General Reliability Of Alienware

"I just want to admit,im kinda scared of breaking computers and stuff'

I really want to get an m15x for playing all those amazing mmo's coming out in the next few years, but some friends have had quite a few problems.

With my friends new m11x it crashed right in front of us using the internet, had to wipe hard drive and practically reinstall everything. Then another friend's desktop alienware Area-51 ALX which i thought was meant to be the best of the best has crashed on a few occasions. And then you see so many stories and stuff on this website about problems here and there, strange problems as well.

And i am not the person who likes to have to fiddle around in the bios, settings or even in the actual hardware to get solutions, and i really hate sending stuff back. So I'm just wondering, can i just trust and use my m15x out of the box, and what are the chances of it overheating, dying , crashing, etc.?


thanks so much...

 

Computer do break but I don't think AW brake more often then other brands. On top of that with the help of Dell, AW currently has the best gaming laptop warranty of any computer brand and you can even extend it to 4 years with complete care which means if you spill liquid on your PC, you drop your PC, etc... They replace it with an equal value PC.

 

john,

Of course you are going to receive responses of people having issues with their systems. This type of post/response probably accounts for 85%+ of the traffic on NBR - and not just AW, across the board. The forums are a resource for people having issues. 'Issues' can be anything from a bad install, user error/lack of understanding and of course the occasional bug.

In terms of Alienware/Dell, I direct you to their warranty and repair program. If something goes wrong with the system, you call them up and a tech is dispatched to handle the issue if the phone support staff is unable to resolve. Pretty decent service IMO.

In any event, I am satisfied with purchases I have made with Dell and now AW. I certainly will continue going to them for my system needs.

If you are not a 'tinkerer' then perhaps one of the Dell entry systems. In today's world, you have to be able to 'fiddle' with settings. Especially with a gaming/enthusiast system. IMO of course

Hope this helps.

 

I picked up my M15x last Oct/Nov when they first came out. I have had zero issues with since I bought it, playing Dragon's Age, COD:Modern Warfare II, and my standby, WoW, which doesn't really stress any computer...athough I play at highest resolution without any issues.

ANY computer can have the problems you've described. Best thing you can do is run your utilities weekly (registry cleaner, defrag (unless SSD), virus checker/cleaner, etc.). If you do that, and avoid sites that are KNOWN to infect with malware, you shouldn't have any issues. Of course there is the possibility of faulty hardware, but reading these boards, seems Dell is pretty good about replacing hardware as necessary - even when it appears the user is the one who caused the bricking.

I don't regret my purchase one bit....bill

 

I am new too alienware too. The build quality is amazing and tech support is fairly helpful. Crashing though is just a part of using computers. All computers crash at some point, whether it is a minor crash or a major crash. And many crashes are user caused. Since I got my alienware 3 weeks ago I haven't had any crashes and only one problem. My GPU fan was making an odd noise.

The M15x is a great laptop and you shouldn't have any problems with overheating. I heard they have a cooling system almost as good as the M17x and the M17x's cooling system is unbelievably good.

 

thanks a lot. if the made a good dell xps for example but their current model has some kind of excuse for a graphics card that's hard to accept. and aw has an awesome design....

 

Ive had two alienware laptops, with my third on its way. I only had a problem once and that was my own fault (we dont like to talk about it ). The first one a got when I was younger, about 12 years old (Im 20 now). I knew nothing about computers so I just got the stock model. From my experience, you have to know what the components in your computer are doing and what they are capable of. If your getting an alienware, and expecting to treat it like an xbox (by that I mean, just buying games and expecting them to run fine) you might want to stick with an xbox. I learned from experience what these machines are capable of....or not capable of. My second computer, which is about 3 years old now, has had zero problems. I credit that to my understanding of the machine and the frequent maintenance to the system. I dont download anything from unknown sources in fear of viruses (THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!). I dont perform demanding tasks for extended periods of time, and I frequently scan the computer, just in case. On top of that, I back up files on an external drive and then dump whatever I dont need. This type of care is essential for any computer though. Not just an alienware. if you want the best out of your machine, you will have to take care of it.
As far as the forum goes. BatBoy is right. This is a source for people, myself included, to solve problems. So complaints will seem frequent, but you will find people with issues all across the NBR forum.

 

Well I have had a lot of experiences (almost good ones) with the Dell warranties.
I don't think that computers or any other device are "Made in the Garden of Even". They are made here in our reality, which is not perfect by nature.
My two only complains toward Dell is that it doesn't include a transparent post-production/pre-shipping QC (quality control) and that it doesn't LISTEN dinamicly and proactively to the "in-vitro" clinical experiences of the costumers (as the ones that use this rocking forum to try and find solutions for their problems)...
Maybe this is the reason why Dell is now in the third row...

 

Well I was unlucky with my first purchase but my replacement works like a perfect dream(Playing wow on Ultra settings with average frps on 45 (low 30) (high 60)). And by the way buy a m17x instead of a m15x(space for one more hard disk and the crossfire option is always nice to have) . The only catch about Dell is that if your machine breaks down and they cannot fix the issue after three attempts of repair then a replacement will take around 2-3 months to get(unless the repair is a success of course). However Dell's on site repair on next working day is very nice and fast.

 

Well as long as you take care of your stuff it will last a long time. Im hoping my M17x will last a minimum of 5 years.

 

A little bit of my history with Alienware- I bought my first AW back in 2006 (The Area-51 m5500) and just a few months ago the M11X. Both of them are running flawlessly! I've never had an issue with either one and I do a lot of network engineering stuff with them as well as playing Flight Simulators. I was really hesitant when I bought my first one due to the supposed 'horror stories' running around about AW, but after a lot of research I came to the conclusion that no matter what brand a person decides upon, there will be problems and that's what tech support is for as well as places like Notebook Review.

As a matter of fact, I'm debating on whether to get the M15X or the M17X to replace the Dell Studio XPS 1640 I just sold. *I really want the M15X, but it doesn't have an HDMI port and all I have here with me at this USAF dormitory is a 32" HDTV *

 

Not only all that, but you'd be surprised by how much is actually "user error". I've had people tell me their computer is broken, when in reality it just has malware or virus, it's sitting in a poorly ventilated area, it hasn't been cleaned in ages, etc. And a lot of times they are trying to run software that is just poorly coded. Yes stuff breaks and PC's can act strangely, but in a lot of cases it's just neglect or misuse, and not entirely on purpose either.

In all my years of dealing with PC's, very few that I've owned personally that I have all taken care of quite well, have yet to fail me. I have one PC that seems like the USB controller is going bad, but it's almost five years old now and has been used heavily.

 

All I can say is Acronis. I've been there and back again and no problem has ever been too big for Acronis. Just make a backup every so often and you should be good to go.

[EDIT]

Just curious. What kinda things do you do on your systems that cause them to have such big issues? I download and install crazy stuff like mad from "all sorts" of sites *snickers* and I don't have a tenth of the problems I hear others are having... weird.

 

AW build quality is excellent and their designs are good. The warranty is good, Dell honors it and the AW technical people you speak to on the phone are solid -- know their stuff. People will have their favorite brands and loyalties, but having experience with lots of "consumer" brands, AW is clearly a step above most retail models: there are other good models out there and others with lots of expereince with them, but for me this is easily the best computer I have owned.

 

My now 1 year old M17 has been running flawlessly out of the box, apart from the occasional software issue not related to the system itself.

I regularly stress it, and absolutely none of the components shows any sign of giving out any time soon.

Their current designs are even better and (particularly yhe M17x) should last a VERY long time.

Just as a note, yes, you will hear people saying they've got a bad system and what-not, that's usually the reason people come here though. You've got to keep in mind that for every person that complains about a bad product, there are likely hundreds or thousands of people perfectly satisfied.

 

As far as the HDMI issue, mine came with an adapter for Display Port to HDMI free of charge. So, that shouldn't be much of an issue anymore.

Edit: I just got an m15x by the way. Lovin it.

 

It's awesome that they included that adapter. It might make my decision a bit more difficult now.

 

I had Many issues but it between Hardware and software. Frist two laptop was overheating. One laptop at 100c and I had to manage with speedfan and a batch file. second laptop the system ran to HOT. 110c Right now dealing dell and mirosoft issues. Right now I feel like I am between two battles. Dell and Mirosoft.

Dell sent a windows ultima cd activation over the Phone Mirosoft will be contacting me to see if there a fix. So I can get a real product key. Yes I feel like a ginnie pig.

 

I think alienware systems are quality. I believe they are stable. You have to remember that the harder you push the system the more likely you will encounter issues or errors. Stability = Standard Clocks + Standard Drivers + Standard Apps + Standard Operating System+Standard Hardware. Anytime you deviate from any of these your chances of blue screens or issues increase. It is the same for all notebooks, desktops and servers. Doesn't matter which brand.

Best Wishes,

StevenX

ps.. My family has now had 3 alienware notebooks. 2 x m11x and 1 m17.
I will keep buying Alienware as long as I can afford it!

 

I've had about 5 AW laptops and never had a problem with any of them

 

WOW, 5 is alot.

 

That is a lot. I'm about to get my 3rd, and the other two are still humming right along.

 

I am happy over all with my Dells / AW laptops.

Had a few problems, but the level of support and repair was what i expected and received.

My only advice is to buy the extended warranties and the complete care option is also a good ideal.

This way of anything ever goes wrong for what ever reason your covered.

even with the issues some have reported here and on other forums Dell still offers and gives the best support over all with thier Warranties.

 

along with the ones in my Sig I have had the following


My Dells
Vostro 1500, Studio 15, M6300,M1710,
E1705,3500,4000,4100,5100,5150,6000, 7000,7500,8000,8500,C410,C610,C810,Cpi,CPx. E6400,E1501


I never had to have one excanged, under warranty I had a few (less than 5) sent to the Depot and 2 in house repairs done,
which comprised of mother boards on 4 systems, 3 DVD Drives (slot load)

This has been over many many years if you check the time line for some of these models

 

I'm not sure what the percentage of first time exchanges for a new computer is due to a defective system. But this is the first Alienware I have ever ordered, and it arrived in about a week with several defects that warranted a new replacement. Seems to me that a new QC system really needs to be implemented given the amount of money we pay for the computer.