MSI laptop broken hinge

For those who own an MSI laptop, especially if it has the 17" screen, beware of a weak hinge design. The hinges are adjusted too tight by the manufacturer and the metal hinges are attached to thin plastic. You can guess the result. Apparently broken hinges are a common problem and MSI is not addressing the issue. My computer is still under warranty but they won't honor it because the back cover (where the hinges attach to) is considered a "cosmetic" part and therefore not covered. The fact that the hinge attachment point is a functional, not cosmetic, part seems to escape them. A replacement part from China costs about $100 (through eBay) and I have to do the labor. Caveat emptor when it comes to MSI.