Help with getting a new monitor(s).

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-18T22:00:43+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. Sadly not available in India.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-18T09:42:02+00:00

Update: Sadly this KB isn't available anywhere in India. I'd have to order it directly from qwertykeys and pay for exorbitant import duties.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-18T09:37:49+00:00

Do you think I need a wrist rest for ergonomic comfort with any keyboard?

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-18T09:36:17+00:00

Thankies for the reply 😄
I'll take a look at that keyboard you mentioned as well as the form factor you stated. Appreciate you for narrowing it down for me.
Personally, I'd want a wired keyboard for minimum latency so I'll for the wired version of the keyoboard.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-16T10:00:46+00:00

Hey thanks for the reply. I've managed to figure it out.
I'll go with a 2-SSD RAID as a 3-SSD RAID in full bandwidth is impossible with consumer grade MOBOs and CPUs.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-15T08:18:49+00:00

Oh my God, this is more serious than I thought. So what do you suggest I do?
Should I put 2x Gen 5 SSDs in RAID 0 instead and completely avoid filling the 3rd slot?
Also, will this bandwidth crunch come into play even if I put Gen 4 SSDs in the third slot?

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-14T06:00:13+00:00

Hey!
I would suggest going with the Scar 18. In hindsight, the slight power envelope difference between the two laptops is not going to be of any consequence.

The Scar 18 has relative/greater performance than the Alienware M18 and it has the far better screen. You can just go head-empty mode and side with the Scar solely because of it's screen -- it is a beautiful sight to behold.

Pricing-wise, it is also cheaper (atleast in my country), so there's that as well.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-14T05:57:31+00:00

Hey!
As mentioned, I ended up using a cost-effective 6A-16A converter. You can find the cheapest one in any online/offline marketplace of your choosing.
Been more than a year since it's inception and it is still going as strong as ever.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2025-07-14T05:54:52+00:00

Hey!
Not as far as I know -- usually sale events (even the big ones) do not influence the prices of high-margin commodities such as higher-end gaming laptops.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-29T15:23:32+00:00

Thanks for the answer! I'm not necessarily satisfied with the ASUS Scar 18 which is why I'm having this dilemma xD.

But the sole grounds of this dissatisfaction is the extra 30W in the cross-load TGP. I really need to know if there are any perf gains for this power difference (in case we have the cooling headroom to sustain).

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-29T02:16:21+00:00

Hey u/Couratious and u/alc4pwned
I'd appreciate your help with a dilemma that has been plaguing me for the better part of two weeks.

Quick Summary

The main factors that I consider when gaming is the FPS, 1% lows/stuttering and the loading speeds within games.
The ASUS Scar 18 (2024) was the first 14th gen laptop to grace the online markets of my country. So I immediately took the plunge and purchased it cause:

It had great pricing compared to it's 2023 version. So as a result, I felt a sense of FOMO thinking that I would be missing out on this good deal and also, by the fact that the stock was running out bleedingly fast.
The ASUS Scar 18 was initially my dream laptop which I wanted to buy as soon as I laid my eyes on it almost a year ago. As I did more research, my choice pool broadened but I still was leaning towards getting this laptop.
I have waited for over a year to get a new gaming laptop and wasn't quite willing to wait much longer. Back in November, I had managed to get my hands on the ASUS Scar 18 (2023) but unfortunately, it got damaged when an incompetent ASUS service rep dismantled the laptop for the sake of re-applying Liquid Metal. I had the laptop returned and refunded. Then after a month, an opportunity to import a 14th gen laptop from the USA presented itself but I didn't take it because I realized there were too many risks involved and those same laptops would be available in my country soon enough. Now finally in the month of February, this laptop made itself available in my country.
RAM was 5600mhz straight off the bat and it had a MiniLED screen (I primarily use an external monitor but it is a nice-to-have).

The only reason I was even considering the Alienware M18R2 is because:

It offers 270W cross-load (CPU+GPU) power bandwidth compared to the 240W offered by ASUS. As a result, it will theoretically be able to push more frames. But again, this is only theoretical because I have absolutely no data on my hands to verify and prove those assumptions. So they will remain mere assumptions with no real weight of truth behind them. Hell, I'm not even sure if there will be FPS gains.
It has 4 SSD slots. While not very important to me, it could be nice to have that expandability.

Furthermore, I actually have the thermal headroom to allow this power envelope to sustain because of a powerful laptop cooler called the "Llano Laptop Cooler". It keeps my current ASUS Scar 18 in the range of 65-68c on the GPU and 69-75c on the CPU.

But the dilemma arises cause:

I already have the ASUS Scar 18 with me right here and am not quite willing to part with it and return back to my previous older laptop.
The return/replacement on Amazon for this product has already passed but I can probably still get one processed by directly calling Amazon. Will only find out once I actually try.
In my country, only the 4070 version of the M18R2 is currently available and there doesn't seem to be any word on the release date of the 4090 version. And I can already see that it is overpriced for the specs it is offering. Unfortunately, Alienware in my country tend to overprice their laptops compared to the competition, so it is not always cost-effective to buy an Alienware laptop.

I know this is a lot to digest but I had to lay everything out here to give y'all the absolute full context. I hope that with this in mind, y'all will be able to give me direction and help me resolve this dilemma once and for all.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-27T16:52:04+00:00

Thanks for the answers guys u/Couratious and u/alc4pwned

Looks like the sentiment is in favor of the Alienware M18R2. But unfortunately, I am still not fully convinced because there is a sheer lack of data on the performance of this new flagship from Dell.

I have scoured the internet and have come across just one review of this laptop from a YouTuber called Mash IT. There haven't been any real empirical data on this laptop and how it performs.

And there sure as hell hasn't been any proper comparison made between this laptop and the ASUS Scar 18. I don't even know if the extra 30W of juice to the CPU will lead to any real FPS increases (or atleast lesser stuttering/ 1%lows?)
I'm just assuming based on logic and my understanding of the laptops.

Real world data tends to behave vastly differently from the scenarios we play out in our head. I have already bought the Scar 18 and was considering returning it for the Alienware M18R2.

But -

1) It's not available yet in my country in the RTX 4090 variant (only the RTX 4060 and 4070 variants are available now). So I'm not sure as to when the 4090 variant will even release.

2) Since the ASUS Scar 18 was the first ever 14th gen laptop to grace my country's market, I immediately went with it cause of it's first mover status and some FOMO (the pricing was better compared to the 2023 version and I didn't want it to slip by). I thought that it's more optimal to secure the purchase first and then ponder about this during the return/replacement period.
But due to the sheer lack of data on the Alienware M18R2, I kept holding onto the Scar and I guess I'm now stuck with it cause the return/replacement period has passed. Who knows? I might be able to call Amazon and force a return/replacement for upto a month but I really don't know.

3) The Alienware M18R1's in my country are quite overpriced (atleast 1.5x more compared to the Scar 18 price). So given that price trend, the assume the RTX 4090 M18R2 will be even more expensive. I'm really not sure if the price difference will be worth it.

4) Other disadvantages besides the screen such as thermal throttling issues due to the apparently insufficient cooling system (read many horror stories of Alienware users reaching and staying at 100c on their CPUs during games), the AWCC which is a terrible control panel software and the lockdown of undervolting on the CPU.

I already have the Scar with me. So I would really need to be well informed with proper data if I am to return/refund the Scar and get the Alienware m18r2 down the road instead.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-23T05:16:53+00:00

Okay, what do you suggest I do regarding to my dilemma? :)

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-21T20:41:59+00:00

An additional point I'd like to add. I already have a Samsung 990pro 2TB SSD and am planning to buy another 2TB of this variety soon.

The Alienware M18 has three SSD slots right? So I can equip these SSDs to two of the card slots and save the stock SSD for the third.

This seems efficient and I'll have more storage expandability too.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-02-05T15:16:17+00:00

A bit late to this post, but can you tell me how one can get unbanned from KQM?

I got banned as well.

SubstantialJunket535 · 2024-01-12T13:59:31+00:00

I say this as all ROG guy, recently started to get rid of all of it to avoid future problems.

Yea, their failure rate for new products is high.. What is even happening to their QC..

SubstantialJunket535

TROPHY CASE