New M17x Poor Video Performance

Perhaps it just needs a new driver?

NO change when disabling the 9600M from the BIOS  :/

I reloaded the dirvers no change.

Well it's under warranty I would assume so Dell/Alienware Support should be able to help free of charge.

Well obviously something is wrong and tech support should be able to troubleshoot it.

Yeah...no matter what I do I just can;t get this thing to perform even at minimal expectations.

Yeah...crossing my fingers I don;t have to send it back...I love the thing...until I play my game.  :/

Just wondering, how much system memory do you have?  Do you have a ton of other applications running while you have WoW going?  Are you using SLI when playing Wow?  I noticed a long time ago on my SLI desktop that WoW performs worse with sli enabled, turn it off and you will see a huge bump in performance.  Try that out and let me know how it goes, I haven't installed WoW onto my m17x yet so I cant test it out and im at work. 

I have a single 260M

I'm sure it's easily fixable and probably settings somewhere that need changing.  I'm no expert however!   Good luck!

I was having problems with my video as well.  I did some research and noticed that my computer was throttling at very low multiplier.  I downloaded RightMark CPU Clock utility and set the profile to use the max multipier all the time.  After I did that, I had no more problems.  I have the exact same setup that you described as well.  Hope it works....

I have the m17x and am also having problems with running wow as well...

 I have the 64 bit vista 6gigs of ram a dual m260 1gig video cards with SLI enabled and I still cant manage more than 20 fps when standing around and it drops down to like 11 during action.. i dont know what do to do help it as well...

totally disappointed so far with the performance of this computer and this game.. i had similar performance with my XPS which was only 1 gig of ram and a single 512 video card... i was expectign so much more.. not comparable results

Hi guys

Just received my M17x yesterday - QX9300 8Gb RAM 2 x 280M 1Gb, Vista x64.

Initial delight at beauty of system turned quickly to concern and then disappointment. Sub 10FPS on Crysis (patched), and after purchasing 3DMark have not been able to get it run more than <5FPS

Yes tried latest Dell drivers too (186.12), disabling 9400 in BIOS, disabling SLI, disabling PhysX, Hi performance mode, full diagnostic run - the works.

Spend 2 1/4 hours to Alienware support today. Technician very courteous and helpful - using Alien Contact to check laptop remotely. Eventually admitted that they don't know what's up but will have both my 280Ms replaced to see if that works (which will mean waiting until Tues at earliest ).

Bit upset as the PC Information that comes with laptop says that it had been burn-in benchmarked using 3DMark to 10078 - but I don't understand how this can be when I can't reproduce this out of the box... Won't even complete a cycle yet no system or diagnostic errors.

Also disappointed that my personalised Name Plate was just "M17x" and not what I ordered, and Owner Identification Card missing. Customer Service not open until Monday. Not what I expected after spending > £4000!

(Just to be clear, not looking to start a witch-hunt here, but this just feels like a rushed product).

Man-hug and a beer from anyone?

Cheers!

Well well well...........I am not the only one..........

Trelawney (Thanks pal), I clicked the link on your reply to my thread and ended up here - My thread http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19286816.aspx.

I made a chaser on nameplate on mine too with the original Alienware rep who took the order, he stated although it was advertised they were not able to do the customised nameplates at this moment in time. Thus ended with the branded one with M17x on it.

I think all the machines that have been sent out to date have not been fully tested, when I mean tested, I mean tested with working demanding applications not your switch on and load windows etc, yes they appear to have everything thrown in and a whole heap of hype via media but in reality cannot perform either because they are soooo powerful and new, that as yet, the software has not caught up (that I cannot believe, as there are other seriously powerful laptops which have the same if not better hardware and appear to be working fine search gaming laptops on web), or the hardware is still in some testing or final-design phase. I mean go to the AW website and new options are creeping in there such as a red aluminium version which wasnt available before. I bet it will not be long before we see an improved version with tweaks and further disguised hardware options/changes etc using the likes of ourselves to test these first run of the belt machines to get it right.

I am having major problems with my maxxed out M17X, awaiting a few more days to see what the results are and if no improvement will be going for a full refund. Wait 6 months to see if this thing takes off and if they finally hit a working version in which case I might go with a working M17X again in a dream or if I get tempted (yes I seriously am) by similar powerful machines with triple 500GB 7200rpm drives in raid, the same dual Geforce 280Ms in SLi and the new i7 faster Quad Core 2 Extreme and going at nearly HALF THE PRICE..............Well if it works, has more power, more storage, much much brighter crisper 17inch extreme def screen, but the only compromise is external design and colourful led's UMMMMMMMM .......YEP I can live without the Lambo grill and christmas lights ......VERY VERY EASILY, the serious people, the gamers, top end heavy demanding users CAD, Graphics designers, crave the power and need/want the performance. Thats pretty much the market this was aimed for wasnt it???

Everyone I spoke to for over a year whilst watching the AW website kept saying they are the best, but wait for a new machine the current ones are now a little outdated................So I watched and waited and waited then comes this M17x....couldnt ask for more on paper, power and looks etc..........thought.... you know what... people were not lying. A good reputation and it is burning away, the Dell rep told me the M15x prior had many many problems and that internally there was a hope that this new machine would correct the impression with past customers and also help AW as part of Dell now to become a global brand. Come on Alienware............you have people spending nearly twice as much £$ believing in you.........where is it going wrong........fix the issues and problems fast........how often do you hear or see or come across someone who lost faith in a manufactured/company brand and then returned, specially being in the ever moving tech sector.

Freestylaruk

Hi guys

Sorry about to up this thread again, i know this have too much time "dead"; the point is that i was reading the full post and some others comments on the web about this machie (M17x), being honestly i am just in love of this, the design, the performance that this say to have, etc, but, threads like this one really makes me think about get this or not; i also read about that major issues happens when Alienware was the only "head" over this product, and that this turn the way since Dell start to pay atention on it; my point and my main question is, might i spend 2500 dollars getting this machine (thats the cost with the minimal setup for my country, colombia), are those problem already fixed ?, i dont really want to see myself into a fight till death with Dell cause my machine is not working as this should do; so, i really want to know if this is working great or fine now; please, avoid comments about to get another laptop cause the others are cheapers and have the same, avoid please those comments from people that just hate this machine and the Mark cause they just hate this, i just want an honest comment, specially from an M17x owner or Dell employed

Thanks so much in advance