M17x Order Status Discussion - Part 4

I do not think Dell would do that. See my post number 892. Apparently the automatic extension of my EDD was a mistake by Dell.

And perhaps you do have other options than just cancel? Can you not threaten to ask the judge for specific performance with a fine for nonperformance in your country? Such action is probably one of the best ways to ensure that a company gets its act together, instead of playing mr niceguy and wait for some 2 months.

 

Ok, so my M17xR3 is already on its way, unfortunately it has the 560M card and not the 580M (I was not able to cancel on time). My only two options are the following:

1. Call FEDEX and "refuse delivery", so item will go back to Dell and then Dell will reimburse AAFES (Army Air Force Exchange Store) and AAFES will reimburse me back.

or

2. Just keep the laptop and enjoy it, mind you that it has the 2860QM CPU, if it matters.

I can get this item with the 2860QM w/ 6990 or 560M for the same price, just under 2k.

Yes I'm a gamer but not hardcore, if I would have to put a number from 1 - 10. I'll say I'm a 7, I don't have to have all my settings maxed out and all that, but I do like to get the best for my money too.

So before I call FEDEX in the next 20 minutes, what you think? will I be pleased, I should I get the 6990m instead.

 

One can sue in the US, but its probably cheaper to cancel if it comes to that, as you'll be spending much more than the worth of the laptop. But at least that type of threatening worked for you...it definitely won't work as well in the US, as our consumer laws aren't as robust as the EU countries.

I'm aware of your post 892. It says nothing about your extension being a mistake. You only made the forum aware of that at post 901 today. My point was, I don't see how Dell could expedite someone's laptop without affecting someone else's order, as most people are waiting for the exact same part (robbing Peter to pay Paul). The way I read it is that Dell might not have sent the extension by mistake but decided to ship your order immediately after your complaint (the squeaky wheel gets the oil, as we say here in the US). If that's the case, that will delay someone else. It's not really a concern of mine but maybe for someone else that may be waiting for their system to be built and shipped. That kind of situation would hardly be fair and might cause a domino effect.

When I had problems with my EDD (they kept changing it by moving it forward and backward), I spoke with a manager and just told him straight up that I'd cancel if the wait broke 30 days or if they continued to play the shell game with the EDD. I also told him I was a client service manager at a large company and knew what they were going through, but that they are hurting their reputation by continuing to change EDDs, otherwise people will notice the shoddy delivery (I'm pretty sure that Dell goes through things like this at LEAST annually...they should have some type of "limp mode" plan as a company). I also mentioned that when they are inconsistent with delivering, it makes one wonder what other inconsistencies are going on behind the scenes. I also told him that if they hadn't been flip-flopping with the EDD, I wouldn't have cared if I had to wait 50 days...I'd have had more confidence in an unchanging date. After all, up until a week ago, I didn't have an M17x since they started making them. But, after that dialogue with the rep and his manager, the EDD never changed, was shipped at 30 days, and was delivered on day 31.

So, yeah, they could certainly keep moving back the EDD for weeks on end, spanning several months, theoretically. But most people in the US don't sue for theory...it probably won't hold up in court all that well. You have to already be impacted in some manner that warrants court action. I haven't seen anything of that nature on these forums either (or at least in this thread...been trying to read through ALL the stickies).

 

well, not that anyone cares but I decided to go ahead and refuse delivery. Once Dell gets the item back I will be getting the 6990m with the 2860QM instead.

 

Just giving you a heads up. If you're planning to order through AAFES again, you might not be getting the same price for the system. Their prices fluctuate almost at a weekly basis. With that said, it might raise in price, or it might lower in price. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

 

Yeah, I'm hoping to get the refund by this Friday, if not then I guess I'll just wait until I see a better deal. I don't think I would of been happy with the thought of being able to get a better GPU for the same price.

 

Got a mail from Dell customer service simply stating that my order has been shipped. Nothing on my remark about the 580M cooling system...very unsatisfying.

Guess I'll just have to put the old R3 to the test then with the help of BF3 and Crysis 2

 

Curious to hear, how many of us are actually getting the package from China vs any other places.

Mine was shipped from the City of Industry, CA.

As, posted previously, can I assume that mine was assembled in the US?

From order status to shipped status within a week. Assemble and ship from China should have taken longer.

Despite all the unsatisfying experiences that Dell has caused. You're finally getting your rig. Big congrats to you and welcome to the club.

 

Thanks Hitman!

According to UPS I will receive my R3 this Thursday Best of luck to all that are still waiting for their rig. I hope you receive it soon!

 

About to order new rig, what do you think?

System Color
Alienware M17x, Soft Touch Stealth Black
Operating System
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 2760QM (2.4GHz,3.5GHz,w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
Memory
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
Display Panel
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
Video Card
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6990M
Hard Drive
750GB 7,200RPM HDD
Optical Drives
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Sound
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Wireless
Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video
Alien Wallpaper
Alienhead Chrome Blue
Service
1 Year Basic Plan

For $1,881.49 out the door.

For $180.00 more I can upgrade to 2860QM. It is my understanding that 2760QM is more than enough, but those post were from last year; is this still the case?

What do you guys think since you are all the experts, I made the mistake of ordering my previous rig and realized I was not getting my money's worth.
Previous rig was a 2860QM, 560M w/ 8GB Mem without killer-N for $1,988.99.
That rig it's on its way back to Dell right now.

Any inputs would be greatly appreciated, like I said earlier, I don't want to make the same mistake therefore I will really value your opinions.

PS:
Upon receiving the new rig I will be purchasing a Samsung 830 SSD 128GB.

 

Yes, the 2860QM is more than enough. There really isn't much difference between the Intel and Killer-N, so you're good there too. Good price, IMO.

 

Vinnie, good system. The 2760QM should be more than adequate. You're not into 3D I hope?

You can make it even better by buying a SSD from a third party supplier and installing it in bay 1 I believe (the middle one in you rig) and (optionally) flash the vbios to version A08.

Also, can you lower the costs even more by going for 4GB of RAM? If yes, You can then buy another 4GB from a third party supplier and add those since Dell usually overcharges on upgrades.

 

Good to know, thanks for the input guys. 8GB is the lowest I can go, same for the HDD. I was thinking of buying a SSD from a third party already, but what do you think of the Hybrid SSD? Here are my options:

HDD:
750GB 7,200RPM HDD [ Included in Price]

1 TB RAID 0 (2x 500GB) 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s [add $77.50]

500GB Hybrid Solid State Drive [add $55.00]

1.5TB Raid 0 (2x 750GB 7,200RPM) [add $235.00]

256GB Solid State Drive [add $320.00]

512GB Solid State Drive [add $820.00]

CPU:
Intel® Core™ i7 2670QM (2.2GHz,3.1GHz,w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) [subtract $9.00]

Intel® Core™ i7 2760QM (2.4GHz,3.5GHz,w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache) [ Included in Price]

Intel® Core™ i7 2860QM (2.5GHz,3.6GHz with Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache) [add $180.00]

Wireless:
Intel® Advanced N + WiMAX 6250 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology [add $50.00]

Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology [add $70.00]

Killer™ Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO for Gaming & Video [add $80.00]

Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 [ Included in Price]

 

Hey guys!!! New owner of m17x! Heres the specs and a couple questions:

I've had the m11x since day one of release, then got the r2 since released nearly 2 years ago (which had the core i7 from the core 2 duo). However, as a club DJ, the new Serato Video, simply "can't get it up" on my m11x i7. Even with Throttlestop and turbo, it gets WAY hot and basically goes thermal. Specs aren't good enough, and now it seems the m11x has taken damage and I'm struggling for a new laptop, so on Monday (3-26) I ordered this:

m17x r3 (stock as ordered, and what I'm upgrading immediately)
Intel Core i7 2760QM @ 2.4GHz
4GB RAM (It'll actually have 8GB, I'm switching the 8GB from my m11x with this one)
750GB 7200rpm (Actually will have my 256SSD fro my m11x as well and use the 750 as a data drive)
nVidia 560m GTX
Killer 1103 WiFi

I also decided to goes in the deep end with the 4 year accidental warranty... I'm tired of saying "nothing bad will happen" and having the worst luck ever. So for 4 years, Dell's got me covered.

My questions are these, I'm not MUCH of a gamer... mostly not as much as I could be, simply because I don't have the time for it. I love League Of Legends, it's the only thing I've played on my m11x in probably the past 2 months when I have the time. I also don't bogg these things down, since I use them for work, I'll usually only have 1 or 2 games at a time on them aside from my programs I use for work. All my buddies always are on my butt for a MacBookPro, but I'm a PC guy, and I love the attention Alienware throws on my stuff, just a kick a* looking system.

How's this laptop look for gaming? I'm a nVidia fanboy (have been for about 6 years) but I see there's a 580m GTX everyone else was getting up until March. Will this card be reavaliable? I'd have no problem returning this system back in for a 580m or a 6xxm card if possible... I didn't go with the ATI card because honestly I avoid ATI, I enjoy Optimus, and lastly I couldn't afford it lol. (Was either a warranty or a top video card.) What was the upgrade price difference through Dell for the 580m from the 560m? The 6990 was a $225 upgrade from the 560.

Lastly, Due to my working condition right now and my history with Dell, Dell has taken care of me (so they say) with this purchase, rushing order and shipping at no charge (it was the dealmaker.) I got the orion case shipped monday night, and got it tuesday afternoon. The system is being "rushed to the best of his ability" as I was told when ordering over the phone on Monday. What's the usual factory time? The website has an order date of Order Date: 3/26 and a Delivery Date: of 4/9, but the rep over the phone said he could promise it'd be in my hands no later than 4/6. I was wondering how systems are looking on output with anyone else's experience? (Minus the 580m)

Recap:
How do I look for gaming? i7 2.4 / 8GB / 560m / 256SSD,750HDD / Killer WiFi
What would price look like when the 580m is back compared to the 560?
What's the usual factory time?

Thanks guys. Love notebookreview, best laptop (and alienware) forum I've been on!

 

Hybrid gives you an advance over regular HDD but I would use the USD 55 Dell charges for this upgrade to buy a third party SSD considering the relative speed boost it gives you over the Hybrid.

As one (relative) newcomer to another, welcome DJ! As to you questions:

1. Processor and memory are good for gaming. 560 is ok. But if you can afford the upgrade (and possibly live with having to make certain adjustments to your rig in order to avoid the throttling problem), I would certainly get the 580M in order to boost the life of your rig (gamingwise).

2. In the Netherlands, the 580M upgrade cost the same as the 6990M upgrade.

3. My factory time was 3 days (including the weekend).

 

I'm very hopeful now! 3 days would mean shipping today and arrival tomorrow!

As far as the 580m throttling is concerned... The 560m does NOT have this problem? Wouldn't it be smarter for me to just suck it up and get the ATI card then? It's in stock, similar to the 580m, and would avoid this problem?

 

Ok, sounds good to me. What about the wireless? I keep reading that Killer-N is over rated. Should I get it or just upgrade to Intel 6300?

Again, thanks for the inputs, I really appreciate it.

 

@ DJ: hope it ships soon! My understanding is that every card has its pro's and cons.

560M isn't the most powerfull but is the cheapest option, has good drivers available, 3D or optimus and I have not heard of that card experiencing any throttling problems.

580M is apparantly the most powerful, has good drivers available, 3D or optimus and may experience throttling problems (which I believe are easy to overcome by following Widezu and Yoda's method as is described in other threads on this forum).

6990M is almost as powerful as the 580M, has eyefinity and has no throttling problem but apparently ATI drivers are worse then Nvidea drivers. It does not offer optimus or 3D.

Check other threads on this subject. They discribe this in more detail.

@ Vinnie: Killer and 6300 are both good. Killer is more for hardcore gamers as it may prioritise gaming related wireless traffic (depending on the circumstances). The 6300 contains all sorts of additional intel technology giving you certain options which you may or may not find handy (such as streaming a picture from your rig to your tv).

 

got it, thanks. Placing order

Well I placed the order: 2760QM - 8GB DR3 at 1600MHz - 60Hz WLED - AMD Radeon 6990M - 750GB - Intel WiFi Link 6300 - and I got an Alienware Orion M17x Tactical Backpack Special Camo Design Edition FREE all for $1,871.49.

Now I get to sit and wait Like my man F-117 Nighthawk hahaha.
Thanks for all your help man.

 

Glad I could help amigo!

My rig is in Germany now (coming from Shanghai-South Korea-Khazakstan-Poland). Will be a long day at work tomorrow...

I did receive Crysis 2 and Deus Ex 2 today. I got BF 3 last Saterday and I ordered Skyrim today together with Transformers 3 3D Blu-ray. Guess I'm all ready

 

You are lucky dude i ordered it at 21 March almost same specs and price as you but last week they did not have the Orion backpage. Good deal for you.Thinking of cancelling and reorder it again but the waiting is killing me so i just go with it...

 

Yeah, I feel you. I had an order with them already last week but decided to cancel it because I wasn't too sure about the video card I was getting (560M). I tried to cancel but they were not able to stop it on time, Dell sent it anyway. I called FEDEX and toll them I would like to refuse the package. The item got turn around back to the shipper before it even made it to my house. Once they receive it, AAFES will refund my money back. In the meantime (because I can't wait) I went ahead and ordered the right rig with the right specs and to my surprise it came out cheaper and the backpack was total surprise.

 

I foresee myself returning mine (or canceling if it doesn't ship by tonight) as well. The 560m is becoming more and more of a burden... And since I use this laptop for work mostly, when I'm working with HD music videos, I want my video card dedicated, otherwise 99% of the time I'd prefer Intel HD...

I dunno, do you think I could talk them into having a dell tech do an in house upgrade? That'd work too... I'm REALLY hurting without a laptop for work, and can't imagine another week without one after I get this one.

 

My wife just called: the Alien has landed! Unfortunately, I'm still at work Think I'm gonna go home early today .

 

Actually, here's a better idea... Can't you upgrade your warranty later on down the line? I'll drop my 3 year accidental warranty to 2 years, and request a 580m or 6990m upgrade... Either installing it myself (I know will void warranty) or dell tech doing it... Doable?

 

Here is the issue with making changes to our orders through AAFES; technically the orders belong to AAFES not us until we receive the item and we register it and blah blah.
We pay AAFES for the PRODEAL priced laptop and it returns AAFES pays Dell. In fact, if you were to look into the order yourself with Dell, your name is not o the order but AAFES'. AAFES is not going to make any changes to the order but they do have a 15 days return policy. The customer service lady at AAFES told me that the fastest way for me to get my full refund it was to actually call FEDEX and have them return the item to the vendor. This will be faster and it won't cost me anything as far as shipping. Once Dell accepts the item I will automatically get my money back.

Now, my old order it's supposed to get delivered today back to Dell, so I have yet to get my money back, but no I couldn't wait until then so that's why I already ordered my other rig. I should be getting a full refund in the next two days or so. Maybe it was a big gamble, me buying another rig when I haven't even gotten a refund for the first one but I have all the paperwork and chat histories to back my case in the event something happens.

BTW: your system might already be out for delivery. AAFES "order updates" are not accurate, I will call them every day and get an update, or just go to AAFES website and chat with them, they are very helpful.

 

Now after an hour on the forums I think I'm just letting all you power hungry (and obviously rich lol) guys get in my head. Gaming reviews on the 560m run games at 1080p High settings (no AA) no problem, with a few brand new exceptions. I'm coming from a freaking m11x of 2 years... I have a feeling I'll love this more than enough...
I just sit and think too much... Hopefully laptop gets here today or tomorrow... Especially with the 2500 dent in my credit, I'll probably just sit on the 560 for a while... lol
Thanks for the response vinnie.

 

Update: My original EDD was 3/13, it was bumped to 3/20, bumped again to 3/26 (delay with the 580M). It arrived 3/21, all in great working order. Absolutely thrilled with it so far. I've been too busy to set it up completely, but I did get the major things out of the way (SSD install, flash to A08 BIOS, installing the needed drivers).

So far so good.


Alienware 17x R3 3D - Stealth Black| i7 2760QM | Corsair Force 3 GT 180GB SSD Boot, Seagate 750GB HDD Data | nVidia GTX 580M | 16GB RAM | BluRay | Intel 6250 2x2 MiMO | Windows 7 Home Premium

 

Word to the wise... My time went back nearly 2 weeks today... NOT HAPPY. Called Dellienware and they were no help... Probably canceling the whole order.. I need a laptop for work this upcoming week

Ordered with Killer WiFi card,which is short on stock, and holding orders up now.
Just a heads up to new orders...

 

How many times a day do you check the status of your order? Man, I check that thing like 10 time a day hahahaha, dying here. At least I got my FREE Orion backpack already, pretty good for free 99 I must say.

 

We were all there, Vinnie, hang in there

 

I bet, I'm dying here.

Just purchased a NotePal U3 and two 8GB flash drives (for AR) in preparation for my baby.. can't wait

 

Just ordered my new R3, specs in signature.

Can't wait for it, it's going to be agonising! Particularly given that I require delivery by April 19th or it's cancelled...they said they'd get it here in time though so fingers crossed!

Got a £160 discount just for asking "can I have a discount?" without haggling which is nice, as well as an upgrade to 2 years warranty for free, so really happy with it £1450 overall, not bad!

 

Hello,
im reading here a while and I will be an alienware M17x owner too soon....i hope. : D

I´ve ordered my laptop on 28.february but its still in progress (not even in production yet). The Nvidia580 is already available but my order doesnt continue. Is it true that there are no Killer Wificards available at the moment? I ordered the laptop with this card.

 

Have you called Dell to check on the hold-up of your order? You've been waiting a LONG time. If you haven't called them to check the status of your order, you should.

 

Received my Alienware yesterday, 4 days before my second rescheduled EDD.
Arrived in full working order and looks amazing.

The moment it arrived I switched it on and created recovery discs, afterwards I installed my Corsair 120GB Force 3 SSD in slot 1 and set as boot disk and reinstalled the OS, this machine is super quick!

To everyone who is still waiting, I can tell you it is worth the long wait.
My order date was 19th February and original EDD was 22nd March then delayed to 6th April but arrived on 2nd April.

My delays were Nvidia 580M Graphics and Bigfoot Killer Wireless.

 

I got a reply from dell. Yes its the Killer Wireless which stopped my order, so I have to wait a bit.

 

Just got a call to confirm my address and to say that my laptop's in production, and that it should be shipped in 3-4 days. I have to say, I'm surprised with that estimate given that the average wait time is a lot longer (I ordered it just two days ago) and particularly given mine's got the Killer Wireless which seems to be delayed as well.

Maybe I've got lucky? At least I hope what the Dell rep just said to me is right...

 

Shipped! It'll be here tomorrow

 

After talking to Dell, turns out they were lying about my system being in production. The Killer Wireless, bluetooth card and motherboard are all on backorder apparently. Looks like I'm heading towards a cancellation unless it goes into production soon, unfortunately.

 

That sucks!

On the other hand I just received mine It came earlier.

 

Ordered mine last Monday, over a week ago, requesting expedited shipping (they threw in overnight for free) and quick factory work and I'd order. I was told it'd be here by now. I do Mobile DJing and also video editing for local newspaper. No phone calls, no laptop yet, no nothing.

Calling late last week, Killer WiFi and Motherboard are late. Why would they agree to tell me I'd have a laptop in a week if this was happening? The Website has said delivery by Monday the 9th since I first ordered, I'm biting my lip every day on whether I want to keep it.

They can promise whatever they want over the phone when you order with them, it's an non binding oral agreement, and sadly, dell reps look at sales a dime a dozen, so if one person really gets butt hurt over a delivery date and cancels, they don't even seem to care.

 

I've got an email from the rep that I ordered it from saying that if I didn't get it by 19th April, I get a full refund without hassle. So, they either get it to me by then or they lose my money, it's that simple. I'm perfectly willing to open a dispute over it with this email as proof if they refuse to pay up.

I'm still hoping they'll pull through and deliver it on time. The R4 might be right around the corner, but I can't be bothered to wait for a minor increase in CPU performance, and although the new GPU is a nice incentive, it also means there's no way in hell I'd get as large a discount - and most likely with a higher base price to start with.

 

Just got an email, 2 weeks added. I'm calling now, I ordered with a less than 2 week agreement. Already past that, and I'm outta work without a good laptop. Let's see what happens...

Also looking online, I see the 560m gtx has been removed.

 

Mine is finally in production now : D
the EDD is 19th april but i think it will arrive earlier.

 

I ordered on the 27th of March and EED of the 18th of April. I think the delivery time sucks! I was told by a rep before ordering in chat it would 10-12 working days to be delivered. lol lying sack of s**t! I have to say it left a bitter taste in my mouth and I won't be ordering from dell again. I already ordered 16gb of ram and an SSD so I can't cancel now, I would if I didn't order those parts. I was told they were waiting on the killer 1103 wireless card.

Quick question for you guys what rev bios was on your machines when you got it? I heard I need A08 to get true 6gb sata speeds and it needs to be in port 1 (The middle one) Also I see dell have the A08 bios still for download along with the A09. Do you need to do anything special to downgrade from A09 to A08 or can I just double click the Dell A08 install file even if my bios is a higher rev? Sorry for the 20 questions, lol but I got to do something while I wait for my new alienware!

Thanks in advance for any help

 

Just ordered mine, delivery by may 1st!

 

Ordered a nice config from Outlet for $800 out the door. I received it last Friday, wrong screen resolution , dell tech came out, but could not replaced the screen, and Alienware is sending me a new one.

Soft TOuch Red , i3 , 4Gb 1333Mhz, 1.5TB (750gb x 2 7200 RPM) GTX 460M , 1920x1080 FHD 120Hz 3D , 6x BD Player..

I have to wait 8 days before I will receive my replacement...and it's going to have a better processor....Can't wait..

 

An i3 on an M17xR3? Hope that is a typo...

 

"Good day! I am emailing you in relation to the delivery of your Dell order. As per our Manufacturing team, order is currently on shortage HOLD. The part short are : Wireless : Europe Killer Wireless-N 1103 and English docs . This is an exceptional occurrence and Dell very much regrets any inconvenience this may cause you. The advised availability of the short part is on 21.04.2012 I will continue to track this and advise once the short part is available.

Please refer to this Service Request number XXXXXXX when communicating to any Dell representative regarding the issue we discussed.

I am tracking the progress of the query to ensure resolution. If you have any other concerns, please let me know.

Kind regards"

Seriously, I asked could they ship it with an intel 6300 instead and was told no. Been waiting a month for this already. I think I'll cancel unless I at least get a good will guesture from dell like a small bag or free upgrade.