Moving from M11x r1 to r3: Will I still want my aging gaming desktop?

I had a high-spec'd r1 and I'm possibly moving to a min-spec'd r3. Due to the C2D CPU limiting many games that should have been fine on the GPU (Ghostbusters, Grand Theft Auto IV, Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena, etc), I ended up playing most of my games on my older gaming desktop originally built in 2006 (lightly upgraded). Because even the min-spec'd r3 should alleviate the CPU bottleneck (Sandy Bridge i5) and gives more GPU performance (1GB 540M), I'm wondering how it will compare to my aging gaming desktop.

The desktop is a G0-stepping C2Q Q6600 w/ GTX280 GPU and 9800GT PPU. Of course I know that it will destroy the r3 in overall performance but, unlike before, will I at least be able to play the same kinds of games? The other games I mentioned were almost unplayable on the r1 at min settings due to the CPU limitations (lowering graphics settings didn't improve performance; CPU usage remains extremely high during execution).

I only see people comparing stressful graphics benchmarks and "playable" games... nothing talking about what it means for those odd and old CPU-limited games (probably because that was discussed when the r2 arrived). Just wondering if it would be worth the upgrade. Thanks!

 

The CPU's in the R3 and your dektop are probobly going to be pretty close, if not the R3's a bit faster. The GPU, is obviuosly a win for for the desktop. I think it will be a great upgrade from the R1.

 

The Q6600 though older would still greatly outperform the little cpu in the m11x. especially if you overclock it.

 

Is it 65nm? What with SB' efficiency and speed...

 

Hmmm... by what performance measures are you talking about? The Sandy Bridge architecture makes a huge difference despite only being a dual-core CPU. Benchmarks consistently have the Core i7-2617M in the R3 performing better than the Q6600, and even a Core2Quad Q6600 at 3Ghz has a lower Windows Experience Index score.

Also, based on my own subjective personal experience (my work computer has a Core2Quad and Windows XP) the Q6600 is significantly slower in day-to-day computing at the very least (I obviously can't test games on it at work). I dread the days that I have to work with large spreadsheets because even with all four cores working (Excel actually shows that in the bottom toolbar!) it's sluggish. I much prefer working with the mobile dual-core Sandy Bridge and the mobile quad-core Arrandale CPUs in my laptops at home.

The only leg up the desktop might have is the GPU, but I have to say my R3 is an insanely capable little machine and would be at least as good as the desktop if not better.

Just my .02

 

From the specs - I wouldn't see the need to ever use the desktop again.

I've switched to only using my R3, and my desktop setup is stupid insane

(2 GTX 470's in SLI, Q9550, Raid 0 storage setup, etc etc.)


I just rarely turn that on when I can use this R3 anywhere. Love it.

 

Thanks. This excites me because I was somewhat disappointed that I couldn't play some of the older games on my M11x r1 when that was kinda what I bought it for.

I guess this is the difference that a year can make. Ironically, I was interested in the MacBook Air back then too but had to wait for the then-rumored 11.6" model (13.3 is too large for my motorcycle's tank bag). When the MBA refresh happened it lost discrete graphics so it completely lost my interest. The M11x went one way and the MBA went the other! Good job, Alienware/Dell.

 

What benchmarks outside of pointless synthetics (prime) and the laughable Windows experience score have the "i7" in the R3 outperforming an overclocked Q6600?


The R3 would get totally walked on by the OP's desktop, the comparison isn't even funny.

This is not to say the R3 isn't capable but let's at least be realistic here. It is a great mobile gaming platform (stressing the mobile) but it is easily outclassed by even moderatly powerful desktops.

Subjective tests are relatively pointless unless the machines are identical bar the relative comparison components. Any number of things could cause performance deltas.

 

heres a simple test... run 3dmark06 on the R3 i5, and on your desktop with the Q6600. and compare the cpu scores... i assure you your desktop will beat the crap out of the ultra low voltage processor..

 

Like I said in the OP, I know that, but I'm wondering if I'm still going to find that a lot of older games are unexpectedly still better suited to the desktop. For example, Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena is an old updated XBOX port that the GPU can easily handle and, yet, the opening scenes are choppy and unplayable due to high CPU usage. So, even though it's an old game that the GPU is perfectly capable of playing well, it ends up getting played on the desktop instead, which is disappointing. Same goes for Ghostbusters, GTA IV, and other CPU-limited games that probably have no business requiring as much CPU power as they do (unoptimized console ports?). I expect to play Crysis and such on the desktop, but not this stuff. I'll play Arkham Asylum/City and Mirror's Edge on the PC for PhysX, but most of that kind of stuff I would prefer on the notebook assuming I'm not going to encounter similar issues like I did on my r1. If I want to play Portal 2 with high specs, I'd hope that the lower resolution on the notebook will make it bearable.

Thanks, though. It sounds like I'm going to be doing a LOT more mobile gaming with an r3 than an r1.

Oh, and if I had an r3 to test, I'd already know the answer!

 

Portal 2 on my M11x, GPU OC, and volt mod, plays at all highest settings, 16x Q CSAA and all, at aroung 40FPS. Its awesome!

 

r1, r2, r3?

 

R1! It dips sometimes, but its still great.

 

on my highly modded R1, (soon to be 2ghz) iv never had a game go below 19fps. and thats with the 1.73ghz pin mod, i love it. if you want the R1 battery life and have the performance of almost the R2/R3 just pinmod, (local computer shop could do it for you if you give details, pics, etc) but the R3 will be better stock no doubt, and you wont have to mess with it. but if you would rather keep the R1 theres a lot you can do to increase performance and it will feel like a whole new machine.

 

It isn't just poor performance in some games. I'm tired of the r1's poor video driver support, locking up when I enter sleep and close the lid (lid sensor set to "do nothing"), corrupted accelerated Flash videos in OC mode on Intel graphics, etc. I'm perfectly capable of doing the mod myself but my warranty has come in VERY handy so far!

 

hmm, iv never had any of those issues except when im playing music and shut the lid, the music will repeat until i open it again.
and then again, i run in discrete mode so i use nvidia drivers and never have any trouble.

 

ah I got rid of my R1 in favor of a R2 due to a lot of little driver issues that just heckled me I could never accept the 4-5 hours of batt life remaining if I used Discrete mode.... not that it seems to matter, as my R2 only seems to get about 4-5 hours of battery life

 

I love having the battery life of this, since I came from a machine with a dead battery. I'd be happy with 3 hours.

 

with discrete mode and low brightness i get about 4 and a half hours, 7 with the intel graphics.
the 275.27 drivers are prettyy amazing too.

 

The corrupted videos do not appear in discrete mode... only with Intel Graphics. I did a lot of web browsing on battery power and using discrete mode to work around their crappy driver support would be an even bigger annoyance. The fact that your music is skipping proves that it is not "doing nothing" as instructed and whatever it is doing can cause a hard lock when entering sleep. The only way to avoid it is to wait for the backlights to go out before closing it, assuming you have them enabled.

 

i know it only happens on the intel graphics. i was using the hybrid 260.99 driver set someone made on here and it was perfectly fine. but yeah i have it set to do nothing when to lid gets closed, but the hard drive turns off when the lid gets shut i think. could be an easy fix.

 

It only happens on some videos, like the SouthParkStudios.com. You also must be overclocked. You also must have Flash 10.1+ with HW acceleration turned on. If nVidia graphics are accelerating, it works fine. If all you watched were Youtube vids, you'd likely never notice. Some VEVO vids have done it on Youtube but not nearly all.

There are other issues too, like often being unable to resume from Hibernate while on battery power (plug into AC, force off/on, instruct it NOT to delete the hibernate file, and it continues fine). I doubt they will ever work on the ACPI/BIOS config of a model they no longer sell for a problem they've completely ignored all along.

 

iv watched southpark before on the intel graphics to try and repeat the problem someone else was having. i was using safari tho, so who knows. i also dont hibernate, i just put it to sleep. the only time something like that happend was when i had my gpu overclocked to high and it was unstable, my screen flickered, it went back to 2d clocks and my youtube video was just green with no picture but the sound was still playing.

 

I recommend instead of getting a M11XR3 get a M14X or M15X. Don't get a M18X or you will be hulling a huge brick that only has 58mins of battery.

 

Those aren't going to fit in my motorcycle tank bag.

 

you could always go the R2 route, with TS and overclocking, and gpu volt mod that thing is faster then an R3.

 

Core 2 Quad will destroy the ULV CPU, period. You can easily play a game like Bad Company 2 on your desktop, but M11x will struggle greatly. Same thing with games like The Witcher 2, Metro 2033, Just Cause 2, etc.

I don't care what a benchmark says, but I'm stuck with my Core 2 Quad and HD 4670 while my notebook is out for repair, but I can actually play Bad Company 2 at 1280x720 with medium detail and 4xAA with 30+ fps. I still struggle to get over 20fps on average with my M11x R1 @ 2.0GHz and GPU overclocked using all low settings.

Like others have mentioned, go with the M14x. Yes it's bigger, but it will game so much better with a regular mobile CPU and decent GPU, then it would be a fair fight, heck probably even a better machine than your desktop, especially if you get the i7-2630QM in there. GPU is a little gimped, but still worlds better than the 335m. But M11x, no, I personally wouldn't consider it.

 

But what about the 540M? That's what we are discussing here. To even have a 2GB option, I would assume that performance must be a little better than an OC'd 335M.

The only reason I'm going with Alienware again is because they are still to only manufacturer I know selling a sub-13" notebook with discrete graphics so that I can take it everywhere in my motorcycle's tank bag. Even a 13.3" MacBook Air will not fit in my tank bag. The 11.6" M11x is a REALLY tight fit, though I believe a 12.1" screen with minimal bezel space could fit, there's no way an M14x ever will.

I DO appreciate all the suggestions though. Thanks!

 

The M11xR3 has better battery life than the R1 or R2; I've gotten 6 1/2 hours straight browsing, working on school projects, etc (non-gaming - haven't really gamed much on battery). I've also been able to play anything I've thrown on there so far on high settings.

It's a great portable system, with an emphasis on *portable* - of course there are more powerful laptops out there, and it'd be silly to compare it to a desktop. But it's more than enough power for the size, in my experience.

It's all about your individual needs. The small screen bothers some people, but the only gaming I did for an entire year before I got my M11x was on my PSP and DSi. So it's all relative!

 

Yea dont compare ur m11x to ur desktop, miles apart really...
the r3 is a nice machine but personally i wouldnt spend so much on a "netbook" sized laptop. If you are willing to do so and have the cash I say go for it because it is an upgrade from the r1 and u wnt be bogged down the cpu as much

 

just couse it has more memory doesnt mean its better. at all. a 20% overclocked GT335 can beat it

 

Can beat it if it's stock you mean. OC both and the 540M would be better. Just look at the benchmarking scores on the forum for the R3.

Anyway I'd like to see the R2 beat this R3 score:
Result

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ienware-m11x-benchmark-thread-part-2-a-8.html

 

It can't. The highest R2 has been a little over 9000. I don't think there is an R2 out there that can top 9500.

 

the highest r2 gets about 9.4k.. and really? a 600 point boost is gonna be worth the $400 extra you pay for an R3? lol..

 

no voltmodding required, newer tech, and significantly better IGP (I guess that only matters to me ). Not only that, we're comparing useless 3dmark scores? Not against ajslay, but seriously, do we play 3dmark or something? One artificial score GPU vendors optimize for in every driver revision isn't what makes a laptop....

 

when 3d vantage comes it to play thats when the 540m really shines against the 335m

 

how about this, we play a game on a modded r2 with setpll at 180mhz, gt335 volt modded at 620/1530/920 and TS, and we play the same game on the R3 with the gpu overclocked and the same drivers, then we can compare the 2 with fraps..

this is the best way to determine the performance improvement. (if there is any)

 

I do think the R2 is still a great system, it's not exactly ancient, but they don't even sell them new anymore. You'd have to get a refurb from Dell or go through eBay etc, which is fine i guess if the OP wants to go that route. The ones I've seen available left haven't exactly been cheap.

I paid $1,118, all of $50 more than I did for the R2 initially. The prices have already dropped again, and there are coupons floating around. Anyway, I was trying to just point out some pros to the R3, this thread was created by the OP regarding that system anyway. It just seems silly to buy older tech when the prices are so close, but that may vary by region, and income of course.

 

there is 3 used R2's on craigslist where i live for about $600. the tech isnt really that old. but if i were to choose between the R2 and R3, id go the R2 route, the processor can be overclocked, and when its at a high clockspeed it beats to i7 tats in the r3.

 

I'm really not trying to bash the R2 ; that sounds like a good deal if they're in decent shape. Like I said, if the OP wants a used system, likes modding, and is strapped for cash, it's the way to go.

Ok, I'm game.. so to speak. Pick what we should play.
(I'm genuinely curious how this would turn out.)

 

it's not even faster after severe overclocking/voltmodding...

I'd bet I can find used bananas in San Francisco on craigslist for 200usd. Not related, just a note about craiglist. You always pay more for new tech. I remember the whining R1 owners gave when the R2 came out, and comparisons of how the i5 at stock wasn't faster than an OC'd C2D...

Oh, well. It won't even be long before the R2 is hard to find*

*except when it's convinient, then I can just say my local craigslist has bananas for sale.

 

R3 is more then just a fancy GPU + GPU upgrade. you get the much needed gigabit ethernet and USB3

with that said i really wonder if the R3 can be a desktop replacement system for day to day tasks and play any game that comes along(at low obviously)

i plan to retire my beast of a desktop with i7 and 5870 crossfire as it is putting a huge dent in the power bill and i dont really game much these days

yeh the R1 and R2 doesnt have lot of difference there, IMO i'd get a R1 over a R2 for its added connectivity and lack of optimus. an overclocked R1 do pull its weight however the lack of hyperthreading can be an issue sometimes. I tried to compare team fortress 2 offline games between the 2 and the R1(SU7300) is unplayable with bots while the R2(i3) is capable of it. R1 also has minor jitters during online game.

now that i have an i7 R3 i got no real complains about it other then the lack of overclock on the CPU (no thanks to intel) but atlest it is a sandy bridge and agressive turbo that atlest keeps up with some full non ULV cpus

 

I have to say that I would never get any M11x as a primary gaming machine. I mean, I can see why some folks would, but... it's a bit silly! If you want a desktop replacement, then get a desktop replacement!

I mean, my M11x R3 is basically the adorable little sidekick to my beastly, powerful Asus G53SW. The M11x is like.. my equivalent of an iPad to a mac-owner, except I'm a gamer instead of an aging former hippie with a soulless corporate job. So I don't want a stupid iPad for when I'm in bed or at the cafe or whatever, I want an awesome and sleek and sexy little M11x. It's very much a secondary thing.

Although, even though I've been enjoying my M11x R3 the past few days since I got it, I'm really still weighing its true usefulness in my mind. I still might just return it to Dell for store credit or something, and when Ivy Bridge comes out, use that credit with some more money to get a seriously freaking *awesome* M17x or whatever the best Alienware system available is at that point. I'm really broken up about whether I want to keep it. It's so adorable and cute but... I don't really NEED it... Ahrggg >_<

 

id think a game like GTA IV would be good or metro 2033 both at dx9 and dx10. no dx11 couse thats unfair and the GT335 doesnt support it.

we do need a tester tho

 

unfortunately getting a desktop makes more sense then an actual desktop replacement.

m17x weights way too much and it is harder to transport and lacks upgrades not to mention the price of it

the only reason why i'm thinking such is that i probly dont need that much power in a desktop and i'd like something portable that i can bring in to lan or work

m14x would fit the bill better but the GPU is unimpressive and not as portable

 

um thats wrong, a modded r2 is faster then a stock r3. 1k more in 3dm06..

 

my modded R1 has never had issues on TF2

 

Screen shots of 3dm06 R2 scores?

I highly doubt they are faster than my R3 scores.

 

Ajslay, I have to disagree. I see R3 scores are around 9.5k stock, i7, while the highest R2 i've seen in 9300 or so..

 

lol if you look at all the threads of people getting there new R3's they get about 8400 stock. iv seen at least 4 people report similar numbers.
how about you run 3dm06 for us stock with no overclocks.