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    *OFFICIAL* "All Powerful" M17x-R2 Edition Owners Lounge!

    Discussion in 'Alienware' started by 5150Joker, Jan 14, 2010.

  1. javilionaire

    javilionaire Notebook Consultant

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  2. Thorpe24

    Thorpe24 Notebook Evangelist

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    so no one know as to whether or not replacing ram voids warranty? thinking of getting it with 1066 and just sticking 1333 in it later to save some cash, big difference or what?
     
  3. BatBoy

    BatBoy Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You can change out the RAM without any issues. Your Dell warranty wont cover the aftermarket RAM obviously but its not an issue. Its deemed as a user servicable part - so its ok to change.
     
  4. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    I see anything that can be removed as user serviceable ;)
     
  5. dave-p

    dave-p Notebook Deity

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    x2

    Dell is fairly reasonable on this regard

    AW in the past was not
     
  6. Rengsey R. H. Jr.

    Rengsey R. H. Jr. I Never Slept

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    It's just a matter of taken out the upgrades and putting back the stock. Easy as 1-2-3.
     
  7. Ferrari

    Ferrari Notebook Evangelist

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    I7 720 OR 820, for gaming and for the future?
     
  8. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    The cheaper one or go for the extreme proc.
     
  9. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    What Mandrake said, is sort of all or none, not enough of a difference to settle on the middle option
     
  10. 5150Joker

    5150Joker Tech|Inferno

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    I disagree, the dual core performance difference of the i820 over i720 is enough to warrant getting it. The 920xm chips are just way overpriced.
     
  11. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    while turbo boost is a neat idea, I just prefer having all of my cores at the highest possible speed all the time, at least core 2 quad is still good for that lol
     
  12. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    It's automatic over-clocking. Manual control seems better but not for the everyday user.
     
  13. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    but it is automatic given how many cores are being used, if all 4 cores are being used you only get one or two frequency bins increase

    the higher advertised turbo boost speed is only for a single core being used
     
  14. 5150Joker

    5150Joker Tech|Inferno

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    C2Q can't touch an i7 in dual core apps specifically because of auto overclocking. In multithread uses the situation is a bit different but then again, the M17x-R2 will have overclocking for i7s as well along with vcore + turbo mode disable.
     
  15. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Honestly that is not even the significant part. It's the integrated memory controller. The old bottleneck NB is gone and that is huge.
     
  16. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    I know, I sincerely wish I was able to get the refresh with the rest of you lol
     
  17. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    very true, as well as no congestion between 2 dies anymore, all on 1 die now
     
  18. 5150Joker

    5150Joker Tech|Inferno

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    You could always sell your M17x but I'd imagine the market is a tiny bit saturated right now lol. Maybe locally at a college campus or ebay.
     
  19. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    the market sucks, I need to have a computer, and the girlfriend would hate me for quite some time for moving between laptops so quickly (since I spend more on them than her)
     
  20. Terminal42

    Terminal42 Notebook Evangelist

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    I read that last sentence wrong and lol'd hard...
     
  21. nickbarbs

    nickbarbs Notebook Deity

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    honestly its not exactly a slow machine.. Obviously reading forums with extreme end users like this one brings the upgrade bug, but impressing your girlfriends probabably more important than efriends ;)
     
  22. cookinwitdiesel

    cookinwitdiesel Retired Bencher

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    No it is not slow at all. But I have gotten caught up in benchmarking lol. So nothing but the absolute best can satisfy!
     
  23. Ferrari

    Ferrari Notebook Evangelist

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    OK, If i go with the 720 can i be confident that i will be able to play all the latest games at whatever setting? with the dual gpus.
     
  24. AtolSammeek

    AtolSammeek Tokay Gecko

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    Game years past use cpu power. Now they are working more into gpu power. I remember when Intel was going ghz mean everything. Fact is ghz is Nothing. It all about GPU and hard drives.
     
  25. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Well my M17X R1 is officially out of my hands as of 20 min. ago. I Shipped it back. Perfect condition, no fingerprints, nothing. Now sitting in my room is a lonely QX9300 looking for a home and 8GB 1333MHz RAM waiting for it's next assignment as well as a HDD feeling abandoned.

    I guess the question to myself now is do I order the R2 prior to my return process being complete, or do I wait till I have the credit, and then order. Hmmm. Also tempted to wait till the new GPU comes out, which may happen in March. If I order now the laptop will take almost 3.5 weeks to get here. By then it'll almost be time for the 5870 to come out, matter of weeks. So I suppose I might as well wait instead of dealing with the headache of replacements and upgrades. :( Waiting sucks. Anyone want to talk me into ordering now? :p
     
  26. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Can't talk you into ordering now although the 4870s are GREAT cards, best that are currently on the market.

    With that said if you wait until next month people will start posting benchmarks of the 5870 and you'll be able to see if it is worth to continue to wait.
     
  27. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Had to fix it for you.

    I understand where scook is coming from. It part of the (expensive) hobby and if you're trying to push it to the limit knowing someone else will pass you with stock settings because the other system is much more powerful it takes some of the fun out of it.

    Right now I'm gaming with 3870s and I have limited issues. Changing games settings usually fix it so I don't need 4870s or the 280Ms to do that. The rest is about modding hardware/software and pushing it as hard as you can. :cool:
     
  28. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    Very true, I was thinking the same. Also should I decide I want to bench the 4870's with the i7, I can probaby grab them off somone doing an upgrade if they don't send them back to dell. I think waiting is probably the better option. At least till I get my refund.
     
  29. Thorpe24

    Thorpe24 Notebook Evangelist

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    outa curiosity when u upgrade through dell does letting them keep the gpu's help price wise? or is it the same price no matter what. and in all honesty besides benchmarking how much more powerfull are the 5870's gonna be?
     
  30. hazardic

    hazardic Notebook Consultant

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    so does it mean that it's all about benching? i use my power laptop for cad, video view/edit and simple as portable powerful box :D
    so you don't?
     
  31. Dustydelux

    Dustydelux Notebook Guru

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    how did you guys get them to take your old m17x's ? and get it replaced with the new R2 versions sorry i haven't read this whole form. just want to see if i might be able to as well :p
     
  32. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    I ordered mine on Black Friday and recieved it Dec 15th or 16th. They have a 21 day satisfaction deal and I called on day 26 and they were linient with me. Gave me a full refund and approved the return so off it went.
     
  33. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    For keeping up with the latest and greatest yes. CAD is not a reason to keep upgrading. I only game and benchmark on my systems.
     
  34. hazardic

    hazardic Notebook Consultant

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    i understand of course ;) i don't like benches and i play games very seldom instead of all last games installed
     
  35. Jakkarus

    Jakkarus Notebook Consultant

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  36. javilionaire

    javilionaire Notebook Consultant

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    Awsome, so will all the drivers be up on the dell website by the time our m17x-r2s start arriving?

    EDIT: are there any drivers I need to be cautious about? Because there was a driver that killed a lot of m17xs not long ago. I think it was a bios upgrade.
     
  37. DR650SE

    DR650SE The Whiskey Barracuda

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    No one has an R2 now so no one knows.
     
  38. Thorpe24

    Thorpe24 Notebook Evangelist

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    i really want this laptop, i really don't wanna eat the 400$ restocking fee they are gonna hit me with, damn my impatience and ordering an m15x. maybe i should just return this and wait till the 5870 comes for this thing.
     
  39. Mooneyd

    Mooneyd Notebook Consultant

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    Graphics cards - SLI/Corssfire?

    From reading through the forum I noticed people speak about switching on their sli etc. Is it possible to have everything maxed and running at full capability all the time - no matter what application you're running? I dont see the point of turning these things on and off, why not leave them all on? I understand it will eat more power but these laptops are probably plugged into the mains all the time anyway.
     
  40. AtolSammeek

    AtolSammeek Tokay Gecko

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    I dont benchmark systems I just get a system with faults on it and I have to send it back. If the system work 100% I would still have a m5550.
     
  41. luci5r

    luci5r Notebook Consultant

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    I was pretty much all set to order the M17x now with CrossfireX 4870's ... but if 5870's are just a month or so ahead; I think I'm just going to wait. Every single thing is perfect about this M17x-R2 ... except for the graphics. Not that there's anything bad with 4870's ... but with DX11 5870's so close, and the fact that I will inevitably upgrade to 5870's as soon as they are released ... it's probably best to just wait.

    Other then that I gotta give Kudos to Alienware ... this refresh is out of this world!!!
     
  42. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    43 days until cebit, a week to put it up on their website and 2 weeks until you get it. It's will be closer to two months. Similar to when the M17x was release in June and than a few months later the 4870s showed up.
     
  43. javilionaire

    javilionaire Notebook Consultant

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    I think that I'm just going to send my m17x-R2 back to dell to upgrade my GPU to the 5870s when they're available for the m17x.
     
  44. luci5r

    luci5r Notebook Consultant

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    Price-wise it's worth waiting for; considering I definitely want the 5870's.
     
  45. Dwarf King

    Dwarf King Notebook Evangelist

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    Hi kind of new in here. What kind of cpu's can I install in my m17x instead of the core 2 duo 9600?
     
  46. Speedy Gonzalez

    Speedy Gonzalez Xtreme Notebook Speeder!

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    T9900 for core 2 duo and Qx9300 for quad core :)
     
  47. Dwarf King

    Dwarf King Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks :)

    Are any of them fit for using DDR 3 memory?

    It seems like that T9900 has a higher Frequency.

    Is it true that I will have to look for another motherboard in case I wish to get an i7 cpu with four cores?
     
  48. iaTa

    iaTa Do Not Feed

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    How is this related to the M17x-R2?
     
  49. euisungkim

    euisungkim Notebook Deity

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    yes, i7 cpu requires a different motherboard.
    and even if T9900 has a higher Frequency, it's better to go with the quad core. (future-proof)
     
  50. Mandrake

    Mandrake Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    You should start seeing 5870 benchmarks next month. More info never hurt. ;)
     
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