Is this gap normal?

Hello, I was wondering if any of you have the same gap (under the speakers) on their machines? It's an Alienware M17x the first model (people call it R1); the one with nVidia GTX 280 SLi.
I don't remember seeing it before (I have the laptop for a week now), I noticed it today. Laptop hasn't been hit or something - it just stays on my desk. It's symmetrically on both side, just doesn't feel right!




Thank you in advance.

 

Congrats on your M17x!

Yes its normal although yours does seem to be slightly larger or it may be the way you took your photo. I think it varies depending on the laptop as I've seen photo's of some M17x R/R1 without the gap and some with. It's only really noticeable in really dark environments. I also have the gap but I prevented the light from the speaker area from shining through it by using a thin strip of foam in that area.

 

I have an AW m17xR3 very little light escaping on the same place (only when you look at it on eyelevel). I guess it's normal. I inspected the machine for several hours when I got it and didn't notice it, so you can imagine that it's almost impossible to notice on the R3

 

Have seen it on several of mine. Its pretty normal depends on how well the parts were fitted there.

 

Ok, thanks..
I as well inspected the machine when I received it, but didn't notice the gap.. and as it seems I didn't notice it for 1 week of usage as well.. Just today the palm-rest felt different and I took a closer look in a darkened room, and voila there you have it.
If I apply force it goes all the way down to the metal part and closes, but as soon as I stop applying pressure it just opens up again. And yes, it's visible only on eye-level but I freaked out..

So I shouldn't worry - it's normal? Thanks!

 

My wife has a 17x and I can see a little there as well, mostly normal I suppose

 

Just to confirm, it is normal.

 

Yep, my M17X-R2 has the same gap.

 

That's interesting. My R1 never had any light leakage there.

 

I was going to post "omg mine is weird its completely clean and no light spillage" then I realized that's an R2 and mines an R4.



I had a derp moment. At any rate M17X FTW

 

You could try pressing the grille firmly down - might be a case of the palm rest 'plastic latches' not being completely 'snapped in' correctly and could possibly leave a slight gap for light to flood through. I know that with my m18x, I used to have to do this when the palm rest had been removed/replaced. You'll hear them 'click' if any are not properly latched.

Just a thought...

 

Well it clicks when i press it down, but doesn't snap in.. and just goes back to the position it was before I applied pressure It doesn't really matter - I prefer not to apply any more force, I might break something and that would be worse than having the gap, so..
Plus everybody says it's normal

 

Tiny bit on my R4, not as much as yours but I can see it....that is going to bug the hell out of me now ...damn you lol

 

Possible solution: Open it up, put something like this Thick Foam Draught Excluder Black 3.5m - Draught Excluders - Insulation -Building Materials - Wickes on the leading edge of the palm rest so that it covers the gap when assembled. Hey presto - no more light bleeding through.....I'm sure local hardware stores/computer stores stock products probably even better than this....

 

Exactly what I did @steviejones133

Although I used a much thinner strip. Its the same "peel and stick" type so I don't have to adjust it everytime I disassemble.

 

Yeah, a much thinner tape was what I had in mind. Couldn't find a link to something more suitable at the time, but the idea was there! :thumbsup: