my brand new m17x experience

I got my m17x in august. I got the full 4-year warranty. My computer came with 8GB memory, dual crossfireX video cards, 250 GB solid state drive, 2.0 GHz processor, 1080p hidef screen, basically the best modifications you can buy i got.

Story: Occasionally it would randomly turn off, and bluescreen, and freeze. Not even 5 months after i bought it, one day in february i turned my computer off, then turned it back on an hour later and the screen stayed dark, but the keys lit up. It didnt make the normal startup sounds. It wouldnt turn off unless you took out the battery.

I called dell support and was hooked up with some guy who didnt know how to properly take me through the steps to figure out the problem. I was stuck at the part where i had to take the graphics cards out to test if they were broken. He never told me the keyboard needed to be taken off to get to the graphics cards. He just said to pull a white strip which will pop them out. There was a white strip there, but it was underneath the keyboard. I got stuck there, and he suggested shipping it out.

A few hours later i called again, and got a new person. They informed me that it could not possibly be a problem with the video cards, but the LCD display, and had me hook up an external monitor, which is where we confirmed the problem. I was at college during this time, and really needed to use my computer, and with the first guy telling me there is no option to send it out and having no clue what he was taking me through or talking about, this was a relief. A guy was coming out in 2 days to fix it. But wait, for some reason dell couldnt come to my campus, so my parents had to come at 10pm and pick the computer up so they could come to my house. In the end, my computer was back to working again.

Now fast forward to mid-June, i still experience blue screens, freezes, random turnoffs. The same exact thing happened again. This time they said there going to replace everything that has to do with the video. Motherboard, CPU, video cards, LCD display, etc. A guy came to my house and replaced everything, but still couldnt get it to turn on properly. Still a black screen. So the only option was to send it out to dell, which i was told would take 8 business days to fix it. I sent it out to them and got it back 15 days later. Today is the day i got it back. The screen has multiple nicks in it, and when you open up the lid, it makes a loud clicking noise from the back (the plastic piece behind the screen is not on right)

For some reason dell must think im going to be okay with this clicking noise every time i open the lid to my $5.5 grand computer i paid for. Im calling dell tomorrow and demanding someone to come out again to replace the screen and fix this noise that they neglected

 

I'd just tell them I want a new M18X replacement. A lot of people here have gotten that for their trouble, ultimately.

And why tell us you paid $5500 for this? Seems like a pretty bad exaggeration. We all own one of these machines too, and know how much they cost.

 

It was 5.5 grand with taxes, warranty included, i have a pic of the reciept from dell. you must be one of those guys who knows everything dont you

 

R2 or R3? Didn't know R2's with crossfire came with 1080 screens, or R3's had crossfires.

Just escalate via unresolved issues, and ask for a replacement if they fail to fix the problem. I don't understand why you would take the system apart yourself if you have full warranty ride which you paid for.

 

the dell guy instructed me to take it apart because he said it could be an easy fix.... he was a complete idiot and was terrible . He said that if the screen doesnt turn on they have no idea what the problem is and it will have to be sent in. im like . bull service dell has

 

You should read the words more clearly. Donnie did mention he bought it "at august."

And august hasn't passed this year, meaning last year.

 

I'm surprised anyone would go for full specs...2.5k of that money isn't even going to amount towards 1% of improved performance.

 

Yes, I read clearly. Paying full price when the machines are newer doesn't make it any smarter...

No, not everything. Just that you paid way too much for your rig.

 

Sorry to say but you overpaid. I would try to get a M18x from Dell with a 2920XM and dual 6990s. That should amount to like $4k +.

 

Well a dell technician came to my house today with a new screen, because my old one had a nick in it, and came to fix the cracking noise when you open the laptop. it turns out that whoever "fixed" it at the factory didnt put all of the screws back in to the back of the laptop, thus causing the clicking noise. A phone representative installed a new usb chipset, flashed my bios, and installed the new video card catalyst software the other day.

Hasnt bluescreened again yet, but it completely still freezes on me randomly . Is this normal for you guys?

Also, sometimes right after i hit enter to login, the screen flickers a bunch of times really fast. Seems like they didnt care to fix that...


what should i do?

 

The flickering is definitely not normal, and random freezes are NOT normal, unless something is wrong with your machine. At this point you really do just need to raise hell with them and tell them you want a fully spec'd M18X. You've been through way too much trouble, especially for such an expensive machine. To me it sounds like a bad motherboard or bad power supply....have they tried a new power brick yet? That would be maybe the last thing to try before just giving up and giving you a new one, I would think.

 

Totally agree with Tapakidney.

You paid 5.5k for that machine. Set Dell straight, and tell them to just give you a new machine! That's ridiculous all you've been through.

 

Yeah I have to say, getting an alienware laptop with everything maxxed out DOES come out to about 5.5k, don't know why everybody was jumping on him for that.

Can't speak on the troubles your having because I never owned an Alienware laptop until whatever day mine arrives, but it does sound like the problems my HP laptop suffered. Don't know what the problem was but it eventually died on me twice. Once with a few months left on my 4 year warranty, and then a year later under almost the exact same circumstances. The computer would occassionally freeze, the screen would flicker randomly, etc. It felt less like a laptop and more like something trying to emulate a laptop(like how the 360 emulates XBOX games instead of actually running them natively). If you can swing a replacement at this point, I recommend it.(I have been saying swing a LOT lately).

 

Get a rwplacement. tell them you have had enough of a rig that you paid 5500 dollars for that is constantly faulty. Tell them it hasnt been right since purchase and that you want a brand new one.