Well crud...

Well crud. Got my Alienware 17 today, loaded with 780m gtx and the 120hz 3d screen...and the screen is flickering and has the occasional line through it.

I'm not sure if graphics card failure or if screen cable is loose...anyone have a video or something on how to access the screen cable? It seems deeply buried. I'm going to try and make sure it's not loose first but if it isn't I guess it's a gpu failure..

 

If its like previous models you need to remove the bottom piece cover and then remove the bezel around the keyboard. Once you got that done you can just take of the keyboard and check the connections. That was how the r3/r4 was setup, so I'm not sure how much different the new revision is.

 

Actually, some google fu found it...check this out. Crap. I think I'll send it to the dell tech people after all. I don't wanna take the entire thing apart.

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-prod...laptops/alienware-17_Owner's Manual_en-us.pdf

 

I'd call support and have them resolve it considering how new the machine is; responsibility is on them to make it right.

 

I just hate how long they take. I have this shiny new toy I can't play with.

I'll definitely get them to fix it. You're right, it's not on me.

Also, have I mentioned that Windows 8 sucks? Holy crap. What a piece.

 

Grab a start replacement utility and that should help. Runs just like 7 for me but more efficient and lightweight. And if you don't feel feel like taking it apart I would call up dell and ask for a replacement. One thing you could try is hooking the machine up to an external monitor. That would isolate the issue between either a graphics card problem or a display issue.

Edit: Wow they made the keyboard and palmrest all one piece. Looks like fun to take apart with the 50 screwed its secured with.

 

If your not extremely comfortable taking apart computers and completely confident in your ability to get some fragile parts apart then I would just ship it to them and let them fix it. It may not be hard but if your not sure on how to get it apart then it can be a little bit of a pain. I watched a tech rip apart my LCD power connector quite easily because he had no idea what he was doing.

IF it is the same as the R4 then it requires removing the bottom cover and then all the screws marked with an I , after that the bezel around the keyboard will snap off and there are 5 more screws holding the keyboard on. The keyboard has 2 ribbon cables, one for the actually key input, one for the LED lights. After those come out ( pay attention to how the cables come out ) then you can remove the keyboard and the LCD cable should be right underneath on the right hand side....this is of course assuming it is anything like the R4 which it may not be.

 

MogRules it isn't the same, not even close...check the pdf I linked above. It's far less efficient (if that's possible lololol).

bigtonyman I have not heard of the start replacement utility. Which would you suggest, what do you use?

 

Yea the 50 Screws look like they would be easy to lose

as to the start replacement utility, I use Startisback and its worked flawlessly for my use. I'd use the free trial and see how you like it before buying though.

 

Instead of having it shipped, can't he have a tech rep come by and fix it?

OP, an easy way to determine if it's the cable or the card without undoing a single screw would be to plug it into an external monitor (TV included). If the lines are still present, then it is the GPU.

 

Thanks, I'll do that tomorrow.

I have had the local techs "fix" my M17x's before (I had an R2, then an R4) and I can tell you that they did such a *horrid* job that I had to go back and fix what they'd broken. I mean stuff like leaving cables unplugged and the works. It was just terrible.

I'd let one come by and try to fix it before I ship it out because at least that *should* be faster but I'm not banking on any good results from it.

 

Mine went completely dead after two days and they tried to talk me into sending it to depot after tech couldn't fix it . I called and got a replacement .
Just my 2 cents.

I suggest calling dell and tell them you want a new one . I know it sucks to have to wait another month for another one. But at least it won't be a laptop that some tech has completely tore apart and maybe put back together correctly .
Anyway good luck whatever you decide and I hope you get it sorted soon.

I know exactly how you feel. Ok not exactly but pretty close.

 

I opened mine so many times, I cannot even remember it. It is not difficult. It looks fragile but it is not. If you have IT knowledge and confidence, it should not be difficult to open it and have that checked. However, as someone suggested earlier, I would first try an external display to see if the issue does not come from the GPU and if that is not a problem (if you checked the external display through hdmi or other ports and has no problems), then I would have opened it and checked the connection.

Unless you are afraid of not breaking something and ofcourse you have the warranty, call Dell and let them come and have it figure out. But they may ask you the same thing, to check with an external display / TV / monitor to see if the problem comes up again. Dell tech support will always ask you to send it to depot, if you warranty says in home next business day fix, then have them coming to your home and check it out with a spare display and GPU or have your machine entirely replaced with a new one (I would recommend a new replacement; you do not want any and Harry opening your brand new machine etc. etc.).

Best of luck, I hope you will have your matter solved soon...

BTW, if you decide to open it up, have all the screws removed from the bottom and when you start prying the top, lift it first from the middle where the palm rest is located. It will be very easy that way to have the entire part removed.

 

I just saw a thread in the AW14 section where a tech came by and physically damaged the computer while doing the repairs. Maybe sending it in is a good idea...

 

The screen is one of the easiest to replace, I got mine changed and all it required was to pry the bezel off and unscrew, the cable is there too. The bottom panel was not taken off through the whole process

 

That's how it is with the M17x, that's not how it is with the Alienware 17.

By the way to everyone reading this thread, it's the screen...hooked up to an external display it's fine.


Called Alienware tech support, they asked if I'd hooked up to external display and clearly I had on you guys advice, so I told them yes...they are sending out a replacement screen and graphics card and the rep said I could have the accessory of my choice as compensation for the inconvenience, told me to look and see what I like, he suggested the Alienware TactX keyboard (why i need that when I don't have a desktop I dunno) or similar thing. I'll figure out something to get, he said don't go too crazy with my request but he will hook me up. I figure I can just sell the accessory and it'll be like a discount on the price of the computer.

 

-_- ive had my screen replaced and gpu and possibly another screen and they didn't give me anything, thats 1 week after I bought the new system

 

I asked specifically for some sort of compensation for the inconvenience. Sorry they didn't hook you up.

 

The tech that came around to replace my LCD on my week old alienware 17 pryed the bezel off so it didn't fit properly anymore! (If you look at those PDF instructions it looks like some work to actually get to removing the bezel so I did wonder why it didn't take long for him to do!) Alienware Support replaced my laptop as I was quite annoyed but nice to see some good UK customer service - they resolved it all on a Saturday and let me keep the one with the ruined bezel for over a month while the new one was shipped.
How long will it take for the techs to recognise an Alienware? I would have assumed they get sent the full instructions and consult that before fixing one!

 

Sounds about par for the course. I think when the techs from the local place show up and see an Alienware they just panic...as if it's somehow *so* much harder to work on than other laptops. Admittedly they look a lot more intimidating and there are a few more parts (multiple HDs, dedicated GPUs, etc) but they can't be THAT horrible.

 

True - and you would think reading the instructions to do it properly would be the first thing you do

 

I really hope you didn't send a brand new 2000+ machine to be butchered in the slaughter house... I would definitely demand a new one. You don't pay that kind of money for a brand new anything that doesn't work.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

It was a refurb machine that cost me 1900ish, despite being fully loaded. 30% off Alienware at the outlet FTW.

But still, it should not have had any issues if they "refurbish" it...within 30 seconds of booting it up I knew there was a problem. I have *no* idea what sort of QC there is at the dell outlet but it repeatedly looks like little to none.

 

LOL....so tech installed new screen. Flickering and lines are still there. Likely the mobo at this point.

Two hours of sitting there locked to my TV (I actually really dislike watching TV) while he fixed it, a day off work and running errands that needed to get done, and not only did the screen fix *not* work, but he put the wrong screws in the palmrest and when he installed the screws they were too long and they pushed up sections of the palmwrest into little dents. Hahaha. Oh man. It's tragic.

 

There are some good and some bad techs, I don't see why the palm rest needed to be taken off, the tech just took the bezel off and replaced the screen on mine. As for the screws the case shows what length screw goes in there, if its ending with 3 its a 3mm length screw and 8 is 8mm, how they can get mixed up is beyond me especially if he didn't realise the pressure needed to put the long screw in the small hole. Probably better to do it yourself next time, get the technician to bring the part and use his tools. Maybe outlets laptops get second class technicians lol.

Btw did he take the heatsinks off to remove the palm rest? because I have taken it off many times without removing any heatsink.

 

The new Alienware machines need pretty much everything taken apart to get the bezel off unfortunately

 

Like I mentioned it literally comes of without anything else taken apart, talking from experience here with no damages at all. Unless your talking about the whole display assembly then maybe, but i assumed it was just the screen and cable.

 

According to the PDF it does not such thing...it requires everything to come out so you can get to it, including the palm wrest and the like.

I have no idea why the guy didn't realize the screws were so much longer, or that he was torqueing them *through* the palm wrest


However if you can show me on a video or something how you get the entire screen out without removing anything but the bezel I would be eternally grateful.

 

Hmm well there aren't many videos out for the new systems and I am returning my system so I wouldn't want to try open it, I am 100% sure that just the screen (120Hz) was replaced, no cables as they were fine, a bright pixel was the issue. I didn't see or can't remember where he started taking the bezel off from but after he replaced the screen all he did was put the bezel on and everything was back in one piece. Maybe you can ask dell tech if that's possible

 

Nah it's cool. I think this system is being exchanged anyways, seeing as how not only is the problem not fixed but the tech damaged the computer further. I'm not going to sit around and take another day off work while they send another oaf out here to break more stuff.

 

My system exchange is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

Took over a month. Unreal.