Thinking of buying an m15x.. now a lil worried

Hello everyone, new member here. Sorry for the long first post/topic

I've been browsing around the web looking for a good 15.4'' laptop that I could use for work and gaming as well. Alienware's m15x really caught my attention and just a few days ago, I decided to do some research and see how reviews for it fared.

Googling for alienware m15x reviews got me almost all positive reviews, with a few minor complaints here and there. The most common being the speakers being weak, the creaking LCD and the "space" by the lower right part of the keyboard, all of which seemed pretty acceptable to me.. and then I chanced upon these forums..

Now after reading through most of the posts here, I'm seriously worried about purchasing an m15x. From units not working upon delivery, to overheating and even to the parts of the chassis breaking. It got me wondering how many of you guys, who've purchased an m15x , don't have problems with it whatsoever?

I'm giving this a lot of thought since I'm from the Philippines and shipping the laptop here does cost a lot ( shipping + customs taxes ) Another factor is the warranty. If I do get a defective unit, the Alienware sales rep says that they would replace it but I have to shoulder all shipping costs. ( again, very expensive, and will take a while ) Finally, I have no idea how reliable AlienContact is. ( since there are no local Alienware repair outlets here )

But on the flip side, I cannot find any other laptop that strikes me as much as this one. Would really appreciate any comments/feedback/advice from you guys. Thanks for reading my post

 

Hello and Welcome Cha,

There are indeed many users on this forum that has had various problems with the m15x, but remember that the people coming to this forum generally has problems with a notebook as the forum is built to help out and discuss problems. It is not a all cheer for Alienware forum

I was in the same seat as you a week ago after reading this forum for a month and looking into a lot of reviews out there i was very uncertain if i wanted to get one or not. The general mood about the m15x has improved over the last couple of weeks and there has been many users that are satisfied with their computer that has gotten them recently and people that bought them when it was released a long time ago. Many people who are happy with their laptop doesn't have time and has no incentive to post on the forums, that is why mostly people with bad experiences post here and that is what you read about.

Read throught the Survey for m15x ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=260275) which has some several happy customers and read through the recent reviews that people have written (atol, dhoang and line to mention a few) and create your own opinion about getting an m15x is my recommendation. From my opinion so far a lot of the problems are hyped up and dramatised.

Although there are ofcourse some people that have had terrible experiences remember that Alienware is a hyped up and expensive brand that is seen as the top gaming brand in the industry and markets themselves that way to so people have very high expectations and that is why small things like "creaking LCDs" are noticed because a lot of people buying these laptops expect that all AW laptops produced should be perfect.

Every brand and producer has complaints and a few "lemons" coming from their production line, there is none that produces 400,000 laptops and they are all perfect.

 

Hi Cha

There are lots of users that are happy. There are lots of users that are not.
Read this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=266056 (if you haven't yet).
It is the experience of people that received their laptops in the last couple of weeks and are happy with the laptop (mostly) but have had problems (like speakers hissing, keys popping out, defective GPUs, etc...) and had to sendit back.
Also read the thread in my signature (if you haven't yet).

This will give you the "dark side" of the M15x. And that's the only one I will talk to you about.

There are many others that will give you the "bright side" (look at groove's review, lineazy review, etc...).

Read and use your reason to make a decision.

To finish... just consider that the probability you will have to send your laptop back (or have some parts sent back) in the space of one year are high compared with other laptops.

Good luck and happy brainstorming.

 

Actually there are no repair outlets for AW anywhere. In order to get warranty service you will always have to send it back unless they know its a part you can replace pretty easily. I just wish they could use Dell repair stations or send a on site technician like Dell since they are already part of dell.

 

Cha means that there are no repair places in Asia, all repair "factories" (don't know the english word) are in Europe or US and the warranty doesn't extend outside EU or US in the way that shipping is paid for.

I know this cause i'm moving to hong kong and checked up on the warranty. So if the laptop has to be sent in outside of the EU or US it has to be sent to one of the two (EU or US) and shipping both there and back is paid by the user (Not AW).

 

dont be turned off by the why you shouldnt by an m15x thread. Any notebook you could possibly buy will have horror stories. What that thread is, is a compilation of horror stories on a tech support site. People come here for help when something breaks, and dont when everything is fine so a majority of people on here have had problems. Many people have not had problems, and most of those dont even bother coming here. A few of us who havent have done some full reviews which you should definatly read. The m15x is not without problems, but reading milc's thread which is largely outdated now considering downclocking has been solved in all but the extreme processor, new touchpad drivers have been released, and case cracking has dissapeared. The m15x has been a great laptop to me, you can feel free to read my review, or you can read other peoples, but most who have actually done a review have had positive experiences. I hope you get one and love it like i do.

 

Obviously Line fails to say he has had his notebook for 2 days.
Read Fex, Jay and buzzin's reports. They have had their laptops for 3-5 months and their LCD cases all broke (in exactly the same way). I think that reports from people that have had the chance to experience the laptop are more valid than people that just received it and allow you to foresee the future in a much better way.

As another solid information states (Groove, which now has received his second laptop), there is no obvious upgrade on the M15x now compared to what he initially received.

To end... as I mentioned on the post I asked you to read, there has been several users reporting several problems in their brand new laptops in the last couple of weeks (alone). Do not disregard that when you make you choice.

And to really end... Lineazy has had one key popping out of his keyboard (on his brand new laptop and, believe me, this is something that happened to several people). He will have a new keyboard sent to him... The question is, will you have to pay in case something like that happens?

And that's all. Choose wisely!

 

To see the extent of this problem, remember that Alienware has sold probably something like 200,000 systems? Say that only 3 people reported it on this forum, maybe the total of users getting this was 10-15, then the chance of this happening if one takes care of the system and doesn't abuse it is 0,000075%.

These numbers are just estimates (or speculation) but fact is that it is a significant slim chance of this happening.

 

Hi Milcs,
I've seen you post many things on this forum pertaining specifically to the m15x. I respect your honesty, thuroughness, and attention to detail. At first is seemed as though many of your posts were more in support of the m15x. Now, I'm not so sure, as you have been often riding the fence between positive statements and negative ones. I don't mind you stating the facts and experiences of users, but please don't discourage new customers from making a purchase. Flooding each thread with the same negative experiences makes me wonder about your true intentions. I realize that you, along with other users (me included with a different model), have had some really rough times. However, that doesn't warrant us to manipulate potentially new customers with dark facts as a weapon. Informing people is one thing, but constantly posting the same bad experiences is another.

Gabe

 

how many times... a bad config such as e.g a light that does not work, or a cable not fitted etc is one thing, but the problems of AW are all the same- it boils down to a bad case design heat and cheap plastic, rather than metal or aluminium all they way- then it would be a killer

 

If you would like an alternative to reading through the entire Survey, check out the Worldwide Survey Graphs and Stats which gives you a quick overview of how things have been going since the lauch of the m15x - it was intially off to a very rocky start what with the downclocking, gap over the ethernet port, AlienFX problems/uneven lighting, keyboard lag/unresponsiveness & flex, security slot not working with any locks (till zfactor's post on a DIY mod) and the build quality wasn't standard across all the owner's notebooks.

As said before, quite a few of the recent notebooks been recieved have shown much improvements except for problems with creaking hinges (which have been said by users to go away after a wear in period) and keys popping off. I recall some old users saying a key or two popped off and AW sent them a replacement keyboard, don't know if that still holds true. Contrary to what milcs says, groove75 reported that there seems to be more 'support' or an 'anchor' under the arrow keys area to dampen keyboard flex and three recent users have reported being unable to isolate any keyboard lag. Another point that has been noted (though we have not seen any pics to 100% confirm) is an improvement in webcam quality.

To be taken into account as well is the fact that a couple of weeks ago 2/3 m15xs were shipped with faulty 8800GTXs. The users have informed Alienware and are awaiting their replacement GPUs. I see no reason to come down hard upon AW for this, as with every product there is one or two that have serious problems.

I hope we have all given you a balanced view of the m15x in its current state and that you will be able to make an informed decision

Ps. Excuse any typos

 

My true intentions are just as honest and clear as all of my posts. There are problems that need to be addressed and solved. That's the only thing I'm "fighting" for. If people choose to take AW's side and defend their colors... by all means, do! But people have the right (and we have the obligation) of telling them what we know. Some people have gathered knowledge for 3 days and stand by AW's side. I've gathered knowledge since February and I can't accept AW's position on dealing with the entire list of recurrent problems that the M15x has gone through.

Obviously I grow tired of all these "personal attacks" against my "intentions", my efforts to try and get something done and to show people more than the neon lights and bright reviews. Those do not always show the truth underneath the veil... but unfortunately that's what new prospective owners come across when they Google the M15x on the internet. I mean... the M15x is one of the 100 technological wonders from 2008 (and according to PCmagazine it even has dual 8800GTX). As I was saying... I grow tired of all of the uninformed comments regarding all the strength and time I've put on this forum. So I decided to make all of you guys happy and back of for now (until I receive my new M15x). I can only hope the day won't come when you will have to "swallow" your words.

So... I know what are/were my intentions. My conscience is clean. And yours? What are they? What have you done?

Edit: Here is what Wraithers wrote: "Contrary to what milcs says, groove75 reported that there seems to be more 'support' or an 'anchor' under the arrow keys area to dampen keyboard flex and three recent users have reported being unable to isolate any keyboard lag. Another point that has been noted (though we have not seen any pics to 100% confirm) is an improvement in webcam quality."

Now, anyone that is inteligent enough and reads through all of Groove's post sees how easy it is to manipulate information. What upsets me is that there are so many people that constantly do this to serve AW's interests and side. Oh well... that's life, I guess!!!

 

I only addressed the keyboard flex milcs, not a chassis/wobbliness improvement.
And I did point out the 'might' bit

Peas Not War

 

Hi Milcs,
My statements and opinions are meant to be more of a suggestion and not a personal attack. As i stated before, I respect what you've done (as well as others). However, in spite of the current posts, I can't help but wonder whether or not it will scare customers away. Perphaps I am wrong in my assumptions, but if customers get steered away, Alienware will not have the opportunity to improve anything. Also, in light of the many issues that have been reported on this forum, feel confident in knowing that Alienware is aware of them. Repitiously posting isn't going to change the speed at which they perform.
In regard to your questions about what I've done, I direct my concerns to Alienware instead of this forum (whether it's a letter or personal phone call). I use this forum, as we all do, to get more of honest approach to the whole matter. People will always post what they really feel on a forum. They have the confidence in knowing that despite their user names, they remain anonymous. People will never approach Alienware verbally with the honesty that you read on these forums (which is the reason Alienware reads this forum). However, it has been my practice to always approach my concerns at the source (perhaps this may be a good approach or not).
My true intentions behind being a member on this forum is mostly to help people. I will express my experiences just like any other user, but I will simply leave it at that. There's no sense it re-digging an old matter. I try to support more than anything. My professional background expresses just that - looking at everything with a positive nature and noting that even the best of everything has flaws. However, because I'm human, I will will get frustrated just like any other customer. But the end result will still be the same - I see Alienware as a professional Corportation, and they see me as a professional/customer.

Gabe

 

i had a kid in one of my classes who has had his m15x for a few months and apparently he travels all over the place with it. he takes it to and from classes, brings it to work, games at home, and hasn't had any problems.

high performance notebooks are still in their experimental stages. they're far from perfect, but they're getting better and better as the years roll by. if you're too worried about the purchase, then find an alternative notebook. but, out of 2 people i actually know with these notebooks, they haven't had problems. however, 2 people don't make up for the whole consumer base, but neither does 5 people complaining about the notebook.

 

well go to gartner, forrester, idc any expert on these topics and the analyst will tell you this is what businesses should fear, and org's should have a policy in place to gather bad critic and act on if before it makes to much a difference. ( bad reviews) See some youtube posts re customer complaints- google for them and see the media attention it got, as most org's there is not a proper feedback system- some is gathered here, some through whatever CRM system they use, all report somewhere, but it does not reach the right ppl.. why? cause it's silo based and not horizontal based, where feedback and customer survey are not done at the right time, not at the right place, not feed back to upper managementand pushed down, but more like this: someone not reporting upwards, for so many reasons I could sit here typing tomorrow...

So keep up the good work, if someone like slashot pick it up, then you might actually get somewhere.

Trust me, why do you see class action suits towards the likes of Dell, they listen, they log what you send them???

There are only a few company's ( correct me if I am wrong) like Toyota that have a system where dealers report all service and fixes and issues into a central database and this is analysed, think I saw this as an example soemewhere. DO many do this, one out of 5 million more like it..

 

Not to be a Sager fanboy here but look at the difference in laptop problems between two high performance laptop manufacturers. Also if you are unsure about the M15X, wait 2 weeks for the release of the m860TU. It will be on the Montevina Platform, have the same 8800gtx, and be able to use ddr3 ram granted it doesn't have the ALienfx. So if time isnt an issue id say wait a bit more for the initial reviews of the M860tu and then make a decision.

EDIT. the m860tu is 15.4" laptop so it will be rivaling the m15x. So time will tell if the m860tu does better in thermal solution and chassis quality.

 

agree.. many new in 2 weeks!

 

It's using a very similar chassis to the ones that Clevo provides Rock for their Xtreme 770 gaming range. I had one of these and there were no problems with its thermals or chassis, and I was using the X9000 processor with 8800 GTX card. I thought it was an amazing laptop. However, that was a 17", and the new Clevo is a 15.4" so, who knows? Clevo chassis appear to be very robust and feel quite solid. I guess we'll have to hop over to the Clevo forum when the m860tu is released to get the lowdown on it. I wouldn't be surprised if it were dubbed the sturdiest notebook on the market though. The fingerprint reader is a good idea too.

 

You should ask yourself: are you willing to face the post office and customs from your country to, eventually, send your m15x back for tech support?

About the Clevo, i DOUBT HARDLY that there won't be any overheating/downclocking issue with it (for 8800GT with extreme processor in 15,4"). And most statements have a "cloud" named: yet to be confirmed, since it isn't officially launched.

But best option at time is await until August (at least) before buying a thundernotebook.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far guys. I really appreciate everyone's help, and it's nice to hear your unbiased thoughts on the issue.

After giving it a lot of thought, I've decided to delay ordering the laptop for a bit. I just have a few questions regarding the m860TU

1. Is this laptop also from Alienware? and what is the Monetivina platform? Anyone care to explain it for me?

2. How big of a difference would ddr3 ram do for a notebook? ( as compared to a ddr2 )

In the event that I decide to continue on with the order, I also have 2 other options. ( I am from the Philippines btw )

1. Order it from the States --> My friend's relative is coming over here by August. I could ask her to order it for me. This would save me a lot in terms of shipping costs and customs taxes

2. Order it from the UK ( International Orders ) --> This is what the AW sales rep suggest I do instead. It would cost a whole lot more ( around 300-500 USD more ) But he did say that they recommend this because of warranty and support issues.

But after looking through the graphs that Wraithers provided ( thanks again for that ) I'm more inclined to go order from Alienware US.

Would like to hear everyone's thoughts on this too

 

the m860TU is from clevo. that is a different laptop company.

well performance wise its not that big a jump in performance.

The only problem ordering it from the states when you are in UK is that if you have any problems you will have to ship the laptop to the U.S which can be quite costly

 

I'm not from the UK I stated that as one of the options because that's where international orders should be made according to the sales rep

 

The m860 is a new 15.4 inch laptop which will be rebranded and sold by a few different companies. Right now a company called pc microworks is selling the "edge" laptop which uses the m860tu chassis and platform. The m860tu uses montevina, however, it has the same graphics card. Performance-wise there is not much difference. ddr3 memory is much more expensive and offers little real difference in performance. People are recommending this because it should have a stronger case since clevo has historically built very well constructed chassis's. However, noone can be sure that there wont be problems because it is difficult to put an 8800 in a small chassis like 15.4 inch. The m860tu will have about 2 hours on battery while idle, and wont offer a smartbay battery, doesnt have lights and looks much more plain. Some people like that plainer look, others dont. Its up to you to make a decision. Waiting for some reviews of it would not be a bad idea though.

 

the M860TU is the Clevo Model, many resellers will take this and rename it (i.e Sager, Eurocom, PCMW, Kobalt etc) but still the same comp. Montevina Platform is an upgrade from the Santa Rosa which is what the m15x uses, still the Pennryn family though. The Montevina has 1000FSB where as the Santa Rosa (M15x Platform) 800FSB, thus the Montevina requires less power consumption = cooler, and more battery. DDR3 vs DDR2 cannot really be tested until the units are in production. The battery also with tweaks can get 3 1/2 to 4 hours. On my 5793 which theoretically is more power hungry then the m860TU can get 4 hours of battery life through Vista Tweaks, CPU UV, and GPU Voltage settings. And the best thing is Clevo has many many resellers world wide. Sager is the main American Resseller, and in Europe they have Eurocom, Kobalt Computers, MyCizmo and these european resllers offer their own pan european warranty. Check out the Sager/Clevo page and the Clevo guide and you will be able to see all the resellers. And if there arent any problems with the M860TU, it will probably be built faster as Alienware has a tendency to have longer building times. For the looks in comparison the the M15x it does look "plain" but not really bland as in just a black notebook, it actually looks pretty stylish and classy in its own way. Its like the Ripley and Skull Cap design, both look good in their own respective ways and appeal to different people. The Ripley is a bit more subtle yet classy, and the Skullcap more Stand Out, New Gen thing.

 

It comes down to what you want out of the notebook actually.
If you want pure gaming you could go with either. If you want battery, the m15x's smartbay battery could trump the higher FSB on the M860TU. If you want looks & style then in my opinion it's Alienware all the way (Ripley/Skullcap )

Though the build times and the success rate of the m15x in the US looks much better than in the UK, you also need to look at paying more now for a long run benefit (if ordering from UK to get Warranty & Support according to AW) or paying less now and possibly having to send it for repairs sometime in the future (if ordering from the USA) Maybe the amounts you'd pay would cancel since you're getting cheaper shipping and low customs taxes with your friend bringing it from US in august..

Waiting for the M860TU and some reviews would be a good idea. What's their international shipping/warranty policy btw ? Worth a look to be better informed

 

And how do you know that? If you answer is "PCMW", then no, they don't know what they are talking about.

 

I think ordering from the UK is the better option. Just want to know if anyone here has ordered from the UK ( International Orders ) ? And how your experience with DHL was?

Also quite curious how much customs taxes they charged if in other countries.

As for the M860TU, Wraithers said it best, it's the style and looks of the m15x that got to me But likewise I will still be waiting to see how m860tu does

In case I do continue with the order, these are the specs I have in mind. I would be using the laptop for some games ( currently Guild Wars maybe starcraft 2 and diablo 3 in the future ) and for work ( mostly just excel and word ) If you guys have any recommendations for the specs, or if any of those I chose are, should I say, more prone to becomin defective, please let me know

Design & Display: Silver Ripley Design
Display: 15.4" WideXGA+ 1440 x 900 LCD (720p) with Clearview Technology
System Lighting: Alienware® AlienFX® System Lighting - Aqua
Operating System: Genuine Windows® Vista Home Premium - English
Graphics Processor : 512MB NVidia® GeForce™ Go 8800M GTX
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Turbo Cache Memory: Intel Turbo Cache Memory 1GB – Accelerate Data Transfer Speed
System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 160GB 7200 RPM SATA with Free Fall Protection
Smart Bay: None
CD/DVD/RW: 8x Dual Layer Writer (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
Sound Hardware: Intel® High-Definition Audio (24-bit, 192Khz) with surround sound
Keypad: Alienware® Area-51 m15x AlienFX® Keyboard - English
Wireless Network Card: Internal Intel® Wireless 4965 a/b/g/Draft-N Mini-Card
Warranty: AlienCare 1-Year Free Phone 24/7 and Collect & Return
AlienContact: Added Bonus with any AlienSupport Selection
AlienContact - Remote Alienware Support
AlienRespawn: AlienRespawn v2.0 Recovery DVD – Windows Vista Edition

 

i would recommend getting 1 gig of ram and then upgrading to 4 by yourself. you can save around $150 by upgrading the ram yourself. this is very safe and does not void warranty so there is nothing to worry about.

i would also consider purchasing a smart bay battery after you recieve the machine. you can get a 15% discount on the smart bay accessories after you recieve the machine.

other than that your config is very good. i believe that is what most people will recommend to you when you purchase your machine

 

Good config...
But for your own interest, I would wait till the M860TU comes out (and people give it a proper review).

 

I played Guild Wars on my M15x and never went below 60 fps with everything on the highest settings Too bad it's in the shop getting the speakers fixed It would be my luck...

 

How do you get that 15% discount? Do I have to log in somewhere? Thanks

 

you have to call in and order the part.

 

Yes, the discount can only be applied through CS or Roswell.