*OFFICIAL* M18x R1/R2 Owner's Lounge Thread

[Quontum]

Well! I just ordered mine from Dell Canada. Here is the config:

Alienware M18x Space Black - Anodized Aluminum
Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Dual AMD® Radeon™ HD 7970M CrossFireX™
6 Go dual channel DDR3 SDRAM @ 1600 MHz
750GB SATA (7,200rpm)
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 with Bluetooth 4.0
4 Year Bsic Service Plan

$3,186.00 before Tax

$3,663.10 after Tax.

Did I make a good deal??? I was only able to get a 300$ discount on that.

I had a similar config quoted for around $3100 before tax the other day, so I think you got a good deal there.

I was only able to get around $300 discount, the eGift coupon I get I don't see as discount because I still need to spend it at Dell.

[oanis]

Just ordered mine

Space Black Anodized Aluminum
3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3820QM
8GB Dual Channel XMP DDR3 at 1866MHz
SLI 2GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M
256 SSD Samsung PM830
512 SSD Samsung PM830

Including taxes its costing me $5200.... They still have to get back to me for the rebate.. looks like compared to other ppl in the forum i got a bad deal.. also ordered accessories for 600.... Cant believe they havnt given me a rebate... But its worth it cant wait ship date is 6/6/12

[lancorp]

Okay, because I normally don't buy warranty beyond what warranty that comes with the unit.

Smart. Every consumer shopping expert says they are a ripoff.

Smarter--use a credit card that automatically extends the manufacturer warranty when you charge your purchase to their card. I do that with American Express for everything I think I could take advantage of it. They match EXACTLY whatever warranty you have (CompleteCare, Accidental Damage, Advanced) for an extra year FOR FREE. I spent $69 to upgrade to CompleteCare on my M18x for 1 year, and AMEX gives me another year of the same for FREE. They pay for everything related to the repair, should you need it, including diagnosis, shipping and repair. If the cost of repair is excessive, they refund the purchase price back to your card. I've used it a couple of times with Dell laptops in the past. Love it.

I figure I won't have it after two years anyways since something more spectacular will be out, so it's perfect!

[unityole]

Well! I just ordered mine from Dell Canada. Here is the config:

Alienware M18x Space Black - Anodized Aluminum
Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
Dual AMD® Radeon™ HD 7970M CrossFireX™
6 Go dual channel DDR3 SDRAM @ 1600 MHz
750GB SATA (7,200rpm)
Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 with Bluetooth 4.0
4 Year Bsic Service Plan

$3,186.00 before Tax

$3,663.10 after Tax.

Did I make a good deal??? I was only able to get a 300$ discount on that.

how exactly did you get the 300 dollars discount? did you get one of the promotion laptop? or configure it from 1999 the basic model? cause the only way i could think of getting discount is telling them ive got a quote of 10% off from reflexnotebook and that seems to be the only way i know of which comes out to be 300 for 3k, 400k for 4k and so on.

[Mr. Fox]

Okay, because I normally don't buy warranty beyond what warranty that comes with the unit.

Smart. Every consumer shopping expert says they are a ripoff.

Under normal circumstances, I would agree. The experts are generally right on target with this advice. The American Express deal is pretty sweet and I have used that also, for other large purchases like major appliances. A lot of the financial experts would advise against purchasing an expensive laptop as well; especially if they are not PC gaming enthusiasts.

I know Dave Ramsey would want to slap me, but in this case I would recommend purchasing more than one year, for the same reason that many members of our forum recommend more than one year. Most of us recommend 3 or 4 years. If I had the opportunity to do it over again, I would still go with the 4 year advanced warranty.

Had I gone with one year instead of my 4 year advanced warranty, I would still be the proud owner of a defective $4,000 XPS M1730, usable only as a fancy door stop or paperweight instead of an M18x. The 4 year warranty I purchased has paid for itself in multiple system and component replacements valued at many times the cost of the warranty. I'd say that's a wise use of the few hundred dollars extra that I paid for that warranty. It paid for itself instantly the first time a system replacement was necessary, which was around month #14. Simply replacing one pair of GPU modules for an SLI or CF configuration will exceed the cost of the 3 or 4 year advanced warranty. Just one 6990M or one 580M module is about the equivalent cost of 3 years advance warranty coverage. An M18x or M17x motherboard is more expensive than a 3 year advanced warranty.

When my warranty runs out in August of 2013 and I purchase my next Alienware, it will include the advanced warranty for the longest time period available.

[steviejones133]

Under normal circumstances, I would agree. The experts are generally right on target with this advice. The American Express deal is pretty sweet and I have used that also, for other large purchases like major appliances. A lot of the financial experts would advise against purchasing an expensive laptop as well; especially if they are not PC gaming enthusiasts.

I know Dave Ramsey would want to slap me, but in this case I would recommend purchasing more than one year, for the same reason that many members of our forum recommend more than one year. Most of us recommend 3 or 4 years. If I had the opportunity to do it over again, I would still go with the 4 year advanced warranty.

Had I gone with one year instead of my 4 year advanced warranty, I would still be the proud owner of a defective $4,000 XPS M1730, usable only as a fancy door stop or paperweight instead of an M18x. The 4 year warranty I purchased has paid for itself in multiple system and component replacements valued at many times the cost of the warranty. I'd say that's a wise use of the few hundred dollars extra that I paid for that warranty. It paid for itself instantly the first time a system replacement was necessary, which was around month #14. Simply replacing one pair of GPU modules for an SLI or CF configuration will exceed the cost of the 3 or 4 year advanced warranty. Just one 6990M or one 580M module is about the equivalent cost of 3 years advance warranty coverage. An M18x or M17x motherboard is more expensive than a 3 year advanced warranty.

When my warranty runs out in August of 2013 and I purchase my next Alienware, it will include the advanced warranty for the longest time period available.

Totally agree. I also plan on upgrading when my 4 yr plan runs out....unless my system dies before then - in which case, I will obviously be seeking a nice shiny new replacement from Dell - courtesy of Dell's great warranty!

[lancorp]

Under normal circumstances, I would agree. The experts are generally right on target with this advice. The American Express deal is pretty sweet and I have used that also, for other large purchases like major appliances. A lot of the financial experts would advise against purchasing an expensive laptop as well; especially if they are not PC gaming enthusiasts.

I know Dave Ramsey would want to slap me, but in this case I would recommend purchasing more than one year, for the same reason that many members of our forum recommend more than one year. Most of us recommend 3 or 4 years. If I had the opportunity to do it over again, I would still go with the 4 year advanced warranty.

Had I gone with one year instead of my 4 year advanced warranty, I would still be the proud owner of a defective $4,000 XPS M1730, usable only as a fancy door stop or paperweight instead of an M18x. The 4 year warranty I purchased has paid for itself in multiple system and component replacements valued at many times the cost of the warranty. I'd say that's a wise use of the few hundred dollars extra that I paid for that warranty. It paid for itself instantly the first time a system replacement was necessary, which was around month #14. Simply replacing one pair of GPU modules for an SLI or CF configuration will exceed the cost of the 3 or 4 year advanced warranty. Just one 6990M or one 580M module is about the equivalent cost of 3 years advance warranty coverage. An M18x or M17x motherboard is more expensive than a 3 year advanced warranty.

When my warranty runs out in August of 2013 and I purchase my next Alienware, it will include the advanced warranty for the longest time period available.

Good points. It really boils down to the individual. If you're sure you're going to keep your PC the length of the warranty, then it makes sense to extend for four years.

On the other hand, with some smart shopping (using AMEX for example to get an extra year for FREE), and buying just a one to two year advanced warranty, I think most people will be covered until the "new model bug" bites and they upgrade to the newest and latest. I, for one, rarely keep a PC more than a year, so a cheap upgrade to Advanced and using AMEX covers me for two years for next-to-nothing. I see many new R2 owners upgrading from R1's, so they obviously are not the "keeper" type.

I'm more of a frugal shopper anyways, and while I love having the latest and best, I wait until the object of my desire arrives at the Outlet, then with generous coupon code in hand, I find my awesome deal and bite, most times saving at least 50% off the cost of a new model (and, having the same full warranty). Sure, I had to wait a month or two after introduction, but compared to the 4 year ownership lifetime your talking about, what's a month or two wait to save 50%?

To each their own, as they say.

[unityole]

Good points. It really boils down to the individual. If you're sure you're going to keep your PC the length of the warranty, then it makes sense to extend for four years.

On the other hand, with some smart shopping (using AMEX for example to get an extra year for FREE), and buying just a one to two year advanced warranty, I think most people will be covered until the "new model bug" bites and they upgrade to the newest and latest. I, for one, rarely keep a PC more than a year, so a cheap upgrade to Advanced and using AMEX covers me for two years for next-to-nothing. I see many new R2 owners upgrading from R1's, so they obviously are not the "keeper" type.

I'm more of a frugal shopper anyways, and while I love having the latest and best, I wait until the object of my desire arrives at the Outlet, then with generous coupon code in hand, I find my awesome deal and bite, most times saving at least 50% off the cost of a new model (and, having the same full warranty). Sure, I had to wait a month or two after introduction, but compared to the 4 year ownership lifetime your talking about, what's a month or two wait to save 50%?

To each their own, as they say.

yes, couldnt agree more, all comes down to individual, and i am in canada so purchasing from dell outlet is probably out of the option for me, so i will be getting the 4 years warranty..

[Mr. Fox]

Nothing wrong with frugal. Heaven knows the world needs a LOT more of that.

I don't normally sell my systems after upgrading. I keep them and use them for other things or give them as gifts to my family members. For anyone that only plans to keep their system 2 years or so and then sell, having the longer warranty might make it easier to sell, and for more money. The 4 year advanced warranty costs about $157 USD per year when purchased with a new system. If I were to be shopping for a used M18x, I would definitely be more attracted to, and pay slightly more for, a used M18x with 1 or 2 years of advanced warranty remaining. I'm not sure if the pricing structure is identical for the advanced warranty on a system purchased from the depot.

[unityole]

ok bad news guys.. the msata port is most likely, 99% sataII 3.0gbps speed.. heres the article but its actually the comments down below. although do note motherboards is probably different, or the same, however these are the latest chipset so this shouldnt be wrong. Transcend Launches MSA720 mSATA 6Gbps SSD With LSI SandForce Driven Performance - The SSD Review

msata port is sata 3.0gbps speed =( bye bye to raid 0 3x ssds