Laptops Alienware M11x getting NVIDIA Optimus and new Intel CPUs this summer?

There might be a M11x refresh during this summer. You guys might want to wait till summer to get this laptop since there will be a CPU upgrade and Nvidia Optimus..

Check this site out : http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/alienware-m11x-getting-nvidia-optimus-and-new-intel-cpus-this-su/


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NOTE FROM AW MOD:

Please see Darkhan's response here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=474587

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I highly doubt that will happen though. It's just way too soon...

 

If this is true I will go for a refund. 3 months is way too fast for a refresh and frankly is unfair to customers

 

Exactly, that's why I doubt a refresh is going to happen any time soon.

 

lol @ people saying it's not fair.

You must be new to "cutting-edge" computers. Theres always something new. In fact, 3 months is old when it comes to gaming computers being top-of-the-line.

 

It will be 6 months from announcing it just like the M17x when it got it's refresh.

 

6 months is OK. Not 3.

That's a slap in the face.

 

Damn! Why couldn't i wait?

 

This system was announced back at the beginning of the year, 6 months is about June / July

 

Revisions always come out. If you keep waiting for the next revison you'll never buy anything!

 

I guess the new processors are going to be ULV ones, right?

 

At the end of the day if it does what you want when you buy it who cares about it being updated...not me. I have bought mine for what it is and for me I have paid a fair price for what I have and so far I love it.

 

I think you can get optimus to work on the M11x without the need of hardware change.

I don't think it works flawlessly for now but it looks promising from the feedbacks: http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/to...-z-and-other-newer-hybrid-graphics-notebooks/

 

Yeah, probably so they can have the battery last longer.

I'm happy that I didn't get one yet. Hopefully by their second revision most of the small problems will be ironed out.

 

I'd still prefer manual switching though..

 

Opimus blows; just more chances of something going wrong. I also prefer manual switching. Anyway, not to worry, when the new M11x comes out with new iX processors, I will sacrifice myself and take one for the team by getting this little monster

 

I am unsure about Opimus, I like having control over the switching. What if you are using an application that's right on the line of dertemining to use the IGP or Discrete. Is Opimus going to just switch back and forth when the IGP is really fine. I foresee a lot of "my fan keeps going off and on" and "my battery life sucks when I watch youtube". The faster processor would be nice, but 1.6 (or 1.73 whatever) C2D is nice in a 11" form.

 

Same here Hopefully, though, it will be out by this rumored June/July date or else I am not going to have a laptop for school :/

 

Oh jesus I wish they actually released it... if not for anything else, then so people would stop making these pointless threads....

 

Yes, I'm miffed, why can't these guys release up to date graphics drivers so we can play the latest games well on the M11x-R1, that will take them no time at all and instead they're off making sure our M11x's are obsolete by the summer.

I hope they release an updated driver pack SOON. This is ridiculous

 

Yeah, I'm wondering how the move to Optimus will affect driver availability with the current one.. I have this feeling that we'll be lucky if we get any graphic driver updates.

 

I am still happy with my current M11x. Would I like a faster processor? Sure I would. But, I am certain what I have will do fine for the 9 months - 1 year I planned on using it. CES 2011 is only 8 months away! Who knows what craziness will be unleashed then.

Unless there is something I can do to upgrade what I currently have, I am joust going to enjoy my machine and keep my eyes on the horizon.

 

Smart Man.

 

I did remember that Dell reps in those time where M11x was announced at CES2010 saying it(as in the M11x) should be out Summer? and I think Dell released it on February to sell off its SU4100 and SU7300 CPU's ? hmm

 

Guys, Let me clarify that in no way was my response a confirmation it is only a rumor/guess. I am not a Dell/Alienware employee only a forum member like all of you and I hear rumors like everyone else.

We all know that technology changes and I am sure we will see a refresh at some point in time but I would never take this rumor serious as Things change often.

Thanks.

 

I wouldnt worry about a refresh as of yet. Sure it's nice to have a faster processor but maybe we should be patient to see if they open up the bios a bit to allow for higher oc... you never know. Keep sending alienware feedback... maybe they will make something happen for us.

StevenX

 

i don't believe anything dell/alienware really has to say anymore about rumors - they pushed their m9750 units and advertised that the 8800m gtx would be compatible with the m9750 fall/ winter 2007. many users, including myself, bought into this lie. come to find out that their 'engineering team' went silent for 3-4 months while they were 'testing' compatibility, to keep a good volume of sales going on their product. i believe it was around April 2008 when Alienware fully came out and said the 8800m gtx wasn't compatible obviously due to the different connectors. while the computer was a beast and lasted me a very long time (now used by my mother... yes, my mom owns an alienware m9750 with SLI 7950gtx that she has no clue that they exist), alienware's clever marketing and 'representatives' that give you insider tips are generally WRONG. however, i'm more than happy that i purchased that machine.

rumors about alienware products have always been and always will be rumors.

never buy into any 'alienware inside secrets' because the bulk of them are lies. there is a difference in 'ideas from alienware' versus 'production from alienware' and often times the 'ideas' for new refreshes and computers almost never make it into production.

alienware/dell is a business - they're probably seeing a good turn out on the M11x, thus, the refresh most likely won't be until the end of this year which would follow their normal business practice.

 

for those who have the system now - or even need a system now, it is quite the perfect little beast indeed!

for those who can afford to wait until the summer, it looks to possibly be even better!

either way, the M11x is shaping to be quite the perfect combination of technology for most gamers and non-gamers alike!

so in essence, you believe the source for the summer M11x core "i" series/optimus update is lying?

 

^ the source is Darkhan, who posted above... that he doesnt know for sure.

 

if you want to get 'down and dirty', yes, but i don't believe that person is lying persay, i believe the source is misinformed with internal rumors as are many sources we generally hear from.

 

It doesnt work flawlessly now because I really have had only 1 person test it. Everyone seems to be against Optimus as you can see in some of the comments here. The irony is that you guys really wont be seeing too many graphics driver updates without it. Every other Hybrid Graphics notebook has gotten maybe two driver updates that were not very big updates. Hybrid Graphics is a stopgap for Optimus.

Indeed. Hybrid Graphics drivers are basically released by your notebook manufacturer. Notebook manufactures only have a tendency to update drivers when there is some problem. This is one of the biggest problems with Hybrid Graphics and why there is such a drastic push to move away from it from Nvidia. Optimus is handled pretty much solely by Nvidia and rumor has it that optimus is going to be built into all future drivers. This means it may only take a modded inf to get newer drivers to work much like it does with existing notebooks.

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Something I keep seeing people mention is that they do not like Optimus because they fear they will be loosing control of GPU switching when this isn't the case at all.

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EDIT:

I think what he means is that companies are always testing new technologies and things behind the scenes most of which we never see. I don't think it would be too difficult to assume that there will be an iX series update for the M11x at some point. Optimus relay only requires what the M11x already has which is a M200 and up GPU so it really only takes Dell and Nvidia agreeing on it. (Ironically Hybrid Graphics is the more costly of the two technologies.)

 

understand, but i would tend to think the 'down and dirty' of it could even simply be based on information such as this:

dell shifting focus to 11.6"

apple refreshing macbooks with core "i" series

and surmise that dell will be refreshing the alienware M11x at the six month mark (june) in order to keep its market competition (including odm's) in check.

of course with all of the media clamour and consumer demand in regards to this topic, maybe we'll get even more of an "official" response - as darkhan was only trying to help with his invaluable insight!

 

FYI -

I have updated post#1 of this thread with a link to Darkhan's response thread. I have also closed his response thread and Mandrake's thread.

There is no need to create multiple threads on this matter. Let's keep the discussion confined to this thread.

Any questions re: the 2 thread closures, PM me.

Thanks.

 

There are rumors flying around about all systems all the time. There were and still are rumors that the M17x R2 will get an ATI 5870 update soon for example. It makes me wonder why Engadget chose this very specific rumor to make an article about.

 

in the contracting industry, we like to call upon 'past performance' to indicate what future business with contractors could endure...

with Alienware's track record mixed with hype, rumors generally stay rumors, and release dates can become pushed back from the original speculated date. i do love and respect Alienware for their products, but as a business they conduct very shady practices. now that they're a subsidary of Dell, much has improved with purchasing power in terms for the company, but they still tend to milk their products when they can.

take Blizzard, for example. with the volume of sales and revenue from World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 has obviously been pushed back to prevent competition within its own means. it isn't that the game is just taking an awful long time to make - they're doing that on purpose.

i will truely applaud Alienware should they be able to refresh the notebook so soon, however, it would obviously indicate that they're trying to rid of their stock of C2D ULV processors, which creates bad face for current M11x owners. I won't be disappointed since i'm coming from an Asus 1005-HA and i have my desktop for home usage. i just wanted the netbook battery life and enough power to play games on low/medium, which this does VERY WELL.

EDIT:

also, Dell/Alienware doesn't even need to 'keep up with competition' - they already offer the best sub 12' gaming computer for a great price. they are the only competitors. it will be like the iphone when that debuted - other companies will build small gaming laptops to be an 'M11x killer'

 

alienware shouldn't need to worry about clearing old inventory, that was one of the advantages to being acquired by dell as a replacement to xps - dell can take care of that with its standard product portfolio.

so ultimately dell's decision will have to be:

1.) market its high end line (alienware) as a cutting edge component brand by giving the product portfolio freshening every six months, keeping the market consistently nipping at its heels.

2.) retain its high end line (alienware) as a higher priced niche marquee that releases product annually, allowing the market to usurp its lineup consistently throughout the year.

one strategy seems great for the long term success of the alienware brand, and history bodes one does not...

 

they already do market themselves as a cutting edge botique brand. they don't need to refresh every 6 months as the market for high end gaming laptops lags a bit. they just can't swap components in an out like desktops because every model differs.

what alienware has kindly done is make different models that refresh at different times of the year. this way they have a constant flow of buys.

the M15x recieved the i7 before their 'flagship' model. they defeat two birds with one stone.

what i'm saying is they juggle focus all around on their computers. the m15x before it died recieved the 3870 out of no where, got some nice price cuts and became remarketed while the M17x was going to debut. this is all part of Alienware's marketing and business practice. they're not going to keep refreshing one product because it promotes competition with their other products.

the M11x is already selling well, they don't need to refresh it as a business. rather, the M17x update will probably release before the M11x update. it puts focus back onto another computer, and before you know it, somthing else is being refresh or debuted.

what i'm saying is pure speculation based on their past performance.

 

I'm going to feel pretty bad if the update is that soon and the CPU change is significant.

The CPU is the one thing I dislike most about the M11x, it's pretty weak.

Optimus I'm not too fussed about it, I actually like the manual control of switching.

 

Sometime the tail wags the dog. By circulating this "rumor" they can in some ways force Dell to think about this even if it isn't due for a refresh yet. Who knows what we'll see down the road.

This is a great system today, enjoy it. Tomorrow's system will always be better (and cheaper).

 

I am not sure I've understood this correctly. There's been several articles on the net stating that the current generation hybrid graphics notebooks are not compatible with Optimus, since they have these "muxers" on the motherboard.

I've read that a new motherboard design for Optimus native notebooks is needed (something with having the muxers removed, and discrete graphics routed through the integrated graphics).

Anyway, are you saying that this doesn't matter? That it's simply a "lie", and that Optimus should actually work without side effects on today's hybrid graphics notebooks like M11x? Just curious.

 

Nope no lies. I may just be interpreting the information in a different way than some of these articles. I suggest taking a look at the " Optimus Whitepaper" as it explains things simple enough. See if you read things the same way I do. I have put my thought process below interpreting the quotes.

You are on the right path with your information when you talk about multiplexers and the routing of the display through the IGP. Let me do some creative quoting from the whitepaper for you.

"Functionally, the two separate graphics cores share the display using a hardware multiplexer that steers rendering and display duties between the graphics cores."

So what happens when you remove the multiplexer? The rendering and display duties only route only through one of the graphics cores. We can assume this graphics core would be the integrated one and we know the integrated one is the Intel part. Ok, keep this in mind and lets move to how Optimus works without needing muxs.

Back to the whitepaper: "Using NVIDIA‟s Optimus technology, when the discrete GPU is handling all the rendering duties, the final image output to the display is still handled by the Intel integrated graphics processor (IGP). In effect, the IGP is only being used as a simple display controller, resulting in a seamless, flicker-free experience with no need to reboot."

and later it says

"As noted earlier, all display connections are made directly to the IGP. Regardless of which display adapter is processing the workload, the IGP will push the output to the display."

Well that would explain why the multiplexer is not needed. But how does it achieve this without a multiplexer?

The whitepaper tells us how: "Optimus avoids usage of a hardware multiplexer and prevents glitches associated with changing the display driver from IGP to GPU by transferring the display surface from the GPU frame buffer over the PCI Express bus to the main memory-based framebuffer used by the IGP."

So it essentially overrides the framebuffer used by the IGP. But I don't see any fancy extra hardware mentioned in there that is needed, hmm. It seems like if the notebook is using the Intel integrated graphics processor (IGP) by default and Optimus forces the Nvidia part of things through the IGP then the whole Mux thing seems irrelevant.

Ok lets see if it works.



OMGBBQ!!!

So that is essentially my interpretation of things. I don't think anyone is a lair but so far my interpretation seems to be working pretty well. With that said however there are two issues that have been reported and one could very well be the result of the multiplexer. One issue is the overlay as seen in the screenshot and the other is the Nvidia part not powering down fully. (Of course I have read the power down issue is a problem with the M11x in general even with Hybrid Graphics.)

 

at the same time, core i3 is a substantial cpu upgrade compared to the ones offered right now and optimus is just plain amazing.

 

Thanks for the lengthy reply. I read through the Optimus white paper you linked to, in more detail. I agree with you, it indeed seems that Optimus should work quite well, as you have also demonstrated with your experimental drivers.

But for people with these non-native Optimus notebooks, the multiplexers are still going to be there, and we don't know how they will interfere. So I think that's what it boils down to. What might prevent the Nvidia card from powering down properly could be the multiplexer, like you said. It seems no old hybrid graphics notebook has been confirmed to power down the Nvidia card with your driver, right?

In any case, we know that it's possible to power down the Nvidia card, so unless the multiplexer make this take a long time (the paper mentions something about that), or lacks code in the driver to handle it, a fully functional Optimus is a possibility. If not, the Optimus drivers (or a modified one) could maybe still be used, being able to power down the Nvidia card manually, or something. That would still be better than being stuck with drivers from the OEM which likely will not update the driver ever.

 

+1 hope optimus works on current m11x as well as any new one its the future.

 

Hehe.. I was hoping that made a little sense. The only real hardware requirement listed in the whitepaper is 200M, 300M or a Fermi GPU.

The implementation of Optimus that we have working now is basically a proof of concept. The settings are from Asus (as those are the only Optimus drivers released so far) and I kept them pretty much as is. I wanted to see how many notebooks that it will work on. I usually work form a known working base and then, when I can confirm things are at least somewhat functional, I move to getting things to work correctly. I am now moving into that "working correctly" phase. There is a DisableHybridMux setting that we will start with.

 

and then the newly M11X with new i3 and optimus will be refreshed again to i5ulv and god knows what new system from Nvidia, and then the cycle continues

i'd say keep waiting until they release the last M11X generation, that;'s the best way to ensure you will get the latest M11X


peace

 

Hey Naut,

Sorry for this being a bit offtopic, but are your drivers still having issues with switching with the M11x?

Cheers.

 

I could care less about Opimus but the i cores would be a real bummer.

Why didn't they use the i cores anyways? Weren't the ULi5/7 out already?

 

most likely is because of the price tag at that time? but yeah i kept thinking the same, i mean M11X is just out for 2 months and the ULV i5 were already there i think so why didnt they use it