===> The Official Studio XPS 1640 Owner's Thread<===

The 9-cell battery does not stick out at the back, but rather stick out from below (vertically), thus raising the back side of the laptop.

http://www.notebookreview.com/shared/picture.asp?f=39833

 

wow, that is wicked bizarre. it connects in the same slot as the 6 cell but overhangs like a lump of fat. i guess if you are using it you wouldnt have to look at it. now i dont feel so bad about my 6 cell. even though its 2:30 hours, its worth it for the slimming looks

 

It helps improve the airflow underneath the laptop. And the ergonomics of typing into it I guess.

But yes, it's a problem if you're putting it in a bag or sleeve as it might not fit inside with a 9-cell battery.

 

My order status has changed to phase 4 today. I know I should have posted this in the order thread, but I like this one so much

 

Has anyone received XPS 1640 yet? I see only order information on forums.

 

I use HWMonitor when not undervolting, Rightmark when I am, and rivatuner when playing games.

 

Thank you, likingpies.

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I just like to share this:

3670 versus 9600 GT

http://optimitza.cat/news/2009/01/1...gaming-benchmarks-vs-nvidia-geforce-9600m-gt/

Performance between the two is very similar (1640's 3670 with 9600GT DDR2).

Also, from NBR's review:

Dell Studio XPS 16 (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 512MB), 1280 x 768 4,855 3DMarks

comparable with:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-9600M-GT.9449.0.html

Pavilion dv7-1050eg ( 1280x800) T9400 4096 MB 500 / 400MHz 512MB GDDR2 175.53 4419
Pavilion dv5-1060ew ( 1280x800) P8400 3072 MB 512MB DDR2 nVIDIA ForceWare 175.86 4460
JHL90 ( 1280x800) T9400 4096 MB 500 / 400MHz 512MB ForceWare 175.61 4565


Though it lags compared with GDDR3 version of 9600GT

Aspire 5930G-864G32MN ( 1280x800) P8600 4 GB DDR2 MB 500 / 800MHz 512 GDDR3 + bis zu 1791 MB shared Memory 5678
Aura P8400 Madril ( 1280x800) P8400 4096 MB 500 / 800MHz 512MB GDDR3 VRAM 7.15.11.7597 - Forceware 175.97 5684
MacBook Pro ( 1280x800) T9400 4096 MB 500 / 800MHz 512MB GDDR3 + GeForce 9400M (G) ForceWare 176.44 (Windows Vista) 5821

 

guys.. do u think.. the 9 cell battrey can solve the problum wolfpup stated.? ive read the thread . almost 70 pages.. hav u guys come to any conclusion till now that weather screen blocks the vent or not?

 

it sounds to me like it's a matter of personal opinion but i'd say probably if your hardcore and working the machine to full potential would be the only time you have heat issues

 

A laptop cooler seems to help me a lot. Is there anywhere in the US to get a 9-cell or higher battery for the SXPS 1640? Thanks.

 

If that were really that significant, they'd make the 6 cell the same size and just leave out the battery cell (like they used to do for other models.)

I don't know who thought of the "stick out the end" idea, but they should be fired. First time I ever saw it was on a Sager model a few years ago.

 

Lots of people did. A few of us have already returned it even, and in some cases have our second systems.

That's what I'm wondering too. That seems like that alone might drop the temps significantly, and the 'stand' would be built in. That's funny, if I ordered it with a 9-cell, it would be only for the built-in stand! :laugh:

 

But that would have disadvantages too, as a 9-cell size battery adds bulk and might give you problems if you wish to put the laptop in a bag or sleeve.

 

The 9 cell battery/stand should probably be the standard battery.. its already a 6.5 lb laptop and adding 3 more cells wouldnt make much difference.

 

I'm sure everyone's seen it, but best Buy raised the price $100 last night. It's still a good deal I guess, but took it back out of the running for me ('cause of the ATi GPU).

 

The PCMag.com review shares the same sentiment. With 9-cell battery, the laptop would weigh 6.9lbs. Not much additional weight.

 

You're fired.

 

ok i don't know a lot so what's the big deal about ati is it bad

 

My biggest issue is drivers. Even on the desktop side, Nvidia's drivers have always been much better for a lot of reasons (aside from during Vista's launch period). On the notebook side though, Nvidia officially (and unofficially) supports their mobile GPUs with drivers, while ATi doesn't. You have to resort to third party modding tools to get their drivers installed, which I'm personally not comfortable with for a variety of reasons.

I'm still sort of willing to consider them, but not unless the system's super cheap.

 

Its a non-issue for 95% of folks.. incl. me.

 

so you don't get a disk with the correct ati drivers for notebook or you can't find them on ati web site, excuse my lack of knowledge i normally just buy it plug it in and use it never even opened the hood on my desktop

 

Dell provides drivers, but they're of course outdated (as all drivers provided by manufacturers are) and will only be updated infrequently, if at all. There'd be no reason to ever use video drivers provided by a hardware manufacturer, except in the case of mobile ATi products you have no choice but to use them, or rely on third party moding tools or modded drivers.

 

ok i get it. Can't you change display card to something else after you get the lappy if you want

 

No, absolutely not. With laptops what you get is what you get.

 

ok that's a little silly but i learned something today and that's a good thing thanks wolfpup i
m still waiting on my 1640 and it's killing me i just wanna get to it test all the issues i've heard here then take action pending my testing results

 

Just to let you guys know that SO FAR, drivers from the Ati website have worked with this laptop on Windows 7. However, whether this will continue remains to be seen...

 

Yeah that's a bummer. Still cheaper given same specs though but man that stinks.

 

Hi all Dell Studio 16 owners!

I would like to ask you a question and see what your opinion is about this.

Currently I'm looking between a 13 and 16 but can't decide, a few things put me off both.

What I'm looking for is portabilty with performance it's not a desk top replacement I'm looking for as I have a very good spec Dell XPS with 24" widescreen desktop infact it's a monster

What I'm looking for is something that offers portabilty for say around the house, in the garden and most importantly for when traveling abroad on holiday. Everywhere has Wi-Fi these days and I always find I need to get online for something when abroad. Would you say the XPS Studio 16 is very portable? Ok the 13 is small so you would think yeah the 13 is the one to go for but with and absolute rubbish battery life on the 13 with a 6 cell it's hardly going to perform for long.

Whats your opinions? 16 too big to even go anywhere further than a desk?

 

That's a good point. I hope that remains the case, although it's scary to have to count on it (Hopefully it still supports Blu Ray that way!)

I think that's going to be entirely personal preference. To me that 1640 isn't that big at all. Seems like a really nice size that's very portable, but still large enough to actually use if need be (without plugging in to external monitors I mean).

But then I suspect I'd be fine with an 18.4" laptop too, and that others might think anything over 13" is too big. But it does seem quite portable to me.

 

I'll let you know tonight when I take it out with me.

 

Check out the VAIO Z series; best 13 incher on the market, much more portable than the Dell XPS 13. you can spec it with a 1600x900 LED screen!

If you can do with even less power, then i would say a VAIO TT (awesome battery life) or a netbook in the 8.9 to 12 inch range (like the Dell mini12). The Dell Adamo 13 is coming out sometime this year as well.

One thing i will say, is that size matters.. ive been using my VAIO TZ (11.1 inch, 2.2 lbs) for a bit over 1.5 yrs.. i use it everywhere and take it everywhere because it is extremely light and small. Its the perfect size to use on the couch while watching TV, for example.. a 16incher you may have to rest on a table.

 

The SXPS 1340 is not that light. The only thing that makes it more "portable" than its 16'' big brother is that it is smaller, and thus easier to snug into a backback, easier to hold and stuff.

I move my 1640 around all the time, from desk to bed and sometimes to bathroom ;p (alright, I take it to the bathroom all the time....except when showering and stuff, of course..)

If, during your traveling, you want to take the lappy as a carry-on that you take out frequently as you wait for boarding/while on the plane, the 13'' is definitely going to give you a easier time fitting into places like trays and stuff, but all in all, I don't think the 1LB weight makes much difference at all.

The 1640 is definitely the better value here, as you said, getting on wi-fi is your main concern, and the 1640 has option of Intel 5100 or 5300. The 1340 has a crappy Dell card, which many users reported latency problems... But then again, you can always install your own card...but still

 

What resolution do use to play WoW?

 

Aw, I didn't need to know that, did I? (*wipes his keyboard*)

 

Hi thanks and thanks to all.

It is a hard choice, if the 13 had a better battery life of 2 hours then yeah I would call that portable but 2 hours is just crap! Something else I saw about the 13 that I didn't like was you know on the M1530 you have a remote? well I saw on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svn1ep11J4U the guy pulls out where the XPS Studio 13 remote would be and it's just a piece of plastic!! is this the same on the XPS Studio 16?

 

Neither comes with remotes, though supposedly they may be selling remotes for them soonish. (The plastic is covering the Express Card slot.)

 

Ah I see so it's an Express card slot for both the 13 and 16 instead of a remote.

I did see something about an option for a integrated TV Tuner with remote on the Dell UK website.

 

well it finally came

And I really like it so far, though its only been 30 mins
Removing bloatware, installing updates, etc
Basic specs plus 500 GB HD


so far its been on my lap and its not nearly as hot as some were saying.

And yes Wolfpup you are right about the vents.

 

I've got one on order with the 6 cell battery but wondering if I should buy the 9 cell too (Dell wants $189 for it). Has anyone tested the battery time while running the b-ray player? How much does HD speed or processor power have to do with battery drain?

Also, isn't the high temp more of an issue then just comfort? Doesn't it shorten the life of the components?

Thanks

 

Yes batteries lose charge capacity faster from higher temperature.

 

And where do I go on the Dell site to find the 9 cell battery, please? Thanks.

 

All the components can wear out faster though really. Technically the temps I saw were still within the Core 2's safety margin, but if I can run it 20c cooler just by letting it vent (and letting the fan run slower too!) I'm all for it.

 

i am not a big fan of small laptops, the macbook air isnt for me. some of my friends say a laptop should be a laptop - small and light. as far as the 1640, i carry it around the house with no problem. i like wide screens, and the hd dimensions make the notebook wide but not deep. id imagine getting glossy for using outside is a problem. so youd probably need a glare filter on the screen if you plan on using it outdoors. if size is all you are looking for than get the 1340. the machines are similar enough if you are not looking for a desktop replacement.

if you want battery life go buy an inspiron mini.

 

The good thing I suppose about the 1640 for when abroad on holiday (which I do alot) is that because if you have that 1080p screen with Blue-ray with the scenario that there is nothing worthwhile watching on tv you can always put a film on and maybe better for viewing anything like that as appose to trying the same on a 13" screen.

Yeah it's not a desktop replacement I'm after it's portability with performance. My Dell XPS desktop is the real power horse for everything like gaming, photo and video editing and large storage. It's a laptop for portability I need but with the XPS Studio 13 6 cell battery and no 9 cell available for the 13 it's hardly going to last long to be portable as I have read it only has around a 2 hour battery life which I think is dire. Using something like a 13 wouldn't go very far with battery life and perhaps would be in need of being plugged into a mains somewhere most of the time. A 13 laptop with a 2 hour battery life being pulled out say at the air port lounge and here and there would soon be dead. Not much portabilty there really...

 

Where is the 9 cell available???

 

Supposedly its only available outside North America. We havent been able to add it even though those in Australia (if I remember right) have.

 

The option for an additional 9 cell is available on the UK Dell website but when making up the specification on your order you get the 6 cell for the 1640 and then theres an option to purchase an additional 9 cell.

I can't find the option for buying a 9 cell on its own for a 1640 on the UK website. Maybe best for you to ask Dell through "Dell Chat" in the country your in, they should be able to tell you when it will be available but it for sure is available for the 1640.

 

I hate waiting. 9 cell wasn't an option for me, nor was buying an additional 6 cell (which I will do provided I keep the notebook)

 

How hot is the palm rest on the left? Can you use it?

Glad to hear the fps. Makes me more certain that the video card was bad on mine since I had to turn the settings down on everything.

 

They just cancelled my order and placed another one due to the fact that they had to make a software change in order for the blueray to work. Extended my delivery date by a day.

The only change was:
From this: Cyberlink PowerDVD DX 8.2 for DVD
To this: PowerDVD DX 8.1 Bluray Playback, True Theatre High Definition

Maybe that's why some of the b-rays are not working???