Alienware Temp PSA

AW seems to have changed what qualifies as too hot for a cpu. From reddit (/u/ 1784278654) this link is from AW's page:

https://i.reddituploads.com/075434e...536&w=1536&s=2b4e8bf3218654a509392a4fd477df9e

So the target being 97C is pretty awful, and you now can't return it with spikes to 100C?

AW guys wanna chime in here?

 

*Sigh*

Well this got moved... Isn't really as helpful in this subforum to prospective buyers...

Wish there was a delete button...

 

Wow...that is beyond obscene. calling 1-2 core temps at 100 degC "normal"......it is not normal. not in the slightest. I wouldn't feel comfortable operating a laptop that can boil water. This is almost as bad as going back to mobile pentium 4 days.

 

I have a wokring laptop with a mobile desktop grade P4 one of the old Alienwares from the early 2000s. I am tempted to boot it up and check its temps because I am sure that even it never got that hot lol.

 

Quite frankly in my past 14 years of laptop gaming, I have never had a processor running at 90ish temperature in any machine at any generation

Calling that normal is a very bad unfunny joke.

 

They don't exactly say this is "normal".
1. These are under stress test conditions.
2. They explain this is intel's specifications.
3. This discusses overclocking.

Alienware has mentioned several times that 90C+ is cause for focus.
They wont ever say "cause for concern" because that is technically within Intel's specs and Intel also has several safe guards in place.
If they are relaying intel's specs and intel says 90c is ok then why fault them for relaying that info.

Now with that said. 90% of gamers (that actually pay attention to temps) will not find 90C acceptable.
When addressing the recent temp issues on the 15R3 / 17R4 on a conference call with unlock and myself, Alienware / Dell acknowledged that high temps, 80C - 100C, and/or large temp differentials obviously show a sign that there is something wrong with the cooling system.
Regarding the recent systems, they have addressed this and we now have systems that hit 75c-85c on stock paste and under very syntheic stress tests.
Going even further, we have been able to get repsasted machines to max out at 55c-65c under crazy stress.

 

1. My friend has a 17 R4 that gets hot (upper 90s) even without heavy stress (30-40% utilization)

2. I don't care what Intel says is TJMax. Everybody's goal is to try as far away from TJMax as possible without sacrificing performance. SNB TJmax was 100, IVB was 105, haswell 100, skylake 100. This overheating trend started with haswell (read: 4940MX stock from dell running north of 80 degrees), became obscene with the 17 R2, and still hasn't corrected with skylake in the 17 R4

3. The issue occurs even at stock clocks so don't bring up overclocking.


Repasting shouldn't be a part of the argument. I expect a machine to be usable from the factory when ordered. Dell using toothpaste as a thermal compound is inexcusable. That being said, I'm glad you guys have better experience from repasting. It's unacceptable that user repasting has become necessary rather than optional. Inexcusable on Dell's end really.

 

The skylake temps in the aw15r2/17r3 are pretty good. Around 75c at full load. The newer machines later batches shlw similar temps. The first batch just had some QC issues which caused too much space between heatsink and cpu die. Just too high tolerances. I now saw 2 machines that arrived straight from dell without a repaste with decent temps under full load.

 

That's good to hear. My friend did receive one of the first 17R4s, I told him to send it to Dell for heatsink fix. Warped heatsinks tend to be a clevo thing, not an Alienware thing.

 

1. So what? Stress testing my laptops doesn't come within 15C of that. My P650RS 6820hk on stock voltage maxes at like 70C. 75C with crappier thermal paste.
2. Technically correct, still degrades lifespan in a noticeable way over 90C.
3. 6700HQ can't overclock and they still mention it.

 

I had high hopes for Alienware to fix this issue, yet they keep trying to dodge the responsibility and spout ridiculous things such as this being normal. Alienware has somehow evolved into a burning train wreck and it's quite interesting to watch (how a once king of the hill brand has become a mere shadow of its former self)