gtx 780m SLI in alienware 18 parallel to gtx Titan pc ?

Well yeah, once you overclock those numbers fly out the window lol, but at stock it's 250W vs 200W and the titan goes to around 300W max I believe before it throttles itself.

 

Since there's CPU throttling for now I moved on to Uningine Heaven 4.

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From comparing to desktop GPUs here, *** OFFICIAL Post your Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark scores! *** - AnandTech Forums, we are definitely chewing at highly overclocked GTX 780, and should be beating stock Titan too. But definitely nowhere near an overclocked Titan. Perhaps someone more experienced could eke out more scores.

 

Well once you have an unlocked bios and are running at 1050/6000 the scores would be quite different.

 

That run was probably 1032/1045 with 2950 on the ram, I can't remember exactly.

The run of 1058/3000 (or 6000 or 1500, depending on how you look at it, GDDR5 is quad pumped) that I did is here:

.

Not much more can be eked out from it, unless I start doing something externally to improve the cooling.

1060 is not possible due to 13MHz increment. You either have 1045, or 1058 or 1071. I could run 1071 but the efficiency is dropping rather low and I have to pump a lot of voltages into it.

Perhaps some local gurus could run the same benchmark and let's know what yardstick we should be looking at.

 

Now if only they would release a 120hz monitor to go with those BEASTLY! cards then everything would be all set

 

That would be a nice option for those that want it, but there may not be one available in the 18" size. Plus, it would not be good for anyone that wants to be able to use IGFX on battery. The 120Hz display is not compatible with Intel HD graphics. The 17 (or a previous generation M17xR3/R4) with a 120Hz 3D-capable LCD cannot use the Intel HD graphics and I wouldn't want my machine to be crippled like that.

 

You should be able to OC the internal display when in dedicated mode.

 

how can that score be possible ? I have a PC with I7 4770k and Dual gtx 780 SLI PC....... and i got 1478 score...?!?!?!
what am i missing here.....!!!?

 

you know, its a pet peave of mine, when someone compared desktop to mobile cards in any relative terms of performance... too much is different...

titan does not compare to the 2x 780m's... they're entirely different.

the titan is going to be using 16x lanes while the 780m's x8's... the bus's and interconnects will be different, the performance from whatever harddisk controller/setup will probably vary in latency for sure... the cpu will have probably more physical processors and more cache and a faster bus, and the RAM will be much faster..

maybe in benchmarks people are getting realtively same numbers, but performance will be different in games/applications. From bootup to loading the game and area's... sound quailtiy too... onboard vs dedicated... in a laptop like AW's mostly everything depends on the cpu or onboard controllers.. in a desktop so much is moved to dedicated devices with faster busses... and take up much less cpu....

Its hard to say the tests are comparable, nevemind the results.

 

Dual 780's are still a beast though.

 

680m SLI and 780m SLI is such powerful combo in portable factor - YES you can compare it to be paralel with GTX Titan EASY. Benchmarks is somewhat unrealistic numbers if you compare to real life usage performance - something you cant compare to real life usage if talking seriously, benchmarks will load every laptop/desktop component to its maximum load and you get results for the tasks accomplished, either desktop or laptop benchmarks, tasks are identical for chosen tasks, so if benchmarks can be compared as neck-to-neck, so is the performance in real life, because benchmark will be the ruling-factor in telling which is faster. M18X R1/R2 can be had with 2133MHz RAM, can be had at ~4.5-5GHz @ all 4cores/8threads with 8MB cache, can have 1TB/s RAID0 SSD configuration + ssd caching on top of that etc, and 8MB CPU cache vs 10MB or more in benchmarking or real life may not be ranking factor at all, unless comparing CPU intensive benchmarking only, but we're talking about GPU power here, and even if we talk that 680m/780m runs at 8x lane in SLI, it copes total power as single GTX Titan would in its single 16x lane, so thats irrelevant, the difference is minor if any at all comparing two cards in 8x vs 1 card @16x lane.

Just my 2 cent, I vouch M18X R1/R2 with SLI 680m/780m is better rig

 

I totally agree.

however, comparing it to the titan, is like saying, when testing out two different fruits bowls, they both filled you up... though one was 5 small oranges and the other 2 large apples... in the end maybe you got the same thing. okay not entirely the same, but mobile cards should be compared to mobile cards only. desktop systems should remain benching with desktop systems.

 

its a shame desktop systems get beat down to laptop level performance, thats all I wanted to say so the faster - the better, no matter what you got apples or oranges, if it made you full and that was your aim - you've succeeded!

 

The desktop to notebook is a valid comparison if you keep in mind the difference piratical applications of each.

 

I tend to think it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. A beast is a beast, and 200MPH is 200MPH regardless of whether it's a small package or a large one. Desktop motherboards have integrated components as well, unless you install discrete components at an added cost. The lines are more blurred than they ever have been in the past. A desktop that doesn't perform better is an inferior product in my eyes.

If a laptop with an Extreme CPU and 780M SLI isn't enough horsepower, a more or less equally expensive desktop is the only place to go for something better. An inexpensive desktop won't cut it. Anything less will be a cheap desktop that looks and acts like a cheap desktop. Either way, it's tethered to a desk and that kind of sucks if you aren't also tethered to that desk.

 

And with this brings up the idea of Extreme and Enthusiast in their respective markets as well. Right now, the Alienware 18 or R2 are the extreme at the notebook Enthusiast level. A comparable desktop is just as much money and most of the extra horsepower is going to power insanely high resolutions and expensive monitors. I like the miniaturization of components and mobile technology in general and have been on mobile gaming for the past 8 years or so. Prior to that was custom built PCs I either did (which I have no intention of getting back into) or buying an AW desktop (ALX back in the day).

It pains me on other forums when people say "I could build a desktop with titans for the price of an Alienware." I usually say:
1. Enjoy looking at pictures on your phone if you ever leave home for a trip
2. Enjoy spending 4k alone on a 4k TV or multiple monitors that actually take advantage of two Titans in SLI. These notebooks aren't that much more expensive than enthusiast level desktops. I find people that complain about pricing are those that have a custom built rig with a weak motherboard, 500watt PSU and a Nvidia 460gtx. Nothing wrong with that, but they aren't representing the Enthusiast level of the desktop gaming world. Those at the Enthusiast level of the desktop gaming world should and usually do respect the power of Alienware notebooks and understand their extra horsepower are powering the extra pixels for very similar game play.

 

:thumbsup: ^^^ Word ^^^ :thumbsup:


I also totally love and enjoy the idea and usable mobility of the powerhouse laptops, sooner than later it will happen that hardly anybody will use desktops at all due to them being so strictly stationery, (ofc. unless its a office/network data-center server or word processing office machine kinda way)

Just like compare your mobile phones of today vs. best wired/cordless phone that money can buy, and at the moment it makes ZERO sense to compare these things, mobility wins hands down, I dare to say the same comes in the future for mobile computing! Matter of time only fellows

 

so it makes sense to you that dual 780m sli would give same bench performance on uheaven as gtx 780 sli ?
i know its not possible, but why did i get the same results ?

 

Drivers? What are the clocks on your 780's and what CPU are you running?

I would expect a pair of GTX 780's to clock over 2000 in uHeaven 4.0.

 

Drivers or some other limitation. Also one benchmark does not really matter considering in games the 780 will stomp, especially at beyond 1080p.

 

i have both gtx 780 factory OC...
on games there is no doubt i get better FP's than some aliewanre 18 youtube game videos i seen.
on crysis 3 i get around 40-60 fps with 2560x1460 resolution with everything ( including msaa) on max...
i doubt the 780m sli will give same results...
just kind of odd , the uheaven bench acting this way..

 

beware fellow, until someone with 780m SLI jumps at you with their results of your application you will be beaten down to beyond lower score. Fix me if Im wrong, but scores from 680M SLI alone from mr.fox games FPS and so on screamed out come and try get me ... really need them to come chime in with what they're capable off, especially now when dual PSU mods are the key to even higher OC and unseen potential!

 

Anyone that wants to compare notes can use a 1080p display resolution and chase these numbers with their desktop PC: Mr. Fox - Cumulative Benchmark Scores - Alienware M18x R2 "Avenger"

Single GPU desktops might struggle to keep up with these results, but GTX 780 SLI should be able to do as well or better. Assuming the CPU is overclocked effectively, too.

(I don't have my M18x tethered to a desktop monitor with 2560x1440 resolution, nor do I plan to tether it. So, I cannot increase my resolution for the sake of comparison.)

 

still odd that if i OC my 4770k CPU, only then i should see higher score on Uheaven...
the cards im using are OC 780 ( yes, its not OC like an end user would do), but still should so a higher score...
and from watching the tempetures during the Uheaven benchmark, the cards were staying cool at around 60 degrees celsius...
im going towards the assumption that if 780 sli OC have similar performance as a 780m ski, then there is something wrong with my PC.

 

More than likely....User error...
Versions
Drivers
nvsettings

can make or break that bench...depending on how you want to look at it.
I did the same settings as kh and got a 67.1 and and over all of 1689...So im thinking you may want to go back and check a few things....

Your OC results with the 770 (Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark)
*** OFFICIAL Post your Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark scores! *** - AnandTech Forums

Just a few places to look at who did better and worse than you....

You should be around here...
3077 - GTX780 x2 @ 1240/1712 - piklar
2959 - GTX780 x2 @1228/1660 - Pandora's Box
2724 - GTX780 x2 @ 963/1592 - desprado

 

just to show u how much of a nab I am....
it seems to be that SLI was turned OFF on nvidia settings... sooooooo
1) I feel like an idiot
2) I got a score of around 2560 using the new beta drivers..
I will run another test with the WHQL latest drivers and OC the cpu and recheck the score hehe

 

Thee you go Kamzan I did a run on a stock setting outside of the modded Vbios running 850mhz and I got 1749.

 

Retina on alienware would be awesome as hell

 

well i just OC the CPU to 4.5ghz and got 2653 score with 102 fps average
time to OC the factory OC gtx 780's

Edit:
So I did a first minor overclock with the 780 sli and managed to reach 2917 fainal score while GPU stable on 80 degrees celsius..
so i guess everything is normal now

 

As fun as notebook overclocking is there are just certain things they can't do.

You can't put on a water cooling setup or even just a bigger heatsink and PSU and go to town.

There is not much you could do in a notebook to challenge a pair of 770s water cooled running at 1250mhz attached to water cooled 4770K running at 5ghz.

 

Alienware m18x with watercooling : Esetek water cooling gaming notebook Alienware M18x - YouTube

 

btw , is there a "way" / techinche to overclock SLI cards ? doesnt matter what clock / memory clock number i enter the cards cant seem to take it when i start testing anymore...
im using evga precision , getting voltage as high as +34 , any suggestions ?

 

Have you made sure the cards are set the synchronise any changes? Have you tried other tools like nvidia inspector or msi afterburner?

 

I got these NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-4770K,ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. SABERTOOTH Z87 benching results and i have no idea what they mean or to what to compare it to ?
nothing is OC other than the CPU...

 

Well, there is still the ability to send the output to one of Dell's beautiful 30" monitors with a res of 2560x1600. But I was hoping the maximum res would go up with Alienware's design refresh this year as well...

Personally, I'm waiting until next year's Maxwell refresh to buy a new Alienware 18... I'm hoping that will coincide with a higher res screen. The fault isn't really Dell's tho... Samsung and Sharp are just now starting to create 14 and 15" laptop screens with 3200x1800 resolutions... nothing for 18" screens yet.

 

yeah we need a 4k res 18.6 '' laptop screen !

 

I hope you are kidding...

 

nah, the new 19'' model is coming next right ?

 

I'd buy it.

 

19"? I won't even call that a laptop anymore. Damn.

 

I'm sure if 19" came out, everyone with the 18 would like to get the 19 instead

 

People would buy a 19in but to think 4k is a desired resolution would have to love two things:
1. Constantly switching resolutions between games and every other task due to eye strain
2. Love NOT playing games at native resolution.

 

I sorta think 4k won't be that big UNLESS...the price drops a ton. Maybe it's nice to have a high rez screen for a handheld, but as the screen gets bigger, the cost seems pretty astronomical. I haven't ever seen one so maybe it's worth it, but 6k or more just puts it too niche. For gamers, I think the majority would rather go for a 30" screen instead of a small 4k screen for the same price. That, or multi-monitor which I'd love due to increased productivity for work.

 

I think it's only a matter of time before 4K will be the new standard. There's no reason to think that it won't. Price will absolutely decrease as well and eventually it will be a supported broadcast and blu-ray/movie format as well. It's just going to take awhile for video games to have the power to play at that resolution. 1080p if anything is long in the tooth for PC gamers. CRT monitors were playing 1600x1200 (or whatever it was) games for a long time. Powerful gaming rigs were running Source engine games at 2048x1536 which was the max CRT resolution I believe. I had a 23inch CRT in 2004 that I would crank out CS:S to at that resolution. Great monitor and of course...zero tracing effects.

 

so any one modded to join the 2x330q power bricks to oc the 780m sli to the max? or does a stock 4700mq bottlenecks 780m sli at 1000 oced on the core?

 

yes, and it's not fairing well at the moment.

 

Johnkiss, in your expert opinion, where do you see these Haswell processors going? Do you think there is a bios fix that will come out or are there too many Intel-based impediments to crank the XM chips up? What about the 780s? Has the power been pretty much tried and tapped? I think right now everything is a guessing game and I would be interested in hearing your guesses.

 

I can share my guess with you about the 18 with 4930MX and 780M SLI. John will need to let you know how it is has been going with the M18xR2 with 780M SLI.

The dual 330W AC adapter mod works very good for my M18xR2 with 3920XM and 680M SLI. In fact, I just posted some benchmarks using it the other day and set a new world record for 680M SLI on Fire Strike Extreme. My 680M SLI record for 3DMark11 is also using the dual AC adapter mod.

As far as the Alienware 18 is concerned, the system keeps shutting off when using the dual AC adapter. This is not temperature related. It is also not tripping the circuit in either AC adapter. It almost behaves as if the laptop itself has an internal power circuit breaker because it happens the moment power demand begins to spike. For example, at the start of Test #1 in 3DMark11, just as the status bar is reaching the end immediately before Test #1 begins, it abruptly turns off. Please note that I need to do more testing to understand what may be causing this.

I am sharing based on a few observations that might not be thoroughly understood yet, but right after I ran 3DMark11, Fire Strike and Fire Strike Extreme on the M18xR2 the other day using the dual AC adapter at 4.6GHz on CPU and GPUs running over 1.1GHz (core) at 1.1v... in multiple back-to-back runs of benchmarks without any kind of issue, I disconnected the dual adapter setup from the M18xR2 and attached it to the 18 without disturbing anything else and it was still shutting off under load. I reconnected it to the M18xR2 and again had no issues. That's why I think there may be some sort of power overload protection on the motherboard. Of course, this is a good thing if it is preventing damage to the 18 from occurring. If it is merely an arbitrary limit that was imposed, then it's an artificial impediment.

If John has the same thing happening on the M18xR2, then it might just be that 780M SLI power demands are exceeding what the either motherboard can handle effectively when additional power supply is made available to it. If it is something unique to the 18 it could be complicated by the fact that the 4930MX CPU is a total power pig. From what I can tell, the 4930MX CPU alone draws a solid 18-20W more power than my 3920XM does at only 4.5GHz. The fact that it does not happen with 3920XM and 680M SLI for me might be the key since those components combined draw quite a bit less power. I am estimating that the combination of 4930MX and 780M SLI is demanding a good 50-80W more power under similar loads. As I said, I still need to tinker with it more to see if user error is coming into play somehow.

The good news is, ThrottleStop now works with the new 18, so you can easily use CPU overclocking profiles for benching the way we always used to have to do with 680M SLI. So, in that regard it is not the end of the world.

 

With our experiences with the 4930MX there is nothing in it stopping you from unleashing it, all the important aspects (TDP and multis) are all unlocked and ready to go.

 

Fans not running is a problem. You can't run it cool enough to unleash it because it overheats before the CPU fan kicks on for the first time, LOL. They need to fix the fans tables so that doesn't happen. If you use HWiNFO64 to force the CPU fan to run, it works great for the CPU fan, but shuts offs the GPU fans and the video cards quickly overheat. They should be able to correct this with a BIOS/EC update.

Because the default Core Current Limit is set to 32.000A (equivalent to 256 Pri Plane) instead of 112.000A (equivalent to 896 Pri Plane) by default and cannot be changed with XTU, you have to compensate by jacking the Processor Current Limit really high. This makes the CPU run like a banshee, but it also contributes to heat and draws more power. And, it may not be good for the health of the CPU to subject it to that kind of thing over an extended period of time.