Alienware M18x R2 Notebook Review: NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M in SLI
by Dustin Sklavos on September 28, 2012 12:01 AM ESTGaming Performance
In our synthetic tests we started to get the first inkling that the graphics subsystem in the Alienware M18x R2 may actually be CPU-limited. This isn't entirely surprising; the GeForce GTX 680M is a tremendous leap in performance over the 580M and roughly on par with a desktop GTX 570. That card was itself already essentially CPU-limited at 1080p in most cases.
We start with our mainstream benchmark suite, which the pair of 680Ms should have no trouble at all tearing through.
Unfortunately while we still can't get Total War: Shogun 2 to benchmark properly on the M17x R4, it's pretty clear that mainstream settings are an absolute waste of the two GTX 680Ms in SLI, and many of our games seem CPU bound. So let's see what happens when we crank things up.
Well, there it is, and that's pretty much what I was getting at. While in some cases (Batman: Arkham City and Battlefield 3) the pair of GTX 680Ms appear to be GPU-limited and thus offer a fairly strong linear increase in performance, in most situations it seems clear the CPU is holding back the graphics hardware. Battlefield 3 demonstrates what should've been a foregone conclusion—two GTX 680Ms have more horsepower than a single desktop GTX 680—but the other games are more telling. We already knew a single GTX 680M was more than enough for a mobile gamer (heck the 580M/675M was basically on the cusp), but impressively we now have a graphics subsystem that is actually outright excessive for a notebook.
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Silma - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
I won't.That's why I keep my M17xR2, with probably the best screen ever on a notebook.
Silma - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
Oop answered to quickly. Indeed, mostly true unfotunately.noblemo - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
I prefer 16:10 aspect ratio, also. The Alienware displays are great, but I wish they offered the IPS RGBLED panel from the Precision mobile workstation as an option.Dustin Sklavos - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
I prefer 16:10, too. My desktop monitors are all 16:10.The problem is that 16:10 in notebooks is basically all but gone. Even HP's top of the line mobile workstation with the IPS DreamColor display went to 1920x1080.
You can kvetch and be upset all you want, but this is the direction the market went. If you're really going to write off generations of quality hardware over losing a whole 120 vertical pixels of real estate, well...
Pneumothorax - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
You're forgetting a big elephant in the room: Apple, Although not much in the gaming dept, even their latest retina mbp has a 16:10 screen. They all do except the 11 air. Just wish the PC guys would copy that, they're copying everything else...N4g4rok - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
120 vertical pixels isn't worth the superiority complex.secretmanofagent - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
Cynically speaking, sounds like you already have it.N4g4rok - Friday, September 28, 2012 - link
Quite possibly.But the point remains remains valid. Why pass up a display because of that difference?
For practicality's sake, there's nothing wrong with it.
etundidor - Thursday, May 9, 2013 - link
Is there any chance of upgrade tne M17x mobo in order to increase the RAM, Get SATA III 6G capacity and maintain this awesome display?etundidor - Thursday, May 9, 2013 - link
Hey guys, Is there any chance of upgrade the M17x R2 mobo in order to increase the RAM to 32 GB or 16GB at least , Get SATA III 6G capacity, manage two GTX 680M and maintain the M17x R2 awesome HD display?