[Dell IdeaStorm] Proposing a "GPU upgrade package" for M18x (and perhaps M17x)

[BlueW01f]

Cheers very much.

Is this a 'by Phone only' system, and do you know if its worldwide (i.e. UK aswell)? Never heard of it before.

[Mr. Fox]

Dell/Alienware will be selling 675M and 7970M GPU kits as well. As soon as I have clearance to post them, those part numbers will be made available to the Community.

Well, that did not take too long...

*NEW* M17x R4 and M18x R2 GPU Part Number Lists

[SkittlesXD]

Not sure if Dell planned this, or we had an impact...

*Scratches Head*

[Mr. Fox]

Not sure if Dell planned this, or we had an impact...

*Scratches Head*

I had the information on the new GPU part numbers before you started the IdeaStorm, but could not disclose or post the information until the new hardware had been released to the public.

Look at my post on the previous page. GPU and CPU upgrades have been available from Alienware all along (subject to availability and demand), but many people have not been aware of it. Also, offering special pricing for upgrade packages to existing Alienware owners is something I think we would all appreciate. So, I think your suggestion on IdeaStorm still has merit.

[Mr. Fox]

Here's a good example of Dell/Alienware commitment to their customers...

Have you guys gotten this e-mail? I got this from dell today. Should I go for it?

Wow, that is awesome that they are being so proactive. It really demonstrates their commitment to customers. I say yes, definitely take them up on the offer.

[unreal25]

Here's a good example of Dell/Alienware commitment to their customers...

I wish they were equally commmited every time their other laptops had equally bad or worse problems. It took me a moment to figure out you're actually not being sarcastic. Now we're commending them for doing their job after selling broken laptops? Wow.

[Mr. Fox]

No sarcasm here, bro. Every manufacturer sells broken laptops now and then. I've been left holding the back by HP a couple of time. Doing the right thing is commendable in my view. Especially when you consider that so many of the vendors don't do the right thing. It seems to me Dell/Alienware is interested in taking care of their customers. I can only speak from personal experience and they have always taken care of me when I had issues with one of their products that was still under warranty.

[unreal25]

I have had quite the contrary experience: from faulty nVidia GPUs on XPS m1330 ($1K down the drain), discrete GPU still doesn't turn off properly on M11x-R1, to 1 freaking year to making the M17x touchpad barely usable. They did some good stuff on the other hand too, M11x-R1/R2 hinges for example and this heatsink kit is quite nice too. Maybe the problem is actually that the (proper) quality control and (proper) customer service are lacking. I'll be damned if I let my local contracted tech to attempt to install this kit.

I do agree, however, that a lot other manufacturers seems to do much crappier job in terms of warranties and replacements; HP and Lenovo come to my mind first.

Sorry for OT.

[Mr. Fox]

This is indirectly on topic, as it relates to an idea or proposal surrounding enhanced service from Dell/Alienware. And, we agree on more than we disagree, LOL. +1 rep for sharing your thoughts.

The NVIDIA GPU debacle a few years ago adversely affected a lot of us. I had an XPS M1730 with the NVIDIA defect and the NVIDIA SLI GPU modules were replaced under warranty twice, then the system replaced twice (second time with M17x R2), so I ended up being happy based on the warranty service I received from Dell. It was frustrating while it was happening. The frustration was compounded by incompetent reps from India, but all is well that ends well.

It was a different story with the NVIDIA-based HP Pavilion laptops we had. We ended up getting no help whatsoever from HP (talk to the hand treatment). We had to wait for a class action compromise which downgraded us from $900 systems with nice features to a stripped down pile of junk worth $299 that did not perform as well as a the system it replaced (which was two years older). Credit goes to HP on that shafting, as they recommended the replacement model for NVIDIA to use in the settlement. So, it was a customer abuse double-whammy from HP... refusal to stand behind the product sold--blaming NVIDIA and washing their hands--and recommending an inferior replacement from their low-end product line. I also found warranty service with HP to be a nightmare, as well as with my old Compal HEL80 (iBuyPower EL80, Sager NP2080, PowerNotebooks L 815) gaming laptop.

I think quality control has become an unfortunate sign of the times. I believe it affects all of the companies that are competing for profits and cutting corners to remain competitive on pricing. Between the economic environment and growing numbers of people that want cheap computers, it's got to be tough to maintain good quality control and not price yourself out of the market. In an ironic way, I think that accounts for some of Apple's success, in that they are not interested in selling cheap stuff and don't seem to care about that segment of the buying public. People often buy cheap and expect great things, then blame the company they bought their cheap product from for their lousy experience.

The Lenovo situation is just sad. ThinkPads used to be awesome business laptops. The new T420 I use for work is a major disappointment in comparison to what IBM used to produce. It's much better than the so-called "business class" HP/Compaq 8510p (a real dog) that it replaced, but it still does not meet my expectations. On work computers I don't deal with warranty issues (thankfully), I just get a hot-swap for another equally poor machine.

[Hookerlips]

This is a wonderful idea and sure to inspire loyalty in current customers and entice future customers to buy. Really happy that dell is selling the cards