Switch to Alienware?

OK, I ordered a custom Clevo but the recent problems with the 7970M cards has made me consider going to the dark side and switching to... gulp... Alienware. Do the current Alienwares containing the 7970M's run smoothly and is there currently a backlog if I were to order now? Thanks!

 

I haven't heard anything major relating to the 7970m on the Alienware side.
Dell appears to still be rolling these out pretty quickly from what I hear, with free upgrade to 1 day shipping even.

You can try hitting up Allan here for better pricing when the service gets re-established:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...upgrade-new-system-purchases.html#post8447985

Or you can try calling Dell to try haggling with the Sales reps (lol I didn't get much luck there though).

And lastly, since you're from the Sager subforums - you may have heard about Powernotebooks - they do Alienware as well, if you don't want to go through the Dell Sales reps to get significant discounts.

Just a couple of options to try - if you don't want to pay full price for the Alienware

 

I appreciate that. I notice that their hardware is not very competitively priced if you go full retail.

 

7970M was released before the drivers were ready for prime time. Those with CrossFire are having more issues than those with a single GPU. Those that own the new cards are finding Catalyst 12.5 beta helps, but the cards are not performing properly overall. It may take a couple of driver releases before AMD can get the new GPUs performing as they should.

Call 1-800-ALIENWARE and you can generally negotiate a better deal than the web pricing. Load your shopping cart with what you want, save it, then call and see what kind of deal you can work with them.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/456885-aw-dell-ordering-advice-how-save.html

 

Dark Side..? The real question is will you be happy with your Alienware laptop? If not then just wait for Clevo to fix the 7970M cards.

 

I've always thought of Alienware as much less bang-for-the-buck, but have heard good things about their build quality, etc. I would definitely be happy with one if I could rationalize the cost!

I also need the laptop for work: my current one is fried. I want to wait as little as possible but the performance downgrade to the GTX675 is quite noticeable from what I've heard.

 

The GTX 675M is mostly just a renamed GTX 580M... some minor changes in GPU architecture, but nothing worth the cost of switching from 580M. So, it's not a "downgrade" in the normal sense of the word, just yesterday's tech. The 7970M is more powerful, as one should expect from AMD in their newest mobile GPU flagship. The NVIDIA flagship (680M) has not been released yet, so we don't know how the 7970M will stand up to the competition right now. At any rate, it's still a beast in every sense of the word.

Once you get an Alienware, you may be hooked for life. Especially so if it's an anodized aluminum M18x with CrossFire or SLI.

 

Alienware isn't just about flashing LEDs, and ostentatious/vulgar/absurd looking laptops, but also about build quality and Dell's support behind it. M18x/M17x R2 metallic chassis is BEAST, beats the crummy plastic chassis found on R3/R4 and most other laptops. Also Dell's support and customer service I find to be top notch, find another company that will exchange your unit after 3-4 repairs.

 

I now find myself in the middle of a fairly large dilemma , my recent purchase of the Sager9150 has been significantly delayed with no known ETA . I was already on a bit of a time constraint at the time I purchased it (05/10), but was told I would have it by late May/early June, but this recent delay has most likely pushed that date far past the start of school.

I was originally looking at both the M17x and NP150 but eventually decided upon the Sager due to previously having an extremely bad experience with Dell's customer service and a $2,000 M1530 (build quality). Part of me wants to give Alienware and Dell another try, but I find it tough to justify paying over $400 more for the same equipment based solely upon the notion that Dell's build quality/customer support is superior (obviously not my personal experience so far). I know people have received some sizable discounts on their machines, but I would need receive about 4-500 off a similarly configured system on AW's website to get close my current purchase.

So therein lies my dilemma, do I just wait out the delay on the Sager or do I cancel the order and gamble more time haggling with Dell for a reasonably priced system that I may not get?

(Purchase receipt for reference)

Sager NP9150 (Clevo P150EM)

Configuration:
Product
15.6” Full HD 16:9 LED-Backlit Super Clear Gloss type
NEW! 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
AMD® Radeon™ HD 7970M 2GB GDDR5 (Shipping NOW!)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 2 X 4GB
500GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive
8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive
8 cells smart Lithium-Ion battery pack 76.96Wh
Integrated 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN + Bluetooth*
Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Genuine Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition
IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU
LIFETIME Limited Labor and 1 Year Premium** Parts Warranty

Total cost: $1,475 (includes tax/ship etc...)

 

Why not just call Dell/AW and see what kind of a price you can get. If you are bad at haggling just tell the sales rep you are interesed in a AW laptop but you are also considering a sager/clevo. Mention that after customizing everything the AW is more expensive by about 200-300 dollars for the same configuration so please ask your manager if you can bring the price down. Works all the time whether your buying a laptop, furniture, car etc.

The order below if I got the same set up with sager/clevo would of cost me $2067+tax from the Candian Reseller Reflexnotebook and I paid $2250+tax for the m17x but AW through in 3 years extended warranty.

**EDIT - wanted to mention the price before haggling for the AW was 2500+tax without the warranty, so I feel like I got a good deal for the laptop I wanted. All in all they gave me a discount of 250 and threw in 3 years of warranty(valued at $348).

1 225-2945 Alienware M17X R4 - Direct
1 009-6800 SHIPPING FEE
1 312-1334 90WHr 9-Cell Primary Battery
1 317-9735 3rd Gen Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz
1 317-9747 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 7970M
1 317-9892 12GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
1 318-0424 Internal HD 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
1 318-2005 DL DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
1 318-2314 AW MLK Hinge Up, Non 3D - Black, M17XR4
1 320-3275 17.3-in WideFHD1920x1080 60Hz WLED
1 331-6857 Alienware Doc - ENG+FRN
1 331-6864 AlienFX Color, Astral Aqua
1 331-6867 Shipping Material, M17X R4 - Black
1 331-6868 Placement, M17X R4
1 331-6909 Resource DVD, M17X R4
1 331-6912 English Keyboard, 101 Key, M17X R4
1 331-7193 Alienware M17x 240W A/C Adapter
1 331-8045 Windows 7 OS Label, AWNB
1 342-4425 64GB mSATA + 500GB 7200RPM
1 410-0548 ADOBE ACROBAT X READER MLANG,CNB
1 410-0572 MCAFEE 11, 30 DAY, CNB
1 420-9691 DATASAFE LOCAL BACKUP
1 420-9956 VISTA PC RESTORE
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 421-3874 Camera Software 2.X, Factory Install,CNB
1 421-4289 DELL SPRT-CTR SW 3.0
1 421-5789 Win 7 Home Prem 64 SP1,Eng,w/Media,AWNB
1 421-7439 AW Command Center M17XR4
1 421-7440 Quickset, M17X R4
1 430-4706 Internal Wireless Bluetooth 4.0
1 430-4711 Intel WiFi and WiMAX 6250 a/g/ w/BT 4.0
1 994-3730 WARRANTY SPRT,ANW NB,INIT YR
1 995-5993 HW WRTY+SVC,ANWNB1NBDM3,UNY,INIT,REL
1 995-6013 NBD OS,ANWNB1NBDM3,UNY,INIT YR,REL
1 993-8582 WARRANTY SPRT,ANW NB,2YR EXT
1 995-6003 HW WRTY+SVC,ANWNB1NBDM3,UNY,EXT,REL
1 995-6033 NBD OS,ANWNB1NBDM3,UNY,2YR EXT,REL
1 331-1349 Standard Nameplate
1 421-1359 World of Warcraft Edition
1 421-1360 Steam with Portal
1 421-1573 Alienhead 3D
1 421-1591 Alienhead 3D
1 600-0048 ON $0.05 EHF ONTARIO KEYBOARD

 

you went to the dark side if you go MBP!!!!

i personally prefer plastics, they're lighter and more flexible, plus you don't get static shocks to your fingers and hand every now and then.
and isn't the m17x R3/R4 rubberized and not just plain plactics?
i don't think the majority of ppl think alienware as vulgar/absurd looking

 

If the AW is 300-400 above the Sager then you will have no problem getting them down. Show proof that you ordered it and tell them that you are annoyed that you have to wait so long but you don't think it would be worth 300 more to get the Alienware just because your getting it quicker. They will probably get you down to around $100 above the price of the clevo. I'd pay the extra 100 for Alienware. Next day tech support (which may not have been good too you in the past... I would consider it a once off problem. Dells support has been good recently so that shouldn't be an issue any more.) They do look better than a Clevo (I'm not picky on looks but I would take the alienware over a clevo) & they have a decent backlit keyboard and speakers.

I think you would have a bit more reassurance going with Alienware, especially if you get the accidental warranty.

 

dude m17x is 17" while the np9150 is only 15" and price difference at only USD300/400??? should be a no brainer which to choose.

 

I actually prefer the 15" to the 17" for desk space/portability reasons, but that aside the prices differences between a 15 and 17inch is at best $100 ($60 in sagers case). My worry is more focused on getting it at the right price/time since I am extremely constrained in terms of budget and somewhat limited on time. I did actually email Allan a while back since he and his team seemed to be very friendly/helpful in their forum post, he forwarded the email to another team that would contact me but it's been a while so . Calling is going to be my last resort as I attempted that a few times before going with the Sager and was basically given the option of paying full price or go elsewhere (2 of the reps didn't even know what Sager/Clevo was......).

I seem to just have bad luck when it comes to Dell, and that is something which I would like very much to change!!

I wish I could be as enthusiastic/confident as you are about the build quality a support offered by Dell, but with SO many people having really awful experiences combined with my own horror story it's tough to imagine . Now I realize the bad experiences are touted about more than the pleasant ones, but when your about to drop almost $2,000 on a product anything negative gives cause for concern.

I'm really on the fence about giving Dell one last shot, or wait to make a significantly less expensive purchase in the future........idk.....

 

Agreed. I share the same sentiment. I'd rather have a relatively portable but powerful 15.6" machine, as opposed to the Alienware offerings with the ATI 7970M GPU. However, given the current scenario, this is being less and less likely.. :/

 

shame really, AW replaced the M15x with the crappy M14x, regardless, when i configured both np9170 and aw m17x r4 with exactly same configurations and asked price quotes directly through resellers, i found the price differences of USD150 (more expensive on the AW and both after discounts).

in the end, i could only say buy something you won't regret the next day/ week and don't buy what you don't need.
regardless of which brand you choose, both sager/clevo and aw makes awesome laptops.
for me, i ordered aw in the end because warranty and service wise, dell is much easier to access in my current location than sager/clevo.

 

The most important factor to any decent Dell purchase is to make sure you get a nice long warranty. That's also normally the area that the sales rep. can give you the most savings.

 

Can you upgrade your warranty when you receive your unit?

 

You can purchase aftermarket warranty from Dell, but it's advisable to get it at the same time with your system order.

Adding it later can be significantly more expensive.

 

I already paid my item. How much is it and can you use that warranty for free upgrade?

 

No, you can't use your warranty for free upgrades lol.
As for the price, you should contact Dell and ask for a quote or send an email to Allan here.

 

ya this is true. The sagers are better bang for the buck...however, try installing a 7970m in a last gen HM series Clevo and you'll understand (i.e., it doesn't work and its not supported). The 7970m was pretty much plug and play on my last gen m17x R3

Word on the street right now is that the 680m will also not work in the last gen p150, p170 HM series

 

I hate to say it, but that's really bad on Clevo's account.

 

I switched over to Alienware because of the whole 7970M issue with the Clevo laptops. Here is what I can tell you:

1) Alienware versus Clevo/Sager – Technically, I have never had a system from either maker, so I can’t make a “IMHO, this one is better than that one” statement. I have had three Dell laptops though, and they have mostly been trouble-free (i.e., never had to call Dell to fix something), so I didn’t have any major qualms about getting an Alienware (aside from price; more on that in a second). Lots of people on this board have Clevos/Sagers and love them. I decided to switch to Alienware because it appears that the problem holding up delivery of Clevo-based laptops is exclusive to Clevo, so Alienware probably won’t be affected. More information can be found here and here (start at post #66). I went from no ETA with my Clevo, to an ETA of June 8th with my Alienware.

2) Price - +1 to what xHamanx said. See this thread for strategies. This is what I did: My company offers a discount on Dell / Alienware computers (a measly 2%). BUT, based on the thread I just referenced, I knew to call them to negotiate. Got a U.S. based rep on the line, told him what I wanted and what I wanted to pay. He countered, I rejected, he countered again, and I rejected again. He said that was the best he could do and I said OK and ended the call. About 10 minutes later he calls me back with the price I wanted. Done. All told, I got 16% off the system price. It was still more expensive than what you can get at XoticPC, but that is mostly because I have to pay sales tax (stupid Dell being located in Texas). But I will have my laptop in a week or two (Dell seems to be humping these things out), as opposed to who-knows-when with Clevo.

3) As Katalin says, you can purchase an extended warranty from Dell after your initial purchase. I believe they will even send you a notice towards the end of the standard warranty to offer an extension to you. You can also go here to extend the warranty after your purchase. If you haven’ t received your system yet, call Dell to see if you can get the initial lower price. Even if you have received it, give them a call and ask. The worst they can do is say no.

 

^^^nice post. I agree with your thoughts. Congrats. I think you will be happy with the decision. +1

 

Thanks, Mr. Fox! The only small drawback is that I will have to do a little DIY with some components (RAM & SSD, so nothing major).

 

So if I were to switch to an Alienware as I mentioned in the OP, I have a couple questions:

1) The Clevo chassis makes it simple to access RAM and SATA slots for upgrades by removing one panel. Is this the same on the M17x and M18x?

2) Any strong differences between the M17x and M18x besides the SLI and larger screen?

3) How many years does Dell provide BIOS upgrades?

4) It seems they charge you like $90 extra for North American phone support. What a crock! Is their "regular" support atrocious?

Thanks!

 

^ beccarte - I just switched to Alienware a few minutes ago. Here's the manual...has a guide on most upgrades. Very simple - just like Clevo/Sager!

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/Alw_M18xR2/en/OM/om_en.pdf

 

@beccarte:

1) To add to what sk3tch posted, here is the M17X manual (h/t to Katalin for posting this originally).
2) As for the differences between the two, here and here are two threads that might help you. It is a comparison between the M17X R3 and the original M18X, but I do not think there are significant changes (aside from new GPUs and CPUs) from those versions to the current editions.
3) Someone more knowledgeable than I will have to fill you in on the BIOS support questions.
4) Don’t know, as I have never had to call Dell support!

@sk3tch: another poor soul fleeing from the Clevo fiasco? Sigh…I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of us showing up here.

 

Haha...yeah man. Can't beat the bang/buck and availability...plus the resale value on the Alienware will be way better. I'm just worried about Dell's quality control. I bought an M14x R1 last year and it did not work out after receiving two units. Ah well. 7970M CrossFireX should shut me up...

 

Semantics aside, the bottom line is this: are you willing to wait for the 7970M in a Clevo and save $200? Or would you rather get a working system now and spend $200 more?

 

There's a lot more to it than that. If you don't know, then look over the Clevo forums... There are FAR too many leaning over towards Alienware now..

 

That's good news for me, My NP9150 7970m will be in the first productions as soon as they can start building orders with the 7970 again (17 more days to go lol)

 

I wouldn't say "FAR" too many. Maybe not enough?

*Totally kidding. Clevo makes good stuff too. Buy what you like is what I say.

 

Not only do you spend 200+ more DOLLARS, you also have the risk of Alienware's quality control... there's already a couple new threads of M17xR4's breaking down.

 

Oh, you have NO idea! In any case, you being a Dell rep, are you in a position to offer discounts and the like?

 

No discounts here. I'm a humble marketer responsible for social media strategy for my team and broader organization in the consumer/small biz product group. Best way I've heard to get a discount is exactly how you guys are discussing- get a competitor quote, call AW and mention said quote. Then see what happens.

 

Sounds good! Thanks for the assist.

 

One more thing: Allan's activities are in the process of being "redefined" by upper management. Gone are the days of the 17% discount for requesting a quote on his thread. I told him he needs to update the thread with that information, but he's waiting for guidance from the sales execs before he says anything. I worked for the exec he's talking to many moons ago, and I can tell you there will be changes. He's a good dude, though. He will come back with some good guidance, and all happiness and joy should resume after that... just sans big discounts. The phone/competitor quote route will be the king in the end.

 

Besides that, is there any other way to claim a good 10-15% discount?

 

Not that I know of outside student discount programs at some universities, and whatever coupon codes are posted. EPP is always there for some.

 

:/ .

This is something I've been trying to figure out for awhile. So all students discounts and work discount don't give the same ~2% "Members get the best price" discount? Some actually give more substantial discounts (I've tried it for my school and both companies I work for and gotten the same aforementioned discount)?

 

That's a really shame , Allan and his teams conduct in that thread is what renewed my interest in Dell. To hear that "upper management" basically shut them down is the kind of behavior I'm afraid of when dealing with Dell (no offense), it just seems like the bottom line is more important that the customers these days. Allan said he forwarded my specific case onto another team, but I've yet to hear from them, which is all to reminiscent of my previous dealings with customer support.

I WANT to like AW honestly, I love their design over the more business like Sagers. It's an extremely tough decision to make when you feel like your gambling almost $2,000 on something either way whether it be the arrival date for Sager or Dell/AW's build quality and support.........arghhh

 

Everything is easily accessible. You can look at my two guides in my sig for an idea as to how easy it is

There are ways bro, but not on this thread and I don't think bill is in the position to say how lol

 

It's actually not as sinister as that. It's a little complicated. It basically comes down to Allan is tech support, and tech support sells stuff like upgrades and warranty extensions, but selling whole units is not their "turf." Sales sells whole units. So, I think what management is going for is Sales sells units, and tech sells upgrades. I am just guessing here, but I think Sales will get a team social media trained and start performing the same function here at some point.

TBH, sentiment like yours expressed in posts helps drive that decision. A good number of our execs read this forum...a lot.

 

In that case I second his sentiments!

 

Glad to hear they are reading the forums, because Allan's team being pulled just about sent me to another brand. I'll give them a little time to get it worked out, but hopefully it'll be relatively soon. Thanks for the update, Bill and welcome back!