Alienware M17 *OFFICIAL* Owner's Lounge

where are you located?

In North America, it was overnighted after phase 9.

But from phase 3 to 9 can be from 4 days to weeks.

 

Well my estimated delivery was put on the 15th, and i hit phase 4 yesterday.

So thats a 4week wait till estimated delivery from phase 4 :[

 

4 days sound brilliant, weeks not that good

I`m from Poland, ordered AW via UK site, it`s being made in AW Irleand... hooray for open boundries in EU

 

I just ordered a meaty M17. Currently on phase two or three. Here are the specs:

[1] M17

Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Terra Green
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium (32-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 320GB 7,200RPM (16MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) w/ LightScribe Technology - View Demo
Laser-Etch Your Label Directly to the Disc!
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Ultimate N 5300 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card with MIMO Technology
The World's First 450 Mbps Wi-Fi Adapter!
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with Surround Sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
Alienware Apparel: Alienware® T-Shirt (Size XL Black)
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: M17 Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: M17 Keyboard Diagram Overlay
Avatar: Alienhead 3D
Window Style: Default Window Style
Mouse Pointers: Standard Mouse Pointers
Power Plan: Standard Power Plan
Automatic Updates: Automatic Updates On
Time Zones: (GMT - 5.00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Total after our glorious Canadian taxes, $4,369.71.

- F

 

wowza, what a config. you should be one happy camper when that baby arrives

 

Hope so. I'm coming from a fully upgraded Dell Inspiron 8200 I've had for the last six years. Still a great laptop, but somewhat dated for gaming. The fans malfunction, the laptop overheats and shuts down from time to time and half the plastic on the underside has crumbled away due to the heat, but it's still very functional.

That Inspiron has seen some serious gaming over the years, with no less than two keyboard replacements due to completely worn out WASD keys. Hardcore.

- F

 

Only 2GB with the rest so powerful looks weird

 

Even though I could have afforded 4GB, it would have pushed things over my "psychological budget." The amount I paid is similar to what I paid for the then flagship Inspiron 8200. Anything over $4,440-$4,500 is getting up there for me. At some point I might upgrade with more memory, but I should be good for now.

- F

 

Just got done ordering mine

[1] M17

Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 P8400 2.26GHz (3MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium (32-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 160GB 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Ultimate N 5300 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card with MIMO Technology
The World's First 450 Mbps Wi-Fi Adapter!
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with Surround Sound
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mesh Cap
Alienware Extras: Alienware® Mobile Binder
Alienware Extras: Owner Identification Card
Alienware Extras: M17 Protective Cloth Sleeve
Alienware Extras: M17 Keyboard Diagram Overlay
Avatar: Alienhead Glow
Window Style: Graphite Window Style
Mouse Pointers: Standard Mouse Pointers
Wallpaper: Alienhead Glow
Wallpaper: Alienhead Logo
Power Plan: Standard Power Plan
Automatic Updates: Automatic Updates Off
Time Zones: (GMT - 6.00) Central Time (US & Canada)

[1] Alienware® AlienArmor 17" Black Aluminum Notebook Case
[1] Free Shipping On All Systems; Limited Time Offer

 

For that price, you can order fully loaded m1730 that might be faster than this.

 

without quadcore or DDR3 RAM? i think not.

 

what's the hype about ddr3 ram? If we are talking about gaming, ddr3 barely improve your frame by 0.5 fps. I have ddr3 ram, btw.
quadcore 2.53 is faster than 2.8 core2 extreme in gaming in general?
a fully loaded m1730 is $3699 that should be faster than his system in gaming, or similar.
But of course, i like AW's look better.
Just so you know, I am not dell fanboi nor AW, i have both high end system.

 

dell does not have ddr3 quad core and 3870 are better then 8800s technically. if you test 3870x2 vs 8800gtx in sli the 3870x2 will msash it in call of duty and grid because those games favor ati card crysis and far cry to favor nvidia. but overall 3870> 8800gtx just depends on what games.

 

I could have ordered an OCZ or Sager laptop too, but I'm not sure how available those are to the Canadian market without paying a premium to get them shipped here.

I spent about $3,850 (Canadian) before taxes on mine. That's about $3,029 USD. For $150 dollars extra, I bought a machine with virtually comparable specs up to two CPU cores, plus the benefit of a futureproof machine with two extra cores. The difference is probably negligible solely on a gaming performance scale, but if we started crunching video during a Call of Duty 4 session, for example, the four cores will probably crush it. And it will definitely crush the M1730 the moment game designers start coding for three and four cores down the line.

Having said that, the M17 gives the better longterm value in my opinion, for not much more money. I'm still fan of Dell though.

- F

 

DDR3 RAM is newer technology it has increased data transfer and therefore better performance. It also uses less power so is more efficient.

Taking into consideration that's a older 2.8 Dual core, the 2.53 Quad could come very close in performance, it also has a lot more cache on the CPU which again increases game performance. And well it's a quad core so certain games now and more to come will benefit more.

And the dell is old tech for a high price at the end of the day too.

 

I would take 4 gb ddr2 over 2gb ddr3 today.
But I would take ddr3 later when the price will be cheaper.

Of course the ddr3 is faster, but is 0.5 fps worth more than double the price, that's the question.

 

Got my M17 today. Got that same fake bright pixel. BTW, where are we posting benchmarks?

 

check my sig, messenge me, i can up your benchmark to mine.

 

Is it true the Old m17x
will have 9800gtx sli in them

& will be out next month?

i guess that will make that better than
the m17

 

No not really. Keep in mind the M17x is maxed out on the motherboard. the fastest cpu for it is a dual core 2.8 ghz running on a 800mhz fsb. So if they get the 9800gtx yeah it will have the gpu power, but any more upgrades will require a whole new stinkin laptop.

The M17 has a new motherboard. Intel still has a refresh still to go next year on this platform. Faster CPU Chips for your M17 to come. Not to mention im sure if its the same slots that the 3870 chips use you could prolly install 9800gtx it its place. or just wait till the mobile 4870s come out.

 

Still no way to OC the M17 GPU's?

 

only a little bit longer . phase 7. yay! anyone know how long it takes once in phase 7. (if nothing goes wrong?)

(m17 in phase 7)Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9100 2.26GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard -Terra Green
Operating System:Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Memory: 4GB« Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 2048MB
System Drive: (RAID 0) - 1TB (500GB x 2) 5,400RPM (8MB Cache)
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Ultimate N 5300 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card with MIMO Technology

 

It would be great to have the 4870 card
but wonder how long will that take

So is it worth getting the AW m17
or wait, for a better, cos i know Jan always
has some new Laptop

also wanted to know about Turbo Memory
which is there in the Killernotebooks option
but not in AW

also other companys making this notebook
cos some giving option of 8g ram & RW blueray
while AW we will only be able to read

So Help Me Choose

 

Shipping in progress, eta dec 2nd, like clockwork ;]

 

BTW, can anybody give some newbie-step-by-step how to check temperatures on cards without burning them (using atitool and gpu-z)?

thanks in advance

 

just open both app.

 

*shock*

Yesterday my M17 hit Phase 5.
Today.
It hit.
Phase 9.

And no the system isn't lying, i have an e-mail.

btw, the estimated ship date was December 15th!

So thank you Alienware. Maybe it'll be here tomorrow, who knows

 

anyone got any new drivers for the m17? best ones to use?

 

The M88 driver off the OCZ website.

 

yup, just nick all the drivers from OCZ, they're probably more up to date anyway

 

wut about the m98?

 

M98 works too, but it wouldn't let me adjust the clockspeeds on the GPU.

 

When did you order yours ?
Cos my shipping date is 11Dec which i ordered on 27th thur
How come im getting before you ?

 

why does it matter? at any rate, the shipping date is so dependent on availability of components, backorders, geographical location, and a bit of luck, there's no point in comparing.

 

Hey folks, thought I would go ahead and get in on this discussion. My laptop as ordered is below. Currently on Phase 4 according to the website, but the tech (via phone) tells me it is in production.

M17
Video/Graphics Card: Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 - CrossFireX™ Enabled!
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Chassis: 17-Inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
Operating System: Windows Vista® Ultimate (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Internal Digital / Analog (ATSC) TV Tuner with Adapter and ExpressCard Media Remote Control
Memory: 4GB« Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1066MHz – 2 x 2048MB

System Drive: Extreme Performance (RAID 0) - 500GB (250GB x 2) 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection
Optical Drives : 8x Dual Layer Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Ultimate N 5300 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card with MIMO Technology
The World's First 450 Mbps Wi-Fi Adapter!
Sound Card : Internal High-Definition Audio with Surround Sound

 

wow, what a beast. welcome to the AW family!

 

when did u order yours? i ordered mine wednesday and its been in phase 1 since then....

 

You can only run 2GB with a 32 Bit OS. Why Microsoft is still putting out 32 Bit Operating systems is beyond me... Nearly every computer made these days is capable of running a 64 Bit OS, and the bennies... just to name one, is the ability to utilize more than 3 GB of Ram.

 

more like 3-3.2Gb, but yeah.

...because many older programs (and hardware), not to mention drivers don't support 64bit.

 

My order was place on Nov 20th. The website did not even show my order for three business days. Then I called and raised holy H**L and finally I am at phase four (according to the website).

As far as I am concerned it is like putting milkbone in front of a dog and whipping him every time he tried to get it. It is killing me to know I ordered this powerhouse, but can't have it.

I called AW and they assured me that I am in production though.

 

I totally realize that Whizzo, and you are correct. That is why newer OS's such as Vista should be a true upgrade. To just make it look different, and eat more resourced is not an upgrade. The actual benefits of Vista over XP are few and far between.

If I as an end user had older components and software, then I would not upgrade to a new OS unless I was prepared to also upgrade the hardware and software that I currently need. This is my own little personal rant with the industry as a whole, so no offense should be taken. I just believe that an inferior product is made when you cater to the masses. When you make great product that requires current technology, most people will not adopt it because of the cost of upgrade at first. But when it has proven itself in the marketplace, that natural migration will take place. People will build drivers for it, manufacturers will make Hardware for it.

When My system arrives, I will install XP Pro 64 Bit and Ubuntu, because those are two of the most rock solid OS's that you can possibly run.

[END OF RANT]

 

There is hack or third party plug-ins to use more than 4 gb in vista 32. I saw it somewhere, you can jfgi.

 

Basically, 2 + 2 = 5. Right? May as well be.

Launch your Windows calculator. Set it to Base 2 (binary). Type in thirty-two 1s. Now set the calculator to Base 10 (decimal). What number do you come up with?

No worries, I'll assist. The number is 4,294,967,295.

That's the extent of memory Vista32 is able to address. Short of a complete operating system rewrite, starting from the kernel, no hacks or plug-ins are capable of breaching the above math. And even if it were possible, it would no longer be Vista 32.

But if you disagree, by all means, show us the hacks.

Good luck.

- F

 

Because 64bit OS's can't run 16bit Apps, and funnily enough there are a fair few of those about.

Vista might be a 'resource' hog but You're running it ona PC/Laptop that is perfectly capable of doing so im not sure of your point.

Vista is by far the most driver loaded windows there is and generally finding drivers is easier than XP. You will see the same amount of memory in a 64bit vista as you would in 64bit XP. You can dumb the out of Vista to make it use basically nothing.

Then again you people aren't changeable you were all the same when XP came out and im pretty sure you'll do the same with Windows 7, saying that Vista is better..

Move on kthnx.

 

wow guys check out the new 98xx drivers from ocz on 1200 1024 on med settings and crysis gets 45+ frames

 

LOL, I am a graduated computing scientist. You don't need to show me calculation that is not even related to this technology of using more ram with address more than 32bits allow.

Do you know what is PAE? PAE (Physical Address Extension)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

And it's possible to use it given the hardware supports it and if not, there are ways around it, but you just have to do research. Instead trying to be funny and trying to make fun out of someone. Do you research first.

Given that, I am not saying it's 100% workable for everyone, but it's possible.
On technical side, it's totally possible to have virtual address which can add 1 bit to each address even I can make that happen if MS give me the source codes.

 

PAE is the stupidest thing. 32-bit never will support over 4gb address space even with PAE. Its 32-bit and always will be.

If you want more get 64-bit.

 

Is there list of Softwares,
that are a Must load for Vista 64bit
or recommended for 64 bit
or a discussion here in these fourms ?
Thxs

 

because the Search tool must be too hard to use:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=285226

 

has anyone noticed f there m17 is loud? even at idle mine seems to have hum