1) Sure, if you have a 2.5" to 3.5" converter caddy that fits screw hole-wise into the slide-in chassi caddy that the normal 3.5" HDD would go into then that's fully possible (that's what I have).
2) No idea, I still have a 555 GTX in mine.
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Alienware X51 thread of 2.56TFLOPS comfy couch gaming at 180W in a console size box
- Thread starter Chittagong
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1) Sure, if you have a 2.5" to 3.5" converter caddy that fits screw hole-wise into the slide-in chassi caddy that the normal 3.5" HDD would go into then that's fully possible (that's what I have).
2) No idea, I still have a 555 GTX in mine.
liquidfox00
Neo Member
From what I've been reading the Gtx 670 FTW card is the way to go. You're only problem may be the pci connectors on the x51 because they are angled and may not fit your card properly. I've read a few people have bought pci extensions so that they can plug the card in properly, others have forced the provided cables onto the card.
Good luck.
I just recently ordered an x51 but I think I'm going to use the 660 card for a few months until the 700 series releases so I can get a better deal on the 670 or possibly a more energy efficient 680. We shall see.
liquidfox00
Neo Member
Yes Alienware refreshes the CPU and gpu but I don't think there's any actual schedule for refreshing besides maybe that a model isn't selling any more so they update to spur sales.
Marty Chinn
Member
You can fix that with Speed Fan.
Looking at your specs, that'd be the GTX 555 fan, it's a loud card. The rig should be pretty much dead silent when not fully in-use in games though. YMMV with Speed Fan to control it's output depending on your room temp > chassi temp. If you're in a cool room you can run the GPU at lower, less audible, fan speed and still have a tolerable temperature inside the chassi.
Just a FYI so you don't think something's busted. It will sometimes stay loud/max fan speed on for a little while after a heavy gaming session is over to cool down the chassi. This is normal and persists through reboots.
Ok I'm gonna ask in here since it would make the most sense, and I am bit behind in pc gaming anyway, what would be the best game to really show this off, I loaded up rage from Steam last night, and the system ran it like a champ all max save for AF which I turned down a little bit. Also what do you recommend for a wireless controller?
Thanks all, based on this thread I went against every fiber in my body (I usually build my own machines) and I am thankful I did, this little box is a speedy monster.
Cheers.
Thanks all, based on this thread I went against every fiber in my body (I usually build my own machines) and I am thankful I did, this little box is a speedy monster.
Cheers.
Assuming you got the 660, Far Cry 3. Get the PC 360 controller.
Just brought one of these from the Dell Outlet for AUD$1000. Got the following specs:
Intel i7 3770
8GB Ram
1TB HDD
GTX660
Should be here in 5-7 Days. Having just moved to NZ from Australia and having not brought my main pc with me I was thinking of building a new Mini ITX gaming pc (Mainly for portability as I will be moving in a couple of months again) and this was a great price.
Sure I could have saved $100 or so building it myself but couldn't be bothered and really I haven't found a case which has such a nice form factor
Intel i7 3770
8GB Ram
1TB HDD
GTX660
Should be here in 5-7 Days. Having just moved to NZ from Australia and having not brought my main pc with me I was thinking of building a new Mini ITX gaming pc (Mainly for portability as I will be moving in a couple of months again) and this was a great price.
Sure I could have saved $100 or so building it myself but couldn't be bothered and really I haven't found a case which has such a nice form factor
ShinobiFist
Banned
Did you turn off SSAO and PostFX as well? I got everything on max, except for Shadows(On Medium, no difference on Ultra or Very High.)You still see that annoying ass starnge line developing the shadows. This is a good Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwLyNm6YZ1A
I have both turned on. I'll have to check my settings when I get home.
ShinobiFist
Banned
Before you do all of this, Put PostFx on low in the system settings, and SSAO to SSAO.
You could only turn it off via your gamerprofile.xml. Go to C:\Users\XXXX\Documents\My Games\Far Cry 3. From there, right click the gamerproflie, open with note pad and look for PostFx Quality and change from "true" to "false" After that, go look for SSAO quality and change it to "0" Once you save it, make sure the gameprofile.xml is read only, so the settings will stick. Because, you don't want to change those settings every-time you boot the game.
With MSAA off, I'm playing the game at its highest settings available(Ultra and Very High) at 60fps locked.
I REALLY want one of these bad... the only thing that bothers is next gen. How future proof is this thing really going to be? Due to power consumption and space, you can't put anything you want in it, so im afraid of buying it, having fun for a year, then not being able to play my games at 60fps. I don't care if i have to play at 720p to achieve 60fps so can anyone shed some advice about this situation im in from what we currently know? Should i just build a desktop for a grand?
Edit- Forgot to mention i am mainly a console gamer, that is why the x51 really interests me. I know it sounds stupid but i really enjoy 60fps gameplay. It just makes the game ten times better for me and i can catch the difference of 30 and 60 a mile away.
Edit- Forgot to mention i am mainly a console gamer, that is why the x51 really interests me. I know it sounds stupid but i really enjoy 60fps gameplay. It just makes the game ten times better for me and i can catch the difference of 30 and 60 a mile away.
nothing is future proof.
and when in doubt, wait. When PS720 come, X51 will see an upgrade or have its price slashed.
Chittagong
Gold Member
While TF or TDP are not a very scientific way to measure power, they give you an indication of how X51 will perform against the next gen consoles.
Next gen consoles are expected to push 1.3 - 1.7 TF if rumours are to be believed. An X51 with a 670 or 7870, the best cards today fitting the case and power budget today, push some 2.5 TF. You will be able to upgrade the card at least for few years, so with Moore's Law in mind you should be able to run a 5TF card in your X51 in a few years. Also, the console TDP won't probably be more than 180W, while you can actually have that much for just the video card in your X51. So power wise you can put in more transistors at any given process size.
It's clear that there will be amazing first party games on the consoles that will look spectacular and challenge anything the X51 can do, but overall it should hold up quite well.
Like you, I'm mostly a console gamer, I have recently played Battlefield 3, NFS HP, Rage, Metro 2033, Dark Souls and Sleeping Dogs, all vastly superior to their console counterparts. I have also come to appreciate the PC exclusives like Magical Drop V, Diablo 3, Legend of Grimrock etc.
Thanks a lot for answering. I'm also starting to become addicted with these PC exclusive games and i feel the jump right now may be what i need.
doniewhalberg
Member
GTX is the brand, this is a cutdown version of the Ti ( it would go gtx 660 -> 660 Ti -> 670) so it drops a little in performance to bring the price down. This link and the pages after it in the review will give you an idea of how it performs with some of the more graphically taxing years of the last few years:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6276/...0-review-gk106-rounds-out-the-kepler-family/4
(DIsclaimer: Old review, and ways of testing these cards performances are changing so bear that in mind)
The 670 probably has performance closer to the 60fps mark whilst this is hanging around 40fps, just do a quick search regarding the 670 if you need more info, it's easy to find.. Obviously it's worth saying that next gen games will probably drop both cards down considerably. For the price, it's decent if you need to get in in a box that size. I've seen prebuilt sg08's and bitfenix prodigys that'll get you a better deal, but this has that console-esque form factor that might fit your entertainment cabinet.
I'd also say that I would really expect these specs to get a refresh, maybe during or after the summer, so if you can wait, you might get better for that price or get this for much cheaper if you're set on the x51.
Jawmuncher
Member
Been using my X51 and loving it to death but I've hit a bit of a snag.
I bought a HDMI switcher, however the nvidia hdmi port doesn't seem to work with it (the other hdmi does)
I would simply use the other but I need the Nvidia Control Panel so that I can adjust the image to fit my screen. I've been messing around and I can't seem to figure any way to make it so that the nvidia hdmi is still "on" when it's plugged into my hdmi switcher.
I bought a HDMI switcher, however the nvidia hdmi port doesn't seem to work with it (the other hdmi does)
I would simply use the other but I need the Nvidia Control Panel so that I can adjust the image to fit my screen. I've been messing around and I can't seem to figure any way to make it so that the nvidia hdmi is still "on" when it's plugged into my hdmi switcher.
So i picked up mine the other day and i was wondering if anyone has successfully put a 670 in theirs and how is it working out? I am thinking about ordering one for my x51 but i hear mixed things through out the internet saying that the 330w is enough, it isn't enough, this brand of 670 works but this one doesn't etc.
Also, any tips on being a new owner of X51? any kind of programs i need to dl? any overclocking?
Also, any tips on being a new owner of X51? any kind of programs i need to dl? any overclocking?
Jawmuncher
Member
Glad you picked one up.
If the more tech heavy guys see the post they'll recommend all the stuff I need.
I'm also wondering about the 670, last I heard it was a no but I think some things have been changing with that. Regardless you're still getting a good machine out of the box.
Thanks!
This is actually my first gaming PC since about 2005, my laptop can handle games like Starcraft 2/Diablo 3 on medium/low and i have been playing them but i have been deprived of my pc gaming for over 7 years.
While i am at it, any good game recommendations that run really good on this? I already bought Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas, Chivalry, Arma 2 and got Path of Exile. Thinking about Battlefield 3 and Saints Row 3.
I second this question as I have just picked up an X51 as well. I went with the 660 and probably wont try and replace the gfx card for atleast a few years. In the meantime though...
ShinobiFist
Banned
The EVGA is the model you want, single fan. Here's an annoying vid on how to install it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOq55PYtj5c
You need MSI Afterburner as well.
http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm
liquidfox00
Neo Member
I am by no means an expert when it comes to PCs so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I've read about your question and I would say that yes everything is removable but the Mobo is a bottleneck because of the way it's powered. I think.
What's the Dell outlet? That's crazy cheap man.
They sell 'refurbished' machines which are usually either customer returns or machines that were built for customers but the orders were cancelled before they shipped. They're basically as new.
PaulExcellent
Member
So, I'm to the point where I need a computer for my job, and I want something nice to game in. How well does the i5 configuration do? I'm not planning on upgrading anything, except the video card down the line.
SlaughterX
Banned
So I recently upgraded my GPU drivers (along with the GeForce Experience program) and now my system is noticeably louder when playing most games (which was never a problem before). I did let my friend borrow it for a week and he was using it standing vertically (which is something I never do with any of my consoles), and I first noticed it when playing the Crysis 3 beta at his house (I just thought the game was pushing the system especially hard, but now it does it for almost all graphic intensive games except for Dead Space 3, which doesn't look great). Also the system froze up while loading the BIOS and gave me a blue screen for the first time a couple of days ago after exiting a game, but hasn't done either again since. Afterwards I updated my BIOS from A08 to A11. Should I be concerned, and has anyone else ever experienced problems like this? It's running a 660 and I have had it for almost a month now.
Oh it doesn't. It really, really doesn't.
SlaughterX
Banned
Also whenever I play Battlefield 3 the lights on the case go crazy, it did this before updating to the beta drivers, does this happen to anyone else?
Marty Chinn
Member
BF3 has extra support for the lights on Alienware computers. It responds to the actions in the game. You can turn that off.
Apocryphon
Member
I've had mine since September. I installed an EVGA GTX 670 FTW and have been running it for about 4 1/2 months with zero problems. MSI Afterburner shows my power usage at 99 or 100 percent very occasionally but that's it. 330w is ample. Just be careful if you use a power connector extension because space is really really tight in there.
If i removed the DVD drive will that allow for better ventilation? I figure i have 0 use for it and if it can give it a better airflow for cooler temps i would gladly take it out. But i don't know much about PCs so.
They do it whenever something newer is available, they upgrade parts as they come out rather than one huge upgrade so there isn't much talk over each revision. When their lines moved from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge there was not much advertising for it for example, and I expect they will switch to Haswell or next gen GPUs as soon as they are widely available.
Not necessarily, cases can rely on the wind tunnel effect, and changing airflow may ruin it rather than improve it.
Apocryphon
Member
Some people have certainly reported lower temps by removing the drive, but I'm not sure it would be a problem if you're upgrading the graphics card. The original 670 FTW is a reference card and has a blower fan, so the airflow is pretty good. I haven't really had any unusually high temps. Just be aware that the new Signature 2 670's have dual fan setup and are a little bigger so won't fit in the X51.
Working fine for me through both Firefox and IE.
JUST purchased mine guys! Joinin the club!
I used to be a big PC gamer but had awful luck with PCs. Finally switched to Macbook Pros and I've been using them for 6 years.
Really excited to use this new beast as well as tinker with it for upgrades in the future.
I got the top of the line one with 16gb of RAM. I'll mostly be using this plugged into my tv (I think anyways) and playing PC exclusives and such. I'll still be getting my PS4/720, but I'm really excited to be getting this.
I used to be a big PC gamer but had awful luck with PCs. Finally switched to Macbook Pros and I've been using them for 6 years.
Really excited to use this new beast as well as tinker with it for upgrades in the future.
I got the top of the line one with 16gb of RAM. I'll mostly be using this plugged into my tv (I think anyways) and playing PC exclusives and such. I'll still be getting my PS4/720, but I'm really excited to be getting this.
SlaughterX
Banned
So will will be the first to throw a Titan into their X51? Is there any way to make my X51 quiet again with out rolling back my GPU drivers? I am about to install the latest GeForce drivers in prep for Crysis 3, but I would enjoy it a bit more if my system didn't sound like a jet. Also how the hell do you open the case?
Just thought I could drop in to update my thoughts on the X51.
It was certainly a struggle to get some games up and running and I did encounter quite a number of hiccups and annoyances that seemed to stall any enjoyment I got out of the x51. I do also still think that I was oversold on the ease of use with PC gaming. I certainly had to learn quite a few tricks to get many games to work on my tv and system. Registry key fixes, forum searches for performance optimization settings, and several crashed games that were caused by various issues that needed to be resolved.
With all that said I no longer regret my purchase and have had some great experiences with the X51 now that I have adequately learned some of the nuances of PC gaming. And I'd definately recommend it to anyone.
It's So great being able to play true 1080p games as opposed to the downscaled nonsense we've been getting on consoles for years. Not to mention the exclusives, graphical upgrades and emulators like dolphin that breathed new life into my stale wii collection. And who can fail to mention the sales, oh the sales!! I probably have created a backlog of games I've wanted for ages for a fraction of what I'd be paying for them on a console and built my library at a quarter of the cost of my console collection.
My only piece of advice to people jumping into PC gaming for their first time and thinking of nabbing an X51 is that it's not always as easy as many advocates make it out to be. I think many either overlook the often times routine procedures many games need just to run properly and don't realize most non-PC gamers have never experienced having to do things like mess with resolutions in registry key files so the game will actually display on your TV. Or have to research audio settings to make sure your computer is properly running sound to your surround sound system. Or even in game settings like SSAO, v-sync, anti aliasing settings and so forth can be somewhat foreign to new PC gamers.
So in conclusion I now love my X51 and highly recommend it to ANYONE looking to get into entry level high end PC gaming. Just do yourself a favor and have some patience, learn to adjust things like registry keys if your game launches at resolutions your TV doesn't support, improve your google-fu to help with troubleshooting, learn your graphical settings and what they do and how they affect performance, and realize it isn't a console that will be almost entirely maintenance and hassle free. It definitely has its quirks and frustrations. But do this and you will not be disappointed IMO. And Pros far outweigh the cons, even if it took me a little while to feel that way.
It was certainly a struggle to get some games up and running and I did encounter quite a number of hiccups and annoyances that seemed to stall any enjoyment I got out of the x51. I do also still think that I was oversold on the ease of use with PC gaming. I certainly had to learn quite a few tricks to get many games to work on my tv and system. Registry key fixes, forum searches for performance optimization settings, and several crashed games that were caused by various issues that needed to be resolved.
With all that said I no longer regret my purchase and have had some great experiences with the X51 now that I have adequately learned some of the nuances of PC gaming. And I'd definately recommend it to anyone.
It's So great being able to play true 1080p games as opposed to the downscaled nonsense we've been getting on consoles for years. Not to mention the exclusives, graphical upgrades and emulators like dolphin that breathed new life into my stale wii collection. And who can fail to mention the sales, oh the sales!! I probably have created a backlog of games I've wanted for ages for a fraction of what I'd be paying for them on a console and built my library at a quarter of the cost of my console collection.
My only piece of advice to people jumping into PC gaming for their first time and thinking of nabbing an X51 is that it's not always as easy as many advocates make it out to be. I think many either overlook the often times routine procedures many games need just to run properly and don't realize most non-PC gamers have never experienced having to do things like mess with resolutions in registry key files so the game will actually display on your TV. Or have to research audio settings to make sure your computer is properly running sound to your surround sound system. Or even in game settings like SSAO, v-sync, anti aliasing settings and so forth can be somewhat foreign to new PC gamers.
So in conclusion I now love my X51 and highly recommend it to ANYONE looking to get into entry level high end PC gaming. Just do yourself a favor and have some patience, learn to adjust things like registry keys if your game launches at resolutions your TV doesn't support, improve your google-fu to help with troubleshooting, learn your graphical settings and what they do and how they affect performance, and realize it isn't a console that will be almost entirely maintenance and hassle free. It definitely has its quirks and frustrations. But do this and you will not be disappointed IMO. And Pros far outweigh the cons, even if it took me a little while to feel that way.
ShinobiFist
Banned
I posted about this in the past. The reason some games don't run on the proper resolution is because you have to go to the Nivida control panel and change the graphic settings to Desktop Mode, not game. I'm glad you didn't give up and did some research. SSAO kills the GPU, and there's no need for AA as well in a HD set. Shadows(Depends on the game)Is something I don't crank all the way. I run a lot of current games downsample(2560x1440p) in max settings with AA and SSAO off. Dead Space 3 I have crank all the way. And that's includes everything downsample locked at 60fps. I have AA on in DS3 because I can
Apocryphon
Member
I wouldn't expect amazing performance from a 660. I get 50 - 70fps on ultra with my 670 FTW.
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