Dell 7750 Mobile Workstation Issues

So, where to begin? 

I contacted Dell in August of last year in regards to replacing my 4 year old ASUS ROG gaming laptop.  I use AutoCAD Architecture and 3D Studio Max in my business, so I decided to look at the Alienware laptops.  I have to go to clients' homes a lot to show them the designs, so I wanted to keep things mobile.  The tech I spoke with told me that he would recommend that I speak with someone in their Mobile workstation department, so I was transferred.  The tech and I configured a 7750 mobile workstation with 128GB of RAM, a 2.4ghz Xeon multicore processor and two M.2 SSD and an Nvidia Quadro 5000 video card.  Needless to say, this was NOT a cheap laptop, and I was told it would run any AutoDesk product that I wanted to run.  So, I bought it.  Once it arrived, I loaded my Autodesk products along with Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, and Microsoft Office 365 software.   It ran fine until January of 2021.  It started having a black screen when I would open the top and I would close it and re-open and it would come on. I updated all the video drives, and made sure all the Dell laptop drivers were updated, but it got worse.  I had to finally start re-booting the machine every time I wanted to wake it up from sleep mode.  I called the support center and they also troubleshooted the machine, and determine that the video card needed replacing.  So, they sent a tech out to replace it.  The tech came out and in the process of removing everything, he broke the power cable to the motherboard and also broke the power cable from the keyboard to the motherboard that provided power for the backlit keyboard.  The tech called the service center and then a few days later the service center called me back and said that the parts needed to repair my machine was going to take several months to get here, so they decided to do a machine swap.  I sent the old one in as soon as the new machine arrived.  Then, the new machine arrived.

When the new machine arrive, I loaded all the software as before.  Then the problems started.  I would open a a drawing in CAD and when I would start to rotate the 3D model it would crash, losing all work up until the last autosave point.  And when it came to rendering, well, let's just say I could go pour a gallon of molasses out faster.  I contact Dell about how the new 7750 was much slower than the original and I asked why?  I noticed that it was running hotter than the first one, so I had started using a laptop cooler, but that didn't stop it from running hot.  I tried updating all the Dell software that came with the machine and it didn't help.  I updated drivers until I couldn't update anymore and finally, I sent the machine back to Dell.  This was the first time I sent the second machine back.  

After about a week, a Fed Ex guy shows up at my door one afternoon and delivers a package.  I went out and there sat my new 7750 on the front porch, in the middle of thunderstorm season.  I didn't have to sign for it, like I had to sign for it when it arrived.  Luckily, I was home and went out to get it.  The letter inside said they had replaced a mainboard and tested it with one of their hard drives and everything worked, so they sent it back.  No one called me to let me know it was coming nor did they call to ask what it was doing, or how to get into the machine, even though I had written down the login and password on the paper insert inside the box when I sent it back.  Dell told me I would have to take up the shipping issue with Fed Ex.  When I did, Fed Ex explained to me that Dell would have to require a direct signature on the item they were shipping in order for them to require that I be at home and sign for the item.  Apparently, Dell had not done that.  

To move on, I re-loaded the CAD and 3D rendering software AGAIN, and....drum roll please...the same issues happened again, slow speeds, sluggish performance, slow boot times, etc.  I called my BFF service tech once again, and they sent out a technician to replace the hard drive.  And he did, but with no success.  So, I packages the machine up and sent it back to Dell for a second time to the service center.  THIS time, an actual technician from the testing center called me and told me they had replaced the RAM and re-formatted the hard drives, and everything was working as it should.  In the meantime, I had been doing my research and discovered that other machines were having trouble with the BIOS in their computers.  It appears that version 1.8 was causing the machines to slow down considerably slower than previous speeds, so an updated was issued.  On some machines, 1.8.1 was working, on others they were having to revert back to 1.7.  So, I had just spent a considerable amount of money on a computer that I had to use an older BIOS and would not be able to update?  I don't think so.  But, I asked the tech from the service center if they had updated the BIOS and they were like, yes, we'll do that and they sent it back to me.  I loaded the software once again, and to my dismay, it is still not operating at the speeds at which it should be.  I even sat my 4 year ASUS beside it, and the older machine still boots (ASUS 55 sec vs Dell -1:55), opens, CAD and 3DS Max, and other programs, faster than a new machine that is supposed to be twice as fast.

I have offered Dell a proposal to either refunding my money for the 7750, or replace the 7750 mobile workstation with an Alienware laptop or desktop.  At this point, had I went to Best Buy, I would have already been given my money back, or store credit to replace the machine with something else.  I've filled out their surveys and left my e-mail and phone number in each for someone to contact me, but there has been no response.  The technician's have been helpful to a point, but this sending a machine back and forth only to keep having the same problem and expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity.  This past weekend, I went to Dell's website and maxed out each Alienware system and both came back $2k cheaper than the mobile workstation.  So, at present I am awaiting their response as to what my next steps are going to be. 

I realize this is a long post, but I wanted to write this so others having this same problem can see what's going on and what attempts were made to repair the issue.  I hope that some of the attempts at a solution to my problem, can help others.  Maybe you will have success where my attempts have failed.  

Just make sure if you get a new Dell, no matter the model, buy the 4 year service protection plan in case something like this happens to you.  It's well worth it because otherwise, you might be in for a nasty surprise when it starts giving you problems.  I'd be glad to help with problems, so if you are having similar issues, please respond.  I feel like I could go to work for Dell tomorrow, considering all the troubleshooting help I have been providing.  

Good luck!