GT80 Titan Brand New with Dead Pixel Thoughts?

Ok all,

After owning most all high end gaming laptops, I think the MSI Titan is the absolute best. It runs cools and works flawlessly so far. However, today I noticed a black spot on the screen. Looks to be a dead pixel.

Now, I know most people say that is "normal", but I disagree. Any thoughts of others who own the Titan? Are dead pixels the norm in these machines?

 

Can happen on any machine really, I would contact them directly if it's in a bothersome location. I have I think what is a speck of dust on my Asus ROG Swift but I have not sent it back for it because it would be too much of a hassle.

 

jpowell490, sorry to hear that, so far I haven't heard of another GT80 with a dead pixel, my SLI-263 is clear of dead/hot pixels - and the typical light bleed on the top right is low.

You could try the usual remedies first to see if you can work it out. If it is still there and bothers you, I would swap it for another one from your seller, or work with MSI for an RMA.

Good luck, and please let us know how your vendor/MSI treat you

 

Thanks for the response all. I am pretty disappointed with their warranty response. I requested that they send me a new screen or something and they referred me to a web page with a pixel graphic. Then told me to contact the retailer. Worst customer service I have ever personally dealt with. Here is the ticket. I can't believe that they don't offer some sort of help in that situation. Their most expensive machine and they basically go tell you to pound sand......

Type Created Date Problem Note Attachment

End User 09/01/2015 I just purchased this laptop a couple of weeks ago. I just noticed a place in the screen with a dead pixel(s). Can you send me a new screen and I can replace it and send this one back to you? I cannot be without my laptop as I use it to work with as well. Thank you

MSI Tech. 09/01/2015 please refer to our website for dead pixel policy: http://us.msi.com/page/NB_LCDPanel/ you can contact your placed of purchase for any other request.

End User 09/01/2015 So what is the warranty for? I pay this much for your machine and you refer me to a web page? Then tell me to refer to the retailer? That is the worst customer service I have ever encountered.....Unreal.

 

I mean you could technically tell them you have more than 5 bright dots on your screen, that is a pretty bad pixel policy, I work for a warranty company.

 

jpowell490, you will never find a big vendor that will let a user replace a component - especially something as complicated/intrusive as a screen to replace - they need you to send in the laptop for the repair.

Their suggestion to contact the seller for return / swap is the best suggestion, if you are still within the return period - the seller will return the laptop for refurb - noting it was rejected due to the panel/dead pixels, and it will get fixed.

If you aren't in the return period, then you can escalate their response to a supervisor, and request politely they reconsider and replace the panel for you.

Act nice, treat them with respect like the friends and associates they can be, drop the entitled attitude, and you will get better results

 

Actually Alienware did send me out a parts only repair for a dead pixel on my 17r2 screen, which was pretty awesome. Installed it myself and back and running in a couple days.

 

Hmscott, "entitled attitude"?

Damn right I am entitled, I am entitled to service for what I purchased! I work at the highest level in a large corporation, "being nice" gets you no where but working for the help desk.

I have received many parts for laptops from Dell, IBM, etc. before and replaced them.

Venting a little? Maybe, I just can't believe the responses they give to service requests for these items.

I am well within my return period with the retailer, but I would rather not do that. I guess I will have to. It is just such an inconvenience. I haven't had a dead pixel on a high end laptop in a decade. The last one I had was an ASUS. After that response, I won't purchase another MSI.

 

Splintah, nice

 

jpowell490, yeah, not fun to hear, but that's how it looks to them - they work with this all day every day, and they are hoping the next customer they work with treats them like the nice helpful person they are trying to be.

They have limits, but they also have options, and your interaction with them is the only thing standing in the way of what you want and they can provide.

She/he gave you the biggest helpful hint, talk to the vendor. That is the quickest path to you getting what you want - a screen free of defects.

So far all the GT80's owners we have heard from have had well built solid units, without failures - with a couple of exceptions - so the odds of you swapping for a 100% solid unit are very good

 

Mine is very well built and solid too, just frustrated.......such a big issue, but so easily fixed. Shouldn't have to go through all that hassle for a screen.

 

Unfortunately, most companies don't have a dead pixel coverage until you get to a certain threshold of them, maybe around 5 or more as mentioned previously. Asus was mentioned as replacing it, and they do offer a dead pixel coverage on some of their laptops by default. But that isn't the norm. Some companies offer a dead pixel warranty that you can purchase, where the screen will get checked before it ships. Dead pixels aren't common, but they do happen still though.

 

I'm curious as to what companies have sent you in the past to replace yourself?

 

If you got it through a reseller, check with them first, but if not then the manufacturer is usally more than happy to take care of you.

 

Yea, MSI basically told me to go pound sand. I was waiting for someone from there to chime in, but doesn't look like that is going to happen. Alienware (Dell) has sent me parts, IBM and Lenovo, HP, all of the large hardware brands. Yes, ASUS as well. I have been in IT for over 20 years. I have repaired more servers, hardware, tier 5 data centers, etc. etc. etc. than most of them will ever read about, so I think I am qualified.

Kevin, I am thoroughly disgusted by their customer service. I love the laptop, but in no way, shape, or form should you pay this much for a laptop and have ANY dead pixels. I just cannot believe that they told me that and continue to not even respond.

 

So I am going to follow up with this. I started looking through this forum and noticed the MSI Rep thread. I just sent MSIGeno a PM. He responded almost immediately and is checking into it after the holiday weekend.

I will follow up after Geno's check in. At least it is a start and I am happy with the response from him. He could teach the web support team a few lessons in courtesy......

 

Keep in touch with Geno and see what they can do, but your entitled attitude will get you nowhere. Geno has been very helpful in the past so maybe he can help you work out a deal. Unless you specifically bought some sort of zero dead pixel warranty or agreement, you are better of trying calmly and politely to get better results. You already have a solution that you can't take but probably will be the less hassle in the long run (return period is available, so you could get a new one).

No vendor has a stock exchange parts because they are nice. Dell has specific great warranty and it is part of the price you pay for certain models specially if you buy through them or if you are a business. Hell, the default Dell service is to actually send someone to install/exchange the parts. Not exactly the same with lenovo but they still offer higher end warranties because of their business market. These are not stock, run of the mill warranties offered by all vendors. I have worked with both of them and use both extensively. Dell is awesome for their warranties specially for their servers. Lenovo is mostly used as the work laptop, but honestly their quality has gone down the drain with the years... my T540p is nowhere near as tough or as well designed as T400s or previous. For once, their screens are awful... but anyways.

You may have not had a dead pixel in a high end laptop before but that does not mean it is not common. These high end machines still use the same 18inch panel that you can find in other laptops such as the alienware 18. The panels themselves are not magically higher binned for specific high end models. Just as you can get a bad screen, you can get a bad CPU, RAM stick, GPU, etc etc.

Best of luck with the negotiations and hopefully you will get a good deal to replace it. My recommendation is, if the stuck/dead pixel is too much, return it and get a new machine.

 

Geno regurgitated, verbatim, what the support did. Their dead pixel policy, after he asked who my retailer was. AFTER, I waited a week for him to respond. Waste of my time. Back to Alienware I go. I will never, ever waste my time with another MSI product. This is another terrible, unfortunate case of what might have been. Dilettantes....

 

jpowell490, would Alienware replace that panel for you if it was an Alienware product? I don't know, what is Alienware's dead pixel policy?

Most vendors have the cluster of 3-5 or more return policy, but you can always return to the seller - reason free - within the return period.

All laptop makers have the same pixel policy, some resellers offer increased protection, basically paying insurance for panel replacement.

Just return it and get another one, don't go back to Alienware, it's turned to crap... sorry to say, but even the die hard Alienware fanboi's say the same thing.

Sorry to hear you are having trouble, I know it sucks, but you can deal with it in a mature way and resolve it without drama.

 

No worth loosing your temper or your health over a screen. Use what makes you feel comfortable. Life is too short to be wasting it with fights over a policy if you can go for a product elsewhere that fulfills your needs. Policies are there for a reason and unless there is a good reason to go above it, the general answer will be that: the policy.

Good luck with the alienwares and hopefully everything will be okay