*OFFICIAL* M18x Owner's Lounge Thread

A lot of this is your definition of mobile, what you consider big and heavy.

It is significantly larger and heavier than the M17x. An average config is about 3 pounds heavier, .3 inches thicker, and of course larger all around than the M17x and most people would not consider the M17x ideally portable. If you compare the M18x to something like a 17 inch Envy or Macbook (which are generally the type of 17 inch laptops people consider portable) it would be like .7 inches thicker and twice as heavy. And of course compared to Ultrabooks (generally at 15 inch or less), the true portable laptops, it would be an inch thicker, and 3 times heavier (at least).

In addition to the added size the M18x loses some battery life compared to the M17x. On average it will get 1 to 1.5 hours less battery life than the M17x. Compared to more mobile laptops the M18x might be losing by as much as 4 hours of battery life.

Thus, when considering mobility that is pretty much it. It is heavier, and it gets less battery life. If neither of those is a deal breaker for you then it is mobile. One thing I did before buying my M17x was to get a 10 pound weight plate and stick it in my backpack, just to see. I will admit that 10 pounds feels a lot heavier than it sounds, but I still decided the M17x was the right laptop for me. It was a good trade off, it is lighter and thinner, gets better battery life, but still has plenty of performance for everything I want to do. I certainly considered the M18x though, I feel like it would last a lot longer before needing upgrades, which on a $$$$ machine is a pretty big deal.

 

For the past 7-8 months been carrying mine to and from work each and every day (1bus+1train+walk=1hr each direction). It is manageable

 

So I have searched a few pages of this forum for anything on this topic, but with no luck. So...

I pack up my laptop quite a bit, and take it with me at least 3 times a week, and when I get home, un-plugging and plugging everything back in, can be a pain in the a**.

So, my question is, has anyone seen/used a dock which is somewhat compatible with the M18x?

Not just like a USB hub, I am talking:
-Video (HDMI/Mini DP/VGA)
-Audio (Jacks and Optical)
-USB (Obviously)
-(Power is obviously too specific)

I'm not entirely sure how it would interface with the M18x.
But I am just interested to see if anyone has used or seen anything like this compatible with our wonderful laptops!

Many Thanks in Advance!
Motev

 

I doubt you'll ever find one. Docks are usually made for Ultrabooks/Media Center based laptops. DTR's are more like a one stop shop. You should probably look into a M11x R2+ or M14x on the side. I know there are a lot of M18x owners who own a combination of the two.

 

i travel to home and work with my M18x every day, i've got an extra power lead at my desk at work and at home, so that i only have to unplug the powersuppy and leave the power cord to socket on my desk, (just saves getting under the desk to pull the power out, other than that i've done it every day and doesn't bother me, i've just got to make a stand at work, to lift it up a little!

P.S love it to bits

 

The M18x doesn't have 3D screen but if I have an external 3D LCD monitor, can I plug up the laptop to the external monitor and play The Witcher 2 in 3D on that monitor even though it will just be in 2D on the M18x screen? That would be an HDMI out-port I'm guessing, correct?

 

Yes, it has an HDMI 1.4 out and is 3D compatible. Not to mention, if you have the cash, that 3D gets substantially better (IMO) as the size of the screen increases. The best 3D is when it fills your entire field of vision (so like 32 inch at a normal desk sitting distance, which is actually what I use at home).

Oh, and it SHOULD be compatible with all those glasses free 3D displays we saw at CES. That would definitely be my choice, the glasses are OK, but I would pay more to get rid of them.

 

There's actually a good read here on the M18x and output to an external 3d capable source.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/630931-m18x-3d-capable-hdmi-cable.html

 

Hey Skygunner, Thanks for the reply.

Whilst yes I agree one day I may get a smaller one, I bought the m18x for the power, and the ability of being able to pick it up and go whenever I want.

The only reason I asked this question was because I know there are some "Universal" docks out there, which will accommodate multiple types/brands of laptops.

 

If you find one please let us know. I'm sure there are others like you that want the same thing.

Maybe ordering an additional AC adapter could help?

 

troy - with this being your primary objective, the M18x is the only viable option if you want the best gaming system available. Everything else is inferior. If you are into compromise, the second best choice would be the M17x R3 or find a nice used M17x R2 for build quality and display that is superior to the R3.

agree - ccleaner

 

have u guys seen the AW x51? very small

 

I'm sure it is a nice system. Just about everything they offer is pretty awesome, but Alienware desktop discussion are on this forum: Alienware Forums - Alienware Desktop Computer Forums and PC Discussions

 

Sounds good but won't 1080p on a 3D LCD 120Hz 32" screen not look as crisp and clear as opposed to the 18" screen? Seems like the image would look all fuzzy and more pixelated the bigger the screen size you go, because the 1080pixels have to fill up a larger screen real estate, so to speak.

Thanks for that link, Steviejones133.


Oh, and can I request that all Alienware branding be removed on the M18x? Sager & Malibal offer that option for $0.00 so I would assume Dell has the ability to remove the plastic lettering and alienware head logo on the front of the machine (or on top of the back of the screen; you know what I'm talking about) as well. I would prefer my M18x to be a complete blank black slate.

 

You wont be able to get the ""Alienware" logo on the display removed as its part of the screen cover....well, its just transparent wording actually, so you can change the colour of the lighting behind it. You cuold dismantle the screen but isnt an easy process to remove the glossy cover, you may end up in a mess.

I guess if you are handy with DIY, you *could* remove the head on the lid and fill it but then you would be left with having to repaint it for it to look right.

 

I didn't think about that. There is the option to turn off all lights, correct? I prefer no backlit keyboard or glowing lights on the laptop. If all lights are disabled, then so too will the "Alienware" light on the front, right?

What's DIY? I wouldn't want to remove that head myself. I would want Dell to do it since they are the manufacturers and I am the buyer. I like Dell's architecture but I don't like the whole alien theme. To me, it is juvenile and unprofessional. An alien head on a computer is like buying a purse from Hot Topic with skulls & crossbones on it. The alien head on the front is garish, in my personal opinion. I can always just ask Dell to remove it for me. Surely their engineers and technicians can figure out how to remove a piece of plastic off the top of the lid. Right? I'll even pay extra to have it removed.

 

Yes. You can turn off alll of the lighting, including the logo on the display, so that your system appears "less intrusive" if you intend to use it in a professional capacity.

DIY = Do It Yourself, btw - you wont get Dell to do it for you I'm afraid. No chance. Thing is, even if they did remove the lid logo, you would have a big hole in the lid where it had been and dell won't fabricate/make you a one off lid without the logo. Your only option to get rid of it would be to do it yourself or pay a craftsman to do it - but as I stated, you then have a messed up paint job on the lid which would require even more work !

 

Tes96 you can speak to Akimox he does custom screens he made his Matte with custom lettering he said he can also put no lettering also Unfortunately the alien head on the top cover is a no go check this link http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...atte-screens-why-pc-industry-s-out-touch.html page 18 post #177 totally awesome

 

Thank you. I will send Akimox a message.
By the way, the screen directly underneath the glossy screen is a matte screen, right? Custom lettering? You mean like I could have it say "The Elder Scrolls" instead of "Alienware"?

 

Yes indeed it's matte under the edged to edge glass And yes he can make it say anything you want

 

The pixels are larger, but even on 32 inch they are incredibly tiny. Remember that right now 1080P is the max resolution for a consumer grade product. Even a 60+ inch TV is only 1080P, yet it still looks incredible.

It all comes down to how far you sit. On a laptop you are extremely close to the screen, maybe 2 feet away. If you get a larger screen and set it on your desk or even mount it on the wall behind your desk you suddenly might be 6+ feet away. That added distance will make it where you can't tell the difference in the pixel density (the size of the pixels). Obviously, if you sat the same distance from the larger display as you do from the smaller one you would notice a difference, the idea is you get a bigger screen and set it farther away (since you couldn't use a 32 inch screen at 2 feet away anyway, you would literally have to turn your head to see the edges).

 

I have had my laptop shipped to a friend in the US to check thoroughly before shipping it out to me in Kuwait. Everything is flawless except we constantly get a random buzzing noise, its completely random. We tried every single fix possible, its not even correlated with DPC latency that is common with 580M SLI systems, we tried the IDT fix (which seems to have fixed the popping sound, but not this), we even removed the Sound Blaster XFI software yet the sound keeps on returning.

It does not increase with volume and can also be heard on headphones. Any ideas on what might be causing this? should I ask for a replacement?

Edit: well after much thaught and consideration. I have decided to keep the laptop and live with it, it's random so it's not 100% of the time and you can't hear it when your actually listening to something or doing some gaming. The reason is because I don't want to risk getting another system with even worst defects. Everything else in the system is as excellent as excellent can be.

 

That makes a lot of sense when you describe it like that. Is 18" good to be sitting 2 feet away from, like having the M18x in your lap? Or do you need to be 3 or 4 feet from it?

 

This is a random shot in the dark, but it might work. I see you have 2 SSDs in a raid 0. SSDs tend to put off more electrical noise than a normal HDD. I don't know where the audio is located on the mobo, but if it is near the SSDs then I suspect you are getting interference. The best thing to test this would be if you have any of the anti static bags that computer components come in. Put the bag between the SSDs and the mobo and see if it fixes it. Black electrical tape might work also.

This is just a pretty random guess at a fix. I had an Audigy sound card back in the day, but something was interfering with it and introducing noise. I cut the side off of an anti static back and taped it around my sound card, problem solved.

I think it would be fine in your lap, assuming you don't mind having a 12 pound land monster on your lap of course. The ideal distance for 1080P on 18 inches is about 4 feet (this is for HDTV viewing though, so you generally sit a bit closer when using a computer), and 1080P on 32 inches is about 7 feet, it goes up from there. Of course a couple feet either side of ideal is still perfectly fine.

Distance calculator for installing large screen 3D LCD Plasma LED HDTV TV

 

Purolator driver caught me as I was going out the door for classes it was my m18x! Now I have to get through 6 hours of classes before I get to open it.

 

Mine was delivered yesterday... but I won't be going home to it for another day or so - consider yourself lucky!

 

Minnus I hope you get to it soon, no one deserves that kind of torture. Well worth the wait though this is probably single handedly the best day I've ever had in terms of computer related paraphernalia. The videos made it look so small but this thing is enormous, and I'm not too small myself.

 

One correction, it's not matte, it's anti-glare. You get the best of both worlds, crispiness and virtually no reflections. I can still notice mild reflections under direct sunlight and on dark background but you will never see your face reflection like with the E2E mirror. Lol, I used to shave looking in it.

 

You're a better person than me. I would have stayed home and worried about what I'd miss later

 

it's looking like those slides are right for nvidia 28nm vs. amd 28nm. kepler mobile is going to easily beat amd's pitcairn 7970 xt mobile.

 

A little update on the issue, we have figured out that the issue is only there when on discrete graphics IE so far we have been on the intel GPU for the past few hours and have yet to hear any buzzing or other sound anomalies.

That being said I think its safe to say the issue is either tied into the DPC latency exhibited by the latest Nvidia drivers, or electrical interference from the gpus (Most likely the first). The only reason I am not 100% certain its due to DPC latency is because we were running the original dell drivers when the issue first popped up, and according to most on this forum those don't exhibit much DPC latency issues.

Either way I am just glad we have pinpointed the problem and my decision to keep the laptop has not changed as it is a small problem. Not one I would like to risk a repair guy coming over and messing up the laptop for.

 

Is it hard to remove that top layer of the glossy screen on a new M18x?

 

Hi, I saw this post of yours, have you ever tried the 330w charger on the plane power plug? like the Cathay pacific, it have power plugs, just wondering if it would work.. I'm gonna fly for 12 hours straight, would be much better if I can play some Assassin's creed

 

do you see many ppl here to have done that? It's... not trivial but manageable if you are very careful and willing to risk your warranty.

 

No, now that you mention it. I was thinking... glossy sucks because of its glare. But in the dark, it doesn't really have a glare that's noticeable. Is glossy more crisp than matte? Because I'm usually on my laptop in dark places any ways.

 

There's no matte for the M18x. You only have an option for anti-glare is you remove the E2E cover. It won't affect the crispiness. Actually, without the glass, screen looks crispier to me as there's no extra layer that can act as prism and affect (even slightly) the image quality.

But since you gonna be using yours in dark places anyway, leave the glass.

 

guys anyone here have the link where to buy screen protector for M18x? i can't find one in ebay.

Thanks.

i got basic configuration of M18x equipped single GTX 560m, do you know where to find SLI cable?? I am planning to purchase another 560m for SLI, i can't find one in ebay.. is there anyone here who have spare SLI cable, shoot me a PM. Thanks.

 

You can order the relevant parts from Dell. You may wanna have a read of this beforehand.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/gaming-software-graphics-cards/629790-gtx-580m-2x-gtx-560m.html

 

The Giants won and my framerates improved

 

screen protectors affect the image quality. But if you insist - here you go. You can call Dell and get it from them directly.

 

It's an assumption on my part, but I am guessing your load temps also improved.

 

Hey, I live in a place where it rains often (and heavy) and hearing dialog can often be hard in movies. With my 17x R2, I would simply devote a speaker to center channel for dialog and put it close to me. I'm really struggling to figure out how to do that no the 18x for some reason. It was so easy on the 17x. On 18x, I can't figure out how to reassign the first mic jack to left and right, and the second mic jack to central channel?

Thanks for any help!
Mak

 

Use the IDT Audio Control Panel found in Windows Control Panel. The jacks are designated. I think you need to have the speakers connected to the jacks before you can access the configuration settings. If you don't already have the speakers connected, that may explain why you are not seeing how to set things up.

Do not attempt to use the SPDIF/optical adapter that shipped with the M18x. Doing so may break your system. There is a thread on this issue.

 

Thanks Fox. Odd stuff. When I was playing around with it the other day, the speaker config options were stereo, 5.1, and 7.1. 7.1 no longer shows up? However, I got the center channel working through 5.1 (center channel is the spdif). Any ideas as to why 7.1 disappeared as an option? I was planning on using it down the road.

Oh, stupid SPDIF. Now I see what you're talking about.

Hopefully this can be fixed?

 

My M18x FINALLY arrived!!

 

Congrats on your machine Dellienware.

 

Unfortunately after much thought in the past couple days, I think I have to sell it.. Time to face college tuition.. That's right...

 

Why don't you simply return it for full refund? Unless of course, you bought it second hand/refurb of eBay or something. Still, if you can return it to the seller you get more cash vs selling it through NBR.

 

I got this new, but as a system replacement so I cannot get a refund.

I had a new M18x ordered for around $5k which I cancelled the order since this replacement request went through. Bye bye R2 and M18x at the same time..

 

Why not sell the precision? It is the weaker machine and unless you have to have the workstation GPU it is the one to drop I would think.

Pretty sure there are also driver hacks that you can get to make the ATIs look like the FirePro equivalent to load the drivers for productivity/workstation stuff