List of known (and fixed) issues with the M15x

Hey guys I made this thread because there isn't really a thread out that lists all the problems the M15x had and all of the problems that have been fixed. Don't post useless **** as this is a INFO ONLY thread. Go post in "why you shouldn't buy the M15x if you want to post crap.

Issues:
Hinge Busting (seems like a constant build quality error)
Keyboard Lag (typing apple can sometimes yield "aple")

Isolated / Small Issues (aka not common):
Chassis Cracking (only 1 user)
Cracks on the webcam (only 1 user)
keys breaking/popping off easily (easy fix and unlikely)

Fixed Issues:
Touch control button responsiveness
GPU Overheating
CPU Downclocking

Updates:
Chassis Cracking : 8/11/08
A lot of extra info : 8/11/08

_______________________________________

Tell me if anything is wrong because I just want to educate future M15x owners and I don't want them to think that they still have GPU downclocking problems. Final words I'm not an AW fanboy just a honest forum member.

I can also go more in depth with the problems and list which owners have had which problems so owners post your problems please

@Chaz - If you want to sticky this you can so that future M15x owners know of the issues that still are not resolved with the system.

 

how about the chassis cracking issue?

 

can you detail that more for me in terms of who had the problem and where it was?

 

i think he means the two people who had hairline cracks above the ethernet port.

what about the touch control button responsiveness? is that fixed with x34 and v41?

 

iirc, i remember reading these two in some reviews...

cracks on the webcam
and keys breaking/popping off easily

 

yes the bios did solve the sensitivity of the touch controls. alot of people are saying they are working better than before. even i can confirm that they are working better than before.

the crack below the webcam only gabez had i believe. its only 1 issue so i dont think that its a problem.

keys breaking off can be solved with a keyboard replacement. i only see easily popped of keys issue when the m15x users just recieved their machine. if they dont pop off within a day or two they wont pop off.

one issue which i think that still isnt fixed too well is the keyboard lag issue. that is an issue AW needs to release a patch for. typing the same letter multiple times sometimes makes the keyboard miss the letter. like of the type the word apple it might sometimes come out as aple.

 

okay I added those and also divided the issues up into sections so they are easier to read. Feel free to correct my listing method but don't post bull****.

 

actually the volume slider is supposed to be very sensitive now. haven't updated to x34 yet, so can't say for sure, but that's what i've read around here.

 

Thanks for the post . . . I added a link to it in the m15x General Info thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=266924

 

I've actually had a nice conversation with John. L about the hinge.
It went something like this:

 

take everything CS says with a grain of salt. remember that CS once said that the lightpipe was a limited feature and only available on the first few m15x's.

 

I thought the "hairline cracks above the ethernet port" was widespread issue. It was even on engadget after they received so many reports.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/12/alienware-area-51-m15x-owners-outraged-by-overheating-cracking/
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=228254

 

i think it only happened twice here, and everybody just wrote to engadget because they were scared that it'd happen to everybody.

 

I think this problem is just isolated to me, but I've posted before about my hdmi not working onto external monitors, and I think everyone thought I was crazy and didn't know how to set it up and stuff...

BUT, I sent it in for repairs, and the HDMI out issue was fixed, they isolated the problem and fixed it my HDMI worked.

Less than a week later, while talking to alienware tech support, I found out that my binary GFX switch didn't work. *note that this worked before i sent it in for repairs of HDMI the first time.... so now it's in repair process again....

I didn't try binary gfx earlier (aka once i got it back) because i didn't need it then. so.. now i'm stuck waiting for my m15x back sigh :-(

 

What exactly was your hdmi external monitor issue? I had a multiple display issue just now.

 

there would be no video output..the hdtv screen is just black. no display no picture tried on 10+ different models and brands of tvs.

 

Ah, nvm. Mine was a little different.

 

Yeah, I just recently got my m15x and I've had no problem with the touchpad and even without the sticker that they give you, it seems absolutely fine. (To be honest, I'm not even using the touchpad sticker.)

 

Thanks for the input guys

 

You could add:

Things you may dislike:
- noisy creaking;
- some woobling at the screen.

 

i didnt say anything about the touchpad in my post....

i was talking about touch controls...

you know that speedmeter one, the UFO one, the WIFI, and the Bluetooth button next to the power button...

 

As the extreme processor issue been corrected?

That was my biggest issues. I bought a ferrari and got a pinto. lol

 

yes with bios x34

 

Hay stone I think what you are doing is a good idea. Compact the info So it user Friendly vs Tons of post that already been fix. Not everyone knows computers. Why have them search one huge tread searching for Answers when a smaller tread will do the same thing.

My suggestion is Work with the people who had hing problems and have them post There pictures on here.

 

I also had problems with my touch sensitive controls and updated to the new bios. THe problem was not sloved for me and now the touchpad seems to working irregularly also. Suggestions?

On a second note, my lid chasis came apart, after one of the screws popped out. THis is after 1 month of use. Sent it Back for repairs about a month ago and the problem was fixed. Was the new screen chasis method used?

P.S. Was charged 50 dollars because the warranty does not cover "cosmetic issues" THe screen came apart and i could not open the lid. Cosmetic huh?

 

If this is another case of the hinges breaking, then I can only say... Shocking to say the least. How is it possible you were charged 50 dollars for a problem that is happening to so many different costumers?

You are owner number 10 to report their lid breaking. Have a look at the first post of the following thread, scroll down and let us know if the pictures you see towards the end of the 1st post are similar to yours. I suspect they are... If you confirm this, I would get back to AW and get them to pay your money back and some other form of compensation. It's unnaceptable they are not taking responsability for this issue... It's really shocking.

Anyway, here's that post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3412390&postcount=1

Let us know if it was the same issue and, in case you have pictures, would you mind sharing those with us so that we can compile it into a "affected users' DB"?
That would be extremely helpful...

PS: There's no new chassis method confirmed by AW. I believe it's only rumours started by someone that got spread around.

 

heres an issue for you. the device manager doesn't recognize the chipset driver. and every use port suddenly BREAKS.

 

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i think that was your own fault for installing the chipset driver wrong...

you installed a vista driver for xp...

 

To be honest, the only (critical) issue with the m15x is the hinge issue.

Seems we got the number 10 on this thread, so we can start calling it so.

And, now (after 9 confirmed hinge problems), i think the moderation was unfair closing milcs thread about the hinges.

PS:
After re-reading the OP (i didn't knew he edited it), i would only suggest to edit the topic title to LIST OF FIXED ISSUES. Since as it is now it is misleading and opening the thread to other "issues" yet to be "recognized" as so.

Also would be good, as a "solution thread" to add the links or topics were the solutions are pointed.

 

yeah man you should have not been charged those $50. AW saw my photos and knew exactly what it was and didn't question me one bit. Course I was using the Roswell Crew.

 

theres a small update to the keyboard lag issue. according to Oceanus's post in his m15x review AW is working on a new OSD driver to help the keyboard lag issue. AW was able to reproduce this problem and they are now working on it.

 

I'm extremely stoked about this update. I feel like I'm typing almost half as slow.

 

i need this update too. sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesnt for me. the only solution so far is to plug in an external keyboard

 

yeah, it's come up a few times or me as well. definitely looking forward to the update.

 

Update will be noted when it is live

 

Credits to furturebeoingexec

he just found another lock that works with the m15x. this will help give more options when buying a lock for the m15x.

 

Here is what futureboeingexec also added (I actually am not sure whether it is the same lock he is talking about):
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3801962&postcount=553

I would advise anyone doing this to use some kind of very thin protective plastic to glue around the metal head of the lock (something like the material that Invisible shield is made of (google it)) and avoid any physical damage on your M15x body.

 

I bought a targus defcon CL lock on ebay for 12$ new and it works perfectly out of the package in my m15x-there are no rubber things that people were talking about so I don't know about that..
Also I'm eagerly waiting for that keyboard lag fix..it hurts when i type over 100wpm and have to go back and add letters...sad

 

too bad there is not an olympic event for this....

 

If there were, the Chinese would definitely be +1 MORE gold medal
hahaha

 

I'm looking at buying an m15x and decided to speak with AW after reading some of the threads in this forum. Here's the convo (william = me):

Catalina R.: Hi, my name is Catalina R.. How may I help you?
william: Hi I was researching the m15x and had a couple of questions
Catalina R.: Sure, how may I assist you?
william: I've heard of complaints regarding the hinges and keyboard lag
william: specifically hinges creaking and breaking
Catalina R.: I'm sorry about that, at this time we do not have any reported issues with the system.
william: Did AW release a new chassis to address the old hinge issues?
Catalina R.: We haven't had any issues with the hinges for that system.
william: Really? I've seen at least 20 returned for hinge repairs
Catalina R.: I'm sorry, I am not sure where you are getting that information from. At this time we do not have any issues with it.
william: Thank you I will pass this information on

So maybe I haven't exactly seen 20 returned, but I was hoping by me saying that she would second guess herself and ask someone else.

 

Ask someone who is more knowledgeable about those kinds of things. If you want a more credible source, try speaking to either Roswell or anyone who has a higher level of knowledge. I think the people that respond to the Alienware website chat feature are only able to answer general questions about the m15x-- and besides, their goal is to market their products, not to raise doubts about them.

 

I understand that this thread is old, however it is linked to and most likely still read.

I just talked with a Alienware on AlienChat, who assured me that the hinge problem occurred on 5 % of the initial notebooks and has since been fixed.
Confirmation?

 

how are we supposed to confirm that? oh and btw, AlienChat has told lots of BS before...

 

What's a good way to confirm this then?

 

since not every m15x owner is a member here, we can't confirm this, and AW sure as hell isn't gonna tell you the full truth...

 

How can you be sure they have not actually fixed it. I'd like to think they are telling the truth.

 

the problem is that some newer owners have reported hinge problems as well. also, i believe all m15x' carry the same model number, m15x-R1 (Revision 1). if AW would update the chassis to reflect the hinge problem, wouldn't they change the designation to -R2?

 

How can we check the revision without buying the laptop?

EDIT: And isn't it possible that it's such a small thing (a bit of extra reenforcement) that there doesn't need to be one?

 

as of now, there is no conclusive evidence showing that AW has made any changes to the m15x chassis design. there have been too many incidents to call this a "small thing", and AW is very probably not going to divulge any sort of information about this issue.