m17x r2 replacement

Over the past month and a half I have been having a TON of problems with my m17x r2. I started out with a simple graphical problem a couple of weeks ago and had my graphics cards replaced. After that it was just a landslide of problems. To make a long story short, I had my graphics cards replaced yet another time, had my motherboard replaced, 2 fans and a heat sink. Also in the process of all of this I had certain parts of my laptop damaged like the hinge cover and the palm rest because the tech guys who come to my house are not very careful.

Because of these constant problems and nothing being fixed my case has been escalated and I am now in contact with a man from the Dell Executive Customer Support Team. I talked to him about being upgraded to the m18x and explained that I was given my m17x as a replacement for my broken XPS m1730 when it had a landslide of problems just like my m17x is having now. This is what he told me....

"I am sorry to hear that the issues with the notebook persist. Considering your case and going through the history I do see that a system exchange was offered to replace your XPS 1730 on 07-20-10 and was replaced with a new Alienware 17x as a one-time good will gesture. However, considering the number of service calls that have failed to fix your computer I can consider replacing your unit again, however, since the original order was 2 years old we can only provide a certified refurbished Alienware that is equivalent in specifications to your existing computer. If you would like to proceed with this, kindly reply to this email or call us back on our extension and we will help you further with this."

Thank you,

Regards,

Dell | Executive Customer Support Team


What I dont understand is why I cant have an m18x. I was upgraded to the m17x NOT because of a nice gesture but because the m1730 had been discontinued for awhile and the only computer that was a 17 inch gaming laptop from dell was the new m17x r2 so that is what they gave me. BTW this only happened because the tech guy who comes to my house to change parts was tired of coming every other day of the week and he yelled at the people on the phone to give me an upgrade.

I am now in the same boat as before. I have a computer that barely works, has had way to many parts replaced and still has not been fixed and it has been discontinued for quite some time now. The only dual GPU laptop still available from alienware is the new m18x. I would not accept the m17x r3 as a replacement since its not as good as my current r2.

Apparently, because I got my xps 2 years ago and that was when the warranty started, I am not allowed to be given a new computer anymore. I can only be given a refurbished unit. This pisses me off because my m17x is in the same pristine condition it was when I first got it. It never left my desk and has NO scratches, blemishes, or any damage at all. I asked the executive about this and he said the refurb unit might have damage on it. I find that UNACCEPTABLE! Why would it be ok to trade in a laptop in perfect physical condition for one that is damaged?????

The thing that really bothers me is his rule about the 2 years. He specifically states that I got my m17x on 7/20/10. That means I have only had my m17x for a little over a year and that would technically make me eligible for a brand new replacement since my product did not last at least 2 years. He is going by the date that I got my xps and I dont think thats fair. I received my m17x BRAND NEW so I think they should honor their 2 year rule even though its not when my warranty started.

Does anybody know what I can do about this or anybody higher up the chain of command that I can talk to? I tried contacting [email protected] but didnt get a response. I dont want to downgrade to a refurbished m17x that I have no clue how it was handled by its previous owner and it will most likely have problems just like mine does now and I wont be going anywhere. Is there any possible way that I can upgrade to the m18x????

PS. If you took the time to read my entire angry post I thank you because I know it is very long but I am beyond angry at this point and there is just too much to tell!!!

 

anybody?

 

I wouldn't give you an M18x either man. When your 1730 was discontinued, Dell should have given you a credit for the fair market value of the laptop. You could have then applied that credit to another nicer laptop. I would take what you were given, considering that the R2 is much more powerful than a 1730 anyhow.

How you are trying to turn an M1730 into an M18x that has the absolute newest CPU, GPU and chipset tech is beyond me. Dell is a business, and they operate solely to generate profit. Besides that, the R2 is upgradeable, and has the gorgeous RGB screen.

 

Think of it this way, how would you treat the situation if you were Dell? You can't expect them to go from the date you got your R2 because you purchased much earlier than that. Thats always been the baseline date. Date of purchase. Otherwise they'd sell one laptop to each person and spend the rest of the time issuing new laptops. $$$

 

Hey OP, you should read my thread about Outlet M17x R2 Horrible & Ridiculous condition. You will get a good sense about what you can be offered.

The truth is, depending on how maxed out your spec is, there are still plenty of R2 available. So Dell would of course try to send you a cheaper one on their side.

By the way, Dell has made MAJOR MAJOR infrastructure changes to cut all unneccesary costs, and this includes giving massive upgrades for system exchange. In the old days they were lenient, but they are no longer. You might actually have to wait more than 10 days since they will try to find you one with the EXACT SAME spec for as long as they can. If out of luck, you will be sent with M17x with better hardware. But I personally think that you will have about 10% chance of getting M18x unless your current laptop is packing every maxed out component.

I agree with other posts. R2 is fine.

 

The only specs on my computer that were not max was the hard drive. I just feel like its going to be hard for them to find a maxed out m17x in good condition that will be an acceptable replacement for my current r2. I have read all the horror stories and I have my fingers crossed. What happens if I start to have constant problems with all the refurbs they send me?

I'm not trying to weasel my way into a free m18x I just want a computer that works and so that I dont have to spend half my week on the phone with tech support and emailing them. I will gladly take an m17x r2 if it works perfectly and is in the same condition my current one is in. Its just based on my experience so far with replacement parts and what I have read about the refurb units, its not going to be a very enjoyable experience.

 

First of all, I completely agree with you. One way or the other, I think we both are in the exact same situation.

Anyways, I had really bad luck with both R2 from Outlet. The reason is because the R2 is fairly old, and the ones that are returned by the customers are not only actually have major issues, but they are fairly old as well. At this point, I myself is a bit skeptical if my 2nd replacement could be any better..

Refurb seems like more hit or miss. Some people have good experiences, while some dont, like me. Have you gotten back at them yet?

 

I have my first refurb m17x coming in about a week and then I will have to send my original back to dell. As long as the refurb I get has no problems physical or otherwise I will be one happy duck but if I have to go through 3 or 4 refurbs plus swapping out parts I will seriously have to demand a new computer at that point I dont see how that is not unreasonable when I took the time to work with them through all of the refurbs and repairs and used up so much valuable time in my life and my warranty.

 

Ok so I just got my refurb delivered by Fedex......Its like they didnt even bother to check what specs I had on my computer!!! My current m17x is fully maxed out I have the 1920x1200 RGB LED display, I have 8 gbs of ram, dual 5870's and the core i7 extreme!

They decided to give me a m17x with a core i5, a screen resolution of 1440x900 AND I cant seem to find any indication of xfire or any ati settings for that matter and using other programs I only seem to see one 5870GPU not two. Also they gave me a very weird looking power supply that I have never seen anybody get with an m17x.

The only things they got right were the 8GBs of ram and the color of the system. This is beyond annoying at this point. I have wasted so much time with tech support and faulty systems and I knew something like this was going to happen.

 

they should have given you something better...Call them up. Get this fixed.

Sorry to hear about your headaches, but i think you have the ability to send it back if you dont like it.

 

my tech support guy told me that he is going to have a tech guy come and upgrade all of the parts like the cpu, gpu and screen but that still doesnt change the fact that I will have a computer with a sticker that says core i5 instead of extreme core i7 that bugs me and its not in as good shape as my current computer physically.

 

I feel like I'm not being treated fairly in all of this

 

I'm just pissed because I thought the idea of the refurbished units was so that I didnt have to keep going through all the tech repairs at my house. Now the second I receive my first refurb unit I immediately need almost all of the major components replaced which leaves me in no better position than I was a couple of weeks ago with my original m17x!!! If they are just going to replace parts I would rather they keep doing it to my original m17x with the original core i7 extreme sticker and service tag than having to swap over to this downgraded refurb unit.

Its all just a waste of my time. I dont understand why they couldnt bother to look up my specs before sending me a replacement laptop. I told the tech support guy tonight that I want to send back the refurb, have them send a tech to keep replacing parts in my current laptop until A: it gets fixed or B: they find a PROPER and EQUAL replacement for my m17x so that I dont have to deal with fixing parts every week!

 

Ask for refund.

 

Either ask for a refund or realize the following:

Here's the deal breakablecookie, the dell outlet sending you an already upgraded m17x r2 is most likely the same as a tech coming out and upgrading yours that they just sent you. I'm sure that the outlet mixes and matches cpu's, gpu's and hdd's to their heart's desire. In other words, if you get a upgraded m17x r2 from the dell outlet, it was probably already opened up and had parts swapped around (thus making it the same as the one you will end up with after the tech comes out and upgrades everything). On the bright side, you will probably get a new screen, new CPU, and new other parts that they replace making the m17x r2 "mostly new." I know that when I've sent in my m11x r2, they gave me a new screen (non refurb) so that will be nice. The only bad part of all of this is the extreme amount of time spent on your part to get it the way that you want it.

If the dell tech screws things up for you even worse than before, you now have an "out." I would assume that they would give you a refund at that point.

This whole situation really sucks and I hope it ends up working out for you after the dust settles. Best of luck!

 

Dude! it sucks. I feel your pain. hopefully by the end of all this, you'll get something you're happy with. From the feedback of many members, the refurbs are often low quality. They are banged up, and often have issues with dead pixels, scratches, things not working etc

 

The whole reason I got the option to have a refurbished m17x sent to me was because I kept having parts replaced on my current m17x and nothing was being fixed. So I thought that they were going to send me an EQUAL m17x that had no problems and had been checked out by their refurb people to make sure that it was a working system and a decent replacement. It turns out they were just going to send me any old system they had and then start replacing all the parts that needed to be upgraded by sending another tech to my house. How is this ANY different from where I was 2 weeks ago when I had a tech guy coming to my house every other day to swap out parts????? Either way I'm still swapping parts in a computer and if thats my only option then I want too keep swapping parts from my current m17x that has the correct hardware stickers on the bottom and has no damage physically.

This is what he has said to me most recently:


"Thank you for your reply. As I had mentioned if it were not an equal computer I would make sure we would replace any necessary parts to make sure it was equivalent or better than the previous computer. Unfortunately, we could not find a stock computer which could match your existing computer and therefore, we are offering to send the tech to upgrade the parts and not exactly to fix the computer which was the case on the previous computer. Also, I’m afraid we do not have the stickers for Intel. If you wish to proceed with the repairs on the previous computer, I can arrange for that. Please let me know what the symptoms of the problems you’ve been facing with it, that I may arrange the tech to install the appropriate parts on them."


What can I possibly do at this point???? I dont see a refund as a good option because they will base that off of when I got my xps m1730 about 2 years ago and not when I got my m17x. I will get next to nothing. As for the refurbished units they dont have anything to offer me that is equal to my current computers specs and so that will be a downgrade as I will need to have parts swapped out and upgraded the day I get it. And then there is the option of sticking with my current computer that has been through way too many parts and has only become worse as things got replaced.

They dont want to give me an upgrade to the m18x and I'm really out of options. I have now asked this gentleman if I can speek to his supervisor/manager and see if anything else can be done. I have been very patient with them and taken all of the different options they handed to me and my needs still have not been met. I cant believe how bad the tech support for alienware is compared to when I had my xps.

 

they said that they will send a tech to upgrade your current computer to your previous specs. I'd do that. Its a real hassle but at the end, hopefully you have a working computer and better screen

 

but if I'm back to having a tech guy come to my house to replace parts why didnt they just continue to do that with my original m17x???? I dont see the difference

 

that's a good question bro.

 

I didnt accept the offer of a refurbished m17x just to immediately need to have parts replaced on most of the system. I accepted it because I thought I was going to get an equal spec m17x with no problems so that I didnt have to waste anymore time with replacing parts.

So this does not help me at all I'm back to square one no matter what option I choose.

 

the way i see it...get the tech to come over and upgrade your lower spec machine. Hopefully, this time, they get it right

 

That's about the only option that you have at this point. Or.....you can log into outlet.dell.com and see if they have any refurbs for sale. Then call up Dell and tell them that you currently have one selected that matches your specs (yesterday there was one on there....but I don't know about today....haven't checked). Then ask them if they will send that one to you and to have them get it out of the warehouse. I dunno.....just an idea. It's worth a shot I guess.

Edit: the Link probably wont work, but here's the m17x r2's for sale in the outlet store. There is 1 with a 920xm processor and crossfire 5870's.

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?rn=286&SC=&c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

 

The problem for you is that the 1200p RGB LED has been backlogged for a VERY LONG TIME and despite their saying, the part won't be available any time soon. I myself is waiting for my R2 at the depot right now and I received a call yesterday.

So at the end of the day, you will have to wait for a long time to get your screen replaced to the right one. If you decide to push for another replacement, it will take long as well. So yeah they screwed up pretty good.

 

All the more reason to keep my current m17x and have them keep replacing parts in that until they find a proper replacement that I dont need to have a tech come to my house to fix the first day I get it.

 

UPDATE!!!!

After having yet another mobo, gpu, and even a ram swap and still having problems with the system they FINALLY agreed to change their minds about giving me a brand new computer. I got a call today from dell and the man I talked to told me that they want to give me an m17x R3......I told him thats a single GPU system and is not an equal replacement to my R2 and that I want the m18x. He said that I would most likely have to pay the difference in price for the m18x and that would be based on my original purchase date of my old XPS m1730.

My question to you guys is what should I do? Should I just take the m17x R3 and be happy that I have a new system? Should I take the R3 and sell it and get an m18x? Or is there a way I can get the m18x without having to pay extra? I feel its only fair they upgrade me from a dual GPU computer to another dual GPU computer even if the name and size is different.

 

Any help on this would be great as I am expecting a call back from dell by the end of the day to discuss my options again. I would really like some solid advice on what I can say to get an m18x I really want to stay with a dual GPU system

 

GREAT NEWS!!!

The man called me back and I now have a fully maxed out m18x being built for me to replace my m17x r2!!! He wanted to give me a lower CPU but I argued with him saying that I should be given an Extreme for an Extreme and he couldnt argue with that lol

I dont remember all of the specs but the important two are:

Dual 6990's and a 2960XM

 

dang man! lucky!!

 

For anybody who is having problems with their M17x R1 or R2 this post will be a great guide to follow as I listed all of the steps I had to go through to get to this point. All it takes is a lot of time, headaches, patience and a ton of replacement parts lol.

For those of you being told that a new system replacement isnt possible, dont give up hope you just have to work with dell through all of the options before they will consider it.

 

i'm jealous

 

haha and this is a brand new replacement of a brand new replacement

I got my alienware m17x as a replacement for my broken xps m1730

Now I get a brand new m18x to replace my broken m17x I never thought this would happen haha

I'll post all of the specs when I receive the system but when I was going over the options with the man on the phone everything was maxed out including the sound card and wifi card.

Also I want to do a video on youtube comparing the m17x r2 and the m18x because I havent seen any and I always wanted a comparison in size and performance and especially the screen!

 

Comparison? I thought your R2 was broken.

 

thats the weird thing...it was finally fixed a couple of days ago by a tech and the only things still wrong with it was that some insulation from the GPU on the left hand side was sticking out and blocking the 2 USB ports. The other problem was that there appeared to be a screw loose somewhere inside of the system. Both of these were very minor problems and I was very happy to have my m17x working again!

I told the tech guy about this (The same guy I have been talking to for the past 2 and a half months) and he said based on the number of problems with the system they want to give me a brand new computer....to say I was shocked was an understatement!!!

After all of the serious problems I had with this computer, and this guy telling me that a brand new replacement was out of the question...he suddenly changes his mind and wants to give me a brand new $5000 laptop instead of simply having a tech come and find the missing screw in my computer and fix the insulation blocking my USB ports

I'm still confused about all of this because I specifically told him that my m17x was finally performing perfectly again and that I only had these two small problems. I dont see how that would be enough to escalate me to a brand new replacement when I had to go through so many parts before this point and was denied over and over again (by the same guy) to get a brand new computer.

Either way I cant complain...My m17x r2 with max specs in WORKING order finally and in PERFECT condition will be going back to dell and probably be put into the refurb section for some lucky buyer! And I get to have a maxed out m18x for free brand new!

So what I meant was that when I get my m18x I will do a comparison video of size, screen quality, and so forth before I send the m17x back to dell.