Leaderboard

I ordered the M18x-R2 triple pipe CPU sink from Alienware last week and today it finally arrived. Since I had a new palm rest + control cover sitting around to install, I figured I'd get them all out of the way at the same time. Initially I was a bit skeptical about how it would perform vs the 2 pipe CPU sink I already had since the 2 pipe CPU sink has thicker pipes vs the 3 pipe one. However, after installing it (and sticking with the Dell thermal paste), I was simply blown away by the results! The 2 pipe CPU sink with FRESH MX-4 running at 4 GHz would often yield temperatures ranging from 92-98C and was simply not feasible for daily use in this hot Arizona weather so I had to drop my clocks to 3.8 GHz. However, with the 3 pipe CPU cooler, this has all changed and I think I can easily go above 4 GHz. The best part about this upgrade is that the CPU does not throttle to base multiplier after extended use, instead it stays at a constant 4 GHz so performance is markedly improved with sustained load times. Here's some installation photos + comparison shots of the 2 pipe vs 3 pipe: Performance and temperature at 4 GHz: M18x triple pipe cpu cooler part number: 0MXJ5, cost is around $32. Special Thanks: @Alienware-Pablo_R

In order to benefit from the new Bios, you need to reinstall windows but full erase your hdd/ssd: backup to external drive, erase hdd/ssd, set the bios to UEFI, disable legacy rom, enable windows 8 fast boot, the save and boot from windows 8 dvd, create partitions (it will format GPT with recovery partition, efi partition, MSR partition and Windows system partition, this is automatically), after everything is set (do not use Intel chipset utility or F6 driver, just leave the one from Windows update), you will enjoy a new windows 8 style Alienware logo and a WoW, outstanding speed (running SSD 6GB/s and 16gb ddr 1600mhz)

Dell support says a lot...

I never heard of a corresponding FirePro version, but it might come soon with the new Dell Precision series. Anyway, if you look at GPGPU and CAD benchmarks, the performance of the 7970m is already top notch, it simply destroys a 680m.