*Dell-Alienware & AW Legacy Replacement Systems-Warranty Repair Issues*

In my case I had some pretty bad experiences with a couple of techs. Maybe I was paranoid maybe not but I actually went in and wrote down the serial numbers off the parts that I knew were probelematic: motherboard, gpus, case #, etc. Then I went in with a silver sharipie, for lack of UV marker and put a small mark on each to make certain they weren't the same ones coming back to me.
When I got my critical issues rep a month later I told him that I'd done that and he laughed. but considering what I had been told and what had been done in the past, he said that I had done a wise thing. So, it's not insulting for everyone to hear. (if you decide to say something)

 

I received replacement number 3 today. It is brand new but still an r1. The first thing I noticed is they sent it with a downgraded junk 1440X900 screen. I already fired off an email about that BS. Totally unacceptable.

My question is what tests/benchmarks are yall recommending to test the stability/stutter of these things now?

 

Received a call from corporate today saying they will replace my R1 for an R2. Is Dell known for going back on their word and resending R1's?

 

Well I ran 3DMark06 and it actually passed the test without crashing. Something the previous 2 computer's could not do. The score was disappointing though: -10,680 - All of the graphics tests were pretty choppy, except for test 3. The CPU tests were funny as they ran at 0 fps...

 

And just when I thought it was quiet in this thread and smiled.
@dissident - I would not accept the inferior screen either. As far as benchmarking goes. Every time we discuss this we get in trouble. Check out the wiki that Joker has put together it's really good and has links to most everything you'll need.
Alienware M17x Wiki Also you can check out the benchmarking thread but the wiki has links to that as well. Unless you are overclocking you really need to find some stock scores from those users with similar cpu and gpu configs as your own. No easy task.
Here goes... Prime 95 good test for cpu, 3DMark06 is good for gpu DX9 test. Uningine another good one with DX9,10, &11 tests (seperate tests and for free). Furmark is good for benchmark and stability test not the torture test. For goodness sake make sure you have some kind of reliable hardware monitor running at the same time, Furmark is a tough test on the gpu/gpus depending on whether you have multiple gpus and if so download the test that runs multiple gpus.
The 3DMark06 CPU test does that to my new M17X R2, brings it to it's knees.
@od37 - I believe someone was just talking about having that happen to them. Promised an R2 as a replacement and getting an R1. I would have to look.
Just keep at them about the specs that are going to be sent to you. If I am not mistaken the replacements are not the same as the original and it can literally be shipped while you are still wondering what you are getting due to no website update.
Here's hoping this post will mostly go unnoticed.

 

It won't.......and I never knew about the Wiki page. Is there one specifically for R1s? Would be nice!

 

Yeah I know... As far as the wiki goes it is for all the M17X's as far as I can tell.
In the benchmarking thread part 3 there is a short list for the winners in the M17X R1 category and you can search through the first two parts of the thread which are linked at the top.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/455435-official-m17x-benchmark-thread-part-3-a.html
What I have always wished for is for people to include stock scores first, out of the box no Overclocking scores. Then post their best scores along side. I simply search through the threads to find the stock scores, if there are any, and it takes a long time. A couple of people did post their stock scores in this thread :
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/507687-3dmark06-normal-my-m17x.html
Just remember though it is only a benchmark and not a real test of performance. Try out your games and use a tool to keep an eye on fps to see how it performs. If you notice problems then use CPU - Z to keep an eye on the processor. HWMonitor to keep an eye on gpu temps & cpu temps. Etc.
Finally I can't remember who asked about stutter in the R1 but here's the old thread I mentioned:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/410440-m17x-stutter.html

 

What would you guys rather have? LED RGB screen with 4870 XF, or 1440x900 screen with single 5870?

 

Simple...RGB every time.

 

Agreed... go with the LED RGB

 

RGB LED

 

I was soo hoping I didn't have to post this again, but Ive got another exchange coming. After system number 3 was sent with the wrong cards they later shipped 5870 cf out and the system wouldnt boot after 11 parts exchanges, they decided to send an exchange. (i can make it post with a02 but no VM) That was 7-31, and now im still waiting on specs. I called 2 days ago and he said, you may never see the specs, the system may just show up. I said BS! I will approve a system before it is shipped! I hate this game with them... How long before I get specs this time? its been 12 days.

 

Im feeling your pain.....why do they make things so awkward....have they never heard of CUSTOMER SERVICE!

 

I did ask for a mouse this time and got an "Uhm, no.". Granted I asked for a tactx mouse for my headaches and 3 replacements...

 

I personally dont think thhat is a huge request for all your troubles.....after all, its a mouse, not like you were asking for a 920xm cpu

 

Personally I don't think it is either but who knows. I have seen a post where someone was sent the Orion backpack as consolation. It is very possible they are given certain leeway with what they can offer. Like in sales they can offer only certain upgrades at certain times.
Keep calling though, as much as you may hate it. Others have been given their specs before the laptop was sent. Or at least they were given approximations of what would be sent.

 

There is no reason why the build team would not send your Rep the spec's once they are approved. I personally do not know if I could put up with 3 replacements. Of course I dont know all the details leading up to this. But I would definitely call every day asking are the spec's in. Also keep checking your account page mine showed up there befor my Rep emailed them. Good luck

 

Hi,
Here is my story - I just tried to replace Ati4870 from my M17X-R2 (BIOS A06) with CF5870:

1st week - pricing, order
2nd week - engineer trying to swap the new cards - second fan is missing, visit re-scheduled
2nd week - new fan arrived trying to put new cards in - now luck - system is not with 2 cards, 1 cars is working fine.
3rd week - 2 new CF5870 cards arrived to make sure there is no problem with one of the used before - no luck - exactly the same problem
2 weeks later - I was waiting for new CF5870 cards and the motherboard - they were out of stock
6th week - the motherboard was replaced - dead - completely not working - visit rescheduled again
7th week -problem escalated - asking to get the whole laptop swapped to save my time - I very patient in my opinion
7th week - Alienware supervisor agreed to swap whole PC with CF5870 and latest BIOS supporting virtualization, waiting to get the new order no. for that
after 1 week - getting email that Alienware's supervisor decided to change the previous decision (he've got and info from Alienware department that CF5870 is not supported in M17X-R2). I was talk about that HERE and HERE.
8th week - problem escalated again - this is some kind of mistake etc. right??? asking Alienware/Dell how I can buy on every Dell/Alienware website CF5870, how I can get pricing, How I can put an order for NOT supported cards? Am I stupid or what?
2 days ago - 9th week started - system will be swapped an repaired to my old card 4870 - I will get refund for CF5870 - I have enough fight, have no idea where else I can escalate this problem - I will newer ever again buy any Alienware/Dell PC/laptops and I will share my opinion where I can. This is Dell/Alienware support no the company from garage.

PS.
during few technician visits my laptop lost:
strip connecting motherboard to the cover with alien head and power button,
probably the laptop was opened to many times, cover (top of the keyboard) with alien head - the connector where the strip from motherboard should be connected was broken by an engineer by accident I can always use super-glue!
The fan for right card needs also be replaced after he put the screw into power cable going from the fan.

that's my 'funny' story
cheers,
Maciejka

 

Sorry to hear about the end result mate. Thats really shocking. Hope you get your original system back all in one working piece.

On a side note I just wanted to ask how much it cost originally for the CFX DUAL 5870 card upgrade from Dell? Cheers.

 

@Maciejka - Do not give up. First of all you need a new laptop and they have an order in for your same laptop with the 4870 crossfire instead of the 5870? You need to keep at them and I will send you a PM for something we can't post here any longer. You need your case escalated further since you paid for the 5870CF cards but the tech was not able to upgrade your old cards and basically made a mess of the laptop.
You have rights and you don't have to accept less than you paid for be it after your original purchase or not. Please don't give up just yet. It is no easy road you are travelling on, but it does come to a satisfying if not happy end.

 

Is there a post somewhere that show all th R2 owners with 5870cf setup? Are they not on A05 or higher Bios??

 

yeh their on A07 bios revision now.

 

Who? is my question. Can we get a list of who has 5870 cf and A05 or higher bios?
Since AW/DELL is saying that config doesnt work.

 

Well I have Bios A06 and CrossfireX 5870's....they work but the current Dell driver support leaves alot to be desired at the moment.

Havent tried A07 just yet, maybe someone who has can elaborate but i thought it provided support for K series cpu's?

 

My specs are in my sig below. When my laptop shipped it worked just fine with stock drivers. I had an issue with some marching lines going up the screen. (like filming a TV screen with a video cam)
I had the A06 BIOS and stock Dell drivers for the 5870 crossfire gpus. The games ran really well with great fps. I just had the annoying lines.
It is a working configuration without any battery issues, no sleep or hibernate issues like those showing up with the Beta Dell drivers for 5870 Xfire - 8.761
I don't know WHO is saying this is not a working configuration but they are wrong. Stock drivers work well for now and there will be a working driver fix in the future.
*EDIT* I didn't update to A07 since I believe the only real fix is for the processors.

 

I can agree with Infernia, the system itelf works great...its just the video drivers that are stopping this thing from being unbelievably good.
Dell/Alienware are working on the driver issue so I feel in safe hands atm....Brian is doing his very best to get some new and better drivers pushed out asap....for now, the best drivers are the non beta's fwiw - so i have heard as i havent changed anything from stock.
My only issue is the somewhat distracting "wavy line" issue, but the beta drivers do correct this but have some sleep problems than they need to iron out

 

Thanks Stevie and Infernia, thats what I and Macie needed to see, proof that 5870 cf is possible in these systems. I have a replacement order pending/ delayed and Macie's was cancelled because they said 5870 cf wasnt an option. I think its just a bad few reps looking at R1 specs when our systems are R2.
Macie I would question that if I were you.

 

Pretty sure that you wont get 5870's in an R1 due to motherboard etc but they are def. an option for the R2....all you gotta do is go to any Dell/AW site...configure a system and they are right in front of you.....you can shoose single 5870, dual 5870's or dual 4870's......on the UK site anyhow.

 

Oh, just a quick update for you on my own story....

I now have three (yes, THREE) M17x R2's in my ownership!!!

My original, their incorrectly spec'd replacement and finally arrived today, the correct spec'd replacement....all in all, i'd reckon on close to £10,000gbp worth or $16,000usd......

Question is, do i now sell 'em all and become a recluse?? LOLOL:laugh:

 

After receiving the call approving a replacement m17x what happens now? Will they call again with the specs than ship? What time frame can you expect?

 

It varies OD37. Ive always had to keep calling to get specs and possible ship dates. The specs are supposed to take about a week to get, however I have been waiting on specs since 7-31.
My last replacement was fairly swift 2 weeks from approval to receipt. My coworkers was astoundingly fast at 7 days from approval to delivery, same specs as mine. They do tell you 3 weeks so I guess I shouldn't get upset until then.

 

I DON"T have an R2, but why in the world would Alienware offer them with CF 5870s if it wasn't compatible? Crazy!!!!!!!

 

Let me put in a disclaimer: I am not flaming Dell or Dell Tech Support.
With that out of the way... Sometimes you can get a really bad tech supp. agent. I have had more than one that was really bad. I have had more than one that was really really good. When I say bad I mean: a - don't have a clue what you are talking about when you start getting technical, ex. I was told all 512MB video cards are exactly the same because they all have 512MB. I was told that all Thermal paste is the same and that it's okay to have huge gaps in coverage. (On a heatsink i needed to attach to a gpu that they shipped separately) I wasn't sent any screws to attach said heatsink and when they finally did they were huge and would not even begin to fit the hole much less have the same threads.
b - some can be out right rude and completely unsympathetic and mean. Ex. Ma'am you don't have a service tag so you have no recourse for your computer... click... dialtone. It got even worse. I was lied to, hung up on, and passed from one tech to another for two days straight all telling me I couldn't extend my warranty because they weren't able to process my request (1month before it ran out)
Those are the bad stories. I have a few really good ones. Once a rep sent me a part for free by entering an employee code. She told me everything I needed to do to keep my data integrity and stayed on the phone for 2 hours until the computer was tested deemed totally dead and then ready to ship. Great woman.
Sooooo the moral of this incredibly long story is that you can get a person on a bad day, or just a bad person. Politely hang up and try again. Ask if there is anyone with expertise in that particular area that they can transfer you to. Get creative in ways to engage the person in a real conversation that they can empathize with because they do hold the power.
This issue with the CF 5870 being incompatible with the R2 is ridiculous and most probably the case of someone without knowledge or someone having a really bad day and not wanting to deal with the situation. Time to call a different rep. Start over and stay as courteous as possible.

 

So let me get this straight-you are a FEMALE??????

 

+1 Infernia for the very SOLID advice.

and Yes, Infernia is a female.

pmassey, Don't sound so surprised, chicks rule!

 

What is wrong with being a female? Or are you just surprised about Infernia's gender?

 

The gig's up. I've been found out!
Yeah, I'm a chick, girl, female. Always been a bit of a tomboy. And always been into computers and what makes them tick. You have no idea how tough it can be on tech support calls, sometimes they treat me like auto mechanics do. Which I also work on my own car when I get time. So, in my experience with repairs on the AW I ran into some rude guys that thought I knew nothing. Advice to women that may encounter problems with repairs... educate yourself on your problem if you aren't already, let the men say what they have to say, then pose some really technical questions to shut them up. While remaining courteous and polite. Their ego is still nicely intact and they respect you.

 

Nah, Crush the ego. Leave them speechless, and walk through the wreckage.

I do believe that you gender does give you certain advantages, especially when it comes to communication.

Guys, tend to be direct. Women, are like cats playing with prey. If they sense weakness, game over.

Back on topic.

I do agree in trying a different agent, if you are not making headway in the conversation with your current tech.

 

Well I respect your choice in spec's your sig say's it all. You know your stuff, no uninformed person male or female would pick those out of their hat..

 

OK, I'm about to FLAME. Im sick of tech support not knowing whats going on. half the techs dont update notes and when you finally get a tech that cares, their manager wont let them help!!!
My replacement just showed up, without the specs ever being relayed to me. And of course they are wrong wrong wrong!BS im sick of it. They sent 4870 cf instead of 5870 cf and i7 620 instead of 820. I called to get it straightened out and was on the phone for 3 hours. The tech was helpful but the manager couldnt get it through their thick heads I wasnt asking for an upgrade but the same parts I already have, but working!!! So we finally came to and agreement that I would keep the new system sent to me and they would send a tech out that would swap my processor and memory from the old one and I would keep the 4870 cf with a tactx headset to balance the difference. I was cool with that, until I opened the box to see a GD refurb sent to me. The whole agreement was based on a new system. Im soo tired of this crappy customer service!!!!

 

GetFound,

I can appreciate your frustration.

It's time to voice your concerns to the people upstairs.

If you were to send an email mail to their CEO, you would then be dealing with people from the corporate office. His email address can easily be found on Google.

These people have the power to cut through the red tape and get things done.

I had great luck when I went that route, as well as a few others. I received a brand new system in two weeks, after multiple tech visits and errors.

 

I dont know if you have already been in touch with corporateabout your issues.....alot of us have fired off emails to them and seem to get better resolutions as you have a dedicated rep to handle your case ... in my case, i was dealing with their "executive customer support team" but it may be titled different depending on where you are..

As we arent allowed to post email addresses on NBR , i will PM you with the email address i was given to esculate my own horror story.....you may have tried it but if you havent, i would strongly suggest writing a concise and to the point email to them FULLY explaining whats happened and what you expect tem to do about it.

Hope it helps out....keep us informed....good luck!

 

It seems like a nightmare that you can't wake up from but you will. I agree with everyone else. Go the corporate route. Even if you already have, it's time to write again. I had to go corporate twice. First time to get anything done after months of getting the run around and the second time because I had 3 days left to return the system and it was still overheating and I got no response from my corporate rep.
As was already said by others. Fireoff the email and make it a book, document absolutely everything, names if you got them. If you have done this before, do it a second time and include your first email as reference in case a different person is reading it this time. Either way you have to keep at them and don't give in. *insert battle cry*
I really wonder if they aren't trained to stall, sounds terrible but it really seems as though until you get a corporate rep that you get the stall tactics & bandaid fixes everytime.
Darned I really can't be direct and to the point no matter how I try. And thx everybody for your kind words. It's a compliment that you didn't know I was a chick

 

Forgot to post up for you guys what I ended up with after all my dealings with Alienware/Dell corporate for my somewhat faulty system.

Basically, same as my signature which i have changed to the new specs....the old system was exactly the same but i have had the following upgrades in addition:

I7 720qm to I7 820qm
4gb 1333 to 6gb 1333
standard 1 yr warranty increased to 2 years

I am quite (very) satisfied with the overall outcome. I know its all about working systems (and i am hoping this one will not have ANY issues as it took 6-8 weeks to sort it all out and lots of patience) but from my view point, it does work out at around £1000 worth of additional upgrades in comparison to the original.

The original system cost me £2217 and the "Dell" price for my replacement spec brand new system is £3275.

All in all, very happy. Here's hoping you guys still having problems get treated in the same or better fashion.

 

Nice setup stevie. Congrats. Everyone else with troubles just remember do not to give up.

 

Well this will hopefully be my last update. The 3rd computer had major video issues. They were trying to isolate whether or not it was the MOBO or the Video cards, but I was over it.

After a very long conversation with a supervisor in the corporate office, he decided to build a brand new R2 for me while I was on the phone..

This is what I ended up with:

PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ i7 720QM

OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit

VIDEO CARD: CrossfireX™ 1GB GDDR3 ATI Radeon™ Mobility HD 4870

LCD PANEL: 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 RGB LED (1200p)

MEMORY: 8GB Dual Channel Memory (2x 4GB DDR3)

HARD DRIVE: 640GB 7,200RPM SATA-II HDD

SYSTEM COLOR: Nebula Red - Special Edition - Anodized Aluminum

BLUETOOTH: Internal Wireless Bluetooth® 2.1 with EDR

WIRELESS CARD: Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6300 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO

Needless to say I think I am finally going to be a happy camper, and after all of the frustration I have been through, it appears that Dell has finally made me whole again!

 

Nice specs dissident. Glad to see you got through all those replacements and finally have something coming that will make you smile. The red is sexy. I got the black simply because they charge extra for red. Let us know when it lands.

 

nice to see you get away from the R1. When you get the new R2 enjoy it and stress it out a little. Run it out of the box before you do anything to it. Enjoy!

 

Thanks guys. Yea, when we were going through the specs, he said "what color would you like?" So of course I jumped at the $99 red option. Something different that I would have never paid for, but love the look. Overall a huge upgrade over my R1.

 

Arrrrrgghhhhhh......

Okay, I envy you all. My e-mails to Corp got me referred back to the tech who originally dealt with/approved with my replacement of my 280's to 4870's back when the stuttering issue was just manifesting, but who then went quiet on me and didn't reply for 3 months when everything else came up. So two e-mails to Corp later, she's who I get to talk to...and guess what? Haven't heard from her in a week, was supposed to try calling, didn't, sent her an e-mail asking her to please update me on the case via e-mail since I wasn't sitting around waiting for the phone to ring for 3 hours on my vacation, and instead got *TWO* brief emails stating 'I think I'm having problems dialing the number' but nothing else. So here I am, still have NO IDEA what is going on, and am really wondering now if anything is every going to happen.... and if I should start considering a third email to Mr. Dell even though technically I'm currently being 'taken care of'

*sigh*

Allright, just needed to vent. Back to the waiting game....