My MSI Experience (or why I won't buy another MSI product)

[r9]

To me it looks like they really tried to fix the issue.
What its the chance that they sent you 5 dead boards.
Sending those will cost them more money than just sending one working.
Even though your components work on the other main board still might be some sort of compatibility problem imo.

 

[mrw1986]

I am not entirely sure you don't have something else going on with that machine
3 boards in a row ... that smells fishy to me

Yet all the components worked fine in 2 other motherboards? It was barebones testing - motherboard, cpu, ram, gpu, psu. Everything worked fine in other boards.

How is that possibly fishy?

To me it looks like they really tried to fix the issue.
What its the chance that they sent you 5 dead boards.
Sending those will cost them more money than just sending one working.
Even though your components work on the other main board still might be some sort of compatibility problem imo.

Wouldn't be a compatibility issue. The original board worked fine for 8 months. There was no BIOS update needed on any of the boards either - it supported all my hardware on the original BIOS revision. I've been doing this 20 years, I'm by no means green.

I am not entirely sure you don't have something else going on with that machine
3 boards in a row ... that smells fishy to me

Also, keep in mind - there are numerous other people in Newegg reviews, MSI's forums, etc., that are on their 3rd or 4th RMA.

 

[jboydgolfer]

Damn, that's some awful customer service there.

Since all the boards had the same fault, I wonder if they just kept sending you the same board back, unfixed. Did you check the serial numbers?

Great to hear that Asrock have such good customer service. I'll definitely consider them for my next purchase.

thats why i ALWAYS mark my RMA's in some way.
For motherboards, I usually use a black Permanent marker, and put a dot on the side of the Rear speaker block housing....and then another on a side of a Sata interface, or on the CPU back brace on the rear of the MoBo. I may be a bit paranoid, but i rather KNOW they sent me a new one, if thats what is supposed to happen.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

My 2 cents:
You should have a state agency that does "consumer protection" Find them and inquire into what they will do for you, but don't start anything..., yet. Contact MSI, (customer service, not RMA) and explain what has transpired in a very business like manner, like you did in the OP. Explain to them that you expect a full refund including all but one of your return shipping costs and that if they don't comply, you will be contacting that state agency. Vendors don't want to have to deal with government agencies, so this threat normally gets you exactly what you want.
Hope that helps.

Spoiler: Not important FYI

Back in the early 80's, I mail ordered a camera from a NY City camera store. They used terrible handwriting on the mailing label (I had used my best drafting handwriting) and it ended up getting delivered to the wrong location. I was at a Navy school at the time and had to leave the area. I went home on leave, went to a temporary assignment, to another school, then another school, then leave again, and finally reported to my first ship. It was very hard in those days to receive an incoming call in the Navy. By this time, I had a folder with my evidence, which I had then forwarded to NY's - I don't recall what agency, might have been the SAG's office. I finally got to talk to someone and explained to him what I had sent. I still remember the moment he realized what the documents were that he was holding. I think he said something like, "Oh, no problem." I got a full refund in the mail 2 weeks latter, which was really fast back in the snail mail days. I should mention that I went into the Navy while a resident of NY. Time frame? ~October 1982 to ~May 1984!

 

[mrw1986]

My 2 cents:
You should have a state agency that does "consumer protection" Find them and inquire into what they will do for you, but don't start anything..., yet. Contact MSI, (customer service, not RMA) and explain what has transpired in a very business like manner, like you did in the OP. Explain to them that you expect a full refund including all but one of your return shipping costs and that if they don't comply, you will be contacting that state agency. Vendors don't want to have to deal with government agencies, so this threat normally gets you exactly what you want.
Hope that helps.

Spoiler: Not important FYI

Back in the early 80's, I mail ordered a camera from a NY City camera store. They used terrible handwriting on the mailing label (I had used my best drafting handwriting) and it ended up getting delivered to the wrong location. I was at a Navy school at the time and had to leave the area. I went home on leave, went to a temporary assignment, to another school, then another school, then leave again, and finally reported to my first ship. It was very hard in those days to receive an incoming call in the Navy. By this time, I had a folder with my evidence, which I had then forwarded to NY's - I don't recall what agency, might have been the SAG's office. I finally got to talk to someone and explained to him what I had sent. I still remember the moment he realized what the documents were that he was holding. I think he said something like, "Oh, no problem." I got a full refund in the mail 2 weeks latter, which was really fast back in the snail mail days. I should mention that I went into the Navy while a resident of NY. Time frame? ~October 1982 to ~May 1984!

This helps greatly. I think that's a great plan of action.

 

[biffzinker]

I purchased an MSI X99A SLI Krait Edition on 12/2/2015 from Newegg. The board worked faithfully without issue until 7/13/16, when I went to reboot my PC and it never POSTed.

Had the same happen to a Asrock Z97 Pro3. Difference for me was I shutdown my PC for the night, then the following morning no POST, and all the case/CPU fans were stuck spinning at full speed. I didn't bother with a RMA through Asrock, and instead bought the ASUS board listed in my System Specs.

Edit: Still no problems with the components I transferred from the dead Asrock board.

 

[EarthDog]

You have to wonder if all the boards had the same issue. I would bet my life they didn't. Now, what went wrong, no idea... but to get 3 bad boards in a row, you are more likely to hit the lottery. Something else was going on... a short that only happened on that board (something contacting it shouldn't just on that MSI because of where its located, etc...) I don't know. But to get 3 bad boards in a row with the same issue WEEKS (and therefore batches) apart....... doesn't happen. Something else was going on for sure IMO. Not saying it was PEBKAC, but something else was up.

 

[mrw1986]

You have to wonder if all the boards had the same issue. I would bet my life they didn't. Now, what went wrong, no idea... but to get 3 bad boards in a row, you are more likely to hit the lottery. Something else was going on... a short that only happened on that board (something contacting it shouldn't just on that MSI because of where its located, etc...) I don't know. But to get 3 bad boards in a row with the same issue WEEKS (and therefore batches) apart....... doesn't happen. Something else was going on for sure IMO. Not saying it was PEBKAC, but something else was up.

Yeah, I mean each board was also tested with components from my friend's build. That's what makes this particularly odd.

 

[cadaveca]

You have to wonder if all the boards had the same issue. I would bet my life they didn't. Now, what went wrong, no idea... but to get 3 bad boards in a row, you are more likely to hit the lottery. Something else was going on... a short that only happened on that board (something contacting it shouldn't just on that MSI because of where its located, etc...) I don't know. But to get 3 bad boards in a row with the same issue WEEKS (and therefore batches) apart....... doesn't happen. Something else was going on for sure IMO. Not saying it was PEBKAC, but something else was up.

System was working, then it died. Change out board, no fix. What is part most likely to degrade over time?

That said however, it sucks that that board doesn't have POST display, as this would help. "No boot" scenarios are usually pretty straight-forward.

Yeah, I mean each board was also tested with components from my friend's build. That's what makes this particularly odd.

Unfortunately, that doesn't say too much about what the problem really is. For all we know, MSI got the board back from you tested it with the parts they have, and it worked fine.


That's not to say that you are at fault, but like its been said, it's pretty weird to have a few boards all with the same problem, unless it is a compatibility issue.

Normally in this situation I'd point a finger at ram, but MSI uses Kingston ram a lot.

 

[EarthDog]

I was thinking compatibility too, but how would that suddenly pop up unless it was after a BIOS flash or something. He isn't at windows yet so it can't be Windows...

Weird.

 

[mrw1986]

I was thinking compatibility too, but how would that suddenly pop up unless it was after a BIOS flash or something. He isn't at windows yet so it can't be Windows...

Weird.

No BIOS flash was done, additionally, all of my hardware was supported with the first BIOS version.

 

[cadaveca]

No BIOS flash was done, additionally, all of my hardware was supported with the first BIOS version.

Plextor device is not on their list. You list PX-512M6S, they list PX-G512M6e.

Not to say that's the problem, but that does stand out to me. Just like ram isn't on QVL.

And yeah, I know you say it was working before, but sometimes stuff like this happens. It's unfortunate. Same goes for any brand... you have to match QVL or sending stuff in for RMA is problematic, since they do not have the same stuff to test with.

I run into some issues with some board often since I get boards before they are released to public. If the brand does not have the stuff I have, and I have a problem, getting it resolved can be a huge headache. It doesn't matter what brand I deal with.

For example, I have 8 sticks of Crucial ram (4 GB), didn't work with a board. I got replacements from Crucial, same part number, but single-sided, and it works fine. Board maker could not test because there wasn't stock of this ram any more at Crucial. And similar story... worked for a bit, then nothing.

 

[jboydgolfer]

This helps greatly. I think that's a great plan of action.

A less official and professional way to handle it is to go on their Facebook page and voice your concern in a polite way. That way they are a little more determined to resolve your issue amicably because if not they know you may likely post a negative experience on the Facebook page for everyone to see

Unfortunately a lot of times when A complaint is lodged within an organization like the Better Business Bureau the companies parent name is listed so even though your issues with MSI it'll say something like tagasake Namco Corporation

 

[thesmokingman]

I am not entirely sure you don't have something else going on with that machine
3 boards in a row ... that smells fishy to me

I had a similar thing happen with Corsair and my K95 keyboard. The LEDs kept dying over and over. On the 2nd RMA I ask if this is it, this is all there is, because I'm blowing a lot of money sending these K95's back. That's when they agree to swap me to the new K95 RGB. After 3 tries at most, it's time to do something. There are lemon laws for this reason. Got my K95 RGB six months ago, no dead LEDs. I would have gone thru two rmas in that time before lol.

 

[mrw1986]

Plextor device is not on their list. You list PX-512M6S, they list PX-G512M6e.

Not to say that's the problem, but that does stand out to me. Just like ram isn't on QVL.

And yeah, I know you say it was working before, but sometimes stuff like this happens. It's unfortunate. Same goes for any brand... you have to match QVL or sending stuff in for RMA is problematic, since they do not have the same stuff to test with.

I run into some issues with some board often since I get boards before they are released to public. If the brand does not have the stuff I have, and I have a problem, getting it resolved can be a huge headache. It doesn't matter what brand I deal with.

For example, I have 8 sticks of Crucial ram (4 GB), didn't work with a board. I got replacements from Crucial, same part number, but single-sided, and it works fine. Board maker could not test because there wasn't stock of this ram any more at Crucial. And similar story... worked for a bit, then nothing.

This was a barebones, test bench run of only the Mobo, CPU, RAM, graphics card, and PSU. So that eliminates the "incompatible ssd" (which we know is BS anyway). Additionally, my RAM is on their QVL, here's the model number: HX426C15FBK4/32.

All of that completely eliminates any incompatibility.

UPDATE: I called MSI (who don't have a general customer service number) and spoke to someone in technical support. They told me an RMA for the same board is my only recourse. I said I would be forced to report them to the Consumer Protection agency unless they complied. Still nothing. I've now lodged a complaint with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, as you must file the complaint in the state the business operates from.

 

[cadaveca]

This was a barebones, test bench run of only the Mobo, CPU, RAM, graphics card, and PSU. So that eliminates the "incompatible ssd" (which we know is BS anyway). Additionally, my RAM is on their QVL, here's the model number: HX426C15FBK4/32.

All of that completely eliminates any incompatibility.

You're missing the point. If they do not have the exact same model of parts, it might be impossible for them to replicate the problem. Same goes for any brand. That might explain why you had the same issue over and over with replacement boards.

You're right though, you have one of the few 2666 kits they say support for 8 sticks.

 

[mrw1986]

You're missing the point. If they do not have the exact same model of parts, it might be impossible for them to replicate the problem. Same goes for any brand. That might explain why you had the same issue over and over with replacement boards.

You're right though, you have one of the few 2666 kits they say support for 8 sticks.

I got your point and that makes sense. I still shouldn't have to deal with this issue when they outright list support for all of my components.

I also tried the replacement boards with other components from my friends X99 build and had the same result. No POST beeps, the LED diag light was not lit, nothing. Surely, I would get something if a component didn't work.

 

[cadaveca]

I got your point and that makes sense. I still shouldn't have to deal with this issue when they outright list support for all of my components.

I also tried the replacement boards with other components from my friends X99 build and had the same result. No POST beeps, the LED diag light was not lit, nothing. Surely, I would get something if a component didn't work.

Not always. Could be PSU; read their test report, and they haven't tried that PSU.

https://www.msi.com/file/test_report/TR7_3331.pdf

Like, I feel for ya, this totally sucks. But it can and does happen. That doesn't make it acceptable; just trying to point out the things that can cause such problem to exist on RMA.


You really need to have EXACT match to all parts when testing issues, which includes software versions. I went through something similar with Gigabyte recently and when they finally got all the parts I had, and same software, they found the problem, had updated BIOS for me, and everything was great. But prior to that, they insisted everything was fine on their end.

 

[mrw1986]

Not always. Could be PSU; read their test report, and they haven't tried that PSU.

Like, I feel for ya, this totally sucks. But it can and does happen. That doesn't make it acceptable; just trying to point out the things that can cause such problem to exist on RMA.

Yeah, definitely. I also tried 4 other PSU's, which again, all worked fine. And it would make no sense for it to work for 8 months then stop.

MSI has had a less than stellar reputation for motherboards as of the last couple of years.

 

[cadaveca]

MSI has had a less than stellar reputation for motherboards as of the last couple of years.

For me, they are great, but they do tend to pre-test stuff before sending it to me. I've been using MSI VGAs in my review rigs for a really long time, and we have our cooler reviewer using MSI board product as well. They've dramatically improved things as of late.

 

[Ungari]

A less official and professional way to handle it is to go on their Facebook page and voice your concern in a polite way. That way they are a little more determined to resolve your issue amicably because if not they know you may likely post a negative experience on the Facebook page for everyone to see

Unfortunately a lot of times when A complaint is lodged within an organization like the Better Business Bureau the companies parent name is listed so even though your issues with MSI it'll say something like tagasake Namco Corporation

I hope everyone realizes that the BBB is not affiliated with any government, and is private for profit business that actually accepts money from companies to sell them their endorsement.
When a company displays a BBB Member logo in the window or on the wall, I actually become suspicious of them.

 

[mrw1986]

I hope everyone realizes that the BBB is not affiliated with any government, and is private for profit business that actually accepts money from companies to sell them their endorsement.

Yep, that's why I completely ignore them for consumer affairs.

 

[Aquinus]

No BIOS flash was done, additionally, all of my hardware was supported with the first BIOS version.

Mine seemingly was too on my P9X79 Deluxe when I first built it but, the motherboard had a slightly older bios than what the QVL list had reflected and I needed to flash the BIOS just to get the machine to boot (good thing it has USB Flashback.) Unless you used all of the same parts except the motherboard, I would be very skeptical to think its the motherboard if it has happened with every replacement. I do think hardware can fail or be defective often, it happens with a monitor with me but, it was never the same problem.

It simply could be the combination of the hardware you have but, if the BIOS isn't at the latest version and I was having your problem, the very first thing I would do it get it up to the latest version.

 

[EarthDog]

That was the problem, he couldn't get anywhere to flash it.

It was also the same hardware on the board.

... its perplexing...

 

[thesmokingman]

MB's should not be this perplexing in 2016. It's not like its 1997 where irq's base memory had this black box magic to it. It should just work and since it was confirmed that his gear works on a new board, it sounds like they just kept sending the same board back to him lol. Well that's my first thought. OP, did you mark the board by chance? RMA will often do that, just keep sending the same crap back to you until you give up and stop calling them. Iirc, I got screwed on a Big Bang board a few years back... just remembered it now. I'd forgotten I had sworn off MSI MB's lol.