Brand new m17x bad hard locking

So I just got my new m17x about two weeks ago. 6GB ram, gtx 285m sli, and the q740 processor. It has pretty much everything I wanted EXCEPT the upgraded screen (kind of regret not getting it, is it that big of a difference?)

Anyways from the start its been giving me tons of problems. I was really hoping you all could help me? First off, the laptop hard locks constantly. I did not expect to pay so much for a nice machine and have it constantly hard lock on me 2-3 times every half an hour. It generally only happens while playing wow, but sometimes it will happen just with regular use of windows. The screen will either start flashing random colors with several horizontal lines on the top of screen, sometimes it will just go completely black, or sometimes the screen will just completely freeze on what I was doing, sound will still work, mouse will SLOWLY move, but computer is completely unresponsive to anything other than the power button. Also, i have received several BSOD, with the same error, something about "a clock interrupt was not received on a secondary processor core"

I have done everything I can to trouble shoot it, temps are fine, drivers are good, bios has been flashed, literally everything I could think of. Should I call alienware and have a service rep come out? I shouldn't have to deal with someone coming out to my house and fixing my brand new laptop... I paid extra for the warranty, I just hate dealing with customer service, I would honestly prefer them just send me a whole new machine... SORRY for the wall of text, but I'm sure you all could imagine my frustration. Thanks for any help!

edit: oh its also nice to see the price has dropped not even within 2 weeks of me buying mine, and now 8gb ram is included, great.

 

the screen going "crazy" is sometimes due to the latest nVidia verde drivers,check what version you have installed.

 

I'm at 260.99

 

there are issues with the Verde drivers in general for the m17x most of us use the beta ones on the Dell support website.try them out,but before clean these ones(260.99) out(uninstall in Control Panel and then run CCleaner).
Good luck

 

Thanks alot man, I will give these a go tonight, if all else fails dell is going to have to deal with one pissed off customer.

 

When did your laptop get shipped/arrive? If you are still within 21 days of your ship date you can order another one with the RGB LED screen and 8gb ram and return your current one without having to pay shipping or a re-stocking fee

IMHO the RGB screen is much better and is well worth the extra cost...

 

I received it on the 8th, is the screen really worth the 200? If so I will return it and get a new one.

 

Return it, get the 5870m Crossfire + RGB LED setup instead. 285M SLi is outdated unless you specifically need an nVidia card for a game.

 

^^That's a better idea than to go thru what we are atm it's not worth the loss of time.Don't forget the RGB screen and keep us posted!

 

ok I guess tomorrow after work I make the call... maybe I could just hold off till r3

 

They won't let you just return it, you have to either order another model or prove that it has some serious defects.

If you try and return it without either of the above reasons they will charge you a restocking fee, 15% I believe (don't quote me on that).

Edit: Also, if you are waiting for the r3 be prepared for a long wait, knowing Alienware it will take sometime...

 

Hi,
I own laptops with the the regular screen and rgb. I really dont' see a big difference in picture quality. Also, if gaming is all you gonna do on a laptop, i recommend getting a lower resolution screen for better performance. I have the studio 17inch 1080p rgb screen, and i'd say, everthing is so small, up to the points of annoyance. Every web page i visit i would have to zoom in to see. Also, maybe my calibration is not correct but the colors blue, green, red is "too bold", not what i'm used to. my 2cents.

 

I could be wrong but I don't think you can compare those two screens. I've used the studio 16 and it doesn't even come close. Just because they are both RGB doesn't mean that they are equals...

 

Oh my god, it actually worked, been a couple hours and no hardlocks on the video drivers on dells site!

 

thewes, if need be, you can return it for any reason within your first 21 to 30 days (depending on the Dell Rep you talk to). I know this from first hand experience. If you feel your system is still unrelyable, return it for a new one, or refund, Dell is very good about this. Simply tell them you are not happy with how your system keeps crashing right out of the box. If you have no problems now, enjoy

 

I've had the same problems (see Alienware 17xR2 woes thread). I also have the 260.99 drivers so I am going to try to run the beta ones that katalin talked about to see if that corrects the issue. If not, do you think I could call dell and request a reconfiguration for a different video card setup (Preferibly the X-fire)??? I did call them today and a tech rep said that he has to do a power drain, then update the drivers, then do a benchmark (on the video cards). I wasn't home (was calling from work) for him to complete those.

I received the laptop November 30th, so its still within the 30 day threshold...

 

Deffo return and get the screen upgrade.....regardless. Its the best screen out there and you really shouldnt comprimise on the ONLY viewing portal of your laptop...its the window to its soul and therefore should be viewed at its very best level to make the most out of your machine!