Support NeoGAF

[Jonm1010]

Make sure you have evga precision x installed (version 4.2.1 ideally) reduce the power target to 90% and reduce the gpu clock by 90mhz that gives you basically the stock card

If that work put the clock back to normal and put the power % to 98 like i have mine and test it

If it doesnt work either way then its possible the cards drawing too much power D:

what specs does your system have

Thanks. I'm gonna try that.

I have(or had til I changed the gpu) the i7 16gb, 660 R1. I think i got it early 2013.

I used msi afterburner or something. That was what popped up when I googled how to under clock a GPU.

Clearly people can see why I chose the x51 as my first gaming PC. Even after a few years I still feel like a newbie. Hadnt even heard of evga precision til now. Thanks.

 

[ussjtrunks]

Thanks. I'm gonna try that.

I have(or had til I changed the gpu) the i7 16gb, 660 R1. I think i got it early 2013.

I used msi afterburner or something. That was what popped up when I googled how to under clock a GPU.

Clearly people can see why I chose the x51 as my first gaming PC. Even after a few years I still feel like a newbie. Hadnt even heard of evga precision til now. Thanks.

Afterburner / Precision will do the same thing basically, do not install Precision 16 as its a complete mess

Hope it works out for ya as im having a great time with mine.

If mine didnt work i was just going to change the case so as a last resort you could always look into that

 

[BarrelMakingPenguin]

So I'm seeing that people are having luck with putting a 970 in their R1 X51 but I'm also seeing others with no such luck. Is there a ballpark feel for what percent of people are running a 970 without problems? I'm looking to upgrade from my original GTX 555 but I'm really afraid of spending all that money for something that won't work for me. Would the 960 be a safer bet?

I really am clueless when it comes to PC parts if that isn't clear from this post so any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ussjtrunks]

So I'm seeing that people are having luck with putting a 970 in their R1 X51 but I'm also seeing others with no such luck. Is there a ballpark feel for what percent of people are running a 970 without problems? I'm looking to upgrade from my original GTX 555 but I'm really afraid of spending all that money for something that won't work for me. Would the 960 be a safer bet?

I really am clueless when it comes to PC parts if that isn't clear from this post so any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

From the people I've heard try the EVGA 970 SC including myself there seems to be a very high success rate its not always guaranteed though but some other vendors use more power so id go with EVGA if you want to try it

The 960 has 20w less usage than the 660 the most of us with R1s came with, it should be ideal and offer a nice bump in performance but obviously the 970 would be a good deal better

 

[Littlebigbenny]

I am currently planning to sell my ThinkPad and buy a stationary computer and I wonder, if this is the right choice.

My reasons for considering the X51 are the same, Chittagong already listed: I like the design and I don't want to build the computer on my own.

I didn't find anything on a possible R3 but with the 5th generation of Intel CPUs around the corner... is this really the right time to buy a X51?

I'd prefer the i5 version with the GeForce GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3 since it's exactly in my budget.

Is this machine future proof? Will I be able to retrofit a SSD or even a better graphics cards? There seem to be differences regarding the power supply...

 

[mkenyon]

I am currently planning to sell my ThinkPad and buy a stationary computer and I wonder, if this is the right choice.

My reasons for considering the X51 are the same, Chittagong already listed: I like the design and I don't want to build the computer on my own.

I didn't find anything on a possible R3 but with the 5th generation of Intel CPUs around the corner... is this really the right time to buy a X51?

I'd prefer the i5 version with the GeForce GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3 since it's exactly in my budget.

Is this machine future proof? Will I be able to retrofit a SSD or even a better graphics cards? There seem to be differences regarding the power supply...

There's no such thing, really. But considering the thermal and power limits of the PC, it's far less future proof than many other machines due to the inability to upgrade it very much nor overclock it.

4GB of memory + underpowered GPU + low clocked quad core is certainly far less futureproof than the more costly one.

*edit*

Wait, there is no 4GB model with i5 and 745. Do you mean the 8GB + i5 + 750 Ti?

I'd highly suggest the Revolt over the Alienware at this point still. It's more upgradable and comes with a 4690K + quality CPU cooler which will greatly increase the performance over a long period compared to the Alienware.

 

[Littlebigbenny]

The 4 gb are referring to the GPU.

This Version is on the German alienware site for 799 € incl. shipping:

• Intel Core i5-4460
• GeForce GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3
• 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz
• 1TB (64MB Cache) 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s

Since I normally prefer laptops, this would be a huge system for me I guess,

I'd have to replace the hard drive. I refuse to live without SSD anymore.

The Revolt is also a very beautiful machine... but it is simply to expensive for me (starts at 1.099 here in Germany I think).

 

[mkenyon]

The 4 gb are referring to the GPU.

This Version is on the German alienware site for 799 € incl. shipping:

• Intel Core i5-4460
• GeForce GTX 745 with 4GB DDR3
• 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600Mhz
• 1TB (64MB Cache) 7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s

Since I normally prefer laptops, this would be a huge system for me I guess,

I'd have to replace the hard drive. I refuse to live without SSD anymore.

The Revolt is also a very beautiful machine... but it is simply to expensive for me (starts at 1.099 here in Germany I think).

Get this instead: https://www.caseking.de/shop/catalo...tant-Gaming-System-NVIDIA-Edition::26681.html

Upgrade to SSD and 750Ti or 960. Better system, better specs, same price. Caseking is very legit.

 

[BarrelMakingPenguin]

From the people I've heard try the EVGA 970 SC including myself there seems to be a very high success rate its not always guaranteed though but some other vendors use more power so id go with EVGA if you want to try it

The 960 has 20w less usage than the 660 the most of us with R1s came with, it should be ideal and offer a nice bump in performance but obviously the 970 would be a good deal better

So I bought the stock EVGA 970 and just put it in today. The x51 beeps five times continuously but won't start up. I'm just going to assume I'm one of the unlucky ones and it's the power supply that is failing me? Or is it possible that I screwed something up while putting the case back together?

I'm assuming that this is one of those issues that could be rectified if I'm able to track down one of the R2 powerboards?

 

[Final Verdict]

Hmmm, IDK.
You get a little bit better performance than PS4, and a larger library of games. But that $599 price tag is still too high for me to bite.

 

[Littlebigbenny]

Get this instead: https://www.caseking.de/shop/catalo...tant-Gaming-System-NVIDIA-Edition::26681.html

Upgrade to SSD and 750Ti or 960. Better system, better specs, same price. Caseking is very legit.

Thank you, that looks really interesting. 785,90 EUR with 750 Ti and 250 GB SSD. Since I'd need to buy Windows it is slightly over my budget but still very interesting.

In fact I am currently trying to use the computerbase.de FAQ to build my own mini itx system: http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=1408442

The result was quit similar to the caseking machine.

 

[ussjtrunks]

So I bought the stock EVGA 970 and just put it in today. The x51 beeps five times continuously but won't start up. I'm just going to assume I'm one of the unlucky ones and it's the power supply that is failing me? Or is it possible that I screwed something up while putting the case back together?

I'm assuming that this is one of those issues that could be rectified if I'm able to track down one of the R2 powerboards?

Fairly sure the beeping means its not connected to the motherboard properly maybe try it again?

 

[BarrelMakingPenguin]

Fairly sure the beeping means its not connected to the motherboard properly maybe try it again?

Okay, so it seems to be running fine now (it's not beeping or anything at least) after I updated the BIOS but now I'm not receiving any HDMI signal from the onboard card or the 970. The 555 that I was using previously was running through mini HDMI if that is relevant in any way. Any ideas on how to fix this?

 

[harSon]

I ended up doing a major upgrade. Added a 250GB SSD as my primary HD on top of the existing HD, upgraded my ram from 8GB to 16GB and threw in an NVidia GTX 970.

Wasn't expecting the machine to be so upgradeable when I first bought it. Hell, I could bump up the CPU from an i5 to i7 if I wanted. Im 100% happy though, since the machine was 30% off (refurbished) when I bought it a while back. I could probably just build a new computer, but I absolutely love the form factor of this thing.

 

[Hattori]

I can get the x51 r2 i5 version for $800 even, is that a good deal? I don't really want the hassle of building my system since I always end up going over budget.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Dell now put the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 with 2GB GDDR5 in the x51.How is this card compared to the 760ti?

 

[da_stabbah]

Dell now put the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 with 2GB GDDR5 in the x51.How is this card compared to the 760ti?

i'd love to know this as well..

 

[ussjtrunks]

GTA 5 Performance

i7 3770 3.4ghz
EVGA GTX 970 SC
16 GB Ram

* Have everything in Advanced Settings off except streaming while flying
* Everything max except I'm using FXAA, Very High Grass and Softest Shadows
* Vsync set in the nvidia control panel as the ingame one acts strangely

* I'm getting 55-60 fps in the city and 46-60 in grassy areas, cutscenes are mostly locked at 60 aswell which is nice
* My Vram never went higher than 3.3gb in 10 hrs
* High Res shadows especially are he framerate killer was getting 20 fps less in grassy areas with just that enabled
* Disabled PCSS to get a more stable 60 fps, it costs ~ 5-6 fps

Overall Im very happy with the performance, only strange thing is a random stutter here and there thats not vram related so dunno what is causing it hopefully drivers can smooth that out

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

GTA 5 Performance

i7 3770 3.4ghz
EVGA GTX 970 SC
16 GB Ram

* Have everything in Advanced Settings off except streaming while flying
* Everything max except I'm using FXAA, Very High Grass and Softest Shadows
* Vsync set in the nvidia control panel as the ingame one acts strangely

* I'm getting 55-60 fps in the city and 46-60 in grassy areas, cutscenes are mostly locked at 60 aswell which is nice
* My Vram never went higher than 3.3gb in 10 hrs
* High Res shadows especially are he framerate killer was getting 20 fps less in grassy areas with just that enabled
* Disabled PCSS to get a more stable 60 fps, it costs ~ 5-6 fps

Overall Im very happy with the performance, only strange thing is a random stutter here and there thats not vram related so dunno what is causing it hopefully drivers can smooth that out

Thanks for your post! Will you be picking up The Witcher 3 as well? I'm curious to know how it will run on your rig.

My x51 r2 is still stock with an i7 4790, 760ti and 8GB RAM. I've been mulling over an upgrade to 970 reference card for a while now. Eventually I'll get 16GBs of ram too.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Well, I ordered a PNY 970 from Amazon. Hopefully it will work in my R2. I'm worried though.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Well, I ordered a PNY 970 from Amazon. Hopefully it will work in my R2. I'm worried though.

For what i know that graphic card works ok with the r2 model.And the 980 too.

 

[2002whitegt]

Dell now put the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 with 2GB GDDR5 in the x51.How is this card compared to the 760ti?

The 760ti is really just a 670, and comparing the 670 vs 960 there really isn't much of a performance difference, you would really only get a more power efficient card in the 960.

If you're upgrading, honestly only the 970/980 will be a noticeable upgrade from the 760ti.

Well, I ordered a PNY 970 from Amazon. Hopefully it will work in my R2. I'm worried though.

You should be fine, I ran a 980 in my r2 for 5 months without a single problem. Never had to underclock either.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

The 760ti is really just a 670, and comparing the 670 vs 960 there really isn't much of a performance difference, you would really only get a more power efficient card in the 960.

If you're upgrading, honestly only the 970/980 will be a noticeable upgrade from the 760ti.



You should be fine, I ran a 980 in my r2 for 5 months without a single problem. Never had to underclock either.

I was just researching the 960 as I noticed that PNY started offering a 4GB model. But if what you say is true, the PNY 970 reference is the best choice for a true R2 upgrade, right?

Well, I ordered a PNY 970 from Amazon. Hopefully it will work in my R2. I'm worried though.

Let us know how it goes for you!

 

[ussjtrunks]

Thanks for your post! Will you be picking up The Witcher 3 as well? I'm curious to know how it will run on your rig.

My x51 r2 is still stock with an i7 4790, 760ti and 8GB RAM. I've been mulling over an upgrade to 970 reference card for a while now. Eventually I'll get 16GBs of ram too.

Yeah I have it preordered for awile now, + since doing that I disabled vsync and i get 65-120 fps in the city lol which is kind of crazy

I think Witcher 3 will be harder to run as it just looks insane but hopefully 60 fps will be possible too.

The 970 is a great upgrade but if your 760ti is still getting 30+ fps no real reason to upgrade till ya see what nvidias new cards are like

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

The 970 is a great upgrade but if your 760ti is still getting 30+ fps no real reason to upgrade till ya see what nvidias new cards are like

Yeah, the 760ti is great for everything right now. But I worry about the 2GB of ram when W3 comes out.

Today I found out that a 4GB GTX 960 is out in the U.S., its going for $230. That's a bit easier to swallow for than the 970's $300+. Not to mention that the 960 won't be as demanding of the X51's power as the 970 is.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=14-133-589

 

[ussjtrunks]

Yeah, the 760ti is great for everything right now. But I worry about the 2GB of ram when W3 comes out.

Today I found out that a 4GB GTX 960 is out in the U.S., its going for $230. That's a bit easier to swallow for than the 970's $300+. Not to mention that the 960 won't be as demanding of the X51's power as the 970 is.

http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=14-133-589

Probably best to wait on benchmarks before ya upgrade if your buying it for witcher , Id imagine the cards would perform similarly except the 760ti might be limited in what texures you could use

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Probably best to wait on benchmarks before ya upgrade if your buying it for witcher , Id imagine the cards would perform similarly except the 760ti might be limited in what texures you could use

Yeah, that's good advice; wait to see how it runs on the 760ti.

In the mean time, I'll at least upgrade my X51 to 16GBs of RAM. That'll definitely come in handy.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

I'm really close to buy 1 of these.But i have a question for people like me with home cinema with 5.1 dts or dd via optical cable(toslink i think).

Is the x51 compatible with it? So, i can connect the x51 to a home cinema and have 5.1 dd or dts like the xbox one or ps4,ps3,xbox 360 without doing nothing more?

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Welp... I did it. I finally ordered the PNY GTX 970.

Crossing my fingers that I won't have any issues.

 

[CuckFupertino]

So where is the best place to order one of these from? I've been toying with the idea of a living room PC for some time now. I have a reference GTX 680 lying around, so I'd like to get the cheapest possible model and replace the video card myself. Would the 680 even fit? Is this a better value than the Alpha, considering I can bring my own 680 to the party?

Keep in mind I'm not looking to build something to rival the Batcomputer here. I already have a PC with a 980 in it, I'm just looking for something good enough to get 60fps on my TV out of most games.

 

[2002whitegt]

So where is the best place to order one of these from? I've been toying with the idea of a living room PC for some time now. I have a reference GTX 680 lying around, so I'd like to get the cheapest possible model and replace the video card myself. Would the 680 even fit? Is this a better value than the Alpha, considering I can bring my own 680 to the party?

Keep in mind I'm not looking to build something to rival the Batcomputer here. I already have a PC with a 980 in it, I'm just looking for something good enough to get 60fps on my TV out of most games.

The 680 will fit, but will draw too much power for the 330w psu. Essentially the cards that will work with the r2 are 660-670, 750ti, 760, 960-980.

The rule I've followed was "As long as TDP is under 170w, it will probably work."

 

[amishpriest99]

Welp... I did it. I finally ordered the PNY GTX 970.

Crossing my fingers that's I won't have any issues.

I was thinking of getting the same for my R2...looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.

 

[Nuknuk]

I was thinking of getting the same for my R2...looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.

Make sure the power supply has enough amps on the 12v rail for the card.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

This just arrived at my office. I love when "3 to 5 day shipping" turns into "overnight delivery" because a distribution center is located near me. Thanks, Dell!

Make sure the power supply has enough amps on the 12v rail for the card.

I have no idea of what that means and after a Google search in even more confused. I know I have the 330w adapter and the improved R2 power board. I hope that's enough.

 

[ussjtrunks]

This just arrived at my office. I love when "3 to 5 day shipping" turns into "overnight delivery" because a distribution center is located near me. Thanks, Dell!

Hope ya get on well with it

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Installation went smoothly. Although I did have to reopen the case as I forgot to re-attach the little black "mounting clip" to the GPU casing/housing. Strange, it's just a little plastic that's supposed to keep the card from bouncing around, right? Seemed kind of flimsily attached to the metal casing/housing.

I ran the recently released FF XIV Heavensward Benchmark on the 760Ti last night at maximum settings so I could compare to the 970:

That's the 760ti's score. Stats were:

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward Benchmark
Tested on: 4/27/2015 8:32:22 PM
Score: 6562
Average Frame Rate: 51.397
Performance: Very High
-Easily capable of running the game. Should perform exceptionally well, even at higher resolutions.
Loading Times by Scene
Scene #1 4.475 sec
Scene #2 18.437 sec
Scene #3 8.357 sec
Scene #4 7.283 sec
Scene #5 6.547 sec
Scene #6 4.143 sec
Total Loading Time 49.245 sec

And that's the 970's score. Stats were:

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward Benchmark
Tested on: 4/28/2015 9:00:55 PM
Score: 10559
Average Frame Rate: 81.178
Performance: Extremely High
-Easily capable of running the game on the highest settings.
Loading Times by Scene
Scene #1 2.832 sec
Scene #2 10.644 sec
Scene #3 5.757 sec
Scene #4 5.007 sec
Scene #5 4.454 sec
Scene #6 2.385 sec
Total Loading Time 31.082 sec

But the real test of this card in my X51 will be when The Witcher 3 releases in three weeks. Can't wait to see how the game runs on this upgraded machine!

I'll post back in a few days after I've broken in the card. Hopefully everything will run smoothly after extended sessions!

 

[CuckFupertino]

I found one off these on Craig's List for a very reasonable price, but I want to make sure it's the R2 that someone implied has a better PSU. If I boot it and check the software, how can I determine its R2?

 

[IbizaPocholo]

This just arrived at my office. I love when "3 to 5 day shipping" turns into "overnight delivery" because a distribution center is located near me. Thanks, Dell!

I have no idea of what that means and after a Google search in even more confused. I know I have the 330w adapter and the improved R2 power board. I hope that's enough.

Did you have to remove the small fan near the graphics card to fit the card?

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

I found one off these on Craig's List for a very reasonable price, but I want to make sure it's the R2 that someone implied has a better PSU. If I boot it and check the software, how can I determine its R2?

I'm pretty sure there is brief bios boot when the system is turned on with a line text stating that it's an R2. Can anyone else confirm?

Did you have to remove the small fan near the graphics card to fit the card?

Nope. No modding was required at all. The 970 has nearly identical physical dimensions to the 760ti OEM that I replaced.

 

[bob_arctor]

The 680 will fit, but will draw too much power for the 330w psu. Essentially the cards that will work with the r2 are 660-670, 750ti, 760, 960-980.

The rule I've followed was "As long as TDP is under 170w, it will probably work."

Is there a similar list of cards for an r1 X51? I have the 330w psu.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Is there a similar list of cards for an r1 X51? I have the 330w psu.

I'm not sure of the exact TDP, but you should investigate the GTX 960 for your R1. Especially since new version is out there with 4GB RAM. Everything I've read indicated the 970 & 980 won't function properly in an R1 due to the power board.

Found the card on Newegg: PNY Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 4GB

 

[2002whitegt]

I found one off these on Craig's List for a very reasonable price, but I want to make sure it's the R2 that someone implied has a better PSU. If I boot it and check the software, how can I determine its R2?

I I remember correctly, on the back next to the i/o panel mine said Alienware X51 R2

 

[ussjtrunks]

The R1 is safe before 150w for the videocard but depending on usage can go to 170w too, the EVGA 970 seems to use the least power of the ones I've seen so id recommend that for a R1, The model shouldn't matter for the R2.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

I I remember correctly, on the back next to the i/o panel mine said Alienware X51 R2

Yeah, that is correct as well. I noticed that on my unit when I was opening it up last night.

 

[120v]

so i got a brand new r2 with a 960 installed. and happened to have an unused PNY 970 lying around, so i installed it and can't seem to get it to work. the video will just crap out after a few minutes though the system stays on... i'm worried maybe the 970 with the i7 4970 may be too much for the psu... but if that were the case i'd think the whole system would crash. i put the 960 back in and it worked fine

to people successfully installing the 970, you doing any BIOS updates or anything?

EDIT: nevermind. problem solved

 

[IbizaPocholo]

so i got a brand new r2 with a 960 installed. and happened to have an unused PNY 970 lying around, so i installed it and can't seem to get it to work. the video will just crap out after a few minutes though the system stays on... i'm worried maybe the 970 with the i7 4970 may be too much for the psu... but if that were the case i'd think the whole system would crash. i put the 960 back in and it worked fine

to people successfully installing the 970, you doing any BIOS updates or anything?

Could you post exactly the specs of your x51?I ordered a new one with a 960 too and in the future i want to upgrade the gpu.

Yeah, that is correct as well. I noticed that on my unit when I was opening it up last night.

Could you post the specs of your x51?I want to put a 970 in the future and i want to know is my x51 is capable to do it.

 

[120v]

okay... i got it to work

i forgot to uninstall the 960 drivers. (though i'm skeptical that was the problem, as i wouldn't think going from 960 to 970 would cause the video to go out every few seconds...maybe i didn't plug the 6 pin connector all the way or something. but whatever, it works now)

runs like a charm... just ran far cry 4 at max settings. looks and runs fantastic. a major difference. pisses me off dell isn't shipping these with the 970 installed already

Could you post exactly the specs of your x51?I ordered a new one with a 960 too and in the future i want to upgrade the gpu.

i got the top model... i7 4790 with 16 GB, 1 TB HD and 256 SSD. my concern was that maybe the PSU couldn't handle a 970 with that kind of setup, but that doesn't seem to be the case

anyway i wouldn't worry. any models shipped with a 960 is probably good to go upgrade-wise (with the 970, at the very least)

worth noting though, to fit my 970 in there i did have to cut out a rubber wire holder at the end of the tray. this must be something exclusive to newer models, because i haven't heard of this being a problem before.

 

[Reluctant-Hero]

Could you post the specs of your x51?I want to put a 970 in the future and i want to know is my x51 is capable to do it.

i got the top model... i7 4790 with 16 GB, 1 TB HD and 256 SSD. my concern was that maybe the PSU couldn't handle a 970 with that kind of setup, but that doesn't seem to be the case

anyway i wouldn't worry. any models shipped with a 960 is probably good to go upgrade-wise (with the 970, at the very least)

worth noting though, to fit my 970 in there i did have to cut out a rubber wire holder at the end of the tray. this must be something exclusive to newer models, because i haven't heard of this being a problem before.

I also have an i7 4790 in my X51 r2. The 970 will run perfectly so long as you have "stock" model will the default fan, like the PNY card. Dell even sells it on their site.

I wasn't aware that Dell had just started to offer the 960 with new X51s. But disappointingly they only offer the 2GB model, not the 4GB model. Come on Dell, don't do a disservice to new customers. Like me, they're most likely coming to you as the first foreign into serious PC gaming.

 

[Elitist1945]

My PC loses connectivity to my internet mulitple times per hour (even though every other one of my devices don't), and it causes my PC to freeze everytime - as in, all my peripherals are lit up (including monitor), but nothing happens (when I hit the Caps Lock key on my keyboard, it doesn't highlight indicating its unresponsive). I have to hold the power button to shut down, and then restart Windows. Its really annoying, and I have no idea why its doing this or what I should do.

Help.

 

[Bornstellar]

I'm looking to upgrade to an SSD in the X51 - does anyone know fi the factory HDD carriage will mount a 2.5" drive?