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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

As you may or may not know, enabling IGP via FN+F7 does not work when a Clevo 680M is used in the M18x. However, when an unlocked bios is used, you can go into the advanced menu section, then video configuration and force IGP as the primary display (rather than PEG). Once the system reboots, it'll be in IGP mode BUT and I can't stress this enough, DO NOT press FN+F7 to switch back to discrete else your system will go into an endless loop. If that happens, you have to take out the 680M and blind flash the system with a recovery usb. So save yourself the trouble and don't press FN+F7. To re-enable the PEG, just turn it back on as primary in the bios and reboot. I've been playing with the PowerXpress settings but none seem to be able to work with regards to FN+F7, I figured dynamic would do it but apparently not. UPDATE: The PARTIAL fix is very simple Download the unlocked A05 M18x-R1 Bios Boot into the Bios, go to advanced-->video configuration and change the display from PEG to SG (switchable graphics). Keep PowerXpress as FIXED MUX. Reboot and now you will be able to use FN+F7 to switch between discrete and IGP. NOTE: You will again need to set SG in the bios after using FN+F7 one time since it resets back to PEG. Thanks to @johnksss for the SG tip.

Dell has released a new vbios revision for the 580m http://support.dell.com/support/download...eid=478843 *ISO image of GTX580 A01 Vbios 70.24.2B.00.06* *The flash utility will ask for user input to override PCI Subsystem ID. This is normal. Press y whenever prompted to complete the Vbios flash.* *ISO image of production GTX560M Vbios. Burn image to CD and reboot system. Press F12 to choose CD/DVD drive. When promoted, press Y.* OLD vbios version version 70.24.2B.00.04 had 3 entries core:50.5MHz shader:101MHz(bumped shader:270MHz) memory:67.5MHz --------------- core:73.5MHz shader:147MHz(bumped shader:270MHz) memory:162MHz --------------- core:620MHz shader:1240MHz(bumped shader:1289MHz) memory:750MHz New vbios version 70.24.2B.00.06, has 4 entries: new entry is marked in bold core:50.5MHz shader:101MHz(bumped shader:270MHz) memory:67.5MHz --------------- core:73.5MHz shader:147MHz(bumped shader:270MHz) memory:162MHz --------------- core:475MHz shader:950MHz(bumped shader:950MHz) memory:750MHz --------------- core:620MHz shader:1240MHz(bumped shader:1289MHz) memory:750MHz. Thanks to Saltius from notebookreview and Barcode for posting this at Bios-Mods! Barcode is trying to see if this vbios can be manipulated here: DELL M18X A03 BIOS THROTTLE REMOVAL GTX580M SLI

One fine day I turned my m18x off and took it to a friend's house. When I got there and tried to boot it I noticed that it hanged on the alien face screen (with the red progress bar below, which loaded quite quickly), it gets stuck there for about 2 or 3 minutes before actually booting into something or even entering the BIOS. Started completely out of nowhere, any ideas? Thanks. EDIT: Additional info: 2820QM, 16gb Kingston Hyper-X, 6970 SLI, OCZ Vertex III 240gb plus 750gb sata

[revised by svl7, 01/22/12] Here are some unlocked versions of the M18x BIOS, this means all the hidden BIOS menus are now available. This allows you to further tweak and overclock your machine, but some settings are very advanced and not meant to be touched by the average user, so use it with care and common sense. Unfortunately quite some of the links which were previously posted here are now invalid due to what happened with megaupload. I will try to recollect all the files and get fresh links, so I can provide the complete collection. Here's what's available for now: [unlocked] M18x BIOS A03 [unlocked] M18x BIOS A04 both modified and provided by Ahmed from BIOS-Mods, a big thanks to his amazing work! Consider buying him a drink for all the effort! [unlocked] M18x BIOS A05 modified by @svl7 After flashing, go to the BIOS menu and load the default settings to prevent possible issues. As always with such mods, you are responsible for what you do to your system, use at your own risk. M18x - A05 unlocked.zip

was on dells config page today and saw Intel Core i7 2760QM and 2860QM now avail on M17x R3 where avail now instead of the 2720 and 2820 CPU's. I even think they are avail for the M14x and I would guess the M18x too. Someone might want to make a better post as I am in chat with dell about a better price on my M17x since my money is finally coming in to buy it.

Eric G. (Posterous) has again provided us with an exclusive, A03 bios, to be available on Dell Support soon. Just announced - Alienware M18X (Updated) - Dell News and more Direct Link: ftp://ftp.dell.com/bios/M18xR1A03.EXE <!-- / message --><!-- sig --> __________________

After removing the Edge-to-Edge glass cover from my beast today, I was surprised to discover the anti glare screen behind it! No graininess and no reflections! I cracked and scratched the E2E glass in the process but it was well worth the trouble since am not going to need it anyway. Finally an AW machine where I don't have to look at my face reflection all day, lol!

My alienware m18x came with the latest graphic drivers provided by Dell, however, I have an issue with this driver version: stuttering when mouse goes on the upper right corner of a game I play often, 'heroes of newerth' - they say the solution is simple, update to either 10.1 or 11.6 driver version. The problem is that my laptop won't accept any driver but the one provided by dell, I completely uninstalled the dell one and tried to install the one provided by amd, unsuccessfully, since it install but does not work. Anybody have any idea? Thank you.

Hello guys, here is the collection of the Alienware M18X videos i made, i hope you will enjoy it M18X General Overview M18X Noise Level Test M18X HDMI-IN Test with a PS3 M18X Heaven Unigine Benchmark everything Extreme M18X Heaven Unigine Benchmark Standard Settings M18X CPU Heavy Rendering Test with Vue9 M18X The Witcher 2 first video M18X The Witcher 2 second video M18X The Witcher 2 third video M18X Crysis 2 Test M18X Melting the CPU M18X Melting the GPU M18X Overclocking guide for 6970M Crossfire M18X The Witcher 2 with 6970M CrossfireOverclocked

Finally some takedown pics. This was provided by SmoothJ at NBR. RAM Upgrade - M18x (with pics)

Eat your heart out wbabt! LOL! Ok I'll admit, its a fairly snug fit but it does fit regardless:

So I was bored a few days and wanted to find an MMO I could play in my spare time. The problem was my selection was limited because games like WoW are a major snore fest for me because the pvp is all button based and there's no aiming/dodging involved at all. Finally I stumbled across Global Agenda and I couldn't be more pleased! The action is fast, the gameplay is reminiscent of Tribes and the controls are sharp. The character development goes fast, the missions are pretty fun and then there are arena pvp battles you can join (see vid below). There's also factions in the game but I haven't gotten far enough yet to see how they work since I'm still a level 15. If you guys are fps fans that want to play something new, give this game a shot, its free and pretty fun: Hi-Rez Studios :: Global Agenda: Home Here's a video I made earlier today with my character during a PvP mission: <object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6f_v4YQAU?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6f_v4YQAU?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Some of us will be receiving the M18x today so we'll be posting up pics, videos and impressions in this thread. Stay tuned! Phew just finished the unboxing video and inspecting the system for flaws, so far I haven't found any *knock on wood*. After I edit the video I'll toss it up on youtube. Quick impressions: I've owned Alienware M15x, M17x-R2, M17x-R3 so I'm no stranger to Alienware systems. Display 7.5/10 I know I've made a big fuss over the display but I will admit this is a decent display. For those expecting a 90% gamut panel, don't count on it. It looks very similar to the M17x-R3 72% gamut panel which isn't bad, just not the best. It is not as bright as the M17x-R2 panel nor does it come close with respect to color reproduction. The contrast ratio isn't the best to be honest, it could have been better. That said, it is a pretty good panel (better than most notebooks) and very few people will have complaints. Those of you that haven't experienced an RGB LED won't be missing anything. Build 10/10 Alienware took the best of the Alienware M17x-R2 and improved upon it. It is anodized aluminum like it's predecessor but also boasts a superior palm rest (soft touch rubber which seems higher quality than the R3). I have no complaints at all, it is Alienware's best built system thus far. Weight 9/10 M17x-R2 owners will feel comfortable with the M18x, the weight is very similar. Because the M18x is wider, the weight is more spread out so it actually feels lighter than the R2 when you hold it or put it on your lap. I do not feel that build quality should be sacrificed for weight therefore I feel compelled to give Alienware high marks for building such a high quality system while maintaining a reasonable weight. Sound 7.5/10 The sound beats the M17x-R2 and M17x-R3. Once you adjust the wavemaxx settings in the IDT control panel, it is crisp and loud. The subwoofer produces decent bass although it could be a bit better. If the volume was a bit louder I'd have given it an 8/10. Keyboard 9/10 Feels solid, not much if any flex and the keys are fairly responsive. The alienware fx lighting is uniform. My only complaint is a hollow sound when you type because of the ram slots underneath. Media Panel 8/10 Very responsive, feels great and I don't miss the capactive buttons from R2 at all. I wish the they were a bit more understated so I'm docking 2 points for that. Design 9/10 Alienware took the best elements of the M17x-R1/R2/R3 and built the M18x and it shows. If they had an IPS panel and slightly better sound, the system would probably be their best system ever made. But what's up with removing the color configuration from the alien head?? Unboxing Video <object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNTgjHKefjU?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNTgjHKefjU?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> Photos - These are unedited photos. Please do not reproduce anywhere else without first asking. Thanks!

Do you believe that Dell is trying to include the 580M instead of the 485M and therefore delaying the release? If that's the reason, then I wouldn't mind the waiting.

Documentation Take a look at those heatpipes! *phew!* 3 thick heapipes per GPU. This thing can easily take a couple of 485m's. The questions remain: Power Circuitry? is it going to be enough? (probably) Bios whitelisting? Will the bios block non-approved cards? (also, probably) I am moving in August, and my job contract ends in July, so I will be buying my m18x in sept-oct this year. If by then they still dont have the 485m sli as a selection, my plan is to: Buy the base config with 460m sli from USA Buy the 485m sli pair from logicalblueone (local supplier) and MAKE IT WORK ??? Profit! Im sure someone will want to buy an SLI pair of 460m's somewhere on ebay if I can get it to work, but overall, I'm excited and hopeful! I was in doubt about the 485m's until I saw the cooling. It looks monstrous! As soon as I know everything is all working, I am going to proceed to see if I can do any cooling improvements to this behemoth. It will be interesting to see if they learned from all our work on the M17x-R2. -Ash

Alienware M18x Laptop Review - Introduction Not the best review IMO. They didn't really discuss the cooling, benchmarks were done with a single GPU, the gaming benchmarks were limited and the sample configuration Dell sent them was completely stupid. *EDIT* Read Tech|Inferno's official M18x review here: http://www.techinferno.com/2011/07/07/alienware-m18x-review-the-fastest-18-notebook-in-the-universe/

Which one would you choose and why?