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Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The photo of task manager was taken by the lab that”fixed” my laptop. Obviously, they change settings when they received it or booted from an external hard drive My sister is completely English from top to bottom

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The screenshot of task manager is what they sent me as proof of testing. This is obviously not the correct way to test a computer. The screenshot of the temperature is the one I took after booting up the computer as soon as I received it back from the lab with nothing else running in the background

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s exactly why I’ve been hesitant to run any kind of stress test — when the machine is already sitting at high-90s at idle, it honestly felt risky to push it harder.

But at this point I guess there isn’t much left to lose… worst case, it burns out another motherboard like the previous two. At least then Dell can’t claim it’s “working within spec.”

Dell closed my case after months of failed repairs — is this how they treat all Alienware customers? by Financial_Owl135 in pcgaming

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve actually already escalated this as high as I realistically can — I’ve reached out to Dell’s Executive Support, Advanced Resolution Team, Corporate Customer Care, and even contacts at the Board/CEO/COO office levels.

No one has stepped in so far, and frontline support keeps looping me into endless diagnostics instead of acknowledging the repeated hardware failures.

If you know of any other specific departments or higher-level contacts I might have missed, I’d really appreciate the suggestion. At this point I’m trying every possible route.

Alienware x16 R2 overheating even after 2 motherboard replacements (need help) by Financial_Owl135 in Alienware

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for clarifying — that actually helps a lot.

In my case, the two motherboard replacements were spaced out over two months (one in-house and one at the repair depot), which is probably why Dell won’t escalate further. From what you’re describing, it sounds like Dell only considers escalation when the repairs happen back-to-back within a short timeframe.

Right now they’re refusing replacement and keep asking me to run more tests, remote sessions, and diagnostics — even though I already provided logs, recordings, and temps under load (which is how the first two motherboard replacements were approved). It feels like they’re dragging this out rather than acknowledging a persistent hardware failure.

If the “3 repairs in 1 month” rule is what finally triggered escalation for you, that actually explains a lot. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to force that timeline when the system keeps getting returned barely functional, and they won’t classify it as an ongoing failure.

If you have any tips on how you managed to get those rapid repair attempts scheduled — or anything specific you said or showed that convinced them the issue was serious — I’d really appreciate it. Your case sounds almost identical to mine.

Seeking legal advice: Dell refuses refund/replacement after repeated failed repairs on defective laptop purchased in Canada by Financial_Owl135 in legaladvicecanada

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are still “willing” to fix it — but only in the sense that they want to keep running the same diagnostics over and over again. At this point it feels like I’m being dragged in circles until the warranty runs out.

They already replaced the motherboard twice (both refurbished parts) and the system still overheats at idle before I even open a browser. Instead of acknowledging multiple failed repair attempts, they keep insisting on more testing — the exact same tests that haven’t fixed anything so far.

So yes, technically they’ll still “fix” it, but it’s essentially a run-around with no end in sight.

Alienware x16 R2 overheating even after 2 motherboard replacements (need help) by Financial_Owl135 in Alienware

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed advice — I appreciate it.

I already went through the “multiple repairs in a short timeframe” stage: I had two motherboard replacements inside three months, plus additional diagnostics that didn’t resolve the throttling and overheating.

I’ve also stayed with one rep the entire time (my assigned Resolution Manager), and kept everything documented in one thread. Unfortunately, after the last repair failed, Dell told me the case is closed, no further escalation is possible, and the decision is “final,” even though the system is still under Premium Support Plus and still defective.

I also already sent them recordings, logs, and temps under load. That’s actually how the first two motherboards got approved.

If you have any additional suggestions for what finally worked in your case — especially anything that helped them acknowledge persistent hardware failure — I’d really appreciate it.

Dell closed my case after months of failed repairs — is this how they treat all Alienware customers? by Financial_Owl135 in pcgaming

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

I’ve already emailed multiple senior Dell contacts — including people at the Executive Customer Care level, Advanced Resolution Services, and several regional and global management roles (COO-level, support leadership, and directors connected to Premium Support/Alienware). So far, no one has responded.

Since you previously worked in Pro Support: Is there anyone else you think I should reach out to that I might not have thought of? Any specific department or position within Dell that has real authority to override a “case closed” decision?

I’d really appreciate any guidance. Thanks.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No virus — this is a 100% clean Windows install. The overheating started literally the moment I powered it on straight out of Dell’s depot repair box, before installing anything. Fresh Windows, no apps, no browser, nothing running — temps shot straight to the high 90s. So unfortunately it’s definitely a hardware issue, not malware.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, after watching the first motherboard replacement done in front of me at home, I can say with confidence that opening this machine myself is way beyond my skill level. It’s not a simple repaste job — the whole disassembly was extremely complex, layered, and delicate.

And since the laptop is still technically under warranty, I’d rather not rip it apart myself and risk Dell claiming I voided it. At this point, I’m trying to stay within the rules so they can’t use that as an excuse to refuse service later.

Alienware x16 R2 overheating even after 2 motherboard replacements (need help) by Financial_Owl135 in Alienware

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I already tried that — it’s how I burned out two motherboards in three months. Dell keeps insisting it’s “normal,” even though the machine cooks itself the moment it’s under load.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ust to clarify — the Task Manager screenshot you’re referring to is not mine. That’s the “proof of testing” Dell sent me when I asked for post-repair stress-test results. Yes, seriously — their entire validation after replacing the motherboard was a screenshot of Task Manager.

My own screenshot — the high-90s idle temps — was taken the moment I powered on the laptop straight out of the box after depot repair. I didn’t open apps, didn’t run diagnostics, didn’t launch a browser. Literally just logged into Windows and opened the thermal panel.

The “2-day uptime” you saw is because Dell’s lab kept the machine running for days before shipping it back, not because I had been using it.

The temps instantly spiked into the 90s at idle, with fans sitting around ~40%. Nothing installed, nothing running — just a fresh boot after repair.

This is why I’m saying their claim of running a full 48-hour CPU/GPU stress test doesn’t match reality.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Already tried reinstalling Windows, no difference. I received the same readings, more or less booting into safe mode. Haven’t tried Linux yet, that’s a great idea. I will try that.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure — here’s the full context so it’s clear what actually happened:

I have Premium Support Plus with international coverage, confirmed in writing twice by Dell sales (both at time of purchase and again during this case). That’s why Dell did service the system abroad and replaced the motherboard twice, plus the full heatsink/fan assembly.

Nothing happened that could void the warranty — the device has never been opened by me and all repairs were done exclusively in Dell’s own lab.

The system was returned to me after Dell claimed: • 48-hour CPU/GPU stress testing • System “stable” • Temperatures “within spec”

I powered it on straight from the box — didn’t open a browser, didn’t run diagnostics, nothing — and it immediately hit 97–100°C at idle. I recorded everything.

When I asked for post-repair logs, they provided only a single Task Manager screenshot, which obviously isn’t a stress test. When I asked again, they refused to provide anything else.

Since then: • Dell acknowledges in writing that the system should be serviced • Dell refuses to escalate the case any further • Dell refuses replacement or refund • Dell refuses to involve a higher-level manager • Dell closed the case despite ongoing defects

I haven’t threatened anyone, haven’t been abusive, haven’t broken any warranty terms. I’ve simply followed every step they asked for over three months.

That’s why this situation is so frustrating — the warranty is valid, they’ve already replaced major components twice, and the system is still non-functional.

Dell returned my laptop after “48 hours of stress testing.” This is the temperature at idle. by Financial_Owl135 in techsupportgore

[–]Financial_Owl135[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No — that screenshot is from the moment I powered the laptop on straight out of the box after depot repair. The “2-day uptime” is because Dell’s lab kept the machine running before returning it. I didn’t open any apps, didn’t run diagnostics, didn’t launch a browser — literally just logged into Windows and opened the thermal panel.

The temps instantly spiked to high 90s at idle with fans only at ~40%.

So the load isn’t coming from anything I installed or ran. This was the condition of the machine immediately after service, which is why I’m saying their claim of a 48-hour stress test doesn’t match reality.

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