*OFFICIAL* Alienware 18 Owner's Lounge Thread

My Everki backpack and briefcase landed today. Very impressed with how nice they are. I snapped some comparison pics with my Orion 17. The Everki looks like it dwarfs the 17, but it's only 1.5" taller, and about the same width. It's also about 3" deeper when fully loaded up. It's actually about .5" shorter than the Orion 18, and about an inch narrower, but still about 3" deeper. I don't have my 18 on hand yet to walk around with, but I figured 20 lbs of text books would be sufficient to test how comfortable they are, and the Everki's extra shoulder padding and better weight distribution make it much more comfortable, IMO. Not to mention it looks 100x more professional and doesn't advertise to the world that you've got a $5k laptop in it, plus it's built much nicer. The faux-fur like surfaces inside seem much more protective against scratches as well. Not to mention that it comes with a nifty bag to put your PSU in to keep wires from going all over the place, and a protective rain cover. Granted, my Orion was $63, this was $166, I'd still take this all day every day over an Orion, and even more so over the Vindicator. I don't have an Orion or Vindicator briefcase on hand to compare to the Lunar, but I can snap pics by itself if anyone is interested.

Pics in spoiler:

Spoiler

Front/middle pocket comparisons:

Everki:



Orion:



And the Everki's nifty waterproof covering (it does take away pretty much any style the bag had before though):

 

You might wanna put those pics in a spoiler.

 

Good idea. :thumbsup:

 

Funny thing. I received my laptop 2 days ago. Worked fine so far. 3DMark11 around 11700 out of the box. Today the display decided to die on me. It just shows some vertical lines that change colour and position no matter what I do. If I use a HDMI connection to a tv I can see the desktop on the tv but not on the laptop's display.
I phoned technical support and they offered to repair it, but I wont have a £3100 laptop that fails from the day 3.
The account manager from Dell that handled my order can't be contacted. I left him a message but no reply so far....
I am very disappointed in Dell...

 

Brother ramthor, don't fill disappointed. Just return it and reorder. That's what I did!

 

Y'know, it might just be something simple, such as the display connector being not seated properly. Before returning what could be an otherwise perfect machine, why not open it up and check it out....

 

It's hard not to feel disappointed when you pay a lot of money on a machine that is advertised to be the best on the planet and you end up with a piece of junk. It makes you wonder about the quality control. My display died in just 2 days because they couldn't detect it flawed. If they are so worthless then at least they can offer free warranty for 3 years during which anything can happen, not charge their customers for their incompetence.
Sorry, but I'm so pissed right now...

 

I don't have the tools to do it and I won't start buying some for something I won't keep anyway. If it is a connection issue then the quality control is a really big problem with Alienware.
I thought I pay top money for a top product not something I can repair with a little duct tape.

 

There doesnt exist a single product on this planet that doesnt have a certain percentage failure rate...

 

The one year standard warranty is a legitimate complaint, because these laptops are expensive and quality control is not the best. Not that it matters: Alienware can gouge prices because it is the only high-end gaming laptop vendor with NBD coverage and accidental damage protection. That's what discounts are for.

 

Then I should be the "lucky" one. If that is so rare as you say then I hope they will be willing to offer some serious compensation for my distress from that damage control budget of theirs so rarely touched.

 

I dont think emotionally compensation is a written agreement between Dell and customers

But you can always try to milk the cow though. But Im certain they prefer to drink their own milk

 

We are premium customers for Dell. Every sales business has to take care of their premium customers in order to keep them happy and spend some more piles of money on their products. That's basic economics. It doesn't have to be written.

 

Hello! I have the exact same spec as you and I also installed a 840 pro drive and use the 750gb hdd as storage. It wasnt plug and play thats for sure but ive got it running sweetly now and this is how i did it.
1: use alien respawn to create recovery media onto 2 dvd's
2: install the 840 pro in the 2nd hdd slot
3: use the data migration software that came with the 840 pro to transfer the OS (i recommend that to keep alienware look and feel)
4: go into the BIOS and change the boot priority so the 840 is 1st
5: boot from the 840 then format the 750gb drive to delete all existing files (the data migration software will copy your os onto your new 840 but will not delete the copy on the 750gb hdd)
6: rename the 750gb drive as storage and bobs your uncle
Boot time is much faster on the 840 so are game loading times.

 

OK, you order a television from amazon and it is broken ... do you really think you get something 'extra'?

Maybe I am getting old ... but in my opinion this is what the service is for: If something defect, they will have to fix it or replace it ... that's it!

 

There are some major differences between Amazon and Dell. Firstly, Amazon doesn't manufacture the vast majority of the products they sell, while Dell does. Secondly, Amazon doesn't advertise selling the best laptops in the world. Thirdly, Amazon offers a month time to return your faulty product, while Dell just one week.
Amazon can't give you anything extra because they don't have anything to do with the production process, therefore they are not to blame for the poor quality control of the end product.
Dell on the other hand are producing what they advertise to be the best laptops in the world and charge top money for that. If that is proven to be false, like my laptop failing after just 2 days, it is only natural for them to admit their mistake and be charged top money in return.

 

OK, if you buy an iPad at Apple and it is not working you will get a new iPad or it will getting repaired ... be sure: You will not getting an extra iPhone for free or some other goodies ...

Sorry, if you want an Alienware, ok, then let it repair or order a new one ... if you only want to complain: Send it back and buy something else ...

This is a really stupid discussion ... I purchased a 60.000,- Euro Audi TT ... and oh my god ... it had a problem ... they fixed it and so what ... ?! That is life and that is what service plans are for ...

 

I can see both sides to this. I can see the upset and disappointment at getting a brand new multi-thousand pound laptop that has issues. It's quite heartbreaking, especially if it's your first Alienware experience. My first machine had cosmetic issues that you would have thought would have got picked up by QC - they weren't - so, instead of the customer getting an enjoyable experience, they get crap.

On the other hand, it might be something as simple as a display connector getting jarred during transport - hardly anyone's fault, but nonetheless, upsetting when you open the box and try and have fun from the get go.

I think the bottom line is that you have a return period. If you are not happy, send it back. Re-order. I'd advise against accepting a replacement - if they offer- during your return period, as that will be marked down on your record that you have had a replacement and WILL affect any future warranty issues you might have that actually call for a proper replacement.

Asking Dell to stump up for more is hit and miss. They are not required to do so, because of your warranty/return rights. They might give you something if you really wanna push it, but do not expect anything and you will not be disappointed.

 

Sorry to say but you keep missing the point.
If you want to buy an Apple you go to the closest store and have it, while with Alienware you have to wait for 2 weeks on average if not more. If there is something wrong with the Apple you can have a replacement in the same day, while with Alienware is the same process all over again which totals a whole month without your hardware for which you paid a good amount of money that remain blocked in this project without any benefits. Of course this is very annoying for any reasonable human being.
As for your example with the luxury car, I am sure one can sue a car manufacturer if one buys a top end luxury car, drive it home and lose a wheel during the trip. Would you think that company would want to compensate said customer or not?
And I'm sorry you consider this to be a stupid discussion. I thought this forum is about Alienware owners and their concerns. Well, I have one, stupid or not.

 

Thank you brother Stevie for your moderate approach. I've read many of your posts during the time when I was just lurking this forum, and I always appreciated them. I'm glad you decided to stay and continue to contribute to the community.
Just as you advise, I will request a refund not a replacement. Funny thing is some Dell rep told me there's a £20 fee if I choose to return it, like it's my fault their machine is faulty. You gotta love the way Dell treats its customers.

 

Thanks Bro. As for the return fee, that's rubbish. It's faulty and you have rights....you do not have to take a replacement or fix as you are in your 7 day return period. Now, if you chose to simply return it because you changed your mind...that's different and they can charge you that fee...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m14x/726597-alienware-dell-cooling-off-period-uk.html

Citizens Advice Bureau - If the goods you bought are faulty

 

Oh, but I'll fight for my rights with anyone trying to undermine them, Dell or whatever fanboys they may have.
Law says:
"It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get all your money back if you have:

kept the goods for too long before telling the trader, or
tried to repair or change the goods yourself in any way"

That's why I won't try to open it. I don't want to give even more ammunition to Dell.

 

Sounds like you know your eggs! - best thing to do - I think - is to just tell Dell it's faulty, you are within 7 days, please collect the machine for a full refund. Stress that you expect no further deductions from the purchase price as the goods are faulty. I think they will soon come round....they might offer you an incentive to keep the machine and have a service visit. At that point, it would be entirely up to you as to how/if you wanted to go down that route.

 

I've already spoken with the account manager and arranged for another call on Monday to speak with his superior about the refund and the new order with the proper compensation, which he said, is totally understandable. I'll post here the results of that talk.

 

Looks like I will have to return my computer also. After a night session to get my 2 750 gig drives as raid 0 accelerated with 64 msata Dell has informed me that wireless display would not be possible. I don't understand why as I can easily switch to the intel graphics, all I need is an intel card instead of the Broadcom. It's not entirely all Dells fault, I originally purchased a M18X R2 (along with a push to tv adapter) but cancelled it shortly after the order and configured the brand new 18 over the phone not giving the wireless display a second thought. Dell did all the other change orders to the 18

I like the computer, does anybody know why with a compatible intel wireless card WIDI will not work? I do not want to have to send it back.
I guess not too many people are interested in wireless display with an Alienware as you have to switch to intel graphics. I don't know why I cannot have the best of both worlds, that is one reason I bought an Alienware in the frist place.

Whats with the 7 days return? I thought it was 30. Im ok either way as I just got my computer on Jul 31.

 

7 days relates to the UK, not US or Canada.

 

here is the comparison of 4800 vs 4900
Intel Core i7 4900MQ vs 4800MQ

 

Is there anyone who can confirm if 2133Mhz sticks of RAM works on new Alienware 18? Tnx

 

If we're just going to pick apart arguments based on little things, a car wheel falling off is not even remotely comparable to a laptop's screen not working properly. It's also 100% possible to order an Apple with parts that will delay its shipment for a few weeks.

 

New unit arrived late last week and I'm now up and running again - the return process for my original order was quick and smooth, no issues.



I have found to issues, though:

1. I can only use the official Dell drives for my 780's. Attempting to use the latest from nvidia.com results n an error saying no supported devices found, and using nvidia update says no newer driver found.
2. The stock level 3 OC in the bios i highly unstable and results in a BSOD when opening any application.

Aside from that, I'm pretty damn happy with the unit.

 

Omg the more I look at this beauty, the more I want it. This gotta be the greatest notebook in ages.

I know I have asked this before from other people, but more opinions is better.
What do you think about the noise when gaming or when browsing the internet? What about the screen? Is it good?

Thanks

 

In all fairness you can't compare a laptop to a car, period. I was just fighting back an argument thrown at me. And since we are at it, a wheel falling off will make the car unusable, just as a dead display will make the laptop unusable.
What I don't understand is why am I so ferociously attacked by fellow Dell customers, just like me, when I'm reaching out seeking help and advice in a problem that can happen to any of you.
Why would you go out of your way to defend the rights of a company that can clearly take care of itself and its business, while the customer's rights, our rights, can only be defended by us? It doesn't make sense.

 

I'm with you, Brother Ramthor.

A product (any product) that does NOT work as intended is unacceptable. Period. I'm all for consumer rights of the end buyer versus big business. I also fully understand your unhappiness at receiving what is supposedly the epitome of laptops, only to find it's suffered from poor QC checks etc. I do feel that Dell should do the right thing by you, whatever that means. On the other side of the coin, I don't think that we can expect the world either. There will probably be a mutual point whereby you and Dell can come to some kind of 'arrangement' if you like that suits you both. Not saying you should get massive upgrades for it because no manufacturer has 100% success rate, and unfortunately, things can and do go wrong.

All I can say really is that if you can meet with Dell to find a solution that you are both happy with, then no one loses....Dell make good for sending you a faulty machine, and you get some acknowledgement of that in whatever form you agree with Dell. Bear in mind though, Dell do not have to do anything other than give you your money back - as annoying and frustrating as that might be. Anything over that is a bonus.

End result of that is that you are happy, Dell keep a customer and the world is rosy once again.....with a bit of luck!!

 

1. The screen is much better than the screen from the M18 R2! Very good colors, deep black, less reflections.

2. In office mode the fans are most of the time complete off! So you hear nothing.

3. While gaming it is less noisy than my M18 R2 was ... even at games like Crysis 3 or BioShock the AW18 is not too loud!

 

@Steve: Since you are in 'war' with Dell you are not very fair anymore ... maybe you should think over it ...

And well, if something is DOA then it has to be fixed ... without a doubt ... that is what the service is for!

But: I dislike people who want to grab some extras just because an error happens ... and by the way: Those little extras will be paid by people like you and me ... oh, wait ... not like you, because you are not going to buy anything more from AW so you will not pay anything ...

 

I'm not at war with Dell. No point in me losing any more time with that. Sorry bud, but I have seen MANY customers compensated for Dell errors in the past...errors that can be as simple as sending the wrong configuration to DOA machines. It's up to Dell how they choose to remedy those instances, and if they DO choose to do so, then they obviously feel that it is warranted - if you don't like it, I suggest you take it up with them instead of moaning about it.

What about all the people we see that simply just change their minds...."oh, damn...shoulda got me that MX or 780m...shucks, man...Hell...I'm still within my 30 day US return period, I'll just toss it back and re-order. Nothing wrong with the machine, just I changed my mind...." - who do you think covers the cost for those new machines that are then sold on the outlet????

Have a go at those people instead of people who have genuine problems....they cost more than a few minor bumps here and there to make up for Dell's own incompetence.....

Oh, and I think I was being fair:

Maybe you should think it over.....

 

Lets take this again:
Just because some are lucky and do recieve compensation, doesnt mean there are people who didnt get any extra.

Emotional warranty does not exist. Just because the customer "feels" he is entitled to something, doesnt always turn out the way the customer wanted.

Dell takes this case by case, and if someone is really neglected and been suffering extensively, they are most likely big candidates to get some extra support from Dell.

Ramthor think he can get compensation based on that he paid premium for it. However Dell or any company have the right to just fix the problem without any more bonus. That is their right. Product errors on a complicated device like a notebook that include many parts from third party are really difficult to deal with: it could be drivers which they have no control of, it could be the display they got from Samsung which also have a certain failure rate no matter how you look at it, or it could be the build quality like hinge breaking off which put question about Dell product quality.

 

I think that Brother Ramthor is simply gutted at receiving a much anticipated machine, that has problems. Problems that are not his fault. He now faces two possibilities. 1. Having a brand new machine fixed - something I would not be happy about, with it being brand new and having paid full price for a fully functional machine. 2. Return and re-order. That will add 6 weeks to him getting the machine he paid for in good faith.

Both options, in my humble opinion, deserve some acknowledgement by Dell, wether it is beyond their control or not, as they leave the customer in an awkward spot through none of their own doing. At the end of the day, they (Dell) are the seller and it is their responsibility to ensure their products are 100% spot on. Period. The customer should not suffer or be inconvenienced in any way, as he held up his end of the contract by paying in full for said product.

There is nothing wrong with anyone feeling that they deserve something more if they have suffered through no fault of their own, or acting upon those feelings to try and achieve what they feel is just and right. They might win, they might not. Heck, if every person just 'took it' from big business, then there would be a whole lot of lawyers/solicitors out there that would be out of jobs because they would not be taking cases for compensation where big business has shafted the little guy.

Blaming third party manufacturers is a huge cop-out. Dell source these components and then sell them as a whole. They are the product provider, not Samsung, nor Intel....just Dell. Would you expect to have to run around and have to go to Samsung just because your notebook had a screen that was manufactured by them?? - nope. You would go to the retailer of said notebook, just like you would go to Porsche if the wheel (that mighta been made by some 3rd party) fell off your 911......you are just making random excuses for the failure of the retailer based on the fact that THEIR end product includes components made by other third party manufacturers. The buck starts and stops with Dell.

 

I believe I am entitled to a compensation because Dell lied when they advertised Alienware as being the best laptop in the world. Also on top of that, they charge a pile of money for a fraud. Add to that my money being stuck in this purchase without having the product itself for more than a month, and you can have the picture of my discomfort. A high end computer isn't done just by putting together high end components, but testing it thoroughly for build errors. If you skip a step you end up with a very expensive piece of garbage that will annoy the crap out of their premium customer expecting what they promised. Because they don't like losing premium customers, they offer compensations. And don't believe they take the money from inflating the prices. That's what they want you to think. They are taking it from their huge margin of profit.
So before attacking me, "brothers", think about your own interest and stop being the pathetic fanboys of a multi billion dollars company that doesn't give a rat's behind on what you think.

 

So you guys think it is OK to just ship the notebook back when the notebook could be repaired just as easily by just replacing the display with a new one? It is OK to build up a stock of used notebooks that some unlucky guy who paid full price have to deal with, just because the previous owner was a spoiled customer who wanted diamonds for his gold?

Not only are you stressing out the whole system, but you are the ones responsible for occasionally threads where people are depressed because they got a notebook with some marks from the uncareful previous owner that Dell didnt catch when they got the notebook.

And PLEASE, Alienware 18 is no doubt one of the greatest notebooks out there, but it like any other premium product will still have issues because, face the reality, it is built up by many electronic parts. Which makes it a little more unreliable than a broom stick.
Dell have tested the products thousands of hours. There is absolutely zero, nada, null, 0, ways to skip failure rates no matter how much you test the product. So no, they didnt lie to you at all ramthor. Its just you that clearly don't understand the nature of electronics.

Sorry, im not a Dell fanboy, but it is absolutely shocking to hear how royal and exclusive you guys think you are.

 

Here are a few pics of my baby for those who like pics. Although not great quality from the iPhone.

In response to your question about noise Cloudfire, all I can say is, what noise? Its almost silent even when gaming. It clearly has a great cooling system and plenty of airflow. And the screen is wonderful. You can view it from any angle and its very clear and has almost no reflection.

 

@ Cloudfire - To answer quickly, yes. It is acceptable for a customer to return faulty goods within a specified time scale. If I'm not mistaken, this would be the right of ANY customer, regardless of location, if they bought and received a faulty product. No where is it written that a new, faulty product, should be repaired if someone has only just received it.

I think you need to educate yourself on consumer rights......for the UK: Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and I am sure that other countries have the same legislation to protect buyers from receiving faulty goods, regardless of their nature.

Again, you need to educate yourself in the fact that returned machines CANNOT be sold as NEW - they go to the outlet, or are stripped and components re-used where applicable. Anyone buying from the outlet knows the machines may be scratch and dent or whatever.....that's why the outlet is popular with bargain hunters.

What about many US customers getting offered hundreds of dollars to keep machines that they would otherwise return? - that has happened quite a lot and has been documented/posted about on NBR quite a bit......

 

Eh, like I said earlier, i have worked in a store here in Norway. The shops here have the right to repair an item 2 times, and if it is still not fixed, you can demand a new product or money back.

Why do you think Dell have warranty where they offer technicians to come to your home and repair it on the fly? If everyone demanded a brand new notebook for a problem that could be easily fixed by replacing the little broken component, we would have a ton of refurbished/previously owned notebooks shipping as new to other customers who thought they got a brand new one.
And I do think you guys are the reason why we have threads popping up where the owner recieved a scratced notebook or something similar.

On top of all of this, the customers who abuse the system also demands compensation for someting thats out of Dell's reach to control?!

You guys take spoiled to a whole new level

 

I don't meant to sound facetious, but your little shop in Norway is not a multi-billion dollar global business. Maybe the way you do things in Norway in your shop is just a tad different from how major businesses operate.

It is illegal to sell a returned machine as new - as I said before, returned machines go to the outlet or are stripped for parts. No one who buys new gets someone else's returned product.

Why do you think Dell offer a return period at all? - because they have to. Distance selling regulations dictate certain customer rights. Dell do not have a store to walk into. You buy online and you get certain rights. Heck, I can go into my local supermarket, buy a hi-fi, if I don't like it for WHATEVER reason, within 28 days I can return it for a no quibble refund. If it's faulty, I can get a refund outside of that period - actually for a period of up to SIX years. If the product is not fit for purpose, of satisfactory quality etc, customers have rights........maybe they don't in Norway....

And don't think for one second that Dell (or any other major business) do not have provisions in place that mean that their profit margins are not affected by such actions.....

 

Yes, it is ok to send it back if you are entitled to. I haven't paid £3100 on a repaired laptop but on the best laptop in the world. Clearly that can't be a repaired one.
But if you are having trouble understanding that, then I can only think you are either ill-intended or just plain stupid.
In any case I will ignore your posts from now on.
And FYI, the returned laptops go to the outlet store, making very happy buyers with lower budgets.
You can cry for the Dell's pity for as long as you like. I couldn't care less. Users like you poison an otherwise healthy community.

 

@RamthorPlain stupid? Says the guy who thinks "the best notebook in the world" means it cannot ever have a hardware issue. Stop living in your fantasy world and start living in the real world kid. Stupid doesnt even remotely describe you enough if you think thats how it works.
But keep on crying. Im sure they will offer you twice the RAM and a better CPU for the broken display which they couldnt control the fate of. Not

@stevie: Not just my shop, but its the law here in Norway. No matter if you buy if online or come and buy it from a local shop. If you buy it online, you have however a 14 day period where you can demand money back if you dont want the product. The reason why I reacted is because I think its untasteful to return the notebook when you can just have the technician come home to you and fix it by replacing the broken part. But that argument goes away if Dell doesnt sell these systems as new.

I did not however know that Dell didnt sell the returned product as new. I remember reading posts about users pissed off because the system they got had scratches on the casing or finger marks or other things that came from someone else using it. Was that the old policy, to sell these as new?

 

It would be great to have a technician come to my house to change my wireless card to make WIDI work rather then send the computer back.
Dell won't do that though.
I would do anything to keep the computer but I will not do without WIDI that I originally ordered.

Dell gave me the number to call to return the laptop and I will have to do that when I get back from the long weekend.

 

Just had my new 18 for a few days. It arrived in excellent condition . Only one problem so far (Bd would not play any regular DVDs just blueray); turned out that SLI was shut off accidentally, turned back on and no problem.

Missed some of this chatter on WiDi but didn't think the Broadcom has this function. Am I wrong?

 

I bet Stevie already ordered an M18 and will announce it in a few days..lmao.

 

@Ramthor: Sorry guy ... but you should return it and you should buy a Sager, Clevo, MSI or something like that ... then you will understand, why AW Notebooks are 'the best' gaming Notebooks out there:

1. If an AW is broken, someone comes to you to repair it on the fly ... at MSI you can wait up to seven weeks (I had this!) ...

2. Compare the material, the finish and the design ...

3. The cooling system: The AW is silent and runs cool ... the Clevo / MSI is could as a hoover ...

And no, I am everything but not a fanboy ... I had around 100 Notebooks in my life ... so I can compare and I have learnd the hard way, which Notebook and service are the best ...