M17x from the Dell Outlet

There's quite a few on the Dell Outlet at incredible prices. They're R3 models. Anyone know any common issues that would cause this specific model to flood the outlet?

Also, anyone purchased theirs from the outlet and had major problems? From what I've read/heard the Dell Outlet is very reliable and problems are few and far between with the machines purchased there.

The reason I ask is I'm in the market for a solid desktop replacement laptop, and up until now I haven't really been considering the m17x because of the price.

Any advice/insight is much appreciated.

 

I bought a m17x r3 with a 460. Long story short, you should avoid gtx460m on m17x r3, AT ANY COST.

Finally returned that machine and reordered one with 6990m

 

"From what I've read/heard the Dell Outlet is very reliable and problems are few and far between with the machines purchased there."

I actually laughed at this one

Dell Outlet CAN be reliable, and people HAVE been lucky. I honestly think it's a 50/50 split as to how lucky you will be.

Now, they are same as new warranties so knock yourself out. They will come out and replace whatever is wrong or you can send it to depot

 

50/50? I don't like those odds when we're talking about $1500+ and a replacement for my dying desktop...

 

Same goes for new in box too. So far my m15x scratch and dent has been treating me very well.

 

I've owned a refurb r3 before and it never had a problem. You'll get same warranty as new and you will also have 21 days to return your r3 if you are not satisfied with it. Good luck!

 

JRuss - I could be exaggerating a bit, you will see it either way on the forums.

From what I understand Dell doesn't handle the Outlet portion anymore. It's outsourced to a 3rd party company but Dell still handles all warranty stuff.

 

I dunno about 50/50 chances with a brand new machine, that seams a bit exaggerated, but yeah... up until posting this thread I've read nothing but positive reviews of people's experience with Dell Outlet computers.

Can anyone else offer their insight?

 

I've ordered multiple machines from the outlet. I'd say while some have physical blemishes (minor for the most part), the internals always work for me.

 

Ah, I wasn't aware of that but it makes sense. I think they do that in the UK as well. They outsource the refurbs to other companies.

I mean, if these refurbs (if they are even refurbs and not just cancelled orders or whatnot) have major hardware issues you'd think you'd come across them in the first few weeks, if not the first time you boot it up. All of which is covered by the warranty.

 

Just out of curiosity, do you still own the same refurb? (the one listed in your sig)

If not, why another R3 so soon?

 

Pretty much. It's just a matter of if you are patient enough or not

You may not have any issues, you may, it's up to you in the end if you have the time and patience to deal with it.

I mean even with brand new systems you still have the chance of getting something defective.

 

Patience is far from my strongest virtue. If I have to return this damn thing multiple times I'm gonna be upset. I'd just be taking the gamble I guess, although until this thread I've heard nothing but positive experiences.

I'm just looking for a good price and I'm stuck with Dell because of credit I have with them. At this point I'm stuck between a brand new M14x and an Outlet M17x. The outlet prices got me a bit excited.

 

Really depends on your needs 17x can provide you with near-GTX 560 Ti desktop performance which in itself is VERY powerful

 

Lol. This is a long story. It took me two AW before i settled with my current R3. At first, I bought a refurb r3 but then decided to sell it here coz at that time the screen was too big for my liking and the weight caught me off guard (coming from mbp 15). After i sold my r3 i decided to buy m14x here. But When I tested it the screen was too small for me. It made it hard for me to play sc2. So I juet decided to buy a new r3. I would have preferred a refurb but they did not have the 6990m and at thAt time I happened to stumble on 25% off for epp members. So this is how i settled with my current r3

 

My needs aren't that great, that's why I was looking at the m14x at first. While I do plenty of gaming, I don't play any new FPS or super demanding games so performing like a GTX 560ti powered desktop, while awesome, is not really a necessity for me. Definitely not worth it if I'm taking a good risk at getting a defective machine from the outlet.

I notice you said the 6990m. None of the models I'm seeing on the outlet are equipped with that. Here's the specs of the one I'm looking at:

* Processor: Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
* Alienware M17x R3 Laptop
* 320 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
* 320 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
* 6 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHZ
* 8X DVD +/- RW Drive
* 1 GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 6870M


Edit: Also, how would the computer listed above fair against a m14x with the same processor and a 1.5gb GeForce 555m? I'm assuming the 6870m would perform better despite it having less video memory? I don't even see the 6870m listed on Tom's Hardware hierarchy chart from August 2011.

 

6990m is a new card. it just got out a month ago so there won't be any r3 refurb with it as of this moment. If you are buying an r3 refurb at least get a 6970m gpu. The one you are looking right now has a weak gpu.

 

how much was that? cause i got a brand new m17x with much better specs for $1505

 

I would suggest that you wait for 6970m card before you pull the trigger. I just looked at the outlet store and its inventory as of now only shows either 460m or 6870m. They're pretty weak compared to 6970m.

 

It was around $1220.