*OFFICIAL* Alienware 18 Owner's Lounge Thread

Well, if you are planning to remove the 60gb mSata and upgrade it, that would work quite nicely as a raid array between the mSata and 7mm M4 SSD. This might be ideal for that purpose: Amazon.com: Crucial m4 128GB mSATA Internal Solid State Drive CT128M4SSD3: Computers & Accessories - not sure if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.

And yeah, Raid 0 (in that scenario) would create one large 'striped' drive of 256gb capacity (less factory provisioning) - you would probably see around 238gb of total usable space for the OS and other stuff. One slight drawback is that I don't think it is possible to use a portion/partition of that raid to accelerate another raid - your 1.5tb HDD raid. That would remain at normal HDD speeds.

Raid 1 is going to 'mirror' the data on each of those drives for data security purposes...if one drive dies, the other is mirrored to ensure data is not lost. You will only get 128gb usable capacity if you go that route.

Raid 0 = maximum performance, Raid 1 = maximum safety against lost data.

It might be worth considering a larger mSata without the Raid between that and your existing M4. Just looking around and for the same price as that one I linked to above, you can grab a Crucial M500 240gb mSata: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148698

 

I see! I'm liking that last option you gave me. But if I get the 250GB mSata, I can only use 2 of the 3 drive right if I'm not willing to give up the ODD?

 

Yeah, that would be right. I guess that would mean your current M4 gathers dust or one of your 750gb's bites the dust instead.

I guess the good thing about the larger mSata would be that you would have around 238gb for OS and stuff, but you could also use a partition of that mSata to still cache your 1.5tb array. You might be able to find a buyer for your M4 here on the NBR marketplace to cover some of the M500 costs.......

If you are thinking of upgrading the mSata and using your M4 in raid, one of the 750 spinners will have to bite the bullet unless you remove the ODD.

Decisions, Decisions, eh?

 

Haha yeah. Have to think about them. Thanks bro. You've been always there to help!

 

My pleasure, mate. One thing with AW - there is always plenty of options!!

 

Well, obviously not as much as they used to.

 

I'll have to give you that one.....I'm sure many people will have missed the three HDD caddy and a few other things. Still, the ability is now there to have a four drive raid at full Sata III speeds if one chose to.....that was not available on the R1/R2.....I guess some things have to give in favour of others. Personally, I'd prefer a four drive raid 0 at 6gbps than having 5 drives with only some ports operating at 6gbps - especially as we now can get 1tb SSD's - that could work out as a 3tb SSD Raid 0 array along with a 512gb boot mSata drive......if one had deep pockets LOL

 

So does the free space I have available seem right?

 

Yes it does seem right, on my M17x with win7 ultimate, drivers, few programs and a few games, I have 98gb free from 256gb SSD.

 

Thanks vs3074, I just thought it seem rather low. I knew windows 8 was pretty beefy guess I wasnt factoring the recovery partition because I thought that was done on the 750gb hdd.

 

Hey guys, I have the Alienware configuration with 3 SSDs and 1 mSATA, all 256GB. My system came setup with the 3 SSDs in a RAID 0 array, with the mSATA partitioned with a 206GB primary and 32GB unknown partition. Assuming the unknown partition was there for RST acceleration if I had ordered HDDs, I removed it and extended the other partition to fill the whole mSATA drive.

the Intel RST management tool will now allow me to add the mSATA drive to the array to make it a 4 SSD array. My question is whether this is worth doing or will there be performance issues because 3 are SSDs and 1 is an mSATA SSD. I would like to just have 1 RAID 0 drive that 1TB, but not if there is a big performance reduction. Has anyone done this?.

 

Doing 4 x SSD raid 0 should bring you a increase in performance, even using be mSata SSD in the array. It's definitely a viable option as the top tier AW comes with this configuration. A few pages back in the benchmark thread someone posted their results from doing this... Seemed worthwhile.

 

Thanks so much, I do have the top tier AW configuration and was wondering why it didn't just come setup for 4 SSD RAID 0 in the first place... but now I know why!

I discovered that the mystery 32GB partition was actually being used by the Intel Rapid Start Technology (not to be confused with Rapid Storage Technology). This replaces Windows hibernation by having a dedicated partition that is the size of physical memory that Intel uses to do its own hibernation that resumes faster than windows - it's as fast as standby mode.

Essentially, when the computer goes into S3 sleep state, a user configurable timer (from 0-120 minutes) starts, and when it expires, it puts the computer into S4 sleep state. There is an app and a setting in the UEFI that controls this.

I noticed the problem when an error at startup that was telling me that "it appears that rapid start technology is not enabled", caused by the startup app named the same. I was able to recreate the special partition on the mSATA card to fix the error after shrinking my primary partition to make room if anyone is interested:

create partition efi size=32768
set id=D3BFE2DE-3DAF-11DF-BA40-E3A556D89593

I will just have to decide now if I want Rapid Start Technology or 1TB RAID 0 - talk about first world problems.

 

Yeah lose the hibernation. I always turn it off...waste of space IMO when you can boot into windows only a matter of seconds after.

 

Yeah, Rapid Start seems like a real gimmick to me also. I have that disabled in the BIOS and don't use it, hibernation or sleep functions.

 

Hello every one!

Only got my alienware 18 on Monday and already having problems.
Was playing star wars TOR and suddenly the screen started flashing. i kinda new what it was id seen it before on my old computer when the screen refresh rate is set to high.
i just manage to get back to the desk top and set the refresh rate for 60 down to 40hz. but now i cant change it back up to 60 without it flashing again.

Anyone got any idears (mr fox )? im a bit of a noob with this kinda stuff.
latest drivers and I'm on windows 8.

thanks

 

Yep, I disabled it and went with a 4 SSD RAID 0 array, thanks for the info.

On another note, has anyone noticed that the alienware keys on the left side of the computer next to zone 5, are not actually part of any zone? What this means is that the lights there are not controllable through AlienFX and in fact stay on all the time, even when selecting "go dark". What gives? I haven't updated the command center app from Dell driver downloads, so maybe an update addresses this?

 

Yes, that is adjustable if you select the correct application. You want TactX... see the image for which icon to launch.

 

Hey guys tomorow I m going to be a proud owner of the AW 18 I'm so happy eheh, I just want to know if there is something to do at start like check for updates or instal new bios, drivers something to do with any start problems, I don't know just to make sure I don't get scared at start

 

Ahhh, I see now where I can set the color. However, the lights don't turn off like all the other zones do when I "go dark" from right clicking the AlienFX icon. I guess that kind of makes sense since there is no "go dark" option on the AlienTactX icon and also some color would have to be on to let you know which "set" is currently active - no biggy, just thought I could turn them off if I wanted to.

 

Remove the check mark from "Keep Status Zones On During Go Dark" using the Alien-head tray icon (right-click) and then they will go dark with everything else. Remove the check mark before going dark.

 

Hey guys I finnaly have the AW 18 but I think I have a problem, I can't detect my mSata ssd what can I do? I runned pcwizard and I m not seing it there at all

 

Is it the standard 64gb mSata and 750gb HD? If so you won't see it because it is setup as a cache drive to your 750gb HD.

 

haaaaaaaaaaaaa okok and its that good or bad?

 

It's fine. The mSata does not show up because it cannot be used for anything else when set up as a cache drive. You can see it when you turn your machine on at the bios splash - you should be able to spot it listed with your other drive/s. You should also be able to open Intel Rapid Storage Technology interface and see it there.....

 

It's a good thing, you can still see it accelerating the PC under the IRST (located on the taskbar, right side)

 

I`ve been using this notebook for a few weeks now and I have to say I am in love with this machine. Very impressed, but it have some cons.

Display
The display is amazing. I owned GT70 earlier and this PLS display beats the living crap out of it although I was actually quite satisfied with the GT70 display. The colours are really accurate on the Alienware 18 and they just "pop", black is black, and white is actually white. My GT70 display had this haze all over it, where white was more greyish.
This video on the Alienware 18 was just amazing to look at.

I am also really lucky because I havent`t had any issues with the display. No ghosting, no dead pixels and no backlight bleeding whatsoever :thumbsup:

Acoustics
Its virtually silent when browsing the internet and doing office stuff, with some parts where the fan comes on for a minute, to disable or run really slow again. Gaming is also really quiet, with the fan running on a low hum. Unlike my GT70 where I was more or less was forced to use headphones when gaming, I can actually hear myself talking (cursing for dying lol) and enjoying the gameplay without the fan drowning the sounds from the game. Very impressive considering that this is a dual GPU beast.
Bravo Dell! :thumbsup:

Sound
Not particular impressed with the sound coming from the speakers. I don`t know if its because the speakers are kinda hidden unlike my GT70 speakers that was pointed upward or what it is, but the GT70 speakers was waay ahead here. The Alienware 18 speakers are not bad, but not good either. I say average or less than average.
I don`t know how to explain the soundstage (or the lack of it), but it was sort of damped sound. Like hearing someone through a wall.

Upgradeability
Not impressed.
Its good that Alienware use traditional MXM cards and not weird ones like Asus. You can also find pretty good guide on the Dell homepage on how to replace/change hardware, step by step. However I didn`t read it because I hate reading manuals, and when I decided to do something I consider easy, repasting the CPU and GPU, I was shocked. Its a really bad design in my own opinion, because you have to remove all HDDs and optical drive, remove all fans, turn the computer over, remove keyboard and palmrest, until you finally get down to the heatsinks to do the operation there. On my GT70 it was as easy as removing back cover and bam, there you have the CPU and GPU heatsink. I know I laughed at the poor Asus G75 owners posting pictures what they had to do to repaste, but this was no better.
Really disappointed with this design, and when I saw all I had to do, I said "F this" and decided to use stock paste until I really have to repaste later.

Keyboard
Keyboard is decent. The lights are pretty and customizable in many colours. The GT70 keyboard is better than the Alienware 18 keyboard. Maybe its me who prefer a mechanical keyboard who give you good feedback when you press down the keys. I just know that the keyboard and the mousepad buttons are a little bit too mushy. Not enough resistance and you feel like you are typing on air if you are pressing on the mouse buttons. The keyboard buttons are a little stiffer but could use a little more resistance. But its good enough for normal work and gaming, just not stellar.
What I do like is that there is very little light leakages from the LEDs below the keyboard on the Alienware 18. With GT70 you had the light glowing all around the keys, making it a little too flashy compared.

 

There's a bit (well quite a bit) of ringing (ie unwanted resonances) on the speakers. You could use the Dolby Surround tool to change the EQ on the speakers and apply a cut on where the ringing are.

To be frank, the speakers on the puny Lenovo Y500 (JBL speakers) are noticeably better than the speakers on the AW 18.

As for the layout of the mainboard and the components, I guess it's just inherited from the previous M18x. Maybe the space needs to be there to accommodate the metal chassis. Judging from the layout of stuff, I'd say that the AW 18 is designed to better sustain a drop. I think the GT70 would not survive a drop, but the AW 18 should have no problem with it. You could test it out for us.

Also, it isn't that complicated to get to the GPU and CPU heatsink. I mean, most of the screws are either 5mm or 8mm, with a few odd ones such as those for the ODD and those for screwing in the HDD/SSD. I especially like the 3 chrome plated screws at the bottom. Those last a long time, as they won't rust as easily as those black painted screws.

 

The CPU and GPU might be above the system board so they are better-shielded from shock, and this set-up leaves more space for the metal frame.

i.e. kh90123 is probably right.

Makes me wonder how durable the 17 is in comparison to the 18.

 

The hardest (or scariest) part of the teardown, for me at least, was the removal of the palmrest. The rest is mainly just memorizing which screws go where and staying attentive to what you are doing. It took me quite a while to manage to get the palmrest off while only breaking a few of the tabs along the edges. I was probably doing it wrong in some way but when following Dell's manual there is not much to go off of.

 

This has probably been asked multiple times here, tried going through the thread but the shear number of pages overwhelmed me, so here is the question, what CPU pairs well with a SLI of 780m, I wouldn't want to chose one that would bottle neck the system, but I do not want to have to pay an arm and a leg either would a I7 4800mq suffice ?

Thanks

 

I have asked the same question (or some what similar). Refer to the link below, it might partially answer your question
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...nware-18-please-promote-ideastorm-asap-7.html

 

I am using a config with an i7 4800 and 780M SLI. Got not issues with games Other than ARMA III (I get 40-45FPS), I always get 60+ FPS with everything on! For ARMA I got to turn-off AA for 55-60FPS.

Most games are GPU-depended, other than few games now and then, mainly on their multiplayer. Here is a link to another forum: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1694858/laptop-cpu-4700mq-4800mq.html have a look at the 4th answer. If you are not into overclocking much nor trying to break a few benchmark records, then the 4800 will do!

 

i agree completely the only advantage is the extra 2m of cache which doesn't really come into play much in games

 

to all you IT specialists out there is there any way to have both wired and wireless connections working together in a load balanced as i have two slow 6m connections available to me

 

I just managed to physically install my new SSD (Crucial M500) to my machine. However it seems I lost my USB drive with the Windows 8 installation. Is there a way to use the recovery partition to install Windows 8 to the SSD?

 

No sir Cant restore to another drive. Youll have to install from the media if you have them or get AW to send you media..

 

Damn, I can take an oath that someone else mention it somewhere...

I got a second USB drive but it is 200MBs small... looks like I will format one of my externals...

 

new nvidia drivers available

 

I am finally done with all the updates and drivers after a clean installation (twice). During the installation, I had to set my BIOS to AHCI and now my mSata cache for my "old" HDD boosting doesn't work. I tried switching to RAID and booting in Safe Mode, but nothing. Any ideas?

My M500 reports:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 3.0.2 x64 (C) 2007-2013 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]

Sequential Read : 463.288 MB/s
Sequential Write : 423.382 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 417.335 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 408.717 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 22.806 MB/s [ 5567.8 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 73.716 MB/s [ 17997.0 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 332.449 MB/s [ 81164.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 326.969 MB/s [ 79826.4 IOPS]

Test : 1000 MB [C: 10.4% (46.2/446.6 GB)] (x5)
Date : 2013/10/22 0:27:36
OS : Windows 8 [6.2 Build 9200] (x64)

 

You hve to have to bios SATA controller in raid for the mSata cache to work. You'll have to reload again if you switch it to raid from ahci.

 

Problem with installing with RAID mode, Windows 8 installation doesn't find my disk!

 

You have to download and copy the raid drivers to a USB drive then have te setup install the drivers at the setup screen

 

You need to format the drive into GPT using an external enclosure. That's the easiest way to do it.

 

This is the correct answer. Download the Intel Rapid Storage Technology F6 drivers. If you are installing via USB you can extract them to the root directory of the Windows installation media. During setup click the option to add drivers. No need to use GPT format for the drives to be recognized. You can let Windows format the drives from unallocated disk space.

For more details see the opening post in this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...es-sata-iii-ssd-upgrade-raid0-discussion.html

 

Thanks both of you for all your help!

I will read the thread you posted Mr. Fox and give it another go as soon as I get off work!

I was hoping to use one of WinXP-Win7 tricks, remove a few registry keys and boot to safe mode, but alas Windows 8 doesn't work like that....

 

Well formatting the disk into GPT isn't really wrong by any means. If the drive is empty a quick format takes a short time. You can install the RST driver after that. At least it worked in my case, where there's no drives running in RAID 0.

I finally got my machine back up and running, after 2 mobo replacement. I spent the better part of today trying to update to 8.1. In Win 8.1, if you don't have Secure Boot enabled, there's a permanent watermark on the bottom right of desktop saying "SecureBoot isn't configured correctly".

Also I found from all the pain I went through, that, disabling fast boot is a better idea. I don't know what hanky panky stuff Win 8 does with fast boot, but it skips certain hardware checks, and if you have any problem it won't POST. Without fast boot, when you boot up, and reach the Alienware character in the middle of the screen, you will see the red bar at the bottom. With fast boot it's some spinning circles at the bottom.

And, it seems that this third mainboard could be a little bit different (ie, revised). Instead of running into no POST, it will POST and reset the BIOS to default settings after a few times of turning the power button on and off. Now I have not confirmation about this behavior but it appears to work this way.

It also seems that the certain chipset have been changed, but I can't confirmed this. Immediately after replacing the mainboard, unlike the 2nd replacement I had BSOD saying Memory_management, and on top of that the system wouldn't detect the GPU anymore. So I tried installing Nvidia latest 331.58 driver, but it didn't work either. Sometimes it detects one GPU, sometimes it doesn't. I thought that my 2nd GPU was dead, or that the SLI bridge is broken.

In the end, I updated to 8.1 and installed all the drivers. Several drivers have been updated, but Dell doesn't list all of them on the driver page. Some of the drivers doesn't install nicely in 8.1, so a bit more effort was needed than usual. For a long time I had one unknown device in Device Manager, until I installed the new Intel Management Engine Interface. DPTF installation didn't work for me in Win 8, but now it works in 8.1. Somehow after many reboots I got the SLI GPU back, and everything is working properly now. Even the Dolby Profile Selector is working (well I actually had to make a new task in Task Scheduler, but that's just the quirk of Win 8).

I am not optimistic about Dell releasing any further firmware to address the throttling on 4930MX. It might be an intended design. Running the CPU at 3GHz, it takes 35W and the CPU temp never goes higher than 80C. Seems like it's trying to keep it at 77C, about the same range as the stock GPU. At this temp the system is whisper quiet. Haswell CPU runs extremely hot.

If anyone is interested to get Win 8.1 from 8, you can get the ISO by reading the websites below.

How to download the Windows 8.1 ISO using your Windows 8 retail key | WinBeta
Here is how to get the Windows 8.1 ISO and create a USB install stick - Neowin

And when you install 8.1 using the DVD/USB drive, you will have to key in product key. Use the placeholder key here:
Windows 8.1 fresh install with Windows 8 licence - Super User

Win 8 key doesn't work for that. Sucks isn't it. Well it's just another day of Microsoft. You will be able to activate 8.1 once you finish installing it, with the Win 8 key. Installation takes a long long time, even on a Samsung 840 Pro.

Peace be with you. I am gonna go chill out and think about my next machine which is probably not going to run Microsoft.

 

Thanks for the input. The drive was formatted into GPT originally.

Good to hear you got a working machine now!

Well if you are moving to a Macbook, from my experience some things are much easier and somewhat dumbed down. If you are talking about Linux - Ubuntu or SteamOS - I wouldn't trust any Linux distribution as my main OS...

 

Probably will still have the Alienware around, but for work I am inclined to get a Macbook Pro. There's less hassle on the Mac OS, esp the new Maverick OSX. Depending on how wide spread Linux is, it's likely that I will have Linux on a gaming desktop.

 

I used to have a MBP, there is less hassle, but if something goes wrong you are too depended on Apple to fix it + sometimes you get worse errors than Windows...

I installed Windows 8 again, this time in RAID and setup my mSata as cache! Thanks Mr.Fox, pathfindercod for and kh90123 all your precious help! One last question: I can't install Dynamic Platform & Thermal Framework drivers! I get a message that my machine doesn't meet the minimum requirements. I installed chipset drivers first and got latest version from Intel as well. Within a log file, it appears the drivers can't locate an INF file. Any ideas?