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

I have not seen that before. I hope it's the correct GPU. Did you try to Google any of those other numbers?

The glass E2E cover is glued directly to the alloy frame. The LCD is screwed into place inside of the alloy frame. If you remove the aluminum lid you can get a better look at it. The webcam and LED for the logo and other parts are attached to the allow frame just like the LCD panel. It's a simple and effect design... extremely well made. The only part that is not simple is the E2E lens removal. Of course, if you were not careful, something too long or flexible reaching in far enough to make contact with the surface of the LCD panel could scratch or gouge it.

What might work is a piano-wire, guitar string or cable cutter similar to what is used for automotive glass removal. (Attach a handle on each end of the wire to keep from hurt yourself in the process.) You probably would need a second person to help unless you have 3 arms. You would need both of your hands free to manage the cutting process with someone else holding the assembly for you. The wire is thin enough to cut through the adhesive, but smooth enough not to gouge or mar the glass or metal surface. It will scratch painted surfaces if you are not careful, but there is no paint to scratch with the display cover removed.

[Quick Tips] Replacing The M18x LCD Cover (Aluminum Lid)

Professional Windshield Removal Kit | Harbor Freight Tools

 

This is getting into "replace the whole damn thing" territory. It is about $250 on eBay for the entire lid assembly. We shall see...

Thank you to everyone for your help.

I'll chime back in once I find out if that GPU is a working 680M and beat it up for awhile.

 

That is exactly why Alienware only services this part as an assembly. It's way too much hassle and risk of causing additional damage to mess with for the average user.

 

I bought the headlight polishing kit from Meguiar's. It was the 'Heavy Duty' one for $29.99. I used a pretty slow speed on my electric drill for the buffing attachment with the buffing cream. It does leave a light haze on the E2E, but it can't be seen while the computer is in use, even on a completely white screen. I made sure to wet the E2E down with water from a spray bottle to ensure there isn't enough heat created by the buffer to melt or warp anything.

 

Interesting, hopefully it works out well for you! I'm definitely concerned about damaging the glass over the long haul, but I'm pretty cautious with what I keep around my system and I have a microfiber cloth cut to screen size that I lay on top of the keyboard when I close it up for protection.
As for my RAM issue, AW is sending out a tech this upcoming week, so that's a plus.

 

My display is coming up on 2 years old and it has no imperfections of any kind. It has been on tons of cross-country business trips and it has been disassembled dozens of times for various reasons. While I am cautious and handle it like I care about it a lot, it's not particularly fragile.

 

I got this M18x off of the Dell outlet with minimum specs forever ago. There have been some times when I wasn't very smart about how I cleaned the E2E, but that wasn't what caused all this. There was a tiny little dot of something not even noticeable on anything other than a white screen. I looked at it for a long time, maybe a year. One day last week I decided I couldn't take it anymore and tried to gently buff it out not realizing just how soft the E2E plastic is. I thought 2K grit wet sanding would barely touch anything, but that was wrong. I moved up to 3K grit, and before I knew it I had a 1"x 1" area that just had the hell scratched out of it. LUCKILY the kit I bought was able to more or less buff that spot out. If I could go back, I would just keep on staring at the tiny dot and get over it.

 

If anyone is interested in a great backpack, Everki EKP120 Titan Checkpoint for $109

Everki EKP120 Titan Checkpoint Laptop Backpack Fits Notebooks Up to 18.4IN

 

Hello everyone!

I would like upgrade my M18xR2.Current system 7970M cfx and will 780M sli upgrade.
Please help for me which vga heatsink better for 780M's
I see two version: left side part number: KC5GV Genuine Dell Alienware M18x R2 AT0MI0080F0 100W NVGTX Heatsink P N KC5GV | eBay
and other part number: JW8P7 Dell Alienware M18x R2 NVIDIA GPU Heatsink Left P N JW8P7 | eBay
This parts not same and i don't know which version better for 780M
Thanks for the answer!

 

I moved your post to the M18xR1/R2 Owner's Lounge.

KC5GV is a part number not known to me. It is not in our parts list provided by Dell/Alienware. GTX 680M heat sinks will do the trick. JW8P7 was a GTX 580M part. Actually, any NVIDIA 100W heat sink for the M18xR1/R2 will work OK. Below is a shopping list for you.

GDMRG Nvidia SLI Bridge Cable
Y48TK Right Heatsink GeForce GTX 680m
5G1VJ Left Heatsink GeForce GTX 680m
3MHHT nVidia support plate GTX 680m

The support plates (3MHHT) generally come with new heat sinks when ordered from Dell/Alienware. Buying the parts used or through another source they probably will not. You will need two of them (one for each GPU).

 

Thanks a lot Mr.Fox!

 

Make sure you also use some good quality thermal compound for the GPU and monitor the temperatures after the upgrade.

 

Dell tech called me yesterday morning to meet at my house to swap the RAM out. I was at work and was unable to leave so the tech came to my job and did the swap within 10 minutes. Alienware rep called me before, during and after the work to make sure I was being taken care of. Fantastic customer service, I will make sure to pass that along.

 

I noticed yesterday that about 70 M18xR2's descended on the Dell Outlet, and knowing they are having 5 days of deals promo, I thought I would look and see, even though there was no Alienware promo.

The best price/performance I found was a RED M18xR2, i7-3920XM, Dual nVidia 675M, Dual 256GB SSD, Blu-Ray, 1866 RAM and Killer-N for $2129. Even at that price, it seemed like a good deal.

Very early this morning, I saw it was still there. Thinking that, possibly, today's Outlet deal might be on Alienware systems, I managed to keep hold of it for 3 hours (cart/remove/cart, etc).
My work paid off. When the Dell deal of the day was announced, sure enough, 25% off Alienware. That brought it down to just $1596.

I used to have a similar M18xR2 (very similar with Extreme CPU and dual 7970M's but sold it a year ago), but now am back. I just received the newer Alienware 18 (base model for $1400)
but am not really fond of the looks and the performance of the i7-4700Q.

I think with the overclocking capability of the 3920XM and the dual 675M's this will be better than the base Alienware 18. And, it's RED!

Looking forward to receiving it soon.

 

What a deal you got yourself there mate! Nice one!

 

WOOT! That is an incredible deal. Congratulations, Brother lancorp.

 

That is an awesome deal! I snatched up the R2 with 680m SLI in my sig for $1500 off the Outlet a few weeks ago; the only thing I will end up swapping in will be an XM at some point, but right now I'm satisfied with the 3740.

 

Your's is a good deal too! I was torn between better dual video cards and a lesser (non-Extreme) CPU, but for what I use it for, I'm better off with a CPU I can OC to 4.0Ghz+ and super-fast RAM, plus a decent SLI video system. (plus, I wanted RED...)

I think I saw dual 680M systems this morning for about $2k before promo discount, so that would be about the same as what you got.

Is the 3740QM capable of any overclocking??

Also, did yours come stock with the 2 x 250GB SSD's and 2 x 500GB HDD drives?

 

Dual 780M's huh? Very nice! I assume you put those in yourself or did it come that way?
Is 4.5Ghz on your 3920XM a practical speed or did you have to really work (and pay) to get that speed?

How'd you get 4 drives in your R2?

 

Thanks! Looking at you and TBoneSan...how likely am I to get into the mid 4Ghz range without major modifications? 2133 RAM required to change the BCLK and multipliers high enough to get mid 4's?

 

Nope, you do not need 2133 RAM for that. I run 43x4 @ 100.3 (set BCLK with XTU) with 18 Flex VID and zero pri plane for normal everyday use. I have c-states disabled and it runs a solid 4.3GHz on all cores 24/7 with reasonable temps. You can do just about everything you need using XTU and/or ThrottleStop from within Windows. You do need the unlocked BIOS to change the MSR lock to disabled and any other tweaks beyond basic CPU power settings.

To get fantastic results at 45x4 takes about 50 on Flex VID. Running 0 for pri plane is the same as setting it manually to 896, which is 112.000A in XTU. It does better with 960 pri plane (120.000A in XTU). It is much harder to keep cool for normal everyday use at 45x4 unless you have a really cool work environment and like the fans running at full speed a lot of the time. There is a significant difference in temps between 4.3GHz and 4.5GHz due to the extra voltage needed.

 

With regards to memory speed, my R2 shipped with 8GB (2Gb x 4) of 1866 RAM. Problem is, it seems to be running at 1333.

I went into the BIOS and set the memory to XMP Profile 2 (which, according to HWINFO shows is 933Mhz which would equate to the 1866). When I select that and it restarts, I immediately get 4 beeps + 2 beeps. The screen stays dark and it resets and memory setting is back at Default.

How do I get the system running 1600 or 1866 (as shipped)?

HWINFO shows current memory timing around 667 (x2 for rated speed, right?).

All-in-all, this R2 from the Outlet is in pretty good shape. I'd rate it a 9. I had to fix the keyboard as Dell shipped it with a big hump in it due to the video cable not being seated in the routing channel, and one of the keyboard metal tabs at the bottom was bent 90 degrees instead of being in the slot.

I still have a problem with the F8 key sticking, and the "ALIENWARE" lit logo on the screen does not show any RED. (did I say I rated it a 9?)

Gotta chat with tech support on Monday. Otherwise, I'm running OC Level 3 fine.

 

I'm picking out a new warranty/renewing for my M18x. Who has some experience and recommendations? Should I go with:
Basic Next Day Onsite after Remote Diagnosis
or
ProSupport Next Business Day Onsite after Remote Diagnosis

Is the ProSupport worth the extra cash?

Thanks!

I'm on the fence about the accidental damage since I'm very careful and don't move the system.

 

I think the ProSupport part of the warranty is just access to more "expert" support personnel. The members of this forum are your FREE ProSupport.

Just get the Basic and take the money you save and upgrade to accidental if you think that is the best choice.

 

Hi Guys

Anyone got a fix for the crackling I get in Bf4? It really screws my card, so much so that even after shutting the game down I have to reboot to get rid of it

Cheers

 

Not to sure what you mean by 'crackling' ?

 

I would add the accidental damage, it's a great add. The ProSupport is worth the money if you need assistance with software issues. If you only need a tech to come when a part needs replacement then get the Basic one.

What's the exact situation? Can we get a video or something?

 

Just picked up a super cheap m18xr1. It was overheating and shutting down so the person felt, it's broken/flawed design. Seller lived at a rural property with crazy amount of dust. First thing I did was check if warranty was valid and it is. Second thing opened the laptop, removed fans and peeled piles of dust with tweezers, 30mins of cleaning and it's working great. Only 2 issues, dell Bluetooth having compatibility issues with win7 and LCD has marks from keyboard.

 

So, of course, the proper thing to do is after you "fixed" it, you went back to the seller to tell them it wasn't really broken, just dirty. You gave them back the M18xR1 and handed them a bill for cleaning, right?

 

Something similar, he's one of my mates and already upgraded to AW18, he thought following things were busted/dead/not working:

- HDD not detected
- odd not reading discs
- laptop overheating within 5 minutes of switching on
- charger tripping, assumed mobo on the way out
- sticky keys on keyboard

30 minutes of disassmbling laptop, followed by 30 minutes of solid cleaning and another 30 minutes of careful assembly and its running cool and quite , I did end up using about 5 bottles of compressed air, once they ran out, air compressor from work van came to rescue.

Although, I can give him a bill for cleaning (work for a cleaning company), although the bill will be more than the cost of new Aw18 maxed out, after all, I am a SPECIALIST when it comes to cleaning, blood, clandestine labs, etc, you get the picture

I did rub it in his face today and he just laughed it off, then i got him a bottle of double black

I did notice a single dead pixel today. Anyone know if dell replace whole lcd assembly or just lcd ?

 

When I had to have my screen replaced for the same reason, they replaced just the LCD. They will only let a tech come and do it. They will not send you the LCD and let you swap it yourself. At least they wouldn't in my case.

 

In some instances they will let you work on the machine yourself. I was fortunate enough to have Dell send me out parts and let me work on my machine then send the old bits back.

 

I've had them do that too. For every service call except the LCD. Lol. They just wouldn't budge on that one for some reason.

 

I switch the display adapters all the time, but forget if the puter is using the Intel adapter or the others. For that, I have to go into Device Manager to see what graphic drivers are active. Is there a widget or something that can simply display what graphic cards are active? AddGadgets.Com's GPU meter doesn't detect the graphics card. Thanks.

 

I don't know of a gadget that will detect both nVidia and Intel (From what I know, they work on AMD and nVidia cards only) but for me I just right click on the desktop. If I see the nVidia Control Panel listed, I know the nVidia cards are active, and the Intel Graphics is not active. Same thing for the Intel Graphics.

 

Exactly. That's the simplest way of determining GPU mode - right click on the desktop.

 

Well that was simple. Thanks. I tend to over complicate things when there are really easy answers.

 

It was - lol - Thanks for the help brother Stevie.

We do that if the person already has a record of fixing the machine himself/herself. Or if the person asks for it and it's not a really complicated part to replace.

 

In my case, dell has allowed me to install, HDD/ram/wifi card myself, for anything else, they will not budge. Have to get tech on site. But I have awesome technician, best I would say, I have had laptop sitting already disassembled for him and he would let me repaste it the way want it and then finish the job for me, or just let me swap parts with him. I guess i make his life easier and act friendly to him (like offer him a cold drink on a hot day).

 

Ordered a refurbished M18x and this is what I got...





Packaging was perfect, laptop inside is badly dented in this corner. I know what I selected was an outlet refurb NOT a scratch and dent. Everything seems to operate properly upon bootup but I haven't had an opportunity to run some stress tests... Do I contact dell for a refund or try to get it repaired?

 

This may be a dumb question, but wouldn't the "M18x R1" actually be the "M18x" because the "R1" in the name refers to a revision of the M18x itself. But if it's the first M18x, it hasn't been revised, right? So, technically, the "M18x R2" is actually the first revision of the M18x making it the M18x R1? Kind of like how the first Alienware 18 was just released, but we don't call it the Alienware 18 R1.

I'm bored and this randomly just came to mind...

 

If everything else is as it should be and the system works well, contact Dell and have them either replace the lower chassis (would be my choice) or swap the machine for another one. There is simply no excuse for them to have sent out a machine with physical damage to the chassis like that. That's not a minor cosmetic blemish... I would call it severe structural damage and it was not worthy of being sold in that condition, even as a scratch and dent, IMHO.

 

Thanks for the quick response fox, sorry for posting in the alienware 18 thread not the m18x thread.

 

I think the R means "release" rather than "revision" so R1 is correct. But, your logic would definitely apply if it stood for "revision" as long as you did not count beta hardware (in which case "revision 1" might still be applicable, LOL).

Hey, no worries. I just fixed that for you.

 

Ha, okay, that makes sense. I don't know why I thought of that... I was just browsing and it came to mind.

 

Thanks for the fix mr. Fox. I just spent 45 minutes in a loop on Dell's support line and got no where. Anyone have a recommendation for a number to call? Would a rep on here be able to help me? It's so frustrating circling around getting transferred abd kicked back to menus when I'm trying to get help.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

 

You could try PMing one of the Alienware representatives here. Mr. Louis Porras has been incredibly helpful to me in the past. As far as calling in, 1-800-ALIENWARE should be the correct number.

As Mr. Fox has said, that amount of damage is not acceptable. That's a pretty big ding.

 

Was it a "Certified Refurbished" or a "Scratch and Dent"? If the latter, then it could be acceptable.

 

*10 chars*

 

My New Years resolution is to learn to read.