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(regarding upgradeable graphics on the Area51m) - Page 22

post #421 of 500
11/2/05 at 12:41pm
I bought mine with a go5700. I'm wondering how I can upgrade it. I haved called all over and even looked for an adapter so I could plug a desktop GPU in there. Thanks


Edit: I didn't notice you put the go5600 instead of the 5700, can't figure out how to delete this
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post #422 of 500
11/3/05 at 5:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alnuts
Just because you bought the laptop with the highest upgrade does not imply that the laptop is lacking the advertised upgradeable graphics. You just bought it with the highest upgrade. The Question...If you bought the notebook with the 5600 does the hardware allow you to upgrade to a better card?
The Answer is yes you can upgrade to a better card, and so the notebook is upgradeable.
Where you expecting an infinte number of upgrades available to your notebook?

*I intended to say the 5600 card but mistakenly put 5700 error has been corrected.*
Well, if that is the case, Alienware should have made it VERY clear that if you buy this laptop with the Radeon 9700, then you might not get an upgrade in the future. Lets face it: They messed up with their advertising and claims on this particular notebook... and instead of doing the right thing and giving at least one more upgrade to those who purchased theirs with the 9700 (Like Dell when they came out with the 9800 256mb which AW at one point was also working on), they just shafted us and didn't even care to look back.

When I called AW to complain about this, the "manager" of the department told me that I shouldn't have bought my laptop with the 9700 and should have gotten the 9600 and that then I would be able to upgrade my graphics! LOL... I couldn't even believe that he said this.
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post #423 of 500
11/3/05 at 6:58pm
Turmoil,

I'm with you... I'm still extremely disappointed that alienware mislead me about upgradeable graphics. My m9700 is now starting to struggle with new games.

Since the upgrade clearly isn't going to happen, is there any word on trade-ins? Alienware - why have you screwed your loyal customers??? Jerks. I should have bought a Dell.
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post #424 of 500
11/3/05 at 8:42pm
NOTICE:

Any and all 'legal' or 'official' courses of action you choose to take against any party is 100% YOUR personal business and will not be propogated on these forums as the RULES clearly state this is not a launching pad for any crusade against any entity.
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post #425 of 500
11/3/05 at 9:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turmoil
Well, if that is the case, Alienware should have made it VERY clear that if you buy this laptop with the Radeon 9700, then you might not get an upgrade in the future. Lets face it: They messed up with their advertising and claims on this particular notebook... and instead of doing the right thing and giving at least one more upgrade to those who purchased theirs with the 9700 (Like Dell when they came out with the 9800 256mb which AW at one point was also working on), they just shafted us and didn't even care to look back.
Honestly I dont see why alienware is obligated to state very clearly that their last upgrade is the Radeon 9700. It only said that it would be upgradable and it lived up to that. When you look at the configurator it gives a list of all the graphics cards made compatable with the system. Upgradeable in this instance indicates that if you may interchange video cards without having to purchase a whole new laptop.
The only time within this situation that you can assume there will be another card added to the list on the configurator is when there is only one card alone on the list. After there are two cards to choose from each extra card added should be an unexpecting bonus.
Your very right it would be very cool and would satisfy many owners but they never indicated that they would be constantly adding upgrades when the technology was available, and because they did not, noone should believe that they are "owed" another card.
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post #426 of 500
11/3/05 at 10:45pm
It's amazing how many people take the words "Your laptop is upgradeable" to mean "We promise you we will make lots and lots of different cards for your Laptop.

These people continue to ignore the facts. Alienware promised an upgradeable laptop. It is, it supports five different video cards. Alienware did not discontinue AGP. If you want to blame someone, you should bitch at Intel for improving technology. When Intel says jump, manufactures (NVIDIA, ATI) say how high. How can Alienware deliver a new upgrade when NVIDIA and ATI won't give them a new upgrade that will work with the system.
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post #427 of 500
11/3/05 at 10:48pm
Alnuts,

I'm not suggesting that I'm "owed" another card. I am just greatly disappointed that I bought a laptop based on the promise of upgradeable graphics, but am now stuck with a piece of sh*t video card that wasnt even cutting edge when I bought it. If Alienware had offered some sort of compensation -- a trade-in, anything -- I'd be satisfied. Even an apology!

I'm guessing you don't have a 5500m, so I don't know if you can truly appreciate dropping C$4200 on a laptop only to realize that you've been abandoned by the company. I know it happens (PCIe transition etc), but Alienware could of and should of handled their customer relations better. I thought that was what buying from a small company was all about.
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post #428 of 500
11/3/05 at 11:23pm
Ewolff,

Seriously, I get it. You can stop pointing out that there were some video card upgrades for the 5500 line. Every time someone says that, they're only pissing off people who bought the lappy with the 'highest' video card.

On top of this, the m9800 upgrade was not just a pipedream. There were numerous statements from Alienware staff (both on the phone and here on this forum) saying that the 9800 was in testing. We were so close to getting it. And then, nothing. No apologies, no comment. Nothin'. Don't you get it? That's the pisser. That they were testing it, and then just abandoned us.
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post #429 of 500
11/4/05 at 1:54am
I remember when alienware was trying to make the mr9700 an upgrade for the poeple who had go5600's and mr9600's. It took them forever because they were having problems with the motherboards supporting the new cards. Maybe thats what happened to the mr9800 Alienware said we had coming. For some reason or another Alienware decided not to follow through with the 9800. If the mainboard in this laptop is so picky I don't see how Alienware could have ever called it upgradable to begin with. I purchased this with a g5700 and I don't call the mr9700 an upgrade. I didn't want 8 million upgrades but one would have been nice.
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post #430 of 500
11/4/05 at 2:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tipsy
Ewolff,

Seriously, I get it. You can stop pointing out that there were some video card upgrades for the 5500 line. Every time someone says that, they're only pissing off people who bought the lappy with the 'highest' video card.

On top of this, the m9800 upgrade was not just a pipedream. There were numerous statements from Alienware staff (both on the phone and here on this forum) saying that the 9800 was in testing. We were so close to getting it. And then, nothing. No apologies, no comment. Nothin'. Don't you get it? That's the pisser. That they were testing it, and then just abandoned us.
Perhaps it was not a feasable solution so they abandoned it. Have you followed the saga of the 7700. Each new video card requires a motherboard upgrade. This is not the fault of Alienware. The video card manufacturer (NVIDIA) developed a card that has power requirements that the motherboard cannot handle. Alienware released two different versions of the 9700 with the help of NVIDIA. One used less voltage so it would be compatable with older notebooks. If NVIDIA was not willing to help them do this with the 9800, then it would become a lost cause. Alienware does not develop the technology, they just sell it.
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post #431 of 500
11/4/05 at 3:03pm
Its not about wanting a million different upgrades. If Alienware came out with at least one more upgrade, they would satisfy the promise they made with their advertising. They messed up and they went about marketing it the wrong way... and they didn't even take responsibility for it. They just figured "Hey, we got their money already"
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post #432 of 500
11/4/05 at 7:15pm
Again, Alienware sells computers, they do not develop the technonogy. If ATI cannot or will not help them with the 9800, how are they supposed to release it?
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post #433 of 500
11/4/05 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turmoil
Its not about wanting a million different upgrades. If Alienware came out with at least one more upgrade, they would satisfy the promise they made with their advertising. They messed up and they went about marketing it the wrong way... and they didn't even take responsibility for it. They just figured "Hey, we got their money already"
Ok I hate just going at it but please tell me why this one more upgrade would satisfay the promise? People come in here and state that they deserve it but i have yet to see a compelling arguement as to why they do? Because Alienware said it was upgradeable? Well It was. There were multiple cards available that varied in performance, and that makes it upgradeable just because it wasnt as many as you wanted doesnt mean it wasnt upgradeable.
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post #434 of 500
11/4/05 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alnuts
Ok I hate just going at it but please tell me why this one more upgrade would satisfay the promise? People come in here and state that they deserve it but i have yet to see a compelling arguement as to why they do? Because Alienware said it was upgradeable? Well It was. There were multiple cards available that varied in performance, and that makes it upgradeable just because it wasnt as many as you wanted doesnt mean it wasnt upgradeable.
1. You purchase a laptop with Radeon 9700 from AW
2. They tell you the laptop has upgradable graphics... UPGRADABLE (meaning better than what it currently has ie: Radeon 9700)

THEN... they don't release an upgrade... so how is the laptop I bought upgradable? Where is the upgrade?

If AW released just 1 more graphics card upgrade (Better than 9700) they would fulfill their commitment and advertising and claims at the time of purchase. Now mind you I am not talking about those who purchased their laptop with something other than the 9700... in that aspect, AW has fulfilled thier commitment... BUT... not to those who purchased with the 9700.
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post #435 of 500
11/4/05 at 8:52pm
Here is basically a copy of a post that I made somewhere in the middle of this huge thread:

Quote:
Originally Posted by aurora
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. The term "upgradable" hasnt been used since the first models of the 766. Alienware released a number of upgrade options for those models. The GPU on later models were termed as 'swapable". Thank You for keeping things on topic.
Not much has changed. I don't have information on any tests that are being done in Alienware labs. That is something that will probably never be easy to get. I would bet that a talented corporate spy would have a hard time getting info from behind those doors. Alienware was gathering information from system owners in order to find a way to resolve the disatisfaction among owners. If I base my opinion on the idea that the models in question are "swapable", and that is the info I found when I researched this issue when it first started, then I see Alienware is acting how I have come to know them to act. They are gathering info, from a survey, in order to maintain owner satisfaction. I don't see a requirement on their part.
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post #436 of 500
11/4/05 at 9:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alnuts
Ok I hate just going at it but please tell me why this one more upgrade would satisfay the promise? People come in here and state that they deserve it but i have yet to see a compelling arguement as to why they do? Because Alienware said it was upgradeable? Well It was. There were multiple cards available that varied in performance, and that makes it upgradeable just because it wasnt as many as you wanted doesnt mean it wasnt upgradeable.
See, the thing is even if Alienware released another upgrade for the 5500 customers would still be unhappy. They would still feel like they deserve more because they have waited for so long. In the end, you can't make them happy.
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post #437 of 500
11/6/05 at 7:33pm
ewolff,

You're really not adding anything to this discussion. Any idiot can see that cusomters would be happy with the m9800, regardless of how long it took Alienware to deliver on it. Shesh.
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post #438 of 500
11/7/05 at 12:42pm
i think i actually agree with ewolff. the 5500 is dead the chances of a new release for it are like zero they dont even really care the old video cards anymore so y would they make a new one?
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post #439 of 500
11/7/05 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tipsy
Ewolff,

Seriously, I get it. You can stop pointing out that there were some video card upgrades for the 5500 line. Every time someone says that, they're only pissing off people who bought the lappy with the 'highest' video card.

On top of this, the m9800 upgrade was not just a pipedream. There were numerous statements from Alienware staff (both on the phone and here on this forum) saying that the 9800 was in testing. We were so close to getting it. And then, nothing. No apologies, no comment. Nothin'. Don't you get it? That's the pisser. That they were testing it, and then just abandoned us.
If Alienware doesn't sell something, it's because it doesn't work. The 9800 was a problem because Dell had ATi use non standard post wiring, so it's not an easy fix, and AW was obviously not able to get it to work.

Nobody wanted the release the m9800 more than AW.

Man, I understood the complaints like a year ago, but why is this issue still continuing?
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post #440 of 500
11/7/05 at 5:22pm
I agree -- we'll never see the m9800. Still, I wish Alienware would offer up some sort of upgrade to a never system. I doubt that will ever happen either. Thanks again Alienware.
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