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[mrklaw]

Damn son, that is EXACTLY what I want to do with this thing. Hook it up to the 50" plasma and kick back on the couch. I'm tired of playing games that look like shit on the console. Are you able to play most games on high-max settings?

my laptop with a mobile GTX660M can run most of those listed games at high at 1080p. a desktop GTX660 would have no problems.

is there space to put an SSD in there and leave the main drive for games storage etc? Any issues with reinstalling windows on an SSD, what with it being an optimus setup?

 

[Tunesmith]

I just pulled the trigger. i7 with the 660. Should be here in 10 days. I'm excited!

How bad is the bloatware on these?

It's not too bad, you get the typical Dell crap iirc (the backup stuff, burning stuff etc) that can be easily uninstalled, probably a free trial of some anti-virus software (i think it's Trend Micro) and then the Alienware Command Centre stuff which you will need to change the lights etc.

Unfortunately I missed the boat on the GTX 660 version but I had already upgraded another PC to a GTX 660 which fitted but because it isn't an exhaust version (it's the Windforce X2 iirc) the case fans got really loud under load so I'm now back on my Silverstone SG05 instead and the X51 is just sitting there not being used (I whipped out the CPU and memory for another build, waste not want not!). :-(

Bit of a shame and I will probably end up using it for a media PC somewhere else but the SG05 is just so much better for temperatures and therefore much, much quieter.

Fairly minimal bloat, funnily enough the custom Windows boot screens that Alienware uses in the pre-installed Windows partition are not included on the Windows install disc that you use to re-install with. So that was a nice plus I discovered when I installed onto my custom SSD drive.

In case you re-install from scratch, note that the Dell drivers for the various components and buttons are not included on the disc and need to be downloaded from Dell's support website (at least in my case). Do that beforehand, as the disc eject button, the Intel integrated card/HDMI out and say WiFi won't work out-of-the-box on a fresh install of Windows.

 

[Tobor]

Thanks, guys! Now, I wait for shipment...

...still waiting.

 

[Diseased Yak]

Damn son, that is EXACTLY what I want to do with this thing. Hook it up to the 50" plasma and kick back on the couch. I'm tired of playing games that look like shit on the console. Are you able to play most games on high-max settings?

Yup, totally able to play on high to max settings for the most part. So far I've only played Dishonored, X-Com, and Borderlands 2, none of which are particularly taxing, but they play fine maxed out. I'm not a fps nitpicker, though. I do, however, HATE screen tearing, and so far have seen little to none of that on the games in question.

Really, my only complaint with my "comfy couch" setup has nothing to do with the X-15 and everything to do with the MS Windows Xbox controller: You can't turn the damned thing off easily! It times out eventually, but if you want to preserve battery life, you have to pop open the battery compartment and force it to turn off by cutting the power.

 

[Tobor]

First thing I want to do is load up Skyrim with the high res texture pack and see it in 1080P. Should be able to max everything for that game with the 660, right?

 

[Grief.exe]

Yup, totally able to play on high to max settings for the most part. So far I've only played Dishonored, X-Com, and Borderlands 2, none of which are particularly taxing, but they play fine maxed out. I'm not a fps nitpicker, though. I do, however, HATE screen tearing, and so far have seen little to none of that on the games in question.

Really, my only complaint with my "comfy couch" setup has nothing to do with the X-15 and everything to do with the MS Windows Xbox controller: You can't turn the damned thing off easily! It times out eventually, but if you want to preserve battery life, you have to pop open the battery compartment and force it to turn off by cutting the power.

If you hold the button down it will give you the option to turn off the controller.

 

[Diseased Yak]

If you hold the button down it will give you the option to turn off the controller.

See, I read that when I Googled the issue, and I've tried it, and it doesn't do anything for me. You're talking about the middle "guide" button, right? Maybe I just didn't hold it down long enough... I'll try again.

 

[Grief.exe]

See, I read that when I Googled the issue, and I've tried it, and it doesn't do anything for me. You're talking about the middle "guide" button, right? Maybe I just didn't hold it down long enough... I'll try again.

It might only work in game, I usually just do a battery pull when I'm doing it.

 

[Tobor]

I'm using rechargeable batteries in the controller, so I just let it time out.

 

[thechristoph]

First thing I want to do is load up Skyrim with the high res texture pack and see it in 1080P. Should be able to max everything for that game with the 660, right?

Depends on how much VRAM the 660 has. I have the earlier model with the 555 (feel kinda screwed about that), which only has 1GB of VRAM. If you have 1.5GB or less, you should seek out the High Res Texture Pack Optimized, which is a slightly compressed version of the official high res pack.

 

[Tobor]

Depends on how much VRAM the 660 has. I have the earlier model with the 555 (feel kinda screwed about that), which only has 1GB of VRAM. If you have 1.5GB or less, you should seek out the High Res Texture Pack Optimized, which is a slightly compressed version of the official high res pack.

Yeah, It's 1.5GB.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Fairly minimal bloat, funnily enough the custom Windows boot screens that Alienware uses in the pre-installed Windows partition are not included on the Windows install disc that you use to re-install with. So that was a nice plus I discovered when I installed onto my custom SSD drive.

In case you re-install from scratch, note that the Dell drivers for the various components and buttons are not included on the disc and need to be downloaded from Dell's support website (at least in my case). Do that beforehand, as the disc eject button, the Intel integrated card/HDMI out and say WiFi won't work out-of-the-box on a fresh install of Windows.

I borked my installation of Power DVD, do you know how I can get that back? I've tried going to the website and I just haven't had any luck. There's even that plugin you install so it can read your system ID and it doesn't work for me. Any idea how I can get that back?

 

[JB1981]

I have read complaints of really weak wifi on this thing. Any truth to that?

 

[Tunesmith]

I borked my installation of Power DVD, do you know how I can get that back? I've tried going to the website and I just haven't had any luck. There's even that plugin you install so it can read your system ID and it doesn't work for me. Any idea how I can get that back?

That would fall into my bloatware category so I have no idea in afraid.

I have read complaints of really weak wifi on this thing. Any truth to that?

Have had zero issues personally.

 

[Marty Chinn]

That would fall into my bloatware category so I have no idea in afraid.

Well, in that case, do you have a recommendation for Blu Ray playback? I didn't consider it bloatware because of that aspect.

 

[Dimorphic]

I tried looking but I couldn't find it on the Dell site, how many HDMI ports does this come with? I'm planning to have it hooked into my monitor and TV simultaneously as I'm super lazy.

 

[Tobor]

Well, in that case, do you have a recommendation for Blu Ray playback? I didn't consider it bloatware because of that aspect.

XBMC doesn't do that?

 

[Tobiasboon]

I tried looking but I couldn't find it on the Dell site, how many HDMI ports does this come with? I'm planning to have it hooked into my monitor and TV simultaneously as I'm super lazy.

Two, one on the motherboard for onboard gfx and one (might be a mini HDMI socket) on the supplied Nvidia card. I've not personally tried connecting a display to both at the same time. You can always use a DVI to HDMI (if you do need HDMI to your monitor) lead connected to a DVI socket on the Nvidia card as well as HDMI to your TV (from the Nvidia card again) if you want multi monitor support, that should definitely work.

The only issue you might run into is sound output depending on your setup, there is a software workaround though if you do need sound outputting through two different devices but afaik it's a bit clunky and isn't free.

 

[Marty Chinn]

XBMC doesn't do that?

I think XBMC only does partial support unless you use an external player.

 

[Tobor]

I think XBMC only does partial support unless you use an external player.

Gotcha. Seems like a real opportunity.

I skipped the BluRay drive option. I figure l still use the PS3 for that.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Gotcha. Seems like a real opportunity.

I skipped the BluRay drive option. I figure l still use the PS3 for that.

Well it's not so simple. The problem is the lack of an open source player to play Blu Rays because of the DRM and encryption. So while it can handle the video codec, there are issues with playing the disc itself. Right now there isn't even a free piece of software to do it. Everything is a paid license.

 

[Dimorphic]

Here's my question for you guys; I'm wanting to consolidate my PC'ing. I have a 2011 iMac and an Alienware M14x. Realistically I have no need for a laptop and the Mac doesn't scratch the gaming itch.

If I got rid of both of them and got an X51 would it be a decent solution? I primarily console game but sometimes PC is better, would the X51 cover me for new and future releases decently for the next 2-3 years?

I figure rotating between the 360, PS3 and X51 would cover all gaming bases.

 

[ShinobiFist]

Here's my question for you guys; I'm wanting to consolidate my PC'ing. I have a 2011 iMac and an Alienware M14x. Realistically I have no need for a laptop and the Mac doesn't scratch the gaming itch.

If I got rid of both of them and got an X51 would it be a decent solution? I primarily console game but sometimes PC is better, would the X51 cover me for new and future releases decently for the next 2-3 years?

I figure rotating between the 360, PS3 and X51 would cover all gaming bases.

Yes, on all counts. The unit is a beast. Everything is upgradable, even the CPU(only with the i series from intel)The max is 16 gigs of ram. Ati and Nivida are making amazing powerful cards that require less energy(Under the limit of the X51 PSU 330watts)So basically, you could swap out the 660 1.5 gigs(Still a good card)And put in a GTX 670 2gigs in there with no problem. You'll be fine with the X51 for a long time. Is the best investment I did in a long time. It suits my gaming needs and music production as well. If Alienware ever releases a more powerful PSU(I know they will)the X51 is going to become more attractive than it is.

 

[Tenck]

Here's my question for you guys; I'm wanting to consolidate my PC'ing. I have a 2011 iMac and an Alienware M14x. Realistically I have no need for a laptop and the Mac doesn't scratch the gaming itch.

If I got rid of both of them and got an X51 would it be a decent solution? I primarily console game but sometimes PC is better, would the X51 cover me for new and future releases decently for the next 2-3 years?

I figure rotating between the 360, PS3 and X51 would cover all gaming bases.

Should last you for a long time. The beauty of PC gaming is that you don't have to upgrade every year or so if you buy something relatively powerful for it's time. What I mean by that is that buying something that's really decent right now should last you for a long time.

Example would be my laptop. Bought it 3 years ago and I'm playing current gen games right now. Sleeping Dogs is my most recent, and the game looks so good.

 

[Dimorphic]

Yes, on all counts. The unit is a beast. Everything is upgradable, even the CPU(only with the i series from intel)The max is 16 gigs of ram. Ati and Nivida are making amazing powerful cards that require less energy(Under the limit of the X51 PSU 330watts)So basically, you could swap out the 660 1.5 gigs(Still a good card)And put in a GTX 670 2gigs in there with no problem. You'll be fine with the X51 for a long time. Is the best investment I did in a long time. It suits my gaming needs and music production as well. If Alienware ever releases a more powerful PSU(I know they will)the X51 is going to become more attractive than it is.

So what would be the best config to go with with what you can purchase from Dell right now? I don't necessarily want bleeding edge, playing on med/high would be fine. Would the base core i5 model be fine?

 

[mrklaw]

So what would be the best config to go with with what you can purchase from Dell right now? I don't necessarily want bleeding edge, playing on med/high would be fine. Would the base core i5 model be fine?

what options do you have available?

I'd want a quad core i5 at a minimum, and really the GTX660m is a great video card that'll mean you won't get the itch to upgrade too quickly.

and if you get the base one, the power supply isn't good enough to let you upgrade the GPU later on.

In the UK there is a mid-range one at £899 (thought it used to be a bit cheaper), core i5-3450 quad core, GTX660m, 8GB ram, 1TB hard drive. Thats the one I'd get.

 

[Micerider]

In the UK there is a mid-range one at £899 (thought it used to be a bit cheaper), core i5-3450 quad core, GTX660m, 8GB ram, 1TB hard drive. Thats the one I'd get.

It's not A GTX660m it's much better than that. It's a full desktop card (yet, not the same as the GTX 660 "Retail" but a "salvaged" chip from failed 680 and 670...close to the perfs of the retail one on any account).

Had mine for a bit less than 2 weeks and I am extremely pleased with it. Runs like a charm for all games in 1080p.

 

[ShinobiFist]

So what would be the best config to go with with what you can purchase from Dell right now? I don't necessarily want bleeding edge, playing on med/high would be fine. Would the base core i5 model be fine?

Nothing wrong with the i5 at all. A matter a fact, PC gaf highly recommends it over the i7 chip for gaming. I went with the i7 for my music production.

 

[Tobor]

Why do these take so fucking long to build? I want it now!

 

[Dimorphic]

what options do you have available?

I'd want a quad core i5 at a minimum, and really the GTX660m is a great video card that'll mean you won't get the itch to upgrade too quickly.

and if you get the base one, the power supply isn't good enough to let you upgrade the GPU later on.

In the UK there is a mid-range one at £899 (thought it used to be a bit cheaper), core i5-3450 quad core, GTX660m, 8GB ram, 1TB hard drive. Thats the one I'd get.

The base model in Aus is $1299 and includes;


3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3450 Processor (3.10 GHz, 6MB Cache, with Turbo Boost Technology 2.0)
Windows® 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)
6GB2 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz
1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing
1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW).

I'd probably want to upgrade the GFX card no doubt.

 

[Dimorphic]

^
Will this be a decent enough machine if I upgrade the graphics card?

 

[ShinobiFist]

Why do these take so fucking long to build? I want it now!

I feel you man. I'm getting mine on Nov.1....Placed order this pass Monday.

 

[ShinobiFist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2Z8IU_Adg&feature=relmfu

850watts mod! Fuck me....

 

[Tobor]

I feel you man. I'm getting mine on Nov.1....Placed order this pass Monday.

Mine will be here tomorrow. Hype!

 

[Jawmuncher]

So is the OP's still a good PC to follow?
Since it's basically everything I have wanted out of a gaming PC.

 

[Tobor]

So is the OP's still a good PC to follow?
Since it's basically everything I have wanted out of a gaming PC.

The specs have improved since then. It's now Ivy Bridge motherboards and the included card in the higher end units is a 660 with 1.5 GB VRAM. I purchased the i7 with the 660, so I'm going to see how it runs as is.

 

[ShinobiFist]

The specs have improved since then. It's now Ivy Bridge motherboards and the included card in the higher end units is a 660 with 1.5 GB VRAM. I purchased the i7 with the 660, so I'm going to see how it runs as is.

Same here. Was going to get a 670 card on black Friday, but it seems the 660 pretty much runs everything fine. I'm going to be on a BenQ(Starcraft Team Monitor) 24inch monitor. So having it on a 720p, ultra settings should be no problem, shit, even 1080p from what I read.

 

[Jawmuncher]

The specs have improved since then. It's now Ivy Bridge motherboards and the included card in the higher end units is a 660 with 1.5 GB VRAM. I purchased the i7 with the 660, so I'm going to see how it runs as is.

Oh awesome.
Look like i'll go the same route and get the i7 then here in a few weeks.
Be sure to update me on how well it's running the games, since it'd be nice if I didn't have to mess with it but I will if I have to.

 

[ShinobiFist]

Oh awesome.
Look like i'll go the same route and get the i7 then here in a few weeks.
Be sure to update me on how well it's running the games, since it'd be nice if I didn't have to mess with it but I will if I have to.

Yup. I got the i7, 16 gigs of RAM, 1 TB(Getting a SSD on black friday for the OS and applications)What Im really hype about is running old PC classics with graphic mods all maxed out. Like my baby, HL2

 

[raven777]

I got the old model (i7 one before 2600, GTX555) I will probably upgrade gpu to 660ti soon.

Also, I might consider ram upgrade to 16gb or something.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Yup. I got the i7, 16 gigs of RAM, 1 TB(Getting a SSD on black friday for the OS and applications)What Im really hype about is running old PC classics with graphic mods all maxed out. Like my baby, HL2

Nice
Thats definetly something I want to do as well.

 

[mkenyon]

The specs have improved since then. It's now Ivy Bridge motherboards and the included card in the higher end units is a 660 with 1.5 GB VRAM. I purchased the i7 with the 660, so I'm going to see how it runs as is.

Keep the AA down. Every Kepler card outside of the 670 and 680 has really bad memory bandwidth.

^
Will this be a decent enough machine if I upgrade the graphics card?

Go with a 7870/7850. Much better than the 660.

It's not A GTX660m it's much better than that. It's a full desktop card (yet, not the same as the GTX 660 "Retail" but a "salvaged" chip from failed 680 and 670...close to the perfs of the retail one on any account).

Had mine for a bit less than 2 weeks and I am extremely pleased with it. Runs like a charm for all games in 1080p.

You are confusing the 660 with the 660Ti, which is NVIDIA's fault for having such crappy naming schemes. 660 is on GK106, GK104 is what is used on the big brothers. 660 has worse high Res/AA performance than the 7850. Heck, even the 660Ti has worse performance than them when you use lots of VRAM. They are okay cards for now if you keep the AA down, but will have a really short shelf life.

Nothing wrong with the i5 at all. A matter a fact, PC gaf highly recommends it over the i7 chip for gaming. I went with the i7 for my music production.

Yeah, only difference between the chips is that one is hyper threaded which means you get 8 virtual threads instead of 4. Most games only use one to three threads. The stat that is more important than anything for gaming is per thread performance. Ultimately, you want the highest clock speed possible. Games like SC2 or anything on UE3 engine need 4+ GHz to stay at 60fps. Damn dated engines!

Same here. Was going to get a 670 card on black Friday, but it seems the 660 pretty much runs everything fine. I'm going to be on a BenQ(Starcraft Team Monitor) 24inch monitor. So having it on a 720p, ultra settings should be no problem, shit, even 1080p from what I read.

Is that the BenQ XL2420? If so, that's a 120hz monitor. You will want a 670 or 7950 for that, with a proc that can clock to 4.3-4.8.

If you really want to save some scratch though, the 660 is heavily outclassed by the 7870 when you look out a year. Even the 660Ti is.

I got the old model (i7 one before 2600, GTX555) I will probably upgrade gpu to 660ti soon.

Also, I might consider ram upgrade to 16gb or something.

8GB is already overkill. 16 won't do a thing. Put that money towards a better video card. You will be happy you did.

 

[mrklaw]

If you've had not great experiences with ATI cards in the past and would prefer nvidia, would a 670 be an ok choice?

And if you're upgrading, does that mean its better to go for the lowest quad i5 build, or will the power supply be an issue?


Base i5 3450 comes with a gt555 GPU and a 240W psu. (799). £190 to upgrade to a gtx660
Next one up is the i5 3450 with GTX660 and 330W psu (£899)

Sounds like the gtx660 build is the sweetspot even if you want to update the GPU?

 

[mkenyon]

Fear not, ATi no longer exists! Beyond my snark, AMD has done a pretty outstanding job on driver releases. No clear winner these days unless you are talking about multi-card setups. My 7970 system has had less issues than my NVIDIA system, but thats anecdotal and limited to the games I've played. Biggest complaint is NVIDIA includes displayport, but then makes it work like crap.

But yeah, 670 is an amazing card. Just traded my 690 for three of them.

 

[Marty Chinn]

If you've had not great experiences with ATI cards in the past and would prefer nvidia, would a 670 be an ok choice?

And if you're upgrading, does that mean its better to go for the lowest quad i5 build, or will the power supply be an issue?


Base i5 3450 comes with a gt555 GPU and a 240W psu. (799). £190 to upgrade to a gtx660
Next one up is the i5 3450 with GTX660 and 330W psu (£899)

Sounds like the gtx660 build is the sweetspot even if you want to update the GPU?

You're going to need the power supply if you want to do any upgrading on your own. You can always buy it separately, but it seems like in your case it'd be best to get the next one up.

 

[Micerider]

You're going to need the power supply if you want to do any upgrading on your own. You can always buy it separately, but it seems like in your case it'd be best to get the next one up.

Both come with a 330 w supply no? Not entirely sure.

There is a bit of tolerance, i3450 + GTX 660 is not capping the power-supply yet. I think you can get a good 20 watts above that without a sweat (and this means, potentially a GTX 660 Ti...maybe even a GTX 670).

The GTX 660 OEM clocks at 130 watts TDP (10 watts less than the Retail GTX 660, which is a different carf altogether). The Ti is at 150 watts TDP.

Going forward, I'm sure we'll have very very very decent cards to fit in this power-range for future upgrades, especially if there is a new focus on power-saving and efficiency. GTX 760 (or AMD 8850) and similar successors would (pure speculation, yet realistic) most probably be good contenders to replace a GTX 660 in the X51 when the needs arise.

 

[ShinobiFist]

Appreciate the amazing post, Mkenyon. The BenQ monitor I'm getting is the RL2450H. Getting it because its been proven to be great for fighting games as well. I notice you mentioned keeping the AA down on the 660 card. What would happen if set high? So if there is a price cut on black friday, get the 670 regardless?

 

[Marty Chinn]

Both come with a 330 w supply no? Not entirely sure.

There is a bit of tolerance, i3450 + GTX 660 is not capping the power-supply yet. I think you can get a good 20 watts above that without a sweat (and this means, potentially a GTX 660 Ti...maybe even a GTX 670).

The GTX 660 OEM clocks at 130 watts TDP (10 watts less than the Retail GTX 660, which is a different carf altogether). The Ti is at 150 watts TDP.

Going forward, I'm sure we'll have very very very decent cards to fit in this power-range for future upgrades, especially if there is a new focus on power-saving and efficiency. GTX 760 (or AMD 8850) and similar successors would (pure speculation, yet realistic) most probably be good contenders to replace a GTX 660 in the X51 when the needs arise.

He said in his post that the base came with the 240w power supply. So I was going based off that info.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Keep the AA down. Every Kepler card outside of the 670 and 680 has really bad memory bandwidth.

Go with a 7870/7850. Much better than the 660.

You are confusing the 660 with the 660Ti, which is NVIDIA's fault for having such crappy naming schemes. 660 is on GK106, GK104 is what is used on the big brothers. 660 has worse high Res/AA performance than the 7850. Heck, even the 660Ti has worse performance than them when you use lots of VRAM. They are okay cards for now if you keep the AA down, but will have a really short shelf life.

Yeah, only difference between the chips is that one is hyper threaded which means you get 8 virtual threads instead of 4. Most games only use one to three threads. The stat that is more important than anything for gaming is per thread performance. Ultimately, you want the highest clock speed possible. Games like SC2 or anything on UE3 engine need 4+ GHz to stay at 60fps. Damn dated engines!

Is that the BenQ XL2420? If so, that's a 120hz monitor. You will want a 670 or 7950 for that, with a proc that can clock to 4.3-4.8.

If you really want to save some scratch though, the 660 is heavily outclassed by the 7870 when you look out a year. Even the 660Ti is.

8GB is already overkill. 16 won't do a thing. Put that money towards a better video card. You will be happy you did.

Even though I didn't need a response thanks for this info.
Looks like i'll go with the 7875.

 

[Micerider]

You are confusing the 660 with the 660Ti, which is NVIDIA's fault for having such crappy naming schemes. 660 is on GK106, GK104 is what is used on the big brothers. 660 has worse high Res/AA performance than the 7850. Heck, even the 660Ti has worse performance than them when you use lots of VRAM. They are okay cards for now if you keep the AA down, but will have a really short shelf life.

No, the GTX 660 OEM is on GK104 too. Only the GTX 660 retail is on GK 106.

nVidia is not really communicating about it, but here is an extract from a Tom's hardware back in September :

Some of Nvidia's board partners are adding unnecessary confusion to the GeForce GTX 660 model name. Although the retail GeForce GTX 660 cards center exclusively on the GK106 GPU, Asus is manufacturing an OEM version with a cut-down GK104 graphics processor and two six-pin power connectors.

Edit : and yes, it's not really a fantastic card for AA and very high-res (which matters less for X51, most than probably destined to be hooked on a Television capped at 1080p and played from a greater distance anyway).