How far Alienware has gone backwards

Thanx for going the long-haul with me brother

You'd win that bet
​

when the World Debut display model was missing its top row accessory cable, I was all like: 'why didn't they just sneak one in there for?', plug one in as a prop, make the row look full & pull a fast one later. More surprising is that they seemed brazen about it, left it out all together, like they was insulting your intelligence just to do it. It's of the few examples of truth in advertising at least. When Review Samples like above are missing the accessory cable? It's a bad sign for John Q Public, especially given that hard drives are SATA power, & a person might like a Molex in that joint to tap into. In my experience, they charge ~$25 per cable

Delta Electronics is like the world's largest power supply maker: not the best, but, in a world where you can't get a name brand, you'd settle for a Delta. For instance, Dell uses Shenzhen Huntkey & ACBel also - between the three? - gimme a Delta, who also makes Antec's power supplies. Mr Dell gets a sweet contract from Delta since he buys up a billion power supplies + three billion Delta fans for his pc's: everything he gets is dirt cheap at a volume discount

Antec HCP 1300watt Cable Set: $25. Shipped​

I bought a pouch of these nice black braided cables: fat 16gauge wire for 12volt apps (ATX | CPU | GPU) weighs 1.5 pounds. Pow. True 8-wire 8pin 16g 6+2 video, ok?

stock 18g 6pin 6+2, sheer loose sleeve 'short' on sleeve
my 16g true 8-wire 8pin 6+2
Delta reduced their standards to accommodate the Alien's shopping list
____________​

I made my own cables & with plenty of leftovers too, maybe 1/3 of cables still new unused. You know what I'm about to say right? Dell is huge, can have anything they want. So If Antec can buy wire sets from Delta for such a low cost that an entire premium full cable assortment can come to me $25 shipped, what do we make of one whimpy Dell cable for $30 shipped

Often times, I let my mind go down to Miami FLA, sit in the Strategy Meeting & speak the words: here's what we gonna do to scare up money after-the-sale ...

Think about it. Delta has it in them to produce a full premium set - sold at a retail price through Antec - to allow just $20 for 1.5pounds of wiring, $5 to mail it. Is it $1 for that missing Aurora top row accessory molex

it only wears two heads on it + one sleeve​

You're seeing my Area-51 cable set; I have the 3rd video cable, but it costs people extra ($30/mailed). They only include the minimum cable count & a lot of that wire up there is left unsleeved for a reason, uses white connectors for a reason, uses white zipties for a reason, has an accessory cable missing for a reason & at times the 3rd video-cable's missing for a reason; power supply gets a 120mm fan, not a 140mm, for a reason, power supply chassis is bare naked un-powdercoated for a reason

Cost analysis will show that 16gauge wires, true 8-wire 8pin 6+2s, full premium sleeve, black zip ties, all black connectors, big fans, paintjobs, 'extra cables' or 'all cables' costs money, while Market Research will show that if Dell substitutes for less-costly materials or leaves them out altogether, the customer - when given the choice - will not let this stand between a purchase of ownership or no purchase at all; the idea being, it's either: l live with it or I do not get to own one at all ... so I'd rather own it & live with it, then not own it at all

they know that
​

When given a choice, Dell will decide for you & substitute ugly red connectors because they cost less & you will not let that stop you from owning it or not owning it, even if it comes at the expense of their reputation for using budget parts. I worry if they will indeed ship both pairs of video cables to those who only purchase one card at checkout. Because putting what I just said into practice suggests they can leave the cable out - charge you for it afterwards - & you will not let that stand inbetween owning it or not owning it. Last, since the psu will not shut due to the $40 Nvidia SLI bridge, I worry over the cost of a new 'proprietary bridge', & if it will cost $100 each, which I think it will. Why so much? You know why, & so will they

Someone at Dell realized that 'design expenditures' which put a win in your column & a loss in their column? They corrected the ship. Now u lose & they win. What is at work here is they're drunk on their ability to give u less & less & charge u more & more & it shows & it shows with each new desktop release. Think about it. Someone has been paid to analyze you, denied you access to choice materials because to provide them adds nothing, nothing to their end of the deal, not so long as people continue to choose to 'live with it'. The consumer almost encourages it to happen, like they know they have permission to produce a budget build & charge over premium for it. They're in no mood to hand you a perk or a bonus, they don't seem to care at all anymore what it looks like inside there. I'm ok with the Alienware Philosophy, which is to provide you a capable system that powers on for 5years trouble-free & usually at the expense of the loss of a premium look in there, so in a way I'm ok with the budget cable set I own; however, I do not condone 'purposely leaving a Molex cable out' or a video cable out - or both (!) - because they know that people will have to return for the missing approved cable, charged at an absurd $20 - $30 for each

it's Predatory​

you are the chess piece being moved on the board, where winner takes all: except now it's Mr Dell in the chair vs. Predator

*yes, Predator is getting drunk on the finest of wine ... your $$$ not his*

20th Anniversary Edition Motherboard

this is how the Service Manual Begins


this is a portrait of actual reality
​

There is no logo on the liqwid-kooler either. All that remains of Alienware is the power-on button. You've purchased a Dell but been sold a costlier 'Alienware Experience' which only exists ... inside your mind. Aurora should be a wake-up call: Alienware's being swallowed up by Dell, where you're paying just for the name at this point

Dell XPS | HP motherboard in there now: mainstream budget gaming @ premium prices:

Predator wins the Chess Match ... Alien loses

... but you won't let that stop u from buying ... right ...

TechRadar Editor's Choice Award
Best in Class. It's Revolutionary
(but has no class at all)
_____________________​

Gamerboy on uTube basically had this to say to someone: 'we know u hate it because u can't afford it. Luxury & Premium are simply out of your reach & haters gonna hate, blah blah blah, I'm buying a top-of-the-line model, guess you is too broke, it must suck to be you'. My answer would be: no, I can't afford their budget build sprinkled here & there with a touch of premium Intel Nvidia parts that have class & help cover for the rest of the junk in there ...

My next answer is go ahead & spec-out a 'top-of-the-line model' & take my Hazing Challenge just a page back: it looks like a tiny poor man's build up in there because that's how they roll. Alienware's Industrial Look is a word-excuse for their low-cost build materials & lack of visual luster, where the shabbier it looks the more Industrial it can become. Industrial Look is a euphemism for 'we got cheap but we need a good name to cover for it'. Industrial was the death knell for premium. So this is it then: the fostering & perpetuation of the internet rumor that the price of an Alienware means it's a luxury item filled to the brim with premium parts at all four corners, where the hatred comes from people who can't afford to buy one & so long as the rumor persists, Colonel Dell & Azor will surf that wave of a pop-culture urban myth to as far as it can take them ...

Mr Dell is in that chair ... dressed up in an Alien costume​

 

damn they don't half seam to be going to heck at a fast rate its really disappointing to see what frank is doing to that brand, not that i would buy a pre-built but it sucks for you guys that do i wont be surprised if the next gen is just a basic dell case with different side panels & the faliewere logo & on the front

 

Unfortunately, that's exactly right. Alienware is gone, and they've been gone for a while now. It was fun while it lasted, but it's over now. And, XPS is not what XPS used to be either, so that isn't a good option. They killed off the XPS line as a high performance option and recycled the name for the fancier consumer product line right after they bought Alienware. If we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. No win situation. Time to move on.

 

​

Area-51 ALX, my most favorite; this system was so much fun to develop, our Team really enjoyed creating the details and the structure for this one. It just dominates where ever it is seen

​

The opening louvers were a challenge to develop; the final design is quite dramatic and works smoothly. The look evokes that of an angry canine

​

Liqwid kooling cover. At Alienware, we considered all details and created looks that celebrated the brand

​

Every detail is considered - even the shielding on the side panels - these also received the Alien Glyph patterns

At Alienware, it was important that all products that
we produced fit in with the Design Language

Product Design Examples
History of Programs That I Was Involved With
Bēhance.net
_______________

we considered all details & created looks that celebrated the brand​

La Fiesta is over: celebrating the brand cost Dell money honey. Glyphs ... inside the door panel? Oh no no. No Siree. Customer wins on Dells' dime. These days, bend over, pay them cold-cash & 'celebrate the brand' inside the space that exists between your ears ... that way they can live rent free en la cabeza

TechRadar: Alienware designs have classically exuded an exotically extraterrestrial quality to them; however, the Aurora is more industrial. Curiously, one element that's missing here is the center spine, which has been a part of almost every Alienware design". Ya hear that. Ain't got no spine: spineless, an invertebrate ... the look evokes that of a happy Oyster ...

Comments, qwestions, thoughts or concerns Fox, on meaning definition interpretation & sound of their industrial design language: pure guttural profanity or is it a dead language, as is latin ...

... ahhhhhhh ... igpay atinlay ... itshay
ixnay on the Azorfay
____________
I bid you adieu

​

Honey-comb treatment's gone, interior theatre lighting's gone, their 'language' is impoverished intellectually lazy bankrupt blah blah dis-service not to slap Dell logo on new kooler blah blah & so to porridge eaters & non-eaters alike I say this: the fever broke, this'll be my last entry in this thread & in an asked & answered type of affair to 'has it gone backwards?' comes from one of my favorite public personalities, whom is fond of saying, simply:

Yes. It is Round
________________
Never Say Never
Update: @| Hockeytown takes delivery today

Alienhead: the Oyster gets a pearl
unconstructive criticism from the community can go a long way
WHERE did the VRM / MOSFET HEATSINK GO ???
they fixed the yellow accents for a white wash,
baby blu accents are cute

Spoiler: Missing in Action

he's transferred 6700k from his X51, so it's a basic fan-sink until a new liqwid kooler of some type goes in. VRM heatsink? Dunno. Video cables x4 sent with 850w. $150 power supply & the freakin accessory cable's missing

edit: Hockeytown's livid​

"My new R5 appears to be missing the passive heatsink next to the CPU socket. Look at my photos ... mines missing! Way to go Dell". Yes, missing is the word d'jour: he dared to defy the Aliens in buying the base CPU, installed 6700k himself & got uck-fayed

yippee ki-yay
updates:
​

I received my H80i today and installed that. Its a very tight fit but you can close it up. Need to remove front 3.5" HDD cage and run the hoses up that way.
Radiator mounted to the upper cage, fan mounts to the radiator. Did not use the fan bracket for this install. This 120mm cooler is probably worst case scenario for hose length and stiffness but it works! Lots of options for adding your own liquid cooling.So I proceeded to hook this up exactly as I have seen the liquid cooled models online. The fan on TOP_FAN and cooling pump on PUMP_FAN. Upon boot up, pump failure. So I am out of options and things to try. Kinda hoping this is BIOS related. PS - Alienware please ditch the 1982 BIOS and get current.

- old-timey BIOS, not a UEFI with Graphic UI mouse-driven -​

H80i GT tubes barely fit (he may have bruised the braiding), but on power up with pump connect in the pump_fan connector: no joy

​

Moving on, if you buy this machine with the intention of upgrading the motherboard later, the AlienFX lights are now tied to the OEM motherboard - no more MIO boards. This is a change from your previous generation Auroras and Area 51 machines! Many of us hold onto them for years and buying a motherboard through service parts....$$$ ouch.

proprietary LED controller?
so much for future motherboard swap & keep the case lights working

July 6 Tom's Guide Aurora R5 Review: Awesomely Upgradable
NOT

#FireFrankAzor
_______________
input Pegatron in eBay, all you see is HP motherboards​

* Apple's inability to monitor standards lets Pegatron pay low wages, NGO says

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* Apple supplier Pegatron charged with overworking employees

​

* Apple shifted production to Pegatron to save money, but workers are still being exploited

 

I remember that one!! felt like it was something out of a spaceship when i first saw it in a store. IMO best desktop design to date.

 

I'll rather look at Asus or MSI if I'm in a market for pre built desktop, at least you can be assure the mobo and components are sourced directly under their brand. Alienware? The green mobo give me worries

Kinda ironic because people used to say Alienwares are overpriced, desktop especially, but back in those days you can argue by saying you get what you paid for. Today?

 

nop, asus and msi prebuilt gaming use oem-style motherboard, not retail

arguably better, maybe. but if you're looking for a prebuilt I'd try the boutique vendors such as cyberpower, etc. they use real retail components.

 

double

 

Agree... that Area-51 ALX was the nicest chassis ever... love it. Truly amazing. That was the only pre-built desktop I ever wanted to buy, and I would typically never even consider the notion of buying a desktop when I could build my own to be better and faster spending the same amount of money. (The lame gamer-boy argument of being able to build one cheaper than an Alienware was never a good option in my opinion. Cheap is for children... just spend the same money to make it more wicked always made more sense to me.)

Owning an Alienware laptop or desktop used to be something extraordinary and very special. You paid more, yes. But the fantastic quality and amazing culture that came with the package, and the extraordinary warranty support, used to be worth every red cent. Now 'taint so.

 

you know, if Alienware goes backwards enough maybe they will start doing OLD trends again ?? (i.e Buying other companies and sharing joint custody for a few years while the people that made it great still work on the IP..before DELL gaining full control and ruining it)

 

I thought Dell already now is far enough backwards!! God forbid... Dell want buy the Clevo group!! Dell would change everything within two years!! Guaranteed.

 

Buying something to ruin it would be a repeat of what they did to Alienware. I'd say that qualifies as a "Not Fully" alert!

 

I think Clevo is way to large to be purchased, and MUCH too old. We have no fear of that, I say. If it happens, I will EAT my Alienware.

 

That could be fatal if whatever poisoned their water gets into your bloodstream.

 

I would rather DIE then live in a world where DELL purchased the last good laptop OEM company.

 

Look, if Alienware wants to make a comeback they need to sell a new line of AW17 and AW18 models that work with the MXM 3.1 N17E-G2 and G3 models. Since they are 100W and 125W+ I bet Alienware/DELL will just solder them onto the board. They could make a full comeback if ONLY they make them upgradeable. Start fresh with a new technology I saw ! ****, I will personally fight to be inline and buy the first dozen if they offer Skylake DT CPU and MXM 3.1 GPU.

 

Won't they just add a battery boost feature?

They do have some nice displays on their notebooks though

 

Alienware display's used to be AMAZING.. but they went downhill when DELL bought Alienware.

 

I think they are cooking them in the lab ATM ...

 

You're optimistic. Bet if they do release anything upgradable they'll go full proprietary MXM since Nvidia aren't recommending specifications anymore.

 

No seriously if they did that... I'd be so like " Alienware is BACK !" and it would be the proverbial counter thread to this one. Ironically, would it imply they went backwards ????

 

I watch this thread near daily and this is my first post. By far is my favorite post yet. Well done sir, well done!


Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

Yeah. Maybe Dell can put on good displays on their notebooks, but this doesn't count when they crippling the rest of the machine with soldered *****. + locked firmvare make it even worse. Even with socket hardware can Dell crippling their flagship. You can't get everything in one package from Dell anymore!! I prefer maximum performance before anything else. Nice with a very good display so you can see the benchmark numbers in the lower end compete with $ 1300 machines. Not for me who love benching!!! Because benching is my preferred use with my machine!! Not sitting and see bench numbers drop down similar low end, low cost machines with all hardware soldered like tablets/ smartphones...!

 

Adapter only 180W for the AW17R3? Just enough for a 100W gpu and less than 80 for the cpu ( ram/drives/usb/4k panel?)

Don't you need around 100W on Skylake to hit 4.0 on all cores?

 

Dell open their wallets this time and put with 240w psu for their last rebadged Aw models with 980m. I have never seen a 6820BGA push much over 77w with 4.2 in a lucky bench. This if you won in the silicon lottery. And if you won... Hope you never have to change the motherboard.

 

Not with a crippled BGA Skylake. Their TDP is gimped. A 6700K will absolutely pull more than 100W though. It's 95W TDP stock. But, 100W is not enough for an overclocked GTX 980M. I have pulled over 200W from a single 980M with an extreme overclock. In fact, I just recently saw 215W benching 3DMark 11 with my P750ZM with its 980M.

 

Stock volts for the 6700K vs 6820HK's undervolt?

6700K HD530 runs at 1.15ghz while the 6820HK HD530 run's at 1.05ghz
Does that affect anything or is it disabled?

 

iGPU is disabled on 6700K

 

oh wow, thats a crazy amount of power for a notebook graphics card haha

 

180W didn't work out, but they could cap it to 200-210. Just enough at stock settings.

 

No need for that. The hybrid Bios can collect out the rest of missing wattage from the battery. Same as Msi Battery Turbo boost

 

Can't believe Alienware thought that was a good idea and copied it. lol..lol

 

Every laptop starts to pull from the battery as soon the adapter cannot handle it. Including your machine.

 

I have bench with Max pulled wattage of +415w from the wall with single 330w and the battery isn't touched. No limit. If the system need more wattage I just put on the second 330w I have. This battery junk system aka battery boost is Msi and later Alienware's great idea. My Aw17 "Elitist" shot down after the psu limit is reached.

 

just wondering, what's your config on the AW17 and how did you pull more than 330w from the wall? the system shut down when attempt to use more than 330w?

 

I killed 2 x 240w because of my benching before I purchased my 330w. 330w is enough Ps. Everything maxed on ELITIST!!

Edit. 330w psu is good for +415w under short period!!
If I missed. I have also P870 I talked about!!

 

If your laptop is under full load, pretty much all modern laptops starts draining the battery. That is a fact. Older laptops would shut down. BUt that wasnt something users in general wanted.

 

Blah, delete, wrong laptop I guess. Sorry I didn't see the AW17 part above.

 

2x240 linked or separate



@rinneh - no laptop should have hybrid battery feature, you high or something? Even macbooks dont do this

 

No. Killed first one, and then the second one.

 

Google the amount of reviews with the battery drain while being under full load. It is not what I have invented. Only laptops with a powerdrain too big for a battery to hold aka it could even explode dont have it. Macbooks included. I can know, I had 3 in a row.

 

Thats because the laptops reviewed = trash

 

I've never understood why a higher power draw is seen as something to brag about.
You are requiring more wattage for your gaming experience, which in turn means a higher electricity bill.

The Alienware 15 R1 laptop I own with the i7 4720HQ, Gtx 980m and 180w power adapter offers a superb and very power efficient gaming experience at 1080p. It is one of the best gaming laptops I've owned yet and is the lightest Alienware too (With the exception of the M11x and M14x) that offers incredible performance.
The negativity on this site does NOT in any way reflect the success of these new systems. They're going this way because it's more profitable as well as more convenient. I've tested almost every single Alienware laptop system they've ever released and I can see why they are heading in this direction of smaller but still incredibly powerful gaming systems. 99.9% of people I speak with regarding gaming either want a powerful but portable 15inch to 17inch laptop or want to trade in all portability for a desktop set up. It's that simple.

I don't care if I can't upgrade the internals because frankly, top end MXM CPU's and GPU's are unbelievably expensive (Especially here in the UK). The sheer expense cannot be argued.
For that price I can just buy another system later down the line. I just don't need the hassle of dealing with compatibility and the often surgical precision required for disassembling and upgrading gaming laptops.

Plug in the Graphics amplifier a few years down the line with the latest desktop GPU and watch as we crush the latest dual GPU laptop set ups available.

 

I think it’s not about bragging about how much power you use, rather it’s about letting the user decide how to use their system.

I can tune my system down to use very little power, limiting clocks, volts, etc. Also I can crank things up to be middle of the road, or I can even push the system to fully utilize its cooling ability. When that kind of control is left to the user then it’s a win-win.

Electric rates may not even come into play depending on where you are and the economy. I know my laptop electricity costs are essentially zero, or too cheap to even figure. My entire electricity bill for my house, 3 furnaces and air conditioners, all my lights, water well pump, TV’s, oven and M/W, fridges and everything else is way less than my internet bill for instance. If I needed to cut costs that tiny portion of my electric bill would never enter the picture.

 

By using a graphics amplifier, you're going to end up with the same high power draw? You lose some % performance due to the way it works and possibly more due to weaker cpu to support the desktop gpu.

A 3570K ( no HT / a few generations older ) with a GTX 970 can match a 6700HQ ( with HT ) +GTX 970 via Razer Core or even beat it in a few cases. A 6700K can downclock to the 6700HQ
~20% or more even 40%

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/10761-razer-core-review/
http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/6700hq-jpg.135985/
Depending on where you live, you can use the computer as your heater.

 

********. THe only reason some laptops dont do it is because the power draw would just damage the battery. Its like the final defense line to keep your system stable. Laptops that CAN do it WILL do it.

It becomes bad practice when a manufacturer uses a too small PSU for the laptop they sell because they expect a customer will enver stress it 100% anyway.

 

Such as the msi ones
Laptops that don't offer the capabiltity to use high wattage power brick is trash.
I believe all laptops should have unlimited power draw if the psu suffice, if not, throttle the system instead of damage battery.

 

Surely your statement is pure hyperbole. If Dell can buy EMC for $67 Billion they could buy Clevo which has a market cap of about $18.5 Billion.

However, there's no business reason for Dell to buy another computer company, especially since their current focus is on enterprise business sales and services. The Alienware purchase just was to get name recognition for their consumer gaming platforms which is a small part of their overall business.

 

I see, buying a new system works out cheaper than upgrading?
How about having the option?

 

If the option was available it still doesn't change the fact that upgrading is simply not worth the cost compared purchasing a new system down the line. I've seen many 980m equipped laptops now priced at under £1000.
MXM GPUs continue to rise in terms of cost and it won't be long before £1000 price tags are hit.
The 980m cards I've seen advertised hover around £600 to £700+ (That is simply mind blowing).

To be honest, I may not even bother with the graphics Amplifier and instead wait it out for the next several revisions of the Alienware line. Depends on how I feel really. As of now I'm completely happy with the Alienware 15 R1 and don't have any worries about future proofing. I simply enjoy the laptop as its complete package.