List of Owners of M11x That Have Hinges Damaged or Repaired Already

It is only the boss/post in the monitor 'shell'/casing that's failing. So an extra run on more monitor shells/casings and you're probably good for another six months. Just need someone striping out the existing LCD and then a run of rebuilding the monitors with the existing LCD and new casings.

If the lid wasn't going to change on a new model then redesign, retooling and production run of new monitors could start over. But I'm guessing that's unlikely.

Think it'll be fixed under warranty with existing stock and rerun of lids/shells if required.

No warranty, no fix.

As for me. End of warranty start of epoxying.

Oddly I'm 9 months in with no hinge problem and haven't had to creak the lid open.

 

Just had my screen replaced, hopefully this one will last

The Alienware logo on the new screen does not light up unfortunately, but not caring too much about that. I am feeling bit guilty though, since the tech who replaced my screen definitely knew what he was doing while I watched him over the shoulder like a hawk =P

 

I think the Alienware logo not lighting up, if I recall correctly, is probably because he missed a cable when he installed the new LCD assembly. If no one else can verify that by this evening I'll open up mine tonight and let you know.

On the other hand it wouldn't bother me much. Mine is always set to stay dark as it's kinda tacky and in your face when lit up.

What panel did you end up with? AUO, Samsung or LG?

 

There's really no need to open your m11x up. The Alienware logo doesn't matter to me since I end up ignoring it anyways, on or off =P

How do I check which panel I have?

 

Go to your device manager, expand monitor, choose "generic PnP Monitor", right click and choose properties, select details tab, choose hardwareid from pulldown menu. Google the ID after "MONITOR\". Apparently there's only 3 screens, but I don't remember the ID's.

 

Ah thanks. I have an AUO.

 

Tech guy just left after replacing my screen, new one came with the wwan antenna! wooohoo!

Hinges are tight and smooth now.

He gave me one of his spare screws for when I do get my wwan card.

 

I certainly don't need much in the way of an excuse to crack open my M11x and I was pretty sure I remembered there being a cable for the logo lights.






Pretty easy to get to should ever feel the need. It might be worthwhile to call Dell back and let them know now that it wasn't connected ( EDIT: or may be broken?). You can still tell them not to bother sending someone out to fix it.

 

What you have draw was pretty much the solution I was also thinking of if - the epoxy I have fails. It ads to the total number of screws securing the hinge which = more spread of the load, what I don't understand is why Alienware did not have this as the default design.

 

hey guys. i am glad i found this forum thread. i have been using my m11x for 5 months. i use it about 3 times a week for a couple hours. the first month was completely fine but ive noticed that the screen was becoming some what loose when it is in "open" position during the 2nd month. it didn't bother me too much since it was holding on its own. it finally happened when i tried to use my laptop this morning. i heard a "pop" and noticed there is a small black plastic piece in the top of the lcd screen and my hinges seemed to popped out. i tried to put the hinges back in but it seems like the screen gets stuck when i try to open it.( could be opened with a small amount of applied force) i bought my laptop from bestbuy. do i go there to get this fixed? can i get this fixed under dell's 1 year manufacturer's warranty? i still cant believe how the hinges would just not work properly out of the blue.

 

Alright I think my 2 week old m11x does, unfortunately, have the issue.

The left cylindrical hinge 'sinks' in when I'm closing the lid, while the right hinge remains firm. No pops or creaking yet.

 

One would argue this is not out of the blue but that your first indications of a problem were not identified by yourself.

 

Hey guys, I just wanted to update you all on my sort of unique situation.
I believe I posted the beginning of my situation before, but here is what I went through and what DELL is currently assisting me with.
1. Bought M11X R1
2. Received M11x, but LCD screen gaps on top near camera as well as corners of screen lid, keyboard, etc. Hinges were fine in the beginning.
3. complained about quality of above issues, after numerous complaints, they sent a replacement M11X
4. Received replacement, quality was even worse.
5. Received 2nd replacement, quality was same as bad replacement and keyboard lighting was worse.
6. Received 3rd replacement and all was better, especially LCD quality.
7 Kept it. After about 5 - 6 months, hinges started to slowly get looser and looser even though I only open and close my screen in the morning to start and at night to shutdown (minimal hinge usage)
8. Last month advised about issue and dell techinician replaced LCD panel. Hinge was 100x better, but now big gaps above camera again and cordners of LCD lid had more gaps and as sharp as a knife.

9. Complained again and AGAIN sending another replacement. Worst case they said they will refund me.

I am with you all, why can't they understand it is a build issue and they just need to go to whatever warehouse, reinspect the buildersm fix issue and thats it. If this replacement sucks again, I might get a refund and look got another gaming notebook. Was thinking about updateing to R2, but I really don't like the optimus drivers. My friend has M11X R2 and has issues after issues of, oh this game, I need to do this, white list this, change this.
All I do is start my computer, change to dedicated and run any game.

Sorry this was a little off topic, but wanted to update people.
Thanks! I do have to say DELL service is pretty good, I mean it took some time, but they are doing there best (to a point) to take care of customers.

 

I'm not sure if I have hinge problems on my m11x, but I performed the hinge test where you need to slide a sheet of paper in between the screen and keyboard. I can't move the slip of paper so does that mean I have hinge problems?

 

Not really, thats more of a issus of the keys scuffing the LCD cover.

If your hinges are bad you will be able to see the actuall hinge move back and forth while you open/close the lid.

 

now the buyers of the discount rush last 2 months ago are showing signs of making to the list

 

Freaking amazing. This company (Dell) is a disgrace to every computer manufacturer out there in terms of tech support. I give up, I promised my friend who is a new owner of this laptop to get it in a tip top shape, but obviously the level of incompetence at Dell is so high there isn't a single person able to fix the damn laptop. I would like to add something to update my status:

After 1 month (!) of waiting replacement parts (bottom panel, latch cover) that on-site "tech" broke, spent 1hr on the phone, laptop sent to Dell, TX, came back today with a scratched screen lid!

 

I had my screen replaced yesterday. It all looks ok exept for the fact that when I close the lid the left front side is higher than the right by little.
It seems that the new hinges are a little easier to open/close. There seems to be less resistance. Hope it will last longer this time.
Oh and the tech was allright. Said he replaced a few before and he said he is very good. He mannaged ok, but he mooved so fast that he allmost scratched the new screen a few times with the screwdriver. I was happy when he was done. It was like he was trying to impress me about how good and fast he was. But all good when it ends well

 

Just checking if there has been an official announcement from Dell, but I see they're still silent.

Didn't expect more of them.

 

My replacement M11x-R2 has this same screen gaps on top near the camera.
However, the picture quality on the same LCD on the replacement with the Gap is so much superior to the four LCD's I've gone through on this machine - combined with the rest of the machine having what feels to be a sturdier and more solid build than the last, I decided to live with it.

I thought about having it exchanged or switched out, but as a fellow gamer/tech buddy remind me, I might get one with no gap up top, but a less vibrant screen. I agreed and am sticking with it. Though I am concerned a little about dust getting in there, but so far, so good.

If that happens, then I'll exchange it for another machine, as I believe when you get an in home panel replacement, you're substantially increasing your chances of getting a broken hinge by the way the installer switches out the panels, than getting one factory manufactured. At least that's been my experience.

 

Add my name to the list, bought an M11x-R1 and after less than 1 month the left hinge started creaking and you can see the hinge on that side sticks out and has a larger gap than the right one. Contrast to my nearly 1 year old M17x-R2 that is used daily with no problems outside of a GPU fan that died.

EDIT: I noticed this morning in the light that the creaking is coming from where the left hinge casing is rubbing against the body of the computer, I can actually press on the hinge and it will shift back a bit from the body.

 

That is perfectly normal due to its design.
There is basically nothing that holds left hinge up while there is on the right hinge.
As a result, hinge gap on the right is larger than the left.

 

The best quality is the first Alienware m11x you get, which is brand new.
Replacements are never 100% new: some parts have been used before.
I had two replacements so far but I realized that my very first one is the best in regarding to quality.
I'm using my old one now and the only major problem is the constant high pitched noise from the processor which I will have my motherboard replaced in a few days. Right hinge gap larger but ahhhh no way to fix it anyway due to design.

By the way, I don't get you complaining about the following reason when they seem pretty normal for the design.
"8. Last month advised about issue and dell techinician replaced LCD panel. Hinge was 100x better, but now big gaps above camera again and cordners of LCD lid had more gaps and as sharp as a knife."

 

This was my fear; wondering how hard it will be to open this puppy up and try to do a pre-failure fix. I'm not that mechanically inclined, so I am wondering if there is any real fix beyond super-glueing the whole left bracket to the screen.

The problem of the hinge bar being misaligned I am not sure how you deal with, any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

No, that is not normal behavior for the hinge. Both hinges should act the same as you rotate the lid through its full range of motion. There is no difference in the internals that support one hinge versus the other.

However it does seem to be common for the gap (at the hinge) between the lid and the base to be different. On mine, the right gap has always been larger than the left when opened (very much the same when closed though), but both hinges rotate the same - very little, but otherwise equal offset movement as the lid is opened and closed. When one side or the other is starting to fail it's very common to see that side have more offset when compared to the other.

 

EDIT: Never mind. What you're describing is a failed left hinge. Disregard the the request for a photo.

Could you post a photo of the area that's rubbing?

If it's rubbing between the back end of the lid and the hinge cover then it's possible that the hinge cover isn't properly clipped in the back. Again a photo would help to demonstrate what you're referring to on yours.

 

I wish that was it, but its the front side of the hinge hitting the case and rubbing once I get the lid about 2/3 the way open, it looks normal when closed, but from the side you can see the entire hinge move into contact with the case as you open it.

It started this business after I pushed the screen past 90 degrees one time, but never to the limit of the hinge range. I'd like to avoid the whole nastiness of refurbs, and techs, debating on how hard it would be to fix it. I unfortunately had to buy it quickly for a business trip from Microcenter because I didn't want to lug the M17x through NY City... now I'm past there 7-day return for laptops...

I like the machine a lot, sometimes eschewing my M17x-R2 to game on it just because it's fun to use... now I'm afraid of breaking it

 

Cruising the forum it sounds like I am having the same problem Unreal25 is/was where the hinge is rotating as a whole around instead of on a fixed axis. Aaarrgghhhh!

 

the christmas day is fast approaching, never heard from the santa of dell yet.

i really think that dell would really give an extended warranty for all m11x. having to make revision and re design in its hinge holder is not a viable option for them i guess.

 

As has already been stated - your hinge is stuffed, what your seeing is the disconnected hinge rotating in the posts. This is what I would expect for any broken hinge and yes very common.

 

45 days into m11x ownership and my left hinge is making a slight click when i open past a certain point. Oh Nooooo! At least I have 319 days left on my warranty

 

Ugh, it only lasted 1 month and a half?? Sorry to hear.

 

Well it's not damaged yet, but we all know what that clicking sound means (from the left hinge no less.) I could have another month before it comes apart but we'll see how long it takes from being a curiosity to an issue that needs a tech visit.

What's surprising is that it never leaves my desk. Never put it in a laptop bag and I only open/close the lid when I move it out of the way or something. Guess it doesn't really matter how often you use those hinges.

 

My already replaced lcd panel (due to faulty hinge) has also cracked. So, I received my third lcd panel today. Not a goog quality one, as there seems to be a lot of space between the screen and the plastic cover. Also, some gap at the top near the webcam. First time I noticed liquid bleeding when I was only opening the lid (it's normal if you press on the cover, but not if you only open the lid).

On the plus side, I received a panel with extra WWAN antennas.

 

If it were me I'd call to have them replace it again. Don't stand for improperly refurbished or otherwise sub-par replacement parts.

 

Hi,

I bought my m11x six months ago and had my screen replaced exactly three months after the purchase. Now the right hinge on my second screen is beginning to crack

I don't believe DELL is going to address this problem in any way. They are known to refrain from recalls of products with obvious design faults (relying on fixing them under warranty).

I suggest we take some organized action. I cannot believe that WIRED still rates m11x as an "Editors Pic", even though the design fault is obvious.

My suggestions are:
1. To post reviews with our experiences on sites where m11x is sold.
2. To urge notebook review sites to update their reviews of m11x with a link to hinge problem (or write comments under the reviews of this laptop). After all, they are helping DELL to sell a faulty product.
3. To create a Facebook group for pissed of m11x owners.

I believe, we have to go on the offensive. Otherwise DELL will only wait for the 1 year warranties of m11x to expire. If they were going to fix this, they would at least be transparent about the issue. For the last six months they were only treating m11x owners to corporate whitewashing in their forums.

Only when future sales and reputation on large scale is at stake, we may hope for a solution.

 

I can't hope for much action on Dell's part here, but why do these things happen to machines that I actually *like* to use and *want* to keep? Why Dell....why?

 

Somewhere, Michael Dell and the AW team are laughing

 

I'm simply amazed that an opportunistic lawyer, has not filed a class action lawsuit over this yet. I've received a half dozen of 'em in the mail for bad RAM and laptop batteries. Maybe we should start posting about this fiasco, on popular lawyer forums. We gotta splash the blood around some more, so the sharks can find their prey.

I seriously doubt any of us normal people would see the $$$ they'd wring out of DELL (I never got more than $20 from those RAM and battery cases), but it might get better attention. In the least, it would increase the chances of media attraction, since mainstream news could report that DELL had a class action filed against them on their business segments.

 

Okay folks - did a field repair here, but I need some advice from anyone else who has opened their screen.

I epoxied both my hinges in and let them set overnight, all good and well, appears to be working, however....

Everything went back into place EXCEPT I can't quite get the hinge covers to link up, and there is now three little reflections of the LED behind the AW name on the cover, clearly, the bottom of the screen is not fully in, but try as I might I can't seem to make any progress getting the bottom fully on.

I suspect this is the hinge covers possibly not falling into place right around the hinge joints, does anyone else know if there is a trick to getting them to re-seat properly?

And yes, I was shocked at how little plastic and screw were being used to do this hinge when I opened it.

 

It's not about the money, it's about getting these things fixed properly in or out of warranty at Dell's cost. The crap really won't hit the fan until people's warranties run out and then their hinges break. Then I guarantee you'll see this getting a lot of attention.

 

I've got nothing to offer other than taking a look at this video if you haven't already. You might want to PM some of the people who have cracked open their lids if you don't get any replies. Cpt.Zero or philby would likely be your best resources since they've done it multiple times.

YouTube - M11X screen fix

 

Your warranty is expired?

 

For the hinge it is now

Seriously, I won't sell a unit with a known problem, and R-1s almost aren't worth the loss now to sell. I intend to use it until (hopefully) an R-3 comes out, or if the prices get good get an R-2. I was fearful of bad screen replacements, torn up machines, etc so I gambled and had a partial win except for this hitch.

 

Yeah, that's my concern, is if I get my screen replaced by Dell, will the next screen be complete crap?

 

I've tried to call Dell 3 times over the last couple days and I've been put on hold, transferred to Latitude, XPS, or Inspiron support by mistake, and ultimately disconnected each time. Gonna give it another try here this evening. I burned my entire lunch hour today sitting on hold talking with Aaron from Latitude support and Brent from XPS support... both of whom were good at sounding like they knew what they were doing just before getting me disconnected during their transfer attempt.

Seriously, what the hell?

EDIT: Last couple days being, Today, and wednesday - I didn't even bother trying during the Xmas weekend.

 

@Zlog -do the later Nvidia Mobility drivers not work? I had an issue with them when I tried in STO (poor game that it is), and had to fall back to the official.... I thought you could get a newer set, it might work for what you are playing.

 

If it is, then its replaced again - until they get it right. I just don't see the logic of undertaking a DIY fix if the warranty is still active.

Oh well. Hope it works out for you Doc. Check the service manual and take it apart again and try to re-align everything. Also check the tear-down video AW posted to Youtube (not sure if it will show the actual display disassembly or not) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeqQQU_PWRg.

 

Maybe because scheduling time can be problematic for me? The last time I had an issue, the Dell tech kept hounding me, calling me twice daily. I told him I would call with a good time. He then showed up at my house (unplanned) pounding on my door VERY HARD, of course just after I got my kids down for a nap and woke them up. I was NOT happy.

Not to mention spending an hour trying to get to the right place. When I was just trying to get my M11x replaced after they sent me a piece of crap one, I got transferred several places that didn't even relate to what I needed to do, then was on hold for ten minutes, only to be greeted with a recording saying their systems were down. This happened for a week until I finally got someone that could help me. In between I called Dell and also online chatted with them, but they kept saying I had to call...

Considering I can probably fix this thing on my own in 30 minutes, and most likely a more permanent fix instead of replacing one problem part with another, time and headache saved.

 

It's not logical really, it's an emotional thing, honestly. The fact people frequently have a hinge issue and within a month it breaks, I just didn't feel like dealing with it (my slight OCD streak here). I agree, it is BETTER to utilize the warranty in general and I would advise others to do the same. I would not have even considered such a task on my M17x unless it was out of warranty fully. Honestly, the system is a holdover to see what if anything materializes at CES and if not, until I decide a good price is to be had on the R-2 (need the hw virtualization), so I am more daring *in case* I have a problem with an R2 (or R3), or perhaps an M13x - LOL

Thanks for the link!