*OFFICIAL* M11x Owners Lounge - Part 3

Are you kidding?!?!

Pics?

I knew AW had quality issues, I don't know why I assumed their low cost product would be the one they get right...

I'm more comfortable waiting now, I guess, ebay and a Z in my future?

 

We need to confirm whether Intel's Speedstep technology is lowering the multiplier and voltage or if it's a configuration pre-set in to the BIOS. Darkhan posted a few pages back questioning the 1.6GHz, so I'm sure he's gone to find out more for us (I hope!).

Download this version, un-zip the .ISO file and mount (burn) it to a USB drive or CD. You then have to boot from the device the image is mounted to. The easiest way is probably just to burn the ISO to a CD, have you Roxio software on a PC that could do it for you?

 

Is there any other programs that do the same but you don't have to burn?

 

@homebrewer - since you've got that screen issue as well you should be fine sending it back, regardless, hopefully they will cross ship for you so you can at least use the lemon while a decent one is sent out.

 

cant you just stick it on a USB drive?

 

Argh. More build issues, not what I'd want to be hearing about after all the excitement with this.

Many others have received theirs, would be nice to see if this is just isolated case.

 

The reps are rubbish though can I just say I wanna return it now questions asked?

anybody else in the UK got theres yet? might be bad stock?

 

Hope this will clarify some of whats going around.

The CPU run at 200 MHz system bus. They use a multiplier to increase the frequency on the CPU, in this case 6.5. You multiply the system bus by the multiplier to get the operating frequency.

200 x 6.5 = 1300 MHz (1.3 GHz)

Intel has a downclocking feature to lower power and cpu speed during idle times called speedstep. This will lower the multiplier down to 6.

200 x 6 = 1200 MHz (1.2 GHz)

Now to figure out memory speeds its 4x system bus.

200 x 4 = 800 MHz

When you overclock the system it increases the system bus to 266 MHz.

CPU 266 x 6.5 = 1729 (Its actually 266.666 and comes out to 1733 1.73GHz)
CPU 266 x 6 = 1600 MHz (1.6 GHz) with intel Speedstep
Memory 266 x 4 = 1066 MHz

The overclock doesn't add any additional voltage to system components. This is THE biggest life shortener of components along with heat. However the TDP of the CPU is 100 or 105 C. There is no way these systems should even be coming close to approaching these temps unless you use this in a car in the desert without AC or you completely close off the vents.

Now you can find instructions on making a bootable flash drives or plug in a external optical drive and download memtest86 and boot from it to test your memory.

Run a couple passes, sounds like you BSOD fairly quickly so the errors should be detected relatively fast, maybe 3-5. If it errors out with both sticks in I would run each stick individually until you find the culprit.

CPUz will show you your memory speeds on the memory tab. Also memtest86 will display memory speed as well.

 

Good point. Homebrewer seems to have a bad unit, based also on the screen problem he just mentioned. Seems like this unit got rushed out the factory with minimal QC.

 

You can run MemTest, but as it's run in Windows, it will only check "unused" RAM as the rest of the RAM is allocated to the OS. It might be worth a try if you can't write the ISO file to a CD or USB drive, but booting Memtest86+ would be the most comprehensive way to check the RAM.

 

Nope i aint yet still coming from China , Are you in the UK then?

 

You see, that's exactly what I think too. But, I questioned this on the review on Hardware Heaven (as their M11x displayed a 6x multi OC'd, therefore 1.6GHz) and his full response was:

 

Yeah I'm in the UK lol

 

The hype hast crashed... T_T

 

Homebr3w3r, this $#@%#@% sucks. I was waiting for someone to post there first steps with the m11x. But reading this posts and your issues, especially the screen thing, got me thinking. How did the UPS/delivery guy looked like? Did he looked doped up, did he look like he give a #$*&?
I think he did a drop and run with your little baby.
Me being a test analyst for profession, I recommend to do the memory check and then the heat thingy, but I think for sure, that some catholic delivery boy has been fondeling your baby.

 

Damn ok how the heck did you get it so fast lol, OMG i hope there all not going to be a "Friday build job" to the UK. When did yours get shipped from China?

 

I didn't see him lol anyway I'm uploading the unboxing on my WORKING mac

It was shipped from Ireland apparently

 

Yeah an unboxing vid ! Thanks !

 

Just tried: disabled the speedstep and enabled the OC. CPU Z still shows: 266X6=1.6g

 

yo! unboxing video!!
link pls ^^

 

If I were in the same situation (if it ever ships, I could be), I would go have a few pints, then have a nice Tikka Masala or Madras curry, some nan bread and then go home and watch some Minder and or The Young Ones DVDs

 

You the rep i'm taking too on the phone lol

ha guy above me just might do that..

 

Gonna take about 1:30 to upload

 

Mine was shipped from Nedtherland and arrived this afternoon. Should post some pics once I've finished backup things.

 

@homebrewer : unlucky mate, my first dell laptop suffered the immediate repair fate too (graphics corruption half an hour into playing wow on the thing). I know your pain all too well, good luck on a rapid replacement.

 

I guess all Euro orders are shipped via Ireland (I ordered from Germany). I just saw that my order status changed to Shipped from Limerick. So will be interesting to see what happens. @h0M3bReW3r I know your unit is not working great but how is the screen generally? My concern is that since I ordered from germany the screen order had LCD and not LED LCD like the US orders do. Is the screen bright enough?

 

Well the alienware rep said it isn't supported by them even though its a option, he also it is probably as the cpu isn't actually capable to be clocked to that speed some can some can't. so no replacement. Guess I got 7 days to deciede if its going back then..


and the screen its alright and your getting LCD not LED like the US

 

@home
im gonna wait for the video till 1.30 then

 

Thanks for the info.

Have you got a M11x? Can you check a few things for me?

I know on the Dell Mini 10 for instance that when you disable Speedstep in the BIOS, it automatically sets the CPU to it's lowest power state/frequency and you cannot change this via software (i.e. setting power management settings to "desktop" or "always on"). I recall it actually stated it would do this on the right hand side of the BIOS menu. Can you confirm what it says on the RHS of the BIOS menu when you go to adjust Speedstep?

The 2nd thing. With Speedstep enabled, can you stress the CPU with CPU-Z open in the background and confirm if the multi goes to 6.5x and therefore 1.73GHz? Can you also do this with the OC off?

I'd be very grateful.

 

LED can still be LCD. Can you confirm that the UK LCD is CCFL

 

so - wait - you're UK - and you got an LCD? whereas US is getting LED? is that documented on the Dell UK site?

That might lend a little credence then to what the rep says (i.e. different hardware for different regions) - in that the OC capabilities are limited for the UK region?

I wonder if anyone with a US laptop can confirm if their OC is higher? (I believe Darkhan mentioned his goes to 1.73 earlier). I believe the only members here to-date to have received them are DVDA and BigTymer?

 

Unfortunately, that's true. Every chip is different and some OC better than others. The i7-920 desktop processor is a popular overclocked CPU and some people get 4GHz easily, but others have to crank up the VCore to get it. It just depends on the chip. Did you run HWMonitor with the system OC'd? What temperature is the CPU running at?

 

Unfortunately not, Darkhan stated CPU-Z reported 1.6GHz on his OC'd M11x. (But we're all hoping this was because of Speedstep!)

 

I don't understand how they can get away with offering LED for a lower price point to USA consumers and having their way with us UK consumers.

 

Actually - what he stated is:

Which explains why I thought he said it was 1.73..

Which is strange - why would Windows show 1.73 when CPUZ shows 1.6? One of them has to be wrong...

 

Guys, what we really need is what Windows is reporting. If you right click computer and go to properties what does it say the processor speed is?

Windows will report the clocked speed, where-as CPUZ and others will report the current speed. If it says 1.73 in the Windows specs then it is 1.73, if CPUZ is showing it lower then some application or feature is clocking it lower after it boots into Windows

 

^^ Beat ya to it - see post above..

 

homebrewer - can you confirm for us what the processor(s) report in Device Manager?

 

from which source did u guys get from that says:
US got LED LCDS, but other countries got LCDs?

 

I think there is a mix up here, i believe somebody stated its LCD but i think they were expecting it to say LED and not LCD LED at all.

 

I'm getting the 'WLED', don't think there was any other option for Japan.

 

Dell Chat confirmed the below. We should be getting LED LCD's in the UK.

Nick:
Hello, is the LCD on the m11x offered in UK LED backlit like every review across the internet says it is? Its listed as LCD not LED..
AvinaXX_X_XXXXX
11.6” WLED (1366 x 768) (COLOR TFT/HD LCD)
16:11:05 Customer Nick
are you sure that is what UK customers will be receiving?
16:11:17 Agent AvinaXX_X_XXXXX
yes
16:11:28 Customer Nick
ok, so no difference with USA LCD

 

homebrewer mentioned this:

which could be misinterpreted.. - I'm not exactly sure what he was referring to with regards to his statement. It wouldn't make sense that they'd have different screens - though apparently there's a problem with his....

 

Also of note is that dell will ship some systems that will have defects of some type. This does not mean all systems will be bad. My company does a refresh every 3-4 years and orders roughly 200-300 systems at a time. In those about 20 will be sent back for some type of problem. I don’t think we should freak out about it. It’s unfortunate that h0M3bReW3r got a bad system but we should wait for more systems to show up before saying that the M11x in general has a build quality problem. It just fuels the hysteria and turns away the new people looking at this system as a possible purchase.

 

I think what we need is some of the other guys to have received theres to come on and give their opinion. Its the only way to stop the worrying.

 

I agree. Mine wont be in for some time (Build Purgatory). Darkhan did our system have any problems/defects? I know your a special case but it would help us knowing.

 

i just hope my m11x wont come with any stupid faulty..

 

I don't know if that post puts my mind at ease or makes me worry even more about Dell quality control. If 20+ systems out of 200-300 have to be returned because of a problem that means there is roughly a 10 percent failure rate.

 

20 out of 200-300?? that is an abysmal return rate....

 

For me, this little this little thing is gorgeous. Very well built, incrediblely fast, definitly worth every penny of it.

PS: just rechecked: under windows it shows 1.73 G but under CPU Z it's 1.6