e6420/e6520 to release tomorrow?

Example:
Hardware Specifications - ThinkWiki
Cross links between different DELL models would be helpful.

 

@heinz2005 thanks for the pointers.

I have used acpi_call in the past to turn off other NVidia cards such as G210M, but it did not work with e6520's 4200M.

Good news is that I still managed to get power down to reasonable levels, 15W with LCD dimmed, 20.5W with LCD on max brightness. This is with wireless on. So it's about 16-17W depending on LCD brightness, which is pretty decent..

I am not sure how 7W is feasible even with 4200M video powered down. If I get a hold of another 6520 with Win7, will try to test it.

Have anyone been able to order 3-cell bay battery from Dell?

 

Yes, I have been able to order 3-cell bay battery from Dell.
My E6520 has been delivered yesterday and the 3-cell bay battery today.

Today is kind of Christmas for me.
I'm swapping in a nice, small, quiet and economical and fat 600GB SSD.

Two E6520 I'm currently optimizing - a Quad Core with 2720qm
idle 0.781 volts and
idle 0.750 volts with a Dual Core (CPU-Z).

Under full load, the quad-core is at 3000MHz, which is quite nice, because Sandy Bridge
provides with the new architecture also about +15% performance. Then quickly the fan starts,
decent at first and after some time of full load medium volume. After a while the clock was autoreduced to
2700MHz (at 80 about degrees Celsius) and a bit later to 2650MHz.
I probably can stop this throttle effect by exchanging to a better thermal compound.

I like the Quad Core but only with the low idle consumption.
My powersaving review:
5 minutes easy surfing over Wi-Fi (6300) in Google News with the Quad Core
without load, reading brightness to minimum OS-power mode to save power
with a Samsung SSD. Energy souce: the normal 9-cell battery.
Results:
Well Windows shows 15 hours remaining.
I will check this number with a longer Test.
Based on the 97Wh battery this would mean under 6.5 watts of total system (with wireless internet).
3.8 to 4.2 watts consumed by the quad core CPU at 800MHz, according to TS
"Power saving is the most environment-friendly energy source"

 

Looking at the previous two results from RebelXT and heinz2005, it seems clear to me that Linux is not ready for this machine and that turning off the nvidia card is probably a must. Since I ordered one such beasts and I am a Linux only user, this is not good news for me!

Any of you got positive results with acpi_call (i.e., to turn off the nvidia card)?

Are you collaborating with the guys at Linux Hybrid Graphics https://launchpad.net/~hybrid-graphics-linux to find a solution?

Please, keep us informed, I will do the same as soon as I will put my hands on the new PC and will install linux.

 

@rossim80 I would not say that having idle nvidia card is a deal breaker. Even with it eating up battery, I still get about 4.5 hours out of 9-cell battery when doing normal software development ( writing code, compiling, etc). Dual monitor set up, as well as docking/undocking work fine. Ubuntu 11.04 Beta 1 runs pretty well on E6520.

No luck with acpi_call, but I'm sure solution will be found within a few months. I have not collaborated with Linux Hybrid Graphics guys yet.

 

Just providing an update to my screen issues raised earlier in the thread... I did indeed return my e6520 with the 1366x768 screen, for another e6520 with the 1600x900 screen. Dell SB was actually pretty helpful with the process, and in the end I wound up re-purchasing my e6520 (with better screen) for a cheaper price with docking station thrown-in!

But yes, I can confirm: the 1600x900 is WAAY better than the 1366x768!!

I wouldn't go out and call it an absolutely amazing screen, it's just basically what you would expect in an LCD screen today. Unlike the 1366x768 display, I can NOT see any rectangular pixels in the screen. The display is smooth with no pixelation (like any other LCD I've personally dealt with in the past 8 years or so).

As expected, things became smaller than I would've liked. I've adjusted DPI to 110% and often set IE at 125%. I'm adjusting, the laptop itself is great otherwise so the adjustment is going ok.

I did have to re-calibrate the new screen though - I had to push gamma ALL the way down, otherwise things looked too washed out. I knocked down the blue tint a tad as well. Also I use F.lux to keep the screen readable at night.

Thanks to those on this thread that helped me out with the suggestion to change screens a few weeks back.

 

What gamma did you wind up using? I used the default 2.2 with Spyder Elite and it seems a bit washed out.

 

could someone tell me what, if any, are the video -options on the bios of an e6420 - & which bios version do you have.

i'm considering getting one of these and would like to kill intelHD & run nvidia only. but is it even possible on an optimus lap?

appreciated...

 

No it is not possible to run it that way, only HD3000 only, due to the way optimus works it is routed through the IGP and requires the IGP to be on at all times.