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

I don't know what the consensus is on buying refurbed... but I did. It's actually from someone else who purchased it (assuming with a coupon) and sold it to me still factory sealed.

Paid $3099 (Hoping I didn't get ripped off).

 

It might be just a warning message. With A03 there was no Secure Boot/Fast Boot. If you don't run those UEFI "features" and did not install Windows that way, then it may not be something that you need to be worried about.

On another note, welcome to the Gestapo way of computing. With Secure Boot fully implemented, hardware and firmware upgrades that don't come from an "authorized" source may no longer be possible at some point in the future. How's that for "progress" LOL? And, Microsoft has the OEM between a rock and a hard place. They don't get "certification" unless they follow Microsoft's lead on locking everything down.

 

Hm thanks so far. Problem is, that I can't override this warning and so I can't install the new Bios.
I want this because I still have the huge issue with having no sound card with the first boot-up. I still need to reboot after the fist one, to get the sound system working properly.
Well maybe a DellRep can help.

 

Depends on the specs. I bought mine for $2600, manufacturer refurbed + sealed.

 

Well ordered mine on Feb 27th..

Lets see I got the :

i-7 3940XM

Dual 680m SLI

Everything else was left stock..

I ordered a Samsung 256mb 840 Pro SSD from newegg

as well as a 7200RPM Sata 3 1TB hard drive..

Also a crucial 32GB mSata (Probably use on the 1tb for cashing allthough not sure if it would be better on the 500gb they included with my order)

Also CORSAIR Vengeance Performance 16GB 1866 Memory

and Logitech G930 Wireless headset (Had the h70's and went through 3 of them!)

The only thing that I wish I would of got was a blu ray player although Ebay does have some blu ray burners (Slot loading) Will have to look into what fits the m18x when it gets here!

I joined Dell advantage so I have free 2 day shipping.. supposed to get like a $200 eGift card... Guess im going to order the Alienware Messenger bag with it whenever it comes.. Since they used several quotes when I called and some rep messed up and did not include the case he said he was going to include with my order. Tried calling back but they wanted me to cancel the order and re do it so I guess I'm stuck footing the bill on the case!

How is Dell's Production time? Mine has been in production since the 27th and has estimated Delivery date of March 13th.. hoping to find out that they ship sooner then that!

I all I need now is the carrying case and a Good USB stick to install Windows 7 Ultimate from! and to get into the 5Ghz club

Dell TSub Total : $3995.81 *Was the best deal 2 reps could give me!

Dell Total : $4212.95

Newegg Total :$654.95

Grand Total for my m18x : 4867.90


-|Nycro|-

 

Hey Nycro,

That's pretty awesome as I did essentially the same thing, but opted to save a few bucks by dropping back to the 3840 i7, otherwise exact same config and due to arrive Mar 11.

The really ironic part is that I had planned to add the very same SSD and RAM but haven't pulled the trigger on those parts yet as I remember reading that people have had issues Raiding the 840 pro series and that is something I had planned on doing eventually.

Anyhow just thought I'd chime in to say 'great minds think alike'.

Oh yeah, I believe I ended up giving $3331. for it after taxes (sucks that Dell is based in Texas so had to pay Sales tax).

We will have to compare notes down the road.



Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

I take it neither of you have seen the information here in the forum about problems with Corsair Vengeance memory compatibility problems. @TexasGamer, don't buy it... @Nycro, your machine might not boot with it installed. See if NewEgg will let you return the unopened package for in-store credit for purchase of another brand. Other than that, nice machines both of you have coming.

Ah, so it is more than a warning. The Gestapo is already knocking on the front door. They want your guns and your M18x.

Try what rafix73 suggested. Press FN+F7 and reboot to switch to IGFX and the BIOS will not know you have discrete GPUs and it might go ahead and install. If you already tried that and it did not work. please let us know.

Are you hoping that A10 fixes the audio problem you are having, or is there something more than hope that leads you to believe that it will? I have not seen anything in writing to suggest that, but I certainly hope that it will.

 

Indeed I only went with the 8940xm for the over clocking hoping to eliminate any bottleneck with the 680's. I'm really regretting not getting the blue ray hoping that a standert slot loading drive will fit. There's a blue ray burner on eBay I'm looking at for $100. Maybe someone will chime in on the size of the drive so I can order it if that's the case.

Definartly will have to compare notes I was not going to do the raid setup but might mess around in the future. What Raid setup were you planning on doing?

All my drive bays will be full wondering if I should use the mSata to cache the 1tb or the 500gb

Well hopefully they will get here soon!

-|Nycro|-

 

The BDrw you want for the 18x is a Panasonic UJ265 - that should be a direct "like for like" swap in terms of size/connections. Toying with the idea of getting one myself - just for the hell of it. I like the idea of having so much storage capacity on a blu ray disc vs. a dvd/cd.

 

If you have any doubt about the issues with it, Google Search: site:forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m18x Corsair Vengeance

Or, for the burner, the model I have is a Panasonic UJ235A. Excellent optical drive and burns BluRay flawlessly every time for me. I have not turned one BD-R disc into a coaster yet, and I have had it since the M17x R2. It used to be sold as an option by Alienware, but not any more. The UJ265 is probably every bit as good. It is 6x and the older one is 4x. I don't play movies on my M18x all that often, but it is nice having that option. It's more nice having the huge disc writing capacity. You can create a 1 disc Alien Respawn recovery image. DVD requires a minimum of two discs.

 

Yep. I'd give it the Vengeance stuff a wide berth, if possible, to avoid any incompatibility issues. Kingston HyperX is pretty good stuff - and reliable/compatible - in my experience.

 

This is part of the reason I splurged and got my m18x loaded out of the box - I could have saved a little getting the RAM aftermarket, and the harddrive, but looking at the total cost of the system, the savings was pretty minimal compared to the total cost anyway, and I decided I'd rather have all the parts in there on arrival (and, perhaps just as important, covered under the warranty!) to minimize my stress.

So, yeah - could have saved some cash, but got some extra simplicity and peace of mind.

edit to add: the one exception is I'll probably drop a data drive in there, the largest platter drive I can find that fits well. Probably a 1TB 7200 WD, or something similar.

 

Well even if you buy stuff like ram aftermarket, the manufacturer typically has generous warranty coverage. I would never load up on ram and other small items from Dell, they're far too overpriced. Speaking of which, my M18x will soon be leaving me and its back to the desktop + ultraportable world! *cry*

 

@TexasGamer - everyone pays sales tax for new Dell/Alienware machines regardless of what state they live in. They collect it for every state.

 

Awwww....that sucks! - hopefully, you won't be away for too long from the power laptops. Don't think I could cope with something far lesser than my beloved.

 

I read the posts about the memory issues hoping that maybe I will get lucky .. If not new eggs RMA is pretty good.. I wanted the hyperx to begin with but they were out of stock... I also have Taiphoon Burner but that will do no good if it fails to post with thee corsair. BTW I got thee 2x8gb sticks..

My order has all ready shipped so I cannot change it now. I won't know if it will work till the m18x gets here as the new egg stuff is going to be here first.

-|Nycro|-

 

Fingers crossed that they work for you then....

 

If not I will only be sad till I get the. Hyperx maybe eBay has some I can order it and that blue ray burner which is the uj265. That way If they don't work I will have memory here to use and can just send them back!

 

Well either BD drive would do. The one I said or the one Mr. Fox has. The difference is probably marginal, just that the 235a is discontinued and the 265a is it's replacement. See the following link, right at the bottom:

Internal Slot load and Tray load Blu-ray Burners, Internal Blu-ray Drives and Internal Optical Drives

It is a real shame that Dell no longer offer the option at the outset, I guess it must have been a cost/demand thing.....too much cost with not enough demand for them - which actually surprises me.

 

I know this is generally true - that they cost more from Dell. However, a quick check:

RAM, 32G upgrade from Dell - upcharge of $132. 32G of RAM from Newegg - an 8G stick runs between $40 and $60.

Harddrive: the upgrade charge on my 512G SSD: currently $264. Drives with similar capacities on Newegg start about $300.

Now, don't get me wrong - when I bought my system, it was slightly more expensive to get it installed from Dell than it was to buy it afterwards (and I know that savvy folks can look around and find great deals on computer hardware, too). What I am saying, though, is that 'way overpriced' may be a slight exaggeration - you do have to procecheck and compare, but in my case, I found the additional cost worth it; however, I know the answer may be different for other folks!

 

Yeah, I did see mention that some have had issues with the Corsair Vengeance stuff, guess I just hoped like Nycro that I'd get lucky and it would work for me. I liked the idea of both the 1866 speed and capability to go to 32 GB later on since Corsair is the only mfg that has 1866 8GB modules on the market. And yes I know there is virtually nothing out there that needs that much RAM, but being able to set up a 20 Gig RAM drive sounded kinda interesting. I think you have scared me sufficiently to persuade me that 16 GB of HyperX is the better choice.



Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

 

From a warranty perspective, if you (or anyone else for that matter) is not comfortable doing any "user upgrades", it could be deemed worthwhile to buy those kind of things from Dell as they would then be covered under the blanket of your system warranty. Sometimes, if you DO upgrade aftermarket - and if you sell the original parts that you upgrade - it can lead to warranty problems too, as Dell can insist on having the original system configuration in place to troubleshoot.....it's easy for Dell to say (not that they would , anyway) that it's your aftermarket SSD or ram that's causing future problems and that unless you have the Dell stock configuration, they can't help.

That's why I ALWAYS advise anyone that is considering an aftermarket upgrade to KEEP THE ORIGINAL PARTS - as tempting as it might seem to sell them to cover part of the aftermarket upgrade.

Just my thoughts on it.....

 

this is why we get them to send a tech out instead of ship the machine back to them, or overall just get them to ship replacement parts to you instead and fix it yourself. in theory, most of the hardware should run at least 5 years no problem, but we never know, and warranty only covers up to 4 years so they know they are making money out of it.

my desktop maxtor HDD still going, its been 11 years now lol.

 

Have seen vendors besides Dell offer slot load Bluray burners as an option. They seem to be Panasonic uj265 I think. It costs around $130 online. The uj240 is similar, but I believe tray load. Can the M18x use either or only slot load? Also, how hard to replace IF i felt the need? My HP HDX dargon is one screw and a press of a button.

Thanks,
Brad

in production.......M18x R2 3840QM - Dual 7970 - 500GB - 6GB ram - DVD burner - Intel 2230 wireless/BT 4.0

 

You are going to need a sata slot load optical drive. The metal chassis is built for a slot load drive only.

You will need to take it apart pretty far. The LCD, keyboard and palmrest will all need to come off. If you have experience with laptop repairs it shouldn't be too hard. It's about a half hour to an hour process to get apart and back together again. I've installed a couple of BD rom drives in my M18x in the past.

This video should help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhURMyavgks

 

Thanks Larry not so simple,

I did watch that video for gp already. And I have taken apart a few big laptops before. Hate to do it to brand new one, but when I decide it's time for Bluray burner I will. First up is more RAM and at least 2 SSDs.

 

Hello all,

I just ordered my M18x R2 and since I am in Japan (govt worker here till May), Dell will not ship to me. I have it set to go to my house so that my son can re-ship it to me here. I would like to get weight and box dimensions from someone that has box laying around possibly with everything on a sticker on the box.

Thanks,
Brad

 

I found these: Not sure if they're accurate, but seems about right... You should contact a representative to find out for certain.

23.23 x 19.25 x 4.63 inches

Weight will vary depending on the specs, but mine weighed about 20lbs.

 

My R1 box was 21" x 8" x 17" and about 23lbs.

 

hello m18x onwers, how thick is the thermal pad on gpu heatsink(vram/choke/mosfet)? 1mm I guess?

 

I'll put this in the Owner's Lounge. There is some other discussion on the same subject there, even from this weekend.

 

Well I bought the blue ray burner I will take pics of the install (also bought that mini PCI to usb to use in place of wihd) waiting on the computer to get here. I was unable to find any hyper x memory so hoping the corsair works if not then I will RMA it and maybe by then they will have the other memory in stock!

 

Hi Mr. Fox.
Just tried it - same error message with "current plattform have secure boot feature, it must provide NV storage location by IHISI interface".
Hm should I try Bios A08 instead.
The reason why I am trying is, that I hope to get rid off the sound issue. New bios is my only hope.

But what worries me is, why this seems to be only my problem with the bios flashing - I mean I have a regular AW M18x-R2 with 680SLI and P830SSD Raid. Bought it from Dell/Alienware directly in Austria - so not a used one or refurbished. Searching the Inet shows no topics about this issue???

 

Hey bud, try A09. I had no trouble flashing it, but I have not tried A10. From of what you are describing, I might not even want to. Sounds like something I think I might like to steer clear of... too much control for my taste.

But, I am running A09 unlocked now and it's working very good. I hope that fixes your sound problem.

 

Arghh just got a email from dell saying my R2 parts ordered wont be in until May 10th. Omg so annoyed...

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk 2

 

grab them from ebay for now.

 

I wouldn't, they won't be covered by warranty and will most likely cost more

 

Im not just annoyed lol i want it now so i can join benchmark wars with a R2

 

You should upgrade, I've seen some good prices on eBay - there's even one in the market section of the forum. :thumbsup:

What parts are you waiting for?

 

Waiting on R2 parts for my red R1 (R2 Motherboard,Ioboards etc) R2 upgrade for $600ish and also some parts plus original from red m18x for Black m18xR1 i'm building

Just can't believe how long i have to wait for the m18xR2 motherboard which is out of stock until MAY

 

thats if you're lucky enough to get parts without waiting forever. theres a ton of issues with R2 audio and mobo they are totally out of stock, for spare parts that is yet if you order a machine from them, you'll have yours within few weeks. they don't sell it to you if they got shortage, otherwise they would.

i have been trying to get a R2 mobo for awhile now and no luck. same with msata cable/ msata bracket. the only thing I was able to get was the 3 pipe heatsink but that was over several months ago.

 

Well they sold me all the parts and charged my CCD already so i guess i'm lucky. It only took Mr Fox 1month for his R2 parts. Think ill just wait

 

I'm a proud M18x-R2 owner now as well, after getting it as a warranty replacement for my trusty old, broken M17x-R2. I'm so happy I got the extended warranty back in the day (and I made sure to get it for the replacement as well). Suffice to say that I've been really impressed by this laptop so far. :thumbsup:

 

Awesome!

 

I was looking at some videos on the r2 unboxings and i have noticed the quality of shipping packages went from nice to nothing in seven months. Do they no longer have the 2 box cartons, hats and leather bound disc books? I was just wondering as I am waiting for mine to arrive.

 

I seen the same at looking at unboxing videos it would seem like they do not anymore I guess some get a mouse pad!

 

Yeah, still have my hat - though I think the thing I'll miss the most is the cool felt sleeve/protector thing. Got some good use out of that.

Well, I'll miss it all - the nice manual and all the extras helped emphasise this wan't just ANY computer I'd just purchased - but they went another direction (and, honestly, I'd rather see them cut stuff like that than cut corners putting my machine together, or in customer service, or something else)

 

Crossfire 675's or 7970's Which would be better in the M18x R2

 

Doubtless it's the 7970M combo - however, if you ever plan on leaning towards Nvidia in a future GPU upgrade, 675M SLI might be a better option for you, because you'd have all the required parts ready.

 

That's correct. My new M18x-R2 didn't come with any of these things. There is still the mouse pad, though.