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Quiet PC problems.

Discussion in 'Serious' started by AlienwareAndy, 9 Oct 2013.

  1. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    I've actually ordered from these guys numerous times and been really happy with the speed of delivery and such. Sadly of late I've had nothing but issues. It seems that like many other UK based companies they really don't have what it takes.

    So I ordered a full set of extension cables for my Alienware about a month ago. They came promptly and I fitted them to the PC. I tried to power it on but it just clicked and made a funny noise, and refused to start. Cue lots of head scratching and eventual desperation when the PC refused to start even with the GPUs and everything removed from the motherboard. Eventually I removed all of the extensions (that were hard wired and tied into place) and the PC started.

    That's when I realised something wasn't right, so I looked at the extensions and eventually found that the Gelid 24 pin extension was wired incorrectly. And that's when the issues began.

    The PC was refusing to post. It took me nearly an hour to realise that it would post and boot once I had set it to factory defaults. I had been running the PC at 4.2ghz since I bought the parts in May. Now though? well something was stopping it booting properly. So eventually after many hours of messing around (and a Windows reinstall as mine was corrupt) I realised that the board's voltage was all over the place and it could not hold stock speed without throttling the voltage and CPU speed. See here.



    That is underclocked and running Prime 95.

    So I sent my first email to Quiet PC, and would be dealing with Andy.

    First reply -

    Sorry to hear about this. Send back the cable and will replace it with a Nanoxia cable.

    So then I explained that this was not a simple cable problem, and that real damage had occurred. They said to buy a new board and send mine to them. I said I couldn't afford to. Now in the mean time my mother stepped in and offered to buy me a board and CPU. Before ordering either I spoke to another guy on the phone and explained that I wasn't sure if it was the CPU, board, both or my PSU. He said don't worry he will phone back the next day.

    He didn't phone back. So I tried to phone again the next day but no one would pick up the phone.I then ordered a new board and CPU because it had been over a week and I had no PC that I needed.

    I then got an email in reply to mine (saying that they would send for the board and CPU) and then another week went by and nothing. I received an email explaining that they had been away for a few days and would sort the collection when they got back to work, letting me know when they were coming.

    Two days later with no warning Parcel Force knock on the door. I hadn't even had a chance to pack the board properly so had to rush around doing so.

    Another week goes by, more excuses about being away.

    Then I get an email yesterday telling me my board is fine, and even a video to show me Prime 95 running on it. And a "When do you want it back?" email.

    I ask them to run some specific tests.

    1. Go to the option in the bios and load the 4.2ghz overclock and see if the PC boots.
    2. Run Prime 95 at stock clocks and make a video to prove that the board and CPU are holding clocks and voltages.
    3. clock the CPU to the correct settings and perform 2 again.

    Today they emailed me back, basically ignoring what I asked saying "But we got Prime to run so it's within spec so we're sending it back".

    Completely ignoring the fact that the board may well boot, but is damaged. I had also complained that nearly a month later I had not received the Nanoxia cable extension as a replacement as promised. I got a Gelid one today FFS.

    So please, avoid these jokers. They have not "taken care of it" as they promised me they would do nearly a month ago. All they have done is messed me around and cherry picked a way to prove my hardware is stable and working when it isn't.

    I'm £350 out of pocket and will be receiving back the parts that the cable damaged.
     
  2. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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    This is a real shame - I've bought from QuietPC in the past and found them helpful and professional. It just goes to show though - that can all change when things don't go right.

    Sorry to hear this, Andy - it seems very unjust that you should suffer as a result of a manufacturing defect, too.
     
  3. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    All about saving pennies. I wouldn't mind, but £80 for a replacement motherboard isn't exactly a king's ransom really. But no, just test it without looking at what it's doing and then say it's fine.

    So they went from "We're a company who stand by our products and do the right thing" to arguing over me whilst picking peanuts out of the crap for £80.

    What annoys me the most is that I wish they'd just been crap from the start. That way I could have sent the board and CPU back to Amazon. Instead I've wasted a month, only to be having to send the board and CPU back to Amazon.

    And a month later I've got the same cack cable they sent me in the first place.

    IMO companies are made or broken on their customer service. In no way have they been understanding of what actually took place, nor accepted that they were liable for it.

    Now? I'm too tired and stressed to argue over it. No different to any other British company really. Will take your money quickly enough but pucker up like a duck's backside when something goes wrong.
     
  4. Teelzebub

    Teelzebub Up yours GOD,Whats best served cold

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    I doubt you'll get any money back but I would send them a link to this post with a msg "I hope this helps your business as much as you helped me"
     
  5. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    I won't get anything from them now. They're still sending me emails telling me that my board and CPU are 'within spec' because of this video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMBGSReHtSQ&feature=youtu.be

    With no evidence that the clock speeds are holding out. Three times now I have asked them to load CPUID up with Prime 95 and three times they've ignored me, saying "It's within spec !".

    Yet if you apply the 4.2ghz overclock I ran for four months it refuses to start at all.

    They're just time wasting now. I'll get the bits back and send them back to Amazon. Might even build my lovely lady a rig with the replacements.
     
  6. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    It totally sucks, but take a deep breath. This is just a communication problem. QuietPC seems to be willing-- it just does not understand how your mobo is busted. Their scatty behaviour may be due to any crisis we don't know about-- there may have been a death in the family for all we know. So be polite and patient, and try to work with the good intentions that they have shown so far. After all they've served you well for years; that ought to count for something. Cut them some slack.
     
  7. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    TBH Nexxo I've been more than patient and understanding. This has dragged on for a month. I sent my request to them three times, IE - please do the following...

    1. Go into bios and select the 4.2ghz setting I saved in the Asrock save slot.
    2. Please show me CPUID running with Prime 95 so we can ascertain that it will hold its stock clocks.
    3. Make sure the board is clocked to the stock settings for the CPU, as it does not do so natively (it disables Turbo, just an Asrock bug).

    All I got in return was "Your board is being sent back" and then a shipping notification from Parcel Force.

    Not once during this did I mention them by name, nor would I have. I think a month is enough time really, especially when they have decided to end this with ignorance.

    In this video I have cleared CMOS with the button on the board, gone into bios and enabled Turbo and clocked the CPU to default settings (3.7ghz on four cores, 4.0 on one). Watch how long it takes the board to post.



    Yet they have completely refused to do that test. Well, that or they have done so and seen it for themselves, falling back on their "It works within spec !" argument.

    I'm pretty sure it's the board tbh. And at £80? well it's a bit silly :(

    Ah well, I guess they have to pinch pennies wherever they can. I certainly won't be ordering from them again though.
     
  8. Aterius Gmork

    Aterius Gmork smell the ashes

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    I do not see Quiet PC at fault here to be honest.

    Admittedly communication with you could have been handled more... sensitive. They should have made sure to not send you back the defective cable.

    However the board does work within specs. You are not guaranteed to be able to overclock. They did go out of their way to test the board within specifications. So the board is in working condition. Everything else is not within Quiet PCs responsibility.

    Please do not use this thread or bit-tech to blackmail them.
     
  9. rollo

    rollo Modder

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    Are you trying to run it overclocked and getting them to test that? As there version of in spec might differ a long way from yours.

    In spec to a company would mean stock settings with the cpu you used. If it does not run those settings you have grounds for complaint. However if you are trying to run a overclocked chip then they can rightly say that is above spec.

    Not that im defending them personally dont buy from any small pc component sellers anymore.
     
  10. Teelzebub

    Teelzebub Up yours GOD,Whats best served cold

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    Just to clarify the above, I got the impression from the OP other thread that it was failing prime 95 at stock settings since the dodgy cable incident.

    If that isn't the case then of course he has no recourse regarding any perceived damage caused by the cable even if the damage is real all the company have to do is prove it all works at stock settings
     
  11. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    Did you read my posts properly? it's not working within spec.

    AMD FX 8320 -

    http://shop.amd.com/uk/All/Detail/Processor/FD8320FRHKBOX

    Note the frequency, 3500mhz. It turbos to 3.7ghz on four cores and is supposed to turbo to 4.0ghz on one. However, watch the initial Youtube video. That is with Turbo disabled (as it takes over a minute to post otherwise) and it clearly is not holding either voltage or clocks. It's throttling the voltage which is reducing the core speed down to 2.8ghz. So that isn't within spec.

    http://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/990FX Extreme3/?cat=CPU

    Shows the CPU support list for the board, but I contacted Asrock any way as I have a friend there and she said it would be absolutely fine. She also told me what settings to use for 4.2ghz.

    So whilst I understand what you are saying you don't seem to understand what I have said.

    Quite clearly either the board or the CPU or both are damaged (and that's before I get to anything else). QuietPC clearly either do not know what they are doing or, deliberately avoided running any of the tests I asked them to. One of which was setting the CPU to stock and then recording it on video with CPUID running with Prime 95.

    All they have done is turn it on, run two benchmarks for about ten seconds and then declared it to

    1. Be fully 100% working within spec.
    2. Shipped it back to me.

    I'm not blackmailing any one. I've told them in email, and I quote -

    "You win. This has stressed me out so much and made me so ill that I just give up".

    I would bet my right arse cheek that when it arrives back with me it still exhibits the same faults it did when I sent it.
     
  12. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    It was failing prime 95 yes. That was with Turbo enabled which is a function the CPU comes with. The only way to get it to run Prime was to disable Turbo.

    However, even with Turbo disabled and the CPU at stock it can not even hold stock clocks. It keeps throttling.

    I would imagine it's because the VRMs suffered damage.
     
  13. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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    What they did do, however, is supply a component which was defective and caused damage. While that's not their fault, per se (it is the fault of the manufacturer), they are liable for damage caused.

    Additionally, if the chip is throttling constantly at stock, it's not within spec!

    EDIT: In the time it took me to finish this post (that's work, for you), this has been discussed above!
     
  14. Aterius Gmork

    Aterius Gmork smell the ashes

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    I cannot view the video at work. However this quote says that you are indeed not running the board at stock settings. You are underclocking your CPU.

    Again Quiet PC cannot be held responsibly for you running the board at non-stock settings, no matter what a friend's friend's neighbour might claim the board should be able to do.

    Edit: If the video proves you are running the board at stock settings, then yes they are responsible. As above, I cannot watch youtube at work.
     
  15. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Have you talked to them by phone? I gather that it has been a bit difficult to reach them by phone, but it is the only way to clear up this miscommunication. E-mail is a poor substitute for that.
     
  16. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    I got an email this morning telling me they had tested my board and found no fault. I'd already asked them to please provide me with the information I requested before I sent it in.

    When I got the email this morning I immediately replied with -

    Hi.

    Can you please ask your colleague to try a couple of things for me before returning the board.

    1. Ask him to verify that the board will hold its clocks in Prime 95. To get the board stable I had to underclock the CPU. Tell him to load up CPUZ and make sure that the board does not throttle like it does in the video I sent you.
    2. Make sure the CPU is set correctly as the board will not clock it correctly out of the box.
    3. In the bios there is a setting saved for a 4.2ghz overclock on the system. Please ask him to apply that and confirm that the board is stable, as the VRMs were all over the place when I had it here.

    If the board is not the issue here then we have a problem. The case and power supply weigh around 35 kilos empty and the power supply can not be replaced with a standard model. To replace the case and PSU the cost will be around £500 and I have no means of packing it.

    As I've said, please make sure for 100% that the board works 100% properly with some one who understands what they are doing. If I get it back and it exhibits all of the issues I had with it prior to sending it to you I'm going to be really upset.

    I'm really not a happy person right now. I had a courier turn up at my house and wake me up with no notice, and this has been dragging on for weeks. I didn't receive the replacement cable either, and still haven't, even though you have the original in your possession.

    As I said to your fellow employee I am really not happy. It's fine telling me you will look after me but tbh? in reality you've just taken ages to sort this out and nothing has been sorted.


    To which I received the reply along the lines of "It works within spec". So I sent this.

    Andy. The reason we have these problems is because you seem to have forgotten what I wrote in prior emails to you. I explained to you that I have an Alienware Area 51 ALX. It has a proprietary power supply that I am unable to test as yet. I am not using it or the power supply as I am afraid of damaging any new hardware I have bought.

    Had this been sorted three weeks ago when I first contacted you I wouldn't have bought anything. However, quite contrary to you "looking after it" and any other promises you made it has simply dragged on and on.

    I told a friend of mine what had happened and he bought me a new power supply. I have since bought a new case. So now I am out of pocket by £350. I can not be without the PC but I still am because I have been waiting on the cable you promised me in the first email you replied with. I believe it was "Send the cable back to us (or you will have it collected) and we will send a Nanoxia". It hasn't arrived.

    I explained last week in an email that I wasn't happy AT ALL with how this was playing out. My idea of you taking care of it would be pretty different. It would be you stepping up to the plate and accepting your product has caused me a whole world of crap and then you doing what it takes to make me happy. THAT is how good business is done.

    If and when you find the motherboard faulty then please test the CPU in an alternate board. I want to know that it isn't at fault also. It could be either, and or still the power supply. I am beginning to think it would be best to get the power supply tested independently and then sending you a bill for it. It's too heavy to be shipped safely and I do not have the packaging for it any more.


    The next email was showing me the video of my hardware 'working'. Which of course it was no such thing. All it was was a ten second run of Valley (which is GPU bound) and Prime 95 showing no clocks. So I sent this.

    Andy that did not answer what I asked you to do mate.

    I asked you to make a video of the board running on the 4.2ghz overclock it had been running until I fitted the cable I bought from you. I also asked you to show me the CPU speeds when running Prime, to prove it doesn't throttle at the stock speeds for the CPU.

    The reason I asked you that is because the VRMs on the board were damaged by the cable you sold me and as such are now completely unstable and unable to keep the CPU at the stock clocks without dropping the volts and multiplier due to the damage. Therefore the board does not operate within spec. I'd bet that the three things I asked you to try were tried and none put on video.

    Given this has dragged on it has made me realise a few things. One, that you are trying to disagree with me that your cable has damaged the motherboard, and two, that you want to argue with me at all. If you want to you can send back the parts and I will then RMA the board back to Amazon. That way I won't have to sit here arguing with you.

    It's becoming pretty clear to me that you're not interested in helping me, you're just trying to prove to me that the board is fine. I note you didn't provide me with any of the things I asked you to.

    So, you have won. I give up. This has gotten really pedantic and I am at the point now where it is affecting my health and the stress is making me ill. So you win. Send back the board and CPU and I will then go around the internet talking about what has transpired here.

    BTW. Thanks for the replacement Nanoxia cable you promised me. Oh wait no, I didn't get that either, just another Gelid cable.


    Which I was then told it was shipped and I received a tracking number.

    And yes, I do sound like a bit of an A-hole in that email but that's what a month of being messed around and avoided will do.
     
  17. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    Even if the board worked (which it doesn't as I've shown, they haven't) would you be happy?

    Let's say you bought a cable, put it in your PC and it blew up, leaving you having to underclock your CPU would you be happy with that? even if it ran stock?

    In their first email they were very apologetic. Then it just all went south.

    My idea of sorting this out =

    Have the entire PC collected then decipher what's Donald Ducked, replacing some of it or, relying on your liability insurance and just replacing the entire rig.

    Or,

    Collect all of the parts. Or collect what you think is screwed, perform a set of skewed tests, ignoring what your customer is asking you, then send it all back without doing any of it.
     
  18. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    So the answer is no. No, I haven't tried talking to him by phone.

    Instead I have been sending him emails which I know make me sound like a bit of an A-hole, which I know will make Andy defensive and act like a bit of an A-hole himself, so we mutually entrench in our respective positions, so we refuse to do anything to see the other guy's side of things so that the other guy might be more inclined to try and see our side of things.

    Seriously, talk to Andy by phone.
     
  19. AlienwareAndy

    AlienwareAndy What's a Dremel?

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    I've tried phoning. All I got was some one who said he wasn't in the office which was odd because I'd received an email from him moments before. I was then told after explaining what had happened that they would get back to me first thing the next morning. No call came and, when I tried to call (all five or six of their staff on separate numbers) none answered. I tried at numerous times during the day.

    Four days later I get the excuse "Sorry was away on business" Which over the space of pretty much the last month I've now had twice.

    I'm not going to post their emails here as I'm not sure on the legality of it, but their initial reply was along the lines of "We're not just some small company who will leave you in the crap, we will take care of this and get it all sorted, don't worry!".

    If you're interested I'd be quite happy to pm you the email.

    Now I know I'm not the calmest person in the world. And I know I fly off the handle quite easily. But after sending them the same requests a total of four times and being ignored?

    Well let's put it like this. When the motherboard and CPU come back I will still be in the exact same situation I was ten minutes after fitting their cable nearly a month ago. My PC still won't work as it did originally, and after all of the emails and phone calls I've received a cable that they weren't going to send me.

    My PC will still be broken, and I will be no closer to getting back any of the money I have had to spend on replacement parts. I ordered a board that was more expensive than the original one I had, and as soon as I sent them an invoice they got all defensive and said "We're only paying for the original board".

    Now look, in a pedant's paradise that would be fine. However, at no point have they taken into account how much crap this has caused. I spent days constantly trying to reinstall Windows, countless hours trying to diagnose what was at fault (which really should have been their problem) and this is what I've got for it.

    You've seen the "Tale of woe" thread and you're aware of what's transpired. You're also aware that at no point did I name "the company".

    I think I've been more than fair and more than patient. I won't even post the very last email I sent as by that stage I had clearly lost my cool and it was full of expletives.

    Edit.. Actually I forgot. Yesterday I phoned the company owner Glen. He said "It will be taken care of".

    At no point have they ever phoned me.
     
  20. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    It is frustrating when people will not talk to you by phone. Usually it is avoidance behaviour --they expect the exchange to become unpleasant. So the first thing to do is to dispell that fear. Stay polite and co-operative. Simply keep emailing them: "We need to talk about this by phone. Here's my number. What number can I reach you on?"

    Note that the email ends with an open question: they have to answer with a number. Anything else will be a non-sequitor and show that they don't want to talk to you by phone.

    Don't say anything else in the email. Remember that everything you put in an email is an excuse for them answering by email. You want to avoid that. So just email: "We need to talk about this by phone". Nothing more.

    If you are able to talk to the company owner Glen, again explain the problem simply. Don't go into how much hassle it has cost you, how fed up you are etc. because he cannot do anything about that now. What he can do, is test the mobo according to your instructions, or explain to you why they can't.

    If he says: "It will be taken care of", ask him how. Then ask him on what day and what time he will call you back. Be specific about the date and time.
     

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