"Share your Alienware experiences and join in the conversation with other Alienware users."

Ok then!

So, ive had my 'new' X51 for 3 days. Turned it on twice.

Every time it started it would boot straight into the BIOS, as per http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19467207.aspx and http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19467617/20189603.aspx#20189603 . I thought "that's annoying", but i had back logged work to get done, and so i resolved to fix it later.

The third time i tried to turn it on it decided to become a brick.

Now after the dell onsite tech (a lovely chap) came out with a refurbished motherboard to replace the 'new' motherboard i was a little miffed. I was then informed by dell support over the phone that to receive a new component would take up 2 weeks to arrive, or i could just accept the refurbished one. When i pointed out that i needed the computer for work and that having a non functioning comp for a couple of weeks was not really an option i was put on hold for half an hour before another person informed me that dell does not issue new components, only refurbished ones, and that this was my best option. When i pointed out that this was completely at odds with what the previous official had told me, i was told that this was not the case... Awesome.

The other option presented to me was to wait two weeks for a complete replacement, and i doing so i would have to accept that i would loose any of the work data that was on the old hard drive, and would still have me unable to work for the interval.

Finally, after going back on hold for ages and then much debate back and forward (i know they are getting paid for this but i am not) i got them to agree to temporally replace the old motherboard with the refurbished one the tech had onsite, as a stop gap measure, until a new comp could be delivered. Not as good as a comp that worked perfectly the first time, but better than the options originally presented, so i said "what the hell, Ok then."

But this fixed nothing. Still very brick'esk.

So now my sleek 'new' brick (with a bios issue) will sit for another 2-3 days before the (lovely) tech can come back with other (refurbished) parts that 'may' get it to function. If that works i may be able to work after this time, and should be able to pull the old data off it. If not, then i am looking at loosing all the work done on the old comp to date, being unable to work for another couple of weeks and then having to spend more time downloading and installing programs, again... Uber awesome.

Hopefully the replacement computer they send wont have the bios issue so i dont have to go through the whole respawn/reinstall win7 process to fix it myself. Or then again maybe dell will have finally have produced a fix/patch to fix the original faulty image shipped from the factory by the time it arrives. Hells, maybe ill even find someone willing to pay me for not doing my job. perhaps at the dell quality testing facility?

So in summation; my alienware experience has been: A relatively expensive purchase. A sleek computer that seemed to run very smoothly, once i got past the bios, but only for 3 days. A very friendly onsite techie. Frustration at every turn once on the phone with dell support (and for some reason finance). Second hand components to replace faulty brand new ones. Amazing wait times between techie visits. further wait times one the new unit. A bios problem that i will probably have to fix myself. Potential data loss. A noticeable pain in my posterior, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Thanks

-A

p.s. I've never bothered to flame anything before. but then again ive never had the spare time, nor seen the need to either.