Alienware

I was an utter fool, just a young boy, thirteen, longing for a gaming computer. My excuse for a “gaming PC” was a feeble HP laptop. I pleaded and begged for a real computer, ignorant of the art of building one. Then, in my naïveté, I found it, an Alienware, a so-called “VR ready, gaming pc” on sale for around 800 bucks. How pathetically misguided I was. That fateful Christmas, I received precisely what I had wished for, perfectly capable of the simple games i had asked of it. and here I am today, years later, imprisoned with this very same accursed contraption.

I’ve grown, learning the intricacies of computer components and other technological sorcery. I attempted to upgrade my Alienware, a journey that plunged me into an abyss of despair. It took me an entire month to coax it into accepting a better graphics card, a month of maddening torment. Any attempts to introduce components Dell didn’t “recognize” turned into a descent into the depths of technological purgatory. I’m a shattered soul, and if I could journey back in time armed only with a cold metal baseball bat, I’d relentlessly pummel my younger self to oblivion. No matter how tirelessly I strived to optimize that infernal machine, nothing bore fruit. I’ve resorted to hard resets in a desperate bid to eke out a modicum of speed, but it’s a futile endeavor. If anything, it moves even slower.

Have you ever dared to launch Spotify on an Alienware? Want to bask in the simple pleasure of music? Prepare yourself, for it’s a Sisyphean task. Open a book, complete it, and perhaps then, you might savor a couple songs. Ever contemplated a simple computer restart, hoping to rejuvenate its spirit? I’ve resolved that it’s easier to abandon gaming altogether for the day. A restart on my computer is akin to forcing a frail, geriatric grandmother to partake in a marathon – she’s running on fumes, and she won’t be moving anywhere for a long, long while.

My Steam library, a testament to unfulfilled dreams, lies dormant, waiting for the elusive day when I can afford a new computer – a day that may never dawn. Many handbuilt computers age like a fine wine, enduring the test of time, still capable of playing the latest games. Did you purchase a prebuilt computer in 2017 without a shred of research? Well, enjoy your hardcore Roblox machine, my friend. Does my experience account for every single alienware computer? of course not. But heed my words, love yourself, buy something you know will last you.

Thank you for enduring my lamentations and melancholic musings.

and purchased 500 LG C3s!

I’ll be building the first ever house made out of only LG C3 panels. They’re so immersive that I decided to just live inside them. Oh, and they’re delicious as well! I threw one in the smoker overnight and MY GOD the black levels were amazing. Tiny widdle 32” QD-OLED Alienware with early adopter problems? Disgusting. Also, I could never go back to something so SMALL as 32”. Give me a giant 21000 inch WOLED planetarium, or give me death.

I've never followed pre-built PCs. I had assembled my own PC in 2013, which just up and died last month.

This time around I wanted to just buy a pre-built one. As I comb the internet for more info, I see people unanimously HATE (not just dislike) Alienware for some reason. Never seen the internet come together that much in any other instance. LOL

Could you please help me understand why people hate Alienware PCs specifically (ignore laptops) that much?

Looking for some justified explainations please. If you're just going to say they're shit then save yourself some typing and move on to the next post.

Thank you everyone for helping me with this!

EDIT: Thank you all for the great feedback. Feels like I've been living under a rock so far. Based on reading through ALL the comments, I'm glad I asked the question!

I now understand that Dell uses cheap parts, packages in a fancy plastic, uses proprietary parts making it un-upgradable in future or hard to replace failed parts, and deliver lower performance for higher price. There's definitely a lot more but these seem like reasons enough to not go with Alienware.

The thing is, I want to stick with a pre-build due to my limited time and/or knowledge about fixing PC issues. Now I move on to a different sub-reddit to find which company has the best after sales support to fill the gaps in my understanding. Feel free to comment if you have an opinion about that too! Thanks you all again!

So, bought a computer from Amazon, nice Alienware 17, about 2500 dollars. Less than a year of use, the thing cooks. The power supply on the MB arcs out and let's the genie out. No more gaming laptop. That's ok though, I bought the warrantech extended 4 year warranty for 400 bucks. Upon notification of my need for warranty support they immediately refund my year long loan and say I do not have their support. I contact amazon, I contact the BBB. Amazon tells me to send the laptop into alienware for repairs. Roger that, they've always been awesome in the past. I contact them and explain the problem. The service tag links to the wrong system though... weird. Good thing my wife has an identical laptop that links to the right hardware. They advise me to send it in on that tag instead. I comply. A week goes by and I hear nothing from them. After another week of every day calling I finally learn the fate of my laptop. It was "disassembled and destroyed". Wow, ok, cool. They apologize for the mistake and tell me after a quick review process it will be replaced. 10 days later the review is finally done and I'm told that the service tag on the laptop I sent in told them to destroy it and they are within their legal rights to do so. That's the end of it on their end. Amazon.com LLC must be running a scam and have sold me a replaced system, the fault is laid solely on them. I call amazon, 30 minutes waiting for a supervisor, and they tell me there is nothing they will do because the system worked when I bought it. They requested a forward of the email traffic from Alienware, then asked me to hold, hung up. I'm a nice guy on the phone, I never disrespect the person on the other end, I stay calm and rational. I have given no one any reason to jerk me around like this.

TL;DR Expensive laptop burned up, got jerked around by three companies and told the repair facility had legal right to destroy my property.

This is the resolution from the Escalation: ST#393*** was received at DEPOT instead of 8G0**** that is still under your possession. (As requested)

ST#393*** was EXG for ST#3R4**** but it was never returned to Dell. (Wrong, 8G0**** was the exchange)

ST#393*** is not required to be returned to you as it had a HOLD to be returned as a previous EXG was completed on it. (Purchased from amazon, my property)

No additional actions are required from Dell regarding the matter.

Update 1: Amazon is working on getting me some proof that this was not purchased through an individual, but a supplier. I'll hopefully have this in hand when Alienware sees fit to contact me again.

Update 2: Alienware contacted me, and have come to the conclusion that I am not acting with malicious or fraudulent indent, but rather incredibly unlucky. They still believe that Amazon sold me an exchange system that was never returned.

Update 3: Alienware will be replacing my laptop. I will follow up with the outcome from Amazons investigation into the source of the laptops they purchased.

More TL;DR - Both Amazon and Alienware employees turn out to be decent human beings, Warrantech is a scam.