Alienware Prepairing Fix for Underperforming M15x Notebooks

Alienware preparing fix for underperforming m15x notebooks

(view large image)

Many members in our Alienware forum have run into performance issues with their new Area-51 m15x gaming notebooks. While playing games, the GPU overheats after a certain period of time and then underclocks to keep itself cool, resulting in unsatisfactory gaming performance. Our members have been very outspoken about the issue, and complaints have spread across the Internet. Alienware has been actively participating in our forums and working with members to resolve the issue. According to their latest official post the cause of the problem has been found. This message comes from Frank Azor, VP of Alienware's Product Group:

<blockquote> &quot;Over the weekend, we tested several solutions for the m15x issue related to graphics overheating. We have confirmed that the issue surrounds the software-controlled thermal profiles not performing as designed. We have created and will distribute a beta BIOS to all customers who have emailed us regarding this issue.

Also, there have been many forum discussions surrounding the use of Arctic Silver thermal compound to replace the existing Alienware thermal compound on the Area-51 m15x. We have tested Arctic Silver in response to these suggestions and found that the compound did not solve any of these issues, on the contrary it further induced the overheating situation. We strongly recommend keeping the Alienware thermal compound on the system. We understand that some customers may have modified the thermal compound on their m15x in an attempt to resolve these issues. Alienware will be honoring these m15x warranties however we need to work with these customers on reverting back to the Alienware approved thermal compound immediately. Future thermal compound modifications will not be supported. If you have replaced the Alienware thermal compound please email your account information along with the modifications you performed to area51_m15x at alienware.com .</blockquote><blockquote> We will continue to further test the beta BIOS and will provide a final solution for our customers as soon as possible.&quot;
</blockquote>

Please stay tuned for the full NotebookReview.com review of the Alienware Area-51 m15x. Read more about the m15x and other Alienware products in our forums.

Related Links:

• Area-51 m15x Update from Alienware (official Alienware updates)
• The Official m15x Owners Lounge II

 

Wasn't there another issue where the cases were cracking?

 

Interesting...its a software problem after all. Good to hear it might be getting fixed soon.

Still, that much power in a 15.4" notebook...sheesh!

 

This probably means that the GPU's will be under clocked permanently, leaving users with less than stellar gaming performance, FOREVER.

 

Lol, I wanted to smack my sceen coz of that bug...

 

Throwing out a big thank you for Chaz and all the others who helped bring this to the small ears of alienware. I am a bit more confident when my 15x finally arrives.

 

Good to know that Alienware is doing right by its customers. In fact, going a little beyond considering that they are honoring warranty violations (re: arctic silver mods).

What is more, impressive that Alienware is listening to customers, monitoring community forums and responding. If only all manufacturers did this.

Thanks to Chaz for keeping everyone up to date and for proving a singular point of information.

 

Well, Alienware is heading in the right direction.

 

you said it

 

Seeing that such an issue was discovered after the release was disappointing, it is very good to see that AW is acknowledging this and working to fix this while staying in touch with the community. Great job to AW and also to Chaz and everyone else who made this happen! I'm relieved that the notebook that I will receive will work like it should!

Hopefully, AW continues on this momentum and work on other issues reported by the users.

 

Mmph.

No mention of how some people opened up their m15xes to re-apply the thermal paste, and found that the Alienware builders had done a job so horrible that said builders should be smote and their souls never laid to rest?

 

Yay im really happy i hope this bios solution fixes the issue .

I assume the fans where not scaling up and down as much as desired etc..

Good job alien ware looking froward to hearing how good the fix is.. and possibly picking up a m15x for my self!.. in black wink wink

 

Well they have no choice but to fix the problem, I mean, it wasn't it causing some of their laptops to melt and warp?

It's a potential fire hazard if you ask me, if they didn't release this BIOS update.

EDIT: I like me bug.

 

its great that they have listened to the problems, although I did require a lot of action from end users to get this going by the looks of things.

individual calls seemed to be met with little assistance.

as for the arctic silver issue, what is so special about their own thermal pads, we would really like to know, since AS5 is pretty much the dogs when it comes to offloading heat to a heatsink.

good luck to everyone

 

Sounds like they're addressing the issue well, but the idea of beta BIOS updates? I know most beta products these days work surprisingly well, but I'm not sure I'd want to install a beta BIOS - still, Alienware probably wouldn't distribute them at all if they weren't confident they wouldn't cause problems.

The first time I saw that bug I was wondering how it got in through the closed window. Took a little while before I realized it wasn't a real bug.

 

until they've solved this issue i'm effectively renting their unit for a huge deposit and free post-release re-beta testing services. if they want to fry their notebook with a questionable beta bios update, no worries here.

 

This is good news. I plan on ordering an m15x probably sometime around the second week of May. (I want it mid-late June.) Think the fix will be factory standard by then?