Dell Outlet or New?

Oh no, girl in here.

I've been lurking. I work for IBM so I'm pretty tech savvy. I've taken notebooks apart and do tech on desktops, et al. I've decided on the M17x. I'm reading too many bad things about the ASUS G73 which was my second choice. I am an author, do extensive Photoshop (I create my own covers), and play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and will soon have Modern Warfare 2. I also play other first person shooters (relieves stress from working 12 hour days in engineering.)

Now my question. How good is the Dell outlet store on certified refurbs? Is it a risk?

 

Only risk is if you get a bad one takes time to go thru the hoops for a replacement..that said I bought one 2040.00 was a bad R1 ended up with this from them, took 7 weeks but well worth the time, I think. Your warranty is same as new, bottom line they are fair just very slow so up to you. Good luck

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

If you buy an R1 from the outlet, just like Alienwolf said, it's kinda like playing russian roulette with your computer you have probably a 50/50 chance of major problems as the R1's have proven to have a lot more frequent problems especially in high configuration. If you do buy a refurb, don't buy anything but an R2. But I would recommend going new, they have some pretty good deals going on right now like the back to school one, go check it out! And welcome!

 

There are plenty of R2 on the outlet now. No reason to consider an R1.

I've bought 8 machines from the outlet. Never a lemon and they look/feel/run/smell brand new. They are much cheaper (if you do it right with a coupon) and ship much faster than their "new" cousins.

I have an R2 on the way to me right now. Ordered Tuesday. Will be here tommorow.

 

There are some great deals to be had at the outlet store. Areas of concern are batteries, GPU, and screens. Completely hit and miss. Some systems at the refurb center are returns for completely innocuous reasons, others were heavily abused. I returned a brand new computer after one day to exchange for CF. Others are returning near the end of their warranties.

1) Batteries no inherent value buying used.

2) Better to buy 5870 CF as these are the newest cards.

3) LCD will dim over time and lose lusterous look.

4) I agree don't buy the R1. The R1 hybrid graphics modes settings are bonkers.

 

A LED backlit LCD isn't going to dim just FYI.

 

Thanks for all of your replies. I should have specified that I am looking at an R2 with dual crossfire 4870s, and a 1920x1200 screen. I was hoping to not have to wait 4 weeks to get my new computer, but I guess I can wait. I'll check out the Dell store and see how much I'll be paying new. Thanks.

I think if I can find a coupon, it's worth the discount in the outlet store. Thanks.

 

Why not 5870s?

Several people have been reporting it's taking about 10 days from order to delivery lately. That's really not too bad if you want a "new" system.

 

Tdoney,

There are plenty of R2 with Dual 4870 with 1920 X 1200 RGB LED Screen. buying from outlet or new from dell, has the same warranty. If you don't care for minor cosmetic, buy from the outlet. save some money !! I have bought 3-4 AW from there, and never had problems with them.

 

I always try to buy from the outlet, just make sure you get the most warranty you can get.

 

there are a few in the market place for sale pmode has a nice one, for cheap, also sir roger has one. both have a good deal of warranty and you will save a ton of money on tax & shipping.

 

Thanks clever, however if you read my other thread, it's currently out of commission ("technician" messed up on replacing screen. Broke the screen, cut himself, and other stuff)! However, it should be replaced soon!

 

I have a tech coming out today. I already laid out the dead parts, opened up the laptop. All I have to do is insert the new GPU, and the Tech can watch me do it.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check. I won't be buying for a couple of weeks.

 

I honestly think your best off buying new. I prefer not to ever buy used electronics cause they could have been abused or damage could happen during the refurb. process; you dont know if the last owner used it heavily until they dissided to return it a few days before they couldnt anymore or if they returned it on arrival so they could get an new upgrade that was unavailable upon the date they ordered it. If price is a major concern then that would be the only time I would get a refurb.

 

The 4870's from AMD are DirectX 10.1
The 5870's from AMD are DirectX 11.0

The 4870's are two years old. A workhorse but dated. There is only a small difference in price. This Christmas you will see a lot of new Dx11 games out. I agree with kenichols29.

 

Ahh, nevermind!

 

I recently picked up an R2, nebula red with dual CF4870's , 1920x1200 RGB , 320/320 raid 0 , I7 620m , windows ultimate7 for about 2k....saved me around $750 if I would have ordered it new....Mine is working great and looks like a brand new unit....and I had it within 2 days of placing my order. hard to pass up a $700 savings..

 

I've bought 3 R2's from the Outlet the past week. The first two I saved $2000 off the new price (these are loaded and were $5300 new, $3400 Outlet). Both are brand spankin' new looking. If I sat a new one next to an Outlet one, I'd bet you couldn't see the difference.

Now, apart from an apparent design issue working on battery, and some high-frequency noises emanating from it (which others have the same issue, so I don't blame on it being an Outlet unit), these R2's are just as good as new.

Don't forget, if you get something you don't like at the Outlet, just return it. You have 21 days. Find something wrong with it, and contact tech support, get a case number, and call customer support for a return. If you ask for a replacment, more than likely, you'll be sent something better for free!

The Outlet is great. Barely any risk and all the benefits of new plus big, big savings.

 

Thanks for that information. I had no idea that there was a 21 day return policy. Makes the deal even sweeter. I've decided to go with the outlet because I can get the crossfire's cheaper. I want the crossfire.

 

I really don't play games other than the older Halos and Call of Duty which I can get to play at lowest settings on my HP DV7. The laptop also plays Dragon Age so I don't need the 5870s really. It all comes down to the dollar amount. I'd like to spend only 2000.00 so it looks like the outlet is it since the one I priced from Dell was 3000.00 with Crossfire 4870s. Thanks.

 

A word of wisdom regarding the M17xR2, which I discovered in my quest for the fastest notebook available (and I'm not a big game player, either)--fast = heat and noise. Crossfire = heat and noise. If you're sensitive to your notebook making lots of fan noise or generating heat, or need to run on battery now and then, the M17x might not be what you want. If, on the other hand, none of those matter, but you want cheap and fast, then an Outlet M17xR2 is for you!

Most important -- Have Fun!

EDIT: You might also consider a single 5870...runs much cooler, is the newest gen video, and from what I've read (and i'll probably be severely punished here), it in the neighborhood of CF 4870's (+-25%). This, to me, apart from braggin rights, makes more sense for me. I suppose I could always add a second 5870 later.

 

Thanks for your advice. You're probably right. Much to consider but I have time since I won't be able to purchase until the 21st or there about.

 

Just got my R2 from outlet. Looks brand new. No dead pixels (yay.)

Doesn't come with any of the extras you get with a new one (hat, mousepad, etc) but I think somehow I'll still sleep tonight.

 

The first two I got from the Outlet didn't have any AW accessories, either. The third one came with the hat, mouse pad, leather bound owners manual, and an alienhead plastic sticker.

Go figure.

 

Weird. They even took the leather off of my manual.

Oh well all of the important bits were there. For pretty much half price I'm not complaining.