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(regarding upgradeable graphics on the Area51m) - Page 18

post #341 of 500
5/31/05 at 3:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fidget
sorry this refers to posts that have been deleted by the mods.....
Yes, I asked that those irrrelevant posts get deleted... got off on a bad tangent there, sorry guys

Moving on... I sure hope they come out with that upgrade soon... itll help out a lot of people that are posting in other threads who seem to be having similar video problems like I have been having...

-Josh
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post #342 of 500
6/1/05 at 2:24am
lets hope that they do it indeed.
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post #343 of 500
6/1/05 at 4:17am
Yes, AW should at least have one last upgrade for the 5500. I purchased
mine last fall and with all the HEAT ISSUES related to the video cards
an upgraded card would at least give the owners a 2 card option.
A new upgraded card, and the old card as backup...
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post #344 of 500
6/1/05 at 4:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BhZrd238
Soo... what can be done about this?

They cant just tell me that im SOL... Alienware has to do something... I mean, I suppose it doesnt help that I bought the laptop second-hand, but it is still their product... I just want to BUY a video card...

... I have a $3800 laptop that is totally useless... does that mean anything to them?
I just HAD to buy an Alienware computer... I always dreamed of owning one, so I bought it, and after a MINOR problem: I cant use it... a 12lb paper weight

thanks Alienware for not being there...
Hey Bhzrd,

I relate to what you are going through. AW is not the company most of us heard about. We all dreamed and saved to have the honor of being used and abused to the point of losing our faith in our computer icons.

My laptop was pretty much used up with all the little problems and a couple of huge ones, inside of a year. I'm done with buying factory built systems, period. At this point in time, I am replacing my AW sucker bet with a lanbox outfitted, assembled, tested and yes, warrantied by me. I can get parts, modify anything I have a yen to without fear of refusal of warranty claim.

But bottom line, I have come down a bloody trail and come out the wiser.
I was forcefed the secret of a happy life even, "The only man I can trust to care about my customer satisfaction is me."

But hey, I have an idea you may consider for replacing that vid card. Get a bud or make one with someone holding a valid warranty card on your model laptop. Get them to order you one and ship it COD to your front door. You may have to tweak this idea a bit, but the general idea is worth a shot, mate.

Winter-Out
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post #345 of 500
6/1/05 at 9:25am
It just doesn't look like we will get an upgrade

I just think we will have to be more careful next time we buy an upgradeable GPU laptop...

This is just not right!

I must say that I am very disappointed with AW...
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post #346 of 500
6/1/05 at 12:50pm
To develop a "swappable" card using newer technology, there are a number of factors to take into account. A new card needs to fit, have power, and stay cool. How many times can that be done using the limitations of older systems/ All that aside, maby there is a misunderstanding among some owners as far as Alienwares responsibilities regarding systems with the capability of "swapable" GPUs. and owners should contact Alienware to get a definate answer about that. I would expect a system with a swappable GPU to at least have a similiar gpu available for purchase by owners. The term "upgradable" hasnt been used since the first models of the 766. Thank You for keeping things on topic. -Scott
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post #347 of 500
6/1/05 at 2:03pm
Well, since Alienware made the courageous decision of making a laptop that has the ability to swap out the GPU with ease... then after they discontinue the laptop (meaning, they are just focusing on a newer laptop... to simplify their sales; the 766 is still newer technology... better than most still on the market by the competitors) they should still at least have one video card for sale... I mean, even if it is only for a year after they discontinue the laptop... they still stock the batteries for the 766 in their store, why not a generic video card? even if it is only just one type of video card, nothing new or fancy...
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post #348 of 500
6/7/05 at 1:30am

Specs?

All of the "bitching" or "moaning" or he said, she said crap aside, I am wondering how hard it would be to get Alienware to release the specifications for our laptop's video cards?

By specs I mean the total pinouts for the vidcards, the exact sizes of the parts, the heat windows. hardware specs....

If I had those I may be interested enough to try to hack us some sort of mobile solution.
Not saying I would ACTUALLY BE ABLE, but I would try.




Or are those already out there, because if they are telling us to go to 3rd parties, and there is no way for a 3rd party to find out the specs, then they are just blowing gas up our tailpipes, and there is no 2 ways about that.
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post #349 of 500
6/7/05 at 5:03pm
Ih've been thinking:

You can strip the video cards right down to the board with no problem... I took a look at mine once, and they are rather easy to read... they arent dual layer or anything like that I dont think (not like a motherboard)... so if someone has the patience to sit down and transcribe all the etching into a computer program, then you can bring it to a etching house to get the boards made up (pretty cheap usually). Then it wil be a matter of getting the specific nVidia processor chips and memory (from old boards?)...
Hetsink it with lots of AS5 and bingo, youre in business and taking up the sales from all of the Alienware owners who were shafted by Alienware.

Haha, what you think?
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post #350 of 500
6/7/05 at 5:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BhZrd238
Ih've been thinking:

You can strip the video cards right down to the board with no problem... I took a look at mine once, and they are rather easy to read... they arent dual layer or anything like that I dont think (not like a motherboard)... so if someone has the patience to sit down and transcribe all the etching into a computer program, then you can bring it to a etching house to get the boards made up (pretty cheap usually). Then it wil be a matter of getting the specific nVidia processor chips and memory (from old boards?)...
Hetsink it with lots of AS5 and bingo, youre in business and taking up the sales from all of the Alienware owners who were shafted by Alienware.

Haha, what you think?
I think one of the mian issues was the power supplied to the card, and not the actual manufacture of the device. I wanted to say I remember AW stating that many of the mobo revisions were not compatable due to this issue. In fact it was something to due with an extra set of capacitors or something. Maybe someone will remember.
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post #351 of 500
6/8/05 at 8:41pm
Quick question:

I have an Area 51m with an ATI mobile Radeon 9600 card. Does AW still even have any 9700 cards or nVidia 5700 cards that I could buy from them at this point (I'm under warranty), or am I pretty much screwed?

Lee
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post #352 of 500
6/8/05 at 8:50pm
If you're still under warranty, your best bet would be to phone AW, methinks.
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post #353 of 500
6/12/05 at 11:58pm
Um not for new grqaphics cards if your current one is not failing yet. And if you are out of warranty you are SOL with a 13 pound hunk of silicon and aluminium.

That is why I am asking what I am asking.
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post #354 of 500
6/13/05 at 12:18am
UM, I was answering Lyte, not you........and don't get pissy cos the pistons are getting their asses kicked, it's all good.
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post #355 of 500
6/14/05 at 12:29pm
lol

Missed Lyte's response.....Sorry.

And who are the Pistons?
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post #356 of 500
6/14/05 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyte Edge
Quick question:

I have an Area 51m with an ATI mobile Radeon 9600 card. Does AW still even have any 9700 cards or nVidia 5700 cards that I could buy from them at this point (I'm under warranty), or am I pretty much screwed?

Lee
They retained stock for warranty issues, they're required by law to make sure warranty claims are filled. I'm not sure if they are still offering the 9700 as an upgrade if you're still under warranty. You need to call AW and ask.
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post #357 of 500
6/14/05 at 11:47pm
well guys im pretty pissed off too! but if they are offering a trade-in, which they might, they have easily honored our warrenties. (those who still have them) plus all of those talking aobut Chevy replacing parts, no kidding they are a car-selling giant. Alienware is a small company selling computers and they are doing their best to help us out.

just calm down a little and dont work everyone into a frenzy
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post #358 of 500
6/15/05 at 1:33pm
If they offer a trade in I'll take it right away. I'm not going to be stuck with a 12 lb hunk of junk if my vid card craps out when I'm not under warranty. Gimme a Sentia or whatever this new model is coming out soon. Just don't leave me hangin' after I spent a ton of money...
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post #359 of 500
6/16/05 at 12:57pm
Well, it seems there are lots of angry people here and lots of people touting knowledge of the law that they don't actually have. Yes, I do have this knowledge because I am a student of the law. That being said, and without mentioning any kind of direct legal action here, there IS such a thing as implied obligations that a company must live up to under the law. I will not say anything beyond this because I don't want to upset the forum mods/owner. I would just say that those of you who haven't gone to law school need to STOP telling people what to do. There, I've said my peace.
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post #360 of 500
6/16/05 at 1:20pm
very interesting.... thanks for your post i think it gives everyone something to think about.
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