiting for an in-depth review about ergonomics too, as the only review I've read on the laptop states that the palm rest is not as user-friendly as the old one. Simply strumming on a keyboard for a minute or so won't give you a solid idea of how the keyboard truly performs either.

And besides... Red ones go faster

 

I am a 3D Artist, worked in visual effects and in games. So i cannot tell exactly whats good for an architect. However, its true that rendering is done with a cpu(mostly) , however there are many imerging render that uses graphics card, even the IPR render in Mental ray and the also a few feature in VRay uses graphics power. I can also confirm that this rendering technology has increased exponentially in these last couple of year. So, for now, yes CPU does most of the renders, but you never know what ur softwares will turn into in a few months or years. However, all these render doesnt quite support a SLI so you would still endup useing a single card. So i would suggest going for a maxed out single GPU, A 780 in this case, and spend what ever cash u have left on the processor. Everything else can be managed later, that includes the RAM or even the 24inch ips screen. thats my suggestion thou, u need to see whts best for u

Hey, I am currently working in a Major gameing studio and on one of a major AAA game comeing on the current Gen[, Next Gen and the pc. I cant help but to differ with your observation. I understand that the consoles looks quite good and works without breaking a sweat even after all these years since it is out. But that is just because the publishers limits their games in such a way to work well on the consoles. And i use the word limit because such massive studios and publishers work alot on optimizing their games, no matter if it is PC or console, but in regards to PC they limit their performance in accordance to the current technology where as for a consol they have to limit their game performance demand accoding to a technology thats years old. The difference is quite visible actually. Many of the current gen games are still stuck at 720p where as PC games are shooting for Super HD. the textures used in current gen are laughable if compared to PC. also dont forget. the Next gen consoles are coming out, but still they do not equal the performance of the high end gameing machine right now. and PC hardware evolves every year where as for the console, there will be another half a decade wait to see the next line up

 

wrong, design was always secondary and performance was always primary. alienware always pursued performance first and construction came natural by design.

and obviously you hang around with different crowd or maybe you live halfway around the world with a different culture. but believe me i would never bring my alienware out to the public - because it is what it is - a gaming laptop that LOOKS like a gaming laptop that LOOKS like a toy. There is nothing mature about it.

yes, i cant wait for indepth reviews to come out about the ergonomics of it. believe it or not, simply strumming on a keyboard was the perfect first impression i ever had and unless you actually touched the keyboard yourself, let me go ahead and stop you right there.

 

I admit that although I don't mind typing on my M18x r2 I'm not so crazy about it either, and I was glad AW changed direction with it. The keyboard on my M18x r2 feels too snappy, "plastichy" and "clicky" and I'd have liked if it were more subtle and softer, as it seems the new one is.

Actually, I've always considered AW machines point being primarily performance and not necessarily design. In fact, if many welcome receiving jealous, amused, and curious looks while using their M18x with its "outrageous" looks, I wouldn't have minded if its design were a bit more somber. Don't get me wrong, I like the M18x looks and feel, but I prefer the new one by a wide margin. I guess that once again it's all about personal taste. You mention that many feel like you do, but considering what I've seen so far in our forum, several others really welcome the new design and like it better.

 

Hi all,

First time poster here.

Had the M14x R2 for 3 months and have had terrible experience all around. Been repaired 8x and still doesn't work properly. Dell customer service has really soured on me (they still haven't fixed my M14x yet) but the new models really tempted me.

Coughed up the cash and ordered an Alienware 18 yesterday. I am from the Philippines and the only country near enough that I can order from is in Hong Kong. They are not as customizable as when you buy from the US, but I opted for the maximum specs available:




I was informed by the sales rep that I chatted with that the order will take 3-4 weeks.
Checked my Order Details and there was ETA yet hehe.

 

I seem to have made myself misunderstood - I was only talking design-wise about the Alienware. Of course the primary focus of an Alienware is the performance - no one is questioning that. And there's nothing which comes close to an Alienware laptop in terms of performance (talking about the 18-inch range of course) - except for Clevo/Sager, but then again who wants such a cheap build quality?

I must have been reading the wrong posts then But from what I've seen so far, many members have said they're still trying to "warm" to the new design. It's a question of personal taste really, nothing is wrong with either of the two designs. For those who want a serious looking laptop and have no other alternative i.e. they use it 24/7 - then yes, I agree, the new design (with the touchpad light turned off) has a more mature look. For those who want to bring it out and really make a stir - I think the old design fits that bill better. I for myself am looking for a Lenovo X1 Carbon to use while at university, and I only use my M18x when I'm going somewhere to play a couple of games or something like that. It's all about personal tastes and needs

 

@ jourdy,

Nice machine! - Congrats. I wonder why your order status says "Incorrect Order" under the related information tab? - does it give you a further explanation when you click the link?

 

In that pic theres alot more stages than the uk one.

 

Thanks. I was curious about that link myself, so I clicked on it. Apparently, it's for reporting missing/wrong/damaged order.

What do you mean?
The 18 I ordered is the maxed out specs available in Hong Kong. For example, I didn't have the option of getting the OC'd 4.3ghz version or a 1TB SSD.