Alienware's E3 "Big News" on 06/10/2013: Save the Date

not trying to get this thread locked but but if by definition you are not a gamer.. why would you begin to comment on the next alienware set up? no offense.. but since i dont buy dells bussness class or or even there low end machines i wouldn't comment on those and i dont..

to many people come in to these thread and drop there comments.. and they have no intentions on buying the flag ship models..
all tho i understand some people coming in here commenting on some thing that Would turn them onto alienware.. or if they have owned past alienware systems and are looking to get back into them.. or even upgrade..

there are models to suit every ones needs and i am just getting annoyed with people that want a m14x m13x or what ever bashing peoples comments on, say the model i want to see improved..
Not once have i commented on a model that does not concern me.. as i know i wont buy it.. for me its m18x or bigger.. and thats it.. and i say what i would like to see in that said model and more than 1 person across differnet threads has been like.. oh thats over kill.. or your dreaming.. and that will never happen...
And i ask them well do you currently own or plan on owning a m18x? and 99% of the time they say no.. and i think to my self, why comment on it then..
its like me making suggestions for a m14x ill never own..

it just rubbs me the wrong way..

now if one is speaking on the broad sense of things.. and has an understanding to the system im commenting on or the hardware in it.. then thats a different story.. im willing to hear it..even if its negitive in my mind when i read it..
but to say some thing is to much ..or when I read..( Mr Fox..And, there are those that have dreams about what they think would be awesome, but sometimes those dreams can be unrealistic.)
and your reply(People wanting Tri SLI systems, or water cooling, for instance.)

how is it 1. unrealistic.. and 2. how is tri sli or water cooling for that matter so far fetched..

we have seen a demo of it a few years back.. tri sli shouldnt be hard to pull off with a board redesign ...


hell even dual cpu systems shouldnt be hard.. whats limiting things is form factor.. and thats where i feel all this complaining and commenting comes into play..

Dell has people that activly look at these thread.. and when you got a ton of people commenting on systems they will never own... saying they will take the bare scraps of a redesign.. what do you think could be the possible out comes of that.. to me whether or not it happens this way or not .. its in my mind directly influencing dell to go the cheap route with things.. hence the bad qualty of service.. or semi flawed machines recieved brand new.. and those horrid looking leaked pics we have all seen.. I thing theres a direct connection between user feed back and what gets produced and designed and whats tossed to r&d ..

why design any thing new if all they ever see is people shooting down the people willing to throw those crazy ideas out there...

And lastly im pretty dang sure dell has experimented with a tri sli set up and a water cooling setup.. (speculation of course) but if all they see is people saying or your crazy.. or ill take the value meal please.. we will never see those things come to light..

 

Is it likely that the 780m will be available with the 2013 lineup at launch?

 

I'd assume so....

 

If you have to ask why Tri SLI and water cooling in a laptop is unrealistic, you've sort of missed the point already. It's because they're a startup out of Alaska that they can do something like that. They're only going to get people who are really interested to back them, and they don't have bottom line to be worried about. I feel extremely confident in saying that you will never, ever, see a Tri SLI water cooled laptop from Alienware (or any other big name, for that matter).

I didn't say I wasn't a gamer, I simply said I wasn't a "true enthusiast" as Fox put it, because I have no interest in a Tri SLI laptop. Odds are for the same money I could build a far superior desktop, and still afford a, shall we say, more standard single GPU laptop - something like the M17x.

Also, I have bought Alienware machines before. I've owned an M17x R1, and to this day, it's far and above my favourite laptop. Since then however, I've come to appreciate a lot of things about desktops that laptops simply cannot achieve. A 500W DTS-capable surround sound setup, mechanical keyboards, matte IPS monitors... all but the latter will never appear in laptops, because they just can't fit. As such, I don't feel paying $1,500 for something with an extremely low gamut glossy-as-hell screen, a horrible keyboard, and barely passable audio is a worthy investment. I am an enthusiast, though in different areas than people here. Does that mean I shouldn't say what I would like to see from Alienware in the future? I don't see why not.

I think a lot of people would be happy to see an M17x, Haswell equipped, matte IPS display, aluminium chassis laptop. Am I wrong?

 

To be honest I don't see why people want everything smaller. Big, heavy, bulky powerful laptops will do it for me; when a person sees just how big and heavy an Alienware laptop is, they will know straight off the bat it is a serious machine and to be honest some of the money we spend on Alienware is for recognition

 

Like I have said it would make more sense to do a dual low power titan design than some tri sli setup.

 

While I don't want to see a Tri SLI monstrosity, I'm all for the dual GPU monster that people around here want. The one thing I don't want to see is the lack of a single GPU 17" option, simply because of the lack of Optimus support for SLI systems. I use laptops for lots of everything, often quite far from power, so I wouldn't want to be guzzling power unnecessarily. I'd also love to see aluminium chassis spread to all of the Alienware lineup.

 

and again im all for your single gpu M17x option.. but i don't follow why you wouldn't want to see a tri sli set up for a m18x or bigger platform.. hell the dual titan setup sounds pleasing..

look you are doing the very thing im commenting about.. you don't want to see a monstrosity tri sli set up..but yet you wont buy it.. further more the m18x series isn't even for you as you want the m17x..
So why say what you don't want to see on any other system?
It doesn't make sense..

 

One solution is to have the switch that turns on optimus or enduro for a single card setup if you want it which I believe the M18x has.

 

Because I can? It's not like Dell is going to take my opinion under advisement. I'm simply giving my opinion as a means of stimulating further discussion, exactly what forums are meant for.

What?! As far as I know, the only switch is has is for switching between dedicated and integrated graphics, a-la M17x R1/R2. If any relevant owners could confirm this, that would be hugely helpful.

 

Serephucus, I think you and Meaker might be saying the same thing from a different angle. If you have manual graphics switching (superior product) then you would have no need for Optimus or Enduro. Those hybrids are intended to be convenient, but in reality they are a compromise. Manual switching is just a whole a lot better. Although I have very low interest in single GPU computers (laptop or desktop) I would want manual switching versus Optimus or Enduro on a system with one GPU.

 

Except that Meaker said "turns on Optimus" rather than "turns on dedicated GPU". (Though I think the latter is what he meant)

Personally, having used both solutions, I far prefer Optimus. I don't see how it's a compromise at all, to be frank. The occasional game has slight problems, but is nine times out of ten fixed by simply forcing IGP or the dedicated card from NCP. Back when I had my R1, I found it extremely annoying to have booted into integrated graphics because the power cord came slightly loose, forcing me to reboot.

 

Our situations are clearly different then. I boot into IGFX maybe 5 or 6 times a year, and then only when I am on a flight that is long enough to benefit from the ~5 hours of battery life. The rest of the time I am connected to AC power and don't have any desire whatsoever to run IGFX. If there was some compelling reason for me to be flip-flopping between the IGFX and discrete GPUs a half dozen or more times per day, then I might feel that rebooting is inconvenient as you do, but I so very seldom have any reason the use the IGFX that it's almost irrelevant whether that option is even available in my situation. I consider it a "nice thing to have" but not a necessity. I'd have to accept a downgrade from SLI to single GPU to have Optimus and there is no way on earth I'm going to consider a plummet in performance of such a severe magnitude.

 

How long after the June 10th announcement will it take before we start seeing those product refreshes on the Alienware site? :hi2:

 

If previous years are any indication, we'll see them immediately.

 

I think many people would appreciate this, but I don't think it will happen.

 

It will be great to see Precision trickle down into consumer line but then dell will not be able to charge the crazy prices that some of the government organizations pay.

But I agree, a M6600 with GTX680m will be awesome to say the lest.

 

Yep - before I decided to buy AW, I strongly considered a loaded Precision. At the end of the day, it was the gpu's that made me go AW....if they had offered "gaming gpu's" in the Preicison, I would probably have bought that instead, due to the matte IPS screen mainly. As it stands, I am very happy with the choice I made but it would be great to have the same kind of power available to folk in a more professional/traditional looking notebook.

Of course, I don't think Dell would gimp out a Precision to do that.....

 

We already have some folks in this community that have upgraded Dell Precisions with 680M GPUs. If I were to someday find myself in the unfortunate position of being forced into downgrading to a single GPU laptop, it's hard to find anything built better than a Dell Precision... they're outstanding machines in terms of build quality.

 

Isnt it interesting that Apple managed to solve this problem years ago?
They have the best "optimus" (that isnt optimus).

Todays optimus is just a list with name of programs. The programs that are need discrete or not. There is no logic at all. Apple solved it within the OS by having graphic switching depending of the load requirement of each program.

Sure. Its not perfect. If you for example start a browser with a flash windows, the discrete graphic will always be active. (at least when I studied Apples solution of graphic switching a couple of years ago. Thats is one if the reasons why "Clicktoflash" is a must plugin on mac.

Would be interesting if Alienware could write own drivers that solves switching after load and not a list. But I don't think its possible? Thats why integrated is sometimes better then fragmented. Apple control the OS + Hardware and can do elegant stuff like this and fusion drive.

But I still want another Alienware laptop since they are the best gaming laptops on the market (in my taste). Thats why fragmented is better then integrated. More hardware choice.

 

That... is exactly what Optimus does. The "list" you're talking about is only used if a program's load isn't detected correctly.

Fusion drive has also been out for a long time. It's called SSD caching, and the rest of the world has had it for years.

Nice try though!

 

I just like manual switching better. Hybrid switching doesn't work on SLI or CF systems, so it's a good thing that I like it better. Manual switching is an on/off toggle and the outcome is always 100% predictable. It puts the user in absolute control over what happens and leaves no decisions for the computer. Conceptually, I find that is superior, and it typically translates into better results (performance and battery life).

 

We'll agree to disagree on that point in that case.

 

Hmm... I guess I don't understand why any part of a personal preference would require secondary validation.

 

Back at ya.

 

They better be releasing a tablet or compact computer of some kind... I just bought a tablet bag... But have no tablet to put in there.

 

They already have tablets in the XPS product line. Maybe they can rebadge one of them with a silver alienhead logo instead of the circle around the Dell brand name. They could add that branding option to the online configurator like the Alienware nameplate and you can choose to have the device called an Alienware 10 or a Dell XPS 10.

 

Speaking of Tablets, Dell is offering a $100 discount on the Windows XPS-10. 32GB is $199 and the 64GB is $249.

 

That's pretty cheap if someone decides they have a use for such a device... hard to go wrong with that kind of price. Personally, I'd rather spend the same amount on another SSD or something to make a real computer run faster, LOL. But, I have family members that like tablets and that would make a nice gift as well.

 

I looked at the xps 10, but I don't want windows 8 rt. Would rather have full on windows.
Thinking that a variation of the xps convertible is the logical option.

 

Just side-stepping away from the "big news", for those who may want to capitalize on the current line-up going EOL, and for those of you in the US, there is a 20% off Dell Outlet systems code that you can use right now. If you can grab a system in your cart quick enough when they appear, there are some great deals to be had. If you are lucky enough to snag, say an M18x R2 with a decent spec, use this code and get another 20% off it.....it works. I've added a few different rigs to my cart (even though I'm in the UK) to test it and it's a good one....here it is:

Dell Coupons 2013 - Deals & 25% Off Coupon Code

 

Hmmm....I just tried to post here and it said that my post needed mod approval??? - odd??

Anyway, what I was trying to say was for those that maybe want to cash in on the "not so big news" by using Dell outlet in the US, theres an additional 20% off machines using the following code. If you can grab a good machine, don't forget to use it, it works, I've checked it myself. Here it is:

Dell Coupons 2013 - Deals & 25% Off Coupon Code

 

That is a new filtering system. Apparently there was a word or phrase in what you were posting that it did not like. Most well established NBR members such as yourself don't encounter it much because they have less aggressive filtering rules than newer members. This even happens to moderators now and then. This is an effort to try to reduce the volume of spambot garbage that has to be dealt with.

I noticed that the XM CPU is not available for a new M18x, at least not in the US. They must be out of stock. What a terrible shame, with the nice sales going on, to not be able to take advantage of the ultimate CPU option.

 

I noticed the absence of the XM, too. That is another sign that Dell are running the R2 components down to make way for the new machines. If someone is fortunate enough to add a loaded R2 into their outlet cart, they can use that 20% off code to bring the price right down. I played around last night with various machines and discounts were up to around $700 on top of the outlet discounts already in place.

 

Yeah you don't want to be caught with a load of XM CPUs when the switch happens ^-^

 

Three weeks to go Boyz! Hoping for some X51 luv. :hi2:

 

Dell Australia still has the XM options but 680m's come and go almost by the week.

 

That kind of thing has never made any sense to me. All of them are built at Compal in China. How or why stock can vary based on the customer's country is a mystery. If they have it available it should be on a first-come first-serve basis until its all gone. This happens frequently with the US and UK as well, so don't feel too bad about AU. There has never been a steady stream of plentiful 680M that I know of. Hopefully, the next generation of NVIDIA MXM cards will see a ramping up of production enough to keep pace with demand.

 

Doesn't bother me as I can't afford a laptop from Dell anyway, way too overpriced.

Earlier this year they didn't have 680M's for about a month on their website, and I was starting to think they were ready to transition. Turns out they had just run out.

 

I know this is a laptop forum but since the X51 is a small form factor gaming machine that could potentially replace a gaming laptop I thought it interesting to post this here.
This machine excites me greatly Hardware Review: Digital Storm Bolt - gamefront.com | gamefront.com. You can customise it with an i7 3770K and a GTX Titan!
Alienware are suppose to make super powerful machines so I would love to see a GTX titan version of the X51 in this big announcement we are all waiting for!

 

I would do cartwheels if Alienware announced a Titan upgrade for the X51. The external PSU would have to be around 500-550W. I can only wish. I do love the small form factor of the X51.

The Digital Storm is uber expensive. The best price point ratio is the Revolt by ibuypower.com

 

I myself would even consider a X51 if the titan and a beast CPU to match were available, would be perfect for me.

 

Come on baby, get rid of m14x and replace it with m13x with reduce weight and with dual cooling quiet fans, bring back m15x and get rid of m17x but keep m18x.

 

keep m17x and make it flagship dual gpu aluminum

m18x rip its been real son

 

I know how the model line is goingto go. The 18 will be dropped, the m11x is coming back as a tablet and the Alienware router is going to be released.

Desktops will have a come back of the alx monsters and the x51 will be redesigned to fit a living room .

The tact x line up will be updated to include a wireless controller for the upcoming steam box.

 

I would be really glad if this happened. Not because I want an X51, because I don't. I would be glad because the X51 and M18x use the same AC adapter and that would give me an AC adapter strong enough to power my massively overclocked beast without shutting down due to lack of power or tripping the internal circuit breaker on the inadequate 330W AC adapter.

I purchased a gaming laptop from ibuypower.com back in the day of the Geforce GO 7600. Their service was poor and the laptop was a piece of junk. It ran OK for it's day as far as hardware was concerned, but the build quality was pathetic. That was the last of the plastic laptops for me. I got sick of replacing lids and chassis bases on laptops that did not hold up well with an aggressive travel itinerary. Now that I think of it, that was my last single-GPU gaming system, too. After going to multi-GPU performance, the thought of being limited to one GPU makes me feel nauseous.

 

No thank you! The problem with that is M17x does not know if it wants to be a true desktop replacement or a portable device. Keeping M18x with its SLI capability is better for desktop replacement with its bigger screen and better build quality.

The M15x solves the problem of the M17x where m17x is not really that portable and having gimp performance compared to m18x and with the m15x, you have something that is dimensionally smaller and slightly lighter making it more portable and still can be used as a desktop replacement with single card solution.

There is just no point in having a 17" then 18" since they are both abnormally huge and dimensionally too big and too heavy. The 17" spec should be transferred to the m15x so bring that back and keep m18x for maximum screen and desktop replacement goodness with dual gpu capabilities.


M13x/M14x - since 13.3" and 14" are almost the same so i don't care if they keep m14x or replace with m13x, but lesser weight and less noise
M15x
M18x

 

Everything being said in this thread is nothing but speculation. I think some of the comments might even be thrown out there to stir up lively debate.

There is no reason for anyone to believe Alienware's flagship product is going to be put out to pasture. The dual GPU M18x and the M17x R1/R2 forerunner are the primary reason Alienware is hugely successful in the high performance laptop realm. Everything else they offer (or have offered in the past) is a sideline and a grab for an extra slice of the mediocre pie. If they were going to cut back their laptop lineup to one system only, everything except the M18x or its future successor would most likely get dumped. The massive dual GPU uber-beast would be the sole survivor because everything else they sell has an equivalent product available from an aggressive competitor. The M18x is close to being a monopoly. The closest thing available is one homely Clevo that looks like a plastic box and does not perform as well.

 

I agree, there are three categories that AW notebooks should fit into, in my eyes: Ultra-portable with medium performance, portable with high performance and finally DTR with a degree of portability but emphasis severely placed on ultra performance over portability. Don't get me wrong, the flagship should still be portable, but ultra performance should not be sacrificed by turning the flagship model into something lesser than it could be by cutting down on weight etc.

The flagship is what it is. An example of the finest machinery money can buy with performance to match, and trying to turn it into anything less would be a sacrilege.

Leave the M11x's and M14x's to fulfil the ultra portable category, the M17x can fulfil the portable with high performance and the M18x can fulfil the true desktop replacement category, focusing on out and out performance over anything else.

Just my thoughts on how the line up should be.....

 

With the images and speculation of the Sager SLI model coming out with the Haswell+780m release, not months later, AW had better include a dual GPU system in their refresh lineup or a lot of power hungry people like me won't be ordering AWs.