New Owner-initial tests

I will be getting my new AW 13R3 (refurbished from Dell Outlet) on Friday. Is there a guide someone would recommend regarding what type of initial tests I should run to make sure everything is as it should be? I have started to venture down the rabbit hole of the Repasting threads, but I'm hopeful I won't need to go that route. So if anyone could point me toward where to start checking things out in would greatly appreciate it.

 

Hey, welcome to the community!

First thing I would do is:

1) Unlock power limits in BIOS

Stock:
2) Run Throttlestop and set the clock speed to the base clock value for all 4 cores
3) Install hwinfo and arrange fields like they are in the links in my signature (so all important info is readable in one screenshot)
4) Install GPU-Z
5) raise laptop back up by 20mm and provide plenty of Clearence
6) run OCCT for 15 mins then 2 hours and take screenshot with hwinfo on show
7) run 3d Mark firestrike and take screenshot with hwinfo on show
8) run intensive game like BF1, PUBG, WITCHER 3, Assassin's Creed origins for at least an hour and take screenshot with hwinfo on show

Max performance Overclock:
9) set overclock on GPU and CPU maximising clock speeds that will hold when re running step 7 to determine if settings changed have positively impacted performance
10) re run steps 5, 6 and 8 once 9 is stable and a higher score cannot be reached
11) Save CPU and GPU profiles

Daily overclock:
12) set overclock on GPU and CPU maximising clock speeds that will hold with minimum voltage usage (undervolt) and also when re running step 8 to determine if settings changed have positively impacted performance and are stable
13) re run steps 5, 6 and 7 once 12 is stable and a higher score cannot be reached
14) Save CPU and GPU profiles

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Wow. Thanks. That's a lot!

Sonce I've never bought a nice enough laptop to give it a proper "shake down", forgive me for being a noob. I assume most of these things are readily downloadable (free)? Except the games.

 

Yep

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Forgive me for not following exact advice but I wanted to just toy around with my new laptop. Brought it to work and decided to run a quick test just to see how these stress tests work.
I ran a blended test on prime25. I'm seeing a big descrepancy between core temps. After 5 minutes the averages are:

Core 0-83°
Core 1-56°
Core 2-85°
Core 3-57°

The highest a core reached was Core 2 at 97°

Have I just found out why this laptop was refurbished?
Should I stop testing?
Is this something a repaste can solve or am I shipping this thing back to Dell?

Sorry, this Is all new to me.

Edit: I just read through the thread about the heatsink issues. Most talk of core temp uneven to 10 degrees. Mine is pushing 40 degrees difference. Is this thing beyond hope?

 

It's not beyond hope.
Question is are you willing to do this work on the laptop you just bought...
I'm not, and mine AW 17 R4 is returned even before unpacking...
As long as people are willing to accept this as normal why should Dell improve it...
Dell please use duct tape for holding next gen laptops heatsinks

 

I guess the follow up question(s)....

1. Was my quick 10 minute run of Prime25 accurate or would a more comprehensive test (as described above) prove its not as bad as I fear. Admittedly my stress test experience is limited to the 10 minute test mentioned above.
2. Would a 40 degree difference be considered a problem in Dell's mind?
3. If so, would a tech be able to successfully install a proper heat sink?
4. I don't think I'm willing to do this on a new system that is supposed to be "certified refurbished".
5. Are any of the new ones shipping with proper heat sink systems?


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Just to be clear I had AW 17 R4 ordered and returned.

10 min. Prime stress is rather relevant and
"real world" usage should reach this level of stress.
I sure hope Dell will resolve this issue in R5, probably in current R4, but I would not hold my breath on it.
I'm confident Dell will recognize your issue as manufacture flaw and would try to resolve it.
But as I chose to wait for next R(5)evision, or see the proof that this R(4)evision is properly redesigned, I can only advice You the same...

 

It's absolutely fixable but yes that's one of the biggest differences I've seen so it definitely has to be resolved. Either send back to Dell and risk another one or send in for a repaste to someone on the forum and pay yet have it guaranteed fixed and working in top order.

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I'm currently running an Intel Burn Very High test and the averages are 81, 56, 85, 54 with max of 99 on core 2. It is "passing" but obviously that doesnt seem right. Could you direct me to links for people offering the service so I can weigh the options? My head hurts with disappointment from discovering this and searching forums.

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It's quite common, I wouldn't consider yourself unlucky! That difference definitely isn't acceptable for you going forward. Most people quote their highest temps, not average. Where are you based? What CPU and GPU have you got again?

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I am in Delaware, USA. I have the i7 7700HQ and the GTX 1060

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So I called Dell Tech support on Saturday and they ran their remote tests showing at least a 25+ core temp differential. The tech said it was perfectly normal. I asked to escalate which they did. That rep acted as if I was giving brand new information regarding the poor heatsink design. I told him its all over the web. He basically asked me to prove it so I linked him to this forum. Then he asked me to take a screen shot of HWINFO and include it in an email. (Of course the CPU had been done its test for 5 or more minutes so of course temps were equalizing). Anyway, they said they would send it to "L3" and get back to me. Well, the response I received today was more of the same. (Quoted below). They are acting like this is not a known wide-spread problem. I was all set to do a repaste on my own to see if I could bring it reasonably under control, but now they've p*ssed me off by acting as if I'm an idiot.
Is there another department I should contact? I read something about a separate Alienware support?

"Each core will provide its own temperatures as the CPU see fit. This is not an issue, unless there is overheating and performance drops"

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Technically they are right in their response what you have quoted above. What you need to do is prove that they are reaching 90C+ and that this is resulting thermal throttling (use hwinfo)

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During the remote test they had HWINFO open. They ran whatever Dell Diagnostic test they use on their site which doesn't seem to push things too far. If I recall correctly it did spike to 90 but they were more concerned with the average or it getting above 93C which it didn't do on the Dell test but easily does on other tests. Plus, I had the laptop propped up 2 inches in the back. I realise now that I should have had it flat unless otherwise instructed.

Either way, what's most annoying was their attitude that this is something they've never heard about.
Thats why I'm wondering if there is a shortcut to all of the B.S. dancing around and explaining the problem from the very beginning.
"Please connect me to the department of the people who have a clue."