XPS M1330 Warranty Dilemma

Hello, i purchased my m1330 2 years ago, and since then it has failed once on the october 2 years ago. Ever since then i've been moderating the usage on my laptop and so it didn't happen again.
Yesterday, I've replaced the palmrest, keyboard, and applied the copper mod , but found that my laptop is showing signs of failure (stalling, then screen flickered).

So essentially, my laptop is slowly dying, I screwed up the copper mod in 2 ways:, and my extended GPU warranty expires next month.
I accidentally broke off a piece of the heatsync padding that i took off to put on the copper
I took off the sticker on the copper pipe-thing.


What should i do? It seems that the only thing i CAN do is wait for the end of the warranty, and then apply for a new real one, then overheat the mobo, and ask for a new laptop. I really really like my m1330 though, and theres no better 13"ers being sold right now.

Help please!

 

I agree with you, aside from the faulty GPU the M1330 is a great laptop. And like you I cannot really find anything else on the market I would prefer right now.

I do not really know what to tell you though, it sounds like you already know all your options. But sense I am in similar pickle (though I still several months left) I will try and break down the pros and cons for you.

Buy extended warranty:
Pros
- Dell will replace the motherboard as many times as it fails under warranty
- Dell might offer a replacement laptop
Cons
- Spending more money on old (and faulty) technology

Buy a new laptop
- No need to worry about the faulty GPU anymore
- Newer (faster) tech
Cons
- Most expensive option
- No models you like

Buy new a motherboard
Pros
- You could buy motherboard with the Intel video card and be free of faulty board forever
Cons
- You have to do it yourself or pay someone else too
- If it fails again (and it will if as long it is the nVidia card) you will have buy another one

So basically you have three options:

1) Buy a warranty extension
2) Buy a new laptop
3) Buy a motherboard with the Intel GMA

I think you knew that already, but maybe hearing from some else helped.

 

Thanks, I really appreciate the reply.

For me, option #3 is out of the question because i love how my m1330 is capable of running games, heck even Starcraft 2 runs fine on it at medium settings. But as a double edged sword, that's also the core of the problem.

I just got off the phone with the XPS tech support, and I learned that it requires 3 shop visits to get an exchange of laptop (after my first and only replacement, i've been playing it safe, which now im no longer proud of), 1 year warranty costs $288, and that I am able to get a video card replacement unless it has totally failed.

The guy on the tech support says that only the GPU will be fixed under the warranty terms, but i thought the gpu and motherboard are one thing?

What i really want to be able to do, is replace the mobo/gpu right now, reapply the copper mod, and then just use my laptop until it dies, but as i mentioned before, tech support wouldn't allow me to do it unless there is real evidence that the GPU is fried. :/

 

Okay, so i've decided that if i were to keep extending warranty, that would be the price of a laptop down the line if i were to exchange. But now that leads me to my initial problem, I performed the copper mod, and the thermal pad that i pulled off the GPU broke at the corner. Do you think they'd accept it in the future if i were to just put it back together (you can notice the line of tearing), and with arctic silver 5 thermal paste?

Thanks

 

Wow, that is expensive for a 1 year warranty! I looked mine up online a few weeks ago to see what it would cost me and I could get a 3-year onsite warranty for $290. Why is yours so much more?

I am afraid I do not know about the warranty covering the copper mod, but maybe someone else will.

 

Do you still have any warranty remaining?

Regardless, I would contact Dell and identify your problem and associating it with the exact same problems that has enabled so many other replacements....politely of course...

You are in Canada. Good news is that, if you call during the day you will get genuine Cdn support people from Nova Scotia...no more overseas frustration...

 

Similar situation with me.
My 3 year complete care ends in August, and then I have the extended 1 year after that.
Mobo has been replaced twice, so next one should mean replacement.
I'm not one to abuse a warranty (Coke the laptop), but if you're nearing the end of a warranty, can you accelerate it? Stress test the laptop till it fries?

I still have a year and half so I'm guess it'll happen within that time frame (maybe play a couple more games here and there...)

 

I have no idea why my warranty costs this much, I asked two different guys and they both told me this amount. It's not on-site either, as we dont have depots or technicians here in Canada. We have to mail it into their plants for fixing.

My GPU coverage warranty expires on April 27th, and I called for about an 2 hours yesterday morning, and then another 30 mins yesterday after work with no success of either getting a free extension of warranty, exchange, or an early replacement of the mobo.

After you mentioned your 3 year warranty extension only costs 290 (1/3 the price of mine), I don't feel like extending the warranty anymore. I still have the option of trading in my laptop to sony for $400~, selling it, or waiting for impending doom.

 

Try looking it up online and see what it costs. LINK

EDIT: Never mind. That is for the USA. When I pulled up the Canada page it said to call. It also mentioned being under warranty before extending the warranty online. I am guessing maybe the high price of a warranty extension might be due to not being under (real) warranty so they jack the price knowing that most people who buy extended warranty when not under warranty probably already have problem with their notebook.

 

FYI, when I did copper mod, I completely tore up the thermal pad. I ordered one from ebay for $2 (different color gray instead of blue) I took out the copper shim and replaced the thermal pad when I sent in a warranty claim, dell didn't bat an eye.

 

I was in the same boat late last year looking for my Christmas present to myself. There simply weren't any 13" notebooks that matched the m1330's features. Yes there were more powerful ones, including the XPS 13, but not at 4 lbs weight! Then there were ones equally light, but not nearly as powerful. So in the end, I decided to just go SIGNIFICANTLY better, bigger, and cheaper with an Asus G51J, and keeping my 1330 for when I want to be very mobile.

Since my warranty runs out this summer, I decided to put the 1330 through its paces to really work it out...sure enough, the power supply went kaput, necessitating a motherboard change The on-site tech said the overheating GPU chip issue is pretty much taken care of now, but as I don't trust that, I'll be extending my warranty once again.

 

When searched ebay, there was only 1 result for a thermal pad, and it was $50. That, along with the price of one year of warranty extension of $300, I think i'm better off selling/trading in my laptop and buying a new one.

I'm currently looking through the Sony Vaio line, and i'll make sure to hound the forums carefully before making a new laptop purchase. That, and 3 year warranty

 

Good plan. Do you have the link to Sony buyback program? I am just curious what they'd play for my M1330.

 

I just used google to look for the US site, and hopefully this is it:
Linky
Canadian Link
Mine is worth $404 according to the canadian website. I called the marketing person, and they mentioned typically the quote is correct, and theres rarely chances of the laptop being worth more.

Also, if you're interested to know, right now theres a march madness promotion (in canada at least) which is a $200 discount on laptops costing more than $1500 pre-tax. So essentially im looking at a $600 discount, meaning i'd be paying $900 for a pretty good laptop.

Edit: Yikes, i just checked the US website. Assuming your m1330 is C2D 2.4Ghz, it's worth $140

 

1.5 GHz actually = $118. I have looked at there trade-in program awhile back so I am too surprised by that. That is why was rather surprised to see you $400+ offered on yours. That is really not too bad. Far better than I would have expected for trade-in program anyway.