*OFFICIAL* M11x Owners Lounge - Part 3

Not with the current BIOS I guess. Though I do see that there's a M11x BIOS update available on the Dell site.

 

@JonJonk
are you serious??? need pics of that. Also, have you gone into the bios yet on the su4100? (hint hint)

edit: Sorry. didn't see your post about not going to do anything w/ it. that still sucks about the plastic part though.

 

What did you expect from $800 notebook? It looks cheap and will be cheaply made, but that's not important, it's the performance for your buck that you get with it that counts.

hard to tell, but it does look like sticker

http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45448&d=1266547576

 

@jonky = youch lol Dell fails again!

@jojos = Alright lol.

 

So far, the part above the keyboard is the only external imperfection that I have found. And yes the SU4100 can be overclocked. I just did it. Surprisingly, this laptop boots up REALLY fast. I'm also using the 160gb HD, so that's nice to know.

 

Jojo I cannot understand a word you are saying... let me find your language on google translator...

 

So the oc-ing is fine? Not crashing like bigtymes?

 

Under normal circumstances a sentence like

"i can fullfhill half of 500 gbin half hour cause im super crazeh to test the new stuff omg !"
if u let me hold that thing for half hour muahahauheuhaueahehaueh"

Would imply the person writing it is on drugs, but since it says "Location: Brazil", I'm thinking English is not her first language.

 

This thing's been in the wild "officially" less than 48 hours. As an IT professional in an all Dell shop, I see BIOS updates come fast and furious in the first weeks/months of a new chipset. What the M11x is doing today with the BIOS as shipped is by no means something anyone should consider indicative of what this laptop will be capable of in the days to come. Trust me, BIOS updates and firmware updates can make a night/day difference in certain configurations. Let this beast cause a few problems under real-world use and see what the engineers do to fix things via updates. It will make a difference, and I have the patience to know that cutting edge hardware always has bleeding edge growing pains attached to it.

In a month, I bet we're all laughing about this. Or at least the patient ones who didn't rush to cancel their orders...

 

Wrong. PC3-6400 (800MHz) is the slowest they make.

He has no temperature issues.

No.

I share the same sentiments as other about this laptop now. I'm pi**ed off.

 

That may not be necessarily true that we'll see updates soon. I got Dell Zino that was released 3 month ago and there hasn't been any BIOS updates even though it has plenty of issues. Not only that, there hasn't been any drivers updates either.

 

jojos...take a chill pill, cut down the red bull, stop drinking mountain dew, no more chocolate etc Google chrome runs pretty smooth. My SU4100, according to cpu-z, has a voltage of 0.925v. The overclock is @ 1.73GHz on the system page and 1.6GHz on cpu-z. Since I'm not planning on running any games on it yet, I can't test for stability. So far so good though.

 

@jojos = Are you intentionally stomping all over the forum rules? That sig pic is way too big

@jonjonk = Test and we can finally see if its a manufacturing problem or a BIG problem

 

In case my previous post was missed, there's a new BIOS update for the M11x available on Dell's site.

 

omg, so the little processor DOES actually overclock???
for me, that kind makes the C2D upgrade unworth. Just imo, of course... i might be totally wrong.

 

I don't see any new, it looks like original A01

 

If I had a M11x I wouldn't update. Considering what happened to the M15x.....

 

@rambler
lol already? This thing hasn't even been "officially" released yet.

 

Normally I would agree but if Dell undervolted and downclocked the cpu, there is obviously a reason, if it's due to too small power traces or some other weak link in the power supply no amount of bios updates are going to fix it. Hopefully it is just a bad batch of capacitors or something but even still that is going to effect more users than just homebrew and it is not something a bios fix can address. I just can't think of any feasible reason they would undervolt and downclock this thing other than to hide a weakness in the hardware somewhere.

 

There is no "new" update it looks like original A01 that listed on their site.

 

Hi, joining this major thread quite late.
I brought this laptop a while ago and got it on Thursday (UK)
Custom Specs are:
SU7300 OCed
4gb Ram
500gb HD

If anyone wants me to test anything or ask burning questions about the laptop then I'm happy to. Played a few games without problems, even worked playing Secret of Monkey Island Remake using intel graphics (lucasarts *thumbs up*)

 

I'm really curious now the 3DMark06 scores for the SU4100. I know you (jonjonk) don't want to do much with your computer/CPU but if you're up to it, would appreciate a run =)

 

I second this, scores OCed with the SU4100 would be awesome, since we could directly compare to the other peoples tests.

 

Real quick random question regarding WoW. My boss just gave us target gift cards as a random bonus and i see that there is now a WoW battlechest for $39.99. Since the m11x doesnt have a dvd drive could i just register the games on battle.net and then download the game client or do i need to actually buy a usb dvd drive to burn them onto my system? Any help will be appreciated

 

Also the point that people have 21 days to make a decision. Some will get the device and wonder why they were bothered with 173mhz difference. Others (like me) will have it eat at them, since they will wonder, "if it juuust had the other 173mhz"

As nukey said, it will take some more system tests to see what is correct

 

You can download it from Bnet.

 

I could have sworn I saw A02 the other day. Hmmm...

 

Jojos, I suggest you read the PM I sent you. Do not reply to it here. Reply via PM if you have a question. READ the PM NOW. Thank you.

 

@yoda

thanks man

 

No OCing problems?

 

@hom
what do you mean refund? You getting a few laptop?

 

Cyport, can you please post a CPU-Z screenshot whilst stressing the CPU (i.e. running tasks, tests, a video etc.) OC'd and in standard non-OC mode?

That would be very helpful for a number of members here, including myself.

 

I just wanted to tell you RPG, Darkhan posted another CPUZ while running Prime95, for whatever reason it IS locked at 1.6 right now, though it might be locked in software rather than bios, so it might be easily circumventable.

 

this. this is priority one, over any benchmarking, unboxing vids, pictures, etc.
please let us know the results from this. Dell may have taken the processor which was on crutches and thrown it in a wheelchair.
edit: just saw darkhans post

 

Thanks Yoda, I did see that. But, I was hoping that maybe Darkhan got a pre-production model like Hardware Heaven did (I know it's a long shot) where the CPU is limited to 1.6GHz. To be honest, I'm clutching at straws here. I was ready to pull the trigger but I'm definitely holding back now.

LOL @ abusedbunny!

 

Can you say that with certainty? The temp spikes I saw were very fast and it doesn't take much if the head room on the CPU is low especially with the lower voltage. The system slowing to a crawl is a sign that the CPU is in limp along mode in which it begins shutting down to prevent a failure.

 

Posting the OC version first, this is running with iTunes playing, 720p mkv video in the background and firefox downloading a file.

 

Thanks for posting that, though. Well, more confirmation...

It has to be something with the voltage, because the SU7300 in the m11x is definitely undervolted.

 

Word right now is they are planning to up it to 1.73 in the future, but currently are shipping with the first bios revision that all the pre-production models had, which did cap it at 1.6. I guess we will just have to wait and see. Either way 1.6 to 1.73 is nothing.

Also, just so you know, Darkhan ordered an EPP model just like the rest of us. He got a retail machine.

 

21 days and 15% restocking fee LOL, I agree though it could all be much ado about nothing, it is just really suspicious they would undervolt and downclock the CPU, especially considering it's an Alienware machine which is intended for enthusiasts.

 

Just to confirm this is CPU Z with the cpu running at clocked speed, or 'underclocked' as some are saying!


Anyway folks, just ask and I'll try and help out. It's 1am here and I need to get my sleep! Watching The Lovely Bones tomorrow and don't want to fall asleep in the cinema. If you need anything I recommend PMing me as I know when I wake up this thread while have a hell of a lot more pages to scroll through, admittedly I haven't read all the pages and may have missed important information already.

 

Anyone find it puzzling that, when OC'ed, the voltage goes down??

 

No, I can't with certainty. But, according to the temperatures he posted, he was considerably below the max safe temperature for the CPU. HWMonitor should have recorded the spikes, maybe he didn't catch them in time. It's quite possible temp. spikes caused the BSOD, so with this in mind, I retract my previous statement. I don't know enough about that particular machine to make an accurate judgement.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I think 10% extra power on a CPU that's already low-powered, would make a difference. I hope your BIOS info is right and thanks for the info about Darkhan's machine.

 

That picture is ridiculously helpful. It makes it clear to me that they are undervolting for heat reasons, since the processor is not undervolted at stock speed, but does undervolt when you OC (thats back asswards to). Must have been serious heat problems if they left it stock. This is how they get only a 1C increase, they undervolt it a volt and then bump it up 300 Mhz. Very interesting.

 

It's ridiculous. They're obviously trying to conserve battery life at the expense of a stable OC. They've also lowered the multi on the OC to compensate further. Disaster.

Cyport, thank you very much for the screenshots, it's much appreciated.

 

I think it has got to be heat related. The battery life is minimal for .1 volt. Maybe 30 minutes more max, which everyone would gladly give up to OC.

 

Serious heat problems from an SU7300 drawing the already low amount of power that it draws? Say what?

In my Asus, while running OC'd, it gets about 1-2*C hotter. At most.

You telling me my ultra thin ul30vt with a 210m has better cooling than the m11x?

I'm confused.

 

I just noticed that he said he ran o'cd on integrated video with no problem, but not long after switching to discrete mode his CPU began to run slow. The M11x only has one heatsink and fan. It sounds like his CPU was OK with the system cooling when under minor load from the integrated video, but as soon as the 335m came online the added heat load caused the CPU to overheat and shutdown. It really sounds like a bum CPU or poor contact between the CPU and heatsink. I guess we'll never know.

 

im a little confused here. by the numbers, battery life would actually improve when the processor is overclocked.
what the deuce

 

Very possible, they are in roughly the same size but the M11X has twice the GPU, eating twice the power, making twice the heat. In the M11X the CPU is the secondary cooling priority. You also have to remember that they have to test at high temps, it will say somewhere in the manual the operating temps, but it is like tested to an ambient 100 degrees or something. So they have to get it to cool and be stable at 100 degrees ambient temp.