Alienware X17 R2 - Deep Dive
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- Опубліковано 19 кві 2022
- In this video we take a deep dive look at the X17 r2 now we have had a few weeks of use.
MSI Afterburner: www.msi.com/Landing/afterburn...
Link to X17r2 4k version video: • Alienware X17 R2 - The...
Original X17r2 review: • Alienware X17 R2 Revie...
#deepdive #alienware #gaminglaptops - Наука та технологія
Thank you so much for this starter kit video, clear and concise tips I love it
Thank you for another helpful video. I didn't know about the Bios setting for the temp offset. That seals the deal for me. Now, if they would only correct the keyboard backlighting to include secondary characters and give us better screen options. :) Cheers
Thanks Mark, and yeah they keyboard is such a shame especially as the m17/m15 r4 keyboards were perfection! No idea why they had to change them :(
Super informative video for anyone in the market for an X17 R2. In fact I've been running through all the Mash IT Alienware reviews because I wasn't sure which device to buy, but knew I wanted one. Appreciate the detail in all your reviews and keep up the great work!
yes, me too actually... did you end up getting it? the 4k upgrade is extremely expensive, almost 1k euros more than what i could pay for asus rog strix scar, raider gt77 or legion 7i that are all more powerful and have better cooling systems... i am still tempted by the screen, keyboard and the international warranty (although i think lenovo and asus must have similar stuff)
@@batmanonholiday4477 yes I actually went with the X17 R2 and I love it. I didn’t get the 4K screen it was pretty expensive and I play on an external monitor anyway. With the refresh rate on the 1080p monitor games still play silky smooth. I would just advise with any gaming laptop that with the more powerful devices you won’t be able to max out without the power cord plugged in and the battery life isn’t great. These are things I considered before making the purchase and still enjoy the machine.
Solid review as usual, and really helpful info.
I'm already a fan of alienware but wouldn't make a purchase without watching your reviews first. Can't fault ya. 👍
Thanks mate :)
Great review Dave, always look forward to them!
Thank you mate, glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for the great review. Love the analysis backed up with evidence/numbers.
Love your videos and attitude, Dave. Thanks for the great content and information!
Thank you for the kind words and support 😀👍
Great review and great video! Congratulations on the work done!
Thank you! Cheers!
OMG you are not just reviewing but you are even explaining me the best config?? I love you, I am subscribed and I bought the laptop. Thank you so much!!
Thank you for the kind words. I do try to help where I can. Hope you enjoy the laptop and i am always around if you have questions 👍
Great vid! Bought 2 weeks ago the i7 with the 3080 ti and I'm still waiting for it. This startup guide is just what I needed specially because you go into all the important subjects. Keep it up.
Same placed my order on the 4th supposed to ship this Friday still says order received
Let me know if you guys experience any Thermal throttling? Currently looking at this same configuration. Heard i9 thermal throttles
@@vlone_slatt3504 will do if I ever get it LOL.
Hope you guys get them soon! Yeah the i9 runs hot but at least you can tweak the i9, the i7 is completely locked. out of 7 of these new machines I have had 1 that is not performing as well as expected and I am currently in talks with Dell. If for any reason you get one not performing well please message me on here or reddit.
@@MashITTech will do we already spoke on Reddit once, will absolutely let ya know.
Best review I've seen, subbed. Thank you
Thank you so much 😊
Thank you for the feedback. I will let you know how it performs in my studio when I get it up and running mid-May. Best to you.
yes please do and I am always here if you have any questions :)
Thank you for video! That exactly what I want to see!
Thanks for the vid! I'm in the X17 R1 club, although I still absolutely love it, with the i7 and 16GB 3080 it should hopefully see me through for a few years. I would be interested in seeing more on undervolting please 😀 Cheers 👍
Hi Adam, do you mean undervaluing on the r1? undervaluing on the r2 i7 is locked out :( and although unlocked on the i9 it is so buggy at the moment I guess to being a new architecture
im in that club too.. mine is the x17 r1, i9 3080, 64gb. 4tb ssd.
@@MashITTech Yes, you mentioned in your vid. I think you were looking to gauge the interest on how to undervolt the GPU? Sorry if I misunderstood and that wasn't the case 😅 also, appreciate the points you raise around temps and TCC offset. It was your vids that helped me with this. Any chance of a vid in future where you give your steer on config on NVIDIA control panel settings? Or do you typically leave it as default? Cheers!
@@MashITTech Hi Mash i am not able to undervolt on my Alienware m17 R4 i9 1oth generation HK model with RTX 3080 can you help
12:18 You can mention the global NVIDIA FPS cap in 3d settings. It's a life saver especially as the laptop gets older.
12:38 Can you do a video (or a series) on cleaning these laptops (fans, grilles, what cleaning equipment to use, etc)?
When you get so many air circulation holes you get massive ammounts of dust buildup and need to clean them quite regularly and there's a distinct lack of cleaning videos on UA-cam.
One thing I strongly recommend is the dell service with the accident damage upgrade. If one invests £3k in a laptop I think £300 for 3y peace of mind is a no brainer - that includes overheat or other hardware issues, water spills, dropping, etc.
I would say get the i9 if you play Kerbal Space Program (single core).
Jokes aside, I agree with the 3070Ti recommendation and other components. It's all about the sweet spot. Thanks for the vid !
Thank you so much for this guide. Now will hopefully be able to sell the M16 as I haven't really used it much and sell my x17 while using it in preparation for the m18. Nice guide btw! Keep it up sir!
Glad you found it useful! you should have no problem selling the m16 as its so new! what did you think of it? I haven't been able to get hold of the m16 or m18 yet :(
@@MashITTech I haven't really tested it yet, just the standard things we check when getting a new laptop. Out of the box experience isn't great as alot of the things like OC is locked in the bios. It's hard selling it here in the Philippines because I'm thgr first one to have it haha. It won't be released here for another 5-6 months haha. Btw the x17 that I bought is the maxed out 3080ti with the 4k panel. Previous owner balled out. 64 gb ram and 2 tb of ssd... Too much power compared to my gt75 titan xD
boss magkano niyo po binebenta m16 at x17 niyo?
Great review, thank you for sharing about the "TCC".
Glad it helped 👍
Awesome video! Thanks for all the detail, I was waiting for this deep dive. How is the backlight bleeding on your 4K? I got mine and it isn't too bad but I can definitely notice it in the upper part of my screen. Also this 4K screen appears to be different than the one available for the R1.
My panel had very little bleeding, just a tiny amount at the bottom
How or what different than r1 I had the same but arrived when the r2 came out and the only think the at keeps me from getting r2 is the Touch Bar have they got it up yet or no
Hi David, how do you set the tron ring to have sort of mix colors. I have tried in the alienware command centre but can't figure out.
Nice video with lots of good info.
I just fell upon your page yesterday. I have to admit you are one of the best reviewers I've listened to. Quick question does a higher spec Nvidia 3080 have any bearing on simple streaming like watching UA-cam or netflix?
Thank you, that’s really kind of you to say. These laptops have Optimus so for light video streaming it won’t even engage the 3080. You can if you want switch it to 3080 only and streaming will be great on the 3080 but will use a lot more power than the intel
Great review been very helpful. I'm new to computers so the learning process has been steep haha, massive rabbit hole.
Can you access the TCC on a i7 and not i9?
Yes you can. As far as I am aware, Alienware have rolled it out to every model since 2020
Great video as usual. Very detailed and informative, keep it up! 👍
Also, I'm trying to shop between the X17 R2 and the Razer Blade 17 Pro, any suggestions or input on which to get?
That's a huge question 😂 to try and be brief I would say the Alienware is the better gaming machine and the Razer is the better all round laptop. The Razer is also a lot more expensive (at least in the UK) and has better speakers but much worse support.
Let me tell you a story...
I went from a Razer 17 (Late 2019. Became 15)) to the X17 R1 (issues, no parts --> refund --> repurchased when back in stock --> issues --> exchanged for R2 (but they downgraded 4K to HD) --> 4K became available --> Exchange --> Shipped and waiting for it to hit the US. Scary right... don't go with AW, right? Well.... not so fast...
Razer... I purchased a 17" unit --> massive light bleed --> exchange --> massive light bleed --> tried exchange with 'white glove service' and they could not find one without massive light bleed. So... OLED panel to the rescue... but... only in the 15". Working with Razor support is an absolute nightmare!!!!!... Dell has them beat on that, hands-down (it just might take 20 tries).
Then... 1.5 years into the Razer (purchased on Amazon with extended service)... battery bloat (happened 2 months prior with my daughters Razer 14", but the Amazon purchased warranty took care of it well and timely). My warranty that I purchased from Amazon was for a 17" unit... guess what... I had a 15" due to all the swapping. So, no warranty.
Then the fun really begins... Sending a Razer laptop in for repair. This can be an absolute nightmare for out of warranty service. You CANNOT send the unit in with aftermarket ram or ssd. Has to be original, or they will make you buy it. I put the original ssd in there because I did not want to loose my Windows install and data. BUT... I forgot to put the original ram back into the machine. Oh Lord... BIG mistake!! Now... keep in mind... I sent it in for a battery and only a battery. When I electronically signed the approval for them to do service, I specifically edited the document to state that I do NOT consent to the $99 charge for diagnostics, because there is nothing to diagnose, and all I wanted was a battery (which they refused to sell... had to send them the lappy). Now... just to add... Razer knew their batteries had problems and the tech told me they would replace it for free. LOL ready...
First thing they did when they received my laptop is diagnosed it. They then told me I needed to pay for the diagnosis $99, pay for the battery $70... and... wait for it... buy new ram ($100). WHAT!?! Yup... they would not replace the battery unless I paid them for the ram & diagnosis. I told them I was just supposed to get a battery at no-charge and instead they wanted me to pay $270. So after a lot of battling... I even offered to pay for the battery only ($70), but they would not do it.
Well... long story long... I told them to go f themselves and send me back my laptop. I bought a battery online and it has been running happily since.
So... in conclusion:
If you want a very well built, attractive, and performance crippled machine, go with Razer... BUT... buy it from Amazon and get the 4yr extended warranty from Amazon.
If you want a machine that can be 'tweaked' for high performance (extremely crippled out-of-the-box), with an appropriate sized power brick (now smaller in physical size), go with the X17.
Also... keep in mind... depending on what you want to do with the lappy... MSI, ASUS and Lenovo are great machines as well. All of which are crippled by BIOS and 280W or less power supplies. You have to decide what is more important to you... CPU or GPU or a balanced version of both. When watching reviews and seeing, for example, the MSI or Lenovo blowing everyone away with CPU power, just keep in mind, it is lowering the GPU power when doing that.
I chose AW because of the FN-F1 ... Full GPU and FULL CPU... until everything is thermal throttled due to it being a laptop. LOL But, the 4 fans DO let you take it to another level over the competition.
For those of you afraid to hit 100C on the CPU, get out of the dark ages. Get the 85 out of your head. Technology advances!! It will throttle when needed and it still throttles back to a turbo clock speed.
I found with 'MY' i9 the TCC sweet spot was '2'... just a little to limit 'some' thermal throttling. But... every processor is different. No, Really!! Just look up binning and you can learn something.
The 12th gens WILL thermal throttle on the P cores. If that is scary to you... OK... whatever... cripple your i7 or i9 processor to i5 speeds. LOL
Yes, I wrote a book! Peace!!
haha well said mate.
@@g33k98 Dayummmmmmmm.
Thanks so much for the clear reasonable decision advices
Glad it was helpful! :)
Just got my X17 R2. There used to be an option to protect the battery if you are using it mostly plugged it, called ''primarily ac use." Some Alienware laptops had it in the Bios, some Dell systems had in Dell Power Manager or My Dell. Were you able to find this?
Hi David, amazing video thank you much 😍 To be honest, I was hope that new 12th gen i7 would be cooler than 11th and 10th, but looks like the heat generation is absolutely the same. Probably Intel can't fix it. And moreover, as I understood from the video, Dell locked undervolting option for this i7 cpu. No chance in the future they unlock it with BIOS updates?
Excellent video! I'm in doubt between the 360hz FHD monitor and the UHD 120hz. would use with the 3070 TI, for gaming and office work. Do you believe that the UHD monitor for the x17 R2 is worth it?
If you had asked me before I got one in I would have said its not worth it. Having received one and being so impressed with it I have now changed my opinion! Its a fantastic panel that is incredibly crisp making work and content consumption a joy. The panel also scales really well so even if you can't game at 4k, it still looks great with the resolution dropped to 1440p
I wish you would make a dedicated video on MSI afterburner so I didn't have to hunt for this video every time I need to benchmark something. I'm going to leave a comment here every time I come back. Right now I'm working on benchmarking a 3080 TI in an eGPU.
This video has been so helpful! I’m looking into buying the X17 R2 next week and your videos have me sold on it. I seen you wishing for a QHD display and now they offer a 17.3", QHD 2560x1440, 165Hz, Non-Touch, 3ms, Advanced Optimus, ComfortView Plus, NVIDIA G-SYNC… would you go this route on the display?
I haven't been able to get my hands on that panel to test it but yes, that is the panel I would buy. I ended up settling on the 4k model as I bought it before they launched the QHD option and that panel is amazing but very expensive
Fantastic! Thanks!
Thanks for the amazing review! The 360 hz panel is no more available. There's the 480 hz option instead, but I couldn't find any documentation about color gamut or other specs. Do you know anything about it? I have to decide between 165 hz and 480 hz
I chatted with Dell, specifics are:
480hz
3ms
100% sRGB
1000:1
300 nits
It's like the 360 hz panel but with higher refresh rate.
Very nice video ! Can we see temps after the cpu offset change?
Good idea, I did show the difference when I did a dedicated TCC video about a year ago but I will try and knock something up and put it on our mash extra channel for you
Very interesting video. Thank you. Greetings Andy.
My x17R2 with the 3070ti will arrive next week. Thank you for the TCC offset tip. I tend to keep my laptops below 90 degrees Celsius.
Glad to be able to help
Hey Dave your videos are immensely helpful, thank you! would you mind explaining or doing a video on optimizing a new x17 r2 i7 for good thermals and performance. I feel like this would answer the question for good 👍
Leave it with me. I am in the middle of an SSD upgrade Video for next week then I will look at that for you
Yes this would be a very helpful video for me too! If only Dave could do the needful :)
Thanks alot! This was very helpful, but im still wondering if it makes sense to go for the higher specs (i9 CPU, 3080 Ti GPU) if you use your x17 as a desktop replacemnt with a monitor connected (gaming and creative work included)
I’m deciding on the 3070ti vs 3080ti, from comparisons I’ve seen it is like 20fps difference between them and a 600$ jump. I’m really tempted to get the i7 3070ti 4K with cherry and 32gb.
Excellent video, very informative! I set my Tcc offset to 10 initially and the system was running much cooler. Now that I've seen that laptop doesnt have any crazy heating issues (i7 12700h) but increased the Tcc to 5 and it runs at reasonable temps and throttles back when it hits 95c. This setting alone is a good way of managing heat issues if your particular laptop doesnt have a bad paste application out of the factory.
Yeah I am really glad Dell included it but I am surprised they don't make people more aware of it, especially as a lot of people are put off by the high temperatures
Thank you for these informative videos!
Can you do the X15 R2 Deep Dive next?
As soon as our 3080ti model arrives I will look at doing one 👍
@@MashITTech Waiting my X15R2 arrives too. Hopefully nothing so horrendously wrong during the review.
@@aldrinjulio4165 Any update on your X15 R2? How is the performance and thermals?
Thanks for the video. I've also ordered one, but more then 1 month delivery time (to Germany)
Oh sorry to hear that, they often ship sooner than they state so will keep my my fingers crossed for you
Exactly, Lukasz. I orderer mine on April, 1st and they haven't even manufactured it yet. They said they were waiting for a part (that should be available tomorrow).
I am ok, for now, since they stated 'delivery date April, 29th' from the beginning.
So, if they get the product ready tomorrow, they can still make it (8 days should be enough for it to arrive here (Germany) from China haha
But if I have to wait another month, then... 😤😤😤😡
great video again David ! Gonna ask for a link to that wallpaper though, thank you!
here you go :) Link to new wallpaper: file.io/LzJSmpn411lO
@@MashITTech Unfortunately, it says tehe file has been removed :(. Got any other link for me?
Hi David, Would you choose 3080ti over 3070ti for this 4k 120hz screen? Do you think 3080ti is much better for 4k gaming on demanding games like red dead2 and cyberpunk 2077? I am struggling between 3070ti and 3080ti😭
Great deep dive! thank you for all the info! Do you think the alienware x17 r2 is still worth it in 2023? Considering the huge price drop? (i found the i9 3080ti 64GB with 360hz screen for 2000$) , And couldn't you like get the 4K screen and set it to 1080p when gaming?
thank you for the offset tip, buddy
Thank you greatly!
Silly question, but...
What is that notebook stander/holder that you use to lift it up a bit to improve the air flow?
Thanks.
here is an amazon link: geni.us/uBT6zC like it as it folds flat and takes up very little room
Thanks for another informative video! Which model should I go for considering I want to watch movies and play most games at Good FPS, a 3070Ti with a 4K 120hz screen or 3080TI with a 360hz 1920x1080 screen ? I’m not really into video editing as of now, but mostly for gaming on a 4k and media consumption. I also play a lot of esport games like CSGO, Valorant & COD and was wondering which option do you think is worth going for?
PS: I already own a Alienware 15R3 and my experience has been quite frustrating to say the least. A lot of BSOD screen, even after repasting. Extremely high temps even on low to moderate games like CSGO or Age of Empires. Games stuttering a lot and I’m really concerned if this Alienware rig has got much of this sorted. I’m skeptical but it’s price compared to other competitors with similar specs is very good and the after sales service of Alienware is the best. Would love you input!
If you want to purely game at high fps then you may want to consider the 360hz. But if you plan to do content creation or content consumption as well as gaming get the 4K. Fortunately the panel scales really well so no need to worry about the 4K panel getting low fps on some games at native resolution. I games for a year in the x17r1 and now for a few months on the r2 and have had no blue screens and my gaming has been flawless. Sounds like you had some serious issues with your 15r3 and dell should have sorted those for you! If you get any issues just message me and I am always here to help
@@MashITTech thanks for the info! I really want to get that 4k screen but was wondering will the 3070Ti be able to cope up to give me decent FPS in AAA rated games ? Is the difference between 3080TI & 3070Ti significant enough to game on a 4k screen? Or should I get the 3080Ti and get a 4k screen later ?
Bought my 15R3 in 2018 Feb. It went out of warranty after an year and unfortunately started showing signs of extremely high temps and frequent BSOD screens since then to even today. It even gets stuck on normal web browsing and the BSOD shows multiple errors every single time it happens. Dell support are unable to help me as they did the diagnostic tests remotely and found no hardware issues. They told me that they could send the technician only if there is any hardware issues in out of warranty situations. That’s why I’m looking for a new rig. I’ve been watching your reviews for couple of months now to decide on the same. Already looking forward to more videos on the x17 and deep dive with the x15R2.
Good eevening! I recently ordered my X17 R2... watched your video too late, should have asked for the 3070ti and maybe the i7 core. Do you recommend, besides lifting the laptop's rear, any cooling pad for this model that can help with the overclocking and keep the temperature not so high? Thank you and excellent videos!
In all honesty in my testing just lifting the rear did almost as good a job as the best pads out there! Only reason to get the pad is if you want it on your desk as part of a static set up
Awesome info 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
Just FYI you haven't included the links to MSi Afterburner/Rivatuner in the description. Great video as always!
Oh thanks mate, completely forgot. Will add them asap 👍
@@MashITTech that didn't age well...
@@GhostSlayerYT sorry mate, what didn’t? The 4K?
@@MashITTech the link to msi afterburner hehe
Great job Dave! I am waiting my x17 but is delayed. I'm also taking a look at MSI ... especially the Z16 Fujiwara Edition model. But I don't know if their support is up to Dell.
MSI support is no where near Dells and they offer no onsite option (at least in the UK, not sure about other countries). We also get very limited MSI stock here at stupid prices which is why I rarely review MSI products
@@MashITTech Yeah, MSI don't offer onsite assistance and no telephone number in Italy. Here they offer a GS77 at 4400 €, no OS and tdp GPU 105w...😑
My R2 is delayed a month so far with no accurate time frame to actually get it. Sucks 🙁
Thank you so much....unreal how there was 0 bs in this video thanks again
Glad you found it useful 😀
Iam in a small dilemma about choosing a gaming laptop between razer blade 17 pro or Alienware x17 r2….
Can you help me to get the best one of both gaming laptops….😊
Sounds like I've gotta make some time to learn. First Alienware product for me. Probably have to test it out before messing with the hardware for at least a month.
Thanks for the video mate! I am new to Alienware...I am waiting for mine to be delivered. I actually bought it for my audio/video studio and chose it over the new Macbook pro. I work on Macs in my ad agency, but I have not been super impressed. I feel like I have made a good choice for video and audio production. Let me know if you think a cooling dock would be a good choice for me in the studio. I will be running a UHD 4K external monitor. Also, if you have any tips for optimizing the system for video editing I would appreciate it...I use Adobe Premiere Pro. I have the i9 version, 32 gigs of ram, 3080 ti. Cheers.
A cooling dock is not necessary but raising the rear up is always advisable. I always use a decent stand with any laptop that is docked to a monitor a not only does it improve the temps but it also puts the laptop screen at a comfortable height if you plan to use it as a second screen. I don't use premier but do use resolve and my only advice to you would be get a decent sized drive installed in that second SSD slot 😂 I have 4tb in mine and I am still always shuffling files off to my NAS as I am out of space! The system comes with minimal bloat so just get the machine fully updated from Dell and Windows update, use the Dell drivers rather than Nvidia directly as although the Dell drivers are older they are validated with your laptop which is really important if plan on using it for work
Thank you so much for this video, I just have a question about the Nvidia card in the Alienware and how it works with a external monitor, is this laptop capable of use the NVIDIA graphics card through one of the USB C ports? or from the mini display port? im asking this because I have a Razer blade 14 ryzen 9 RTX 3080ti (2022) which only connect to the Nvidia graphics card through the HDMI 2.1 port but this causes that it cannot go more than 144hz and cannot use G-SYNC since most monitors only have that feature through the DisplayPort port
One more question, please. I noticed the function keys on my x17 R2 don't have that crisp feel that all the other keys do (Cherry Keyboard). Do your function keys feel a little soft? I would like a second opinion before I call Dell and try to get a new keyboard.
Thanks!
I own an alienware 17 r5 and it gets super hot at around 100c. I was super worried with this as i heard many say this kind of temps will degrade the chip. Thats a load a bull***t. I have the laptop for about 4 years and still going as well as the day i got it but to be fair i service it my self since the fans and fins get clogged up with dust every six months sometimes 4 depending how fast you run your fans. I can say i have had the fans run full speed always since the day i got it and the fans still going without an issue. I am quite curious how servicing this new laptops with 4 fans would go since for sure they will also experience dust build up.
I still have my A17 with nvidia 860 since 2015..still alive 😊😊😊😊you cant go wrong with this brand
Awesome learning something new today can TTC and reduce the heat
Yes it can 👍
My Omen 17's 2070 Super died because it overheated just a while ago, so I'm terrified of overheating GPUs. I would very much appreciate it if you could show us how to undervolt the GPU on this machine. I'm planning to pick one up later this year with the 4k screen. Really appreciate these videos.
Looking forward to see that undervolting of the GPU
I bought a KLIM Wind Laptop Cooling Pad and that made a difference in the temperature.
4K baby !
Oh yeah! I did shoot this video before 4K released, just taken me forever to actually edit it 🤣
If I’m to use the x17 r2 for gaming and CAD for work would you recommend I go with the i9? Also, If wattage and cooling is the limiting factor, is there a way to increase the internal wattage and would a laptop stand with cooling fans help keep temperatures safe to maximize the i9 performance? Hope I’m making sense and thank you! Great video!
No matter what you do I don’t recommend the i9! The i7 is so powerful and yes still thermally constrained, anything you can do to try and improve i9 performance would also improve the i7 performance. These 12th gens need a crazy amount of power to get the best out of them and a laptop could never fully power an i9
@@MashITTech thank you, I was this close to picking one up. I plan on using a VR headset for the computer as well. I see that they advertise the x17 r2 with the i9 as “VR ready” does this mean the i7 won’t be strong enough for VR? Thanks again for taking your time to help!
i have the 480 hz screen and i think its mini led, no backlight bleed and mouse blooms its awesome
Hi, what's that raiser thing you bought called and where can I get one for my laptop? at 12:40
Late to the party but Great video! I'm really interested in an undervolting video, with my I9 going all over the place. Working fine, but the NOICE. So maybe You could...
Undervolting wasn’t working properly for me at the time as the cpu wasn’t recognised in throttlestop. I don’t have an i9 in the office test at the moment but next time I do I will try it again
Hello, ordered my x17 r2 3070ti about a week ago and today received a message that my order has been delayed …It was showing that it’s going to arrive June 14-23 and now it says July 7. I hope to receive it as quickly as possible .Previously I had acre predator with 1660ti and needed to upgrade this year .Purchased it after watching your video thank you very much for making such a great review
Glad it helped. Unfortunately this some times happens if they have a shortage on a part on your order :( they usually give worst case figures so hopefully it will arrive before your new date
@@MashITTech hi how choose x17 with 3070Ti and 360hz screen, on oficial site that option is not avialable... wtf u can only with 165hz ...
Hello sir i have ordered m15 series just wanted to ask you how you backup your windows and software in dell as till now ive only used hp omen only any help is greatly appreciated thankyou in advance
What is the stand that you use?
Thanks Dave. It's such an awesome laptop, especially now they have a 4K G-Sync screen (woot!) option, but I just can't get past the lack of secondary lighting no matter how hard I try. It just ruins the entire thing for me.
yeah the lighting is a real shame. I am quite used to it as Razer has done the same in the UK/Europe for years as we are second class citizens here :)
@@MashITTech wow ok, my razer is all fully lit.
Did you keep your 3070/11800H razer 15 advanced? That's what I am typing on now, and of course still have my beast lenovo 7i. I am waiting to see what Lenovo do with the 12th gen flagship. Alienware has the best clock speeds of any 12th gen so far, including Asus, but those darn keys. I STILL look on my Lenovo and Razer when I want to use a secondary function, so it would be impossible for me I think. I was so close to snapping one up with 3080TI, 64GB ram, 12900HK on Easter sale, but decided against it.
Yes, I still have and love my blade 15 and also just picked up an 11th gen 17" as I loved the 15 so much. I realised that for my personal use I don't need the 12th gens power so saved a fortune on 11th gen. I am also looking forward to getting a legion 7 12th gen and may well keep one of those if they are as good as last year 🤣
Someone suggested to give the different keys different color lights, it doesnt fix it but...it's a hail mary to me
I feel like claiming Alienware often runs a maximum power draw often to be quite misleading considering we only have to go back literally one generation and the m15 R6 that had *worse* power limits than the razer blades last year at just 45w on the 11800H/3070 machines. I sent mine back because temperatures were so bad even after a full replacement that after 20 minutes of modern warfare 2019 it'd fall to 3.2GHz all core and less than 45w on the CPU. Stock VBIOS was also *lower* on the R6 than the R5 too. Alienware are hit and miss on power limits and respective thermal performance on relation to that and I think it should be scrutinized more than that, especially for the comparison given. Dell and Razer are just as guilty of it and at arguably the same frequency. What matters more is whether or not they continue this way, or better still improve the R6 range via a BIOS update.
Hi Dave
Sorry to bother you again, what do you think of the Cherry keyboard, I fancy it but guy from Alienaware trying to put me off it saying it's for the American Market and won't display the pounds symbol. Is he taking rubbish or is it true. Love your video
Never a bother mate. The guy is right. They only make the keyboard is the USA ANSI layout. I am not sure if you are familiar with this layout but the Americans get a half height enter key and longer left shift key plus the " @ are swapped. There is also no £ symbol. Personally it doesn't bother me and I type with both
Would you game with this with the lid closed (clamshell) while using external monitor? This would block a lot of vents around the keyboard. Thanks.
Using it in clamshell causes throttling whilst gaming or heavy load. I would never run any of these new alienwares in clamshell unless it’s just light work
Love my X17 R2. Went with the 4K 3080ti and i9 for work and play. It's a beautiful machine and an absolute beast at the same time. If anyone is wondering, Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 is disabled in the BIOS by default from Dell/Alienware, bc if you enable it, it will prevent the max wattage to the GPU from reaching 170-175w. You will top at 150w with it on. Keep up the awesome vids!
Thanks for that tip. A 3080ti, i9, 64GB ram, 4k display, 1TB drive one of these arrived as a complete surprise for my work laptop and I will definitely trade the top end of gpu performance for turbo boost max 3. I think it'll make a much bigger difference day to day
FYI I have been getting full system halts requiring a long power button press with no BSOD after enabling Intel Turbo Boost Max 3 in the bios. Toggling it back off so far so good.
@@frzen woah thanks for the warning
@@frzen did they upgrade you all that for free ?
Dream laptop
Did it happen to come with a heatsink for a second m.2 drive?
Can you use a program like throttlestop to limit the cpu wattage ( PL1) to reduce temps?
Yes, you can’t undervolt or adjust multipliers on the i7 but you can cap the wattage.
With my x17 R2, I've got the i7 and 3080ti. With it elevated, and the fans set to "Performance," I find the noise fine for my home office, and during game sessions, my averages max out in the mid 80s after the initial boost/throttle. It runs pretty cool given the mad performance I'm getting out of that CPU. The GPU runs nice and cool throughout.
Hi I have 3070 TI how did you manage to lessen the noise? Thanks
@@xpearrow5697 well, with the fans cranked it's loud, but tolerable. Since the post here, I have left it on "balanced," and it's not quite as loud, and ramps up quickly in games.
You could put it on "quiet," but it will cost you performance
@@QMaverick1 yah tried it both but still same.. Maybe BF 2042 hits a lot in game
Hello can I please find out what you’re using to keep the laptop elevated? An exact name or link would be helpful as I just ordered my x17r2 and would need the stand to elevate it
Here you go: geni.us/uBT6zC
I buy a new laptop every 5 years for software development and a bit of gaming. I always max out the spec to make sure in 4 years time it is still current. So I did go for i9, 64Gb, 3080, 2Tb SSD and 4K screen. After watching this it seems I may have wasted some money. But I had a 32Gb machine before and was always nudging 60% usage during just everyday tasks, at idle - Visual Studio 2022 (3 or more instances, all with PowerShell/Node terminal windows inside), VS Code, SQL Server, etc as well as graphics programs and several browser windows. So I do not agree with you on the 32Gb recommendation unless just using for gaming. I also think the upgrade to 64Gb at configuration stage will be less money than paying for 32Gb then paying again for 64Gb later. Of course you could sell the old RAM on eBay.
Interesting point on the i7 vs. i9. I do use a lot of burst CPU when compiling code, so am convincing myself that that was money well spent :-). Maybe it wasn't.
I love your reviews and watch them all. I know Alienware are aimed at gamers primarily, but people like myself do buy them for raw power you just cannot get in the lesser CPUs you get in a Dell XPS, for example. It would be nice to see some cases of using development and creative applications in your reviews.
Keep up the good work. Seems you have the best job on earth.
I bought the same machine (waiting to be delivered) and regarding the specs, what you'll use it for, how long you intend to keep it, etc... These are all the same in my case.
I bought the machine to do my work shit and to play now and then.
Regarding work: I do have a lot of Software Development stuff, but it's not only that in my case. As an Electrical Engineering Major, there's a loooot more going on and as you mentioned, not every usual machine can handle this. So, we buy a gaming machine haha
Question: do you think the I9 would be worth for video editing? I know you said it would benefit in bursts but not consistent performance, which is why I’m asking.
Also, if you’re saying that the I9 is limited by thermals, wouldn’t that issue be resolved with a cooling fan?
I’d love to hear a reply on this too!
What laptop stand do you use?
Hey David, thanks for the brilliant video.
I have the same exact machine. Sometimes when I'm gaming I realize my battery percentage has dropped to 98% and it's charging while it's been plugged in all the time and the power never went out. Is it normal?
I have seen this happen on other machines where it drains the battery if it is not able to take enough from the charger. I haven’t noticed it on mine though. How long were you gaming for? Does it happen regularly? I will see if I can recreate it on my model
@Mash IT thanks for the response.
It happens every time I play, mostly after 1 hour of playtime. btw:
1- I've tested the laptop both with and without the mux switch enabled and the results were the same.
2- I haven't done any undervolting or overclocking
3- CPU temperature is mostly around 80 degrees celsius.
4- I play cyberpunk
5- My power outlet is not brand new, could it be the problem?
@@behrooz8393 it's your charger you have to get the the 330 w charger
So... How does the screen on this compares to the 144 Gsync 1080p from the Area 51m R1/R2? Is it better or worse? (Both 360 and the 166 Hz one?) ^_^
I am genuinely curios as I found the display on the Area 51m very solid (not the best, but solid).
Well the biggest problem I found with area 51m is they had multiple panel suppliers for the base panel but the 165hz on the x17 is a solid panel and better than the 144hz I tested but not as good as the 360hz in both speed and colours
How susceptible is the thermal pump out of the gallium in element 31 for 12th gen? If reaching 100C in short burst of time I would think its pretty high.
I am going to take one apart soon to see how it looks (just need to finish a couple of videos first) I will document the process 👍
Considering you showed the fans with the panel off, can the panel be removed and placed onto a separate fan deck, would that work to reduce sustained heat and allow 160w activity with the i9 chip? So simulating a desktop fan cooling option?
I also have 5000Eur to spend and I have held off buying a laptop for about 4-5 weeks while I review options. There is a video of laptop fan pads being used on all max settings for GPU and CPU on a Lenovo and temps are kept around 75-78C this made me think could this make the i9 operate at max temp 80-85C and allow 160W.... if so I will buy the Alienware M17 4K R2 ua-cam.com/video/6vGdonCG9k8/v-deo.html
Also add liquid metal? Trying both cooling pad and liquid metal contact I would really like to see if there is a performance benefit not limited to short bursts of highest performance on screen
I do plan to test on liquid metal soon and do expect that to improve temperatures. I haven't tried utilising fans underneath yet but can certainly test it
any plans to test the Ryzen 6000 series Alienware laptops?
Alienware m17r5 is currently on its way from China as we speak 😃 hopefully it will arrive with me early next week 👍
going to buy one for music production on ableton and gaming. will share my experience
Music production is something I have no clue on so would love to hear how you get on 👍
@@MashITTech just left another comment on x15 r2 video. I ended up going with that model with intel i7 and 3070. So far works great on big music projects. The 12th gen chip so far is doing great ! It seems about double the power of my i7 chip from 2020. I really appreciate you reviews. Very straightforward and honest.
Hi,
I saw the R2 can be equipped with M.2 SSDs in standard configuration or in RAID0 configuration. Now, RAID0 can boost Read/Write performance. So if I buy 1T option in standard (1x1T) or RAID0 (2x512G) are we seeing any performance improvement in terms of read and right?
Nope! Raid on SSDs is pointless. I tested this a while back and was incredibly disappointed. IT just produces you more problems if a drive fails or if you want to increase the capacity in the future
@@MashITTech Got it. Thank you.
Damn, this dude gors through everything.
Love my X17 R2! Speakers are crap though. Love your reviews
Agreed on the speakers, I have been hoping it is just the new software they are using but I guess there would have been a fix by now if it was :(
@@MashITTech the biggest issue is the vibrations in the chassis from the speakers. Speakers themselves aren’t bad. I might try adding more foam around the speakers
Mine aren't vibrating that badly but the sound quality is much worse than the r1, they even look like the same speakers! Its such a shame on such a premium product
@@MashITTech I used some custom EQ settings others have suggested in the Dolby app. Is there a way I can share the screenshot with you to see if that helps your speakers? They helped mine sounds much less muffled
You should make a video on how to clean the fans of the alienware x15 or x17!
I will be making a tear down guide soon and as part of that video I will cover cleaning 👍
@@MashITTech Can't wait!
The same story as previous gen when comes to i7 vs i9. I had to return i9 in Lenovo L7i and get i7.
Hi I've been buying alot of 2nd hand laptop in Canada and bringing them home to the Philippines. I got a steal deal with the r2 x17 max specs. Now I feel like selling my M16 4080 as the x17 is more than enough for what I need haha. The 4070 line up this year is a mess though... All MSI set up when sir? 😂 😂 😂 Keep up the quality content!
I am currently working on a new all Alienware setup then I will take a look at MSI
@@MashITTech will await for this! Sadly my brother can't take home the cheap 2nd hand 34 inch alienware monitor haha. Btw do you have a guide for managing the heat in the x17?
haha what a pity he can't get one of the 34" OLEDS in his hand luggage 😂 did you watch my X17r2 deep dive?
@@MashITTech watched the upgrades first haha watching the deep dive now hehe
if you have any questions after please just ask away :)
How would you compare this with the scar 17 QHD 240hz 3070Ti?
i am thinking about this but the neo 15 with the watercooler seems like a better option
I looked at that but the water cooling looked a bit janky. I hope it was an early sample and they have improved things but the fans were really loud
i hit like for this "monster"
Right on brother, I just traded my motorcycle for a brand new one of this. This video is gonna be so helpful, thank you!!
BTW, I searched you up because another channel recommended you. Cheers!
Any thoughts on cooling pads, or just the stand? Never used one..
Who was that? Justin?
Cooling pads are also good but just raising the rear end is enough to improve the airflow as the laptop does have amazing cooling
For anyone worried about cpu heat, I recommend using ThrottleStop to undervolt your cpu. I managed to reduce my temperatures by around 15 celsius on average. Its potential is really unlocked when you do this, and you can probably get at least an extra 10% more performance.
Hi Jake, throttlestop is locked on the i7 and I couldn't get it working properly on my i9. Have you got it working on an x17r2 or are you talking in general?
@@MashITTech I managed to get the 9.4 (final) version of ThrottleStop working great on my x17r2. The lowest stable undervolts I got were -129.9 mV with high performance mode off, and -160 mV with it on.
Oh wow, well done. I guess this is the i9 as my i7s are completely greyed out. Will have to give it another go with the i9
Good review, and wish someone would review the hp omen 2022 17 with 3080 ti
I will see if it’s available in the U.K. but we don’t get a good range of omen stocked over here 😢
@@MashITTech well if you don't thank you for at lest trying you rock.