PSA: Overheating? Call Dell Returns, Complain, Get Paid, Repaste

I am sorry in advance if this has been posted previously but the mods should really sticky this because of how common this issue is for everyone so I'll keep it short and sweet.

1. Almost all current generation (Skylake & Kabylake) run hot and it is a well documented issue that will only be "fixed" once the stock paste and pads are replaced. Multiple guides are available on the forum. Newer ones are better but still not great.
2. If you call or chat Dell and complain they will give you $$$$ to keep your PC the amount varies but it is typically $125. You can do this for both New and Outlet PCs. This only takes a few minutes to do and is quite easy.
3. You *CAN* get the "free" premium support refunded as well. You may have to push for this one but it is possible as places like Slickdeals have proven. The amount you will get back is typically $150. If you're here and considering repasting you might as well.
4. Use the cash to buy your repaste supplies/whatever.
5. ????
6. Profit.

Until Dell fixes the HSF design I would suggest every owner here considering repasting do this. It's free money and since they can't be bothered to use quality paste you might as well make them pay for it.


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My Experience:

I purchased a "new" Skylake last week from the outlet for $1375 and tax but it was also running hot but every port/device was working OK. I called, complained and straight up asked for cash and got $85 and used the money to buy supplies for the LM repaste. Now unless I'm running a game the fans stay off and my load temp stays around 65-67C*. Also called and got my accidental coverage refunded for $50 and the "free premium support" for $150 which brings my total cost to $1160 if you include the $70 I spent on supplies.

 

One big problem with your plan. Dell already addressed the issue and all Kaby Lake models come with 1mm pads meaning the chances of you having actual throttling is very small. You can complain all you want but without an actual problem, they won't move a muscle.

 

In the USA you will spend two hours on the phone doing this. That sounds like a profit to you?

If you want to profit by this, monitor the outlet for heat-related returns, buy one for a 40% or 50% discount, and then demand they fix it. It's been reported here that persistent complainers can get a whole new machine.

THEN . . .

Demand your $85!

 

OP,

Most people here buy new laptops at full retail price lol

They don't care about the Dell Outlet. BTW $85 is on the low side. You should have pushed for more. You should have got at least $125.

You have no idea what you're talking about. It only takes two minutes, not two hours. You don't even have to call. You can just chat online.

And honestly you don't even have to complain or demand anything. When you ask to return they will immediately offer a $$$ refund to keep it.

 

All I'm seeing here is someone trying to bum money the easy way.

 

Meh I'm sure you're probably right but I ended up getting this one much cheaper so I didn't care too much. But thanks for the support I'm not sure where all the hate is coming from everyone else. Everyone knows Dell botched the design, in my mind the least they could do is offset my cost to fix it.

My point was anyone who was even thinking of repasting should call Dell, complain and use their money to buy your supplies.

I'm sure there are a few that get decent temps but realistically most don't are in the high 80s and 90s. I guess I worded the post poorly. My intent was to alert those who didn't know that if you complained to Dell about this or really any issue they will give you cash to offset what you will need to spend to "make it right".

 

Running in the 80s (as most do currently) under full load is what 90% of gaming laptops do, though. Mine certainly does - if I were to go complain to Asus they'd likely laugh me off (and rightfully so - if a machine is holding maximum clocks and not touching 90*C then there is no reason to do anything for most OEMs)

 

Walt:

I'm talking about my own experience returning a 17 r2 in August of 2015. They offered me $85, then $95, neither of which I accepted, and the process took about two hours, almost all of it on hold.

You talk as if you've done this (from the USA). If so, please tell us what you returned and when.

I certainly should have tried the chat, I had script blockers so it didn't work and I tried email instead, which was a waste of time.

Again, if you want to save money on these machines, buy it from the outlet and then work the warranty game until it's either perfect or you get a new machine. I base that on the reported experiences of forum members here who claimed to have done it, typically paying ~$1200 for a $2500 machine, according to them.

EDIT: 2015, not 2016. Time flies!

 

I can't speak for him but for me I had a Kaby 13r3 new that was DOA (multiple bad ports) and was running quite warm. They offered me $125, I asked for an exchange and that was denied; that unit was $1616 + tax. Returning that took about 4 hours over the course of 2 days to get retuned and was a total nightmare.

I then purchased a "new" Skylake last week from the outlet for $1375 and tax but it was also running hot but every port/device was working OK. I called, complained and straight up asked for cash and got $85 and used the money to buy supplies for the LM repaste. Now unless I'm running a game the fans stay off and my load temp stays around 65-67C*. Also called and got my accidental coverage refunded for $50 and the "free premium support" for $150 which brings my total cost to $1160 if you include the $70 I spent on supplies.

 

Er, okay, you did exactly what I suggested, but almost none of that made it into your OP. Was I not supposed to mention what people REALLY ought to be doing? Sorry!

Still interested in what that Jackovv has to say . . .

 

Thanks for the suggestion; I edited the original post to try and clear things up

 

I've been buying from the Outlet since 2016. I've placed around 8-10 orders. Monitors, desktops, laptops. In every case that I've called/chatted to return, I've been offered a credit if I keep it.

Just last week I chatted online to return an XPS system. Within literally 2 minutes of verifying my information to the agent, he was offering a credit. I can take a screenshot of the chat transcript if you wish.

All the 15r3s/17r4s are going to be defective, whether brand new or from the Outlet. The problem is a faulty heatsink design.

It is true that you can get machines for literally half the price from the Outlet compared to new. It just requires a lot of patience.. You have to wait for fresh inventory to appear on the Outlet and for the right coupons to pop up (used to be twice a week, now the Outlet only has Alienware coupons maybe twice a month..)

 

Yoo mean the TRIPOD mess + all the overheating is fixed? Naa

 

It sort of is - could it be better? Yes. Is it a problem now? Not really. Newer models run in the mid 80s under load - while not perfect, it's a far cry from the 100*C maximum temp we saw before.

 

Most of newer models manage run Dell's advertised max Oc and within machines max allowed operating temp 35C. No throttling, freezes, stutters and with normal temp, Oh'well

 

Not really? Newer models run in the mid 80s?

 

That'd be correct it hasn't been fixed it has only made it "good enough" that it isn't immediately obvious to the uninformed. All of them are still not right and wont be until the HSF design is completely overhauled.

 

But will Dell continue with same TRIPOD design in next models? That's the question. They will use partners who offer the best prices as usual. I don't think Dell will make the big changes for next models. They have most likely sticky the same design for models coming late this year.

 

It's hard to say but I would say there is a good chance that there will be a new HSF for Cofeelake as it will be quite difficult to cool

 

Coffee unlocked BGA will still be 45W. Aka no big changes in TDP. And the base clock as low as 2.0GHz. Can't compare Coffee BGA with Skylake X models due design. Skylake X need massive cooling, but that doesn't mean Coffee will need the same.

 

Overall TDP may be the same but as was seen with Kabylake when transistor density increases and surface area decreases nominal temps go up. I'm not comparing any particular socket just the uarch. Skylake X isn't as difficult to cool because the surface area is larger relative to power draw.

 

OC'd Skylake X draw up to 400W. People have already confirmed high need for top notch cooling. A normal air cooler or normal sized water cooler ain't good enough. Yoo Can't compare this with wimpy BGA. Even OC'd Coffee BGA.

 

400W? Maybe on DICE or LN2 but normal use? No. Cooling really isn't an issue, there has been far hotter running processors that worked just fine on normal cooling. As for the BGA comment I think I'm just going to let that go because it's clear you don't know what you're talking about and there's no amount of evidence I could provide to change your mind. I'm sure you'll have no problems buying Vega/Volta pushing 350W+ on a BGA socketed GPU but I digress.

 

Cooling ain't a issue with Skylake X ?
I'm sure @ajc9988 and @hmscott can and will share a lot of info with you regarding max OC'd Skylake X high power draw and cooling needed on more than LN2. And I don't know what I talk about regarding tech, oh'well

Edit. I'm sure you know the lonely core don't pull all the power from the whole graphics card.

 

God Dell... I remember a few years ago my XPS 15 had to have the LCD replaced because I got no video and the Dell tech guy did not repaste my cpu and gpu because he ran out. Thank god this was my work laptop... had to run it for a week without thermal paste. Idling at 65C and throttling hardcore when compiling code, it was not fun.


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