New M17x R4, M14X R2 and M18X R2 are coming - Speculation thread.

No worries. The kiddo is covered. He's at the Dr now with his Mama. We've seen this before with his big bro. Just a lot of fussiness and Mom and Dad doing shifts with him at night so we can at least get half a night's sleep each. As long as he's ready to get on the plane for Germany next Monday morning, we're good to go.

I shall have 6!

 

hi Dell-Bill-B,

i ordered mine with sandy (m17x with 2860qm) two days ago (saturday)

i just spoke to the salesperson on the phone and she said that her manager told her that they WILL NOT upgrade to the Ivy bridge equivalent. she advised me to cancel and reorder. she also offered she could escalate my case and have "resolution specialist" talk to me about this.

as you can see, i'm very confused at this point.

could you chime in on this? the salesperson i spoke to just sent me new quote with Ivy Bridge and it ends up being $55 more. It's not $55 i'm most worried about but it does make you wonder...

 

Do not cancel or change your order. Please PM me your rep's email address, full name, your quote number or any identifying piece of information I can use to track this down. If you prefer, I'll PM you my email address if you'd rather.

 

So we are looking at 7970's in the m18x around May 10-ish? I've waited this long, I guess I can make it another week and half.

 

That is the current target date for global availability from us here in Austin. What they do in the regions may vary depending on many factors. Just remember, all dates can slide, especially ones where driver qualification is involved, like this one.

 

Let me see if I have this right, since when I ordered I actually had no clue that 1) Alienware had JUST upgraded the lines 2) Anything about Ivy Bridge (or Sandy Bridge really, I'm not that picky about my computers in general):

A) When I ordered the m14x R2, despite the order listing a sandy bridge i7, the database flagged it as an ivy bridge i7 instead.

B) The entire past week or so, they've been working on making the orders WITH the ivy bridge, just not shipping them out until Dell was allowed to sell them (aka, today/yesterday)?

C) If B is true, then am I REALLY going to have to wait until May 29th to get mine, when I ordered on the 25th with production starting on the 26th? Over 30 days, even for a brand new line, seems like an insanely long time to wait for USA delivery (heck, I'm in Round Rock, about a mile from the Dell complex!)

D) You're awesome for releasing info out there so that I wasn't driving my husband AS crazy with my complaining about the wait to get the laptop.

 

Sounds good, should we be expecting the price to be inline with the m17x? (+$200 for a single 7970m, +$350-$400 for x-fire)

Just trying to plan everything out ahead of time

Also, thanks for all the quick replies.

 

Hi Bill,

If you recall I ordered an m14x r2 in the uk,
I spoke to an adviser in the chat today, and he said that although it is released in the US, it is "completely different" here in the uk, and any laptops ordered today or before will have SB and not IB.
Do i have anything to worry about?
Sorry im just panicking right now!

 

Bill, or anyone who knows, is the wireless HD option for streaming to TV's and such going to be available in the m18x R2? I don't see the option ATM. I'm strongly considering buying one when they're available with the 7970's on AAFES.

Thanks!

 

Martin Reyes : I AM jealous of your Windows XP

 

Just going off what ive picked up from Bill:

If you ordered it with the i5, that will be SB because the i5 IB's arent coming out till the summer. If youve ordered it with an i7 it should be getting upped, going off the way Dell works they shouldnt have any SB's left unless theyre using it in their other form factors XPS etc. Theyre not idiots, they dont order 5billion SB chips 1 week before a new generation comes out and struggle to sell them.

Everyones getting told different things by different reps, maybe because the internal communications not been great, some reps dont read their emails, some couldnt tell you the difference between a chip and a chip, and perhaps others are still hungover from yesterday

The bottom line is if your order is expected after the ?20th?, just chill, give it another week and panic to your rep then; if you havent been emailed, atleast they should have found out for sure. If its supposed to be coming in the next week or two, get on to your reps and from there speak to a supervisor, if all else fails, jump on allans thread.

 

Im lead to believe no. But im basing my answer off people that probably have as much insider info as me (none).

Either way, hope it helped

 

Hi Bill,
same issue here - I am planing to buy a new TV in september with wirelessHD and I need this option on the Alienware. Any idea when this will be available as well as GTX480M SLI. My config. would be:
IvyBridge
WirelessHD
GTX480M SLI
SSD
when can we expect this config be available in general and when in Austria.

Many thanks

 

Thank you, @sallyjefferson (one of the funniest screen names ever if you knew their real name, but you'll have to trust me on this as I can't disclose private info).

I have contacted the sales training team, and they are working with the product launch manager and sales messaging team to get the correct information to the front line.

 

I ordered the i7 2760, so technically I know i should be getting IB...

 

A, B and D are absolutely correct. I am indeed awesome (kidding. Just a regular Joe.)
C is right in that you are going to wait a bit. This is because we could not start production on IB chipped units until the sales embargo lifted Sunday night. This is essentially what's referred to around here as a "gap out," but really it's not. Gap out means there is no product to offer for sale on our website, but technically we offered them for sale. It's just that we couldn't talk about them having Ivy Bridge or begin production with IB until this morning. The benefit to ordering before today is your order got in line ahead of everyone else who chose to wait. Plus, you never know. We sometimes under promise and over-deliver on EDD's.... sometimes.

Your guess is as good as mine on pricing, probably better than my guess since I can't afford an Alienware right now and never look at prices. I have no idea what a used Ferrari F40 costs either. Wish I did. Maybe when I reach my goal of $100k each for my kids' college funds, I'll pick up an Alienware and a used Ferrari. Check back with me in 16 yrs.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong. If you ordered an M14xR2 in the UK with any CPU other than the base i5, you will get auto-sku'd to Ivy Bridge before it goes to build and ship.

No idea on this option. The launch manager is offline right now. I suspect he's busy today. I'll try to find out at some point. You may have to remind me again in a few days.

EDIT:
Martin Reyes has an awesome signature.

 

haha ^^ my screen name is a combination of sally hemings and thomas jefferson. i'm a history buff and i study history in college.

i probably know more about thomas jefferson than most of you but i didn't realize the stigma and comnnotation of using female screen name until much much later

anyways, thanks again for your help, Bill ^^ i hope you taught them well, start with "read from the top left, going to the right...(that was pretty funny) ^^"

 

Well, the Texas agency that approves school texts thinks they know a thing or two about TJ, but sadly, their position (Google it) is a source of embarrassment for semi-educated Texans like myself. (For instance, who knew TJ was not an Age of Enlightenment thinker?) Very clever way to show some love for Sally. Big ups for that. But we digress off topic...

 

=O Ouch

It would genuinely be significantly cheaper to move to the UK and skip the 100k college fund You could probably even afford weekly plane journeys and still be better off

I spent my Uni fund before I was 12, think I only had £50 in it by that stage, thank god for Student Finance.

 

Thank you for clarifying things, Bill. Will there ever be an option for 120Hz HD3D in the M17x with the 7970M? Also, will there be MXM 3.1 or 3.0c for mainboard-GPU interface?

 

Bill,

I'm looking at the M14x R2 build now and there's no option for 256gb ssd drive only. It's either have a boot msata with hdd or 2x 256ssd in raid.
So my previous order of just 1 256gb ssd will still come in that configuration or will i get the upgraded 2x256gb ssd.... yummy. Hehe..i know wishful thinking.

 

Dell Alienware in Canada just got updated and the 3rd generation Ivy cost 200$ more in the m17x???

 

Cheaper to go to school, but your taxes, real estate, gas, imported goods, etc are way more than we pay here in Central Texas. It might be a wash at best. For instance, the house going up across the street from mine is 2800 sq ft for ~$160K. I love the UK, though. I've been there on vacation twice. Great Indian food and culture.

This I will have to chase on still. Please remind me after I get back from vacation around the 21st if it's not public knowledge by then. Sorry I can't manage any better right now. We're launching a slew of products between now and the end of June, and I have deliverables for each launch yet to finish. My vacation timing isn't doing me any favors either.

 

ROFL, yeah I know. It will be quite the upgrade when I finally pounce on an m18x. I'll be able to play more than solitaire.

 

Well then, he has good taste in drinks already.
Glad to see he's doing better. Thoughts and prayers from me, too. I hope he gets to feeling better soon, it seems that he's in real good care.

Also, thanks for helping to clarify everything to all of us. You've helped so much, and put up with everyone bombarding you with questions. Alienware really does need to hire another one of you.

 

I want to be the first to post on the M18x - R3 Speculation thread.

 

Man, the main Alienware landing page is getting hammered today. Page loads are really slow for me. Anyone else?

 

Same for me on the UK alienware site, few refreshes and i finally get there
Seems Alienware are very popular atm with these new refreshes

 

Same. The launch information is making the rounds from Engadget on through. Lots of publicity for sure.

 

Yup, I definitely noticed that. It dissipated a bit after I got away from the homepage.

Coincidentally, I had just turned on my computer that I had just gotten back from the depot and it was the first site I went to. I thought I was having more problems at first.

 

agreed 100%. Kudos to Dell-Bill_B again for his professionalism and humor, two qualities that are usually not found together

if you can decipher my tag, you will see that i'm a long time ibm-lenovo fan. however, you just made a convert out of me

thanks again!

 

Good day peeps.... Well, first I want to thank Bill for doing his best to keep the hysteria down while we wait for the Ivy Bridge... I didn't cancel my order at first.. but when the Canadian site updated I configured a new system for fun... well to my surprise the new system with the 3720QM CPU, same specs, was $100 cheaper with an earlier delivery date! So I went for the M18X R2 for the dual cards, same specs and it was $100 more than my original order... so there ya go... can't wait!!

Thanks again Bill for all your help! Bill for President!!

 

Hey Bill,
I had been struggling in my decision to either get the gt60 or the m14x and thanks to you i went with Alienware. My delivery date given is 5/29 and when i ordered i choose the 2760Q processor so do you know if that means i'll get the 3720 or will they upgrade to the base i7 only(3610)? if that's the case i would need to re order right? Thank you so much for keeping the light on these forums and i hope your kid gets better soon.

 

More upgrade Sandy to Ivy posts...

Anyway, what Alienware needs to do now is put out an Alienware tablet, with a resolution of 1080p at least, and let's us connect it to our M18x, or M17x, as an external monitor. Imagine a portable Portrait-Landscape-Portrait setup

http://3dalchemist.com/images/lcds/lcds-PLP_productive-authoring.jpg

 

yeah a tablet should be a nice complement for the Alienware family they can also develop a software like air display on the ipad to wireless display the Alienware desktop or expand it without any cables

 

+10 for that one!... I have an Asus Transformer tablet that I can use to run my XPS M1530 but it's done via software and isn't the best... great idea but still in the young stages... 8)

 

Yes, exactly. Bill, are you taking notes here? Free market research!

 

hey wasnt there an announcement today that was supposed to be announced last tues that was different from the cpu releases??

 

I thought I read in one of these threads that the 256GB SSD available on the M17x is an mSATA drive. Is that true? If so, does that mean I could potentially add 2 regular hard drives in addition to it later?

I'm having a hard time deciding whether to get the SSD now or buy my own later. If it's a regular one then I'd rather wait, but mSATA I might spring for now.

 

Bahahah, you and me are likely the only two people left with these beasts!

I'm hoping the 7970m comes out soon, and I don't hear anyone mention anything about the 680m so I can stop waiting and start putting some money where my XPS is, eh?

 

I would speculate the 680m will come around late summer, but that's just my (educated) guess. So unless you want to wait that long, the 7970m is your best performance card. Edit: Of course, we don't even know how the 680m will stack up against the 7970m. If there will be 7990s, etc. Lots of unknowns at this point.

I believe the M18x 7970s are pending driver certification, among other things. I would guess that option will be up for grabs in a week or two.

Good luck purchasing your beast.

 

Come on Alienware-aus, hurry up and release m18x r2 :-(

 

lordbaldric over on the XPS boards is not a fan of my humor. He didn't like how I asked him to tell me his feeling words after he said Dell could go do nasty things to themselves. Seems like a good cat, though, in the end. I just have a hard time letting those comments pass. My boss says I should ignore next time. He and I will have to drink green tea together and swap funny stories some day. I'm game.

From the message sent out to the sales floor today:
"Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.1GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0) Go to: Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.3GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)"
If you want the 3720, you will need to cancel and re-order, or perhaps they can still change that one sku and charge you accordingly. The sooner you call them the better.

Current target date for Aus is 5/3. Subject to change.

 

Bill,

I'm looking at the M14x R2 build now and there's no option for 256gb ssd drive only. It's either have a boot msata with hdd or 2x 256ssd in raid.
So my previous order of just 1 256gb ssd will still come in that configuration or will i get the upgraded 2x256gb ssd.... yummy. Hehe..i know wishful thinking.

Also, will or when will my order description be updated to show the new components?

thanks,

Mike

 

hi bill

can i PM you details of my current m14x situation?

 

I have no idea why a single SSD is not available. One thing for sure, if they have to change the order up to 2x256, you will likely be expected to pay more, unless they either miss it or decide to do an upgrade due to the removed option. If they downgrade you to a large spinner, you will not be happy at all, I'm guessing. My advice would be to tell them your story, and state you expect a single 256 since that's what you ordered. Then let them tell you the options and proceed accordingly. I'd think the new config should show up at some point before delivery, but I don't know when. Maybe when it hits the assembly depot stateside. Just a guess.

Sure, but you'll need 10 quality posts on this site before they turn on PM. If you're on Twitter, you can connect with me there.

 

Bill,

I too don't understand why there wouldn't be an single ssd option. Can't afford the upgrade of 2x256gb option, nor want the hdd option.
I would hate if AW changes that and have to return the system to wait all over.

Should I speak to the person who set up my order or Allan on this site?
Thanks for your help.

 

i am so pissed right now. Just talked to Dell and was told my laptop is out of their hands and being shipped. It did not get the 3rd gen cpu and i gotta wait till i get it, call them, send it back, wait for funds to be given back and then reorder. Had ordered an M14X with 2760 cpu. Thanks alot Dell for wasting my time.

 

Yea but Dell/Alienware Aus has a bad bad bad bad bad track record. Nothing on time, we always miss releases by few weeks, i would be surprised if they stay on track for 5/3

And I am waiting for 7970m too

One question I do have, M18xR2, is it going to have 2x HDD slots and 1x msata slot or 3x HDD slots and 1x msata slot. Dell USA site offers 3x SSD raid but doesn`t mention if its 3x 2.5" drives or 2x 2.5" drives and a msata drive.

 

Bill, I'm in a pickle and need your assistance good sir. Called my Dell rep today to check on my order to ensure that IB is on board as per this thread, was transferred to Customer Care who told me that the order has already been built and ready to ship. When asked if whether the unit had IB or not the rep told me that it does NOT, only SB. This thing was not supposed to ship out until May 24. Help?