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

is there any chance you could afford the one 7970m? that would give you great performance now. enough that you wouldnt need to update for quite a while, and when you did you just buy another 7970m and boom, your ready to go.

 

Purchasing an M18x R2 with a single 7970M is not listed as an option. It might be possible over the phone. Here is what the online configuration options are:

• 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M [Included in Price]
• 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 675M [Add $250.00 or $8.00/month]
• Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M - CrossFireX™ Enabled [Add $550.00 or $17.00/month]
• 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M [Add $550.00 or $17.00/month]
• Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 675M - SLI® Enabled [Add $550.00 or $17.00/month]
• Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M - SLI® Enabled [Add $1,100.00 or $33.00/month]

​

MonnieRock, those are some really good suggestions. Even GTX 675M SLI would be a better option than a single 660M. While it's not as fast and powerful as 680M SLI or 7970M CrossFire, GTX 675M SLI is still a very decent performer and offers roughly the equivalent performance to a single 680M or 7970M GPU. And, at this point in time, the risk of problems and driver shortcomings with 7970M is difficult to ignore.

 

kinda irrelevant, is there any chance for the next update AW will use the latest chipset/mobo would include thunderBOLT technology? or perhaps something like a SATA IV or SATAe? this just occured to me today as i copied 1.3 TB worth of files at 90mb/s and it took about 4 hours over usb 3.0 from barracuda 3tb drives to another, and these are the fastest sequential harddrives for large file storage 2nd only to WD raptor 1TB by like 10-15%.

even in raid 0, it would take forever to transfer 4-6tb of size, so it has to be done via SSD storage which could cost a fortune. then i thought about how SSD uses ddr flash so it max at around 500mb/s average. if theres SATA 4 port that supports higher than 6gbps, maybe SSDs would start using DDR2 flash instead.

 

Thanks for the reply MonnieRock...Here's what I have learned so far. I applied online for Dell credit and only got accepted for $2,000.00 but the interest rate was over double what I can get through AAFES. I think my best bet is going to be to see what AAFES can do for me (if they are willing to do anything) first, and if that doesn't work out go to Dell and see what they can do for me. I would certainly use Dell if that is the only option I have left, but I really prefer the financing through AAFES if I can stick with them...plus the no sales tax thing is really nice too!

 

I tried last week. it didn't seem like the dell Sales rep could do it. I actually placed an order for an m17x and cancelled the next day, I didn't like the price and REALLY wanted an m18x. If I could have gotten the m18x with a single 7970m right now to save a few bucks I would have...

Instead, I purchased a nebula Red M18x off of another member on here with 2670QM, Xfire 6990m, 750gb HDD, 4gb DDR3, and stock wifi. Should be here on Wednesday/Thursday. I am much happier for the price I paid (saved around $800 off of a new one) than buying a base model New M18x with 7970m in xfire or a single 680m.

Anything I should know or do right away? Previous owner bought it off of the dell outlet like a month and a half ago. He says it was listed as a new unit for some reason.

 

Congrats on the M18x purchase. Make a Respawn USB recovery stick or DVD set. Also, create a good drive image of the current state for disaster recovery. Other than that, you should not need to do anything except for just use it and enjoy it.

 

USB Recovery? COOL!! what size drive do I need for that? As for the Disaster recovery... Got any recommendations for software? Normally I just deal with it. I won't be doing any work on this machine, worst I'll lose is a game save. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try an imaging utility

I am going to order 2x4gb DDR3 (i'm thinking 1600mhz, and will use the stock 4gb in the laptop as well). I may also upgrade the wireless card in it as I'm pretty sure its a standard wifi card.

Oh I also got an OCZ vertex 3 128gb SSD with it, which will have Win7 HP already installed on it when I receive it, the Previous Owner said the recovery partition is still in tact, and he did not format that part of the drive.

Im pretty stoked, i actually almost bought this same laptop like a week and a half ago, but wasn't sure about the Red color. Then I thought about it, and My Crew Cab f150 is red, and My motorcycle is Orange, so... why not? LOL

I'm pretty psyched, I have wanted to own an alienware since I was in high school, but never could justify the price for the desktops, and until recently did not need that much power in notebook form.

 

Since most games now have their save files in My Documents, setup a cloud service (dropbox or SkyDrive) to keep them synchronized to the cloud. In the event of something catastrophic, you'll still have your recent saves all backed up in real time.

 

The question is...where can I buy another card? My other thought is that I could just stick with the 660M and simply add another card down the road. I'm not looking for INSANE graphics capabilities, just over the top.. I've already spoken with AAFES who has ensured me that once I receive my M18x I can start a return process whereby I can order the exact system I want/need/can afford and will be able to use the system that was delivered to me until the new one arrives, at which time I will be able to send that one back to the manufacturer...The other option I was considering was asking AW if they could sport me a discount to purchase the second GPU so that I would not have to return the entire system at a loss for them. It would totally be worth it if they would give me $300 or so to put towards another graphics card so that I could keep the current system and upgrade it. The question then comes as to where I would buy the new card.

 

Be sure to inquire about restocking fees.

 

Okay...so here is a question...If I get the same setup I listed above, but with the Nvidia 680m instead, would I have a system that would run well enough to handle most games until I could add the second card at a later date?

 

I would go with Crossfire ATI 7970m or Single Nvidia 680m both will be major upgrades from the Nvidia 660m. I think a Single 7970m is within 5%-10% of performance for a Nvidia 680m. The crossfire has some issues due to driver but I doubt that will be going on forever. ATI should have a driver update down the road to take full advantage of crossfire support. If both are costing me the same and I can already have crossfire from the start and not have to dump any money down the road then I would go with ATI. If you can live with the current state of crossfire drivers. Either way you will be using a single ATI 7970m (until driver release) or a Single Nvidia 680m.

 

this was the debate for me as well... I had a hard time ordering Crossfire 7970s with all the driver issues that current users are having, but the single 680m is SO expensive and there is a loss in performance, dropping down to a single 680m. Its a tough decision, but I think those are 2 the 2 best options, unless you can spring for Sli 680s.

I would say if you're willing to gamble or tinker with the 7970ms in crossfire you are getting the best performance you could for the money. But the single 680m might be better driver wise, as nvidia seems to have a better handle on them. But that still remains to be seen as they are still very new to the market, with very few in peoples hands yet.

 

Is there going to be a "Revision 3" for the m18x this fall or winter? Would be freaking awesome if there was a 690m GPU and a new processor released!

 

Yes, most definitely. A GTX 680M will eat up most current games at 1080p. 1 680M is roughly on par with 2 580Ms in SLI. I'm not sure how close they really come off the top of my head, though.

The second 680M could be costly later on, though. It really depends on when and where you buy it. Keep in mind that it will not be covered under your system warranty.

Good luck with your potential purchase.

I highly doubt it for Revision 3, not until 2013. The Alienware lineup was just refreshed not too long ago. If Nvidia or AMD releases another GPU, or Intel revises their Ivy Bridge lineup, then I'm sure they will find their way into Alienware systems.

 

J.Dre,

2012 was a big year

May 2012 announcement HM77 chipset
May 2012 announcement Ivy Bridge
May 2012 announcement M18xR2
June 2012 announcement nVidia GTX 680m

So, do not expect any refresh soon.

Only rumors I know about that are possibly coming but are RUMORS:

• Intel i7-3740QM

• Intel i7-3840QM

• Intel i7-3940XM

Thank you,
Monnie

 

Maybe it would be better for me if I waited until Spring 2013 to purchase the m18x. I'm going all out, top specs. There's no point in getting something that would possibly be outdated within six months, especially a laptop that is difficult to upgrade. I've also considered a desktop, but I need portability. I suppose my current laptop will have to do, but it's definitely not a gamer.

Can't decide guys! Been going about this decision for weeks now...

 

59 years old, ordered my 1st Alienware m18x. Checking the status like a fiend... good lord....

I... want... my ... LAPTOP!!!!!

<chugs another beer>

Take care folks

 

As far as upgrading to a 680S SLI setup down the road, I spoke with an AW Technical Support Tech who told me that I would be able to upgrade my card through the Alienware upgrades department while still under warrantly....That is my plan, as it will give me a few years to save up before my warranty is over.

 

haha happens to all of us! You will love it when it arrives

 

Took the plunge and just purchased an Alienware M18x. Slightly used through a retailer on Amazon. Did they offer these with 1333 memory? Forgot to ask if a typo in my emails to the seller.

"Intel 3920XM, ATI 7970m Crossfire 2GB, 8gb DDR3 1333, 500GB 7200rpm, BluRay Player, 18" 1920x1080 LCD, Killer 1103 WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium, All manuals and CDs/MousePad, Power/AC. Ordered from Dell and was used a for a few days. Unit was tested and functions flawlessly. Includes Dell's Basic 3 year Warranty. Ships Insured for your safety!"

Edit**deal fell through as when bank switched from Visa to MC, they also put a 2k limit on card. I could call up bank, and still do, but since wife became aware of my plan to go over the budget, not likely to happen today.

 

what's the spec.

 

humm 680m sli, blu ray, 8 gb mem, 750 gb HD, 256 mSATA on order, 3870 cpu, killer wireless, backpack, etc.

Thanks for asking

 

never too old to be a fanboy!

you made the best available choice in the industry

 

KILLER build man!!!

You gonna shred games for years to come with that setup.

 

It is more like 8 - 9 months. If you look at it that way, you will never make a purchase. Technology is constantly moving forward. The 680M was just released, even. Take the plunge whenever you are ready, based off of whatever criteria you think you will give you the most satisfaction.

In my opinion, now and around December are some of the best times to buy. Why not Spring 2013? Well, the best graphics cards traditionally are not available at that time. Usually, they launch a bit later (staggered). Of course, in December there tends to be many sales and savings to be had.

Whenever you do make a purchase, be sure to come share your story here. Good luck.

 

Welcome to the club!!

 

Well that makes me feel younger, I'm only 48

 

Like a 'fiend'. I love it. Welcome

 

Nice specs you got for your new machine, however there is no 3870 CPU, I am sure you got the 3820QM processor

 

That's not too old brother, well the younger one on this forum is the brother M.r Fox I think he is on he's early 20.

 

^^^ I like your sarcasm...

 

59 isn't anywhere near to old for computers .

There is a friend of my parents who scored high on a test or something when he got drafted for nam in the 60's.
Instead of sending him to the front lines, they sent him to Germany to work with some of the first computers. He did that for 2 terms, and after leaving the military he worked with IBM and several other computer companies over the years.
He is now well into his 60's and to this day is still a complete hardware nut. Right now he is having a blast "playing" with the Windows 8 beta .

 

Thats right in technology something better is always going to be around the corner especially with the yearly updates so might as well plunge if ready and willing
Ofc the extra savings coming up wont be bad either

 

OP, congrats on the system and welcome to the AW "Brotherhood" !!! - I am sure you will love your new beast when she lands, looks like you have a great spec there....hope she arrives soon!

 

Told you I was old .... the brain dead moment proves it. Yes it is a 3820QM.

 

Don't go too crazy waiting! Beleive me the wait is well worth it.

 

Nice build, I recommend you film the unboxing just in case there are problems with the build - it's an insurance policy and a way to show off your new system! Hope everything goes well with the PC, good luck.

I'll be getting an Alienware system soon...

 

Alright everyone, here is the configuration I think I have finally settled on. I'll be ordering it once my original computer gets here in a day or two so that I can cancel and start again. I've already talked with a rep at AW who said they would not charge me a restocking fee or anything since the main reason I am reordering is the 680m became available while my system was in production. Anyways, here is my new configuration. Please let me know what you think, and keep in mind that I simply cannot afford a dual configuration at this time....

3rd Generation lntel@ Coreru i7-3720QM (6MB
Cache, up to 3.6GHz wl Turbo Boost 2.0)
Operating System:
Wndows@ 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Memory:
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
Hard Drive:
750G8 7,200 RPM + 32GB mSATA Caching
ssd
Video Card:
2GB GDDRS NVIDIA@ GeFore@ GTX 680M
Wireless Networking:
Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for
Gaming & MIMO and Bluetooth 4.0
Optical Driver:
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW
cD-RW
Audio:
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX
TruStudio Pro Soffuare
Display Panels:
18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED lWideFHD (1080p)
Primary Battery:
96WHr 12-Cell Primary Battery
Hinge Up:
Space Black Anodized Aluminum
Alienware M18X R2:
Alienware M18X R2 with Soft Touch
2 Year Advanced Warranty Plan

I was told by an AW Tech rep that the single 680m would have MORE than enough power to rip through any games I could want to play in the near future, and he recommended checking at a date down the road to see if the prices drop on the 680m's so that I can have one installed under warranty then. I figured out the full cost of the system to be about $3,003.00 with NO sales tax and NO shipping...I was able to get a 10% discount through AAFES on a special purchase promotion, and I have NO payments due, No interest due until August 21, 2013. SO...there ya have it! Let me know what you think of the configuration, and if you think I got a good deal or not. As I said, my original system should be delivered NLT than Thursday, and the AAFES rep said I could keep this one until the new order is completed and delivered...SWEET!

 

Hey Marinesniper,

That looks like a good configuration, especially since you plan on going SLi later on. If anything, I would try to extend the warranty, if you can afford it, and plan on keeping your system for a long time. It is a whole lot cheaper to do so now, rather than later.

 

Thanks Optimistic Prime...I realized after I posted this that I was actually a bit off on the total price, it's actually going to cost me right at $3,003.00 for this system...I was planning on extending the warranty in about a year, after I have time to pay this down some and save up some money..hehe

 

Is it just me or had NBR become broken? Yesterday, most forums gave a "database not found" and seemed offline. Today, I get "page not found" on many. To make matters worse, email updates to particualar threads reference URLs with "http://forum. prod.notebookreview.com" which is different than before with the addition of "prod". This link DOES NOT WORK AT ALL and requires that I edit the URL to remove the prod, and then pray that the link works.

I did not see any moderator news saying they were having problems.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???? It's very frustrating.

 

There is a thread at the top stating that they are have technical difficulties.

 

After much deliberation with the wife, my M18x r2 deal is back on! Paid for and should be in the mail, as tracking info states USPS is aware of label.

"Intel 3920XM, ATI 7970m Crossfire 2GB, 8gb DDR3 1600, 500GB 7200rpm, BluRay Player, 18" 1920x1080 LCD, Killer 1103 WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium, All manuals and CDs/MousePad, Power/AC. Ordered from Dell and was used a for a few days. Unit was tested and functions flawlessly. Includes Dell's Basic 3 year Warranty. Ships Insured for your safety!"

$2300 + $23.21 shipping, through a reseller on Amazon. With that config, and price, It should help me deal with the frustrations of the driver situation. If not, I think with my 500+ transaction/100% rating I would have no problem selling on eBay for more than I have invested.

 

Checked for new drivers on dells website for my R1 today and noticed a recently added A05 Bios update from last month. The date doesn't match my current A05 BIOS releases date, which I beleive is from 2011 (can't check don't have computer with me right now)

Anybody know what this addresses? It says "URGENT"!

 

That's a $4000 laptop as configured. You got it for a steal! That's awesome!

beats my deal on an my Refurbed M18x with crossfire 6690s from the NBR marketplace...

Which I received today by the way, and its AWESOME!

 

but why are all the notification URL's showing forum. PROD.notebookreview.com instead of forum.notebookreview.com? Something has changed? The "prod" makes the link completely useless.

 

hey guys, one of my friends have M18xR1 (refurbished) with i7-2630qm + single 560m and can't switch to the integrated graphics card. Downloaded IGP driver from Intel and the system doesn't allow him to install the drivers, says it incompatible! Also, in the bios the line - Integrated GFX is greyed out and says - Not Detected. What could it be? Thanks

 

Okay everyone! After daily calls (sometimes twice daily) and finally convincing the techs to send me up the chain to a resolution specialist I was able to find out that my order was picked up by FedEx and is being shipped 2nd day Ground with a delivery date of Friday. It was supposed to be next business day delivery, but they sent it second day ground...I guess I can wait one more day given the time I had to wait to get to this point! Once it gets here I'll have to do the reorder for the new system with the 680m in it....either way...I'll be keeping a constant eye on the tracking..hehe

 

Sounds like some BIOS resetting is in order You could also try re-flashing it.