--->The Official Studio XPS 1340 Owner's Thread<---

Dunno yet, but it can turn the extra graphics card on and off on the fly which is pretty . I know some Hybrid SLI systems have to restart.

I have this config. It weighs pretty much exactly 2.2kg according to my cheap kitchen scales, same as what Dell says as the minimum. It's still pretty heavy for a 13".

Yep, it's pretty bad actually. The screen is really nice, but reflects like a mirror.

Nope, the speakers are as useless as you'd expect, but at least they're balanced! I like how the speaker grills are only over the speakers now. In the old XPS, the grill went right across just for a nice look, but dust etc always got stuck in the grill.

 

Kinda important update. I fixed the Unknown Device, it was infra-red. For some reason the IR driver install didn't work the first time.
eSATA still doesn't work. It freezes up the computer completely when it should be detecting a drive. I tested it in Vista as well. Same thing. Drive works fine on my other computer. :/ Typical Dell problem - I bet everyone has it and they'll fix it in 6 months or so. I'm going to make a separate thread about it. I'll email Dell too but I can't be bothered going through a replacement board or anything.

 

Will make a review on the M1340 as soon as I get the laptop on Monday

$2170 AUD
- 2.53ghz P9500
- 4.00GB DDR3 1067mhz RAM
- 500GB SATA HDD
- WLED 1280x800 Display
- 9500M-GE (9200 + 9400 Hybrid SLi)

Ordered on the 16th, Receiving it tomorrow (Monday 2nd February).

- Zoneout

 

NOPE... *still waiting for mine (Vancouver)

I'm another one of those that had a "ghost" cancel my order, and put the exact one back in the system a week later. I'm a little frustrated.

 

Seems like this isnt just a problem for all you 1340 owners.

People in the 1640 owners thread have had this happen to them alot as well. It seems to happen alot with those who were able to get the $200 dell gift card when they bought their system.

Whats bad is that unless you have a copy of your original order with the $200 dell gift card, they wont re-add it to your order because you dont have proof. Many people have tried checking their order status, its gone there as well.

 

.....thats a sweet system congrats!

 

if i got the 9400 does that support hybrid SLI? or is that only supported for the 9500?

And on the website it says there are 9 cells available, but I asked the reps and they said there are none for this laptop, anyone know wats going on?

 

The 9 cell should be available in the future, but isn't yet.

The 9400 is a single integrated card. Hybrid SLI is a way of using multiple graphics cards at the same time to achieve better performance - the 9500m system is actually the integrated 9400m, plus a 9200m. Performance equals roughly the same as a single real 9500m card.

 

Only 9500M is Hybrid SLI. The 9400 is a regular integrated GPU.

The 9 cell batteries might be available someday (like several weeks/months from now). Sometimes they put those future options in the specs page, even though those components are not yet available. I am guessing the following goodies will be available for sure, sometime soon:

- 9 cell battery
- P9600 CPU (6MB cache)
- 500GB HDD (7200rpm)
- 256GB SSD

and most likely no Blu-ray drive, as I heard Panasonic makes those slim drives, but they are about $900 or something, so there's no way Dell would add that as an option, although who knows, the price might go down quickly.

 

I would like to see how a 9 Cell would look on a 1340!
The 9 cell works & looks very well on the 1530


Cin

 

Yeah, it will probably stick out at the back of the computer, unless the technology advanced and we'll have 9-cell batteries of the same size/form as the current 6-cell one.

 

Yeah!!...Now, a 9-cell batt' that is *flush* like a 6-cell would be sweet!

I think you got something there! lol.


Cin

 

Just a note. The 9400 is on a thermal pad. Not sure about the separate card. Both run pretty hot. Copper mods anyone?

 

For those of you previously considering Sony's Vaio Z line, the Z640/690 refresh is now available for CTO over at SonyStyle USA.

 

i'm gonna buy a laptop cooler for my xps13, but should i get one with the fans on top or bottom? where do u think it would be most effective?

 

What brand/model are you looking at?

Have you seen this guide?
Notebook Coolers : A Buyers Guide | UPDATED
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=304671&page=13

^^^Great information!

Cin

 

i was looking at the zalman M-NC1000 on the dell website (to use it with the GC from dell ^^) but i dont know what parts of the studio xps gets hot
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1283496

 

Here's a nice review on that cooler here on NBR:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=162929

That would be a good purchase with the GC. You have some good choices with the GC...I had a hard time making up my mind, when I receive it. It's priced decently also. It's $50.91 at amazon.com.

Hopefully, some other 1340 owners will chime in on what parts get *hot* per se.



Cin

 

Top left corner. Where the fan is.

 

so having only the 9400 is equivalent to having the 9500 in integrated mode (since the 9200 is turned off)? i got the 9400 hoping itd get me better battery life.

for anyone who got their 1340, does it come with the laptop sleeve? or was that an additional purchase?

 

Hey Cin...

I just wanted to say, you've provided a lot of great info on this thread -- Thank you for that!

Still tapping my foot over here -- No 1340 yet. (Still in production according to the site)

 

I haven't heard any remarks about a laptop sleeve. I was kind of hoping that Dell would roll out the nice *accessories extra's* like they did with the 1530's.

Thank you! That was a very nice comment!

Aww too bad...What was your ESD?


Cin

 

My estimated arrival date is Feb 9th. (USA)

 

The rep I spoke to (and ordered from - I am in Australia) mentioned a 'specially designed' sleeve (different to the old XPS ones) for the 1340 when I asked. He said no pictures yet but it is available and I ordered one (I figured if I didn't like it I could sell it). It was approx $69 Australian but I got a discount. No idea when it will appear on the website but he said it would arrive with my laptop (no confirmation on delivery date yet, but apparently 7-10 working days).
When I get it I will post pictures! I hope it is nice.

 

Hoping it ships sooner for you!

Ooh cool!

I hope it looks good! I'm excited to see your pics, when you receive the lappy and sleeve!
I was also hoping that Dell, would do the Sleeve, Folder, Microfiber cloth, etc. *extra's*, like they did with the 1530's.
I bet they would've been a nice addition for the 1340/1640s

Cin

 

Any reviews plz?

Just wondering what advantages XPS 13 got vs HP dv3xxx with intel processors?

 

I guess so, yeah. I mean, yes you can turn off the 9200, and I assume battery life is then the same. The cooling kind of changes on mine also (fan works a bit differently).

Mine came with a thin fabric sleeve. It's nice, but not as nice as the big solid sleeve the M1530 had. Harder to slide the laptop in. Takes up less space though, so depends what you want.

No microfibre cloth.

 

Everything in Studio XPS 13 is superior to HP dv3x (materials, build quality, reliability, platform, memory, hdd, etc.), they are not even the same class, so you can't really compare.

 

Yeah the 1530 came with nice sleeve. I actually still use it!

Is the fabric sleeve a clear color, or is it all black?


Cin

 

pipomolo42 's pictures have the sleeve but i didnt know if he bought that or not, but its great it comes with it so i can put it in ma bag

http://boeglin.org/static/studio_xps_13/P1000122.JPG
http://boeglin.org/static/studio_xps_13/P1000121.JPG
http://boeglin.org/static/studio_xps_13/P1000120.JPG

 

I believe that all Studio XPS 13's and 16's come with this as default.

 

That's a decent looking sleeve..looks thin, but it could work as added protection in some notebook bags

Cin

 

My fellow Canadians,

So, I finally decided to purchase 1340!
How much did you pay for your systems?
I configured the following:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8400 (3MB cache/2.26GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
Edge-to-Edge 13.3" HD WXGA Slim WLED LCD with 1.3 Megapixel Camera
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce® 9500M - 256MB
Dell Wireless 1515 802.11n Half Mini-Card
Dell Wirless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)


for $1,639 CAD. I also have 7% EPP, so it will make it $1524.27 -- this is all online, without talking to sales rep yet (but i will order on the phone). What other discounts can I expect (if any?). Is that gift card available in Canada at the moment? Please share. Thanks!

 

First, the giftcard deal is gone. Second, this system is so new that it's really hard to get any further discount beside the EPP and DPA discount. However, you can beg your representative to give you cheap upgrades or discounted accessories. For example, upgrade to a P9500 for $75, 2 years warranty price for 3, 128GB ssd for 100.....just beg the person to give you cheap upgrades

 

Hey Lexus,
I configured mine with the same processor and memory but have the 250GB Hard Drive, the standard LCD display, and only the NVIDIA® GeForce® 9400M. I'm kinda upset they didn't have the option on the Canadian site for the 9500M when I ordered two weeks ago. I'm also kind of regretting not ordering over the phone, as I might have saved some money or got something extra for free, but I had no idea it would be better. But I've already been waiting two weeks and still have an estimated delivery date of only Feb 23rd, which I think is ridiculous, so I'm not about to cancel and wait any longer..... oh well by the way I paid $1415.40 CDN.

 

does any one try to make the GPS work? as dell website says the laptop is GPS ready..

 

Dell must be mad at me. I just cancelled my second order and did a third order. Same components, but with a 1200 SEK lower price! (~$145).

 

Well:
1. materials - same plastic + some leather but it just design as it does not any function except aestetic.
2. build quality - read forums you will find XPS 13 has some design probs, HP as well not told to be falling appart...
3. reliability - see same first comments, overheating blue screens blah blah... HP get same..
4. platform - NVIDIA® GeForce® MCP79MX (on dell) vs Intel Monetvina. Nobody ever seen laptop with NVIDIA in the wild before, how can you tell it is better that intel?
5. we can find that DDR2 vs DD3 is not very superior except price. I care only about battery life, where dell seems to be as bad as HP with DDR2 (~3.5h)
6. HDD. how HDD can be different? yes speed is different, but again slower HDD = less heat + more battery.

And how cant you compare these 2: 13", Centrino 2 proc., portable multimedia notebook. All have pretty decent amount of connections. Dell has Display Port - future proof advantage. but well, we know about future of our laptops...

BTW, does dell come with Remote?
And does HDMI out include sound?

 

Hi,I have some questions.
How is the driver support under Ubuntu?
Does everything work fine?
Or is some hardware not supported by Ubuntu?


And
How can i switch the Graphic card under Ubuntu?
Is there a switch which i can press and than the card is switched after the next reboot?

Thanks
amaterasu89

 

That's pretty nice of them to be made at you like that!

Good job on getting a lower price! I hope this one works out for you!


Cin

 

How do you get the 7% EPP in Canada? I haven't found any codes that work on the Canadian site, maybe I'm doing something wrong.

 

Is anyone else who has their 1340 having heat issues like that one guy?

 

EPP code is not on the web site. It is something your employer or university might have, ask your manager or office administrator -- they might know.

 

AFAIK, only heat issue is that the screen are blocking a bit of it, while it seems that the computer still handles normal temps.

 

I could prove you wrong on all these points, but i don't wanna start a flame. Besides, if you have your opinion on all that, why are you even asking? There's no point considering Studio XPS, just buy HP and be happy, I don't see any problem.

AFAIK, no remote.
Yes, HDMI is with sound.

 

Dont start the flame but just provide your arguments (not sentiments) as I did. I suppose were will be more peeps interested in such experiences. I am looking from portable multimedia laptop prospective, connectible to home cinema system via HDMI, good screen to watch movies on the road, powerful enough CPU to decode HD and sure powerful enough for other geeky stuff. both seems to be equivalent power for that stuff. Thats why question arised, why would I want to pay more for dell?

BTW, anyone tested battery already? as this point is important for me as well. as paying extra for Hybrid SLI just to have Hybrid SLI (and DD3) and not having extra battery life would be joke.

 

i received mine about 3 days ago (ordered it as soon as i heard about it). and i'm seriously thinking of returning it for a refund.
i dont' know where to start. i still have my M1330 that i was planning to sell but i guess i'll keep it and return this new xps studio instead.
1. the laptop is too hot ! the top left corner (when connected via an AC adapter, which switches the GPU to boost mode) becomes crazy hot, too hot that i think if you keep your hands or thighs there, it'll burn them.
2. space key on the keyboard is not functioning (double spaces with single clicks, gets stuck in) but thats not a big issue.. they're actually sending me a replacement.
3. the screen, when opened, blocks the ventilation ! what was DELL thinking of ? seriously ? if you keep this laptop on the bed or an uneven surface, forget it.. you feel like your bed or sofa, will go up in flames and the laptop's ventilation fan start running on very high speed. not to mention that if you open the WLED all the way back, the vents get completely blocked.
4. HDMI: no way to get a 5.1 audio channel output via DELL's new "nvidia high definition audio" drivers. my M1330 could easily output it with the sigmatel drivers. googling around for solutions seems to show that this problem is actually common, and no solution has been found yet. my computer can't even detect an SPDIF output (via the HDMI cable) so programs can start outputting through it. only output i can get is stereo. apparently the nvidia nForce series have been having this issue for a while too.
5. no way to switch the gpu between a "performance mode" and "save power mode" without playing with the vista power plans. double clicking the tray icon (as explained by our lovely dell guide) will simply do nothing.

i can generally live with many issues, i mainly wanted to upgrade my M1330 because of the graphics on this new xps studio. i watch a lot of high-def content on my samsung 42" lcd and the M1330 wasn't handling anything above 720p too well. now i seriously feel that this has been a downgrade instead of an upgrade. i just don't know what to do at this point. decisions decisions..

 

Madmack, do you by any chance have an external drive with eSATA you can try? My eSATA just freezes everything up, in BIOS or in Windows.

 

unfortunately i don't you could be having problems with the boot loader in the bios. it probably is trying to boot off of it or trying to identify it and couldn't. i guess you need to wait for some kind of bios update in the future.

 

No problem. There's already a BIOS update actually (A03), released on Jan 20. Makes no difference though.
The BIOS doesn't have many settings. If I plug it in while already in Windows it still freezes up, so something's not right.