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    Got a few questions

    Discussion in 'Alienware 17 and M17x' started by wewooo, May 2, 2013.

  1. wewooo

    wewooo Notebook Guru

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    I am planning on buying an alienware m17x soon, tiger direct has one for an awesome price. But the graphics card is really weak, would I be able to send in the laptop to alienware for an upgrade(Maybe a gtx 680m)?


    Also how reliable is this laptop, I've already seen it in person it looks pretty sweet :)

    Link to laptop: Alienware M17x AM17xR4-6837BK Notebook PC - 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz, 8GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M, Blu-ray Player/DVDRW, 17.3 Display, Windows 8 64-bit at TigerDirect.com
     
    wewooo, May 2, 2013
    #1
  2. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Purchase directly through Alienware.
     
    J.Dre, May 2, 2013
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  3. Nospheratu

    Nospheratu Notebook Deity

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    Welcome to the forums! :)

    I'm not familiar with Tiger Direct but if the warranty is carried through Dell/Alienware you can easily contact them for the upgrade. Alternatively call Alienware sales and mention Tiger Directs deal and see if the can match/beat it. You may be able to upgrade the GPU at the same time.

    The 660M isn't as weak as you think it may be, have a look here to see exactly what you can expect performance wise.

    edit: reliability wise Alienware laptops are pretty solid in general. The Next Business Day warranty service more than makes up for any problems you may experience and there are helpful Alienware reps on this forum if ever you experience any issues.
     
    Nospheratu, May 2, 2013
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  4. darkdomino

    darkdomino Notebook Deity

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    TigerDirect is an alienware reseller... just like Newegg or Amazon... the price is actually REALLY good, especially with a blu-ray player and everything. I'm wondering if it's a refurb or something.

    To answer your question, yes you can upgrade the GPU to a 680m... but it'll likely be expensive, and involving flashing a new VBIOS.
     
    darkdomino, May 2, 2013
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  5. wewooo

    wewooo Notebook Guru

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    Thanks for the help, I guess I'm going to buy this and upgrade the graphics card and the network card. :)
     
    wewooo, May 2, 2013
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  6. ikisat

    ikisat Notebook Geek

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    ikisat, May 2, 2013
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  7. .Cameron.

    .Cameron. Notebook Consultant

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    I'd definitely give Alienware a call (they're much more negotiable on the phone than online). They should hopefully be able to get you a better deal than a post-purchase upgrade, and you'll get a personalized nameplate!
     
    .Cameron., May 3, 2013
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  8. Alienware-Luis_Pardo

    Alienware-Luis_Pardo Guest

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    You'll get a personalized plate! :D

    Anyway, if you get it through a 3rd party vendor just make sure to call in (Alienware tech support) to "activate" your warranty once you get it.
     
    Alienware-Luis_Pardo, May 3, 2013
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  9. SlickDude80

    SlickDude80 Notebook Prophet

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    Do NOT buy an alienware through tiger. Just trust me on this. Get it through the website or through a 3rd party seller who might get you a discount
     
    SlickDude80, May 3, 2013
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  10. MickyD1234

    MickyD1234 Notebook Prophet

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    I was wondering about this. I don't think they will be refurbs, probably the fact that is is a 'fixed' config allowed them to get a batch deal from dell :confused:

    If you want to use dell to upgrade then it's going to cost an arm and leg compared to getting the right GPU at build - probably wipe out any saving....
     
    MickyD1234, May 4, 2013
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  11. lif3t4k3r

    lif3t4k3r Notebook Consultant

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    I went from a 660m to a 7970m. Massive upgrade... definately worth thinking about getting a better GPU the first time around.
     
    lif3t4k3r, May 4, 2013
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  12. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    If you need upgrades or upgrade info, send us an e-mail to [email protected] and they'll take care of your request.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, May 6, 2013
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