Why no Desktop i7 Procs in Alienwares?

So why is it that ibuypower has laptops with desktop core i7 processors and Alienware doesnt? At http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Configurators.aspx?mid=431 You can get a Intel® Core™ i7 975 Processor Extreme Edition (4x 3.33GHz/8MB L3 Cache), 12GB [4GB x 3] 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM [Notebook Memory] Kingston. It gives the Alienware M17xR2 a run for its money performance wise and costs about the same, just not as cool looking. Damnit alienware, you are supposed to have the best stuff in your laptops.

 

i7-975 is a 130W CPU leaving enough thermal budget for just a single video card. And for gamers SLI/CF will be better than 1 card + the best CPU in the world
If they increase the T-budget to , let's say 300W, the battery packs (at least the current ones) will be exploding, hehe and the PSU brick will be much closer to a real brick in it's size and weight.
It can be done of course, but too many things will have to evolve together with it, so ....not yet.
We might see a weaker desktop CPU (95W) in a new Clevo with 2 GPUs in the upcoming CeBit, but even this is unlikely.

 

Clevo's have this also.

Beats me.

 

Dont Desktop I7's run on the same Chipset as Laptop ones?

 

Nevermind this post.

 

Only Clevo's have this, the rest are their resellers

 

Nope, it has a mobile i7.

 

Well, ibuypower had the desktop i7's so processor wise the m17xr2 best mobile i7 couldnt touch it right?

 

Desktop i7s - > X58 + ICH10R
Laptop i7s - > PM55

 

well, the ibuypower laptops have the desktop i7's so processor wise it blows the best alienware mobile i7 out of the water right?

 

Does the M17xR2 have a card reader? Like for sd cards and stuff?

 

Depends...
975 will probably lack the BIOS OC'ing, so unless you do it with a software only.... + the heat. So realistically you will be topping the 3.5GHz.
920XM will nicely scale to almost 3.5 stable (look at the benchmarking threads), so in games, apps you won't see much of difference, the synthetic benches of course are pro 975.

 

It could have throttling problems.

But just imagine it..

18.4" RGB Screen
i7 975 Desktop CPU
Xfire 5870s (Desktop models)
Space Black - Anodized Aluminum
24GB ram 1600mhz (Desktop Version)
A powerbrick that weighs the same as a real life brick.
Water cooling.
Nice BIOS overclocking.

Its every persons dream.

ETA: 3010

 

I'm just going to post this for you guys to ponder a bit.

Note the desktop i7 975's Vantage CPU score and the 920XM's OC'ed Vantage CPU score, and yes that OC on the 920XM is stable.

 

I can OC the 920XM to run all 4 cores at the same time at 3.5GHz stable? I thought that was only possible if you turn off 3 cores and run 1 at 3.5?

 

No no. Thats turbo mode. You can OC it through programs etc.

 

Things have changed since...

@Crylo that's exactly my point. Still 975 @ 3.5 will beat the ASUS 920XM, and alas the R2 doesn't have the G73 headroom, but who cares about benches

 

Through programs? It doesnt have to be done in the BIOS? Ive never over clocked anything in my life accept my Motorola Droid from 600MHz to 1.3GHz, so please point me in the right direction to overclock my M17xR2 for when it gets here and I am getting the Dual Layer BluRay Burner in it

 

Not mine, I have no interest in an 18.4" screen. a 17" 16:10 display is the only one in my dream laptop.

 

And the m17xr2 doesnt have the 16:10 ratio right? Once again, does it have a sd card reader built in?

 

You forgot to mention the RGB ...
Oops, it's in your sig anyways, and hopefully will be in mine soon too...

 

Not if the 920XM is at 3.5 as well, and it can run that high from what I've seen. I'm just making the point that a desktop 975 is not a big issue in a laptop now thanks to the 920XM and it's insane OC abilities.

Just need AW to make proper OC bios options.

 

True i agree with you. 17" RGB is more then enough. I only said 18.4 cause i thought if i said 17 i'd get raged at for some random reason. Lol.

 

Cool you have an ETA yet?

 

Please point me to some overclocking. I would like to run all 4 cores at once at 3.5ghz in my laptop.

 

Yes it is a 1920x1200 16:10 ratio, and yes it has the card reader built in.

 

I think the only reason for the lower OC'ing of AW systems is the thermal budget for the mobo. With a single GPU it would be a piece of cake, but +60-75W for a poor PM55 might become too unstable imo.

 

I wouldn't try it till the new BIOS are released. You might get Flicker spam.

 

No offense m8, but you have a benchmarking thread right here in the AW forum, so go through it and your questions will get answered...

 

Yeah it's a possibility, but we can't really complain. I'm a happier camper with all 4 cores at 3.0ghz and dual GPU's than I am with a CPU with all 4 cores at 3.5ghz and only a single GPU.

 

I don't care about CPU that much. Everything need to be in balance. M17x is already huge and I don't want it to be bigger. That also apply for price, heat, AC adapter etc...

And since gaming is my primary purpose. I care about dual GFX.

That said, if I have to choose between i5 520M + dual cards vs. i7 975 + single card, same price, I will go for dual cards option.

Isn't mobile CPU fast enough these day?

 

It seems that gaming laptop manufactures moved away from the trend of desktop procs in laptops once the Pentium M was released (way back in the day). At that point, it became better to be more efficient than powerful, and mobile procs were quickly catching up to their desktop brethren. Now, most mobile procs are pretty darn good, and VERY efficient, which is why they're, well, mobile and all.

 

I think it depends on what type of computer you want to use. Games like WOW that require the cpu Ghz of the long past P4 and PD chips. Or games that are more into useing GPU power? Yes I was once who beleave ghz Means everything. I have a Clevo (Pro-Star) Laptop with a P4 3.4ghz extream edtion with L3 2mb cache. To bad at the time Amd had better cpu at the time. That was 5 to 6 years ago.

 

Nice thought but it would draw too much battery power, its fine as it is!

 

Yes it would. but as its already been proven the 920XM can be over clocked to stock of the 975. So its perfectly fine.

 

That i7 notebook on ibuypower is a D900F model made by Clevo, and is also sold by various resellers and rebranders such as Sager and Kobalt. It is big, heavy, tank-like, ugly, and is supposed to be used as a mobile workstation (it will someday be sold with a Nvidia Quadro FX3800) or a mobile server (you can install a xeon processor). Lets not forget about the three hard-drive and ram slots.

Gophn was able to overclock the CPU to up to 4.0ghz.

It's quite capable for gaming, of course... but for that intent it is always better to go with a SLI Notebook such as the Alienware M17x-R2 or Clevo X8100 (same cost). Alienware = Gaming, not workstations or mobile servers.

 

Ok, someone please point me in the direction so when I get my M17x-R2 I can overclock my 920XM to run all 4 cores at 3.5GHz at the same time without having to shut any other cores off.

 

I believe the benchmarking thread would be a good read for you then

 

huh? could you even do this?

 

You could never be satisfied with an overclocked 920XM, nor should you be. A man who requires a Core i7 Extreme 975 processor for his laptop gaming and personal needs should have one, but none of your bargain basement pretenders. What is needed is at least a Northwest Falcon Fragbook DRX. It's a little more expensive than an M17x, but hey, you get what you pay for. And, for only $660 more, they will include a custom flame job in your choice of colors, no two alike! How cool is that? Alas, due to power limitations it can only support a single video card, but if you have CPU bragging rights, who needs GPU performance. Not sure about the card reader, like for sd cards and stuff. But for a certain class of laptop user, there is no substitute.

 

Yes you can easily

@ jared

You need to understand about how it works otherwise your going to be frying mobo's left and right ...

 

If you don't smell plastic burning you just aren't trying hard enough.

 

wow thanks, any place to look for more info on this.

 

Cool, thanks for the info.

 

Is there any difference in architecture between the mobile and desktop i7's?

In other words, is a mobile i7 running at, say, 3.0GHZ the exact same as a desktop i7 running at 3.0GHZ? They'll be equally fast? Assume cache and whatnot are the same.

 

1. To eliminate the possible confusion for new forum members unfamiliar with high-end gaming notebooks:
Falcon NW, IBUYPOWER, Sager, RJtech, Pro-Star and many, MANY more are just rebranders and resellers of Clevo. (Not sure if the M17X-R1-R2 are barebones from Clevo as well, they seem to be parallel to M98NU and X8100), so let's say "Clevo" when talking about them


2. Equally clocked desktop and laptop CPUs will be slightly different in the benches, the desktop CPU will have more power still.For example a 920XM OC'ed to 3.5 will bench slightly lower than a stock 975 (3.3GHz). 3Dmark06 scores will be 920XM~5.7k, 975~6k. The difference in WPrime and SuperPi will be slightly bigger.
But again, for a gamer - screw them both

 

I thought this post is relevant to this discussion. LINK

 

since such a processor isn't as necessary or influential on gaming performance as say, two graphics cards, you're missing the point.

 

From what I've seen a 920XM @ 3.3 scores on par with a desktop 975 @3.3, so I would go as far as to say it's pretty much equal between the two.

 

Im not a new forum member, or am I ? But I found your post very helpful.

"You need to spread more reputation before giving it to Aikimox again"...