Latitude E6400 Owner's Lounge

Thank you for your answer.

To get values for GPU/Memory/Chipset you need to enable these sensors in Options->Status Reading.

Örjan

 

It sounds like you have enabled Clone Mode. In this mode both monitors will show the same output and screen resolution will be limited to the highest resolution both monitors can support and this can be 1280x800. Check your settings so that you have not enabled Clone Mode.

Örjan

 

Hi Everyone, I’m from Singapore. Ordered my Dell Latitude E6400 from USA and was shipped to me in Singapore last week.

I've updated to the latest Bios and Drivers available in Dell Support.

Anyone here has the below issue with thier Dell Latitude E6400 before?

Bluescreen BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER

223-9338 Latitude E6400, Intel Core 2 Duo T9600, 2.80GHz, 1066MHz 6M L2 Cache, Dual Core
311-8827 4.0GB, DDR2-800 SDRAM, 2 DIMM for Latitude
330-0841 Internal Backlit English Keyboard for Latitude E
330-1652 Documentation (English) Latitude E-Family/Mobile Precision
320-6776 NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M, 256MB With PC-Card, Latitude E6400
341-6970 160GB Hard Drive 9.5MM,7200RPMFFS for Latitude E6X00
311-8849 Internal Fingerprint Reader Latitude E6400
320-6941 Brushed Metal Black Wide Screen WXGA+ LCD for Latitude E6500
467-5772 Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1 w/ media English, Latitude
430-3091 Dell Wireless 410 Bluetooth 2.1 + UWB Minicard for Latitude E/Mobile Precision
313-6533 Internal MDC Modem for Latitude E6400
330-0876 90W 3-Pin, AC Adapter for Latitude E-Family
330-0879 US - 3-FT, 3-Pin Flat E-FamilyPower Cord for Latitude E-Family
313-6513 8X DVD+/-RW for Latitude E-Family
420-8010 Roxio Creator Dell Edition,9.0Dell Latitude/Mobile Precision
420-9184 Cyberlink Power DVD 8.1,with Media,Dell Latitude/Mobile Precision
313-6710 Integrated VGA webcam with single digital microphone Latitude E6400/MPWS M2400
430-3362 Intel WiFi Link 5300 (802.11 a/g/n 3X3) 1/2 MiniCard for VPRO Latitude E/Mobile Precision
330-0884 No Intel vPro Technologys advanced management features for Latitude, Mobile Precision
330-0895 Resource DVD with Diagnostics and Drivers for Latitude E6400Notebook
312-0729 6-Cell/54-WHr Battery for Latitude E/Mobile Precision
989-1602 Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response 2 Year Extended
989-4560 Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response Initial Year
991-2948 Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Extended Year(s)
991-2947 Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Initial Year
991-2878 Dell ProSupport Service Offering Declined
900-9987 Standard On-Site Installation Declined
989-1872 CompleteCare Accidental Damage Protection, 3 Year
988-7689 Info, Complete Care
430-3095 Dell Wireless 5530 (Tri-band HSDPA 7.2/HSUPA 2.0) Mini-Cardfor AT and T(with GPS) Latitude
313-6736 Latitude E6400 Color - BrushedMetal Black
313-6527 Black Finish for LED BacklightLatitude E6400
313-6714 Integrated 0.3 megapixel VGA webcam with single digital mic for WXGA+ LCD, Latitude E6400
313-6719 Dell Webcam Central Software for Dell Latitude
320-6945 14.1 inch Wide WXGA+ AntiglareScreen for Latitude E6400
330-1152 Intel Centrino 2 Core Duo Processor
310-8758 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System
310-8977 Info SKU-Software and Peripherals products and solutions catalog included in system boxes

 

Thanks for that advice. My current readings are:

CPU Core 1/2: 31C / 36C CPU load 1% - 11%
GPU/Memory/Chipset: 44C / 45C / 45C
Fan speed: 0 RPM

My suspicion falls on the security hardware / software. Try the latest ControlPoint security manager and the updated Broadcom USH firmware.

John

 

I've updated to the latest Dell_ControlPoint-Security-M_A07_R206690 since it's release.

 

There are updates in SP1 of Windows Vista that are supposed to fix this and other USB problems (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941600/ ). But maybe there are still some USB bugs in SP1?

There is a new version of "Dell System Software", (version 6.2.0, 12/17/2008) you can try. It includes some Microsoft patches you will not automatically get from Windows Update.

Örjn

 

Thank you. These numbers are very close to what I get.

Unfortunately it seems that as soon as GPU/Memory/Chipset reaches 50C the fan will go the annoyingly noisy 4800 RPM mode.

I think I read somewhere in this thread that one guy had GPU/Memory/Chipset temperatures below 40C at normal use. That would be nice to have so I wonder if there are maybe different cooling systems for E6400 like there are different screens and different hard drives?

Örjan

 

Hi,

I've done all the below, still faces the same problem.

We have 2 E6400 of the same config in our office. Both have the same issue.

 

Excellent detective work, which I have just replicated. I'm not sure what Dell are thinking of by doing this, since 50C is not hot. Is this another side-effect of rules designed to keep the nvidia GPU cool (but my GPU temperature only reached 49C). I don't think any of those components are directly connected to the cooling system. Their temperatures drop slowly when the computing load is turned off.

It would be worth checking what settings BIOS A09 and A06 have. I recall that I went for a couple of months without hearing the fan run fast.

John

 

I removed the bottom lid of my E6400 and had a look and it seems that the CPU and one more chip is connected to the cooling system. The other chip is most likely the north bridge because this is the motherboard chip that usually need some active cooling or a really big passive heat sink. The north bridge contains among other things the memory controller and in case of integrated graphics the graphics controller.

I also think 50C is not very hot and that Dell should allow a bit higher temperature before starting the 4800 RPM full speed mode of the fan. E.g. on my old D610 I think the threshold is 55 C. I have reported this issue to Dell and they got the same fan behavior on their test machine. They said that things like fan speed is constantly worked on and there might be a change in a later version of BIOS/drivers.

Now in winter time this is not a big problem for me since the room temperature in my apartment is around 22 C and it helps to keep the chipset temperature a few degrees below 50 C. But in summer time when I often have 27 C in my apartment I expect the fan to run at 4800 RPM a lot and it will be very annoying.

BTW, I think what looks like GPU temperature with default setings I8kfanGUI is chipset temperature. See this post for more info: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4083077&postcount=685

Örjan