I have an M17x with Windows 7 64 bit. Until only a day or so ago, it was Windows Vista 64 bit. Since there are two drives, I have Vista 32 bit on the second drive as a test platform.
I have 2xGTX280, 4GB RAM, 500GB total drive space, etc. and so on.
I recently acquired an external display (Dell 2407WFPHC), which I so looked forward to using with my M17x to expand my desktop space and to have a viewing space for where I can use certain applications without having to squint my eyes because on the external display the pixels use 15 twips instead of 12 twips per pixel used by the laptop display. Don't get me wrong, I like and I want the 1920x1200 resolution of the laptop display, but for some purposes the external display would have let me ease my eyes.
The problems using an external display are as follows, and these problems persist between Vista 32 and 64 bit, and Windows 7 64 bit.
1) The primary GPU maxes out its clock speed even if all I'm doing is word processing, which causes the GPU fan to also max out. As soon as I unplug the external display, GPU clock speed goes down, the temperature drops, and the fans spin down to normal. I've owned and used laptops for a very long time, and I've never seen this behavior before. The GPU should only expend what resources are necessary to run the second display, not act like I'm playing graphics intensive games with all accelerations in use.
2) The system steadily becomes slower and slower and more and more unstable the longer I leave the external display attached. The first resource I lose altogether is WiFi access. I haven't left the external display attached long enough to lose more resources because I'm afraid of somehow damaging the system. It can take anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes for my WiFi throughput to be reduced to nothing when the external display is attached. Soon as I remove the external display, the WiFi connectivity returns. If I boot the system with the external display attached, I logon with no WiFi access. And though I remove the external display in this case, a reboot is required to get WiFi connectivity back.
I have thus far only connected to my external display using SVGA and the HDMI ports. The SVGA port was used to connect to the display through its native SVGA port. The HDMI port was used with a HDMI to DVI adapter to connect to the display's DVI port. If I use SVGA, I'm prevented from access to the option of using the display's native resolution. And even if I had access, I would be unable to use it because when the SVGA port is used, the external display is riddled with very obtrusive sync lines that never settle out. It's very much like looking at a monitor through a video camera--that bad.
At this point, I'm not even sure why ports have been provided for using an external display. The M17x is clearly not capable of supporting external displays. I've discussed this matter on the Notebook Review's Alienware Forums (http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1018), and it is generally understood there that external displays cannot be used with the M17x for the reasons I've noted above. Not even with the Radon cards. This seems to be a problem with the fundamental architecture of the M17x.
I'm posting this for three reasons.
1) I would like to know if there is a solution to this problem. I'm only asking as a courtesy, because I have explored this thoroughly and discussed this matter with many knowledgeable people, and the general consensus is that there is no solution.
2) I would like Dell to be aware of this problem and to work on resolving it.
3) I would like other users of the M17x who have encountered this problem to "sign" this post by answering this topic so Dell will know that this problem affects multiple users.
Thank you for your time.