Precision M4400 Owner's Lounge

But did the system go back together like it was when you first got it?

 

FYI - new BIOS version A12 for the M4400 is available for download as of this afternoon.
Also, a new video driver for the M4400 - version 176.53 - targeted towards non English languages displaying correcanel, but as with the BIOS revisions - most video drivers also contain thermal adjustments which affect clock adjustment rates.
Most Dell BIOS revisions also contain adjustments to the thermal tables based on user input, even if they're not listed as "fixes".
Here's the official changes/enhancements to BIOS A12 -
Fixes/Enhancements
------------------
1. Updated Intel(R) Active Management Technology firmware for Intel(R) vPro-configured systems:
- Fixed a vulnerability in which an ME-knowledgeable malicious user with local machine access could potentially exploit boundary errors in some ME application functions to gain control over those ME applications.
- Fixed a remote Denial of Service (DOS) vulnerability which a malicious user could potentially exploit to cause the reboot of a system running susceptible versions of Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT).
2. Added USB provision file format 2.0 support for Intel(R) vPro-configured systems.
3. Updated warning message when changing the SATA Operation field in BIOS Setup.
4. Added support to make Pre-Boot Authentication single sign on work with hard disk drive passwords.
5. Fixed the issue where Dell Diagnostics fan script test fails with a USB 2.0 scanner attached.
6. Fixed the issue where Dell Diagnostics LCD brightness test fails when ALS is enabled.
7. Updated medium fan speed.

 

Well now with the new driver my display port magically works "sorta". If i put in the adapter while the machine is on it instantly shuts off and restarts with the other display in the options. It looks like the driver has an older date then the prior most recent one.

Update: It shorted and restarted 3 times now it seems to work fine i have no idea weird. I'll run some benchmarks later.

More finding:
I ran 3DMarks Vantage and score about the same. 1 point lower.

I also ran the Real Time HDR benchmark at 1920X1200 that I posted to the forum for around 20 min. What i noticed is the frame rate stayed more constant. When I ran it before it would jump between 18-20 fps now it was only jumping in the hundredths of a point between 19.92 - 20.00 fps. Also my temps maxed at 82C and idle at 58.

For the most part I think the new driver is a go atleast on my end.

 

After the BIOS & video driver update, my GPU temp idle at 58'C as well.



@boss428man: We have exactly the same specs for our M4400, is there any benchmark you would like me to run so that we may compare & find out how much it vary.

 

I basically tested the two I listed before, 3DMarks Vantage which resulted with something like 1760.. I would have to test it again to get an exact number, and Real Time HDR which is free ran between 19.2-20fps at full screen 1920X1200.

Have you played with your display port at all? Mine seems to be running ok now but I had a couple shut downs the first few times I tried plugging in the cable via my hdmi adapter.

BTW for all those wondering the HDMI does carry audio on the M4400.

Let me know as well if you have any benches so we can compare. Thanks for letting me know your idle temp seems like our systems are running quite similar.

 

@boss428man: May you please kindly provide me the link to download those benchmark software that you had, I'm very new to all these benchmarking, thanks.

Max GPU temp at 82'C too


I'd tried HDMI to my 37' LCD TV, but didn't try out the audio via HDMI cable yet.
Will try DVI soon.

 

3DMarks Vantage can be found here:
http://www.futuremark.com/

RTHDR:
http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/

Hey Wise, are you having any problems with sleep mode. My computer goes to sleep then wakes up a couple seconds after I shut the lid I notice. I will have to do some testing later today.

 

Indeed, it does. But have has anyone managed to get surround sound via SPDIF passthrough to work with Vista?

 

I'm getting about the same with 3dMark06- 5284 most recently. I'm not really sure what score I should be expecting.

 

@boss428man: my sleep mode while closing the lid seem fine, for the time being.... Thanks for the links, I shall run some benchmark & will reply to you soon.