Alienware M17 *OFFICIAL* Owner's Lounge

Gotta love buyers' remorse

 

Optimus if you havent seen it already, my review contains some L4D frame rates.

 

Optimus are you crazy? you shouldnt be worrying about such things, your rig can play any game in the world perfectly "Well Minus the trash coded games"

 

well from what i've heard, GTA IV really doesn't run very well on ATI cards. of course, that game is a terrible port.

 

GTA doesnt run well on anything

Since they refunded a lot of people that bought the game you can clearly see how bad they did with the game

 

I'm pretty sure a high profile game such as GTA IV will not stay broken for long. You better believe that Rock Star is working on a fix for these problems. I will say that they must have know that this game was not ready for release but the made the decision to ship anyway. This is just another publisher following the ridiculous "ship now patch latter" mentality. I think that if a game isn't in working order it should not be released. I personally would rather wait another month for a game than buy it and it be unplayable.

 

I bought GTA IV last night, and I've had no issues with it. I benchmarked for about 30 minutes on maxed settings. The frame rate isn't that great, like 23fps, but it's smooth. Even when I'm driving around at full speed. If any of you have played the other GTA titles on the PC, if you were going too fast on a long strip of highway, buildings, cars, and pedestrians would only appear right before you passed them. I'm yet to see any issues.

Is it true that GTA IV doesn't support SLI or CF? Does that mean we're all running on one card? Can that be fixed via a patch?

EDIT: GTA IV does support ATI CrossFire, but not SLI. Funny, because the box has the Nvidia logo on it. A future patch will fix the SLI problem. Found that here: http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/43354/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-PC-Graphics-Settings-Detailed

 

I ordered mine the 26th and yesterday it SHIPPED! My estimated ship date was the 10th.
I jumped from phase 6 to 9.

Its hard to believe, but they gave me my FEDEX shipping number too!

I should get it in a couple of days

 

Sigh *crosses fingers* to receive mine this week was in phase 5 for 2 days (without including weekend ofc) so hopefully it will go to phase 6 on Monday.

After that it all depends how long it takes them to restore the image and test the system i guess

 

Congrats, I hope to have mine shipped by Monday or Tuesday. I am in Phase 6 as of Friday the 5th so my TOES are crossed along with my fingers, the estimated ship date was the 8th of December.

 

Hi all
This will be my first notebook and my first alienware. Has anyone done a bench on a high end M17? Or shall I do the honors?

By the way... I only have used NVIDIA in my desktop... is it possible to move to something better than two 3870 crossfire? just to know...

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 (Office software not included): Genuine 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 : Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Reader (BD-ROM, DVD±RW, CD-RW )

 

apparently, a single 9800m-gtx should be possible. no guarantees though.

 

Hey Yamato, there was a guy who had your setup. He hit around 13K in 3DMark'06 and decided that wasn't good enough. He returned the laptop.

 

I thought we already told many guys from the beginning that quad core is not the fastest in game, but they insist it's future proof.
Then once they got it, they find out it's true, then they feel stupid.

btw, shouldn't u be getting 15000+ with ur system?

 

Hey fusion, I was talking about JellyBeans scoring 13K, not me. I score 14.8K with the settings in my sig. I have to OC the GPUs to hit 15K.

 

Of course I know you were talking about Jelly, he got the quad core.

I was expecting x9100 o/c would bring the mark easily over 15000+. How does people get 16000+? more ram?

 

OCing the GPUs, the FSB, and the CPU.

 

i got owned,

my perants decided to fund some of my laptop since im still at college, and realised they cant think of what to get me for christmas, so they claimed rights on the laptop and decided to make sure i dont recieve it to the 25th since they paid for most of it, all i want to do is review it and i promised to do a review, so heres my review of the m17

looks:



like a m17 laptop wrapped in wrapping paper its very carefully wrapped well presented under the tree.

weight. about 5.5kg + wrapping paper,

specs. 1 bow, and some ribbon.

thats all i can think of...

hate perants...

i can read these forums and pretend i guess, sorry guys

 

lol.. Nice description of the new rig.


And the x9100 @ 3.3GHz will hit 14.7-14.9 with no other overclocks via 3dmark06. Even with the 1333MHz RAM, it won't do anything better. The only way, so far, is to OC the system to break 15k.

And the qx9300 SHOULD be hitting around 16k when OC'd to same 3.3GHz clocks via BIOS. The sm2.0 and sm3.0 scores are almost identical, however the qx9300 should net approximately 4k CPU vs 3k CPU of x9100.

 

[jellybean filter]
(A) lmost as pissed off as tom green was, when some rock star sawed up his desk with a chainsaw.

(W) ill still review it but dont see a point when its about 1.5months late and there probably will be some more good ones out there already...
[/jellybean filter]

 

Well mine left Orlando (according to fedex website) as of dec. 6th. Here's hoping to get it by wednesday . Couldn't take that long to get it to Michigan....

 

Don't they ship overnight like they did to mine?

 

I'm not sure. I thought it was 3/5 day shipping. I could be wrong I hope its overnight. Guess I will find out monday...

 

there was some billing trouble on mine and they had to push my estimated ship date to the 18th.

ONE FREAKING DAY PAST THEIR "delivered by the 24th" GUARANTEE!

oh well... here's to hoping.

 

so in the end, for bench purposes there is no difference between the X9100 and the QX9300?
what about gaming experiences?
multitasking performance?

 

x9100 owns qx9300 unless you can o/c the qx9300 to same speed of x9100. But you have to use ocz bios for that which void your warranty.

 

so if I want the lap top for just gaming I should prefer the X9100 over the QX9300?

there is any advantage on getting the qx9300? any that can matter the additional $ 350?

 

X9100 is faster than QX9300 right at this moment, unless o/c.

There is "future proof" theory.
And there is major improvement in very specific professional programs that efficiently use quad core, which none I use. Even if you use those programs, X9100 is not slow either.

 

In the end it boils down to either succumbing to instant gratification and getting the higher-clocked dual core CPU, or while you have bank to spare, buy a CPU that is roughly equivalent to the X9100 neglecting overclocking (9300 has been clocked as high as 3.7Ghz), but won't see you having to upgrade in six months.

More applications will start to use more cores in the future, games included. Future proof fact. Really no need to labour over it. My opinion.

Ureal Tournament 3, and every game that uses its engine, for starters.

- F

 

I don't think the QX has anything to show in six months, in terms of gaming, compare to X9100.

 

lol.. poor JellyBean.. I sold cars for a while, and ran into customers with a similar personality. I loved them as customers, cause I could make ALL the money on the car deal.. and in Florida there's no Buyers' Remorse clause for contracts. So, when they came back 3 days later thinking, "This was soo nice, but now I'm scared since I spent the money" I would just reassure them of their decision. Then, I'd thank them for their business..and on a couple occassions I'd allow them to trade in their car for a different one and then make all the money for a 2nd time.

buyers remorse is natural.. we all have it, unless we are just filthy rich. Then the only remorse is, "Why the heck did I blow money on this, it's useless".

EDIT: I am not a slimy car salesperson. Don't go cracking any crooked E-wrecked jokes

 

You think Jellybean is coming back?

 

*shrugs* Not sure. But, he's welcome back! He's gonna be well known when he does pop back in. People are gonna be like, "don't be jellybeanin'" (don't insult) or "that was sooo jellybean" (that was whack), or "you're just a j-bean"(you are a flake).. There's plenty more references that can be made, but we'll just have to see who gets creative enough to bean on someone.

 

In that case, let's have this conversation again in two years.

- F

 

Thx Flashback
Do you think is better to go now for the X9100 and leave a quad core CPU for the future?

 

Well I ordered my M17 Friday and I stumbled into this forums yesteday and decided to join. I been a gamer for years but started getting into serious PC gaming recently cant wait for my 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 WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p)
Keyboard Options: Illuminated Keyboard – Alienware Exclusive Design - Astral Blue
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (64-bit Edition) with Service Pack 1
Notebook Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control or TV Tuner
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
Make Your Own Bundle: Alienware® Orion Backpack
Make Your Own Bundle: CyberPower® Intelligent LCD 825VA GreenPower™ UPS
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Onsite Service and 24/7 Toll-Free Phone Support
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista® Edition
Security Software: Norton Internet Security™ 2008
Security: Targus Key Lock Notebook Security Cable
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

I got it with all those things and im so excited to getting it cant wait xD

 

Wow, you even got the UPS?, Respawn DVD?, Security Cable??, NORTON??????????????????????, but with a 1440 resol and didn't get 3 year warranty?


I don't know what to say? I guess I will love you if I am AW.

Good luck with your system.

 

Yeah I tough I had the 3 year warrant saw it was 1 year, instantly called them up an extended it to 3 year one

 

Why would you want norton? I would pay $100 to not use norton if I have to.

 

Well family helped me pay for it and some didnt want to give me the money unless I pick any kind if antivirus pre-installed, when I get it getting Panda antivirus wich hasnt given me a problem on the 4+ years I have used it

 

Up to you. If there's a money tree in your backyard, by all means buy the X9100 now and the QX9300 later. I had the cash and a choice personally; I opted for the QX9300.

- F

 

As the arrival of my laptop grows closer I wanted to take some time to reflect of the proverbial roller coaster of emotions that I have experienced.

Phase 1(Panic): The first time I ordered this my M17 I did it out of compulsion and therefore I did not discuss it with my wife. After 30 minutes of pure buyers high I came to the realization that I would die when she found out. So I quickly called and canceled my order.

Phase 2(Begging): Even after cancellation I still desired the lap top(partly because I'm a tech junkie and partly because the computer I am currently using can only run in safe mode due to a burnt our NVIDIA card). So I pleaded with my wife for days until she finally caved and I immediatly ordered again.

Phase 3(Fear;Obsession):I began to check the status of my order every time I could get the chance, but to my dismay I was going no further than Phase 2. So I contacted AW to find out what the issue was. I learned that there were some parts that were on back-order so they could not begin construction until they arrived. After sitting on Phase 2(Billing) for about a week I began to notice alarming posts by angry AW customers in the same perdicament as I found myself in. These posts detailed conversations with AW reps with news of month long production delays and requests to cancel orders. I was greatly discouraged and began to consider if I too should cancel my order.

Phase4(Redemption): Then one faithful day durning one of my many calls to a AW sales rep about the status of my order I was ,to my surprise and joy, informed that the parts needed to begin construction were in! And from that point on my order went through Phases like a fat kid through a cheese cake. Before I knew it my order had shipped(before it's estimated ship date at that).

Phase 5(Obsession Cont.) Now I find my self no longer going to the AW site to check what phase I am on today. No, now I am compulsively going to the FedEx package tracking site where I stalk every little move of my precious cargo as it makes its fated journey from Miami FL to my home in Valley AL. It is currently somewhere between here and Atlanta(which is only 1.5 hrs away). So close yet so far away.

I know that this has been ridiculously long. But I needed to share my experience with you.

 

False info. QX9300 doesn't outperform X9100 in any games right now, we are talking about stock speed here.
The 0.53 Ghz is a huge difference, it's a $600 difference according to AW, from T9400 to X9100.
And I do not have X9100 nor QX9300.

If you o/c and void your warranty, I would suggest QX9300.

 

Just brought a new system specs below through alienware Australia will be interesting to see how customer service compares to the USA, Alienware Australia is ten minutes from my house Cost $7800 australian dollars so you guys dont complain i price even with our crappy exchange rate its still about $2000 more exp[ensive from here, but you cant buy direct from the USA anymore, i tried asking both the usa and oz office why but no one returned my calls or emails (i could have brought the top of everything in the usa for what i got in Australia SUCKS!!!!!!). should be here before XMAS
M17 SYSTEM

Dual 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 - Crossfire Enabled

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9400 (Penryn) 2.53GHz (6MB Cache 1066MHz FSB)

17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology

Illuminated Keyboard with Numeric Pad - Alienware Exlusive Design ( Astral-Blue )

Microsoft® Windows® VISTA 64-bit Ultimate with Service Pack 1

4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SO-DIMM at 1067MHz - 2 x 2048MB

Extreme Performance (RAID 0) ( Extreme Performance (RAID 0) - 500GB (250 x 2) 7200RPM )

8x Dual Layer CD-RW/DVD±RW Burner w/ LightScribe Technology

Wireless LAN RealTek b/g (Full mini-Card)

3-Year AlienCare Warranty Return To Base + Toll-Free Phone Support

AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista Edition Only

None

None

Alienware® Orion Messenger Bag

None

None

None

Logitech® G9 Gaming Mouse

AlienInspection - Exclusive Integration and Inspection - $99.99 Value - FREE!

Alienware® Mobile Owner's Manual + Binder, Alienware® Mesh Cap,Alienware® Mousepad, Alienware® Sticker, Alienware® MC Panel Overlay - Quick Guide, Protective Sleeve Cloth Bag.

 

No, I am saying you are giving out false information. Whatever intel gives out is marketing, and I don't count them as fact. Do you?

Go search the benchies if you need to learn.

You are welcome.

 

IMHO, the QX9300 is a better choice than the x9100, if and only if you have a system capable of OC'ing the qx9300 like it is MEANT to be used. As a stock CPU, it's going to perform far below the x9100 stock. Unless you are using it for encoding media, but as far as gaming is concerned.. Stock vs. Stock the x9100 will smoke the qx9300. There's not any games available which will manage the quad-core setup, at a lesser speed, and manage to perform better than the dual-core setup at a higher processing speed. I challenge anyone here to run the qx9300 @ default, post your 3dmark06 scores, or 3dmark Vantage, or Crysis, FC2, COD, DMC4, Fallout 3(maxes out @ 60), Quake Terr., and let's compare benchmarks. I assure you the x9100 will blow it out of the water. Now, if we begin encoding some MP3s or videos.. then I'll bow out, after a noble attempt. But, not going to chase a tail that's not there.

Games are GPU oriented, and the CPU is often the throttle.

Media and encoding/decoding is CPU oriented, and the GPU is an accessory.

So, let's figure out what comparisons we are making here.

 

Caskey, we are talking about pure clock speed. The X9100 runs at 3.06, or 3.33 if you OC it. The QX9300 runs at 2.53. Yes, you have two more cores, but you're also running at almost a Ghz less. The two extra cores aren't being utilized. The QX9300 is where your future-proofing comes in, if there is such a thing. What does the 9300 OC to E-Wrecked?

 

Actually, the QX9300 can OC to 3.33ghz with the more recent version of the OCZ BIOS.

 

Try here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=199452 - visit the qx9300 benchmarks in the OP.

 

Yeah, exactly. If you have the money, ok with o/c, void the warranty, QX9300 is the choice.
If you don't want to o/c, or void your warranty, X9100 wins in gaming.

Simple.