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    Alienware M11x R3 is now available for sale

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011.

  1. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-m11x-r3/fs

    According to Dell US, Alienware M11x R3 has the following MAJOR changes:

    - Change in the processor and the discrete graphic card
    Intel® Core™ i5 2537M 1.4GHz(2.3GHz w/Turbo Boost, 3MB Cache) with 1GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M
    Intel® Core™ i7 2617M 1.5GHz(2.6GHz w/Turbo Boost, 4MB Cache) with 2GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M

    - Change in the sound card
    Internal High-Definition Surround Sound Audio (5.1)
    Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled

    - Change in the wireless card
    Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1000 a/g/n 1x2
    Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 6205 a/g/n 2x2
    Intel® Centrino® Advanced–N + WiMAX 6250 a/g/n 2x2

    I am going to ask whether I am able to upgrade my motherboard to the new processor tomorrow.
    Hopefully the design for R2 and R3 are identical.
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
    #1
  2. DEATHx2

    DEATHx2 Notebook Guru

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    just bought mine!

    Processor Intel® Core™ i7-2617M 1.5GHz (2.6GHz Turbo Mode, 4MB Cache)

    Memory 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz

    Hard Drive 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s

    Video Card NVIDIA® GeForce® GT430M graphics with 2.0GB Video Memory and Optimus
     
    DEATHx2, Apr 19, 2011
    #2
  3. mardon

    mardon Notebook Deity

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    Was there no GT540M option?
     
    mardon, Apr 19, 2011
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  4. Arklight

    Arklight Notebook Evangelist

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    sorry to put your hopes down, i don't think you can. The R3s' chipset supports the new intel core "sandy bridge" processors. It's not compatible.
     
    Arklight, Apr 19, 2011
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  5. Leminator

    Leminator Notebook Enthusiast

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    Still not available in Europe? >:-(
     
    Leminator, Apr 19, 2011
    #5
  6. sk3tch

    sk3tch Notebook Deity

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    Everyone doubted it. April '11 it was. Heh.
     
    sk3tch, Apr 19, 2011
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  7. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    04/19/2011 11:07:06AM XXXX: "Is it then possible for R2 users to upgrade to sandy bridge processor?"
    04/19/2011 11:07:50AM Agent (Silpa J): "yes you can do that but it would void the warranty"
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
    #7
  8. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    I noticed that Dell Hong Kong does provide GT540M option.
    Actually, it's the only option to choose...
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
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  9. unclewebb

    unclewebb ThrottleStop Author

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    Sandy Bridge is not compatible with the previous generation. Don't believe everything a Dell rep tells you.
     
    unclewebb, Apr 19, 2011
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  10. anthonykit

    anthonykit Notebook Consultant

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    I doubt this is correct that you can change your processor.
     
    anthonykit, Apr 19, 2011
    #10
  11. gordesky1

    gordesky1 Notebook Evangelist

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    From what i herd the m11x cpus are soldered on the motherboard.
     
    gordesky1, Apr 19, 2011
    #11
  12. DrGoodvibes

    DrGoodvibes Notebook Deity

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    Great, what are you waiting for, do it.

    I've never known a Dell rep to be wrong, ever!

    [shakes head and walks away]
     
    DrGoodvibes, Apr 19, 2011
    #12
  13. unclewebb

    unclewebb ThrottleStop Author

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    unclewebb, Apr 19, 2011
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  14. drkfire07

    drkfire07 Notebook Consultant

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    Sandy Bridge uses a different socket, that rep does not know what he is talking about.
     
    drkfire07, Apr 19, 2011
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  15. Klappstuhl

    Klappstuhl Notebook Enthusiast

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    Now that is really weird. Hard to tell for now if it's a mistake on the site that they'll correct soon or if it's real.
     
    Klappstuhl, Apr 19, 2011
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  16. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    Ah nevermind ! I'll just stay happy using i7 640UM with GT335M !
    I found out that Alienware M11x R3 has around 4~5 hours of battery life...

    Alienware M11x R1: 6~7 hours
    Alienware M11x R2: 5~6 hours
    Alienware M11x R3: 4~5 hours

    *Approximate*
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
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  17. Klappstuhl

    Klappstuhl Notebook Enthusiast

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    Where did you get the numbers from for the R3? The Sandy Bridge architecture was supposed to give more battery life. It also depends what you do while on battery (gaming or just writing a Word doc).
     
    Klappstuhl, Apr 19, 2011
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  18. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    Well I have to say that the following information is approximate, although it is pretty close for R1 and R2 !
    Check out this review: Alienware M11x R3 Laptop Review - Introduction

    ===========================================
    Battery Performance:
    General Use: 4 hours 12 minutes
    Movie Playback: 3 hours 20 minutes
    Gaming: 2 hours 43 minutes
    Charge Time (ON): 1 hour 36 minutes

    Battery performance was recorded in three scenarios. The first during general use with tasks such as writing in Word, surfing the net, watching YouTube and listening to some music. For movie playback we were running a 3D Blu-Ray in fullscreen mode with 75% volume and gaming was a session of Bulletstorm at 1366x768 with medium detail. Charge time was recorded while the system ran in general use mode.
    ===========================================
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
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  19. Panic AK

    Panic AK Notebook Enthusiast

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    Have they officially said anything about the hardware issues? As in screen hinges, keyboard touching screen, etc.
     
    Panic AK, Apr 19, 2011
    #19
  20. thomaskc.dk

    thomaskc.dk Notebook Deity

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    I just saw a new m14x from Alienware with some serious specs! looking good. would be worth a lot more consideration than the m11x if you ask me.
     
    thomaskc.dk, Apr 19, 2011
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  21. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    Unfortunately, they haven't really announced about those yet.
    I assume that the hinge problem has been fixed as R1/R2 models have been fixed.
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
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  22. rotorheadman

    rotorheadman Notebook Enthusiast

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    coupons working $350 off on m11x r3 over $1459.
     
    rotorheadman, Apr 19, 2011
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  23. mohaa7

    mohaa7 Notebook Evangelist

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    I am able to change the motherboard and upgrade to sandy bridge with GT540M.
    Well, according to the Dell chat Agent...
     
    mohaa7, Apr 19, 2011
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  24. Mackan

    Mackan Notebook Evangelist

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    None of so far known reviews has done any comparisons between R3 and R2 & R1, regarding performance or battery life. Notebookcheck.net had very good numbers. It all depends how you test it, and they all test it differently... But since the R3 has Sandy Bridge, which has improved battery life on all other notebook that uses it, I doubt the R3 will have worse than R2...
     
    Mackan, Apr 19, 2011
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  25. Mackan

    Mackan Notebook Evangelist

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    R3 hinge is fixed. R1 & R2 still ship with defect hinges, because no word from Dell. Dell only offers fixed replacement hinges for R1 & R2. Keyboard is still probably touching screen... hard to avoid.
     
    Mackan, Apr 19, 2011
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  26. Technopackrat

    Technopackrat Notebook Guru

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    Just got off the phone with Dell and have an RMA for the m11x-r2 I received on 4/7. Shipping it back tomorrow and ordering a r3.
     
    Technopackrat, Apr 19, 2011
    #26
  27. Technopackrat

    Technopackrat Notebook Guru

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    going to cost me $300 over what I paid for the full specd r2. Just what I expected.
     
    Technopackrat, Apr 19, 2011
    #27
  28. DEATHx2

    DEATHx2 Notebook Guru

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    I bought mine from the canadian site assuming the gt 430m was a typo I guess ill know if it was a typo or not when it arrives lol
     
    DEATHx2, Apr 19, 2011
    #28
  29. engkijo

    engkijo Notebook Enthusiast

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    whats the coupon?
     
    engkijo, Apr 19, 2011
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  30. engkijo

    engkijo Notebook Enthusiast

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    whats the coupon?
    EDIT: nm, i found it: FHRRHN2JSKLHDL
     
    engkijo, Apr 19, 2011
    #30
  31. Vidaluko

    Vidaluko Notebook Evangelist

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    I saw some benchmarks in some games I own, and I really don´t see a difference, I´m getting 3-4 frames per second less in my i5 m11x R2, versus the i7 m11x R3....

    I guess is to soon? I was expecting more since it has a new GPU, and the CPU is a little bit faster, but Sandy Bridge...
     
    Vidaluko, Apr 19, 2011
    #31
  32. instantcold

    instantcold Notebook Consultant

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    I want that nebula red, that would probably be the only reason to upgrade from my r2 to r3 or get m14x. NEBULA REDD!!!
     
    instantcold, Apr 19, 2011
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  33. roxxor

    roxxor Notebook Evangelist

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    SB is only 1W less (~6%) than arrandale, and given the CPU only accounts for about 30-35% of the total power draw of the laptop, that 1W contribution becomes even less significent. Besides, given that the GT540M has a higher TDP than the 335M, then it probably evens out.
     
    roxxor, Apr 19, 2011
    #33
  34. Revoluxon

    Revoluxon Notebook Geek

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    So... can you take an m11xR3 motherboard and make it work on the m11xR2? o.o
     
    Revoluxon, Apr 19, 2011
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  35. Technopackrat

    Technopackrat Notebook Guru

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    Just ordered R3
     
    Technopackrat, Apr 19, 2011
    #35
  36. Blitzkrieg88

    Blitzkrieg88 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey guys, does anyone have an idea of when the R3 will be released in latin america? I'm in Panama
     
    Blitzkrieg88, Apr 19, 2011
    #36
  37. Gabriox

    Gabriox Notebook Geek

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    ok now that i have waited still the r3 is out, is it worth buying over the r2 and r1 cause i dont know what to do now, i am also hearing the battery life is down in the r3
     
    Gabriox, Apr 19, 2011
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  38. Mackan

    Mackan Notebook Evangelist

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    Uh, your reasoning is flawed. TDP max value isn't so important here. Sandy Bridge has an improved power consumption scaling. Go read a bit. Also, the laptop is using Optimus. Battery life with the integrated Intel card is what's interesting here.
     
    Mackan, Apr 19, 2011
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  39. KoldWar

    KoldWar Notebook Consultant

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    KoldWar, Apr 19, 2011
    #39
  40. NoahesFrio

    NoahesFrio Notebook Guru

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    So the R2 is no longer available?
     
    NoahesFrio, Apr 19, 2011
    #40
  41. Klappstuhl

    Klappstuhl Notebook Enthusiast

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    Correct, that's what it looks like.
     
    Klappstuhl, Apr 19, 2011
    #41
  42. DEATHx2

    DEATHx2 Notebook Guru

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    so I deffinetly duked out the system buying my R3 today, on the canadian site the cpu upgrade was only 50$ more and the gpu upgrade was 0.00$ more now its 150 and 100$ more... yea im amazing.
     
    DEATHx2, Apr 19, 2011
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  43. M18x

    M18x Notebook Guru

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    LMAO?

    it should be an error
     
    M18x, Apr 19, 2011
    #43
  44. DEATHx2

    DEATHx2 Notebook Guru

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    yea and its fixed now, but I got basically a fully spec'd system for like 1099 lol
     
    DEATHx2, Apr 19, 2011
    #44
  45. THX5334

    THX5334 Notebook Evangelist

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    Here's the thing I want to know before upgrading:

    Is there a better display panel in the unit? Or is it the same? If it's the same, I'm not sure I'll upgrade unless there is some serious performance gains shown or DX11 becomes a widely used and utilized feature in games.

    Otherwise, it's not the performance jump I was hoping for, but I'm sure said hopes were unrealistic to begin with.

    I also might consider the new 14" instead.
    Especially if it has a superior panel.

    Really dying to see some R1xR2xR3 comparison reviews
     
    THX5334, Apr 19, 2011
    #45
  46. tazm0n

    tazm0n Notebook Geek

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    The "hands-on" early review/look of all the new models that Engadget.com posted mentions a 10 hour battery on the M11x-R3 because of the new chips. Of course we all know you have to try really hard to get the advertised run times, but based on that it's reasonable to think that the R3 will get as good or better than R1 or R2's.
     
    tazm0n, Apr 19, 2011
    #46
  47. ajslay

    ajslay Overclocker, PC Builder

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    my m11x R1 is more powerful then this R3 in the REVIEW!!! the r3 gets 7495 3dm06 score, and my modded R1 gets 7800!!
    NO reason to upgrade for me.

    oh by the way, heres a screenshot.
     

    Attached Files:

    • R3.JPG
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    ajslay, Apr 19, 2011
    #47
  48. roxxor

    roxxor Notebook Evangelist

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    Sorry, but no. TDP max value is the most important thing to consider for a laptop designed for mobile gaming, as you'll be operating at full load most of that time. And SB's improved power consumption scaling matters little at full load. What the battery life is when idling is an academic discussion I'm not particularly interested in either.
     
    roxxor, Apr 19, 2011
    #48
  49. bigun08

    bigun08 Notebook Consultant

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    Oooff... just ordered mine.. anyone want to buy an R2 ;0)
     
    bigun08, Apr 19, 2011
    #49
  50. tears

    tears Notebook Evangelist

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    The R3 sounds like a sick upgrade, but I just bought a S2000, so that needs parts first before I upgrade my PC, LOL. I aleady ordered 8GB HyperX memory on my current PC so I'll just end up getting a base i7 with upgraded audio and wireless cards. Probably won't do this until next Janurary at the earliest though.

    And horray, the i7 supports XMP!
     
    tears, Apr 19, 2011
    #50
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