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

Quick post to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.....whenever it hits your timezone! (I'll probably be three sheets to the wind before most of you guys even get close to midnight LOL)

 

So...I had to send my unbootable laptop to depot (no dispute from me, agreed since it could have been any number of components). I get it back and the motherboard has issues, they're sending out replacement along with a replacment from the keyboard frame which they scratched up.

When it was at depot they replaced one or both graphics cards. I believe the reason they failed was the technician didn't properly put on the thermal pads during a previous failure. Since I am worried about this happening again with the pending motherboard replacement what's the general consensus on repasting the cpu/gpus? What thermal paste do you recommend?

I'm going to reinstall the OS after all these changes. How is windows 8 on the m18x R1? I have a copy of win8 pro but I haven't tested it at all yet.

Final question, has anyone used the optical drive conversion to hd caddy on ebay? I've read that some people have problems with the drive not fitting properly and I want to change to raid 0 + data drive with the swap.

Happy new year to everyone!

 

happy new year and really unfortunate you have to go through all that crap. I recall AW telling me how they need machine sent back because they dont "trust" their 3rd party technician, so basically we payed the next day in-home service 500-600 for 3 years for this LOL I'd start learning to take things apart myself, its really great, once you done this several times you'll get use to it.

-Dell stock paste is generally good, primary GPU runs cooler than 2ndary GPU
-I use win7, can't get use to win8 but thats just me so I cant realy comment on it
-those HD caddy works in the optical bay but be careful of what you buy. I've several laptops so I bought a few, some of them dont come with proper screw holes and its a pain to drill holes yourself. ask question and ask for picture etc. I just learned HDD up to 15mm will barely fit into optical bay.

 

Happy New Year to you also, bro. Answered above in red font.

 

Mr Fox I did see that post, however the site you purchased from is out of stock, has been for a long time. I was referring to the optical drive caddies on ebay, they do look similiar and some say they're comptable with m18x. I was hoping someone had tried it out.

I've been reading quite a lot about windows 8 from the release of the beta, if I did install it it'd probably be just to try it out so maybe I'll run it on another system as I'm very happy with windows 7.

Hopefuly I won't need to repaste the cpu or graphics cards, it just seems that I do a better job than the technicans. I'd prefer just getting the parts dispatched and doing it on my own.

When I called the last time I extended the warranty for another two years. Just way too many problems to own this monster without a warranty.

BTW saw your striped M18x, nice. Envious!

@unityole

Yes this entire thing with send to depot as default and technicians who simply don't know the machine is terrible. I certainly don't know how to take apart every machine I've serviced but I make sure that I familiarize myself with anything I'm going to touch and take my time. Whether it's at the depot or an onsite tech they have the habit of damaging my machines.

 

yep when i first got my machine, a tech came try to replace my keyboard but he forgot to remove 1 screw and almost ripped the plastic LOL after that I decided to learn it myself.

on another topic, anyone using 2920xm, 2960xm, 3920xm and 3960xm checks their CPU temperature on individual core? core temp, Hwinfo, CPU meter etc. my core 1 and 2 idles 10 C hotter than core 0 and 3, which should be in acceptable range, but under load 1 and 2 goes to 100C while 0 and 3 stays under 70C. if it's temp sensor issue with CPU itself theres nothing I can do but im just worried since theres no way for me to verify if its faulty CPU core, or faulty CPU temp sensor. M18x bios doesnt show CPU temp so I can't check it.. any idea?

 

They have what appears to be the same caddy with accomodation for 9.5MM HDD. Here is a link to that one: https://www.jacobsparts.com/items/HDDBAY-02/

 

im pumped says its stopped in calgary.

do they call you be for they bring it ? i havnt gotten a call yet...

Anyone? Just need to know im back to work and calfary is only 3 hours away

 

Atleast here in the us, they don't call. you can call whoever the carrier is and see if you can pick it up at the delivery office. that might work for you.

 

No, they will not call you. They will deliver it tomorrow. However, you must watch Purolator all day, because they make a lot of mistakes:

1. They do not knock or ring the bell properly and you will end up with a sticker to pick it up after a certain hour from a certain place;

2. They deliver it to the wrong address (yes, they do this as well; I was on the sofa reading some stuff on my ipad while I was waiting for them when suddenly I saw the Purolator track passing by without stopping. I started ringing at each house closed to mine when notices that when they opened the door, they had a knife in their hands; when I've asked them if they have received a package from Purolator, they said yes and when they looked on the package they saw my name on it; funny part is that they were supposed to receive a package the same day as well - atleast this is what they told me).

So, yeah, it is a sad situation, but Purolator are having a bad reputation, unfortunately. Hopefully you will not face any of those problems.

I request you to do 2 things: A - have your browser opened at the Purolator's website with your tracking no. typed in and keep refreshing the page with F5 and B - watch for Purolator (unfortunately you do not have an exact time and you will have to waste your entire day).

I hope my comments will help you somehow... Best of luck and Congratulations!

 

Thank you for the info. i gotta work tommorow tho theres no way getting out of it. said it was suppose to be elivered on the 31 but i knew it wouldnt happen. and had no clue if it was deylayed or what not lol. so my best bet is call them? or wait till the put the sticker on my door? lol dammit i hate situations like these. the ol lady cant stay home either lol my best bet is probly calling them lol like buddy said

 

Calling them and telling them what? They will tell you that the packet is on the vehicle for delivery and only after you will receive the delivery slip at the door you will be able to collect it. When you come back from work, take the delivery slip and go and collect it from depot. I think you know that you must have some kind of id with proof of residence (a bill from somewhere: credit card statement, hydro bill, gas etc. with your name on it and an id with your name and picture on it - citizenship card, passport etc.; preferable get your driving license if it has the same address as your delivery because it has your picture as well)

 

don't be too nervous about it Gunnkeeper! you're just as excited as the next prospective M18x buyer, but your nerves won't do any favour either to yourself or the people around you. whip up a cup of tea, go on the sofa, switch on the TV and just... relax and stop making him imagine the worst-case scenarios Julian, it's a very tetchy situation for first-time M18x buyers. I'm sure the package will arrive at your door just fine

 

Thanks guys!!!! Told the guys at work this morning and was like well we need you today so my day was crushed lol oh well i can wait i suppose!!! Thanks fir info!!

 

Hello Juliant,

I’m very sorry to hear about your negative experience. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that may have ensued.

I would like to follow up on this incident; you can send us the tracking number at [email protected]. We will make sure that all delivery procedures are respected at all times.

If you’re not home at the time of delivery, you can request a second attempt or to have your shipment redirected to another retail center.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us directly.

Best regards,

Catherine Côté
Social Media Coordinator / Customer Care Team
Purolator Inc. Purolator - Home
E-mail / Courriel: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/purolatorhelp

 

Just wondering if anyone knows the part number for the M18x R2 motherboard(in Canada if its different from US). Thanks

 

Same as in the US: 9D7N3 System Motherboard Kit (Contain motherboard GRP9C + Thermal Pad F1RJC)

All the part numbers can be found here

 

so after 4 failed attepts at fixing my m17xr2 dell decided to exchange my system
here are the specs good trade or not?

1 Y5G3F Base,Notebook,Configure To Order,M18XR2
1 1CVJ3 Service Install Module,Software,380,Boot,Alienware
1 2FDNJ Module,Information,Audio,M18X
1 302GK Module,Service,Software,WINME Inspiron 4000
1 38TR2 Module,Liquid Crystal Display,18.4FHD,White Light Emitted Diode,M18XR2
1 3XT2R Module,Card,Network,DW380,CSMB,World Wide
1 4J1CD Module,Dvd+/-Rw And Bd-Rom,Hitachi Lg Data Storage,BARE,Alienware
1 4WYVT Module,Software,Quick Fix Engineering,WIN7SP1,No Bios
1 5WGGR Module,Cover,HUG-UP,Red,M18XR2
1 6JY27 Module,Software,Soft Contracts,Qualxserve,Alienware
1 8CT07 Module,Shipping Material,System,ANW NB,M18X
1 8GGM9 Module,Information,Artwork,NAME-PLT,Generic,M18X
1 8VWCN Module,Software,Certificate Of Authenticity,W7U64,Alienware
1 995JJ Module,Adapter,Delta - Ac Adapt,330W,3P,World Wide,Alienware
1 F928P Module,Cord,Power,15A,3M,C13,United States
1 FHYDV Module,Solid State Drive,512G,S3,#1,7MM,PM830
1 H9XM4 Module,Card (Circuit),Network,KILLER,Alienware,World Wide
1 J0CKX Module,Software,W7U64,ConsumerDesktop,English,Dao/bcc
1 JY598 Module,Information,Software, Alienware,ALIENFX,Red
1 JY638 Module,Software,Alienware,AVATAR6
1 KP779 Module,Software,Alienware,WALLPAPER,AW6
1 NGVK2 Module,Dual In-Line Memory Module,16GB,2X8G,1600MHZ,Double Data Rate
1 NX4CN Module,Placemat,Alienware,Avenger,M18XR2,World Wide
1 PJGG2 Module,Battery,Primary,97WHR,12C,SIMPLO
1 R8GHP Service Install Module,Software,Alienware,M18XR2
1 RW2FT Service Install Module,Software,KILLER,Wireless Fidelity,A/V MLK
1 T72YP Module,Information,Alienware,Processor,OVER-CLK,LVL1
1 V9KPP Module,Label,Intel,No Bios,CI72
1 VP83H Module,Assembly,Base,Alienware,M18XR2
1 VXC7Y Module,Processor,IVB,I7-3920XM,2.9,AMLK
1 W3HMK Module,Label,Microsoft,Notebook,Windows7
1 W753G Module,Information,Direct Ship,Compal,TSINGMA
1 WKG48 Module,Software,W7U64SP1,Digital Video Disk Drive,MUL17,Alienware
1 XM544 Module,Software,PC-RESTORE Transactional Line Of Business
1 Y9YJD Module,Documentation,AW SERI/WSI,DAO/BCC
1 YG2GN Module,Software,Alienware,COMMANDCNTR,M18XR2
1 YNK9T Module,Card,Graphics,NV13E-GS1,DUAL

 

what's the GPU setup? I noticed the SSD and 3920XM processor, already seems like a killer setup and I can't believe they're really replacing your m17x R2 with such a beast... well done!

 

1 YNK9T Module,Card,Graphics,NV13E-GS1,DUAL

im assuming dual 675's anyone confirm?

 

Yes, that is what it is. And, that is a huge upgrade compared to whatever the M17x R2 might have had for specs.

M17x-R4
HXD3N N13E-GS1 GeForce GTX675m
C0XGT N13E-GS1 GeForce GTX675m Kit (Video card HXD3N + Support Plate 3MHHT)
M3XJV NV13E-GE GeForce GTX660m
5H5NC NV13E-GE GeForce GTX660m Kit (Video card M3XJV + Support Plate 3MHHT)
747M2 AMD Wimbledon XT 7970m
8DG8P AMD Wimbledon XT 7970m Kit (Video card 747M2 + Support Plate 3PVGK)

M18x-R2
HXD3N N13E-GS1 GeForce GTX675m
C0XGT N13E-GS1 GeForce GTX675m Kit (Video card HXD3N + Support Plate 3MHHT)
M3XJV NV13E-GE GeForce GTX660m
5H5NC NV13E-GE GeForce GTX660m Kit (Video card M3XJV + Support Plate 3MHHT)
747M2 AMD Wimbledon XT 7970m
8DG8P AMD Wimbledon XT 7970m Kit (Video card 747M2 + Support Plate 3PVGK)

Looks like it will be shipping directly from China ( 1 W753G Module,Information,Direct Ship,Compal,TSINGMA)

That's a very sweet trade... they did you right, dude.

This is actually a pretty cool response from Purolator. I don't think I have ever seen DHL, UPS or FedEx post here in our Community.

 

more the reason to max warranty!

 

Boy, you can say that again. It's a no-brainer. I feel sorry for anyone that buys one of these awesome beasts without a maxed out warranty.

 

Yes, thats 675m Sli - seems odd as the rest of the machine is pretty much maxed out. Saying that, 675m Sli (equal to 580m sli) would still be a big step up from your old M17x R2's gpu's so it follows Dell's "like for like or better" rule for replacements. I take it you had an XM cpu before and Dell SSD etc....or maybe they were some nice bumps for you too....either way, great machine for a replacement! - nicer if you could get 680m Sli but who knows without asking Dell ???

 

Unfortunately, you still cannot order a new M18x with 680M SLI in the US. It's not available.

 

update. i recieved my 18xr2 replacement last night and its a beast. dell really did do me right .it had everything it listed. im going to miss my 17xr2 a little but that wont last long the 18 sure is a sexy beast all dressed up in red. already did the level 3 clock in bios and did a clean install of windows

 

Hey nhorn, I am about to get a laptop replacement for mine M17x R2, but I am holding out as long as I can until the 680's SLI is available.....

 

UPDATE: problem solved, i7 3610 was bottlenecking 680m SLI framerates in cpu heavy games such as bf3, farcry3, and in some instances Witcher 2 when there were too many AI on screen. currently running 3940XM and framerates as well as GPU usage have increased by approximately 20% but system still experiences instances of CPU bottlenecking.

 

Hey everyone,

I have owned a few Alienware laptops (M15x, M14x) and finally decided to bite the bullet and get an M18x. I have a few question I would grateful if anyone has the answers to:

1. Do all new M18x r2 laptops come with an mSata port, or is it only supplied on laptops that are spec'd with the option? If it is the latter, where can I order the parts to add mSata to the laptop, and what are the part numbers? I'd like to be able to use my 256gb mSata disk with this machine.

2. Does the laptop support 3 x 2.5" disks or just 2?

I am sorry if these questions have been asked before, I did a cursory search but couldn't find exact answers.

Thanks,

Dan

 

I don't think there's any chance whatsoever that a 3940 is bottlenecking those games..........even at stock clocks a 3940 is well more than adequate to run them all.

 

Yup, agree with that, I suggest you reinstall the drivers, or try a clean install.

 

Hey guys

i just traded my m17xr3 for a m18xr1 with dual 6970's and 2720qm ....

question 1: overclock cards and cpu or leave standard?

question 2: playing wow on dedicated crossfire had low fps around 30-40 fps normal?

question 3: anything i should know to tweak or look out for ?

thanks

leigh

 

If you don't mind me asking how much did you pay for your setup pre CPU upgrade

 

i just know with dell u take what u can get if u read the horror stories on the forum is is getting almost impossible to get a replacment. so when they told me what they had and what mine use to be i jumped at it. it was a no brainer almost 4 grand when u configure the m18xr2 i just got

 

1. There's an Msata port available on all AW M18x R2 laptops as far as I know

2. It does support 3 x 2.5" disks, however: 2 of the slots accept either a 7mm or 9.5mm height disk, while the remaining slot only accepts a 7mm disk (forgot which one). Also, the middle Sata port operates at 3 gb/s instead of 6gb/s like the other 2

 

Oh... that sucks... Well, there goes my dream of an M18Xr2 with 3x 512GB SSDs in RAID0.

 

And to answer your first question, R2's ordered without a mSATA SSD will still have a mSATA port.

 

Yeah, I highly doubt the 3920XM is causing any sort of bottlenecks with the 680M SLI config. My 3820QM with the +400MHz OC yields near perfect 99% GPU utilization for both 680Ms and the CPU isn't even being worked all that hard.

 

Yeah, I was disappointed to learn about this as well, but there is no alternative available.

It's a limitation with the Intel HM67 and HM77 chipsets. I believe it also affects the equivalent desktop chipsets. Only 2 SATA3 6GB/s ports are available on all systems regardless of brand. The rest are SATA2 3GB/s.

 

Pretty sure they're replacing it with the 680mx.

 

I'll be very surprised if they do. If they are 122W video cards like I have heard, it will not work in SLI. One might, but 2 would require more power than the 330W AC adapter can provide. So, unless one 680MX can outperform 680M SLI, there would be no value in having it in the M18x.

 

+1, agreed. Too much power would be necessary to begin with, not including the extra draw for overclocking. You wouldn't be able to overclock the 680MX, or maybe even your CPU for that matter (assuming you have an XM). I suppose they could adjust the 680MX and downclock it a little bit, but that defeats the purpose of replacing the 680M's in the first place. It's not impossible to put the 680MX in the machine, but it wouldn't make much sense at this point.

 

That would mean they might have a new power supply on the horizon! bring it on. I have my credit card waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ha ha, yeah, I would buy that more powerful AC adapter in a heartbeat, even without 680MX SLI. It's pure speculation at this point... but, we can always hope.

 

But off course. Considering running stock your in the high 200+ mark. so adding another 45 watts or so is pushing it.. But even if the run the new cards on the same setup, the 680M will still be competitive, but would have to over clock a tad bit.

 

Same price. The jump to 3630qm to 3740qm was on dell on a new exchange system because my first had problems.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

In my opinion a 3630 will bottleneck only if playing on a 120Hz display.
This processor is able to guarantee 60fps in any situation...my 3740 (wich is almost the same for gaming) has no problems running any game at stock clocks, and I have no benefits overclocking.

But v-sync is always necessary, the lack of frame synchronization can give an unconfortable sensation of lagging...dropping from 100 to 60fps can be really frustrating for the gameplay.

 

Count me in!!!! Lol

 

Folks, the reason we have an "Owners Lounge" and "Order Configuration" threads is to ask simple questions. It is not necessary, or appropriate, to create a brand new thread every time someone has a random question about an M18x they own or one they plan to order. It makes for a very messy forum. I just merged several threads into the Owners Lounge for this reason. Someone will see and reply to your questions. If not, feel free to ask it a second time.

I prefer to not merge threads because it makes the original conversation harder to follow, so it is best to ask questions in the right place to begin with if a thread already exists, and only create a new thread when there is not already a good place for the discussion.

 

Considering how the PSU can support two overvolted 680m's clocked in at 920mhz + an overclocked 2920xm running at 4.8ghz(proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUsmhGFP5hc ) I wouldn't be surprised at all if they put in two 680mx's.
We'll see soon if I'm right or wrong. Would be pretty awesome if I were right.