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

The link is no longer valid on dell.com. I had a dell Rep. quote me a price and email it to me a month ago . I have saved the quote and I hope will use it soon.

The only thing I can do is order it for you and ship it to you

 

Random tip.

The black bag the laptop ships with works great for wiping the screen off of smudges/dust.

 

Just ordered my rig..Flying out to Japan tonight and I will be in Guam when it arrives..I have to wait for it to get here in cali and have my mom ship it to me! So excited. ETA August 6th

went with the t9800, 4gig, 500g@7200, fullHD edge2edge screen, bd-rom ati 4670 etc..and extra 9cell

$2,065 out the door shipped

 

It was either 7% off thanks to my work place EPP, or the free warranty.

 

Hurray! My 1640 w/ 4670 is here! I'm typing on it now.

For my fellow Canadians who are interested in shipping times, I believe I ordered on the first day the 4670 was offered, July 3rd. The system arrived today, which was the expected delivery date from the get go.

Initial thoughts... the system is very nice. Very glossy, but very nice After spending an hour or so with it, it is getting a little warm on the bottom and the fan is noticeably louder than my previous laptop, an inspiron 1420. It also seems tht it's a bit higher pitched too.

Screen quality (RGBLED) is fantastic. I don't have the eye some do for display quality, but viewing my photos is light years better on here than on the inspiron 1420, though probably not as good as the 24" ultrasharp I bought last year.

I went back through the past few days and didn't notice any unanswered questions. If anyone has any I'll be watching the thread for the next while.

 

It seems that some have configured a system online with the $404 or some other discount, then gotten the 7% EPP discount (or extra warranty) on top of that via online chat or telephone with a sales rep.

When I'm ready to place the order, should I configure on the EPP site (which gives the best online price) then try to get some of the items at the lower cost of the Dell Home site ? Or should I configure it as cheap as possible on the Dell Home site, then try to get them to take 7% off that ?

 

My ship date is 03/08/2009, so when can I expect it?

 

Browse the laptop with desired specs and offer (it may be in home or epp).

Save the cart.

Then go to chat with the agent.

He will at start, ask you which company or college?

Tell the name.

Then he will politely ask you, How he/she can assist you.

Tell her/him you want so and so laptop and You have configured it in your cat.

He/She will take a moment to see.

Then you say I found the price bit higher... and then the usual bargain

And voila.. "Not only you will get $404 + EPP..you will also end up with some more discount.. and free shipping..and yeah.. Be bold enough to request order NBD for free"

 

Yes Indeed.

Any mircofibre cloth will be good enough to wipe the fingerprints.

 

Mine shipped this morning- pretty excited! It appears that my 9-cell may actually get here before the computer does though...

 

My laptop arrived today
Sorry to sound ignorant, but does the XPS 16 has Media Direct?
I did not get any Media Direct DVD with the laptop...

 

Anyone else notice the power cord slips out of the connector on the laptop very easily? I could be sitting in bed typing and the damn thing just slides right out from slight movement, it's quite annoying!

 

Joker,

It may be Dell's answer to Mac's magsafe power adapter

 

I think so too. It's never slipped out though.

And for prospectives, I have made a video of gaming performance on this sexy beast. Click the link in my signature.

 

The heating issue is disappointing.

 

I'm seriously considering getting a Zalman NC2000. I'll decide once my laptop arrives and I see how bad the heat issue really is.

 

This version of SXPS 16 actually runs cooler than the 3670 based one. Also the ambient temperature makes a difference on how hot the laptop will run. My apartment has the AC running all the time (I live in S. Florida) and the laptop rarely gets very hot. The only times I've noticed it get toasty is when I'm pushing it really hard during gaming.

 

Good video and I left a couple comments there.

 

Hey guys,
My SXPS arrived today.

I was wondering a few things.
1. Is it worth it to like to a clean install? Like I'm not exactly tech savvy but I've read the entire thread and it's like update drivers and it sounds like some drivers work and some don't and yeah...
2. Also, is it normal that when you ordered a 320 GB drive, it says on the OS ( C: ) Drive, that there is 253 GB free of 283? I mean this was when I first started the laptop. So what is that first 37 GB that takes up 320 to 283 and then 283 to 253. Just wondering.
3. Is there a faster way to undervolt? i haven't started but it sounds like a long process.
4. Is there anything I should do to improve performance?
5. You think I should buy the 500 GB 7200 RPM drive from WD from newegg? And if I do install it, would it be done and that's it? Or would I have to install something or do driver stuff?
Thanks.

My first impressions were that it's a fingerprint magnet, amazing looks, and the touchpad is somewhat glossy so if your finger is kind of sweaty it'll get kind of stuck. The keyboard is really nice though. So yeah. I love it.

 

When you order any HDD... you never get the amount of space quoted.

Read This

The capacity of the HDD depends upon the FILE SYSTEM used.

And 283GB ~ 320GB.

The rest 30GB ie 253 - 283 Gb is used by the files of Operating system (VISTA) and other dell bloatware.

Plain your decision. Yeah it woule be done. You wont need any driver or something. (Off course if you decided to install Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP SP1..You 'might' need the Sata drivers.. )

 

Anyone not able to measure their GPU temperature (4670)? HWMonitor and GPU-Z fail.

 

Just ordered the 1640 with the 4670 today. Does anyone know how the Windows 7 upgrade program will work? I'm currently running Windows 7 RC1 on my desktop and was hoping to use it on my 1640 as well, but I'm not sure if I'll need Vista installed to install 7.

 

I'm intending to partition my 500 GB drive and install Win 7 on it, then go through factory installed Vista 64 on the other and eliminate as much bloat as possible that way. Dual boot both OS. Going to be using Win 7 this fall anyway with the free upgrade.

 

Guys, could anybody post pic of ATI 4670 heatsink?

 

I just ordered mine today from newegg. They have a free shipping promo on it right now.

 

TBH I use mine on my lap all the time.

 

n/m ma bad

 

I currently have a Dell 2209WA 22" monitor that I plan on hooking up to my XPS 16 through a DVI connection. However, it doesn't have any DVI ports. What kind of adapter should I use to get the laptop display and the monitor display working at the same time?

 

Two options, analog or digital. There are VGA to DVI cables, analog solution, and HDMI to DVI cables, digital solution. And all sorts of adapters that allow you to do either of these if you already have a cable(s) in mind to use.

 

Ordered this system on 2009 July 03... Was hoping to have it by now, but they are telling me it will not ship until Friday...

I wanted to take it out of town with me over the weekend. :-(

Pretty decent deal I think, but they were supposed to give me an additional 7% off, and refused when they realized how low it would take the price...

 

can somebody help me please....I installed a fresh copy of vista and I had got the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB(Panzer) Application 1.0 for an extra $25.
Now when I am trying to install this app, it does not.
I downloaded the latest from dell site but when I double click the installable, it shows preparing to install and then goes away....i restarted my system may times and tried to install but it does not.
Can you guys help me???

 

Now they are taking over three weeks to build and ship?
Ugh.

EDIT: UPDATE!
Just got email saying my order has shipped!
Ordered 7/17 (via phone not website) and shipped 7/23 that's less than a week in production. I am in New York, expected arrival 7/27.

 

Woot. Been checking for about a week non stop. Open it up this morning and this little guy was sitting there. Previously ordered new for 969! I didn't even check the specs on it really, just ordered it. Has a decent CPU and plenty of RAM. Most importantly it has the 4670 GPU. I figured ANYTHING else could be upgraded. Got the free next day shipping too. Estimated delivery is 07/28


Studio XPS 16 (1640) Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (3MB cache/2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB) w/2.0MP Integrated Webcam Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 1 $969.00
Studio XPS 16 (1640) Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (3MB cache/2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB) w/2.0MP Integrated Webcam
No Dell DataSafe Installed
Operating System Label
Power DVD Software
Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
8X DVD+/- RW(DVD/CD read/write) Slot Load Drive
90W AC Adapter
Software
Dell Support 2.0 Software
Information
Trend Micro PC-cillin with AntiVirus and Spyware removal 15-months
Previously Ordered New
Obsidian Black with Leather Accent
64BIT Operating System CD
Power DVD Software
Software
125V Power Cord
Software
No Dell DataSafe
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
320 GB Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Reader
Shipping Material
Creative Camera Software
4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz (2 DIMMs)
Label
Facial Recognition Software
Roxio Creator 10.2 DE
Notebook Keyboard
16 inch Edge-to-Edge HD Widescreen WLED LCD (1366x768)
64BIT Operating System DVD
6 Cell Primary Battery
Service Software
Microsoft Works 9.0 Trial Version
Microsoft Works 9.0 Trial Version CD
Resource DVD
Windows Live
Shipping
Image Restore Software
Software
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670
Dell Support Center 64 Bit 2.0

 

Another quick update on my 1640 experience now that I've had it a few days.

I notice the heat issue others talk about, but it doesn't seem that noticeable to me. I don't have AC in the house (Southern Ontario - it's been ~20c this past week) and it gets a bit warmer than my old 1420 did, but not that much so. I find the palmrest and touchpad acceptable and possibly cooler than the 1420 was.

I do notice the extra vibrant red others have pointed out. Blue seems a little severe sometimes too. It is too much and I think it's too bad Dell/whoever couldn't dial this down a bit. That said, it's still a much richer display than most other laptop displays I've seen.

 

Punch
Can't you dial back the color vibrancy with the video card settings?
Usually the Gamma settings are too high.

 

You got an awesome config. for the price.

 

That's what I've been waiting for. I lost $600 on my original SXPS, I didn't want it to happen again. I saw the Red 1640's start showing up last week and they haven't been out that long so I figured it wouldn't be long before the 4670 1640's started showing up. Time to start refreshing!

*edit - This one just popped up. Hrm.

Studio XPS 16 - 1640
(System Identifier: ZR7DFK2Y)

Studio XPS 16 (1640) Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo T9550 (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB) w/2.0MP Integrated Webcam
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
System Price : $2,119.00

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Memory
8 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz (2 DIMMs)
Hard Disk Drive
256 GB Solid State Drive Ultra Performance
Video
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670
Laptop Screen
16 inch Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen RGBLED LCD (1920x1080))
Hardware Upgrade
6 Cell Primary Battery
125V Power Cord
90W AC Adapter
System Color
Obsidian Black with Leather Accent
Media Bay
Blu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM)
Base
Studio XPS 16 (1640) Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo T9550 (6MB cache/2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB) w/2.0MP Integrated Webcam
Bluetooth Wireless
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
Software Upgrade
Windows Live
Microsoft Works 9.0 Trial Version
64BIT Operating System DVD
Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
McAfee Security Center, 15-months
No Dell DataSafe Installed
64BIT Operating System CD
No Dell DataSafe Installed
Previously Ordered New
Previously Ordered New
Network Interface Card
Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card

 

Are these units offered at the "outlet" returned machines that have been serviced? I assume a returned machine had something wrong originally, so they are repaired and offered for sale with full warranty?

 

There are a few different ways they are certified. Some are refurbs, some are ordered new and some are scratch and dent. The one in my cart now is a previously ordered new, but it's got 8 gb of ram, complete overkill for me. And yes, they carry the standard warranty just as a new Dell would.

 

Plus I assume they ship them fast so if you need one you don't wait the 2-3 weeks.

 

Usually overnight shipping is included with them as far as I've seen.

 

Awesome. I ordered 7/17 via phone also, but didn't get a ship confirmation today. It'll probably ship tomorrow, then?

 

Ok Mine shipped.. Too bad I cant open it till "3rd of Aug" .. I'm still in India. .. While my laptop is with my room mate in Washington DC

Ordered 7/7
Estimated 29/7
Shipped 22/7

Astonished ? Certainly

 

Let's hope the quick shipping of late is not reflected in the QC.
I'd rather wait a month for a good one than a week for slapped together.

 

Amazing, look what I just picked up from the outlet for $967.71!...

Seriously chuffed. Used a 15% voucher to get it down to that price. Free next day delivery too so coming in three days! Was a cancelled order so it hasn't even been touched.

Do all XPS 16's come with the backlit keyboard? Also I have an X9100 going spare here - does the XPS BIOS allow overclocking? I assume if it does it will get a tad hot.

Off to do some research as looks like I will be back in the Dell gang soon

 

holy cr*p! what processor did you get with that?

as far as your questions go,
yes, they all come with backlit keyboards
and i would assume so, but it might not be advisable as it gets uncomfortably hot (to some) at normal power.

 

P7350 but I will upgrade it myself anyway with a QS engineering sample.

I didn't expect any 4670's to be available in the outlet yet. Been waiting months for Dell to upgrade the 1640. First time I checked today and voilà. Obviously meant to be.

 

if any of you are having trouble with the drivers for the 4670, read here:

http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=264&threadid=111649

I got my 4670 to work flawlessly with windows xp using these instructions.

 

I've been watching like a hawk for 3 days and saw my first 2 4670's appear this morning simultaneously. Neither system was spec'd the way I wanted, but they were both under $1300 for a retail outlet price (undicounted in anyway).

Both had either a P8600/P8700 and one had the 1920x1080 screen.

 

Well apparently my machine is just sitting in Nashville, as no update to the tracking information has come since 8:00am this morning...And I paid for 2nd day air.
Was hoping to see it here tomorrow.
The last HP system I ordered got from China to my door in 3 days. I don't think they deliver on Saturday do they?