When are the new Alienwares with Maxwell coming?

It looks like the performance gap increases between desktop and laptop processors, but the performance gap decreases between desktop and laptop gpu. Intel let Nvidia do the job and increase performance in a laptop while intel only think of and reduce power consumption on the same laptop.

 

More people dislike that BGA option and yet they still ready to buy it, even in the MSI GT80 Titan thread. Sadly that will ensure the last nail on the coffin for the socketed notebook.

I guess the time has begun for enthusiast gamers and hardcore overclockers shift to the K & E processsors on the LGA2011.... The Desktop where these limits tend to vanish.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, Broadwell is officially a worthless pile of turd, and may not even come in socketed MQ variants for laptops.

And re: Windows 8. The <del>sheeple</del> consumers only reacted because they were too entrenched in the taskbar/start menu UI that's been around for over 10 years, and either too stubborn, incompetent, or lazy to change. The fact that most of the criticisms directed towards Win8 targeted solely the UI and its appearance, instead of the underlying performance issues paints a pretty clear picture of why it didn't gain acceptance.

Let's face it, the average Joe has a woefully inadequate understanding of the technical underpinnings of a modern computer. As Mr. Fox once said, for the most part as long as they get to use Facebook and play Farmville or whatever they're content. They do not, are not going to, and are unlikely to ever care enough to understand more than what they have to in order to do what they need to do. Some of my friends simply cannot understand the concept of overclocking, and some of them seem to think I'm crazy for running things "out of spec" and am simply asking for trouble. Whenever I try to explain I get rebuffed with "but the manufacturer set those limits for a reason, you shouldn't try to outsmart the manufacturer".

I mean that's the kind of mentality we're dealing with, that "the manufacturer knows what's best for us". You simply cannot educate the willfully ignorant, so I have no idea what we would do to counter that.

 

I guess the H series will replace the MQ lineup, the BGA for notebooks. Confirming the soldered lineup.

 

So... who do we blame for this? Alienware, Intel, AMD or the consumers?

 

Ultimately the consumer is to blame if they'll keep consuming whatever garbage is fed to them. Big companies will keep taking dumps in our backyard until we say "enough is enough".

 

They all share the blame:

-Intel for being a money-grubbing monopolistic corporation that no longer cares about improving their stuff as long as their cash flow is unaffected, and for crippling AMD's R&D infrastructure, thus relegating them to eternally playing second fiddle. Seriously **** Intel
-Consumers for not knowing any better, drinking the KoolAid, being obsessed with thin and light, refusing to educates themselves or become educated, and simply not giving a damn as long as "it's good enough"
-Alienware for abandoning its loyal enthusiasts who made them great in the first place
-AMD for, well throwing in the towel too soon I suppose? I have a soft spot for the underdogs, especially since Intel robbed them of god knows how much revenue by giving illegal rebates and threats to OEMs over all those years, so I don't really blame them

 

Whose fault is it? I have no idea.

Spoiler

Probably all of those tree-hugging, One Earth, dope-smoking, anti-gun yuppies that think thin and light biodegradable electronics filth that runs for 3 months on a battery charge, uploads all of their tweets, shares and likes to the ethereal iCloud and has a touch display is something super extra special. A mixture of brain-dead consumers and like-minded imbecile clones that the HR Departments fell in love with and fast-tracked into positions of authority at Intel and the various computer OEMs that thoughtlessly obey their every command. They call it creativity, innovation and ecological responsibility. We call it human de-evolution, stupidity and incompetent leadership. But, it's not their fault. They are a "free-thinking" byproduct of outcome-based education and charter members of a self-proclaimed "enlightened" society that is totally obsessed by their amoral, anti-consumption, wealth-redistribution religion. For some, this is a residual side-effect from the brain scans that were performed on extra-terrestrial space ships during the time of their abduction. But no worries, this degree of idiocy is fully expected and the government has our backs. Now, go back to sleep. You have to get up early for diversity and tolerance training tomorrow morning.

But, misery loves company.

Spoiler

http://forum.notebookreview.com/msi/763082-omg-msi-coming-gtx-980m-sli-notebook-18.html#post9818158

 

To be honest I don't care about CPU's being soldered or not. Because lately the CPU's are not getting faster significantly. And even if more core CPU's then quad core were to release for laptops I wouldn't buy it, because it would be a lot more expensive then quad core and the sole cores would have a lower clock frequency then the quad core offered at that point. Not many programs/games utilize that many CPU threads so I don't see the point really in upgrading CPU's unless you want to keep a laptop over 6 years. If you buy the best class CPU that is being offered at this time. I'm pretty sure an upgrade won't be necessary till your next laptop. (except for the ones that cannot afford to buy a laptop ever 5-6 years)

I can understand the need in upgradable GPU though, Unlike CPU's GPU performances increase significantly almost every year especially with new architechtures, such as now with maxwell. But I'm a person who Does buy a new laptop every 4 years without upgrades. Sure the last year I might not be able play the latest games on high-ultra. But it's not a major issue since I focus on the new laptop I will be getting that year.

 

It's not only about upgrades. It sounds like you care about value more than performance, and that's OK.

What about a bad motherboard costing $700 or $1000 to replace because it includes soldered-on CPU and GPU(s) instead of $300 or $400 for a motherboard with a CPU socket and PCI-e slot(s)? How does that represent value and intelligent design?

There are reasons they are doing this, and they are neither good nor honorable.

 

I see your point. But in our country there is a state law for every single electronic device to have at least 2 year warranty whatsoever. If a laptop doesn't give a hardware failure within the 1st two years I can assume there is no faulty hardware in it. I keep my computer clean as much as possible. Hardware AND software. Keeping it away from dust. Monitoring temperatures and process usage at all times. to make sure the pc runs as smooth as possible.

I've used two laptops. 1st one 3 years and the one I have now for 4 years now. the 1st one I sold and was just like the way I bought it in terms of performance. Same goes for what I have now. It's still as good as I bought it.

However. If the prices of extending warranty is cheap I'd go for 3 years warranty. But even if I got unlucky and my laptop it's cpu or motherboard got a problem. I'd try to sell the remaining parts and get myself a new one. But that would be just luck. Just gotta be more careful to raise that luck.

 

I still don't think that makes the concept acceptable. It probably also doesn't help the price of the extended warranty remain reasonable either if replacement parts cost twice as much and requires more labor to do a simple repair (full teardown and replacing multiple good parts versus removing and replacing just one smaller part). The concept is a very unintelligent, anti-customer, greed-motivated design. It's kind of like having to replace the entire drivetrain in a vehicle only because of a bad transmission. If the engine, transmission and differential are all made in one piece, inseparable and having no serviceable components we would consider that idiotic. At least part of what the purchase price of a computer or any other machine should represent is compensation for design intelligence and engineering competence.

 

There is definitely a logic to what you're saying, but I think it must be motivated by cost saving in the long run, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it. Maybe the reliability of the CPU, GPU, and motherboard are now of such a standard that the very few failures that they will have are offset by the increased cost savings of offering it as an all-in-one package. I'm definitely a fan of unsoldered components though - for upgradeability!

 

Guys I need your help. I live and work overseas and will be home in the US for two weeks later this month. I have a very narrow window in which to order and allow for shipping of a new Alienware 18. I have read just about everywhere that I should not buy the hot and broken 880m cards as an option. I plan on getting the low end option model because I have to keep the price in the $3000 range. So that makes the 860m a possible option for me. That leaves me with the choice of either the AMD R9 x290m cards or the GTX 860m cards.

My questions are these:
Should I get the AMD cards or the 860m cards?
Are the 860m cards with 2gb VRAM that they are shipping in the low end option of the 18 using Kepler or Maxwell chips?
If I get the 860m cards, will I be able to upgrade later or is it non-upgradable?
If I get the AMD cards, will I be able to upgrade later?

Finally, should I stick with 16 gb of system RAM or should I get 32? I have read a lot of places that most games don't even utilize more than 6-8 gb of RAM. Would 32 be a waste?

Thanks guys.

 

1) Pretty sure that the 7970m (m290x) are better than the 860m cards, so go for it. However, I have read that those AMD have a higher chance to malfunction.
2) Kepler.
3) Can upgrade, might need different heatsinks or X-plate.
4) Same as above.
5) For gaming 32Gb sounds like a total waste, but get whatever will make you sleep at night.

 

^Maxwell if it has a 2GB of VRAM.

 

Soldered GTX 860m = Maxwell
MXM GTX 860m = Kelper
VRAM has little to do with architecture designation.

 

I was wrong...this numbering, It's a real soldered crap..
Review Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M Maxwell vs. Kepler - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

 

The early 7970Ms sucked/died probably due to early teething problems. Later 7970Ms, 8970Ms, and the R9 M290X cards should be fine (I haven't seen any failures for R9 m290x or 8970M). I couldn't get my "first generation" 7970M to overclock to 900MHz stable on stock voltage. on the "new gen" 7970M, I am able to hit 980MHz no problem on stock voltage (and I can even bench with 1Ghz on stock voltage). Definitely upped the quality of silicon.

 

Nerd-raging against the inevitable is just not being realistic. I could just parrot the line here and throw pejoratives around which is easy, but I guarantee you enthusiasts who want to change CPU's are less than 1% of the market for laptops, that is just not enough which is why I said "Good luck". But again, if it makes you feel good to rage and call names, by all mean, but it won't change the situation any.

 

They are definitely not good or honorable, it is the result of a market that is changing where integrators picking and choosing CPU and Motherboard packages are in decline due to the PC becoming commodotized.

The prices you quote are in today's price equivalents. One of two things should happen - price per unit drops, and with the cost of replacing you get a better CPU/MB out of it (again, not ideal, but the cost of pairing should result in a net drop in cost to replace with a performance gain), or second a cottage industry develops around handling the issue physically.

I'm very tempted to say again that warranty's with laptops are your best friend, particularly going forward, now with this situation even more-so.

 

Another day with my $3.5k, still nothing from Alienware.

So damn frustrating :/

 

It is very. I suspect we aren't going to hear anything for a couple weeks or so, if nothing appears by Thanksgiving in the U.S., I doubt we will hear anything substantial till after New Years in January. I think this is both the Broadwell refresh taking place and a retooling to expand all the lines to using the Graphics Accelerator at the same time.

 

Or we can go to another brand like Clevo or Sager that can do non soldered GPU/CPU.

 

They can forget about my business if they will wait til next year before supporting GTX 980M. That will be several months after their competitors started shipping notebooks with the same GPU, and I will forever swear to never buy Alienware again.
That will be the ultimate proof that Alienware is no longer a gaming brand that cares about their fans

 

This is strange.
In a recent secret event at Alienware HQ in China, Alienware did only showcase AW13, AW17 and AW18. Gone was AW14. The rumored AW15 was nowhere to be seen....

Coincidence or a signal on what to come?

 

Just looking over the feature set of the 980m v the 880m

GeForce GTX 980M Graphics Card | GeForce

GeForce GTX 880M Dedicated Graphics for Laptops | GeForce

There are so many features dropped it's a joke. Even optimus is not listed.

Looks like the 9xx m cards are already cut down in advance of the death of laptop gaming .

 

I really have to ask this again, but it that how thick the 17 is? The 18 looks unchanged, but that 17 looks thinner to me. If it hasn't changed, I never though the 17 would look so small to the 18.
There was another Chinense event that showed off the 13, 14, and 17.
My take on this? LGA on 18, BGA on 13 and 17, MXM on 17 and 18, and still soldered on 13.
You have a link to these images?

 

Hmm now that you mention it the AW17 does look quite a bit thinner than AW18. Not sure if they always been this or if that is the new AW17 R2, but I know Alienware have planned to make AW17 thinner so you may be right
Maybe someone else can chime in on the thickness on the pics.

Here is the link:
http://dell.benyouhui.it168.com/thread-5333323-1-1.html

 

New updates:

Going to test clevo 980m in alienware m17x R4, m18x R2, AW17 - Page 8

I guess Nvidia or Dell should release dem Bios for it to work.

 

If they have been listening to all of our howling, maybe they actually care or simply don't want to go bankrupt due to everyone abandoning the brand for something substantially better. It would be really sweet to be in a position to give them credit for paying attention and putting the brand back on a course for success rather than failure.

If this is a glimpse of what is to come, kudos to the execs for changing their minds and doing the right thing. If they are going to continue making the 17 and 18 with sockets and slots and all of the rumors are not accurate, the reasons behind the change in direction won't matter. The only thing that matters is they do what we require of them.

Here is my speculation about what will happen:

I'm expecting the 13 to be an epic failure and be discontinued in a short period of time. Even fans of the runted form factor will be unhappy with the lackluster performance and many that think 2560x1440 is going to be sweet will find their purchase decision regrettable and completely miserable to use on such a tiny display. A pathetic product doomed before launch day due to performance-killing compromises... a reflection of what happens when members of a design team don't understand their customers and accidentally leave their brains on the nightstand at home.

I'm expecting the Alpha to be insanely successful. As a console replacement, the idea is a stroke of genius and shows that someone at Alienware is firing on all 8 cylinders. It will attract console gamers in droves, not enthusiasts, and it will exceed their expectations. It's cheap, highly effective, rips the head off and poops down the neck of anything available from Micro$haft, Sony or Nintendo. With any kind of luck the Alpha will simply be a gateway "drug" for them to become PC enthusiasts and hardcore gamers that join ranks to help the rest of us drive the direction and success of other far more impressive Alienware products.

I'm expecting the Area-51 to be off the charts because it reflects what almost everyone that wants an Alienware values most... extreme, excessive, enviable, with truckloads of brute power on tap. But here's the deal. We want laptops the same way and will not accept anything less than that... we will spend our money somewhere else rather than compromise.​

 

I've been googling alienware 17, and recently, there have been some articles on it. Same for the 18.
Still, this means there's hope for the two.

 

I don't think it's thinner. It looks around the same thickness as our 17. Also the design itself looks identical. I think they'll just be refreshing the AW17/18 with 980M/970M while the 14 was dropped for the 13.

 

You're right. Just never wrapped around my head that it looks that thin (even though it is thick).
A refresh of the current laptops should most likely happen, then.

 

Oh man, I sure hope so... refresh of 17 and 18, along with some sorely-needed fixes would be really sweet. Hopefully, they'll stop neglecting the needs and wants of their customers and clean up their act with the 17 and 18.

 

Well looking at the wonderful Google translate it does look like AW13, AW17 and AW18 is what Alienware will continue with.

HUZZAH

 

No Alienware 14 or 15 will be a big gap in the lineup, hope they launch some product in this range as i am not interested in 17/18 category.

 

Yeah, there will indeed be a big gap between AW13 and AW17.

 

That makes this paragraph make more sense, now.

By the sounds of it, they just changed their portable laptop.

 

They should just straight-up kill the 13 tomorrow, go to work immediately on a 14 or 15" Ultrabook for the thin and light kiddies that are willing to put up with BGA filth and then (almost) everyone will have something to be happy about. Those that think 14 or 15" is still too big already have a huge selection of Chromebooks, tablets and smartphones to choose from. There's no shortage of that garbage out there, but there is a severe shortage of legitimate options in high performance laptops.

 

wow, looks like expertreviews knew all along what would happen. Why didnt you post that earlier? Could have saved me a lot of unecessary sorrow about the AW18
Looking at Alienware homepage, they are already prepped up. This is what they are only selling

That or gone with the Alienware 14 instead. Ditched the GPU box completely and used a notebook with bigger casing for a proper CPU and GPU imo

 

Yeah, they should just cancel all pending orders (if there actually are any) on the 13. Real bad mistake right there. If they don't stop right away it's just going to make pulling the plug later on that much harder.

 

It is idiotic by Alienware to leave the market of 14-15 inch form factor as it is the highest selling form factor in laptops, hope they see the sales of AW 13 crash and burn, so that they can return to making good 14/15 inch laptops instead of the pathetic AW 13.

 

It might be that hard pulling that teaches a lesson for the better.
Let's watch the progress of the 13. Either we witness a new fire, or we watch fireworks.

 

Deleted my comment

 

The 14 would be perfect with a 980m and i7-4810MQ and options for 1080p, 3K, 4K LCD's. The 13 doesn't offer much of anything other than proof of concept that already exists.

 

Its been posted before but I will post it again as a reminder. AW17 and AW18 will have better cooling than before.

From an Intel blog

Wonder what exactly they have done inside the machines

 

So that article on my forum was correct; the 17 and 18 are using new heat sinks. This'll help my idea on Ideastorm.
Creating new heat sinks for laptops that would last a couple of months doesn't sound very pro-business to me.

 

I don't believe it about the heat new sinks at all. I'll wait to be proven wrong if and when someone can actually do it. I think Alienware is just putting a spin on the excellent products they already had for added traction. They don't have anything new to create a buzz about and they never made a big deal about it before. Just marketing hype, and an overdue good use of it. They have every reason to be proud of everything except their crippled fan tables and speed limited fans. The heat sinks are already amazing.

 

Nah I kinda think it got to do with new heatsinks or fan tweak as well. What else could they do to improve cooling?
I welcome better CPU cooling if they succeeded with that. If there was one fan that was way too active it was the CPU fan. It had most dust around the intake as well.