*OFFICIAL* M18x Owner's Lounge Thread

I am having the same issues. Mine started after the tech came and replaced my motherboard and cards (6990)cfx. I get 8 beeps no boot. I shook the laptop and it randomly will boot up every 8 hours....

 

MAITAI, having 8 beeps is a video adapter error. Shaking it should have no effect on anything. Neither should waiting 8 hours. Perhaps one of the video cards is not properly seated. I would disassemble your system, remove and reinstall the memory modules and video modules. Be sure the contacts are clean and free of dust or lint. If you still have problems after reseating everything, then you need to call 1-800-ALIENWARE for hardware support.

I had an issue with 8 beeps and it turned out to be defective AMD 6990M modules. My M18x worked fine after removing them... no more beeping or boot problems. There were at least 2 other members of our forum with the same problem, so about 4 or 5 of us in all. I confirmed it was not the motherboard, as I moved the video cards to another system and it also failed to boot with either video card installed.

 

It would be a good practice if Dellienware provide a contextual guide on the right meaning / interpretation of those "beeps"...

edit: In second thought, maybe the place 4 this post in "what users wants in the M18 R2"

P.S.: Be careful with those shakings... you're not making a weird 007 martini...

 

Tearing is when one of the screens isn't accepting the inputted resolution.

I know it happens to my TV even though it can accept 1920x1080, but if I use my other laptop and try to replicate the screen, the output is the regular 1300x768 or whichever, which is not accepted by the TV, resulting in massive tearing.

 

Yeah, it would be handy to know the exact interpretation of the bios beep messages. Would probably save Dell alot of wasted "tech time" if its just something like incorrectly seated memory modules etc....something the user can do/fix themselves.

One olive or two, Miss Moneypenny?

 

thx for the replying guys. i dont exactly remember how long/ how many times the beep was cause i was really worried and frustrated. it could have been 4 or easily been 8 so theres no way to tell now that ive succesfully started up, however 1 problem still remains.

this all started to happen after technician open up my laptop the2nd time to replace keyboard frame. computer would randomly freezes whenever i watch HD videos or play computers games ONLY when i try to adjust screen brightness. theres no fix to it and i had to restart computer. alienware tech did a remote upgrade on my bios and i thought it might have helped but then this happened, and today once again, it freezed when i try to change screen brightness...

any idea?

 

Thank You.

 

can anyone help me with my problems? its the last post on the page before i just hope it isnt skipped and dont want to repost it again but iam so frustrated right now that alienware tech think its DRIVER issue that my computer is making those beep and they are refusing to send anyone out until they are sure what the problem is.

what i hate about all this is that the amount of time they spend on the computer is merely few minutes and i am spending weeks/months on the laptop, the problem ISNT occuring when im calling them and this is getting ridiculous cause they obviously believe that i am lying, this is so freaking sad.

 

unityole - If I am interpreting what you posted correctly, you are no longer having problems with beeping at POST? Is this correct? It's odd that this would heal itself, so you may have a hardware issue.

However, the freezing when you attempt to adjust screen brightness, watch videos and play games could be a number of things. You could spend many hours trying to troubleshoot that problem. It could be drivers, could be an issue with Adobe Flash, it could be another software issue, or it could be a hardware issue.

Here is what I would suggest... If you have done anything to modify your BIOS or vBIOS, put them back to their factory default states. If you have installed aftermarket memory, HDD or SSD, put the original parts back in.

After doing so, if your system is still malfunctioning, reinstall Windows using the Windows installation media that came with your M18x, or use AlienRespawn to restore your system to a factory default state if you still have that option available. If rebuilding your Windows installation does not produce a remedy, it's probably reasonable to conclude the problem is being caused by malfunctioning hardware.

Keep track of all actions you take so you can describe them in detail to a Tech Support rep. If you still have problems, call Alienware Support and explain what steps were taken. If the Level 1 rep starts to give you the run-around, ask to speak with his/her Manager and have your case escalated to Level 2.

Here are some links that you may find useful:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ook-feel-after-clean-install-windows-7-a.html​

For assistance sorting out issues where you have not been able to secure satisfactory help from Dell/Alienware Tech Support or Customer Service, a couple of effective venues for escalation that Dell Representative Bill B. recently shared with us:

(1) on Twitter send a message to @DellCares, or

(2) use the Support link on the left side of the Dell Facebook page.​

 

If it is working and it did boot up, please share what you did.

 

thanks for the reply fox, its booting up now but ive faced the loud beeping sound more than once, the last time it happend, which was still today, took me about 20 mins to keep restarting/starting to get into windows and now i am afraid to shut my computer down, im really at no point to go.

thing is if i just tell them comp cant boot into windows or even into bios, they will ask me to send the laptop back which is what i try not to do, it'll take weeks before it gets back to me, and problems might not even be solved. laptop might get to their end, and starts to work at that point of time, so they would just leave it as it is, which make sense and happens ALL THE TIME with every laptop company manufacturer.

 

Hey bud... I totally feel your pain, man. I don't blame you for not wanting to send it to the repair depot. Why are they asking you to send it in? Don't you have the normal warranty with in-home service? Did you buy yours as a refurb from Dell or brand new? In 4 years of owning multiple high-end Dell and Alienware laptops, I have never once been asked to send in a machine for repairs. It's always parts, a technician, or both, coming to my house.

I don't think your problem is going to get better. It's going to stay the same or get worse. You need to get it taken care of. MAITAI is having the same problem and Alienware is exchanging her M18x with another unit. I think you need to talk to someone else in Tech Support at a higher level. There's no reason for you to be trying to fix this yourself or putting up with a machine acting that way. And the really good part is, Dell/Alienware does not want you to have to. You're just not talking to someone that cares enough or lacks the knowledge to know how to take care of you the right way.

If you cannot get anywhere on the phone with Tech Support and cannot get your case escalated to Level 2, please use the twitter method noted above. Someone will intervene for you. One final thing... be sure that you are calling Alienware Tech Support at 1-800-ALIENWARE not Dell Tech Support. This is a mistake people sometimes make and they're not the same outfit. Alienware Support is much better based on my experience... at least here in the USA and Canada they are. (Not sure where you are, bro. If you're in the UK or Europe, the Tech Support is not a pretty picture based on what I read here on the forum.)

 

i have a 2 year warranty so i think i'll be safe, i brought this up to supervisor after 1st level operator told me it was a driver issue. supervisor stated he knows it might be memory problems but not 100% sure and said the reason they need me to send in laptop for inspection is because in-home technician might not have the proper parts and parts they received might be also defective, which i totally understand such scenario could happen, but it was the exact point i tried to tell him, laptop might starts to work when it gets to their side, and they wont do a thing for it.

however, he insisted i have to send it back and stated firmly theres no other option and it was the only way to get my laptop properly checked. i was really disappointed after hearing it.

tbh i had a lot on my mind about alienware, i loved their design, but im not a lucky person. i bought the crossfire portion for 600, and a week later price dropped to 500, which i just accepted the fact that i bought it at the wrong time, then when i received my laptop, ESC key cap came off and top row keys get stuck. i had them replaced a new keyboard frame, and then that frame had a small broken piece in it which disconnects the caps-lock/numlock indicator lights, and i had to replace it again. right after keyboard frame got replaced twice, changing brightness feature starts to freeze my computer, its been a total of 15-20 times now. just few days ago i found out they stopped selling crossfire in m18x due to overheat issues, only 580 and 580sli presented in customization page, i was really disappointed i got a not so good product after paying so much for it. all of this happend within a month and half and i just keep accepting the fact that im unlucky. and earlier today my laptop wont even start up and starts to beep on me, i think i might have had enough.

when i get off work tomorrow morning i will be calling dell and have them solve this problem, either send someone for inspection, or send parts + technician to fix it. if not i might force this laptop back and try to get a full refund, then buy the 580sli.

people should learn from the pain and not buy alienware again, but i just love the looks of this laptop + sli/crossfire.

 

@unityole - if you're within 21 days you can definitely return it for a refund. If it is more than 21 days, you may have difficulty with that.

Dell did not stop selling 6990M CrossFire. They did have an engineering hold on the sale/distribution of those cards until they found the solution for the overheating and thermal shutdown. Now that this problem has been fixed, the AMD cards are available again on the ordering page.

I remember reading about your problems with the keyboard as soon as you took it out of the box. Something definitely was not right with many aspects of your new system. It's not typical of the norm.

You have a great warranty and I expect that everything is going to turn out well for you in the end. As you noted, these are awesome machines and you just need to get one that's not all messed up. Anything else you would purchase in place of the M18x would be a downgrade for something not built as well, does not look as nice and is less powerful. Although you should not have to expend any extra effort, it will be worth it in the end when you have an M18x that works properly. Please keep us posted on how things go.

 

Hello everyone !

I am a newcomer on the forum (sorry for my english BTW). Being in USA for a moment I took profit of the opportunity to buy an alienware, way less expensive than in France.
I have bought an M18x few days ago and am now waiting for it. It's specs are i7-2760QM, GTX580M SLI, 4GB RAM 1333, 500GB 7200RPM... so I just increased a little bit the cpu and took the best cards possible (6990 were not available and 580 had a fair price).

At the same time I bought from newegg 4x4GB kingston hyper x ram 1600, and a crucial m4 128GB SSD :
Newegg.com - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX

So basically, when the computer will come I will :

-Make the checklist
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/625450-brand-new-m18x-system-check-list.html
So basically these steps (copy/paste from above):
0. unboxing / DVD's / powercord
1. check exterior all angles for damage
2. check to make sure palmrest is flush with chassis / check chassis / check display is not loose
3. check display for damaged pixels
4. run Dxdiag and check that installed HW is what I ordered
5. check audio with headset & without
6. test in notepad that all keys on keyboard work / flex
7. run windows experience index
8. test out ports
9. Create two alienware recovery DVDs
10. A little bit of benchmarking


-Install RAM then SSD, like stated page 3 of the following tread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/601604-installing-ssd-m18x.html
To open the computer and make the job i found several helping pages like:
Alienware M18x complete teardown / review - Hidevolution.com - YouTube
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/583324-ram-upgrade-m18x-pics.html
and the alienware manual
BTW, the part were I will have to unplug the plastic part cercling the keyboard is already stressing me^^
So in this step I will have to :
11. Power Down + Install SSD
12. SSD Firmware ?
13. Enter Setup : Change Boot Option in Bios To SSD as Primary, as well as AHCI Mode
14. Install Win 7
15. Install drivers from DELL.com
16. Make some optimization for the SSD using this link (I do not intend to make all the changes noted but only the ones what seem to me safe):
The SSD Optimization Guide - The SSD Review
17. Envoy Skyrim and Battlefield 3 (if you knew what computers i have used until now for gaming, you would understand I am pretty exited )

So I have made my homeworks on this forum as good as I can, knowing my weakness in informatic and english understanding.

1 / Overall, do you see anything that I have made wrong until now? Like in my hardware choices (i can still return the material when it will arrive)

2 / After going on DELL.com I am lost about the drivers I should choose. When in doubt, should I select anyway a driver and install it? I just know I will take every M18x drivers from the site with the exception of the AMD ones ^^

3/ About the opening of the keyboard part of the computer, I have bought some tools, have a plastic scribe in order to force without damaging too much the cover, but what feedback do you have about the difficulty of the operation? Should I for now just install the material on the rear side (and so only 8GB which from what I could read is already plenty) ?

4/ When I will have done this, would it be ok if you analyse for me the results of the benchmarking on this forum?

Thanks by advance guys !

 

thanks a lot mate, im choking right now to see im not qualified to get full refund anymore =(, i definitely owned this machine for more than a month, actually just a bit over a month so i guess im gonna have to talk a lot with them tomorrow. is there anything specific i should tell the supervisor not to have my machine send in? i want to avoid that as much as possible. hopefully i can get a different supervisor and somehow have them agree to send a technician out or something.


EDIT: hey fox i just recalled something i posted in the 6990m crossfire thread. after having brightness change freeze laptop problem i looked up on google, it seems a lot of other people having same issue but laptop brand, GPU as well as everything else varies. so going back to the 6990m crossfire you asked me to update to latest AMD 11.10 driver, which i did but still chooses 11.8 cause i couldnt change brightness after the update, even with fresh window + latest driver, and proper restart after installation, it wont let me change brightness. every brightness level seems to stay at the max.

could this have something to do with the freezes? cause if this was a big issue, all these other people updated to amd 11.10 driver would have notice long ago, not being able to change brightness level, am i the only one here, and im thinking they are probably somehow higly connected issues.


EDIT2: i did a clean installation of windows, with all the latest driver and nothing extra installed on the computer, not even hwinfo64 which dell strongly advised to use it for fan control. aside from everything at default + latest drivers, i installed VLC and proceed to just wait for couple hrs. after 2 hrs i watch couple of videos seems alright while constantly changing brightness, it seems fine but then finally freezes up again.

i didnt think i would needed to do this cause i also have g74sx laptop with all the same program and window settings as my m18x, whats different is the laptop, drivers and thats it. i even used the same window installation, so really hope alienware tech will send someone out and just accept the fact that this machine is bugged and defective.


EDIT3: ive successfully get them to replace my alienware with a brand new machine, better yet they allow me to upgrade on 1 portion of my computer, either gpu or cpu, not both due to sales department not allowing it cause they want to have some accomplishment lol. i explained how i had so much trouble in just a month and half and the 1st level operator came back telling me he can get it replaced for me!! awesome, way better than the supervisor last night.. now i can upgrade the cpu + 1 year of additional warranty and that was the deal i had to agree on, for 400 dollars. unfortunately they wont be able to upgrade my GPU although i bought it for 100 dollars more than the price now with only 1 week difference but i think im satisfied. thanks a lot for helping me out man fox, this load of crap puts so much stress and i just kept worrying about it, now i can just sit back and wait for the new computer to arrive, pretty cool!

 

I'm looking at picking up an M18x, but considering waiting until we see whats next from NVidia and Intel. Are we expecting a big jump from NVidia/ATI? How well does the 580SLI setup handle Direct X11? Anyone playing Metro 2033 or AVP on DX11?

Just trying to get a plan together. Im running a Macbook Pro Quad right now, so Im not desperate but Im looking forward to some heavier metal.

Thanks guys.

 

Nothing announced currently, but chances are we'll see a new round of GPU's in the next 3-6 months.... (probably summer on the M18x)

However, the current gen of high end video cards 6990 and 580 most definitely play every game with maximum details. Metro 2033 for example is probably the most demanding game out there today and I can max everything (but DoF) and get 45fps+ throughout the game.

It really depends on what you are loking to play, if the games you want to play are out already, go ahead, you'll be happy.

 

With my current (not 580m sli) system, 6990's at stock, I can max out Metro with DOF enabled (PhysX disabled) to the tune of around 30fps. This is using Metro's "in game" bench tool....there's also a Crysis 2 bench below FYI...

Spoiler

 

Is there a way to switch on IGP/GFX without having to load on windows and pressing FN+F7 and rebooting?

I wish to go in bios and telling to my m18x to boot on IGP or GFX without having to load windows.

Sorry for my bad english.

 

Hi Joce21 - no, unfortunately, there is no way to do what you are asking. It would be nice if there was a switch in the BIOS to select whether to boot by default from IGP or discreet GPU... I wish it were so.

 

Just wanted to confirm : Alienware uses Intel manufactured motherboards right? I mean not just the chipset but also the motherboard itself.

 

The short answer is "probably not." And, the answer could easily change depending on exactly what Alienware product model you are referring to.

 

So sorry, I was referring to the M18x. I thought it was implied since this is a M18x forum.

Another question would be, when the M18x boots up, does the Intel logo appear during BIOS init?

 

A BIOS can be customized for VAR usage. Many Dells, HPs and others are not using their own BIOS, but it shows "HP" during boot.

 

Okay, Thanks. I will just have to find out tomorrow when my M18x arrives.

 

It should be implied, but I have seen stranger things. - there is an Alienware (Alien Head) logo with progress bar

Correct

I doubt the mobo is made by Intel. The M18x is built exclusive for Dell to Alienware specifications by a third-party. This is a customary practice... almost all laptops are made by a vendor other than the branded OEM name.

 

Thanks for the detailed replies,

Well anyway, this might be off topic forgive me but I wanted to share this point of view. Just like Dell, the level of detailed explanation Intel provides for their motherboards in their website is astounding. From basic information such as port locations to engineering level information such as capacitor values are available. I have not seen any other board manufacturer come close. A lot of people like ASUS but when you visit their website there really is not much information provided. I am starting to think they just release new mobos every month without thoroughly testing each design, this is made apparent by the fact that almost every line of mobo they have has revision versions. It is like they are fixing issues by making a new one. Too bad if you owned Rev. 0.

As far as reliability goes, I had a media server type Intel mobo that did not reboot for 6 months through countless downloads and several game crashes.

Just my 2c.

 

Good morrow to thy fellow M18x users..
I have a system equipped with 6990m's in crossfire,
I have been having many problems with it since the first week and its been running very slow as of lately, no virus's, spywares, malwares or anything else but Im really dissapointed in what I've gotten for $4000.
Now half my function buttons dont work, such as integrated graphics, brightness, HDMI IN, ALIEN FX and I really dont know why they wouldnt work.. Another problem is constant high usage on CPU and GPU even when Im not putting them to use.. yet when I try actually using them they're terrible in regards to what I'd thought they would be (3 fps while testing 3Dmark11 in performance mode with an overall rating of P1059......) especially when trying to use autocad or other adobe products my computer is on maximum usage and freezes constantly and is still slow in general. Also I had a problem recently that stopped where the Display driver randomly stops working and recovers itself ? Happened 3 times in an hour or 2

Now if you've stuck around and read this I love you and I dont expect you to have the answers to all my problems, but at least a couple would do ?
PLEASE and thank you

Some system info ?

Intel Core i7-2860QM
AMD RADEON HD 6990M CROSSFIRE
16GB DDR3 RAM @ 1666mhz
WDC WD7500BPKT-750GB x 2

Also Running AMD 11.10 catalyst drivers as well if that may affect anything in anyway ?

Any more info needed please ask me Again Id appreciate ANY help !

 

Hell tazaa. Welcome to NBR Forums. We're happy you joined the community. Congratulations on the M18x. What an awesome beast you have. Nice specs!

It sounds like you have a number of problem going on. The lack of function with the f-keys suggests OSD needs to be reinstalled.

If the other issues are not being caused by malware, my suggestion is to use AlienRespawn to restore your system to a factory fresh state or do a clean Windows installation. If it runs the same way at that point, you really need to call 1-800-ALIENWARE and obtain warranty support to get these issues resolved.

Please let us know how things go with this.

 

Thanks for the reply !
So after some deep thinking I came up with an idea and started playing some games as they always work well on my baby, after doing so for a little bit and getting the graphics cards working I immediately went and ran a 3dmark on it and it actually turned out amazing compared to before, a score of P6047
Now what it seemed like to me was that previously the graphics cards were I guess you could say off ? As after getting them both running it seemed to fix the performance problem. But this I still do not understand why ? But when using autocad and photoshop or premier it cant be because of this reason because all fans are always on and loud when using them.. Would you happen to be familiar with these problems and possibly a solution to it ? Also as I'm typing the CPU fan is roaring and the 2nd GPU's fan is constantly roaring than quieting down after a couple seconds, its very wierd.. does this happen to anyone else with this system?

I will reinstall the OSD and let you know what happens after.
I love the system when it comes to gaming, but these problems really upset me especially when autocad runs almost the same as it does on a 5850m !
Ps. Thanks for the kindness Im happy to have joined the forum as well !
Mr. Fox I thank you and really appreciate all your help !

Ps. Multiple times I had checked my windows experience index and the graphics ratings were at 6.2, later on after installing Catalyst 11.10 the rating was at 6.2 but somewhere down the road it changed and this morning it was at 7.6, before I had the "Amd driver stopped responding and recovered" error and tried the new dell driver out, after being displeased with the driver I went back to the 11.10 and now it is back to 6.2, what should the ratings be for a system like mine for that category? And also why is it doing this change ?
THANK YOU AGAIN I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP !

 

Hi all!

I have a slight problem here.

I'm planning to go on vacation, but the flights is 12 hours and i want to play some games at least in the. Plane with my m18x

Now I'll be flying with Cathay, and they provide AC electrical outlet on economy, but, the output is just 100watt

So what's going to happen with my m18x if i plug on my 330w charger to 100w outlet? I think it won't charge, and even worse?

But there is an electrical plug on every seat, and is there a way to connect three or more 100w outlets Into one big 300w or more with outlet?

Will it be as simple as creating a parallel outlet with three electrical plug and. Plug each one into different 100w outlet? Or it require some thing else?

Thanks in advance

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

Hey guys,
Since the wait for my M18X to arrive has just begun, thought I would have a cooler ready for my shiny new m18x.

I've looked up some reviews, but just couldn't tell if they are up to date and so on.

Which Cooler are you using?

 

One option you might consider is picking up an external pack that can charge the laptop while your using it. You can plug you laptop wall charger in to the battery pack, and probably get anywhere from an addition 2-10 hours depending on the size of the battery pack you buy.

I see these kind of solutions online all the time. One place to go is:

The Battery Geeks - New High Capacity External Li-ion Battery Packs

Hope that helps. Not sure what the plane will provide in terms of plugging the laptop in. Another thing to consider is that the M18x may not be too happy on one of those little tray tables!

 

You should be fine 100w, it probably feeds the ammout of amps needed by the power supply. (keep in mind that 100w is the rated power not the average or peak power.... my car has such outlet and powers the M18x with no issues)

 

Yeah, it's not, LOL!!! I know this from experience, as I travel frequently and the M18x is almost always at my side. Even in First Class, as soon as a rude guy in the seat ahead of you kicks his seat back to catch some Z's you're done. (I wish all plane seats were permanently locked in their full upright position.) There's just not enough room for a pleasant gaming experience. May as well switch to IGP and watch some movies. You can have enough room for that by propping up the base on your gut instead of setting the M18x flat on the tray table. That even works in coach.

 

Hi Kevin! Congratulations on the M18x. I'm excited for you. The anticipation is difficult, but I trust it will be worth the wait. I love my M18x.

I moved your question here to the owner's lounge where it can get better exposure. I know a lot of M18x owners are using coolers, so I am confident you'll get a number of good responses without having to dedicate a thread to answering your question.

 

Hey Kevin, I tried them all! (or close), in my opinion the "best buy" is:

Amazon.com: Cooler Master NotePal U3 Notebook Cooler with 3 Fans R9-NBC-8PCK-G: Electronics

Also the only one to actually cool my CPU/GPU by about 2-3c.

This one looks cool but does nothing to my M18x... (aside from giving me extra USB 3.0 ports)

Amazon.com: Cooler Master Storm SF 19 17" Laptop Cooler with USB 3.0 (SGA-6000-KKYF1): Electronics


At the end of the day, you will get far better results with a good Thermal Pating job, but not for everyone as it's someone time consuming and complicated (not that bad) getting to the CPU/GPU.... but for what it's worth, elevating the laptop a few degrees works for me even for the ease of use vs a flat laptop.

 

Do 1TB laptop drives fit in the M18x? I know they should but just to be sure.

 

Yes, just as long the form factor is 2.5 inch.

 

Thanks, I am planning to acquire a 5400 drive just for storage. And also, a tip to users wanting 7200 drives. These drives have very little difference in access times and emit a lot of heat which leads to metal or plastic fatigue.

 

Yes, also be sure to check out the power requirements, last time i bought 1tb Seagate 2.5 constellation and it wont boot, due to not enough power goes into the hard drive

 

yup, 7200 drives also draw more power.

 

I think thats not true at all, if i've given a choice of one 500gb 5400 for free or €100 for 500GB 7200, i still gonna go for 7200. I spent a year on 5400 and once i moved to 7200, the difference are more than "little"

 

I have experienced zero issues with dual Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 7200 RPM HDD's in my M18x, 2 320GB 7200 RPM HDD's in my M17x R2, 2 320GB 7200 RPM drives in other Dell and HP laptops with room for more than one HDD. Two will draw twice the power of one, but I have never found lack of power or heat to be an issue with a 7200 RPM thus far. I don't generally use cheap, under-powered laptops (excepting my Mini 9 netbook, which has no HDD).

Ivander - unless I am mistaken, the Constellation you are referring to is an external drive and we are discussing using the optical drive bay for a third internal drive space.

I have seen issues with several external drives not being bootable without supplemental operating power. My eSATA drive is bootable with supplemental USB power, but not bootable connected only to the eSATA port.

 

No Mr.Fox, i am referring to Constellation 2 1tb 2.5" by seagate, it wont boot up, but it certainly fits (a little thicker than normal though)
Constellation.2 Hard Drives | Seagate

but i do not know if we are talking about the replacement of the optical drive to get an additional hard drive sorry bout that, i thought we were referring to the dual HDD slot on M18x

 

Thanks for the link. I thought that was an external drive, sorry for the confusion. It's odd that it requires more power than the M18x can deliver. I learn something new every day. Thank you!

 

Just got my machine in with the orion backpack... WOW this thing is huge!!! Going to play with it for the next few days, did not realize how much bigger it is then the M17x R3 I had. I did get a great deal from the outlet on this guy.

Any suggestions in settings or how to travel with it??

 

CSHawkeye81 - congratulations! I love my M18x and the Orion backpack. The massive size of the beast is awesome and that adds even more value to the ownership experience (to me anyway). Check out the manual fan control and 580M throttle fix links in my signature. Using manual fan control is good for extended hours of gaming. Just crank the fans all the way up and leave them there while gaming and your beast will hardly break a sweat. Give fan control back to the M18x during ordinary use and it is quiet, but cool.

I travel extensively with the M18x at my side. Whenever possible, I am attached to an AC outlet with everything on maximum power settings and no power conservation settings of any kind. When battery life becomes important for brief periods (such as a plane ride with no AC power), I switch to the Intel HD 3000 IGP and a default Power saver profile. This will get me between 4.5 and 5 hours on the battery.

Enjoy your monster... I know you will.

 

yes its huge. no biggy by the way, your eyes will get used to the size.

same here it came with the m18x orion back pack, yeah its huge, but you're going to need it also orion is my first gaming laptop backpack i ever owned and i was really impressed with the slots and arrangements inside, even my dad wants one lolz still the weight is comfy when you put the straps in. i can put some other things and threat that as a hand carry when i check in at the airport, only the laptop is inside without the charger, cord and mouse.

i also travel a lot, and that is overseas. my last trip in Europe i customized my laptop in power saving mode in switched intel graphics, its a mean 5 hours of ms office encoding for me.

finally, if you travel in long periods, i might suggest a stroller so you can drag your rig in the long run (imo like in my case i usually have multiple transfer ) but if you are traveling in short distance then the backpack is more than enough. depends on what case you are comfortable.