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

Technically, you're right on paper. But I've yet to see anyone who applied AS5 come on and say they were actually denied warranty service. Lots of people are doing this especially if you include the 1730 and 1340 models.

 

I finally received my replacement yesterday! The RGB screen is awesome!! It runs alot cooler than the first one did. Graphics are a lot smoother with the 4670! I also was able to register for the free Windows 7 upgrade!

 

I notice everyone is going for the 1920x1080 RGBLED screen. I'm skeptical though because that seems like an extremely high res for a 16" screen, meaning small text. I prefer 1440x900 vs 1680x1050 (my current HP's res) for a 15.4". The closest thing I've seen to the 1920x1080 16" was a 1920x1200 15.4", and that was WAY too high. Same goes for 1920x1200 17".

Is font scaling better in Vista/7 than XP?

 

well i wouldn't know any comparisons, but the RGBLED i had was amazing. I don't mind the "small" text sizes at all, but that's just me. Besides, even if you think the font is small you can always increase its DPI no biggie.

 

And use NoSquint in Firefox and you're all set.

 

@twinpeaks

I could see that: I doubt very many techs check that, lol. But I wouldn't want to be the first.

@winkosmosis

I got used to it in about 10 minutes. Every other computer now has gargantuan sizes, lol!

I for one love the huge screen resolution: you can fit so many windows now!

~Ibrahim~

 

Hey every1,
Got my system 3weeks ago and im absolutly in love with it. Got a similar spec to most with 2.4ghz P8600, 4gb DDR3 RAM, 4670gpu and the RGB LED screen.

Was planning on posting this for a while but now unfortunately im on cause of my stupidity.

Yesterday i brought the laptop into college and the strap on the bag popped resulting in my laptop taking a very bad slam off concrete!!! Landed on the left LED ring corner which caused the alu to dent and bend out, scratch, screen hinge to bend a little along with the plastic cover for the vent to pop out.

The bag is cheap and made for smaller laptops. I just decided to save money by buying it over dells very expensive bags. Now how i regret that stupid discision. (Pince a penny, loose a pound). It didnt protect it in the slightest, plus to my added frustration, i had a heavy book in there too which enhanced its fall (kickin myself repeatedly).

Its funny cause its a joke how careful i was with it!!!

Anyway i digress. It seems to be fine in respect to hardware, ran a diagnostic in bios and everythin passed im just worried bout my screen, it seems ok but im afraid of some underlying damage that bios wouldnt have picked up.

Im just wondering if ye no ne good tests i cud do to see if everythings alright with the screen and even the other hardware

If ye have suggestions theyd be appreciated.

Sorry for the long post,

Cheers!!!

 

This has happened to me too but with a Dell bag. It was a few years back and the hinge on the bag broke as I was walking. The laptop was working fine (Inspiron 8600) until the screen started dimming a few months later until it completely went black.

In my case the laptop had suffered a cracked and eventually broken ccfl tube in the screen. New laptops however come with LEDs so hopefully yours should be fine.

 

Sounds like you need some of this stuff that I saw on Dragon's Den:

http://www.d3o.com/

http://www.tech21.uk.com/

 

OK, That looks useful - are there any bags that use that technology?

N

 

Promoting blatant fraud are we Joker?

Not very clever.

 

Damn, that undervolting is no joke. Before I undervolted the processor was constantly throttling down during games at around 92C. Now I'm running at 1.0 V max and never get above 72C. I could even go lower, as I never hit my minimum, just figured this was good enough and no problems in two weeks. Thanks for the links!

 

This thread is derailing in a manner in which it shouldn't.

 

I ordered one of the new XPS 16's with an i7. Does anyone know when the first batch will be coming out as I haven't seen any reviews of these yet?

My order said estimated delivery was October 30th. Which is also after the release of Windows 7 so it would be nice if it would come preloaded, or atleast have the Windows 7 disc and serial number included with the shipped order so I didn't have to wait longer to receive them after I have the laptop.

 

Yup makes a huge difference. Also running at 1.0 V and with a cooler I never go above 56 C. I may even redo the thermal paste to improve temp's a little more for times when a cooler isn't convenient.

 

It's not fraud and I don't think the mod should have removed my suggestion. Another member had a similar incident, called Dell and the rep advised the person to do exactly what I wrote.

 

I agree! I also think th mod should have to notify you when they remove a post and give a reason for it!

 

I find 1280x720 comfortable for casual use. I noticed when undervolting that the TZ00 component of the GPU runs a lot hotter when delivering max res, so it looks like it must work harder to do so... I like having that power in reserve when needed, though!

 

Great tip, thanks.

 

Be aware that if you use image zoom for firefox, nosquint interferes with it's function. You can do what nosquint does by pressing control+/- in FF.

 

Sorry if i ruffled a few feathers, not my intention.

But out of curiosity is it possible to get complete care after purchase? Thought it was only available on purchase. If it is possible will it much more than the price originally offered? I ask not with the notion or intentions of commenting fraud, as to be honest the laptop is working fine (managed to get it lookin good again too, little creaky but good. Can barely tell it fell (well i can, others cant. Used car scratch remover on the alu, worked a charm ) its more cause im scared to even take it out with fear of having a similar mishap.

The laptops half a summers wages for me so if it is possible to get complete care now id be delighted, bit of piece of mind. Remember lookin at the option and thinking, "god more ways for dell to get money out of me" and "psst"

Oh how i regret my ignorance

Also Going into PC- World today to price a better bag for it, any suggestions?

And thanks for the responses, i no my posts are a little off topic with the thread, cheers

 

That's one nice Dell rep...but, whatever he says, it's still definitely fraud.

I mean, companies ALL the time in lawsuits argue how their representative wasn't offering views parallel to the companies: this would definitely be a case.

A good way to tell if it's fraud: if everyone did it, would it hurt the company?

~Ibrahim~

P.S. And I think this is all a moot point because I think CompleteCare is only allowed to be purchased at original sale time for this very reason, lol!
P.P.S. @ Landry:

I don't mean to put salt in the wound here; I'm pretty bummed out, too.

 

Complete care CAN be purchased after the laptop has been delivered. Dell does this because they make money on it. They are well aware of the fact that people can and do abuse CC but overall it still nets them a profit. The Dell rep would never have mentioned what I repeated earlier because all their conversations are monitored by a floor manager. When I had my first SXPS from the Dell outlet (the one with the 3670 GPU), I called Dell a week after owning it and asked if I could buy complete care and it was a non-issue. Think about it, 2 yr CC plan would cost around $250-$300. So if someone with a cracked and/or scuffed casing called, bought CC and then reported it, it would cost Dell maybe $20 to replace the case and another $20-$30 to have it shipped and installed which would still net them a sizeable profit. So doing so would be more of a gray area than outright fraud. If the laptop is a total loss and then someone did that, I'd call it fraud but not for minor cosmetic damage (which is the case for Landry)

 

How does the 1600x900 WLED compare to, for example, the Macbook Pro WLED?

 

I stand corrected: you CAN buy CompleteCare after purchase, then.

However, if it is only cosmetic damage, then CC is worthless (as stated in the Terms & Conditions).

CC only covers: the LCD, CPU, keyboard, and the hard drives. Everything else is up to you. How picky, I guess the question becomes, is the claims department....

~Ibrahim~

 

They will cover cosmetic damages it's just according to what rep you get.

 

hi, guys. i just ordered a dell 16 with "Arctic White with Leather Accent".
what exactly was the problem with arctic white this color option?
computer wont be arriving until next monday or tuesday.

 

Much appreciated, didn't know this. My wife is visually impared and dislikes MS Magnifier. This little tidbit will really help, thanks.

 

There were these 4 "stains" on the top of the lid, they weren't really big but they really annoying and messed up the whole look of the laptop.

 

and it happens to every laptop with arctic white lid?
guess i need to buy some laptop skin to cover it up

 

As far as i've read, yeah it seems allof them have it. Even the dell rep i spoke to (which btw was very helpful) suggested not to buy the white one because this problem will persist for future models. hope that's not true though, i want to order it again with the i7. Lemme know how yours turns out

 

couldnt pass the deal, the system has p8800 2.66/1gb ati 4670/rgbled/500gb 7200 hd for $840 after tax, previously ordered new from dell outlet.
its not the first time dell 16 has cosmetic problems, my old 1st gen 16 has quite a few dust particles built up inside the e2e cover .

 

Any input on the 1600x900 screen's quality? I searched and didn't find anything about the Dell's.

 

Mine is hopefully arriving tomorrow. I will let you know if the white lid still has issues.

 

wow. that is a very good deal.

 

What can you mobile processors can you upgrade the XPS 1640 to? I want to know the max processor.

 

i think its t9900 3.06ghz for older models.
the new dell studio 16 with intel i7 uses a diferent chip design.

 

How about for the P series? Is the socket interchangeable between T series and P series?

 

Finally it arrived after a month, ordered on 9 September. I had ordered the Alpine White lid and I can say that mine is in perfect condition. I think Dell have fixed the stain problem. The cloth sleeve is white not black.

BIOS A10
CPU T9600 2.8 C2D
RAM 4GB
HDD 500GB 7200rpm
GPU ATI 4670 1GB - Dell driver
LCD 16" RGB
BATTERY 6 Cell
WIFI 5100
OPTICAL Blu-Ray Read only and DVD/RW
OS Vista 64-bit Home Premium (will be installing Ubuntu Karmic also)


I will post a review in a few days once I give it a little test run. The screen is awesome, glad I went for the RGB. Overall first impression is, WOW.

So far, the fan seems to be on constantly and I haven't even pushed it. Just updates and internet downloads so far. The laptop does not feel as hot as people have reported, at least to the touch. The power supply feels hotter. The screen definitely blocks the air vent when open but splits the air in two, towards the back and towards the screen.

I have removed McAfee and installed Microsoft Security essentials. Also removed dell online data safe and MS Works.

 

They use the same socket, yes.

Congrats, Mellow! In the beginning, mine spun up a lot, too, but after a while it starts to calm down. I also underclocked mine, though.

~Ibrahim~

 

that's good to hear about the white lid looking good...mines in production. I wonder if it was the dye they were using in the black bags that were staining the white lids?

How does the white bag look? lol It'll probably be a dirt magnet...

 

as is the black one... that black bag is completely incompatible with my cats...

 

hey guys

I'm thinking of getting one of these laptops but the price does seem a bit steep, the specific model I'm looking at is the 3rd from the left. do you think I would be able to haggle with a sales rep to get it down to 1000-1100? I am a student so I might be able to get a discount in that aspect and I'm willing to forgo the i7 for a core 2 duo. What's the best bargain that people have gotten on the these laptops so far?

http://www1.ca.dell.com/ca/en/home/...px?refid=laptop-studio-xps-16&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1

 

i just ordered this laptop lid cover:
http://cgi.ebay.com/8-9-15-4-Laptop...2BUA%2BFICS%2BUFI%2BDDSIC&otn=12&po=LVI&ps=54

is there any good transparent laptop skin lid cover? no ZAGGS !

 

You cannot haggle with them (as far as I know). Search for discounts tho...there a ton of them (especially in the Dell forums here). Also, search your school's site to see if they have any Dell deals through your school. My school has deals on everything except the good stuff (XPS's, Alienware, etc).

 

Getting the best deal for your laptop is indeed tricky. Dell offers so many parallel promotions you'll find more than one price for the same laptop. Try to take advantage of it! I got mine with the 25% discount and with a better configuration than the ones advertized in Dell just by clicking in one of NBR's links! And by all means try to haggle! Its free! I myself got an extra 5% discount on my purchase just by asking and poking on the Rep. (Through Dell Chat). If you get a Rep. that won't give, just change it. Oh and don't forget the 8 Days of Deal has just begun, so wait until you get your best deal!

Martin

 

Yes!

Look at the machine in my sig. I paid $1340! You can't even come close to touching it for less than $1700 now. I got the Blue Ray WRITER for $35 over the Blue Ray reader! That changed to $75 more the next day, and now it's $240 more.

 

25% off this Studio XPS 13 Laptop when configured over $1599 Coupon
Code: PMJ9JW?MW613F3 (Exp 10/8)

25% off this Studio XPS 16 Laptop when configured over $1699 Coupon
Code: CS0XQST3JW242D (Exp 10/8)

25% off this Studio 15 Laptop when configured over $1149 Coupon
Code: T?JHXNQQC0SDWW (Exp 10/8)

there is a coupon for stduio 16, but i wouldnt recommend it, the configuration is very limited.

 

What Happens when i press the Key "D" and the power button simulataneously.will it run the LCD tests. In my SXPS16 the screen turns blank and nothing happens and sometimes it goes into sleep mode. Please clarify.

 

sorry, I cant help you netcitizen, Still 2 weeks before mine arrives in Belgium.

Is there a lot of difference between the P8600 and the P8700 processor in performance?

I'm about to get the P8700 with Vista ultimate, 4GB, 500GB, 1GB ATI and the RGBled
This machine is expensive here in Europe!