daveh98

Well Luis told me that a Dell rep would call me to set up an appointment to come down to my house and get this resolved. He denied even the 675's as they are "not compatible with my system" and I suppose I understand why. I'll just be happy to get the replacements and my system working as it should. Unfortunately there has been no follow up since Monday. Hopefully tomorrow or especially by the end of the week I get a call or even an order/dispatchment number.

Very nice review. These Kepler's are beasts. Seems like SLI will be quite a nice setup for those upgrading; especially when drivers mature. Any note on the temps and how they compared to Fermi? Thanks for getting the review up quick!

Ya hopefully they send 675s and not 580s. They are asking for my "order numbers" though for the parts that came with my new system with the 580s. How do I get that information and more importantly, why do they not have that information themselves??? I'm not even really trying to upgrade, I just want a functional system with little hassle at this point.

Update: The social media AW team has taken the case and they are proposing to give me the GPU's that shipped with my original system (6970s). I replied stating I was surprised I wouldnt be offered their successor equivalent in the 7970/680 for the 580M being the best mobile option at the time my second unit shipped. They said those solutions are not supported. So I guess that left me with the 675m. Yet, they are only proposing to send me refurbished GPU's. What are your opinions on this and on refurbished? I thought all was going well and perhaps maybe my pink screen of distortion were just a few isolated incidents but it just happened while surfing the web...again. caused shut down which prevented any screen shots to show to see the level of distortion. Looks like I should just risk it with the refurbished GPUs? Edit: http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/354228-my-m1330-gpu-dying-symptoms-not-typical.html I searched google to try to find if my issue could be a rule out to maybe bed memory or driver or something but this popped up. This is exactly what has happened with my computer and am fully certain it's the GPU's..and likely to kick soon then. So I guess I'm stuck with getting used 580M's to replace my used 580ms? Kinda lame....

Anyone with 6990/580 SLI setups, I would strongly advise waiting a bit to see what plays out. It's not like there are many games that won't play at nearly the highest settings. My gut feeling is that the 680M will prove to be less hassle, have much better driver support, and also BETTER image quality. AMD rarely gets called on this but their image quality is poorer than the Nvidia offerings. Back in the 6800 Ultra ATI 800XT(I think they were called that) there were similar debates but with Nvidia doing maneuvers to get better performance at the sacrifice of IQ. Nvidia will likely prove to be worth the price but those prices should come down a bit in a few months when the enthusiasts get their fix. Just my .034 Edit: surprised no one wants to see Metro2033 benched. That thing kills cards at max settings.

Well there may be a SMALL glimmer of hope here. Federico responded to my earlier request before I put my situation on here. I am hoping they will count my communication with Frank and Federico which would have been prior to my warranty expiring. I assured Federico I love my system and have no problem swapping out my GPU's and sending them back to AW. Fingers crossed something positive works out.

Brian, unfortunately I made the contact with Frank and just gave him my service tag number when we made contact. At the end of the day, I am impressed with the AW reps on the forums as they have been able to help me resolve the issues I have had. It was my fault for not being on top of my warranty as I was just under the wrong assumption regarding my system's expiration date. Hopefully, my system will last awhile longer and I will know now to either: A. Not be a test pilot for new systems B. Get the big warranty up front. But Bill, Federico and Frank were all very helpful for all the troubles I have had with my system. Let's just say an Alienware prayer that it doesn't become a paperweight as soon as I think....

AW called me, apparently my warranty expired 3 days ago. I had no clue. I thought I was given a 1 year warranty as of January of 2012 when I got my replacement system as it was a completely new build. My fault I didn't get it in writing. I guess I spend top dollar to have an expensive paperweight. However I should have gone with the bigger warranty upfront. I just never had problems like I have this go around in all of my Dell/AW experience. pretty bummed. The rep was rather rude anyway once I said I couldn't pay for the two graphics cards he wanted to sell me with "free installation." smh.... - - - Updated - - - Maybe that's why I got the call today as my service tag would have shown the date my warranty expired and it was given out and diagnosed by me prior to it's expiration. I said to the guy on the phone "i brought this issue up on the 11th so doesn't that count for anything." His response "Sorry sir, I can only sell you the graphics cards."

Just an update. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on 7/15/12; games ran smoothly. Again, my temps are 72-76 which is good considering the heat I am in right with not the best AC on the top floor of a condo. I was told I would potentially get a call on the weekend but definitely expect a call on Monday (today). Nothing. Today when gaming the screen distorted and then froze. I snapped pics but it was only at the "your system shut down and windows will try to repair any errors." I let it go through that long process. Sigh. I love my system but this R1 has been filled with so many headaches compared to my m17x R2. I really just want to enjoy and game when I can. The care I put into my PC in keeping it flawless like it comes from the factory is a priority to me. I have a nice laptop lift to help compensate for the summer heat and also use compressed air and manually clean the vents. Dust, drivers, etc are not an issue. I know they are cards that are starting to degrade and I just hope something happens without another 40+ hours of trouble shooting like I did last go around. Hopefully I get some resolution soon. Thanks for all the continued support. Dave

Thanks for the quick reply, PM sent with information. I appreciate the help from everyone on this matter. I honestly felt this replacement m18x was bullet proof. It looks the same as it did the day it came home from the factory. I always clean my system, clean the vents, fans, etc. I was very surprised to see this happen 6 months into ownership. Unfortunately I know when these symptoms begin (nothing happened today), it's really a ticking time bomb until they die out. Happened on my m15x from 2008 in 2011, and my old Alienware desktop with dual 6800 Ultra SLI system. At least I can say I have brand loyalty despite this: XPS with MR9800 (amazing system) XPS with 7900MGTX Alienware desktop FX-55, 6800 Ultra SLI M15x, M17x R2 and M18X. Thanks again everyone.

Thanks mw86. That is exactly who I reached out to. Hopefully they can just take some good faith experience if this doesn't replicate anytime again soon. I have kept this system in such tip top shape; it looks the same as it did when I opened the box. I would have no problem swapping out and sending the other cards back. I will keep you all posted.

Thanks for the quick reply Brian. That's not a bad idea. Thus far, when it's happened I lose complete functionality of the machine. I will go play another game and see if it happens again and if I can get a quick print screen to mspaint before I crash. Hopefully something can work out. My mom just broke her neck so i am caring for her as she has to wear a pretty crazy neck brace for 12 weeks to see if it heals without the need for surgery since it is her T1. And I happen to be busiest at work since my agency as Request For Proposal (RFP) new funding for the addiction program we run. I have so much traveling coming up with continuing education trainings, this is the last headache I want to contend with...seems to happen this way in life from time to time. Thanks again and will keep you posted..hopefully with a screen shot.

Gosh guys, My replacement M18X was doing fine and tonight I got extreme artifacting during a gaming session that froze my computer and needed a hard restart. I chalked it up to a fluke (I constantly monitor my temps from MSI and have not once OC'ed my cards). My temps were not near extreme (75ish and I am in very warm weather). 15 minutes into normal web browsing the entire screen flickered in bright pink colors with thousands of lines distorting the screen amongst other artifacts. I am in one of the busiest time periods in my life and I CANNOT afford to go through hundreds of hours of hassle with Step 1 agents by calling the number. I reached out through PM "the top dog" who assisted me in getting my first replacement (he posts on NBR). I am really hoping we can do something fast as I am working ridiculous hours, have numerous family issues, etc. What other things can I do to try to do to expedite getting a replacement. My first computer was bunk, this computer is proving to be bunk and this experience is just downright frustrating. Any tips? My m15x from 2008 went out the SAME way this did. It starts off like this and it isn't necessarily constant and am afraid these reps are going to want to "watch the screen." The problem is, I don't want to "wait" for it to happen again. Initial artifacts and GPU burnout doesn't go in a day. My m15x took 6 months to finally artifact upon normal browsing and during anything moderately intensive and then just "burnt out." I don't have time to waste waiting for that type of consistency with this computer. Thanks in advance:/

Ugh, Yes I figure I am doing the "right thing." Damnit...I am getting old. I want I want I want!!!

Whats up techinferno bros..and broettes. So I am really happy right now with my m18x and 580SLI setup. All games run well enough but these new 680's are looking to be absolutely amazing. Are people going to jump on an instant upgrade or wait it out for prices to drop and drives to mature? It looks like it will be a relatively easy upgrade with no power adders needed. I am just torn on the upgrade because, while I like to be at the bleeding edge, I also like Return on Investment. And with the 580's still doing a great job, I am actually debating waiting until i need to upgrade for a game. What do you all plan to do? Peace.

@mw86 Hey buddy I am really glad to hear you are getting a new and quite powerful setup with not as much hassle as times past! Those 7970s are beast! My system has been running very well and I have no gripes. The 580s are really nice and I am glad to play Crysis 2 on Ultra finally. Batman AA issues have been resolved (from my NBR thread) as I just rolled back to the previous drivers. The new WHQL really gimped a few games. I am hoping Nvidia offers something special later this year as a final upgrade path for me to tide me over for the next few years. I think these 580s still have plenty of life left in them as well. I am very impressed with the whole m18x as a whole and think the build quality is absolutely tops. I am equally impressed with the cooling and how quiet this system is for pumping out the amount of wattage that it does! I haven't been as active since work and life are taking up time.

Sweet thanks. I am assuming I can just use the batch files instead of flashing? Two questions. First is, i right click the stock .bat to rename to the C drive but I see no "edit?" Secondly, do you run your 580s stock outside of benching or do you find that the "modest OC" batch is good for 24/7? This seems like a simple fix for the throttling. I just don't know how to manipulate the D to C drive for the batch. Thanks.

Thanks Brian, the only really frustrating part is that ROI on notebooks is really dependent on the use you get from it due to the rapid changes in technology; it's much easier to contend with issues with a desktop. However I think the 580s will hold out for awhile (assuming that they don't fry). I remember back in the Nvidia 6800 days and the ATI x800xt days where Nvidia had a definite performance boost but it came at a cost of them manipulating their cards to sacrifice IQ. It seems on the mobile landscape AMD is sacrificing the IQ but Nvidia seems to want to win the "temp wars." I have no computer programming knowledge to say that they can throw off temp readings but it is just a hunch given, as you said, the feel of the heat radiating from the top left corner of the system. With that, I have been using shortcuts from NVinspector to correct the throttling. I heard there was a permanent fix but the links are dead to Megaupload. How do I permanently fix the throttling? I have no plans to OC these cards but would like to not have the throttling issue anymore.

wow you have had quite the ordeal as well MW. Geez! Honestly I am not going to be stressing the system, OC'ing, or doing much because I feell like I finally have a functioning system and want to enjoy the games. Fortunately, I do have 580Ms as opposed to 6970s and the games are running smoother consequently. I wish it wasn't such a long process but at least I am not (knocking on wood) part of the 1500 unresolved BBB complaints against Dell. The system is in perfect working condition minus the known bugs and Dell forgot to send me a personalized nameplate but I am not going to even make mention of it. I just want to put this behind me and move forward. I did make a new post about the 580m and the reported temps because after owning the 6970s which reported much higher temps; I have strong suspicions these 580s are running hot. I remember how poor the 8600 series were and my 8800mGTX crapped out after about 3 years (1.5 of which were hardly used). I think ultimately this just feels like a relatively buggy system in general. I don't know if it is solely the result of bad batches of products (motherboards, GPUS, etc) or just too much power in portable solutions. I don't know as that goes beyond my knowledge. I do think that my error codes from my last system were motherboard related and some of my initial problems with the notebook back in July 2011 were also motherboard related. Here's to hoping for a relatively stress-free ownership experience with the new system. The red is HAWT!

Hey all, Well my replacement system came and after updating drivers and playing some games I have noticed a few things compared to the 6970s. The pros are a definitive IQ improvement in most games I have played. Minimum FPS is higher and the overall experience just seems to run better. Crysis2 is finally playable (mostly) at Ultra and DX11 whereas it was completely unplayable with the 6970s. BF3 can also be maxed whereas I had to alter the type of shading with my other cards. Image IQ is the most notable difference to me. Interestingly though, while my 6970s would hit about 80ish, the 580ms hit 70-75 but it is DEFINITELY running hotter. The fans blow louder, longer and it is just hotter to the touch. Have you guys who have had both AMD and Nvidia noticed this? Doesn't seem to be discussed much but I have a feeling the thermal diodes are reporting inaccurate information and it wouldn't be the first time this has occurred. Though I don't have any need to OC at this point, I am definitely more leary about overclocking as I don't think the cards are running in the 70s. All in all, so far so good. I do love the Nebula Red color; much better than I thought I would. Games are running great and it's nice to have a fresh computer. No issues that are bothersome outside of the GPU heat.

You are a freaking animal! Congrats!

Well my order is in production and I have my order number. I decided to go with Nebula Red instead of Space Black. How does the red look? Just wanted to try something different. Overall, I am pretty happy with the outcome assuming everything works from the factory. I guess the 30 hours of advocacy over Dell's CS problems did finally get some positive closure. My 6970s were upgraded for free to the 580s but unfortunately they didn't work. Then as a result I am getting a freshly built system. So even though I have not been gaming for a few months (definitely a problem in the technology world IMO) I am at least getting a brand new system from the factory much better spec'd then when I bought it back in July 2011. The system color is different, I am going from 2.2ghz to 2.4ghz and my ram was 1066 and now is 1600. Obviously the 6970s to 580s is the biggest jump. I am just pumped that it's a completely new build. I do plan on riding this rig out for a few years and will make my next purchase after the new consoles arrive. I don't think there is anything really on the horizon that will overly stress the 580s anytime soon. thanks for all the venting on this! It's not like we are purchasing desktops and can just upgrade with the greatest of ease so being out of a gaming rig for a few months really puts a damper on your return on investment with a notebook. I feel badly for people that get bum systems and just don't do anything about it. Sometimes in life you have to be a squeaky wheel to get your way; especially dealing with big business. I could probably have advocated for a better processor or more memory but feel that I got a very good price when I purchased in July. With all the other upgrades, I didn't feel I needed to go any further. My main concern was to get a new computer as mine turned to be a lemon and Dell accommodated my request relatively easily once I was aware that I would get a "same or better refurb." I just didn't want to gamble with getting a "same" refurb. Fortunately MW got an AWESOME top shelf refurb that was well worth it. Looks like we may both walk away happy from this at the end of the day...or at least feel like things were course corrected. Cheers. But ya...how is the exterior red color?

Hey thanks for the reply; I agree about the honesty is the best policy. To clarify, I am getting the 2760 which is the quad 2.4ghz. It is an upgrade in a way from the 2720 I did have which is clocked at 2.2ghz. I'd imagine this config should ride me out for the next few years. I can always drop in a 2920 when the Ivy come out but this should be good. I hear good things about the red system so I am looking forward to getting this system, hopefully with no more unwelcomed surprises and moving on! I really want to see what these 580s can do. I know they chew up BF3 and Crysis 2. It should be pretty noticeable since my 6970s were pretty solid minus Crysis2.

I have mixed feelings re: calling and saying a tech scratched things. I have dealt with tech's that completely bonked my system and have worked with great techs. I would call it a win since you have a fully functional system once you get the 580s and it's a big upgrade. Waiting on the phone for more hours to get some scuffs worked out seems like a hassle but that may be a very important thing to have fixed for you. Update on mine, I kept pushing for a new build. They are trying to get me to take 6990s but my system notes show 580m SLI and that is exactly what I expect in my system. No real upgrades or anything but because it is a new build it looks like I will get the 2760 vs 2720 and maybe faster ram. I did ask for Red instead of Space Black to have something different. As long as everything is running smoothly from the factory, I will be happy with this.

Hey Bud, Congrats on the outcome of your situation. I would flip if I get the 2960xm. But until that time comes, I will just continue to wait. Even with a pimped out system, I am going to be very wary of my purchases with Dell from here on out. This has been a customer service nightmare much more than a hardware nightmare though I have been plagued with both. I just hope the silver lining is seen soon so i can actually play some freaking Skyrim and go through crysis2 with the highest settings for once:) Peace and congrats.