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I am having a problem with my Alienware 17R3
And they asking me to drop it off for observation? It's 1 and 9 months old, can you guide how to proceed with them?
You have to be specific, what kinda problems you have.. and yes u can hand over the system or they will collect it from u for doing observation.. it will take weeks.. in the end they might even say everything is running fine as per the specs.. so its ur choice..
After getting good services from dell previously, this time I too joined the club of Dell Hell. 5 failed repairs by Dell and 23 days without a working system. Lost the data on SSD as it failed and would have to arrange the backup of HDD data myself. All this for premium Alienware 15 R3 laptop, costing 3110 Dollars. It costed me 25-30% extra over here in India, but I thought the experience would be good and worth it. Unfortunately it's been worse than any other laptop I have owned in terms of breaking down and overheating.
I was informed, I would get a refurbished replacement since it's 10 months old and had multiple failures on 21 Jun. Was told the replacement time may take 25-30 days. I have yet to negotiate for an upgrade. I called Dell today, and the agent asks me "Why are you calling? You have been sent an email 2 days ago and to wait and be patient since the replacement team doesn't works on weekend."
I just hope it doesn't takes more than 1.5 months including the 23 days already lost and they agree to an upgrade. Some of your stories are really scary taking months. Going to be the last Dell system if they delay this too much. Maybe will try to escalate through social media or Dell Alienware forums if they delay too much. Will update when I get the replacement and how much time it took.
Thanks for the reply. Do you have any experience with asking them for an upgraded replacement. Did they approve?
They wasted more than a month without any working system and many other issues. I feel that should make me eligible for an upgrade. Would ask for i7-7820 and Nvidia 1080 max q instead of current i7-7700 and 1070.
So, they approved the replacement and upgrade. They offered Alienware 15 R4 instead of 15 R3. Details of upgrade are:
Processor i9-8950 instead of i7-7700hq (had gotten 7820 on a previous upgrade after 5 repairs)
1080p 120hz Tn instead of 1080p 60hz IPS
16GB 2666MHz
1 TB SSD + 1 TB HDD 7200 RPM instead of 512GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
GTX 1080 Max-Q instead of Nvidia 1070 (had gotten 1080 Max-Q on a previous upgrade after 5 repairs)
Was initially very happy with the upgrade. Unfortunately, after replying "I agree", I noticed the display was 120hz TN instead of 60hz IPS, which I had in previous system. I already have a 144hz external monitor. I prefer the 60hz IPS because of better colors over the TN. 30 mins after replying "I agree", I asked if it could be changed to 60hz which they turned down multiple times. The dell guy didn't mentioned the screen change in email body while others he mentioned. So, I had to agree with TN one. IPS panel was important to me.
Would try to sell this replacement due to IPS panel and get a desktop as I game on a desk anyway. If anyone in India is interested in purchasing it can contact me. The laptop has 1 year and 3 months of warrantly left and extended warranty of 3 more years can be purchased.
I had thought if someone could offer 2.05 lakh INR. I was starting to change my mind to keeping it, reading about the specs, praises of 120hz since hours and you asked lol.
germany, high temps - tech visits, new broken parts each visit after last one my system wasnt booting. 5 repairs,3 motherboard replacements. completly broken alienware r3 15 1070. After 2 weeks of negotiation they offered me a system replacement. I am sitting without a working laptop for 3 month now.
New Specs:
R4 15
8750h
1070 oc
256GB m.2 SSD (not a problem got another 1tb m.2 960 evo)
16 GB Ram
60hz IPS 1080p - no other specifications
I asked for bigger upgrade but was declined and was told that I have to pay for every better part. So had to agree.
To be honest after 3 Months of Dell Hell I am ready to push as far as I can, after reading that the new R4 still overheats I am kinda prepared for the worst.
The biggest meh part is that I just read that new R4 got worse ips screens then before ( can anyone confirm this?) and there is no windows hello and tobii aware sesnor anymore. Would this mean that my replacement outside of usual dell standards: "same hardware or better?"
Anyone got any tips how I could push them for a more powerful system (I probably go right away for this if my system overheats)
And what about my warranty? Shouldnt it reset for another year after the replacement?
I may sound somewhat ungrateful to you, getting a 8750h for 7700hq but to be honest, I am so done with Dell after all those failed repair attempts and not being able to work and game on system for 3 month now, I want to benefit as much as I can from this now.
Welcome, saw your posts on your reddit. Those system replacement guys are stubborn. Turned down my screen change request to what I originally purchased. Even when I was just 30 minutes late after replying "I agree" and he failed to mention the change in email body, where he mentioned other changes. Once you reply "I agree" they won't change, at least didn't change for me.
For 3 months without working system, was the system partially functioning or totally not booting. Mine was totally not powering on and I would be around 55 days mark with a paperweight system, according to their delivery date. 3 months with a dead system would have been lot more to endure.
For the warranty, I checked today. On the order track page which you get 2 days after agreeing, there you can find service tag after expanding actions and going through more options. I was surprised to see they have extended warranty for 1 more year. Now for me all I need is a correctly working replacement, along with original IPS screen to be an Alienware fan boy again.
Where did you read IPS screen on 15 R4 is worse than 15 R3? I have been researching panels, in case I need to change it myself. From what I could find IPS 60Hz panels on 15 R4 and 15 R3 are same.
The argument which usually works is that newer component provided is worse than original one. Like few sli owners were offered weaker single card reasoning equal performance. After pushing they got it changed to newer gen sli. For Tobi on 15, they screwed it for everyone. 15 R4 buyers who were advertised Tobi didn't got it. Tobi on R3 wasn't fully functional anyway just an annoying red light which I disabled, so not a big deal for me.
There was 1 guy, who got system replacement last year and didn't got much upgrade as 15R4 and 17R5 weren't released. If it comforts you at least we got newer line up. 8th gen processor overheat a lot. So, we would have to undervolt to probably run at slightly reduced speeds after repaste. Even then they should outperform 7th gen due to being 6 cores.
Edit: Warranty got reduced to just 1 month more instead of 1 Year after receiving the system
May ask where you from, which support european or US? Ít seems US support is way more generous. If you already got the system, how long did it take them to ship? Its nearly a week for me atm.
I already agreed to the system its on the way to me. Found out about the screen and tobii only later, was sure it would be there since it was advertised. When I check the screen of my old alienware on the dell page it says anti-glare 300 IPS Pannel, like on the 4k IPS screen or TN 2k in dell shop. Nothing about anti glare and the brightness on the IPS I ordered.
Regarding tobii eye - I dont really care if its a gimmick (ofc it is) but i bought that feature. If my cpu overheats I will push for another replacement with higher specs and tobii eye so at least 17' with 4k ips or 120hz 2k pannel.
I am from India. Paid 3200$ for Alienware 15 with 7700HQ and 1070 ( only 2-3 built pre-configured config are available here) which is expensive than configuring from dell. No discounts here too. Support is same, they outsource to Dell India employees and they just do what the script says. There are still 400-500 Alienware employees from US, who provide much better support.
I agreed on 27 June. The system is built and is in shipping. They told me it's reached my country on 9 July and the maximum date for delivery is 25 July. For full details of screen you might be able to check when you get the order track link in 2-3 days. You will be able to get the service tag from there and check system configuration and warranty dates.
It will probably overheat a bit on stock thermal paste. If you are able to get 17' with 4K IPS or 120Hz 2k panel from Alienware 15 that would be epic. All the best.
I see.. 8750h 1070 config too I guess? Wish you best of luck too. I will not take another overheating system, I will keep em shipping me new till one works, there is 2 weeks return window rule, lets see if it applies to replacements and lets see how far I can push them. Srsly sellings overheating systems for 2k+ just needs to be punished.
Getting i9-8950 and 1080 Max-Q. I was temporary upgraded to 7820 and 1080 Max-Q previously. We did meet up on reddit where I explained the config.Your username is too unique to not notice.
Haha ok thats you. Yeah urs is a win in my books hopefully the temps dont go through the roof wirh that 8950hk Well my support guy changed the 8950hk to 8750h in the last moment saying it way a typo :]
My configuration definitly mentions 1 year warranty in the paper the support guy sent me, but when I use the service tag to check the config, I only see the old warranty remaining (around 200 days). Regarding the screen - the same regular 60hz ips pannel without any 300-nits or anti glare feautures like on my R3.
I knew seeking warranty for ethernet port when rest of system was flawless was a bad idea. Totally regret it. I just have to be patient like everyone else now and accept it.
Received my replacement yesterday. System is working fine, apart from the expected high CPU temps which would be fixed with repaste and Throttlestop.
Time Taken:
21 days for failed repair
6 days to offer replacement specs after saying system will be replaced
8 days to build the system
11 days to deliver
Total 21 days for repair and 25 for replacement.
Just got a call from Exchange dept confirming the process will start tommorrow. Said up to 3 weeks .. Etc said factory will send a matching system config from open box refurbs immediately if available if one isnt available they will email a proposed system config for me to look over and accept etc etc
july 2nd initiated support for dead ethernet on alienware r4 17 - july 5th tech replaces with mobo with dead gpu.. sent out return on july 13 diff mobo dead gpu still ... processing for exchange.
I would have to say their support team is very friendly and efficient. I'm sure they deal with these same issues day in and day out and it must be annoying to constantly have to reply and log each email, each chat session.. I can't imagine.
I just wish they would take an extra 15 mins to test a repair before sending it out and it could save so many hassle since dell makes them used old parts etc.
Just got an email with a proposed config for replacement. All specs exceed my current gtx 1070 machine. I'm ecstatic but I only hope it arrives fully functional.
Here you will find the suggested configuration for the replacement unit:
I have a 17R3, the top end config with 4k/ 980m 8GB, 6820hk and have been through, at this point, 6-8 motherboard replacements. After I first got it I went through months of replacements and they finally replaced me with another 17r3 which, to me, is pointless since they had already replaced all the guts anyways numerous times. After the refurb replacement also had issues they approved me finally to upgrade to a new model (17R4 at this point last year) but they did not have an equivalent model and I was not going to take a downgrade so I stuck with it until the R5s came out and I could see how they were doing.
So, I like what I see with the R5s for the most part and started addressing all the old unresolved issues. Processor throttling, not able to reach claimed speeds, and horrible bleed on the 4k screen. On the 3rd replacement the guy was CLUELESS. It was painfully obvious he's never worked on an Alienware laptop before and it seemed his PC repair skills were minimal at best. The mobo and screen swap took him over two hours to do and it was so painful to watch. In the end he ended up causing the 1TB PCIe SSD to fail (great!) and shorted the USB controller on the mobo so now only the USB-C port works and Windows gives me constant errors about a USB device pulling too much power (even when nothing is attached).
Finally I was approved for an exchange again so now I get to wait even longer. Exchange cycle was approved Monday, 9/24 and my rep gave me the usual business about checking refurbished stock first. I do like how they quote the "average resolution time is one week" but then ghost you and don't reply to your e-mails for a week so I'm not at all hopeful the replacement unit will be in my hands in less than 2 weeks. This is especially frustrating as not only do I have all the existing issues but now the USB ports are nuked and so is my nvme drive. Based on the configs currently available the maximum PCIe nvme drive size now is 512 GB (but on the desktops one can still order a 1 TB drive so not sure what's up with that) and i'm not about to take a downgrade on that component.
Be as patient as possible. Every few days just send an email to the rep attached to your case. They will move the exchange along just be patient.. Are you in USA?
From exchange approval to having the replacement in my posession was less than 10 days for me. I know ymmv but they handle each case based on when it was made and availilbility of stock.. so depending on how busy they are they can take longer or even shorter.
Yes, I'm in the USA. The communication was great upfront from the exchange rep but it's been a week now and haven't heard anything. It definitely seems from reading the forums that Dell is being generous with the replacement unit in most cases. Initially I wanted a reburb unit as I thought that might be quicker but in hindsight it probably would have been quicker if they had just put an order in for a new one from the start. I've long though the exchange department sits and waits for a refurb unit to come available. It's not like it takes 1-2 weeks for them to search the warehouse for one laying around - they have databases and computer tracking of all this stuff.
They come from the depot in lebanon tenn my r4 gtx 1080 model (sweet upgfrade) came in 3 days after i approved the offer, shipped on friday arrived monday been solid for 2 months no issues
that being said, once they send u an offer it'll move quickly imo and yes it took about a week or 8 days or so from , we are gonna exchange it to hey heres what we offer.. seems normal
Just got word from my exchange team rep - no refurbs in stock so they'll be ordering a new one. (still no configuration offer yet) He mentioned it has to be re-approved but hopefully that won't take more than two days. I checked the lead times online and it's looking like 3 weeks for the higher end config - which is what I'm hoping they'll offer since my R3 was the highest config they had at the time.
So after 2 failed MB replacements Dell has agreed to a replacement system for my 15r2. They had offered a replacement initially but were able to find another motherboard and nixed the replacement system. Current system:
Yup, pretty close. Initially mine was 16Gb with 4 GB 980m but after the last exchange it was bumped up to 32GB and 8GB 980m as that was the default config for the top end model. They've tried to give me a 1070 before as an exchange because it's "specs are better" but I'm not okay taking a downgrade in cost from $3500 to a $2500 laptop even if the current model does outperform the old one. This is the same core issue people with the 18" laptops face - there's no current 18" model so they have to take a downgrade to a 17" (unless they're wise and negotiate something on top of that to help even things out and/or take a full refund).
Curious to see what we are both offered. From reading through the thread it seems like they've become generous since my last exchange experience and for the most part are offering the high end model right off the bat.
They had to come out and replace the display, due to a vertical line in it, the previous month. They sent the wrong display the first 2 times (1080p instead of the 4k). Apparently there was some mix up that took numerous calls from me and the onsite techs, photos of the display in my system, and a facebook escalation. I had been running the 15r2 via a graphics amp at home so I never used the HDMI port on it. A buddy needed to borrow my gpu and when I tried to use the HDMI port, it would not work. Unfortunately, the HDMI port is the only one that will allow the external monitor to use the 980m as the TB3 port will only use the IGPU - the 15r2 has no display port outs. The replacement MB had issues with constant boot loops on the graphics amp and numerous BSOD. I never could get it to work with the AMP. Tech support tried as well and they said another MB would be sent. After not hearing from them for a couple days I contacted support again and was told I would be getting a system exchange and was contacted by that team. I still have a little over 3 yrs of complete care on the 15r2 maybe that and a lack of 15r2/17r3 motherboards with 6820HK and 980m gpus was the reason.
Called for mobo and screen replacement, they sent just a screen. That had terrible overbleed so called back to get them to send a new one plus the mobo they never sent - this time they just sent the mobo. Called back for the screen and they sent new mobo and new screen (this time a gorgeous IPS 4k) but the tech was incompetent and did damage. The lack of ability to plug directly into the dGPU is frustrating - there's no way to power an external g-sync display without getting an AGA on the early models which frustrated me to no end.
Anyways, I got my offer:
Replacement Offered
Alienware 17 R5
8th Generation Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK (6-Core, 12MB Cache, Overclocking up to 5.0GHz)
32GB DDR4 at 2666MHz
512GB PCIe M.2 Class 50 SSD + 1TB 7200RPM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 OC with 8GB GDDR5X
17.3 inch UHD (3840 x 2160) 60Hz IPS Anti-Glare 300-nits with Tobii IR Eye-tracking
Windows 10 Home
Lithium Ion (99 Wh) Battery
Killer 1550 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0
The SSD is a downgrade in capacity (which I made mention of) but for the most part its a great offer on their end. I'll see what he comes back with but hopefully I can approve it and we can get this party started. Lead time is now showing a month when I look online.
Nice offer! I have not seen any 15r3 models at the outlet for a while with the 7820HK and 4k screen. I would be happy if they made me a 15r4 offer similar to yours. The 17r5 models have been available in the outlet for a while and with all the 15r4 returns, it is strange those have not shown up yet.
Everything else was the same. Told them it was unacceptable as my CPU was a 6820HK, screen was 4k and my battery was 92Whr. Can't believe they would try to pass this off as a valid replacement.
Wow that’s surprising. I was expecting you to get the same offer I did - just with the 15.
I’m incredibly pleased with the agent I’ve been working with for this exchange. Seems like you drew the short straw but don’t give in. That system is in no way reasonable.
I am not going to accept anything less than an HK CPU. It's probably going to be tough for them to match the 4k screen and HK cpu for a lower end spec that they have at the outlet.
I can be patient. I purchased an xps 9370 (this was due to the 15r2 issues) from the outlet that is surprisingly quite capable on the cpu side. I have an Akitio node on the way as well for my gtx 1080 ti.
Dell's response below - they are claiming the 7700HQ is Superior to the 6820HK. I politely disagreed...
On the LCD Front we do need to make a change to provide the UHD LCD instead of the proposed FHD, I have contacted the Factory team and requested they make the change.
However as far as Dell is concerned the 7th Generation 7700HQ is a superior CPU to the 6th Gen 6820HK, so we can't request that change be made.
We will get back to you once we have the next configuration option for you to review.
Strange. I thought you might be UK based on other reports of Dell UK being stingy on the upgrades whereas US seems to be pretty liberal with the upgrades on exchanges.
Well now you need to get your technical ducks in a row. Point out the difference with the HK series CPUs and why that’s an important feature to you. Also, see if you can’t find some benchmarks to support that. Also I would not accept the 1060 series GPU either.
I’ll PM you the email address for my agent as a Hail Mary for you but in the meantime keep pressing. They need your approval so someone has to cave - either him or you.
This is sooo bizarre. FYI his name also shows up as Something else. I’ll send you that name too.
I can’t imagine this is actually the same person. My guy has been super helpful - I asked him about some minor changes and his response was along the lines of “I’m sorry Mr. arush5268d, I’m not able to add that to this type of order but you can call the Dell Cares team and they can help you out.”
He was also able to upgrade the screen to G-sync and we worked out another compromise.
Hopefully some of the previous posters will chime in with some tips. As of now you absolutely have not been offered a fair deal.
I agree. Basically I responded by saying I would not accept anything that was not an HK overclockable series CPU. They can either do that or refund the purchase and warranty price. I was surprised by his insistence that the 7700 HQ was superior.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
