I ordered but now I've seen this I am worried

Hey all I just ordered the m17x top everything and my friend who is a m15x owner (Darkfly) just linked me here. I am worried as I have been looking around and there seem to be loads of problems with the laptops, and I know Dark had problems such as the keys falling off the keyboard and this really cheap nasty noise when you open and close it. it gets really hot (it melted gummy bears on the table behind it!) and after lookign around there seem to be much of the same.
it just makes me wonder if I made the right choice, has anyone on here had a good experiance?

 

Lot's of people with good experiences... I'm sure you will be fine. If not, just send it back. Simple...

And more, coming to these kind of forums is halfway for you to start really worrying (and seeing) problems. The best advise I can give you if you don't want to get into a depressive mood... Stay away from this forum for a month after you receive your laptop and make all decisions you have to make.
Then come back and share your experiences...

I'm sure you will be fine. No more need for central heating!

Good luck,
M.

 

welcome to a world of pain, a world filled with malfunctions, overheating, brokeness, & a laptop which might eat you in the night.

...

Nah I'm just kidding, my Dell has had more problems in the first few months than my AW. Haven't actually had proper problems, the key was already broken & AW were extremely happy & very fast to replace it, give'em the Noble Peace Prize gorramit.

And I'd just be repeating what milcs said if I go on any longer, don't believe what the people say just cause they had problems they are in the minority, AW is awesome, nuff said.

 

awesome. I was also wondering, in one of the youtube videos they talk about the lights reacting to games, like getting shot it changes colour and stuff. Is this true? I cannot find anything about it, oh and if it is true can I turn it off as I can see it being a dead giveaway that I am playing games opposed to working. XD

 

nah it isnt true, thats the g70 and the m1730

 

As one of the unlucky people, I can tell you a few things.

• The problems with the m15x seem to be coming primarily from people who ordered very early (like me). This could mean one of two things: either the newer orders haven't time to have problems, or Alienware has been silently fixing problems.
  
• There have not been nearly as many reports for problems with the m17x, or at least not yet. A larger machine means more room to work, and a lower chance of crowded, overpowered components destroying themselves. Most of the problems with the m15x were related to heating issues or build quality issues that became more problematic when matched with the machine's massive heat output. In an m17x, I would expect better ventilation, and fewer of these problems.
  
• If you encounter any serious problems with your m17x, there are a couple of very, very helpful Alienware employees on these forums who will help take care of you as quickly as possible. Just look for Alienware-Armando or Alienware-James. James was particularly helpful in my situation. He helped correct a mistake made by Alienware's repair department, and he also helped approve my full refund without any hassle.
  
• Whenever you are dealing with a high-end machine, maintenance is incredibly important. Make sure you keep your laptop cooled properly. Make sure you carefully clean out vents regularly. Make sure you store and transport your laptop properly. There are wonderful guides on these forums that will help you keep your machine in tip-top shape.
  
• Don't worry about the problems other people have had, and don't succumb to premeditative buyer's remorse! The simple truth is that you paid top dollar for an awesome product. If you end up being one of the unlucky ones who runs into problems, Alienware will do its best to take care of you. If you end up being one of the lucky ones, then you'll end up with a great gaming machine that you'll be playing awesome games on for years.

There's no reason to regret the m17x just because of what other people [including myself] have said about the m15x. A lot of people have been doing perfectly fine with their Alienware laptops, and have been having a lot of fun with it! I hope that you'll end up being one of the lucky ones.

May all your hits be critical, your unit upgrades cheap, and your shots headshots.

 

Well... I don't agree with your statement though. I don't think (at all) that AW is awesome.
What I am saying is that, if you don't want to start worrying from the beggining, you should not come to this forum and make your mind by yourself. Otherwise you will probably be more sensitive to problems when you come across them.
And... I don't think that M15x with problems are the minority. I think it's the other way around. But, that's just my personall view of this issue.

What amazes me is how everyone is coming here (now) and says:
I love my M15x. It does have a bit of wobble (not significant), it does creack and makes cheap noises (but not significant), the lock does not work (not significant), the GPU does goes to 88-100ºC (not significant), but all of those problems are neglectable.

Oh well... where is the world going!?

 

fusioncell, I was like you too, bought something very expensive and then you get buyer remorse as you look at other peoples bad experiences. And trust me there are bad experiences with every product (just do a google on anything).

Most of AWs laptops are problem free, and if there are any problems they fix them pretty fast if you got the right attitude when calling CS (dont call up and start screaming at them...not a good idea!).

About temperatures, good that it melted gummy bears behind the laptop, means that a lot of HOT air is going OUT of laptop instead of staying in. the 8800m GT card is a very hot card, so you wont be getting away from temperatures. Just monitor your temperatures and if anything is worrying you call AW up or ask here on the forum.

I was also very nervous and am still a bit nervous about it. It is impossible to disregard users reports of horror stories, but i know everyone keeps repeating this, but there are (i hope!) a lot of happy AW owners behind the scenes that never speaks up.

If the worst comes to worst, send it back as milcs said.

 

As has been said before, quite of the few users that post here are to fix problems they are having, so there is a skew toward the -ve side..
For some postive forum posts check out these reviews..

Some good reviews from m15x owners -
extracruncy - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=276548
exiled - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=240250
dsproductions - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=274998
groove75 - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=266057
lineazy - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=267542 (includes pic of Sliver Skullcap)

Hope none of the above have come forward and already given you links before me

 

He makes a fantastic point. The moment you start worrying about what other people are saying, you'll be living in paranoia! If you just take a month or two by yourself to really enjoy the laptop, without reading about everyone else's problems, you won't see the grass on the other side of the fence, so you won't worry about it being greener.

On the other hand, I definitely congratulate you on doing a little research about your purchase. I might recommend researching a little bit earlier, next time, but at least you're going into this prepared! XD

 

I am going to share my recent experience with a... cell phone!
I recently acquired a Nokia N95 8GB. It has a bit of a loose slider and it was driving me insane (yes, I'm paranoid!!! ). I looked for a N95 forum... went into the problem section... and now I hate my N95! Ahahaha...

Bloody forums.

ps: do you guys think I have a mental disfunction?

 

Hahaha!

Mass hysteria is such a wonderful phenomenon.

 

Kinda agree, but I wouldn't say more have problems then less, I myself have only had the key falling off problem & that was very minor, most issues I think of now have been resolved, some have still got the creaky lid & lock problem but the temperature stuff is normal for powerhouse laptops (maybe not 100c but 80-90 is).

And btw I meant I agreed with you on the following (the other stuff was my opinion):
"And more, coming to these kind of forums is halfway for you to start really worrying (and seeing) problems. The best advise I can give you if you don't want to get into a depressive mood... Stay away from this forum for a month after you receive your laptop and make all decisions you have to make.
Then come back and share your experiences... "

 

To be honest there has been alot of problems with the m15x. These have all been discussed at length on here and if you rad into them too much you'll probable never buy another notebook again... (",)

So far the m17x has very few problems, i believe the worst is a dodgy CPU which was fixed relatively quickly and Atol has had a key come loose, he was or is being sent a new keyboard, problem solved.

I myself have ordered a fully loaded m17x and if it has a problem i'll be sure to put it on here but, don't worry too much as the m17x has a good rep...... so far!!!

OB

 

Good point... this is a completely new laptop anyway. Not the M15x...
Keep your hopes up. Wanting to be happy is the first step to happiness.

 

people always post problems, no one posts just to say their machine is all fine. If you have an issue people around here are very quick to respond. I was worried about my m15x as well but now i love it despite all the random problems it has had (very few on the machine itself). Your biggest problem will be dealing with support personnel, they suck.

 

the reality is Alienware has many more issues then others, there product is made cheaply, and you will have buyers remorse. I love watching all lthe fanboys tell you it will be ok. I will take a pic of my dead 5k laptop tonight and post it. I promise you one thing, you will be very disapointed and frustrated. it will spend more time in transit back and forth to alienware then it does working with no issues at your home...................

 

& your the classic person who's had some major issues with it & complains all the time, just as bad as a fanboy if not worse.

 

awsome thanks guys. I guess just because it was alot of money I was a little worried. I says ship date August 18th but I go away on the 22nd so only a few days to play with it! just wondering what sort of time scale are people getting theirs on? on date? or before or even after?

 

actually dark I am the guy who goes out to dinner and even when i get bad service i tip. i am also the guy who never compalins and just tends to move on. I am the guy that goes ot the casino loses a ton of money and walks away from the table with a smile. I never ever ever compalin. This will mark probably the first time I have ever done this actually. I was drawn to these forums because as I have decided to spend another 5k on a computer I really wanted to see if it was worth it. I actually even came here willing to give alienware another try and purchase the 17x. Then when i got here i started to read all the posts and i was reminded of what i went though and also made the determination this was not a fluke. To make matters worse when i spent the 5k on the last alienware my buddy bought the same exact config at same time and had no shortage of issues as well. for the record his is also completely dead. so i was about to throw in the towel and say that it just is not possible to find a desktop replacement when i stumbled over to the sager boards. I know all the fanboys here want to say it is the same everywhere but all I ask is that if you are on the boards and looking for a beast of a machine go to both boards read through the posts and then you decide. You wont need help from anyone in making the right decision. In closing what lead me to the board to "complain" is that I want to assure people this is no fluke. alienware computers dont last and are a huge waste of money. I learned from my mistake but frankly when i read all the posts from folks that have been saving for their dream machine I just want to give then the information they need to make the right decision and not waste their hard earned money.

 

and you didn't get your money back because?

 

it died 2 months after warranty expired.....i am sure i could send it back and get it fixed (for even more money) for the 10000 time but i am now ready to move on. despite that Dark thinks I am just a complainer i just do not see the point in arguing or complaining anymore to alienware. it is just time to move on. For them to fix it again so something else can go wrong shortly after continues the cycle. no longer worth it to me. Would rather spend the next 5k on the 9262 from Sager and see what happens............on a serious note, I hope everyone who buys the alienware gets a great machine and that Dark is right about these issues only being a very small percentage. Might just be I was one of the unlucky ones I guess.

 

hey man just want to say, that i got my m15x a few days back, and i just love it, i was also worried because there are lots of threads regarding issues with AW laptops, but i don´t have any issues that were mentioned


i was also worried because i live in a foreign country and it would be a total pain to get the laptop shipped back to AW

but i dont have any problems, and it runs the games i play smoothly, andi am a very happy costumer


just my .02 cp

 

K, first things first:

m15x =/= m17x

Kay? Good.

Now then, take note that the problems being reported are with the m15x, not the m17x. They are NOT the same. I've been watching these forums for a while, and while I haven't seen too much on the m17x, I can't recall seeing someone with a problem with it. (Though I think I remember something about someone's TV tuner not working or something, but that's it)

So yea, if you're getting an m15x, take caution, if you're getting an m17x, 95% is perfectly fine.

 

Agree with most of the previous comments on this thread. i have a fully loaded M17X, extreme 2.8 processor, dual 8800gtx cards. No problems at all like i had on my M15X. No overheating, downclocking. cracks or wobbly lid. The only thing i do not like is the large power brick.

 

Now that is correct!

If I wanted a 17 inch, the AW would be on my short list, however the m15x is not on my list as I am looking for a 15 incher

 

then the notebook forum is not where you want to be.....

( just kidding.... )

 

well i have a 15 incher, and i love it.

ahem.tell me, why's the m15x not on your list if you're looking in the 15.4" category?

 

It used to be, I was ready to pull the trigger, but when I saw the type of issues ppl reported I halted.

Looking at other laptops and issues ( Dell XPS and som HP's) they are just built badly, but can be fixed somewhat due to screen replacement and so on.

The M15x has some fundamental issues, the choice of plastic for it's outer case (it's to weak), the lid cracks (again this needs to be re-designed, not just a screen replacement) the heat issue, needs new components, not just increase fan ( to keep CPU and GPU right under "ok")

If this was fixed, I would pull the trigger

 

if that's your opinion, fair enough. so will you get the new sager?

 

i am about rdy to 'pull the trigger' as you say...lol
i am just waiting now to see if this breed thing amounts to anything within a month/month and a half time frame...

 

are you going for the m15x or the sager ryujin?

 

I am the few that have the M17X. Yes I had a few problems the I key popped off. Woopie I ask for a new keyboard. Easy fix. Game wise this computer Rocks.