Titans sold out :(

[Mr. Fox]

I've tried to digest what is being said here. I'm not sure I did so. All I know is my M18x is spanking a lot of desktops on HWBOT and it's insane that any laptop is capable of achieving results like this. Regardless of how it stacks up against the Titan, 670, 680, 7970, or whatever else, the results are undeniably amazing for a laptop running on air. The 330W AC adapter is the biggest impediment to going higher because it runs out of power and turns off if I try to push it any higher, LOL.

For the sake of comparison, I'll post a link to my GTX 680M benchmark scores. I am limited to posting 10 images, otherwise I would post them all here. These are all massively overclocked on CPU and GPU. I use the stock M18x R2 LCD panel, which is 1080p and I don't have an external display available to replicate these benchmark runs at higher resolutions. Anyone that wants to lower their display resolution to 1080p and see how their overclocked CPU and Titan compares with these scores is more than welcome to have a crack at it.

Link: Mr. Fox's Alienware M18x R2 Benchmark Scores

Link: Mr. Fox's HWBOT.org profile

Here are a few examples for anyone that wants to comment without bothering to click the links above before responding.

3DMark11: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition,Alienware M18xR2 score: P15115 3DMarks


Vantage: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition,Alienware M18xR2 score: P44928 3DMarks


3DMark Fire Strike: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition,Alienware M18xR2 score: P9068 3DMarks


3DMark Fire Strike Extreme: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M SLI benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition,Alienware M18xR2 score: X4829 3DMarks

I don't have any game results to share except for a recent Crysis 3 test. Sorry I don't have more game benches. I've been too busy lately, but I plan on including those in the post linked above in the near future. This was run at only 4.0GHz on the CPU and a modest GPU OC... I think it was like 1008/1100 if memory serves me correctly. All settings on highest except MSAA 2x, motion blur and lens flare disable (because I hate the way they look when enabled).

Again, feel free to lower your display resolution to 1080p, crank up the clocks on the CPU and GPU and see how they compare.

If anyone is into Catzilla benchmarks, feel free to look at the leader board there and check out my profile here: Mr. Fox's Catzilla Profile

__________________
Alienware M18x R1 v2.0 | Intel Core i7 3920XM @ 4.8GHz | NVIDIA GTX 680M SLI | 16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 2133 | Panasonic UJ235A eSATAp BluRay Rewritable | 480GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD RAID0 - Windows 8 | 128GB Crucial M4 SSD - Linux Mint | 120GB Altas mSATA SSD | Cache-Accelerated 1TB Seagate Momentus LP HDD

 

[notty22]

Things have gone off-topic for sure. laptop or mobile parts are limited by TDP and it's result heat. I don't doubt short term o/c's can result in very high synthetic results.
The gtx 680m is rated at 100 watts default clocks.
The Alienware model in question comes with a 330 watt power brick. (from short research)

Over-clocking your gpu's to extremes would damage the laptop eventually. I am not questioning the ability to do so and achieve some kind of 'score'. Is that wise? or realistic?




Anand article : Introducing the Alienware M18x R2

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2144/11/

 

[Mr. Fox]

This system does not struggle with any game at stock speeds. There is no point in overclocking any powerful system for gaming, especially when the games typically run 60FPS or higher at stock speeds. Overclocked benching is a different story, and I enjoy that as much as gaming. I realize not everyone cares about that. And, that's OK. At the end of the day, what really matters is that you have a lot of fun with your beast and achieve things that others can only look upon with envy.

I think anyone that cannot draw at least some sort of correlation between synthetic benchmark results and gaming experience is either lying to themself or not paying attention. A system that sucks at one it going to suck at the other, and a system that excels at one is going to do the other well also. If that were not true, there would be no synthetic benchmarks because they would all be irrelevant. We all know that they're not irrelevant.

I don't have any issues with the GPUs overheating. They rarely ever hit 78°C under heavily overclocked conditions. I do have an issue (power limitation) with having only 330W to play with, but as you can see, it is being managed nicely. I just can't overclock more with that limitation... but heat is not the issue. I don't run any system massively overclocked all the time for the same reason I don't leave a brick laying on the accelerator pedal of my car. It's fun blowing things up, but expensive computer hardware is not one of them, LOL. :biggrin:

Agree... thread is way off topic. Happens frequently on all the forums, or so it seems.

 

[notty22]

This system does not struggle with any game at stock speeds. There is no point in overclocking any powerful system for gaming, especially when the games typically run 60FPS or higher at stock speeds. Overclocked benching is a different story, and I enjoy that as much as gaming. I realize not everyone cares about that. And, that's OK.

I don't have any issues with the GPUs overheating. They rarely ever hit 78°C under heavily overclocked conditions. I do have an issue (power limitation) with having only 330W to play with, but as you can see, it is being managed nicely. I just can't overclock more with that limitation... but heat is not the issue. I don't run any system massively overclocked all the time for the same reason I don't leave a brick laying on the accelerator pedal of my car. It's fun blowing things up, but expensive computer hardware is not one of them, LOL. :biggrin:

That's all cool. 4 Lack of a better term. By the way, Gear heads do things like running insane amounts of Nitrous @ the Drag strip for the numbers. Maybe only once, but it's not unheard off. Chasing dreams etc. Synthetics, scoring is almost comparable, at times, imo. Wise or not. Enjoy those killer mobile setups. They are sweet.

 

[notty22]

If it wasn't clear, I believe the stock Alienware reviewed /mentioned with SLI operates correctly / cool enough stock , it does , according to the review.

Heat and Noise
Where the Alienware M18x R2's girth really excels is in being able to transfer what's essentially a cumulative 245W of heat out of the chassis. It's actually remarkably efficient that way, too. Under sustained load the M18x R2 is definitely audible, registering roughly 40dB of noise to the user. Extreme duress punches it up to around 47dB, but that's not going to be as common. When you consider what the notebook is actually cooling these results are pretty reasonable.

You can see thermals are actually pretty good. The system seems to be configured more for silence than thermal performance, with the i7-3820QM breaking the 90C mark, but the two 680Ms run comparatively frosty. They actually run cooler than my desktop 680 does despite being together in a more enclosed space.

 

[Eureka]

They do make watercooling loops for those laptops... theoretically you could have it running at high OCs nonstop.

 

[Mr. Fox]

If it wasn't clear, I believe the stock Alienware reviewed /mentioned with SLI operates correctly / cool enough stock , it does , according to the review.

The stock cooling system is simply amazing. The GPUs, especially, run very cool. Alienware's gaming graphics engineer is passionate about his products and takes his job very seriously. I have exchanged emails and visited with him in a couple of conference calls, and he is a very cool dude.

They do make watercooling loops for those laptops... theoretically you could have it running at high OCs nonstop.

The only one I have seen is Asetek, and it never made it past prototype status. :$ That is unfortunate, since it was a fully self-contained, closed loop cooling system, and would not be an impediment to portability. I actually can run it at a high GPU OC all of the time right now, there is just no need to place additional load on the GPUs to achieve fantastic results with gaming and ordinary use. I figure doing that could shorten the life span without accomplishing anything meaningful related to normal everyday use.

I do have the CPU permanently set a 4.5GHz and use ThrottleStop profiles to tone it down to 4.0GHz for mundane tasks like web browsing. For 4.7-4.8GHz, the voltage has to be bumped up to 1.5v and that's not ideal for normal use... nor is it necessary for gaming, just benchmark number chasing fun.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Of course 680m sli doesn't come close to a Titan.

 

[Mr. Fox]

Of course 680m sli doesn't come close to a Titan.

Running stock, 680M SLI gets beat by Titan... no questions. It also depends on how you define "come close" and who is doing the testing, and when. If you are relying on data from reviews posts on the web it is going to be somewhat misleading, even when those reviews are done by respected individuals. Most reviewers don't put the time and effort into the process that the enthusiast end user does. I take 99% of what I read in review articles with a grain of salt. They are of limited value. They represent a static snapshot in time, usually with whatever drivers are available at a given point of time and they often reflect a "down and dirty" view of an immature product. To get a clear picture of performance, one has to look at the results on leader boards and see what the people that have owned a product for a longer period of time have been able to achieve. I think this applies to any component or computer system as a whole.

Look at the data from the last few posts and you'll see the 680M SLI can be overclocked pretty nicely and actually gives Titan, even 690, a run for the money. And, it does it without getting too hot. This is still an apples to oranges comparison, but the 680M SLI setup in a system that can support it well is undeniably wicked.

 

[Eureka]

The only one I have seen is Asetek, and it never made it past prototype status. :$ That is unfortunate, since it was a fully self-contained, closed loop cooling system, and would not be an impediment to portability..

You're right... I thought they had got it past the prototype. Ah well, at least it's possible for the industruous user.

 

[Lepton87]

I returned my 7970s, still awaiting my money back and just ordered a Titan. I should be able to pick it up tomorrow. Probably my worse purchase ever in terms of value. I just couldn't stand the coil whine from my 7970s. It better not have coil whine.

 

[wand3r3r]

I wouldn't settle for Coil whine either. If they want to put stingy/bare minimal parts on there then they can deal with RMAs imo.

 

[UNhooked]

I returned my 7970s, still awaiting my money back and just ordered a Titan. I should be able to pick it up tomorrow. Probably my worse purchase ever in terms of value. I just couldn't stand the coil whine from my 7970s. It better not have coil whine.

Titan's have coil whine as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzWH0R66ezY

 

[Lepton87]

Titan's have coil whine as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzWH0R66ezY

How prevalent is it? It's actually going to cost me 1300$ because of the stupid country I live in. Maybe I'll just cancel my order. I don't have coil whine on my 6990+2x6950s. I won't see any improvement in raw frame rates anyway, only less hassles and no waiting for CF profiles. I don't care about some energy saved. I won't break even in 20 years on energy bills. Maybe it's not worth it.

 

[UNhooked]

How prevalent is it? It's actually going to cost me 1300$ because of the stupid country I live in. Maybe I'll just cancel my order. I don't have coil whine on my 6990+2x6950s. I won't see any improvement in raw frame rates anyway, only less hassles and no waiting for CF profiles. I don't care about some energy saved. I won't break even in 20 years on energy bills. Maybe it's not worth it.

Honestly I wouldn't know about the prevalence of coil whine in Titans. I am just pointing out that if you returned the 7970's solely because of coil whine's then you maybe disappointed IF you shiny new toy coil whine as well.

Both my cards had major coil whine when new, but they have significantly gotten better over time. Also I set my games to a max of 60fps or have vsync enable which helps a lot. I still do have coil whine but not as much as before.

 

[wand3r3r]

Who knows what the 7990 and driver revamp will bring but I believe the due date for both is June. If you've waited since the HD 6xxx series you should be able to wait another 2 months? Maybe you can pick up a used Titan cheaper then if you don't want to go 7990 (in June).

 

[UNhooked]

Who knows what the 7990 and driver revamp will bring but I believe the due date for both is June. If you've waited since the HD 6xxx series you should be able to wait another 2 months? Maybe you can pick up a used Titan cheaper then if you don't want to go 7990 (in June).

Well I already have monies invested in my 7970's that I just finished paying off last month

So from a cost perspective it would be cheaper for me to sell one of my 7970s and use those funds against the cost of a 7990. However before I do that I probably have to invest in a new PSU.

UPDATE: Just realized this was the wrong thread. Ignore my post

 

[Grooveriding]

Titans have something more I would call coil rattle than whine. They literally give off a rattling sort of sound under full load. Both of mine do it, one is a little louder than the other.

 

[Lepton87]

Titans have something more I would call coil rattle than whine. They literally give off a rattling sort of sound under full load. Both of mine do it, one is a little louder than the other.

How loud is that sound? I'm not going to put up with any sounds other than moving air for that kind of money. If you only can hear it by sticking your ear close to the card that's fine but if it's apparent under normal usage then it's a deal breaker for me. I'd hate to go thru yet another return procedure.

 

[DooKey]

Titans have something more I would call coil rattle than whine. They literally give off a rattling sort of sound under full load. Both of mine do it, one is a little louder than the other.

Just goes to show all cards have different sounds. Both of my Titans are practically silent and I only hear the fans when at full load.

 

[Grooveriding]

How loud is that sound? I'm not going to put up with any sounds other than moving air for that kind of money. If you only can hear it by sticking your ear close to the card that's fine but if it's apparent under normal usage then it's a deal breaker for me. I'd hate to go thru yet another return procedure.

Nowhere near as bad as lavaheadache's Titan was. I believe that youtube link was his Titan. I only notice the noise when the cards are fully loaded, which is almost never as I use framerate caps or vsync in any game I play.

I keep the fans on my radiators pretty low and my PC is silent, if not for that, I doubt I'd hear it at all. It would probably blend in to the sound of fans if I was using air cooling to keep my CPU/GPU cool.

If it did bother you EVGA will let you RMA for it. It's pretty common with Titans to get it and people have RMAed for it without a hassle, at least to EVGA. I think it's a YMMV on just how noticeable it is.

 

[hawtdawg]

Well, I just picked one up from Ebay so I can see how it handles 1600p. The frame latency issue with crossfire is a deal killer for me, I had a 4870x2 and micro-stutter is definitely noticeable (to me at least).

The recent pcper article makes me think that the Titan might actually offer an experience that's decently close to 680 SLI and one that's better than Crossfire, so this is how I justified getting one. Plus, I figure that I can probably get pretty close to retail for it if the 7990 comes out and AMD managed to fix all of the crossfire microstutter.

 

[johnksss]

Wow, now this was an interesting read...LOL

 

[5150Joker]

Titan's have coil whine as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzWH0R66ezY

My EVGA vanilla Titan had coil whine and coincidentally poor overclocking. I returned it and got the Asus which has no coil whine. I don't think it has anything to do with brand though, just luck of the draw.

Wow, now this was an interesting read...LOL

Found your password I see. Hope you can give us some nice 1440p comparisons.

 

[johnksss]

Found my password....I apparently never even had an account.

Sure, I think I can manage some of that.

Also, I think this my EVGA Titan has no coil wine, but does have a low ASIC score of 73%, but good enough for 2nd place Hall of fame on 3dmark.

What are we testing at 1440p?