[Dell IdeaStorm] Proposing a "GPU upgrade package" for M18x (and perhaps M17x)

Dear community,

in another thread I proposed the idea of Dell releasing/selling "GPU upgrade kits" for owners of M18xR1 who would want to upgrade to the newest cards appearing this year without the necessity of buying a completely new laptop, especially as R2 doesn't really bring anything new (with few smaller exceptions). Plus, we have already pimped up our M18x enough and why exactly should we replace them? We just want new cards.

The NBR discussion on this starts there and span for another few thread pages:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...oming-speculation-thread-145.html#post8475441

Official Dell employee, Dell-Bill_B, recommended bringing the discussion to IdeaStorm so it just may be taken into consideration, especially as initial community response was very positive.

This is the IdeaStorm thread I've just started:

Dell could offer "GPU upgrade kits" for M18xR1 (and perhaps other models, e.g. M17x)

Feel free to comment, either here or at IdeaStorm. So far the idea seemed both convenient to several of us, m18x owners, as well as lucrative enough for Dell. I bet upgrade packages like that could also be offered for M17x.

Thanks for your attention.

For their inputs, thanks go to: blink_c, BlueW01f, Dell-Bill_B, Scott_RC-TEK and TheBluePill

 

Don't forget M15x

 

Threw in my two cents.

 

Thanks. If you're on other forums/places where you meet Alienware owners, feel free to promote the IdeaStorm thread/voting.

 

I don't think they will accept this as Dell like any other company is interesting in increasing sales. Selling only GPU or CPU isn't the same as selling a completely new laptop.

So... if you want more, buy a new one. But still, if the difference isn't that big, why should you?

 

Do you mean sales of R2? That's actually discussable. Quoting myself from another thread:

I wasn't the only one making point such as that.

That's right, that's why buying R2 isn't exactly such a sound option. The only difference will be IV CPUs (which can always be bought in regular retail stores) and new generation Nvidia/AMD GPUs, which unfortunately are not available on retail market. Hence the idea of upgrade kits so you can actually get only new cards from a official source still rocking your "old" R1. And you don't have to worry about matching parts, e.g. heatsinks and so on, since the 'package' will include those too etc.

Edit: Plus, to get R2 most will have to sell R1, naturally, for money reasonably lower it was bought brand new. In other words, to get R2 you have to pay extra, so why not to simply buy an upgrade kit and keep upgraded R1? Much more convenient. You don't have to re-order R2 and worry about for weeks before it's delivered.

 

Correct. It has been proven again and again that the only time Dell cares about their customers (as most of the other major big companies) is when critical mass emerges and threatens with lawsuits or the complains come to such a number that its not profitable to do replacements (e.g. M11x-R1 hinge problems).

I can't think of a parallel universe in which Dell would do this. In fact, I am surprised they aren't actively making their things more proprietary like Apple.

There is also of course that problem that they would have to think how to treat the warranty if customer screws something up. And it's not like most of their onsite techs would know how to properly do it, either.

It's a nice idea for customers and it would be great if there would exist DIY assembled laptops out of separate parts like what you can do on a desktop computer. But again, I don't see Dell pulling anything like that. If nothing else, they (and most other companies) wouldn't dare to risk and put something like that on the market. They can just copy Apple and make an much inferior products offered at somewhat lower price.

When was the (last) time you saw something creative and original come from Dell? I guess the now-discontinued M11x is the closest they did?

 

well, I'm all for this..

Isn't one of the "selling points" being able to upgrade parts in the computer.. ( memory, HHD.. ) what's any different then a video card?


people are doing it anyways, dell is the one losing money.. yes it would make dell hire someone else to do videos , write-ups, visuals..... but they would in turn be paying a little price to please there customers, and thus winning future buy's and the free support, spreading the word..

 

I am not quite sure, but probably because it is more complicated and as a result more risky to change a GPU in a laptop without damaging it. Same with the CPU, where you also need BIOS change. And DELL isn't interesting in changing "broken" laptops, because their owners were careless changing certain components.

You should understand, that a laptop isn't the same with the desktop computer, where any unskilled person (Noob) can change GPU in 10-15 min.

 

Some of the things being posted here are not exactly correct. It is very simple to swap out CPU and GPU components on the M17xR1/R2/R3 and M18x. It takes about 30 minutes if you know what you're doing. It does not require special skills compared to working on a desktop PC. (Maybe a little more patience the first time, and an ability to read and understand a service manual, but nothing more than that. Care is needed to avoid breaking some of the cable and ribbon fasteners if you don't know how they operate.) Upgrades do not void the Dell/Alienware factory warranty. Owner-induced damage is not covered under warranty, but that would be expected.

Dell already offers upgrade parts as long as the components are supported by the model. (They don't support upgrades for components never supported--i.e. 6990M CF in the M17x R2--but, that does not prevent the endeavor.) For example, if you purchase an M18x with GTX 460M, you can buy kits (from Dell/Alienware) to upgrade to 6970M CF, 6990M CF, GTX 580M SLI. The kits are fully assembled GPU/heat sink assemblies. You can also purchase individual components. What you buy through Dell/Alienware should be covered by a warranty.

You can also upgrade your CPU through Dell/Alienware.

Dell/Alienware will be selling 675M and 7970M GPU kits as well. As soon as I have clearance to post them, those part numbers will be made available to the Community.

Here is a list of what they offer for GPU parts and kits right now:

M17x-R3

• VDV04 N11E-GS GeForce 460m
• 87XRJ N11E-GS GeForce 460m Kit (Video card VDV04 + Thermal Assemblies J9H7X)
• YT99J N12E-GS GeForce 560m
• 8H4G6 N12E-GS GeForce 560m Kit (Video card YT99J + Thermal Assemblies J9H7X)
• 3MF8R N12E-GTX2 GeForce GTX580m
• RFYN9 N12E-GTX2 GeForce GTX580m Kit (Video card 3MF8R + Thermal Assemblies V1K2G) (For the throttling at 78C°)
• V9XKH AMD Blackcomb XT 6970m
• WFWCW AMD Blackcomb XT 6970m (Video card V9XKH + Thermal Assemblies YHP1P)
• V5TGF AMD Granville Pro 6870m
• 5MKH5 AMD Granville Pro 6870m Kit (Video card V5TGF + Thermal Assemblies VH0YK)
• RDRGR AMD Blackcomb XTX 6990m
• CK7HW AMD Blackcomb XTX 6990m Kit (Video Card RDRGR + Thermal Assemblies YHP1P)

M18x-R1

• V9XKH AMD Blackcomb XT 6970m Right
• 074TJ AMD Blackcomb XT 6970m Right Kit (Video card V9XKH + Thermal Assemblies 29NC1)
• JNXHW AMD Blackcomb XT 6970m Left Kit (Video card V9XKH + Thermal Assemblies Y8T9Y)
• RDRGR AMD Blackcomb XTX 6990m Right
• 1Y9YM AMD Blackcomb XTX 6990m Right Kit (Video card RDRGR + Thermal Assemblies 29NC1)
• XCVCG AMD Blackcomb XTX 6990m Left (Video card RDRGR + Thermal Assemblies Y8T9Y)
• RYVMN AMD CrossFireX Cable
• VDV04 N11E-GS GeForce M460m
• 4C3FW N11E-GS GeForce M460m Right Kit (Video card VDV04 + Thermal Assemblies 5DWH3)
• 8X55H N11E-GS GeForce M460m Left Kit (Video card VDV04 + Thermal Assemblies 0TYGV)
• YT99J N12E-GS GeForce GTX560m
• 3WWGG N12E-GS GeForce GTX560m Right Kit (Video card YT99J + Thermal Assemblies 5DWH3)
• FXXC9 N12E-GS GeForce GTX560m Left Kit (Video card YT99J + Thermal Assemblies 0TYGV)
• 3MF8R N12E-GTX2 GeForce GTX580m
• 3Y6PW N12E-GTX2 GeForce GTX580m Right Kit (Video card 3MF8R + Thermal Assemblies Y3WC7)
• PR9WN N12E-GTX2 GeForce GTX580m Left Kit (Video card 3MF8R + Thermal Assemblies JW8P7)
• GDMRG GeForce SLI Cable

 

Cheers very much.

Is this a 'by Phone only' system, and do you know if its worldwide (i.e. UK aswell)? Never heard of it before.

 

Well, that did not take too long...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/660004-new-m17x-r4-m18x-r2-gpu-part-number-lists.html

 

Not sure if Dell planned this, or we had an impact...

*Scratches Head*

 

I had the information on the new GPU part numbers before you started the IdeaStorm, but could not disclose or post the information until the new hardware had been released to the public.

Look at my post on the previous page. GPU and CPU upgrades have been available from Alienware all along (subject to availability and demand), but many people have not been aware of it. Also, offering special pricing for upgrade packages to existing Alienware owners is something I think we would all appreciate. So, I think your suggestion on IdeaStorm still has merit.

 

Here's a good example of Dell/Alienware commitment to their customers...

 

I wish they were equally commmited every time their other laptops had equally bad or worse problems. It took me a moment to figure out you're actually not being sarcastic. Now we're commending them for doing their job after selling broken laptops? Wow.

 

No sarcasm here, bro. Every manufacturer sells broken laptops now and then. I've been left holding the back by HP a couple of time. Doing the right thing is commendable in my view. Especially when you consider that so many of the vendors don't do the right thing. It seems to me Dell/Alienware is interested in taking care of their customers. I can only speak from personal experience and they have always taken care of me when I had issues with one of their products that was still under warranty.

 

I have had quite the contrary experience: from faulty nVidia GPUs on XPS m1330 ($1K down the drain), discrete GPU still doesn't turn off properly on M11x-R1, to 1 freaking year to making the M17x touchpad barely usable. They did some good stuff on the other hand too, M11x-R1/R2 hinges for example and this heatsink kit is quite nice too. Maybe the problem is actually that the (proper) quality control and (proper) customer service are lacking. I'll be damned if I let my local contracted tech to attempt to install this kit.

I do agree, however, that a lot other manufacturers seems to do much crappier job in terms of warranties and replacements; HP and Lenovo come to my mind first.

Sorry for OT.

 

This is indirectly on topic, as it relates to an idea or proposal surrounding enhanced service from Dell/Alienware. And, we agree on more than we disagree, LOL. +1 rep for sharing your thoughts.

The NVIDIA GPU debacle a few years ago adversely affected a lot of us. I had an XPS M1730 with the NVIDIA defect and the NVIDIA SLI GPU modules were replaced under warranty twice, then the system replaced twice (second time with M17x R2), so I ended up being happy based on the warranty service I received from Dell. It was frustrating while it was happening. The frustration was compounded by incompetent reps from India, but all is well that ends well.

It was a different story with the NVIDIA-based HP Pavilion laptops we had. We ended up getting no help whatsoever from HP (talk to the hand treatment). We had to wait for a class action compromise which downgraded us from $900 systems with nice features to a stripped down pile of junk worth $299 that did not perform as well as a the system it replaced (which was two years older). Credit goes to HP on that shafting, as they recommended the replacement model for NVIDIA to use in the settlement. So, it was a customer abuse double-whammy from HP... refusal to stand behind the product sold--blaming NVIDIA and washing their hands--and recommending an inferior replacement from their low-end product line. I also found warranty service with HP to be a nightmare, as well as with my old Compal HEL80 (iBuyPower EL80, Sager NP2080, PowerNotebooks L 815) gaming laptop.

I think quality control has become an unfortunate sign of the times. I believe it affects all of the companies that are competing for profits and cutting corners to remain competitive on pricing. Between the economic environment and growing numbers of people that want cheap computers, it's got to be tough to maintain good quality control and not price yourself out of the market. In an ironic way, I think that accounts for some of Apple's success, in that they are not interested in selling cheap stuff and don't seem to care about that segment of the buying public. People often buy cheap and expect great things, then blame the company they bought their cheap product from for their lousy experience.

The Lenovo situation is just sad. ThinkPads used to be awesome business laptops. The new T420 I use for work is a major disappointment in comparison to what IBM used to produce. It's much better than the so-called "business class" HP/Compaq 8510p (a real dog) that it replaced, but it still does not meet my expectations. On work computers I don't deal with warranty issues (thankfully), I just get a hot-swap for another equally poor machine.

 

This is a wonderful idea and sure to inspire loyalty in current customers and entice future customers to buy. Really happy that dell is selling the cards

 

+1 from me. I agree that Dell sometimes doesn't do EVERYTHING that it should ethically do, but it certainly does more than other vendors.

In my case, my E6400 has certainly counted as a loss in Dell's records, after a returned unit, two mobo replacements and a screen replacement. While the unit and mobo replacements were covered by warranty, the screen (dead pixel) was not, and they replaced it anyway. They also never had me "talk to the hand" -- quite the contrary, they always fulfilled the next-day on-site warranty, except once where the rep apologized because it would take two business days instead of one.

Sure, the cooling system in the E6400 is complete crap and Dell should have done something to fix that. They're not Samaritan saints. But they're not so bad compared to their rivals.

And to conclude, I guess the best way I can express my opinion is: I've been looking for a gaming laptop to replace my E6400. I won't buy Alienware because they are not sold here, and I won't buy anything else because I want Dell's warranty.

 

@Mr. Fox, Just... wow with HP story! My warranty on Dell XPS with faulty nVidia expired and I didn't find the settlement useful. Anyhow, I probably should have used Better Business Bureau then.

+1 my thoughts exactly! Further, I think all Dell, HP and Lenovo complicate WAY too much with so many different models. Moreso they probably even compete with themselves! (XPS vs AW series for example) What I am worried is that this corner-cutting is taking its share into the "business class laptop" market too.

I think they are still OK. They do have some issues, but the build quality seems good relative to the typical consumer class laptop and even some premium laptops (Yes, I am thinking of you M11x-R1!!!). I find the dock station on a Thinkpad simply invaluable, since I use all ports except for the DisplayPort; VGA monitor here.

Now, going more on-topic. I am wondering (@ everyone) what are your thoughts on the Sony VAIO Z series external GPU (they called it Media Dock I believe), see e.g. here: VAIO Z Series Laptops | Sony Store USA where they put a Radeon 6550M graphics into external case that is kind of a supplement to their existing dock station. My first thought was... hey why not have a desktop GPU if you're going to do that? Yeah it would be bigger, but lets assume for a moment you don't need an optical drive and use a dock station only for extra ports, desktop GPU (or a mobile GPU with MXM 3.0 slot) + it's power supply. I am sort of thinking of something like M17x but much lighter and thinner that would have a slice-battery-sized dock station "a gaming station" if you will. That could get rid of alot of weight but would also make the 17 incher (way more) portable -- when undocked the laptop would work on integrated graphics. I mean it's not like you can game that long on any laptop on battery power anyway.

 

The XPS M1730 was the last Dell laptop to directly compete with Alienware for gaming laptop business. The current XPS lineup really is not intended to be in the same league as Alienware, especially not even remotely close to the M17 and M18 products. I think there is some degree of internal competition between the smaller Alienware systems and the heftier XPS products. The highest available specs on the best XPS laptops have entry-level gaming potential, and the build quality, although very good, is not as spectacular as Alienware. My daughter has an XPS 17 and it's a very nice machine; but, it doesn't come close to an Alienware M17. I think the XPS 15 or 17 would be a great option for business use for companies that are not willing to spend the money for the quality of a Dell Precision.

I have been using a docking station and external monitor, keyboard and mouse with all of my work laptops for years and it's a must-have feature for my home office when I am not traveling. It would be nice if Alienware laptops had integrated docking features. It would be especially killer for those using 2 or more external monitors for gaming. I agree that my T420 is built better than typical consumer laptops. ThinkPads used to be similar in quality to a Dell Precision, but not any more. ThinkPads are now about like the Dell Latitude in build quality, and they used to be slightly better. It's pathetic that Lenovo is making ThinkPads from plastic now. The 720p screen resolution on the T420 is lousy for using Outlook, Word and Excel (not enough viewing space) making it a poor solution for mobile business use. On a business class machine, I find anything under 1080p is poor as far as viewable space. I know not all people have the same preferences, but I loathe small laptops for business or pleasure. I prefer the larger size display, keyboard and the higher-powered components the increased size affords, even though I travel extensively.

Back on the topic of "GPU upgrades" the Sony Media dock is interesting. That technology caught my eye a couple of years ago, but this is the first system I have seen that was not a demo. Something like that would be good for some. The technology is very cool, but it would be cumbersome for frequent travelers having to carry more stuff. A larger laptop with everything integrated probably makes better sense for those that live on the road. But, I could see it being very useful for the thin and light fans to sacrifice less in the GPU performance arena, even though high-powered CPU options will still be lacking with thin and light systems. I wonder if Alienware will produce a laptop with this technology. I think it would have a market, even though I would not be part of it.

 

Not sure what the discussion is all about because I'm way to lazy to read at this point in time, but I agree and support the original post

 

The IdeaStorm thread received a positive comment from a Dell employee so it's been seen. If you haven't done already, why not to submit your vote? Can't hurt. Thanks.

 

Great topic, I've just gone there and voted.

There are very few votes for something that I'm sure a lot of people want... I think people didn't realize that they can vote in the IdeaStorm system to promote more the idea.

DarkSkies edit the first topic and to put a request in it for people to go there and vote in the idea (= to click in the "Promote" button on the left), preferably make it bolded and red.