*OFFICIAL* "All Powerful" M15x Owners Lounge, *Part 3*

I had this aswell. On the UPS site it said billing info received on the 26th, even though it was only like the 21st. Just give it a day or two and it will all be ok

 

"All be ok" as in it'll be here in a day or two?

Or do you mean the UPS status will change?

 

alright, so i got my m15x right about when it first came out, and i am looking to upgrade some parts, specifically the cpu and gpu.

i was just wondering what your specs are, and where i can buy the parts.

 

what are your specs? and what do you want to upgrade to?

 

What are your specs? You are the one upgrading
My config is in my sig anyway
I'd suggest you neweeg or ncix for computer hardware.
Have you thought about a SSD? It probably the best way to speed up your computer, but its damn expensive.

 

Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 2.4GHz(4MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX
200GB HDD @ 7.2k
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM @667MHz

 

Well obviously the UPS status will change. As for delivery times, who knows, but mine came 9 days after I ordered and way before the estimated date.

 

As for mass effect 2, yes i have everything maxed out and it runs VERY smooth. So i don't know what happened with the M15x you tested but mine runs it perfect.

 

so you have the area 51 model. so what do you want to see a performance increase on? like soccerthierry said adding a ssd will totally make it feel liike a new machine. you can up grade pretty much anything on that model, but keep in mind that model runs pretty hot, so upgrading gpu can make it run even hotter. so the safest upgrade is cpu and hdd. you can find these at newegg or ebay.

 

think of getting mass effect 2 also, so what kind fps are you getting? just curious i was going to buy it but stupid fry's computers were down so they couldn't take credit cards, bummer.

 

a single 260 can't handle that game all max out i try a lot of games and is the same result i didn't overclock all stock but when i swap the cpu for the 920xm i get 5 more frames

 

Give me a minute, i'll pop into the game a take a screenie with frap and then the video settings that i have with the launcher.

Unless i'm missing some other graphic settings, It shows everything maxed.

EDIT: Well, looks like i'll have to do it later. but in areas with lots of particle effects i was getting around 40-50 and in general 50 and up. I'll see if i can get a video on youtube later today to show if there is demand for it.

 

what driver are you guys using for mass effect 2? man i think i will go buy it tonite. didn't play part 1. how do you guys rate this game?

 

Definitely play part one first...

It's going to be a trilogy and if you hop into part 2 it's just gonna feel like a lot is missing and it could get confusing.

As for the drivers i'm using 186.47

 

since your done with part 1, can i have it. lol
yeah i really don't care much for story lines, i just want to run and gun everything down, lol

 

which cpu would you recommend?

 

maybe t9600 @ 2.8ghz, but i think the best upgrade for you is a ssd hardrive, trust me that will show you the biggest impact in overall system performance, and later on if you want a new machine you can take it out and put it in your new laptop.

 

Took my M15x out for a ride today at my local Toyota service center. Needed a 6 hr maintenance and thought that I'd play while I'm waiting. Fired up burnout paradise (the irony of crashing cars at a car service center). And I notice that my GPU fan (on right side) started making really bad crackly noise on high RPM's. The whole frigging right side of the lappy was vibrating like hell.

Waiting on the phone to talk to a rep to send a tech to my place tomorrow to replace the fan.

 

try this number, no waiting (305) 251-9797
sorry to hear about the fan, but they will take care of you.

 

Tried calling that number. It said "there are no calls waiting ahead of you" and then another voice said "please hold. All our agents are busy.".

 

ahh man sorry, i always use that number and alway get threw with 2-3 mins.

 

Some Asian buy picked up.. Had a hard time understanding him. Replacement fans coming tomorrow . BTW how did you manage to get a 4 yr service contract. I bought mine during thanksgiving. Thinking that I should probably extend my contract to 3 yrs as well. Spoke with the CSR to give me a good deal on a 3 yr contact through EPP. He will call me back in 3 hrs with a "Deal".

 

cause i'm a smooth talker,lol. it was best to buy it when ordering the system because they can gave you a great discount for it. at the end it cost me almost nothing to upgrade it. warranty is the thing they can gave the most discount on.

also had one rep that i could not understand at all, and when he spoke it was like whispering, cranked up my volume and still coundn't hear the guy,lol. just hang up and try again next time. man, where do they find these people.

 

Renewing my membership :

- i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz, 6MB Cache)
- 4GB Dual Ch. DDR3 at 1066MHz
- 15.6-inch Wide FHD 1920x1080
- 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
- 500GB 7,200RPM
- WIN 7 HOME PREM, 64 BIT

 

NIce config mate!

 

Will try to convince one of them CSR's to upgrade my service contract. They might have something during Aug (back to school discounts).

Thinking of upgrading my Win7 HE to Win7 Pro (need to run a couple of statistical packages - esp SAS which requires a professional edition). My university benefits provide me with an upgrade disk for 10 bucks (faculty discount ). I'm afraid that I might loose all my customized backgounds if I upgrade. Has anyone upgraded their win7 on Alienwares? Care to share their experiences?

 

just back up all the images, and do a clean install of win 7. download the driver from here:
http://support.dell.com/support/dow...emID=ALW_LP_M15X&os=WV64&osl=en&catid=&impid=

install chipset first then everything else with command center and osd last. throw in the alienware pictures and your set.

 

Outsourcing to india

 

So those EDIT: *doornobs* at dell kept me hangin' with that "in-production status" when really my laptop got shiped 3 days ago! everything only updated today (went from in-production to delivery preperation to shipped within a couple of hours) Soon after all that a dell rep called said my package has been shipped, and a couple mins after that Purolator called and said my package will be delivered tomorrow! Now thats alot of good news in ONE day LOL! Here i was thinking there was something wrong with my order as it was taking too long and BAM. It'll be on my doorstep tomorrow can't friggin wait ima have all weekend to have fun with the BEAST

EDIT: @ inappropriateName_3 ---> That oughtta do it

 

congrats man, also you may want to edit your post for bad language, even with **** it still not allowed. its gonna be a super sweet feeling opening up that box.

 

hey about warrantys... i've never been a big fan of xtended warrantys seeing as technology improves so quickly. It's like: do i really want them to fix my machine when its 3 years old? i'll probably just smash it to bits and order a new one! however, i was wondering: 2.5 yrs down the road, if i had the 3yr warranty, could they upgrade my system if i report my system "mysteriously" not functioning well? hehe

 

yes if something is wrong and they can't fix it or something is out of stock they will gave you a new updated machine. like people who have m17, got replacement m17x because parts was out of stock. thats why i have 4 year warranty. plus if you have complete care, you can "accidentally drop it or spill stuff on it" and get a replacement.

 

Well in that Case... Maybe i'll upgrade to a 4yr warranty before my basic 1 yr is over . Thanks for the heads up

EDIT: So basicly, i pay the 300-400$ or whatever it is warranty with complete care, and then a couple of months before its up, i smash my laptop on the ground, and call up dell n tell them " i dropped my laptop, so send me a new one... NOWWW!!! " and they will? AWESOME! Looks like ima be owning an ALIENWARE FOR LIFE!!!

 

complete care is the way to go, they will replace for you if you have an "accident" of any kind. :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

So I'm thinking about placing my order soon after a bunch of research. The only thing I'm really worried about is this throttling issue I've seen come up a few times. Hopefully that can be fixed soon.

But here is the build I'm thinking about going with ( I get a 10% student discount! woo!) $1529 with this build.

Alienware M15x, Cosmic Black
Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
1 Year Basic Service Plan
1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260M
15.6-inch WideHD+ 1600x900 (900p) WLED
3GB DDR3 at 1066MHz
250GB SATAII 7,200RPM
Primary - 6-cell (56Watt) Lithium-Ion Battery
Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-Card
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Internal Bluetooth 2.1 Mini-Card - 2.1 Enhanced Data Rate


-If I replaced the memory in that build with say :
3GB DDR3 at 1333MHz +$23
or
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz +$45
or
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz +$68

-how much difference will I notice? (games and maybe some programming,excel program work for school(havent started that section yet so IDK what programs specifically)

-also I'm thinking about getting the 1year advanced warranty for $70 , is that worth it or should I just stick with the basic one?

 

hehe .. Hey now that i know your online, what programs do you recommend i first install on my machine to monitor cpu, gpu n temps.. i know theres cpuz and gpuz, but any preferences? say other programs that are better? or all in one?

 

Trust me, get the 4gb 1333mhz ram. Its only a little more you won't have to worry about upgrading memory for a longgggggggggggggg time . the i7s are said to take full advantage of the 1333mhz ram, so why settle for already old technology with the 1066?

For warrantys. well i think inappropiatename and I just spoke about that . If its too much right now, just get the basic and upgrade to 3yr complete care when you have the cash I've been told its worth it LOL

 

So throw in the 4gb 1333mhz, alright cool thanks.

Now If let's say like 2 or 3 months before this basic plan or advanced plan is out, how would I add more time onto that? maybe just like another year onto at the end.

or what's the whole process of doing that all? (I've never bought anything that's worth getting a warranty before) so this will be the first.


as for warranty.. do you suggest advanced plan, or this premium plan? or they have all these other ones with giftcards and such?

 

sweet set up, for gaming 3 is good enough, but you can easily buy a 2 gig stick of ram for pretty cheap, if you should ever need it. but 4 gb is the safest bet.

cpu-z, gpu-z , realtemp or hwmonitor is all you need to monitor laptop health.
also get ccleaners, to clean your hdd of useless crap.

 

The first program all m15x owners need is throttlestop + my gpu throttle fix.

 

Well that one was a no brainer! i think thats the first thing im doing.. all thanks to you joker , and hey its nice to see you drop by the m15x forum once n a while, seeing as your a soon to be M17x-R2 owner. We're losing you to the darkside... lol just kidding.

Call me crazy, but im actually excited to check for throttling, and apply the fixes and such . i love messing around with that stuff. And then as soon as i can afford it, im getting the 920xm because i wanna Overclock . I heard it can be OC to ~4.0, 4.2 stable? well i think that was the desktop version, what have people achieved on the mobile version? ( yaya i know theres a whole thread for that, but you know... lol)

 

Just call 'em up and tell them you want to extend your warranty, and they will. IMO, the only warranty that is actually worth the money, would be complete care as inapropiatename put it. Cuz if you get the advanced plan and wtv premium plan, in the end theres always that HIGH chance Dell is going to try and push the good ol' "oh your particular problem is not covered under the warranty, because it was misuse on your part" BS.

But with complete care, wtv it is, its covered and they're fixing it or replacing it. Period. So if it were me i wouldn't waste my money on any premium coverage. I'd either get the basic, or comlpete care if you could spare the $$$. The in-betweens just seem like a scam if you ask me.

i have the basic for now, and will be most-likely upgrading to Complete care in about 8-10 months. However, they might be able to give you a better price on warranty when ordering the system, as you can try to bargain wih them.

 

Just to let you guys know the battlefield bad company 2 beta is up and with a little work its easy to get a key.

The game is fairly taxing on my M15x but I still got it running very smooth and highly playable after toggling a few settings. I'm running at 900p instead of native rez and I havent switched to 1080 yet because an Asus G51 (core duo+260m) user in the gaming forum said the game ran at 20-30 fps on lowest settings for him. I just spent 45mins playing the beta and our M15x runs it much better apparently. 1600x900 with high textures, med game detail and 1x AA + 1x AF I get between 40-60fps and the game looks great. One time my frames droped to 25 for a split second so I'm going to see if throttling occurs with this game but the overall playing experience was really good, I encourage other M15x users to download the game and see what you think. I wonder if the final product will be more optimised and get even better performance?

 

what's the complete care listed as? these are theonly options they give..
-----------------------------------
-$50 Dell Promo GiftCard with 3 Year Advanced Service Plan [add $340 or $11/month1]
-$100 Dell Promo GiftCard with 4 Year Advanced Service Plan [add $430 or $13/month1]
-3 Year Basic Service Plan [add $269 or $8/month1]
Alienware Recommended
-4 Year Basic Service Plan [add $359 or $11/month1]
-1 Year Basic Service Plan [Included in Price]
-1 Year Premium Service Plan [add $178 or $6/month1]
-1 Year Advanced Service Plan [add $71 or $2/month1]
-3 Year Premium Service Plan [add $528 or $16/month1]
-4 Year Premium Service Plan [add $654 or $20/month1]

advanced is listed as spills,drops,power surges etc.
premium is that, but also you just get a north american tech support

 

yeah they change the name for it since the last time i'd check, advance seem to be the right one. make sure to get it when ordering, the warranty is the easiest to get discounts on.

 

Unless i'm extremely blind and missing a texture quality setting, these are the only settings i've found and have picked the highest / enabled all of them. Either way, those screenies are during times where there's lots of particles / stuff going on and it gets at lowest i've seen is 38 fps under extreme action. Other than that it's usually above 40 during fights / heavy graphics and normally above 50 for everything else.

Although, in retrospect, the game looks WAY better without the film grain... I probably would have done it justice without that enabled.

 

wow that looks sweet, i must get that game now. 40fps is awesome.

 

And that's only during heavy load. It's generally at 50-60.

I'm running at 1920x1080 also so i'd assume it runs smoother for you guys with the 900p screens.

 

So I just got off the online chat with a rep from dell.
I sent her my build up there for 1529 and told her that I really wanted the 1year advanced warranty, but I'm already past my limit.
So then she offered me $50 off!
so she added the 1year advanced warranty($71) onto my build and the $50 off.

Total for that build + 1 year advanced = $1,550.20

How does that sound to you guys?

 

thats pretty good, but still ask for more. if can't ask for it to be expedited and free next day shipping. also ask for free stuff like mouse or backpack. never hurts to ask :wink: :wink: :wink: