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Archaea 208K Views
Mar 19, 2021 10:45 PM

Dell Alienware Aurora R12 Desktop: i7 11700F, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, RTX 3080

$2,026

or less w/ SD Cashback (PC Req'd)at Dell EPP
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Deal Details
Dell Member & Purchase Program has Dell Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop on sale for $2025.94 when you follow directions below. To earn 2.5% in Slickdeals Cashback, before purchase, follow the cashback instructions below. Shipping is free.

Thanks community member Archaea for sharing this deal

Follow Directions Below for Price:
  1. Click here and Select BASE Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop (priced at $1077.99), and Click "Customize & Buy"
  2. On following Page, Upgrade Processor to: to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11700F (8-Core, 16MB Cache) (priced at +$147)
  3. Upgrade Graphics to: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GDDR6X (priced at +$852.60)
  4. Upgrade Hard Drive to: 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (priced at +$29.40)
  5. Under Chassis Options: Under Liquid Cooling: Upgrade to: Dark Side of the Moon chassis with High-Performance CPU Liquid Cooling and 1000W Power Supply (priced at +$147)
  6. Under Mouse: Select No Mouse (for -$2.94)
  7. Add to cart for Pre-Coupon total of $2253.99
  8. Click here to Subscribe to emails for Unique 10% Off Code
    • Check your inbox or spam folder for email w/ coupon code; may take 30 minutes or more to arrive
  9. Once Unique Code arrives via email, apply in cart
  10. Apply $50 Off promo code 50OFF699 in cart
  11. Your total should be $2025.94 (BUT may vary slightly) with free shipping.
Specs:
  • 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11700F Processor (8-Core, 16MB Cache, 2.5GHz to 4.9GHz w/Intel Turbo Boost Max)
  • 8GB DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz RAM
  • 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GDDR6X Graphics
  • Dark Side of the Moon Chassis with High-Performance CPU Liquid Cooling and 1000W Power Supply
  • Dell Wireless DW1810 (1x1) 802.11ac with Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Front Ports:
    • 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1
    • 1x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports with Powershare Technology
    • Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port with Powershare Technology
    • Headphone/Line Out
    • Microphone/Line In
  • Rear Ports:
    • SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)
    • SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK)
    • RJ-45 Killer E3100G Gigabit Ethernet
    • 6x Type-A USB 2.0 Ports
    • Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Powershare Technology (up to 15W)
    • Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2
    • Microphone In
    • 3x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1
Cashback Instructions (On PC or Laptop Only):
  • If you don't already have it, Install the Slickdeals Extension (Click Install Now) Note: if you already have the extension but have not enrolled in SD Rewards, click through the link to complete enrollment.
  • Sign-in or Create a Slickdeals account after installation. You need to have an account so we know where to send your rewards points.
  • IMPORTANT: To receive the Cashback Offer, disable adblockers and other cashback and coupon shopping extensions. If you don't disable them, you may not get credit for this offer from Slickdeals. You can find your extensions under "Manage Extensions" in your browser.
  • Next go to Dell using the links above and you should see a prompt stating 2.5% cashback, if not open the extension and click "Activate Cashback"
  • Proceed to checkout
  • Track your purchases here: Redemption Portal
  • Notes: Purchases can take up to 2 weeks to show up. We're working on speeding up this process as we continue to test out this Beta Program.

Editor's Notes

Written by slickdewmaster | Staff
  • Includes 1-Year Hardware Warranty with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
  • Details of Dell's return policy can be found here.
  • Refer to forum thread for additional deal saving ideas and further deal discussion

Original Post

Written by Archaea
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Dell Member & Purchase Program has Dell Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop on sale for $2025.94 when you follow directions below. To earn 2.5% in Slickdeals Cashback, before purchase, follow the cashback instructions below. Shipping is free.

Thanks community member Archaea for sharing this deal

Follow Directions Below for Price:
  1. Click here and Select BASE Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming Desktop (priced at $1077.99), and Click "Customize & Buy"
  2. On following Page, Upgrade Processor to: to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11700F (8-Core, 16MB Cache) (priced at +$147)
  3. Upgrade Graphics to: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GDDR6X (priced at +$852.60)
  4. Upgrade Hard Drive to: 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (priced at +$29.40)
  5. Under Chassis Options: Under Liquid Cooling: Upgrade to: Dark Side of the Moon chassis with High-Performance CPU Liquid Cooling and 1000W Power Supply (priced at +$147)
  6. Under Mouse: Select No Mouse (for -$2.94)
  7. Add to cart for Pre-Coupon total of $2253.99
  8. Click here to Subscribe to emails for Unique 10% Off Code
    • Check your inbox or spam folder for email w/ coupon code; may take 30 minutes or more to arrive
  9. Once Unique Code arrives via email, apply in cart
  10. Apply $50 Off promo code 50OFF699 in cart
  11. Your total should be $2025.94 (BUT may vary slightly) with free shipping.
Specs:
  • 11th Gen Intel Core i7 11700F Processor (8-Core, 16MB Cache, 2.5GHz to 4.9GHz w/Intel Turbo Boost Max)
  • 8GB DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz RAM
  • 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GDDR6X Graphics
  • Dark Side of the Moon Chassis with High-Performance CPU Liquid Cooling and 1000W Power Supply
  • Dell Wireless DW1810 (1x1) 802.11ac with Wi-Fi, Wireless LAN, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit
  • Front Ports:
    • 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1
    • 1x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports with Powershare Technology
    • Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port with Powershare Technology
    • Headphone/Line Out
    • Microphone/Line In
  • Rear Ports:
    • SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)
    • SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK)
    • RJ-45 Killer E3100G Gigabit Ethernet
    • 6x Type-A USB 2.0 Ports
    • Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Powershare Technology (up to 15W)
    • Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2
    • Microphone In
    • 3x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1
Cashback Instructions (On PC or Laptop Only):
  • If you don't already have it, Install the Slickdeals Extension (Click Install Now) Note: if you already have the extension but have not enrolled in SD Rewards, click through the link to complete enrollment.
  • Sign-in or Create a Slickdeals account after installation. You need to have an account so we know where to send your rewards points.
  • IMPORTANT: To receive the Cashback Offer, disable adblockers and other cashback and coupon shopping extensions. If you don't disable them, you may not get credit for this offer from Slickdeals. You can find your extensions under "Manage Extensions" in your browser.
  • Next go to Dell using the links above and you should see a prompt stating 2.5% cashback, if not open the extension and click "Activate Cashback"
  • Proceed to checkout
  • Track your purchases here: Redemption Portal
  • Notes: Purchases can take up to 2 weeks to show up. We're working on speeding up this process as we continue to test out this Beta Program.

Editor's Notes

Written by slickdewmaster | Staff
  • Includes 1-Year Hardware Warranty with Onsite/In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis
  • Details of Dell's return policy can be found here.
  • Refer to forum thread for additional deal saving ideas and further deal discussion

Original Post

Written by Archaea

Community Voting

Deal Score
+97
Good Deal

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Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!

880 Comments

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Apr 15, 2021 4:34 AM
430 Comments
Joined May 2004
odragonApr 15, 2021 4:34 AM
430 Comments
Quote from sri69 View quoted comment :
Alright folks, as requested I created a video with a step-by-step to replace the front fan and repaste the RTX 3080 GPU. The temps in my machine decreased from 110 degree memory junction down to 76 degrees following these relatively simple mods. Not too bad.

I'm not a youtuber, simply created this video for your benefit to maximize the performance of the unit. Here is a link:
https://youtu.be/YklybEdoKIM
"Dell Aurora R12 RTX 3080 Repaste and Fan optimization - Easy 30 degree temp difference fix!"
Which Noctua did you get? Can you PM or post a link/model number or are they all pretty much interchangeable? I'm thinking of spending the extra for one of their quiet ones, assuming you think it's worth it. This bad boy is loud and my wife already commented!

Edit: I realized as soon as I posted this that it's most likely the GPU fans that are loud but it's still a pretty cheap change that might help slightly so still interested. That said, based on the GPU fans, I'm doubting the quiet will matter on the actual fan.
Last edited by odragon April 14, 2021 at 09:38 PM.
Apr 15, 2021 4:56 AM
601 Comments
Joined Dec 2011
sri69Apr 15, 2021 4:56 AM
601 Comments
Quote from odragon View quoted comment :
Which Noctua did you get? Can you PM or post a link/model number or are they all pretty much interchangeable? I'm thinking of spending the extra for one of their quiet ones, assuming you think it's worth it. This bad boy is loud and my wife already commented!
I've purchased both the 3 pin and 4 pin Noctua A12 versions. There are 2x 4pins for the top fan config in a pull/push config on the CPU radiator cooler plate in my R11. But the 4pin throws a BIOS error (simply need to ESC out or acknowledge manually) which is a PITA, and the 3 pin does not. Since I run the fan at 100% with it being reasonably quiet, the extra features of the 4pin are not a big deal for our needs, but might be for others.
I placed a 3pin at the front of the R12, no bios error. Maybe Dell will update BIOS in the future to be more compatible or tolerant of after market fans that aren't intended to be used on aircraft carriers like the Dell ones.

Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM, Premium Quiet Fan, 4-Pin (120mm, Brown)
and/or
Noctua NF-A12x25 FLX, Premium Quiet Fan, 3-Pin (120mm, Brown)

Depending on your needs. Perhaps others may have input for you as well. BTW, the fan on the 3080 will be the loudest of them all after the modifications, so just keep expectations in check if you intend to game or mine heavy.
Apr 15, 2021 5:11 AM
1.6K Comments
Joined Aug 2011
bearsworth8Apr 15, 2021 5:11 AM
1.6K Comments
Quote from sri69 View quoted comment :
In complete agreement that there can be benefits to swapping crappy pads (read Gigabyte) for better ones. The good news is that there are multiple mousetraps to accomplish the same goals.
For this specific card modification, the paste is applied between two metal surfaces, not on the VRAM, so messiness should not be a challenge. I've had a modified card for over a few weeks now using paste between the metal plates and so far so good (knock wood).

Link is above, https://youtu.be/YklybEdoKIM, hope it helps. If it doesn't get you to your goal, then explore pads as bears suggests, but you are likely to be successful with these simple mods in the video.

Hey I saw the video and I believe its correct that there is no good adhesion from the two. I also believe there is not a good pad used between both the front and backs of the cards too. If you take the card apart, you will notice some pads on the back plate for instance, some of the pads I noticed did not provide full coverage for additional items to be cooled.

The dell oem pads you hit 110 degrees (meaning they aren't good). Using this pad mod, the heat transfer between vram and back does improve significantly so maybe the best is to also apply a pad between the plate and redo the pads they provide. I am going to run a test (instead of paste using double sided thermal tape). One roll of tape could probably change like 10 cards.

Something tells me we shall see 100+ hashrate XD.
Last edited by bearsworth8 April 14, 2021 at 10:13 PM.
Apr 15, 2021 11:36 AM
76 Comments
Joined Nov 2018
JadedvikingApr 15, 2021 11:36 AM
76 Comments
My order shipped! Bought it a few weeks ago. It was odd, I got an email from dell asking to agree to the delay because it was now estimated to go out in July. That was last night. This morning I got an email saying it shipped. Wooo!
Apr 15, 2021 1:45 PM
5.7K Comments
Joined May 2004
PRINTABLECOUPONApr 15, 2021 1:45 PM
5.7K Comments
Quote from qsub View quoted comment :
For everyone buying the thermal pads, the paste is probably better as per a youtube video i watched. (Guy who has the alienware in the corner of his desk with 3 monitors)

Nice hash has good OC stable settings here:
https://www.nicehash.com/blog/pos...for-mining [nicehash.com]

As for me, I'm just going to sell my card to get a free barebone PC. I have 4x3070 and 4x5700XT rig setup already.

My recommendation is use Flexpool.io for newbies. NiceHash takes a cut.

I'm on HiveOS for my rig but if I was just doing a one card thing I'd go with Flexpool/T-rex miner.

ETH is predicted to go up to 5k by end of may so hold the ETH!

Also use coinbase pro (not non-pro) or voyager (I go with voyager since they have more coin offerings then coinbase.)
lol 5k eth by may reminds me of 2018 when people were saying 3k by april rofl
Apr 15, 2021 3:14 PM
3.8K Comments
Joined Mar 2008
localdealsApr 15, 2021 3:14 PM
3.8K Comments
Quote from Kerune View quoted comment :
How long was production for you? I ordered 3/21 and entered production last night. Hoping for a shipment soon.
Sorry for the late response. It is scheduled for delivery today.

Apr 15, 2021 4:29 PM
46 Comments
Joined Nov 2011
TAllen01Apr 15, 2021 4:29 PM
46 Comments
Mine arrived today. Ordered 3/18

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Apr 15, 2021 4:33 PM
46 Comments
Joined Nov 2011
TAllen01Apr 15, 2021 4:33 PM
46 Comments
Quote from andrewbak08 View quoted comment :
For the people that got the delay email but, then your order shipped: Did you review and consent to the new June 15th delivery date or did you take no action regarding that?
No action. I just ignored it, and next day it showed as being completed.
Apr 15, 2021 4:39 PM
46 Comments
Joined Nov 2011
TAllen01Apr 15, 2021 4:39 PM
46 Comments
Quote from Ohsighrus View quoted comment :
You and everyone else. Everyone coming to slickdeals and posting these 3080 deals from dell don't understand that they will not actually ship.

I've done it twice now. Both times they delayed my shipment every month. My first order took 5 months of delays before they finally cancelled and gave me a crappy 10% coupon that expires in June. Everyone on reddit knows not to bother posting these dell builds because dell doesn't ship. They simply take your payment information, add you to their mailer list, sell your information to other companies, cancel your order and enjoy the profits of their farmed mailer list of people who want the latest technology.

Dell is trash tier right now, hell I'd even trust Newegg over Dell when it comes to 3080 products, and that's embarrassing to say.


https://www.ign.com/articles/dell...-hot-price <- IGN did an article on this already. It was full of $1500 3080 builds and links.

Trust me, these guys aren't shipping. Feel free to reply here with a picture of it actually arriving if you think you can prove me wrong.
I assume you now know how wrong you were?
1
Apr 15, 2021 6:52 PM
461 Comments
Joined Nov 2010
mhoward84Apr 15, 2021 6:52 PM
461 Comments
Quote from TAllen01 View quoted comment :
I assume you now know how wrong you were?
No. Despite many of these deals previously shipping that he could have referred to, no he doesn't know (or at least admit)
1
Apr 15, 2021 8:02 PM
1.6K Comments
Joined Aug 2011
bearsworth8Apr 15, 2021 8:02 PM
1.6K Comments
My delayed order got shipped sick. Actually the guy must have got delayed in the past. But now Dell appears to be shipping them.

Regarding the order I placed in on the 20th.
Apr 15, 2021 9:24 PM
98 Comments
Joined May 2013
KeruneApr 15, 2021 9:24 PM
98 Comments
Quote from localdeals View quoted comment :
Sorry for the late response. It is scheduled for delivery today.

Thanks mine shipped today as well, 3 days of production. Showed build complete and shipping tracking # in the same day.
Apr 16, 2021 2:08 AM
1.6K Comments
Joined Aug 2011
bearsworth8Apr 16, 2021 2:08 AM
1.6K Comments
For anyone checking back I was able to run a few tests with the 3080's from Dell.

My results for stable (greater than 1 hour testing):

Thermal pad change: 92-94C
Paste on metal bracket (as recommended by the video): 90-92
Thermal pad change + paste on metal bracket: 84-86C
Paste on vram + paste on metal bracket: 80-84C

Hashrate: 98.1 MH/S

Test materials were done using Arctic MX-4 & 12.8 W/MK thermal pad.

Forgot to mention: fan @ 70%. If you raise it higher you can get even better cooling, but it's too loud XD.

Looks like a combo is the best way to minimize temps and let it run 24/7.

Some of you may be wondering why changing pads allows for such a huge drop. Here is my guess as to why thermal pad change alone drops the temps significantly:

Depending on the pad, the one used by Dell seems to have one variety that is more compressible, while another is less compressible. Because of this even though they are the same size, its possible this might affect the space between the heat sink with fan and the heat sink attached to the card itself. By changing the pads in addition to providing better cooling, it also decreases this space causing the heatsink to sit on the card more flush which is part of the aim for putting paste on the gap between the two heatsinks.

TLDR:
Changing pads and applying pads or paste to the bracket provides the optimal solution. I instead opted to use pads for the vram + pads for metal brackets on the card because the paste is really messy. But paste also works.

As before if anyone is interested in pads at a good rate, pm me. If you want paste, there are good options online like Noctua or Arctic MX varieties.
Last edited by bearsworth8 April 15, 2021 at 08:47 PM.
Apr 16, 2021 10:42 AM
1.6K Comments
Joined Aug 2011
bearsworth8Apr 16, 2021 10:42 AM
1.6K Comments
For those who are interested in instructions on how to change pads, I wrote out a step by step with some pictures if it's out of your comfort. Don't worry the fix is simple actually, just follow along Smilie. Just pm and I'll send it over.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Apr 16, 2021 2:34 PM
418 Comments
Joined Oct 2016
crushyslushyApr 16, 2021 2:34 PM
418 Comments
Quote from bearsworth8 View quoted comment :
For those who are interested in instructions on how to change pads, I wrote out a step by step with some pictures if it's out of your comfort. Don't worry the fix is simple actually, just follow along . Just pm and I'll send it over.
Awesome,your guides and the video the other posted are super helpful!

Do you know how warranty works if we opened the card and removed those stickers? I would love to do this to prevent the card over heating and dying, but on the flip side, if it dies of another cause i dont want to be out of warranty!

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