Brian

lol you know what it reminds me of? That movie Wall-E where everyone in the future is living in space and has become a total fat ass dependent on machines. This is just one step towards that future...

Now I need a dog like that! Who needs robots when we can just genetically engineer smart dogs to do everything for us? Beats the hell out of my useless cat who just sleeps all day long.

Yup they are lol.

Looks like a secretaries dream come true. I liked the fake blonde.

I just got my old Dell 2005FPW display with 1680x1050 resolution setup on my desk. Now I'm just waiting on the displayport-->dvi cable to come in so I can use it.

lol those mods over there don't like their "authority"(say it in cartman's voice) questioned. Well you guys can relax here and bring along any friends you can.

Welcome to T|I getfound. 3 day ban sounds like nbr to me. NH thx for the link! Btw site belongs to stam, me and michael.

What OC menu is not coming up? The one in Rivatuner? Make sure you imported the rtp settings correctly and also set the EnableULPS 1 instances to 0 (there's about 5-6 of them in the registry). Rivatuner also has to be detected by RBE so that it can modify the rivatuner.cfg file to add the proper hardware ids.

The newest in Asus's gaming line of notebooks will be a 17.3" notebook called the G74. Featuring a new display that will feature a wider gamut than standard WLED as well as superior viewing angles and brightness, this notebook seems a worthy alternative to other popular notebooks such as the Alienware M17x-R3. It also features new cooling with larger exhausts. Set to be released in Q3 of this year (~July 2011), it should feature the new Sandy Bridge processor along with nVidia's 500M series graphics card. Videos:

MSI 780R will be released with a new type of keyboard backlighting similar to that of Alienware (configurable color zones) as well as the new Sandy Bridge processor and nVidia's new 500M series graphics chip. Asus also has a new 17.3" model due out soon called the G74 but between the two, the Asus seems better built boasting a seemingly superior display. Video:

I found old pics of my lian li watercooled system w/custom reservoir etc from 3 years back. I don't have the case anymore but I'll put up the pics later tonight, it still looks good after all this time.

I think the 6970M for the R3 is nearly assured but I doubt we'll see the 560M this soon unless AW has been testing it all this time. They usually release new video card updates slower than everyone else. But that G74 looks to have a VERY nice screen, I was quite shocked by the videos posted by notebookcheck. The viewing angles seem excellent as does the color reproduction and I've read 300 nits being tossed around as the brightness in addition to higher gamut. That alone should blow away the M17x-R3 display but it remains to be seen whether it can match the R2's RGB LED (doubtful) or the M18x's display, whatever that may be.

I was the one that made the PM800 thread last year but since then Dell started shipping all new Samsung's with TRIM enabled. How old are your Samsung drives? You should be able to tell if they have TRIM or not by looking at the serial number on them and then googling that serial number for confirmation. It's been a while since I used one though. I don't see why updating the firmware would brick your drive, at most if it's not compatible it'll just reject the update. As for the other problem you're having, try booting into safe mode without Raid and disabling the free fall sensor in Windows. It shouldn't start once you do that on reboot.

Corsair makes good memory, if the price is right then go for it.

I'm also waiting on V2 before I flash because the reason I want this unlocked bios is for the fan control.

It's the standard ram that Dell ships with the R2. Did you notice the high shipping price? If you're in Australia, you might be better off just buying something locally there. I am not really a proponent of low latency modules for the R2 either (e.g. Kingston HyperX) because I haven't seen any evidence that they provide added performance vs the standard stuff Dell ships. Furthermore, low latency modules require higher voltage in order to remain stable at higher bclk settings.

Hi Mark, You can use the attachment feature and upload pictures there. If that doesn't work, just e-mail them to me and I'll add them to our main server and give you the links to the images. PM me if the images are too large and it doesn't let you upload them. There are also other online image hosting services you can use such as ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting which give you direct links to thumbnails of the images. That's a service a lot of us use and it works quite well.

What? No love for my calvin pissing on asus photoshop skills????

Mythical shmythical, M18x will come...it better anyway.

Funny you mention it because he's already working on something like that.

Good points but I'll add: Battery life: My R2 gets about 2 hours with both GPU's active and my display above 50% brightness. Not great but good enough. Weight: Heavy to some but to me it's not heavy at all. I use it on my lap daily. R3 GPU upgrade path: Apart from 6970M, I don't forsee any other GPU upgrades before the next MXM revision and another model. SB CPU: You mentioned throttling so that's a concern because Toms Hardware initially mentioned the same thing when they tested an R3. TheWiz: Uncertain but based on his abilities, I think we have a good shot at 6970M (or crossfire) on the R2. My biggest beef with the R3 is that they removed dual GPU, took away the possibility of anything other than standard WLED (they could have offered B+RG) AND that they added that shiny border all around the keyboard, what were they thinking...it looks hideous. Also, I'm weary of the Trojan rubber because it can wear off or get damaged in a short period of time like some G73 owners have experienced. I'd rather they would have kept the lid aluminum or at least magnesium and left the palm rest as rubber since that can at least feel nice for lazy typists. But as you mentioned, the M17x-R3 is an M17x only by name and is vastly different than it's predecessors. It seems Alienware's target is the Asus G73 and we'd all agree that they've done a good job in that regard. Speaking of G73, I'll be doing a SB G73 review once it's available to me locally. Viking - you're right, it's not a disappointment if you take it for what it is but if you consider the legacy it has to live up to, then it is a major disappointment. I do agree with Michael that something of the R3's caliber could have been brought to the newly revamped XPS line (e.g. XPS 17) and done very well without having to sacrifice Alienware's quality. Because if we're all frank about build quality, then R3 is a step down not up. Even the new XPS line are made of aluminum. Keep 'em coming guys and remember, this is for fun so don't get upset. One thing I think all AW fans can agree on:

A mumak and unclewebb combo would be awesome! It all depends on them I guess. Or better yet, a mumak/wiz/unclewebb ultimate triad.

Well we know some places don't allow this kind of discussion but this is Tech|Inferno, not only do we allow it, we encourage it! So I'll start first: M17x-R2 Pros: Dual 5870M is still FASTER than a single 6970M in most cases M17x-R2 RGB LED can't be matched The 920/940xm + TS combo beats a 2820qm and there is no 2920xm for R3 currently. Construction: Aluminum vs Trojan Rubber. 'Nuff said. Unlocked bios by TheWiz and possible GPU upgrades coming ala Crossfire 6970M. Has been around longer and is now a very stable system. You can grab it cheap on the Dell outlet. Better touch panel. IMO looks better than R3. M17x-R2 Cons: Older chipset + CPU architecture No official 6970M love from Dell Slightly heavier M17x-R3 Pros Sandy Bridge + Cougar Point (once it's revised haha) Newer design that may appeal to some. Lighter than R2 and thinner. Soft Touch Rubber 120 Hz 3D display technology Extended battery life thanks to graphics switching tech (optimius + amd manual switching) Low starting price M17x-R3 Cons: Soft touch rubber flakes off - rut roh! It has been reported that the CPU throttles (DaneGRClose can confirm this) No RGB LED No dual card support So there you have it, that's my list and my overall preference goes to the R2. R3 would have been in my sig if it had dual card support despite it's inferior build quality and lack of RGB LED. Don't like my reasons? Well bring it!

So Intel is denying there is any exclusivity with Apple with regards to releasing Lightpeak/Thunderbolt early. They claim that PC manufacturers can release it anytime but personally I think there's more to it than that. Given that the technology was a collaboration between Apple and Intel, I don't think it is too far fetched to assume that because of prior knowledge, Apple was able to push out the technology before anyone else. It may not be an exclusive deal but they definitely got a leg up on the competition because of this IMO. Here's our recent Thunderbolt article for reference: Intel's lightpeak now shipping as Thunderbolt in newest Macbook Pro. | Tech|Inferno

Fantastic! Looking forward to your write-up. If you need help w/the images, let me know. I'll PM him on his forum tonight and see what he says. Welcome to the forum bud! Any luck with the fan trip points yet?