*OFFICIAL* M18x R1/R2 Owner's Lounge Thread

Yes, there have been two or three for sure. I believe electrosoft and tanderson have done so. Look for posts in this thread and the M18x benchmark thread for additional info.

If you don't find them easily enough, Google site:forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x/ 3920XM overclock

 

Hey can some one confirm what rpm the r2 fans spin up at when at max? and the part number.. Im wondering if they spin up higher than the R1s fans..

 

Yes, I have, you can jack it up as high as you want via the turbo settings and set the flex vid at 31x stock. Ihave had it up to 4300 stable and under 80c with prime 95, but did not run it too long.

 

Well, I take it no one has the Anyone Bios Mod to unlock everything on the new M18X R2. Can anyone tell me where to check on this site when it does become available? thank you in advance.

 

also i know this has been discussed but im wondering if any one has taken a ivy bridge cpu and physically installed in on the r1 yet?


i found this on the wiki

Ivy Bridge is the codename for Intel's 22 nm die shrink of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture based on tri-gate ("3D") transistors. Ivy Bridge processors will be backwards-compatible with the Sandy Bridge platform, but might require a firmware update (vendor specific).[1][2] Intel has released new 7-series Panther Point chipsets with integrated USB 3.0 to complement Ivy Bridge.[3]

Intel announced that it had begun volume production of Ivy Bridge chips in the third quarter of 2011,[4] with quad-core processor models launched on 29 April 2012.[5] Launch of dual-core mobile CPUs will be delayed until June 2012 to allow clearing of surplus inventory of previous generation Sandy Bridge CPUs, which accumulated due to slower than expected computer sales.[6] Meanwhile, Core i3 desktop processors are said to arrive in the third quarter of 2012.[7]

 

I have done lots of overclocking in my Desktop where I can maximize(Most highest Stable Overclock)overclock due to unlimited cooling option but thats not case with Laptop with very limited Factory cooling!Thx for all answer...

 

It's only a matter of time. No designated location, but the first place you can anticipate seeing it mentioned and where to grab it will most likely be in the http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...alienware-m18x-benchmark-thread-part-2-a.html.

That is only because an unlocked BIOS has not been released yet. There are many hidden menus with the stock BIOS. You need more access than you currently have, like what M18x R1 owners have with their unlocked BIOS. Since they both have an Insyde 2.0 BIOS, I suspect one will be released fairly soon. But, you're correct that the maximum stable overclock is not possible with so many options and settings hidden from view.

 

If you want a small mechanical keyboard, and don't mind not having the number pad, you can go grab a Filco tenkeyless, or this which have the same switch as the Razor Blackwidow.

 

Very nice suggestion. Looks really nice. I will check that out!

 

I am a soon to be Alienware owner, I was looking for a new laptop to replace my desktop I built back in September of '08. I was looking at getting a Sager/Clevo but their problems with the 7970m pushed me toward Alienware.

I ordered the following system on Friday 25th, it says it should be here by the 11th but I hope it's here sooner!

Alienware M18X R2
3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz
CrossfireX 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 7970M
500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s

I realise that's not as nice as most of you guys have but I'm pretty excited. I mainly play MMO style games, currently playing TERA, looking at Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World. I want to be able to play my games on high (or highest) settings and get 60+ FPS all/most of the time. Do you guys think my specs will be good enough for that? I also want this computer to last me about 3 years, do you think these specs are futureproofed enough for me to be happy playing games on it for the next 3 years?

Some people say the processor makes a huge difference, others say it may give you higher benchmark scores but in actual games you won't notice any change. Obviously most of you feel the more expensive processors are worthwhile (since you bought them) but can you tell me what sort of games my processor is going to have a problem with that the better/faster processors won't?

Oh, I also intend to buy some more RAM and an SSD and install them myself. My understanding is that the MX18 comes with 4 slots for RAM and the 6GB config is 1 4GB Stick and 1 2GB Stick. Is that correct? How would you suggest upgrading it?

Thanks guys!

 

All right I reordered my M18x today and here is my new config,

Alienware M18x R2 Black
Intel Core i7-3920XM
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 7970M CrossfireX
64G mSATA Boot Drive + 500GB 7200RPM + 1TB 5400RPM
8GB 1866MHz
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader
Killer Wireless-N 1103
Win 7 Ultimate
4 Year Advanced Warranty

Got it for $3959.57 after tax. You guys are a bad influence on my check book by the way…lol.

 

Congrats man! I think you will be very happy with it! Yes it has 2 slots under the keyboard and 2 under the back cover. I would do at least 8GB of RAM, I got Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1866MHz for $80 on amazon.

 

that's a great price! What was included in the config from Dell? All of those drives and RAM or did you buy them separately?

 

Hi~

I just got my alienware m18x...

oh my gosh this is beautiful. looks awesome!!!

Now I can't wait to do something with the computer..

but since I'm kinda beginner..

Can anybody tell me what I should do after getting alienware m18x?

I think I read something like Bios set up or graphic card set up?

Should I just start and upgrade everything related to window

and download every drivers from Dell website? and that's it?

I have 7970m crossfire and it seems like there is a problem with that...

where can I check my crossfire is working?

dang.. I don't know anything.. I should start studying this guy..

So any comments would be helpful for me guys

Thanks

 

The only thing I’m adding is the 1TB hard drive and changing the ram to Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1866MHz.

 

Ah, that makes more sense then.

 

I got a little over 15% off plus I also got free expedite shipping.

 

Welcome to NBR. Congrats... the M18x is gorgeous. What are the rest of your specs?

For now, I would not "fix" anything. Just use it, enjoy it, and see if everything else works OK. There is a problem with drivers for 7970M CrossFire, but that will take AMD a little longer to get it sorted. Hardware was released before the supporting drivers were ready to go, but that's not unusual for new GPU hardware. (Alienware owners are fortunate to have the hardware available to them ahead of the competitors, so driver support is the temporary trade-off.)

 

Can anyone give me an idea what sort of games (and settings) I am going to be held back by my i7-3610QM compared to your guys Intel Core i7-3920XM?

 

"Held back" probably isn't the best description. Very few games will be "held back" in the strictest sense... all should be very playable. It depends on the in-game graphics settings to some extent, too. Most games tend to be more GPU bound. An XM CPU (if appropriately overclocked) will most definitely help to enhance the ownership experience in multiple ways, but the GPU is definitely more crucial for smooth gaming. An XM CPU will not, however, adequately compensate for the GPU if it is a weak selection.

What GPU system does your M18x R2 have?

 

Oh, Best Buy! So hilarious. Here's the Accidental Service terms posted on our site. There's no limitation around amount of liquid spilled. I'd like to see them prove 9 oz were spilled instead of 7. Hilarious, really.

One thing: pay little attention to the bit about only the HDD, mobo and screen being covered or whatever. If those parts are damaged, in practice, we usually just replace the whole unit. Sometimes we'll pull it into the depot and just the damaged parts are replaced, but I've never heard of them replacing HDD, mobo and screen, then sending back a unit with damaged factory RAM. I guess it could happen, but I've never heard of it. For the most part, major damage=new unit. If it's just a cracked screen, then they'd just do the screen. If it's a liquid spill, and it needs a new keyboard and mobo, they'll generally replace just those parts. Would not make sense to replace the mobo and tell you to go buy a keyboard.

One other difference is with the Intel card you get WiDi support that works with the Netgear Push2TV card or maybe some other cards on the market.

Cost forecasting on a large scale. Bean counter thinks like this: how many will manually overclock as a percentage of total non-factory-OC sales? So, our risk to warranty costs associated with parts failing due to OC is x? With factory OC, every part, that can be damaged by OC, shipped on every unit is at increased exposure for warranty replacement. Hence, the costs for warrantying a factory OC system is higher than that of a non-factory OC, when viewed as a percentage of the whole.

No matter how the 3 pipe vs 2 pipe thing shakes out, if you were told something at point of sale that is not true, and you based a purchase decision on this information, you need to raise this point with either customer care or sales. I can't speak for what they might do, but they need to know you made a real money decision based on something that may have been misinformation.

I'm making no comment on your case or the situation. This is strictly a general statement based on principle.

EDIT:
"... For the most part, major damage=new unit..."
Correction: For the most part, major damage=replacement unit that could be new or refurbished, per the terms of the agreement.

 

Happy Tuesday, Brother Bill.

So glad to have folks from the Costa Rica SOS crew here with us! Luis Porras is really pouring on the help in the threads. Very awesome fellow!

 

Anybody know where I can get a replacement m18x r2 nvidia sli cable (the flexy ribbon cable) as I think mine is not working and I wanted to pick up a replacement?

 

CrossfireX 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 7970M

What am I missing out on by not having a better CPU?

Also, any idea how fast the turnaround is at Dell? My Order says in production, I have 2nd Business Day for shipping and it says the expected delivery day is Monday 6/11. I'd dearly love to have it by Friday 6/8 so I can use it for the Guild Wars 2 Beta!

Should I take the 11th as a pretty hard date or should I expect to see it a little sooner than that?

 

Unless and until someone comes up with a better one, I found this Romanian vendor that seems to have the part you're looking for: CABLES - GDMRG

I checked it with McAfee site advisor and a couple of others and they assure it's a ligit and safe vendor: onlinesell.ro | McAfee SiteAdvisor Software – Website Safety Ratings and Secure Search

 

Only you can answer that question. It depends on what you want to do. If you're only interested in decent performance and gaming with playable framerates, then probably very little or nothing. Without an XM CPU, the 7970M CrossFire will outperform the best of last years GPUs, even in most graphically oriented benchmarks. You'll pretty much beat everything currently available in a laptop except for a system like yours that has an XM CPU.

 

Just buy it from Dell. They are not expensive. Look for the part number list in the first page of the M18x Owner's Lounge.

 

Your answer is very cryptic...

I'll be mainly using it to play games, as well as low demand stuff like internet browsing/email which should be fine nomatter what proc I have. So in the games department, will my fps be lower? will my settings be lower? Will it only be the very high end settings on the very high end games? If so what titles are out there that would stress my 3610QM? Or are you saying all games will be lower FPS/Quality.

Looking for something concrete like "you'll get the same experience playing solitaire, but world of warcraft will run with 20 more fps on the XM system" or is it more like "WoW will run the same on either system because your 3610QM is more than enough to power it, but BF3 on ultra will run 10fps better on the XM"

Can anyone please help quantify the difference for me?

 

Here's a good article on BF3 gameplay with different CPUs.

Benchmark Results: CPU Scaling : Battlefield 3 Performance: 30+ Graphics Cards, Benchmarked

To put it simply: ANY processor you choose from Dell (QM/XM) for the M18X R2 will be awesome for gaming.

You should only go for XM if:
1) You want to overclock using Dell's default BIOS
2) You like benchmarking and having the fastest computer
3) You have the money and want the best

 

Hmm... Cryptic? Really? Nobody can give you specific FPS differences because each system is different, two identical CPUs or GPUs can overclock differently, and the tuning skills from one user to the next magnifies those differences. I think "little or nothing" is about as specific as one can hope for, and so is "except for a system like yours that has an XM CPU." With the right tuning skills, I was able to achieve benchmark scores with a 2760QM that some XM users could not, but that was the user and not the hardware.

 

Ok =)

Sorry didn't mean to offend with the "cryptic" comment, was kinda tongue in cheek and tone doesnt always come across on message boards!

Sounds like I went with the right choice, I'm not going to be chasing benchmark scores so I didn't need to spend the extra $900 on the fancy CPU if the cheapest one they offer is going to be plenty for my gaming. I just am not experienced in the world of gaming notebooks and threw down a sizeable amount of money for it (although not as much as many of you!).

Regarding my question about turnaround, should I take the June 11th estimated delivery date as pretty certain or do they tend to get them to you a little before the estimated date (leaving themselves a few days wiggle room). If June 11th is going to be "the day" I might upgrade to 1 day ship from 2 business days, that way I should get it on the 8th in time for GW2 Beta!

 

I've always received my laptops from Dell well ahead of their estimates - we're talking like 3-5 days early...sometimes more. But of course, your mileage may vary (YMMV) - so, to put it simple: EXPECT June 11 and you won't be disappointed...then be pleasantly surprised when it (likely) shows up early.

 

My systems have always arrived a good deal before the EDD's I have had from Dell. It may vary from country to country so YMMV. I would say that the EDD is a good guide to when you can expect your system to arrive and if it does arrive before, great!

EDIT: sk3tch beat me to it with EXACTLY the same advice! LOL (great minds think alike, right sk3tch? )

 

So I just unboxed my new m18x r2 and no alienware hat, no user manual and WHY DID THEY PUT THE INTEL AND WINDOWS STICKER ON THE LAPTOP. I prefer to have it under the laptop like the r1.....

I think I am going to call dell because i want this hat and user manual.

But the rest looks perfect.

Edit: and on top of that, I got a dead pixel..... Can i do something against that? I paid 3.6k for a laptop and I can't get it in top shape...

 

I never thought about that, they did put the intel and windows sticker. I'd be good without a bunch of stickers on it also...

 

All the new ones are shipping with no hat and no Alien head sticker but the manual should be there

they all have the stickers on the palm rest just use a hair drier heat it up a little and remove them you can put them on the bottom

for the deal pixel don't settle for less than a replacement it will take 4 to 5 days for them to send you a new machine and you don't need to send that one back until the new one arrives
just call resolution department

 

Are you talking about technical support or customer service?

 

Sometimes, you can "unstick" a dead or stuck pixel by "exercising" it using DeadPixelTester....you can select where on the display you want to exercise and sometimes it works.....worth a shot to avoid the hassle of a replacement or return.....

 

you need to talk to technical support and when they offer you a screen replacement don't accept tell them to document that and transfer you to resolution experts to return your machine or get a replacement they will offer you a replacement no hassle

I tried that for years on tons of laptops and never had luck

 

Worked for me on one or two occasions....worth a stab tho, right bro?

 

yep is worth the try I hope he get it right

 

I tried with DeadPixelTester, and I had no chance. I'll have to call Dell. I am very disapointed about that.... I was so excited....

Edit: Just called dell, it seems that they changed their policies and they don't give the user manual anymore. He says that I can consult it on the internet. For the dead pixel, he told me that he can't do a replacement for only 1 pixels. He didn't even offer me a screen replacement. He told me that he could transfer me to the resolution center I think, but they are closed, not 24/7.... This is pissing me off...

 

can you give us an update once you were able to get hold of someone regarding the Manual at least..

Thanks!

 

I just edited my previous post:

 

Sorry to hear about your problems. The solution is simple: if they refuse an exchange, just tell them that you would then like to return the machine. They have a 30 day refund policy.

I experienced dead pixel problems 2x with an M14X...ended up giving up on them last year. I am back - hoping for the best. I wish they at least took 5 minutes per laptop to inspect quality. Hell, offer it as an "upgrade" lol...I'd pay! Stop wasting our time and your money, Dell!

 

Yes I know about the return policy, but I have to pay the shipping and responsible for any damage during the ship...

I will call again tomorrow morning for this dead pixel... A screen with a dead pixel is a screen damaged for me.

 

Ha. You have the wrong attitude. AKA you're too nice! You need to be firm with them that the screen is damaged. Don't even specify one pixel or whatever. Just state that the quality is unacceptable or something to that effect. Remember YOU bought this expensive laptop and THEY did not delivery a quality product. Do not accept their excuses and be courteous, yet firm about your demands...you will get results.

If you paid with credit card - you can also suggest that you will dispute the charge if you do not receive a satisfactory outcome.

I NEVER had to pay for return shipping - it was Dell's mistake - not mine.

 

they will give you a replacement once you talk to the right people they know you can return the laptop if you are not happy that's why I say that

just call them tomorrow and let them know you want to talk with the resolution expert team to return the laptop then explain to them you want a replacement and you are willing to keep it if is right or if not you will return it

 

Thanks for you help. I was firm with the guy I talked to, but I know I was talking to the wrong person. I'll call tomorrow and let you know what dell will end with.

 

no problem just remember for 21 days you got all the power