===> The Official Studio XPS 1640 + ATi 4670 GPU Owner's Thread<===

Mine will be here tomorrow

 

How long has it been? I have the same one ordered.
You got a new machine just for the 4670?

 

Are there any new ati 4670 drivers for our xps16s? If so where can i get them?
thanks
rob

 

It's just the Dell drivers for now. DH Mobility Modder doesn't support HD 4xxx series as of yet, so can't use the latest from ATI. Hopefully the Modder will be updated.

 

I think they are working on it... at least i hope so. I hate being stuck with crap drivers.

 

Despite the lack of new driver support, threw in the new Call of Juarez with max settings and it is beautiful and quite playable. Don't have fps for you guys, just too lazy this evening.

 

Ordered it July 3rd, so about 20 days? My machine is:

T9600 (replaced with T9800 when I get it)
4 GB RAM
320 GB HDD (replaced with 500 GB when I get it)
4670
1080p
Bluetooth, Intel 5300

And yes I did.

 

Can't wait to get mine, ordered 7/4, should get it tommorrow.

 

What were the charges ?.. Before tax and shipment and after tax and Shipment

 

Just saw that HD benchmark program Skraeling used so I went and tried it for the SSD and here is the results for anyone getting the SSD instead to compare to 7200 rpm:

HD Tune: SAMSUNG SSD PM800 Series Benchmark

Transfer Rate Minimum : 139.8 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 163.7 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 154.7 MB/sec
Access Time : 0.2 ms
Burst Rate : 126.0 MB/sec
CPU Usage : 40.8%

 

hey guys, i find that the 500 GB 7.2k drives get a lower windows performance index compared to the 320 GB drives (5.7 versus 5.8).

does anyone have any clues on why this is happening, even though both the drives are running at 7.2k rpm? does this mean that the 500 GB hard drives are slower compared to the 320 GB ones.

 

$1,208.07 + 85.39 (tax) + free NBD shipping = 1,293.46

 

How'd you order it with a t9600? I dont see that as an option currently. I know it was an older option prior to the t9800s.,

 

Have arranaged for mine to be returned.

The 3670 just isn't up to much and really lets the laptop down. I'm going to wait for the 4670 to be released as an option here in Asutralia.

Cost $174 to return the laptop, better be worth it in the end!

 

The 4670 effectively doubles the performance so it will be worth it if you play games.

 

I called in. I think it's still available from Dell Canada as of Saturday July 18.

 

Actually I've got P8600, RGBLED 1080p,4GB DDR3, 500GB 7200rpm Free fall, 4670, 5100, Bluetooth, 2Years in Home, 6cell, NBD and paid 1367$(after tax) also got "$50 promo card"

Upgrade from 320GB to 500GB takes $50 (Don't know whether free fall counts for more or not) while from 5100 to 5300 takes $45

So its like $1367 - $1293 - $5 = $69 Hmm...Too bad for me.. I end up paying $69 for that $50 promo card. Damn!!! Loss of $19 bucks.

Can you give further details on your Antivirus, Battery and Warranty.

Also interesting point to be considered is

My System Subtotals to - $1,292.92

I pay a Tax of - $74.35. Hence a total of $1367.27

----------

While you System Subtotals to $1,208.07

You pay Tax of - 85.39. Hence a total of $1,293.46

Your Subtotal is of lesser amount hence Tax should also be less.. compared to mine $74.35

----------

Sorry for throwing these numbers.. I'm engineering student, and Quantz has been my favorite topic.

 

Better than.. that it would be lot better if you Show your complete order liek this

Item Number Quantity Item Description
224-1938 1 XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3M L2 Cache)
320-7330 1 Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish with Leather XPS 1640
311-9487 1 4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
320-7329 1 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640
330-4424 1 ATI Mobility RADEON M96XT - 1GB
341-8989 1 500GB 7200RPM Free Fall SensorSeagate Hard Drive
420-9319 1 Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English
330-1917 1 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP XPS 1640
420-6576 1 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
420-9100 1 Dell Dock Consumer
463-2282 1 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
420-6436 1 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
420-7938 1 Dell Connect 2.1
421-0092 1 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
421-0323 1 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
421-0187 1 Dell Support Center Software 64 Bit 2.0
420-9691 1 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
430-2600 1 Integrated 10/100 Network Card
410-1883 1 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
313-7054 1 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPS1640
420-9850 1 Roxio 10.2 DE
420-9334 1 Cyberlink PowerDVD DX 8.2 for DVD
313-4783 1 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.2
430-3478 1 Intel 5100 Wireless-N (1x2) Half Mini-Card
410-2090 1 McAfee Sapphire MUI, 15-Month
312-0811 1 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640
412-1397 1 No Productivity Software requested
950-3338 1 2 Year Limited Warranty
993-3488 1 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year(s)
993-3487 1 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
986-0561 1 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, 1 Year Extended
992-4500 1 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year
902-0941 1 Warranty Support,1 Year Extended
960-8710 1 Warranty Support,Initial Year
412-0360 1 Soft Contracts - Banctec
988-7707 1 2GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
988-0099 1 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
420-9518 1 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 2GB FOR DIM/INS/XPS
430-3206 1 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
320-7618 1 Premium HD WLED Display Obsidian Black, Leather 2.0 MP Webcam
420-8223 1 Dell Video Chat
420-9699 1 Facial Recognition Sensible Vision
421-0464 1 Dell Webcam,1.2
310-8628 1 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System
330-5122 1 Intel Centrino 2 Label
468-2705 1 $50 Dell Promo Gift Card Arrives in 6-8 wks, carries a 90 Day Exp. Dell.com/giftcard
* -DISCOUNT/COUPON APPLIED
Subtotal: $1,292.92
Shipping and Handling: $0.00
Sales Tax: $74.35
Total: $1,367.2

 

How did you manage to bring the price down that low?

 

That much better eh? damn, I'm glad I've decided to rturn it...all I can do now is wait for Dell Australia to pul their finger out!

 

Spent 45+ minutes negotiating with a D3LL representative via online Chat

So many countries are totally lined up for 4670.. Dell INDIA representative a week ago told me it would take another 2 months for India to see 4670..

I hope it arrives quickly in AUS as well as UK. Canada was scheduled at 16th July for $120

 

Did you ask him anything specifically? I'm not quite sure how to negotiate for a discount but any pointers would help!

 

224-1938 1 XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3M L2 Cache)
320-7330 1 Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish with Leather XPS 1640
311-9487 1 4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
320-7329 1 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640
330-4424 1 ATI Mobility RADEON M96XT - 1GB
341-7912 1 320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
420-9319 1 Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English
330-1917 1 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP XPS 1640
420-6576 1 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
420-9100 1 Dell Dock Consumer
463-2282 1 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
420-6436 1 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
420-7938 1 Dell Connect 2.1
421-0092 1 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
421-0323 1 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
421-0187 1 Dell Support Center Software 64 Bit 2.0
420-9691 1 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
430-2600 1 Integrated 10/100 Network Card
410-1883 1 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
313-7054 1 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPS1640
420-9850 1 Roxio 10.2 DE
420-9334 1 Cyberlink PowerDVD DX 8.2 for DVD
313-4783 1 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.2
430-2955 1 Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card
410-2090 1 McAfee Sapphire MUI, 15-Month
312-0811 1 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640
421-0304 1 Microsoft Works 9.0, English For Inspiron
950-3338 1 2 Year Limited Warranty
993-3488 1 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year(s)
993-3487 1 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
986-0561 1 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, 1 Year Extended
992-4500 1 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year
902-0941 1 Warranty Support,1 Year Extended
960-8710 1 Warranty Support,Initial Year
412-0360 1 Soft Contracts - Banctec
988-7717 1 5GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
988-0099 1 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
420-9519 1 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 5GB FOR DIM/INS/XPS
430-3206 1 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
320-7618 1 Premium HD WLED Display Obsidian Black, Leather 2.0 MP Webcam
420-8223 1 Dell Video Chat
420-9699 1 Facial Recognition Sensible Vision
421-0464 1 Dell Webcam,1.2
310-8628 1 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System
330-5122 1 Intel Centrino 2 Label
420-9800 1 Dell Remote Access free basic to access your PCs from outside your home
993-1919 1 Dell Remote Access, free basic service - access your PCs and files from outside your home
* -DISCOUNT/COUPON APPLIED
--------------------------------------
It was the discount in the first page less 7% epp and adding the 4670.

 

Need a little advice,

I placed my order on 7/6/2009 and was supose to ship today and arrive by the 24th of july.

Up untill today, my order was in production and just now switch to boxing stage.


Question:
How long does it take to clear the boxing stage? Could it still ship today?

the online dell site is telling me they pushed back my shipping date to august 7, 2009

The problem is that i will be on vaction out the states on august 5th, 2009


how can i get dell to overnight it FREE, what should i tell them? I placed my order on july 6 because it had an EST. date of july 24 delivery...i figure an i'll have an extra week to spare should something delay my order.


Please help

 

If they kick mine back two weeks or more I'm canceling it.

 

Overnight if you are in the USA will not get you your laptop any faster. I know of one person on this forum that placed an order on June 20th and they still don't have there 1640 XPS. Boxing stage can take 1 day to 3 weeks .

 

i would hate to cancle becuase of the great deal i got on it and beacuse it would be my 3rd xps returned.. the first had a bad mother board and the second busted speakers.

Starting to think maybe i should look eslewhere for a laptop.

 

Hey Quick question to you guys using the xps 16... am seriously considering getting rid of my year and a half old Falcon-NW desktop and my three year old D620 and combining my gaming and laptop machines into one with the xps16 sporting the 4670 card... the most taxing video game I play any more is probably Empire Total War so I am not a Crysis player or the like but something I definately need is dual EXTERNAL monitor support...

Hence the question, do any of you guys use currently or do any of you know whether or not you could tie in two external monitors with the XPS 16 using say an hdmi-dvi cable on the HDMI port and also utilizing the VGA port at the same time as well? I am an attorney so I do a ton of document prep/review so I really like my dual monitors... thanks for the input guys!!!

Ramius...

 

I dont know if it supports dual external with that method. I could give it a try i suppose.

 

Just spoke to a nice dell rep about my order and said that my order was intransit from where-ever it was built but that it has not reached the US and hasnt been asigned a tracking number... He went ahead and upgraded my to overnight once it arrives to insure i recieve it before going on Vacation.

So for those of you who notice that your laptop order was recently pushed back 2weeks...it appears to false...he said the dell website wasnt providing the latest status. i should have mines by friday!

 

what anti virus are you guys using? I chose not to get any from dell.

which of the three is the best....AVG or AVAST or KASPERSKY ?

two are free one is paid

 

Skraeling I would be most appreciative if you would try out the dual external monitor hookup as I am sold on this machine if it works!!!!!!!

Ramius

 

OMFG I jsut got my sexy beast! Nicely packaged too.

I'll run it once I put my processor/HDD in, and give you guys some comments.

 

hey does anyone know where are the drivers for the graphics card? it seems to be outdated on the resource cd and the dell website.. I just did a clean install and my display resolution looks terrible right now.. if anyone just did a clean install also, what drivers did you install?

 

I personally use bitdefender, I have also had in the past good luck with Computer Associates EZantivirus.

 

I'm trying to mix and match between the Dell driver inf files and the current ones on ATi's website. Should know in a few minutes if it works.

Edit: driver is installed but had to do it manually through the inf file. I had to add in a few files from Dell's directory that weren't in the ATi files so I'm not sure what impact that will have. Guess I'll know after I install CCC and test out something.

Edit 2: Got CCC installed and because I used the Dell inf's, it still reports it as the old package. I did swap 2 dll's from the Dell directory to the ATi since they weren't there so hopefully those weren't the D3D files. What Direct 3D version does it show for you guys when you check CCC? That information can be located in the information center. When I go to the system control panel, the driver date is reported as 5/15/2009. DxDiag reports driver verson 8.14.00.10.0671

Final edit: Everything is working fine, 3dmark06 score remained the same at 6306 with the following breakdown:
SM 2.0: 2324
HDR/SM 3.0: 2810
CPU: 2295

 

I think i got the mobility modder ones from 8.14 to work.

 

Unless you are having issues with some games that you run I'd just go with the Dell drivers for now. Usually newer drivers address game issues, performance boost gains are rare. Apparently they are working on updating the DH Mobility Modder to include the HD 4xxx series. When they do we can all run the latest ATI drivers without much effort.

 

Ok I finally got my build all ready to go and awaiting for me to purchase. I want a collective opinion on this build/price. I was on the phone forever with a Dell rep and the best they could do was free shipping and a 9cell for $30 instead of $100...I was talking with a philipino lady who was very nice but it was hard to haggle/deal with her. I want to know if this is the best price I can get or if I should try harder?

t9800 2.93ghz (this is where Im on on the edge. I know the upgrade price for it doesnt fully justify the performance improvement but my thought process was it was a difference of $7 a month, since I will be paying this off monthly What do you guys think? Should I stick with the t9550? Im editing FULL 1080p film footage and I want all the power I can get...

4gig ddr3
500gig 7200rpm ($0 upgrade)
ATI 4670 1gig
BD-ROM combo (was only $49)
1920x1080 edge2edge

9cell for $30
free shipping:

Subtotal: $1,905.88
Shipping & Handling: $0.00
Tax: $143.12
Environmental Disposal Fee: $16.00
Total Price w/Discounts: $2,065.00


(this price includes a $47 external enclosure, so $2,015 total for laptop)


Any opinion is greatly appreciated. Basically t9550 vs t9800...I will be heavily using Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Photoshop CS4 as well...

 

Shrug if you can afford it extra horsepower is always extra horsepower. I got the 9550 myself.

 

Yea..now you can see why I was so concerned about the mobile core i7s..Having 4cores/8threads at any decent speed would be awesome for Premiere Pro..Its one the biggest major apps that supports more than 2 cores/2threads...But now Im stuck paying for an overpriced speed upgrade...

 

That price is alittle high , I have a quote for a new system just as your for $1770. $1770 includes tax and shipping with a 3 year warranty complete care. The only thing that is different is that I don't have a 9 cell battery.

The only reason I have not ordered it yet is because I got a xps 1640 from dell outlet for $1035 which includes"

T9550
256 GB SSD
4 GB
BD-ROM combo
1920x1080 edge2edge
512 MB 3760

I'm not a gamer so I know I don't need the 4760 video card. I may order it in a month or two

 

Really? Where are you getting this quote? Are you sure you have all the same specs? 1920x1080, 4gig, 500gig7200, bd-rom, t9800, 4670?

Are you in the US? link me!

 

You would mroe than likely only notice the difference with a stopwatch. It wont shave minutes off your work.

 

To be honest, it would make a huge difference here. Rendering on 4cores (8threads) as opposed to 2 would make a huge real world impact especially in a well threaded app like Premiere Pro CS4. We're not talking a few fps like gaming, talking about render times, filter times, encoding times, decoding times. A quad core @ 2.5 would crush a dual 3.0 with render times. I've been editing for years and when we upgraded the dual core mac pros at school to quads, it was like night and day...Anyway..t9950 or t9800...

 

some of the prices in here are amazing. here in canada, to get the rgb screen and the 4670 along with the T9 processors, id have to pay well over 2k. not to mention the warranty.

its unfair

humphh....

 

I ordered mine today from Dell.ca and here are the specs and price.

I managed to get him to throw in 3 years complete care for free, but he wouldn't give me anything else. Btw, this is after $400 online savings AND the free warranty.

224-1955 XPS 1640, T9600 (2.80GHZ) CORE 2 DUO 1 $2,165.18 CAD
311-9487 4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHZ,2 DIMM, XPS 1640 1
312-0811 56 WHR,6-CELL,LION,PRIM BATT,INSP 1
313-7056 BLURAY COMBO,INSP 1
320-7330 OBSIDIAN BLACK LTHR,INSP 1
320-7332 16.0 FULL HD RGBLED BLK-LTHR W/2.0 MP 16 1
330-4424 ATI MOBILITY RADEON M96XT - 1GB 1
341-7912 320GB HARD DRIVE,7.2K, XPS 1640 1
420-9319 WIN VISTA SP1 HOME PREM,64,ENG,INB 1
421-0464 DELL WEBCAM,SW,1.2,I/S/X NB 1
430-2955 INTEL WIFI LINK 5300 802.11AGN 1
901-1077 HW WRTY + SVC,STUDO XPS1640,INIT CA 1
920-5070 XPS WARRANTY SPRT, INSPIRON, INITIAL YR 1
901-1118 HW WRTY + SVC,STUDO XPS1640,EXT CA 1
920-5072 XPS WARRANTY SPRT, INSPIRON, 2 YR EXT 1
430-3206 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth,INSP 1
Subtotal: $2,163.04
Shipping and Handling: $0.00

Environmental Disposal Fee: $2.14
GST/HST: $108.26
PST: $173.21
Total Price w/Discounts: $2,446.65 CAD


At the current exchange rate, that would be $2,212.00 US.

We really are getting screwed in Canada.

 

WOW.. just got an email from Dell

Laptop Completed its production state and now the tracking Number appears.

It was supposed to be delivered on "29/07"

And now they have estimated the delivery on "22/07"

I know I should be happy.. but I'm not.. Hope fully Fedex. deliver it late [-o<

I would had been more happy if it was shipped on 26th on my birthday.. or atleast on 2nd Aug .. (Moms budday).. or atleast on 3rd Aug.. (Day when I will arrive in USA)

Comparing specs.. the only good possible reason I can step up with is .. My 500Gb is with free fall sensor.. Which.. I'm accounting for my $19 loss

 

how easy was it to get the free warranty?

 

I wonder why my screen has a different product code than yours, the other system parts are the same.

320-7329 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640