When are the new Alienwares with Maxwell coming?

No Frosty. I always think it's not better to upgrade the GPU cause i find it very expensive compared to new system. Yes a brand new system cost much more, but it's entirely new, the ratio money/value is better.

Also, if you can wait for the new Aw17, i think it will not as bad as all people think

 

Well for me it was much less than half the cost of the system to replace both cards.

 

The old stuff will still be around... where?

I'm really considering getting and old 17 R1 and then eventually upgrade to 4930MX and 980M or Maxwell 20nm next year but basically I'll do it to not lose the 120HZ panel option.

I'm sooo pissed off. I live in the Netherlands and just yesterday they pull off the option with the 4710MQ and the 120HZ panel. I was confused as they had a €250 discount till 29 of January 2015.
But yesterday night when I've chequed again it was pulled off, so now I should spent almost another €650 but with a lot of stuff I don't want or need (80 msata, 1TB, 4910MQ, 16GB)

I'm still in shock about the new Alienware 17 R2 without a 120HZ panel and with a 180PSU :S

 

Dre is right, there are plenty of sources for older systems... Xoticpc, even Amazon and Walmart in the U.S. not to mention Fry's, etc.

I still say again as Dre did wait and see.... you really have nothing to lose, and I still am holding out hope on what the next refresh brings when all the real information is released. It's entirely possible the 180 PSU is for a down-level AW 17, and a greater one is planned for release. I think people might be partially overreacting until all the facts are in.

Heck you can even buy AW 18's at Walmart - so much for the air of eliteness

 

How many people shopping at walmart can afford to buy a 3000-4000$ laptop?
Theres a reason they shop at walmart.
People Of Walmart - Funny Pictures of People Shopping at Walmart : People Of Walmart

 

Why is everyone quoting availability at xoticpc, walmart, fry's etc when @Merlock has clearly mentioned that he lives in Netherlands and not USA or UK !!

 

Doesn't xoticpc ship internationally? And then you have hidevolution as well.

 

I`d say best thing to do right now is buy Alienware 17 or 18 and upgrade the GPUs.
You get MXM modules and socketed GPUs. AW18 guys planning to go 980M SLI should go with 4910MQ+, AW17 with 980M should go with 4800MQ+.

I got my AW18 with 4940MX and 100W heatsinks. People who are looking to get AW17/18 and upgrade the GPUs should try to get 100W heatsinks as well

 

When are you getting your 980M's or 970M's, did you decide? Looking forward to seeing what you can get out them, maybe even with a modified vBIOS if they're published; I reckon the 970M would be a real performance/price/overclocking win with the modified vBIOS considering the low temperatures & low default clocks! You had an A18 to start with though, did you just sell it because you were convinced Alienware would have released a new monster by now?

 

That's what I recently tried to do..
I was expecting to get an A17 + 120Hz panel + 980m or Maxwell 20nm next year but thanks to this thread I've realize that most likely the Alienware 2015 will suck...

And now my chances got away when yesterday they pull off the option to get the A17 in cheaper configs here and in all Europe. (thought to do a 4710MQ+860M and later upgrade both)
Kind of sad.. now I have to wait till May next year I suppose and end up with a BGA non upgradable crap. :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

Cloud what about those 100W heatsinks you are talking? They come only for GPU or also for CPU?

 

Not sure what the point here is.... they DO sell it and people DO buy them.... and you'd be amazed how many people who are careful with money (ie not likely the people you are looking down on in those pictures) shop from Walmart online if they can get a good deal. Hell, everyone here would be lined up at Walmart to buy an AW 18 if the price were low enough and you know it . Who knows, it might even do you some good to lower yourself to save a buck and to empathize with people a little more in the process.

I just checked Xoticpc.com which would almost certainly ship to you... you can still get the AW 17 with an option on the 120 hz panel (select the last AW 17 in the list).

Directly from a chat asking them: For any international order (Outside of US/Canada/PR/GU) we require payment via bank wire. By using this method you qualify for a 3% cash discount. PayPal or credit card payments are not accepted for international orders. For estimates due on any taxes/duties, you would need to contact your local customs office. With the payment method listed above you would qualify for our cash discounted price. We will send you detailed instructions on how to complete the payment once the order begins processing.

The international shipping rates to your exact location will be estimated in checkout. Please disregard this shipping quote, as this is typically wrong. You will be provided with an exact quote once the order begins processing and we send you the payment details. Shipping internationally can be very costly, we typically see estimates in the $200-500 range, but they can be higher depending on location. Tracking information is provided and signature is required upon delivery. The package is also insured for the full value of the notebook. Please proceed through checkout to see the shipping prices and final total for your order.

 

I never spend more than necessary for anything unless I get something meaningful in return for the extra cost, like a better warrant and/or a hassle-free return policy. I am not going to tell someone how to run their own personal affairs, or suggest they should violate their conscience, but in my way of thinking spending more to avoid patronizing Wal-Mart or any other company is just nutty and frivolous. I don't care what the other people shopping at Wal-Mart look or act like. If I can save a couple of bucks and take it back if I don't like it without getting the third degree, I'm going to spend my money there, LOL. Maybe those "low-income people" are a lot smarter than the Wal-Mart haters think they are.

 

Also sucks because several of the other sub forums on this site dedicated to specific manufacturers still have lots of active posting from company reps (specifically MSI). With MSI coming out with that SLI 18 incher... maybe they are looking to replace AW's position in the market long term. Unique aesthetics, most powerful configurations, etc...

 

I actually like going to walmart better, my wife likes target though... I hate target.

 

Unquestionably they are seeking to, certainly they are the big competitor to Alienware. My only gripe is they seem to willing to assemble systems that are going to have serious thermal issues in a short time (less than 2 years), and that tells me they are more interested in turning a quick buck than providing real value. OTOH, Alienware for all their faults has not caved to this strategy totally. Unfortunately, they are putting performance (and the enthusiast) in the backseat in favor of streamlined support. It will probably work for them as a volume player, but they run the risk of being seen as nothing more than what their detractors have accused them of: "Alienware just being a Dell" if they aren't careful. What will never happen, but we all wish it would, would be for Dell to spin AW back off and have them bought by Sager.

I see the need to start planning for the near-inevitable slide towards BGA-based systems, and I do think they are conscious of it but the problem is I suspect someone higher is calling the shots on this and forcing the move now rather than later. More people are concerned about upgrading the GPU than the CPU, and the Graphics Accelerator does go a good way towards lessening the sting of BGA, but in the end it means to future proof your system you will need to invest that much more up front in the best CPU option there is which is really not very cost effective, but that's what it is looking like.

 

I play WoW and league myself and am currently using an Asus G75vx. Its from 2012 and has a 670mx GPU, but plays WoW with all settings maxed at 60 FPS with no drops except in that 100 vs 100 Tarren Mill BG they came out with for the anniversary. Also gets a solid 60 with everything high-ultra in BF3. This is of course with MSI afterburner overclocking. WoW and League are from demanding games. Don't overspend if you don't have to. A laptop with a 970 and regular i7 with murder those game, and even stuff like BF4.

 

It has nothing to do with thumbing one's nose at Walmart shoppers. I am empathizing with people, specifically the poor devils employed by Walmart, by choosing to take my business elsewhere and not filling the coffers of an evil company like Walmart. If you've ever worked for Walmart or know people who have, I think you'd have some understanding of the cost in human dignity and sacrifice it takes to get you those products so cheaply. It's economics--Walmart can sell you stuff cheaper than other retailers because they pay their employees less, give them fewer benefits, and subject them to poorer working conditions. I refuse to contribute to the perpetuation of these practices.

Thankfully, my current financial situation is such that I can afford to spend a little more money shopping at places such as Target and especially Costco that do treat their employees properly. Not to mention that the shopping experience is much better--cleaner (especially bathrooms) and more organized (every Walmart I've ever gone to has had clothes thrown all over the place and tons of products misplaced on shelves) with better customer service and friendlier, more knowledgeable, more motivated staff members.

 

I know several people that work for Wal-Mart that have great benefits and earn above average wages. A couple of them are managers, one is a trucker, and all earn 6-digit salaries. I also know a few that constantly complain they are underpaid and I would never consider hiring them because they are undependable, not very smart, and whine way too much.

The entry-level positions are low pay (but in compliance with minimum wage regulations). Good help is hard to find. Those that show themselves to be a valuable asset as an employee because they are smart, dependable, hard-working, customer-oriented, company-minded and deserving employees are rewarded in due time. Those that are losers, frequently show up late, call in sick, do only what they are asked and nothing more, etc., etc. end up losing their jobs or earning less. Or, they move on because they think they deserve to be paid extra for being a loser. Wal-Mart is not the only company that is run that way. As far as their dealings with other companies, all is fair in love and war... the strong survive, and they pass the savings on to their customers.

 

I wasn't speaking to you....but, I agree Walmart is not the best company but that is a separate discussion. We were discussing the ability to buy Alienware there and the means of their range of shoppers, not the company itself or how it treats its workers. FWIW, I'd wager that some of these Chinese companies no one thinks twice about that are involved with the production of Alienware or other products are every bit as devious and cruel as Walmart, particularly since the Chinese state is directly involved with them.

 

I only hate them being at Walmart because Walmart is known for the place you go to get cheap stuff at a bargain price. Hell, there slogan is, "Save money. Live Better. Walmart." Seeing Alienware there just hurts... The Alienware name is being ruined, slowly but surely through all of these efforts to "mainstream" and "save money."

You can go to a Honda dealership and pick up a Honda same day, but you can't walk into a Lamborghini dealership and find the Aventador you want sitting there. It must be ordered because it's a premium product. This example may be pushing it , but I'm just trying to express my perspective on what's going on in a very elementary way.

I'm sure Mr. Fox can agree for the most part. It's a shame, really...

 

Agreed to a point. Many folks who have better means than most people here are religious shoppers of Walmart, albeit online. To typify shopping at Walmart as just where people buy cheap stuff for low prices ignores the fact they do sell quality items at a good price, otherwise no one beyond those of very limited means would bother buying from them (in fact, if you think about it why is Amazon doing so well, they sell a lot crap for low cost - same principle). The real risk is that by putting your name in too many places you do devalue the line... Starbucks came dangerously close to this at one point, as you could get their stuff practically anywhere, and they backed off on this. Frankly, I am less concerned about the selling at Walmart as I am about the effectively forced move to BGA thanks to Intel and friends.

 

About being forced to BGA... I agree. It's like being forced to move onto Windows 8.1 or 10 (whatever is out now). That change is seemingly inevitable.

It's just so disappointing to see a quality product brought down by this crap. The future of Alienware doesn't look bright, but I'm sure a lot of new people to the gaming world will fall for this crap and they will make do (financially). That's where mobile gaming is headed - products masked by a false sense of quality.

 

Everything is a shame right now. I want Dell/Alienware to be successful and if Wal-Mart can help them be profitable, I have no problem with that. I really don't care how or where they choose to sell them and if I were shopping for an Alienware for the first time I would appreciate having access to them to look, feel, touch regardless of what store I would need to go to in order to accomplish that. I would be happy about paying less for it and I wouldn't care if the lower price came from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Fry's Staples, Office Depot, Costco, Radio Shack, Big Lots, Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, or anywhere else. I would only care about the price being the best deal available.

To Doc's point, I am more concerned about their engineering decisions and going with the flow on BGA crap like their competitors. The new machines are not any more botched up that their competitor's BGA junk. It's the hardware and Alienware's willingness to be associated with it that I don't like.

 

Well, I was on Alienware's twitter to ask a few questions. Someone asked them if the Alienware graphics amplifier works with any other laptop. The reply was only for the Alienware 13 with it coming to other laptops in the future. So i'm guessing soldered small laptop's with a bolt on amplifier and bang, there you have it? Not sure how I feel about it? I'm loving the dock facility, whack one cable in and get dual monitors, usb hub etc. Maybe this way Dell also have to worry about failure rates in laptop GPU's and you'll get more out of a desktop GPU then a laptop, possibly upgrades could be cheaper. But then, you kinda lose the portability and it actually being a laptop.

Plus i'm not sure what kind of bottle neck you'd have pushing that much data and video through one cable?

 

I don't have a problem with them expanding and increasing sales. That's not of my concern. The method in which they do so is.

The "touch & feel" argument is not something I see as enough justification to ruin the Alienware name. In my opinion, I think that's a weak argument for an already premium product. When someone goes online to purchase an Alienware, they watch dozens of reviews and drop thousands of dollars. You expect quality because it is an Alienware. The Alienware name is quality and high-performance. Selling side-by-side with cheap laptops ($500 or less) is embarrassing and detrimental to the name.

And I do agree with that last bit you mentioned about Alienware's "obedience." What they do from this point forward will define Alienware. If Apple can convince NVIDIA to make them a special GPU for their products, then there must surely be a chance for Dell to convince Intel to do away with all of this BGA nonsense for Alienware.

 

Remember, we are an exceptional lot. Yes, we do our due diligence, but many do not. They purchase on impulse and are often influenced by friends and family that don't have a clue what they are talking about. Word of mouth influence is powerful, even when the information is inaccurate. We are dealing with mostly stupid people that are touch and feel oriented. Touch displays on phones, tablets, laptops, desktop displays, and yes, they can all "touch this" LOL. As I mentioned, had I been able to handle a Clevo P570WM3 I might already own one. I have no doubt the new machines will have a quality look and feel, and be built well. That alone will impress people that have no clue about what's under the hood. They buy cars in much the same way. People that have never even heard of Alienware are going to see it, touch it, and want it immediately... end of research.

Then, there are those that claim to have done their research...

" Uncle Ted's cousin's girlfriend said this is really good 'cause, um, um, a relative of one of her friends on Facebook told her it was, and like, her dad agreed with her and said it was, like the best, and all that. You know? When he liked her post. Um, um, you know? I want one, and I want it now. And, I was taking a selfie and then, Oh, like, um , and like I just saw, they like, have them, um, at [insert business name here]. I'm getting one on my way home tonight."

Alienware may not need us any more. Never underestimate the ability of a product to sell based solely on first impressions. The power of the eyeball and word of mouth are both forces to be reckoned with.

 

Haha, I particularly enjoyed your Uncle Ted's Girlfriend Selfie account there, made me laugh - but you're letting hate consume you, instead you should just consume like the rest of them - CONSUME and SELFIEARISE - I want to see you take a selfie with an A13 and a GA! ;-)

 

I love how the Walmart post bled over to this thread, damn Walmart and their influence on the American people in other news that 980m sure is a nice piece of hardware!

 

It's a bad company.

 

Just reminded me of 'They Live'...classic

 

I never underestimate those things as a business student, and I completely understand what they're doing and why. This is all just personal feelings toward a brand. Selling at Walmart is ridiculous. A premium product like that should not be on the shelf next to some piece of crap. At the very least, it should have its own section like Apple or Samsung products do in such stores.

It seems like most of the products these days are diminished by that "mainstream effect." I suppose profiteering will always come before all else. It's a shame to see such a whim consume a good brand. I hope the remainder of the lineup is not subject to such disregard - it's one thing to see their "highly anticipated" Alienware 13 on the shelf, and entirely another to see their flagship systems.

EDIT: The respect I have for Alienware is diminishing. It's difficult to even write this.

 

They have already shown they have the power and influence to do that. The Alpha is the most recent example of that influence. They have chosen to wimp out on us. They didn't have to. They could have bought up all of the mobile MX and MQ CPU stock available, ordered more, and continued churning out better machines with sockets and slots. Speaking of the Alpha, it's an extreme pity and a crime that the GPU isn't in an MXM slot.

Like the song says, "If lovin' you is wrong, I don't wanna be right..." Funny how opinions are so affected by geographical, generational and cultural influence. I think they're an awesome company and I wish we had a few more giants like them to help take more hands out of taxpayer pockets and put them to work. Trouble is, too many people refuse to work in jobs that require minimal skill because they cannot earn $20 starting pay. When they discover money for nothing doesn't exist for working folks they find it easier to jump on the easy train, stay at home and be a pick-pocket leech rather than go to work every day and actually use that opportunity to prove their worth and value as an employee.

 

My perspective of Walmart is purely economical. They destroy local economies when they enter into small towns like mine. We used to have thriving shops and whatnot, and a great community. When Walmart came along, Marsh (a grocery store) went out of business, and more than a dozen of local shops went out of business in town. It has gotten better since and people have adapted, and some stores are reopening now. But it's completely different. (I wasn't directly affected by this because we live in other parts, but I have friends who were.) There are good qualities about the company, but there are also the same amount of negative qualities. I've even heard of them taking out insurance policies on their employees (without their knowledge), so if something were to happen to them on the job, Walmart would be compensated for their losses.

I still shop at Walmart even though I don't like to... But aside from that, my disappointment toward Alienware for selling in their stores is not because of what I mentioned above, but because I thought Alienware was a premium product. People don't shop at Walmart for premium products. That's a known fact. It's detrimental to the name.

 

That's what my small town thought, too. There was a big protest and the haters fought it tooth and nail, tried to block building permits, operating licenses and all sorts of evil nonsense in an effort to save the mom and pop stores. A few of them indeed folded because they could not compete with such low prices. Never mind the fact that smart shoppers got in their cars at least once a week and drove 60 miles to another town for grocery shopping and major purchases anyway, so the end result was more money stayed local and they employ more than twice as many people as the mom and pop stores that went out of business. A number of managers and even a couple of owners from the mom and pop stores that went out of business work there now. They make more money and have better benefits than what they had before the humble establishment they worked for went belly up. The city and county collect more in taxes and the economic situation of everyone is better because they came to town. There are a few bitter former business owners that liked owning their own business, but that's collateral damage. As they say, if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen.

Anyway, we're so far off topic now it's not even funny. I was also extremely surprised to see Alienware machines being sold at Wal-Mart and it does seem to cheapen the brand name even though I can see some logic behind it. This, as well as the pathetic specs we are reeling from, is what happens when you put the wrong people in positions of power and authority to make decision. What works for the mainstream consumer Dell product lines might not work well at all for Alienware, but they have no concept of what the typical Alienware customer wants. They assume what Dell customers want is what Alienware customers want. That's wrong six ways to Sunday and it is indicative of how far out of touch with reality they are... totally unable to relate to the people that love(d) the Alienware brand most and made it so successful.

 

It's good for the sake of discussion. Foreign members may not know what we're talking about, and now they might. :thumbsup:

---

Back to my earlier point about Apple, NVIDIA, Dell, and Intel: BGA is not Alienware. It would be nice if Dell actually convinced Intel to make them special components to avoid it. That would earn my respect again. It would show that Dell knows Alienware is a premium brand and deserves more than their Inspiron or XPS lineup's do. For the premium markup Alienware products have, and the reputation Alienware so desperately attempts to build, I would expect Dell to at least try to make an effort to retain 'upgradeability.'

 

Reflecting on what has gradually taken place in the past 12 to 18 months, this mess didn't happen overnight. It crept up on us... first sign of trouble was A07 BIOS on the M18xR2 that introduced flash protection and firmware signatures. NOT something acceptable on an enthusiast machine. Our friend svl7 found a workaround and BAM... Secure Flash surfaces on the 17 and 18... rotting from the head down, and rotten to the core. Disconnected, out of touch, and don't care about what the customer wants is a recipe for failure. Their god in Redmond wanted it, they got it, and we lost. We are collateral damage. Had they cared about what is best for us and what we want, they would have told Micro$haft to stick it where the sun doesn't shine. If not for the infiltration of the big-boy hotshots in charge of things in the Dell side of the house, things probably would not be like they are now for the Alienware brand. If they want this brand to survive, they need to put enthusiasts back in the executive driver's seat at Alienware and give them the liberty to give us what we want instead of what they think is best. I would prefer to spend an extra $200 or so on a retail copy of Windows in exchange for a machine that does not qualify for the Micro$lop seal of approval. Ah, but they are just keeping us safe from the boogie man, right?

 

I hope some one from Dell/Alienware should read this thread.....They would atleast know what is the loyal users opinion on their machines, rather than shifting the whole brand value and the direction they opted for.
Really unfortunate that this is the current position of Alienware.

 

So I jumped at the Black Friday deal they had, considering I had been without a rig since July and the price I couldnt ignore. They had it shipped and delivered to me before the order status even changed on the website. However, a week in the GPU (290x) I believe is a lemon. Had it completely shut off 3 times this past Sunday while playing various games, after the 3rd found myself in a boot loop (well lock up at windows logo and needing a hard restart). Tried respawn, etc with no success. Installed a new 850 SSD, reinstalled windows, patched correctly but the intergrated and 290x are reporting problems and if I try to force the 290x I get locked into the same boot loop. Looks like it's time to return. What a shame, my R2 worked pretty much flawlessly for almost 5 years.

Going to speak with them today, I wonder what they can offer as a solution as no way in hell I'm keeping this rig. It doesn't look like they're offering the 290x any longer.

 

We're talking about a company that considered going BGA for DESKTOP Skylake chips. I'd say there's not a snowball's chance in hell Dell (or any OEM for that matter) would've been able to convince them otherwise. It would pretty much take a collective boycott from all major OEMs to force Intel's hand at this point. But really Intel holds all the cards here. I mean what are the OEMs going to do, start selling AMD chips? If you thought the desktop chips were bad, the mobile ones are much worse. The "top of the line" AMD A10 is just about equal to the i5-4210U used in the AW13. Intel knows they have all the OEMs by the balls and has a free pass to do whatever the hell they want to. This is what happens when you have no competition.

 

Dell has a lot more influence than you realize. I know the likelihood of it actually happening is slim to none. It's just wishful thinking on my part.

 

I'm just saying that since Intel is hellbent on making everything (even desktop chips eventually) BGA, anything that goes against their BGA agenda is unlikely to ever get approved, unless there were significant monetary benefits of course.

And I guess with that I can look forward to the day a socketed quad core i5 will run me $1000.

 

Ha, that day would be very sad indeed.

Alienware makes up approximately 0.7% of Dell's annual revenue as of 2013. It shouldn't be a problem for Dell to contract with (or convince) Intel to make non-BGA components for that subsidiary alone. Intel would still make lots of money on their investment, as Alienware machines have a huge markup on value. And Alienware remaining upgradeable can only benefit Dell long-term in regards to keeping all of its customers happy, and reducing warranty costs associated with entire board or system replacements.

But I see your argument. BGA is the "future" of computing, however sad it may be.

 

It's not worth it for intel to have special packaging for a single customer.

 

Well, I for one, cannot wait to see what Alienware have to offer on the new Alienware 17. I just hope they did not disappoint us.
1 month and counting for the landing..
:thumbsup:

 

I think you will find the new 17 will likely have specs remarkably similar to all of the other gaming jokebooks being sold by their competitors... in other words, expect an HQ BGA CPU and a BGA 980M GPU and the ability to upgrade nothing but the RAM and storage.

 

Well this new 17 will surely be the alien in the Alienware line.

 

What a lost opportunity is all I can say. Had they actually offered non-soldered parts I would have seriously considered a AW17 r2 with an GA. But I'm not interested in throwing a whole machine away if 1 component breaks down the road. Nor am I interested with having to sell the whole machine and buy a new one if I was to upgrade. Fair enough if it's a AW13 that cost under $1000. But being locked out from upgrading an expensive $2-3000 piece of hardware is criminal.

 

I can not understand that new Alienware 17 can only have just a 180w power supply. In most bench tests I've seen of BGA garbage and a gtx980m use laptops to have a maximum power consumption of 206 - 208 w. How should bench tests take place with only 180w? Should Alienware 17 have the old solution Msi used to add extra watts from the battery? Can I get an explanation !!

 

It will probably have a 240W AC adapter and will almost have to with 980M. I would not rely on the bits and pieces seen on the internet.

 

It's still too early to tell. We haven't confirmed anything.