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Question

Alienware Graphics Amplifier? Worth it?

by Apr 10, 2015 8:20AM PDT

So after spending around a month pricing out a top end sager a family member unexpectedly gave me a Alienware 15 for my birthday. All the goodies except the 4k touch screen and only 8gb ram.

So hey... free alienware I'll take it Happy

I'm thinking about getting an Alienware Graphics Amplifier ($174 with my discount) and a FeForce GTX 980 to throw in there.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experiences with the Amplifier. Is it really buggy/crash a lot?

Discussion is locked

3 Posts
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Answer
I found it to be something else.
by Forum moderator Apr 11, 2015 2:25AM PDT

I continue to hear/read screams of gamers over crashing no matter which card or driver. Some game will crash only on ultra with 8xAA turned on so I'll show it works fine with one or the other turned down a notch.

It's clear there are software issues still today with the hardware being fine.

Since it was just a setting how to rule if it's buggy or not?
Bob

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well thats a bit of a let down
by brianfromsomewhere Apr 11, 2015 5:48AM PDT

For the price I can pick it up for I'll probably get it knowing it still has a few bugs. It's still somewhat new so I have hope AW will patch it up in the near future. I'll probably just throw in a graphics card I already have in there then and eventually/hopefully when its bug free get a nicer card for it. Just knowing it can give 80% more frame rates than a 980 equipped laptop alone has me drooling a bit. I do too much traveling to have a desktop around so that is why I've got the interest in this thing.

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The thing is, it still helps gaming.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 11, 2015 6:01AM PDT

There has yet to be a perfect, bug free system out there. Even the PS3/4, XBox line and other things have glitches here and there.

I can't quite understand the gamer that crashes on Ultra, 8xAA or some specific setting and then gets upset when we find it works on some lower or higher setting. If folk want perfection they may not get into any game.

Pick almost any mainstream game or system and we can find a glitch that is there. But almost always it's good enough to game on.
Bob

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