Alienware 18, now with Maxwell GPUs (Officially) and a new BIOS

Yeah we asked when Frank so graciously graced us with his presence for 1 hour trying to save Alienware brand campaign blitz on the forums when all hell broke loose.

 

Maybe we can make some change.org petition or something :/

 

The M18x R2 is for all intensive purposes, a dead, end of life machine to the point where Dell is replacing them with other machines and no longer servicing them. There will be no BIOS updates to it unless somebody from the forums makes one.

 

Signed (25.09.15) NV driver 353.84 for W7, 8, 8.1 x64 from Windows Update with AW18 + 970M, 980M support https://cloud.mail.ru/public/29wh/TpA5B8gn6

 

I fix it for you. Replacing them with BGA trash... You have to write what is true/correct

 

I don't think the future for laptops is looking all that much better, they're putting desktop components into the laptop now, but dumbing them down. a 4940MX was not dumbed down... Now they went from 4790K to 6700K... WHOOPIE!! who cares! barely much faster at all. The 4940MX can still match those, and its what - 2 years old ?? 980M was also when OC'd properly as fast as desktop 980 , but you could have SLI 980M. Now you won't. BUT - instead of charging you cheap inexpensive desktop prices they've found a way to increase hype, lower performance and increase profits and charge you more, by giving you less. NONE - of this is YOU GETTING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR 2-3 YEARS!! We want increased performance. Not going backwards or compromise. At least there will be DDR4, but its not as big a step as DDR3 was to DDR2 or etcetera...

Desktop components is not the way to go, for laptops. That's not innovating.

 

i7-4930mx is a better overclocker. This is proven by several. This Mx processor is older. LOL We want increased performance. Not going backwards or compromise. Yeees. There is not much going on at Intel. Better graphics performance .

 

Yeah people say that, oddly. True I only used a 4930MX myself, and I hit like 1,000 on XTU with it, its pretty decent. Its about what I would get with a i7-6700K

 

do you know how sli 880m's compare to a single 980m and a desktop 970?

 

I can't speak from experience since I only got one of those gpu's but perhaps this will help http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html

P.S. Click on "Show Only Notebook GPU's", select, "Show All GPU's" and click on "Restrict" button

 

Im just thinking what to do in the long term as I have the 18 with 880m sli, and obviously 980m sli is better, but thinking I could sell the 18 and getting the 17 with the 980m, and an amplifier with a 980 ti, the new 17 also has HDMI 2.0 as well which would be useful when I get a 4k tv. or If I had enough an area 51 with sli 980tis would be sweet. probably couldn't afford it though.

 

I got an 880m sli too. I'm planning to sell it and buy a MSI Titan Gt80 with GTX 980 sli in a few months after it has enough reviews to know if it's good or not (wouldn't want to have to go through something similar to the throttling experience 880m sli guys had to endure a year ago with our machine). But in your case since you are on a budget, my advice would be for you to wait a few weeks and buy one of the new laptops with a notebook GTX 980. I don't think you'll miss the performance improvement the amplifier has to offer if you get one of those.

 

I am in the same boat with the 880m sli. Still a hell of a machine when it runs right. I would love to have the 980's in it but there is no way I would sell this for any other laptop out there. None of them have the build quality, the look or frankly, even the support that the Alienware does. (As frustrating as it is sometimes) The Titan is the only one that tempts me at all but I'm not crazy about it. And there is no way in the world I would get rid of the 18 for a 17 with a single card even if it is the "desktop" version.

I will try to update mine with 980's or see if they continue the 18 next year with the next gen internals. If neither of those occur, I will supplement my 18 with a beastly desktop as Oculus is calling my name. But I do not see myself without some version of the 18 sitting on my desk, atleast not in the near future.

 

Has your machine shipped? I'm still listed in pre-production...but mine is a replacement and the order went through a lot later, so I assume I am far down the list. It'd be nice to know just how behind they are though.

Also, is anyone who ordered one of these early on planning on installing Windows 10 on it? It looks like all of the drivers/BIOS are set for W10 and Dell lists it as fully compatible. Knowing I'll be moving to W10 at some point in the future (I really do like using it despite a few bugs and DX12 will basically force me over), I'd like to just clean install right when I get the machine (well, after testing in 8.1 of course).

 

I think one of things that may sway me to getting a 17 at some point is the HDMI 2.0, and I like the idea of the amplifier, but not sure if it will take a 980ti or a Titan X. I don't think a single 980 is going to be much of a leap in terms of power to justify the switch.

but yeah if I could get the 980ms in my 18 I would be happy for now.

Would love an area 51 with SLI 980 ti's or Titan X though.

 

My order was cancelled so I decided not to go through with it. Can't be bothered to deal with Dell's BS. Besides, the Clevo and MSI GT80 will crush the 18.

 

4790k is performing much better, quieter and cooler in p771zm than any 49xxxx mobile CPU in AW18.

saying that because I have tested many of them, side by side.

agree that what they do with mobile components is fooling people, desktop chips are same stuff, sometimes even better quality, that are sold for much lesser money, and we get leftovers "binned" for the laptops!

 

[QUOTEro989, post: 10102251, member: 280502"]My order was cancelled so I decided not to go through with it. Can't be bothered to deal with Dell's BS. Besides, the Clevo and MSI GT80 will crush the 18.[/QUOTE]
Well, it's a replacement machine, so I am ecstatic that I am getting what I am. Now I just hope I get it before I go on break at the end of the month..

 

How much do you rekon I could sell the 18 for, could I charge a higher price as they have been discontinued?

 

All depends on the specs. The re-sale value of the 18, 18xr1/2 is in the dirt right now. Recent 18 with 780m sli, 4930xm, blah blah went for $1600. This si not he place though g here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/forums/price-check-forum.1062/

 

thanks, what the hell the 17 did have the option for 32gb of ram, now it has been removed!

 

The new 17s (r2/r3) only support 16 GB of RAM, and CPU/GPU are BGA. I believe the r3 has RAID, I know the r2 does not. And only 1 HDD slot and multiple m.2 msata slots. r2 is m.2 msata the r3 has pcie.

 

Just go to eBay, search for the 18, then on the left hand side towards the bottom click " show completed listings" or something like that. Look for 1 with your specs and see how much it sold for. That's usually what I do when I'm getting ready to sell something, gives a good idea of what it's currently going for.

 

i can also warmly recommend bidvoy: http://us.bidvoy.net/ (supported for Germany, UK, US)

its basically a search engine for completed ebay listings. input the product of interest and ull get nice pricing statistics for a predefined time frame for that item

 

Not sure why you think the MSI will crush the 18 with 980m's, with its BGA locked down processor, same 330watt power supply, Broadwell is essentially the same architecture as Haswell just on the 14nm process(same instructions per clock), odd track pad layout, Also is fugly IMO.

Edit Sorry didn't realize you where talking about the yet to be released one with desktop 980 chips..

 

Has anyone received their 18 or moved beyond pre-production in the order status?

 

Nope, but I was quoted it would ship (not arrive) in 11-14 business days on September 21. This means any time between next Monday and Friday (depending on how you could the 21st). So I wouldn't hold my breath until after the weekend. If I don't hear from them by the Monday after next, I may politely inquire about an updated ETA

 

Alienware has to release a new 18 with the 980 surely?

 

wake up man its been like forever

 

I mean the new desktop 980, be strange if they don't, they are marketed as an extreme gaming manufacturer. At the moment they are not competing at al, doesn't make sense.

 

It's possible they're testing or contemplating about using the GTX 980 (Notebook) in the 18.
Again, a possibility. Don't really know anymore than that.

 

If they do it'll be near end of life in tgat card as new ones will be out. AW is to slow to the game now to compete with other companies.

 

but did any one notice that with the new bios update not it says
" Enhancements:
- Disable PCIe Active State Power Management of Nvidia GTX980 MXM Card."
and not GTX 980M MXM ? maybe its also for the new 980's desktop cards !

 

Dell stopped to compete with other brand at the beginning of 2015 when the new Aw models were launched. Or put it another way; In the course of 2014 .

 

nope, they mean the GTX 980M.

 

wow my EDD went from 10/6/2015 to 11/17/2015

 

Wow, that is scary. But also, where do you see this date even? I just have "you are not authorized to view this information" under "Billing and Shipping" on my order page. My status has moved out of pre-production into production though. That is promising

 

It's in the Order Summary page. Well, looks like I'll have to cancel the order after all.

Anyway, hope you get your system soon

 

Nope, I don't have an estimated delivery date anywhere.

Edit: I'd post a screen, but I'm at work. No orders show up for me, but if I search by order number, I can get to the details page. This only has status (production) and the date the order was made.

 

I believe this is the one.

 

Thanks, that confirms I'm not insane. That is blank on my page. I'm wondering if it is a mistake for you since you aren't even in production yet. What is your config?

 

LOL. I opted for the base config, one of the main reasons being users were getting the base model quicker from what I've seen in the past.

I was told the config wasn't released yet hence, the EDD being pushed back.

 

That is super weird. Maybe those parts went quicker with the 17's and so they have a large stock of 980m's and XM processors? It'd be nice of they'd even give me an EDD already. As for you, if I were doing this from the start and it wasn't a replacement from Dell, I'd go for the Titan from MSI

 

I doubt that is the case as Alienware support is being shady with their reply. I think I'll still keep the order and if I somehow get it by 6th Oct which I doubt, I'll keep it, if not, then I'll cancel it and change my needs completely and go for the MacBook Pro instead (I've been looking at other laptops but don't find any to my liking sadly)

 

I got a text message this morning saying that mine had been delay as well. The new EDD is 11/18. The original EDD was 11/05.

I check the order status and it shows the system is in production.

 

That sucks for the both of us.

 

Strange that yours is in production and it says over a month. Usually production is only a few days in my experience. If you don't mind me asking, what config was this? You guys should contact Dell about this. I'm going to wait until either I get an EDD or it hasn't shipped by the end of next week (since that is when I was quoted).

 

Mine is the same. I thought it was odd they notified me it was delayed and then the order status was changed to in production.

 

I did, Dell's reply was that the config. hasn't been released yet and they don't know when it'll be released either.

Mine is still in pre-production though

 

If you have a parts delay you will usually stay in pre-production. If you are in production that would mean they have all the parts and are building the system. In production also includes them shipping it out of China. Once it leaves the main destination hub then it should change to shipped. Of course they screw this stuff up too.