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

Well i remember when i sent my m17xr2 to the depot i had it back in my hands in about 3days loool... so im sure urs shouldnt take that long.. they will probably just gut the system and replace all the components inside it.

 

Wow with all the complains going on. I guess I am lucky I got my money back before the 21 days pass.

Even then it was such a hassle trying to get a refund. I would get the run around. Some rep would say they don't do refunds and the depertment in charge of that is off or they just keep transfering me.

In the end I got just exploded on one rep and straight up told her if Dell does apply the refund I will file a charge back with my CC company. That scare her and I got transfer to a supervisor who issue authorize the refund.

I don't think I will ever deal with Dell/Alienware again. I am looking for a new laptop and the price and specs from Dell looks great but just thinking about their customer services is enough for me to not buy from them.

 

Spongemike, fella most companies cs is not that great. The one exception to this rule is logitech. I cannot fault them.

I wouldn't let peoples stories on the web put you off what is a great machine. You have to put it into context, imagine the amount of kit dell shift. With Internet forums you have to remember a lot of people only run to the forums to complain; it's a fact of life.

I certainly won't be put off, ok I'm without my "toy" for now but I will deffo buy another alienware in the future.

 

Its nice...


But TBH I'd tell them Give u the 27 instead of 26.

You paid extra for the 720 so y get base CPU?

 

well im not complaining about the 2630 since the m17xr2 they are replacing was a replacement for my m17x r1 loolXD and i can always upgrade the cpu later..

 

Replacement has arrived in perfect condition. New system has a completely different feel than the last. Whole thing is solid compared to other system. Any idea where to send the broken system? I never received any shipping information or anything.

 

glad to hear your system was good right out of the box! its a shame not all their systems could be like that loool!

 

Call your rep and they will email you a return slip or they will send one in the mail.

 

LOL

What problem did you have with your M17x r2 BTW that they replaced with m18?

ATM A Tech is comming to my house to replace my graphics card's HS and the HS on my CPU??!

Anyways... Other then these issues have had ZERO problems.

I am hoping they WONT give me the M18x simply because the Screen is inferior

 

Basically after replacing my vid cards and mobo a few times, they asked me to send it into the depot.. i did so it came back with the exact same problem and scratches all over the cover and screen of my laptop.. I called them and spoke to them about that since i took pics of my system before i sent it into the depot.. i emailed the pics to rep/tech and he was like wow... " ok ill send out a replacement screen and also replace your mobo just incase." i was like uh sure they did that then the tech that replaced all the parts goes to turn on the system it doesnt boot after a few mins of testing and all leading to the same result of my system not posting. the onsite tech calls alienware and was like ya system is gone... they then spoke to me about replacing it with an r3 and without my knowledge they placed an order for an r3 with a gtx 460m and the 120hz screen.. i called back the moment i saw that on my account another rep canceled that order for me and reordered an m18x with 6990's since i had 5870's... Either way they gave me a pretty decent upgrade on my previous system.. thou i really wish the screen could have been the same as my m17xr2... =/

 

Dell basically replaced my entire system. I had 4870 in crossfire they replaced them with 5870 in crossfire so yea. But I had the rgb screen and the new part is 0DHMC "ASSY.LCD.17WXGA.SMGR2.M17X10". It still has a resolution of 1900 over 1200 but I have heard this is a inferior screen to my old one. How much worse is it . So do you think the trade off of better cards vs a worse screen was a good trade off.

 

the screen i guess is a downgrade... but im sure ull get used to it... u can always hook it up to an external monitor if u really dont like the new screen..

 

had my lcd, mother board and video cards replaced on my system. It seems to be working fine but I now get 2 error messages. one invertor cable not connected and 2 disk media not detected
dell said as long as the system is working not to worry .Is this true

 

PMSL!!!

Did they really say that?

Erm no, you want those issues resolved. Especially the invertor as thats part of the display subsystem.

 

Lolwut! I'll trade you an RGBLED R2 for your M18x!

 

My 4870s crapped out today, unfortunately for me It seem Dell still carries the crossfire 4870 cards so no free upgrade to the 5870*s.

*update*

I just got the cards today and according to the invoice Dell sent me 5870s and not 4870s.

 

thats awsome lol! good old dell mistakes.

 

Got my M17x R2 back today, so far all working well, not a mark on it.

Have had it apart they have replaced both GPU's and the systemboard.

Have re-fitted my personal upgrades as per my sig and all working sweet

 

Wanted some advice...

I had an over heating problem with my laptop.

They said my CPU and GPU need to be replaced.

So the Tech came.

Changed some parts. Other parts were not sent? Huh?

Still not working.

They sending Motherboard now along with complete new parts again.

SHould come on Monday...

I am not really happy with this whole ordeal.

If the Mother board does not fix it, or something else happens afterwards can I ask for a new computer?

I have the complete accidental warranty.

I feel like I with all the troubles I have been having lately they should replace it, however they HAVE been great in trying to get it fixed.

Dont really know how to ask them for a new computer without sounding like an entitled kid!

Any help lol?

 

Simply and nicely ask for a replacement, explain you only want what is right and fair. A working system. If the service rep says can't do that say you will email escalations at dell address it to the CEO we know his name right. And explain your problem. Put you phone number in the email and they will call you with in 24 hours. They will take care of youn if the service rep will not. Let me know how all go's. And yes get right on it. Good luck.

 

Well, I thought Dell would replace my system this time around after:

1. Video cards overheating and power connector not recognized...
replaced mobo/video cards

2. replacement video card defective...
replaced video cards

3. new motherboard has a ghost usb device it keeps detecting...
replaced motherboard

And now I'm back to square 1, the power adapter is randomly showing it's unplugged. Now they want to replace the power adapter and the motherboard, even though Ive tested with another power adapter and it does the same thing. Do these people EVER replace computers? I'd just like to have something that works for more than a few weeks at a time.

 

+1...

I have even sent an email to michael @ dell or w.e....

First time my GPU over heating... They replace some fans...

Still OH... Replaced mother board.

STILL over heating... They tell me that the temps are normal now?!? My Primary car hits 100 and my secondary at 45?!? THATS NOT NORMAL?

They say ok send it into depot, will take 2 weeks... I have not had a laptop for 2 weeks, now I will loose another 2 weeks...

 

That sucks man, they should make that right, and I hope that they do.

The technician came out and tested my motherboard and found it passed all the diagnostics, so he only replaced my AD adapter. Of course, the issue is still occurring. I just send my alienware technician a very concise letter stating that I've had 4 visits and 3 motherboards, I think I've done my part and I'm requesting a replacement. We'll see where this goes, wish me luck.

 

I have a question...

How do they handle upgrades when replacing? I've upgraded this system to a solid state hard drive and 8GB of ram, do I need to return it with these parts in place or can I take them out and keep them? And if I do return it with the upgrades, am I just out a solid state and some ram? I don't want to return the computer without a drive or memory, i'm just confused on how this works. Anyone got any experience on the subject?

 

I would put the old drive and ram back in, you do not need an OS on it. I would not send it in with the upgrades in place as you may not get them back. That is why most people keep the old parts for warranty. You can't send it in with out the drive and ram or they will charge you for new since they are missing. Hope that helps.

 

Haha, Good Luck on getting a replacement!

TBH I don't want a replacement as much as I wanted a working computer lol...

I told the Alienware tech support from the start to just send me a new GPU. When the Tech came first time he even told them to send a new GPU...

NOW I convinced them to send a new GPU instead of sending it to the depot. If I get an issue after this I will tell them to give me a replacement instead of sending me a tech...

 

Interesting, my AC adapter shows randomly plugged in and unplugged. But if I am running a game or anything, it does not show, nor does it affect performance. It also does not occur if I am watching a movie, only when the laptop is idling at desktop. Wonder if it's a software issue with OSD and not hardware.

I never looked in to really, lappy runs great, besides the randomly ac/unplugged batt event that happens as idle.

 

That sounds similar, but maybe a software issue since the behavior is a bit different.

Mine will disable the second graphics card and my fps goes plunging, if the game stays running at all. And It won't show the AC adapter is plugged in again until I unplug it and plug it back in. Each time this happens I check to see if it can be inserted any farther and each time it's all the way in.

 

Hello there!

I was a happy owner of an M15x up until the point it started acting up. Long story short, after 6 visits by friendly Dell technicians and 10+ part replacements, I was offered a full system replacement. ( Read the full story here)

The problem is they are replacing my mid-high spec M15x with the lowest M14x and won't listen to reason. This includes the Unresolved Issues team with whom I just had a chat.

Should I harbor any hope of getting a reasonable equivalent replacement/upgrade? Can they refuse to repair my current system by closing the case, if I don't take up the offer?

 

You did not post the spec's of the m15x to the spec's of the m14x. It is true the screen size is smaller but the CPU is an upgrade. With out knowing the GPU you have I can only say the GT 555m is pretty good and scored a 6.9 on the windows rating. Seems you have two choices. One take the trade its not an end of the world trade, or have tech come out until you know what freezes over and they will wish they had made an over for you to go away. On your warranty next time you see it on your account print it out I do. That way you got written prove it was there. Anyway post your spec's so someone can better compair.

 

I could run the 3DMark benchmark for a fair comparison. Since when did Windows Experience Index become the benchmark for gaming performance?

Current M15x Specifications:

Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz 2 x 2048MB
15.6-inch Wide FHD 1920x1080 (1080p) WLED
1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
500GB SATAII 7,200RPM
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
5.1 Channel Audio
Dell Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini Card
Primary - 9-cell (85Watt) Lithium-Ion Battery
Internal Bluetooth 2.1 Mini-Card - 2.1 Enhanced Data Rate

All-inclusive price: $2,128.51

Replacement M14x Specifications:

Intel® Core i7-2630QM processor 2.00 GHz
14" (35.6cm) WLED HD+ (900p) display (1600X900)
1.5GB DDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Performance Audio with WavesMAXX Audio
2.0 Megapixel HD Video and Picture Camera with dual digital microphones
Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet NIC
2.1 Speaker configuration with Subwoofer Powered by Klipsch
4GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2 x 2GB)
500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability
8-cell Primary Battery
Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 6205 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO Technology
Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Internal mini-card
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit

All-inclusive price: $1,640.15 (INR 75,691.38)

 

Well you can not go buy cost as a factor of if the replacement is fair. As the cost of Tech keeps going down. Except for the screen size, I believe the cpu Sandy Bridge is an upgrade. The spec's in general really do not seem to far out of line. But I would like to see what others think.

 

It's an upgrade... but as to if its a FAIR upgrade I'd say na.

You should get atleast a 720, no 630.

As for the GPU... I'd try and grab the 3gb.

Any1 else got any input?

 

Did not mean the window score was a benchmark just threw it out there. As I had no idea what gpu you had. I agree ask for the 3gig gpu but in real world it will not make much difference over the 1.5. Everything I have read states the cpu up grades are not worth the price difference.

 

The GPU they are offering (GT 555M) runs on a slower clock (both processor & memory) and has half the memory bandwidth & texture fill rate. For reference: GT 555M GTX 260M Having DX11 support & 1.5/3GB memory sounds nice, but doesn't translate into superior gaming performance. Would love to get more thoughts on that.

 

My replacement was approved yesterday, they're calling today to tell me what I'm going to get. What do you think my chances are of an m18x over another R2?

 

Chances are high. Keep on updating.

 

I've decided to go another round with Dell this time over the poor SSD performance. I have waited 6 months for a fix and it's ridiculous the only way I can get full performance is by applying a tweak that disables my Turbo Boost. After being told the R2 wasn't designed to work with SSD, I spoke with a supervisor who asked for links to the documentation I found on this site as well as screenshot of my benchmarks. I am told they are going to follow up with engineering to verify my issue and I should hear back Thursday.

I'll keep you all updated.

 

Blown off again today, because they didn't have the tools to chat to see what my replacement options would be :/ I'm so over this crap.

 

My advisor chatted the people that set up the replacements just now. Apparently they are out of stock of my existing one, so he said that they would build me another M17x R2 to my exact specifications, or perhaps an upgrade, but I won't know until I receive the machine in 2 weeks. He did say that he was certain that I wouldn't get an R3, but he didn't say if that's because they won't give me anything other than an R2 or if it's because life-for-like would mean an M18x. So basically I know the same as before, that I'm getting some replacement, but no clue what it'll be. I'll update when it gets here.

 

I do not see it being a m17x R2 as they no longer build new ones. I would think it should be a m18 if your spec's on the old m17 were high enough. If not then a higher end m17x R3 would be in order. Either way I don't believe it can be a R2..best of luck and keep an eye on your account page in the support page as it will be posted there when they start to build it. There will be an exchange order with spec's, trust me it will show up there.

 

^^ 100% agreed. If you got a SLI or Crossfire in your current rig, then definitely M18X.

 

No update on my issue from Dell, I hate when they "promise" to get back to you within 24-48 hours and then... nothing.

 

Update: my R2 with 5870m crossfire replacement was shipped today. They wouldn't tell me what the specs were until it had shipped, how convenient.

R2
720qm
500gb
2x 5870m

r3
2820qm
750gb
6990m
I requested an m18x for obvious reasons, I don't plan on keeping this m17x at all.

 

Shame thats a pretty maxed out R3..was your R2 a new build or a refurb?

 

You think? I'm more of feeling them out on the m18x. I'm suuuper bummed about losing the rgb led and a sturdy case, but i'm really not looking forward to any hassle. My R2 was brand new, it was about $3550

 

I hear you and its a tuff call. The screen is not as bad as you would think. I have a m17x R2 and this screen on my m17x R3 is pretty darn close to it after I dialed it in. I have no problem using it instead. Also the 6990m I believe will beat the 5870's in cross fire its a pretty fast GPU from what everyone here says. The call will be yours but dollar for dollar its pretty even and that is a maxed system. What ever you decide hope it works out.

 

Well, you can force them to issue a M18X if you really want 2 gpu for 2 gpu.

 

I have a concern/question about AW replacements. I have/had a m17x r1 refurb (replaced a XPS that had a reoccuring graphics card issue). I have complete care, and I tripped over the damn cord (why don't they use magnetic ones like apple ugh!). Well, basement floor + laptop = a whole mess of damage and a replacement.

My m17x r1 came to me with a single graphics card and a single hard drive. I upgraded it to 2 cards, but removed the 2nd card, as I paid for the upgrade via eBay. I also purchased a 2nd hard drive and carriage, which I forgot to remove.

Will Alienware send me back my old drive?

My other concern is, from what I am reading, most replacements these days are r3's. That's fine I guess, but does this mean the hard drive I purchased will now be useless even if I do get it back?

I figure no matter what the graphics card I have isn't gonna end up being any good, as my chances of getting another r1 are like zero.

What's my plan of action when I am offered a replacement?

 

Its doubtful you would get your old drive back but calling might help them retrieve it for you and it certainly wont hurt to try.

If you did get the drive back it will work just fine in the R3 etc. There are 2 Harddrive bays in the R3 like the R1,R2.

The video card would be useless for the R3 as what ever it will come with will be better then what ever card you have currently, so just sell if off on Ebay or here etc.