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

That's a shame that the DPC Latency problem hasn't been fixed. I was hoping the new XPS models wouldn't have the problem. My latency on the Dell Studio 1537 looks almost identical with the same red spikes every 4 seconds as can be found on this other thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=341893

 

Some quick notes from what I saw reading through the forum. You can call dell and ask for the disks that SHOULD have come with your computer, including the power dvd, roxio, operating system, and within a year the drivers and utilities disk and they can send them to you. You can also go to https://smartsource.dell.com this is a new feature that will allow you to download applications that came with your system. I have not gone through that myself, it is new with this system.

Also a note to the heat issues: I am changing from an XPS M1530 to the Studio XPS 1640. I am hoping that the new one is cooler but am saddended to hear I might be in the same boat. I recieve mine tomorrow and try to stay optomistic.

 

That download thing takes forever to work for many people (at least as of a few weeks ago), and doesn't have much of the software that comes with the system.

 

Now Dell offers both a 5400 and 7200 500GB hard drive at the same price. Any idea why there would not be a price difference? How much power consumption difference is there between the two speeds? Does anyone know which brands/models Dell is using?

 

Just an FYI for Canadian folks. I just learned that my order is on hold (i.e. not even in production) and that it wont ship until March 13th, details:

Ordered: Jan 26
Est. Delivery: Feb 13
Delayed: Mar 13

Apparently, "some part" was on backorder and so the whole production hasnt even started.

Anyways, i cancelled my order right then (on the phone) since i expect better service when i pay $2300 for something (and there will be better prices by the time it ships). I might put in another order a few months down the line, or maybe even until Windows 7 becomes oem.

 

Just got myself a dell studio XPS 16"
is it a good deal?

Estimated Delivery Date: 04-March-2009
Item Description Quantity Total Price
N02X1602 1 £734.87
Studio XPS 16 : Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz,1066MHz,3MB) 1
Display : 16in Truelife 720p HD WLED Edge to Edge Display 1
Camera : Integrated 2.0 Mega Pixel Camera with Facial Recognition Software (Software install, no media) 1
Resource DVD : Studio XPS 16 Diagnostics and Drivers 1
Ship Accessory : English Docs 1
Memory : 4096MB (2x2048) 1067MHz DDR3 Dual Channel 1
Hard Drive : 250GB Free Fall Sensor (7200RPM) 1
Optical Drive : Internal DVD+/-RW (DVD & CD read and write) Slot Load Drive including software 1
Power Cord : UK 1M 1
Power Supply : XPS 90W AC Adapter 1
Battery : Primary 6-cell 56W/HR LI-ION 1
Not Included Carry Case 1
Graphics : 512MB ATI Radeon HD 3670 graphics card 1
TV tuner : No Integrated TV tuner 1
Wireless : Europe Dell Bluetooth 370 Card 1
Wireless Label (Intel Wireless Cards)- Core 2 Duo 1
Wireless : Intel WiFi Link 5100 (802.11 a/b/g/n 1X2) 1/2 MiniCard European 1
Keyboard : Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard 1
Operating System : English Genuine Windows Vista SP1 Home Premium (64 BIT) including Media 1
English Microsoft Works 9.0 (Word Processor, Database) with Recovery CD 1
Dell Dock 1.0 1
English McAfee Security Centre 9.0 - 30 Day Trial Version 1
No Warranty Upgrade 1
1Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support 1
No Accidental Damage Support 1
DataSafe Online Backup 2GB 1
DataSafe Online size - 2GB Trial 1
Studio XPS 16 Order - UK 1
Studio NB - System Only 1
Subtotal: £734.87
Freight: £17.39
Total Net: £752.26
VAT( -1%): £112.84
Total: £865.10

 

when you say the whole production, do you mean for your laptop or the entire production line for us Canadians

Edit:
Well I just called them and the expected delivery date for mine is on the 20th of this month, you scared me for a second!

 

Prob. just for mine.

Still ridiculous that after 2 weeks they havent even started assembly yet on my unit. If a part is on backorder then they should be upfront with it rather than not saying anything. I added the ssd, bt, intel 5300, and 1080p... so, it could be any of those that are on backorder.

 

well I've added the rgbled and bt and they're not on backorder so it might be the ssd or the intel 5300

 

Thats my thoughts on this exactly. Its not that I hate Vista, I use it at work, but I have demoed the Windows 7 beta and it runs smooth even on my older laptop.

I am waiting for the kinks to be worked out of this line of laptops, Windows 7, no leather (willing to look past that), and different color options. Black looks nice and all, but a midnight blue or orange (like the studio line has) would look even better.

I have even toyed with the idea of having the lid of the laptop laser etched.

 

As I know the 5,400 causes less heat...so I'll go with that one just to maintain cooler the lappy.

 

I got the automated call this afternoon from purolater that someone needs to be home tomorrow between 9 and 5 to receive the package, i ordered mine january 27

 

Has microsoft given a timetable on when to expect Windows 7 to be final release and implemented into OEM?

 

I received my Studio XPS 16 last Friday and want to share my findings so far.

My computer:
Dell Studio XPS 1640/P8600/1080p RGBLED/4GB DDR3/ATI M86XT 512MB/128GB SSD/ WiFi 5300/BLU-RAY/BLUETOOTH

This is a very nice-looking machine. The leather and piano black finish are really striking, but the finish is definitely a fingerprint magnet. I haven't been able to use the Blu-ray drive yet for Blu-ray, just like many others (I will be contacting Dell shortly on this one to get the software). I have used it with DVDs and I must say that the performance is splendid! The upconversion of the DVDs is a neat feature that is worth checking out.

The screen: it is drop-dead gorgeous! My old laptops (I have two HPs currently, had Sony and other Dells as well) aren't in the same league as this bad boy. I doubt that there are too many screens that compare in the market. I immediately adjusted my DPI and the high resolution is a winner, for me at least.

The keyboard: it is taking me some serious time to get used to typing on this. I am not used to the almost flat keys - I think it is just a learning curve. The keyboard doesn't seem to exhibit much flex which is great. The backlighting is really clean and good-looking.

Performance: the machine seems very responsive. Extremely quiet when the fans aren't running and not too bad when they are running. The machine stays cool when surfing the net, emailing, streaming video, etc. When playing WoW, the machine gets really hot! The metal frame is where I felt the most heat. The bottom also gets hot. When I partially closed the lid to help vent the machine a great amount of hot air escaped from the back. This confirms, at least for me, that when the laptop is open the vent is blocked quite a bit. This isn't a deal breaker for me as I don't play games often. One additional note - no matter how hot the laptop got the leather seemed cool to the touch. I don't think the leather will fade and crack over time from the heat.

Size/Weight: the size is really good for me. It is portable enough to go to work with me as my desktop replacement and light enough to sit on my lap at home when I am surfing and emailing at home.

These are my initial findings. I figured that maybe these points will help somebody in their decision making. Overall, I really like this laptop computer - it is very solidly built and seems like it will last longer than my former HPs.

 

They might have delivered it much sooner than Mar 13. Why? Look at my stats:

Ordered: Jan 13
Est. Delivery: Feb 06
Delayed: Mar 02
Delivered: Feb 10

Now look at that. Delayed until Mar 02 yet delivered Feb 10 which is tomorrow. I can track the package at the courier website, so I'm pretty confident it will be here tomorrow. Either Dell can't control their production or they can make exceptions to customers at will... I promptly complained about the delay and shortly after, my order was shipped.

 

few questions as i just bought one.

do they come with the blacklit touchpad/keyboard as standard and also the facial recognition as standard?

does the laptop have a fingerprint scanner?

is the WLED 720p screen good? (i didnt want to pay £140 for 1080p)

is the 64bit vista good?
is the wireless good?
is the 3670 good for games?

whats the battery life like?

 

Can anyone give me more info about the HDMI 5.1 issue?
I didn't really check it myself that closely, I had assumed that I was getting 5.1 via the HDMI cable because all the speaker lights were lit up on my receiver. I can double check when I get home tonight.

I just got my 5.1 system last month so I'm not all that familiar with it. My set up is XPS 16 (via HDMI) -> LCD TV (via optical) -> 5.1 receiver

I was paying more attention to the picture when I tossed in a blu-ray this weekend to test it out.

Any suggestions on how to confirm exactly what I'm getting? I could toss in one of those dvd's that come with a home theater set up menu and try that out.

I'm still loving my 1920x1080 resolution though, it's great for connecting remotely to work, where my desktop is something like 4000px wide.
And actually I find the text for my OS still a little too large because I had set fonts to 120DPI, I might try cranking it down to 96 or something.

What programs do people use to test heat on their system? My system seems to run quite cool to my touch, warm but not uncomfortably so when gaming - unlike my old powerbook which you could literally fry an egg on.

 

I think backlight and face recognition (w/ webcam of course) were standard on mine.

nope

I can only imagine it would be slightly less awesome than my 1080 RGBLED

rocks on mine but I was previously on 803.11b

I only play guild wars and left 4 dead currently, but it's nice!

not so hot. w/ a 6 cell, it seems to max out at 2.5 hrs

 

My laptop is on the way but from reading the reviews i think i can answer those...
1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes but most pll opt for the 1080p
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. It's not the best but it will get you playing most games on med-high with native res (modern games)
7. Battery life on 6 cell are from 1.5 hours to 2.5

 

is there something wrong or missing that enables Blu-Ray playback? I must have missed that in this thread. Are you missing drivers or what?

 

is the WLED 720p screen a LED screen or LCD screen?
your sig hoodomoo shows it as LED LCD but i thought its only LED?

also i didnt opt for the 1080p as its £140($208) and my budget was £800 but i was already at £865 so i really didnt want to pay £988 as my dad wouldnt let me

 

we've been having issues with them including the correct software player w/ the machine. A quick call or online chat should get them to ship you the correct discs.

I can't remember, but I think what you need is PowerDVD 8.1 DX for Bluray - that's what they sent me and it works great.

 

i believe it's an LED LCD becuase i copied this directly off of the Dell Website (after i ordered it) and the 1080p has a LED RGB LCD which is more vibrant and looks nicer (and higher res of course)

 

id really like to see the rgbled in person. resolution aside, i got the wled and cannot imagine much nicer than this. the colors are very clear, and its such a sharp bright screen. id like to see them side by side...

 

i really wanted a RGBLED but i wasnt allowed one
The WLED is a lot better then usual lcd screens as iv seen the ones on the macbook pro and its VERY good. i havent seen any RGBLED's though.

i think dell should have had a 1600x900 option
as 1366x768 is a bit small but il live with it, and 1920x1080 was expensive

EDIT: also, that would mean i cant even run games at 1200x800 right?!?!?!?!?!?

 

I havent seen an official release date, but most tech sites are betting on sometime after July since many of the computer companies have stated that anyone who buys a machine with Vista, after July 2009, will get a free upgrade to Windows 7.

 

I had the same problem...i was delivered to March, but then next day the send it to me...

It came from Poland, I´m from Spain, and now is in Barcelona so i hope that maybe tomorrow or Wednesday i will have it!!!

 

haha i definitely can't hang on till then for a new personal computer. My almost 6 year old HP is on it's last leg.

 

I figure if I wait till atleast July, when Dell is supposedly going to offer free Windows 7 upgrade coupons, I will buy a laptop then. Mine is still going strong, surprisingly so anyway.

 

I wasnt allowed either, my parents told me to have a $1,000 limit (if i financed otherwise $500) and $1,199 was pushing it.

I think we could go 1200x800... i'm not sure though...

 

Wow, that's exactly like me... i bought the 1640 becuase that thing was just too old

 

Hi..

I see that certainly in the UK on the dell site I can get 3g built inwireless modem via a deal that vodaphone have with the dell sxps 16. There is a free 30 day pass and there you have to tie in with them for a contract. This avoids the requirement for a usb style dongle sticking out the side to provide wireless connection when away from home etc.

Does anyone know if the vodaphone module built into the laptop which can be ordered with (£100 - sim card inserted) OR (£97 sim card free) means that I could use any other purchased sim card from the likes of T-Mobile or '3' within the laptop? If so is it a ..remove the rear panel job, or is the sim card inserted somewhere perhaps in an opening along the side of the laptop?

Perhaps someone could be kind enough to pass on their views of this. Thanks.

 

Is the WLED screen still good for gaming?
as its only 1366x768?
so it cant do 1200x800 so it should depend on if the game does 1366x768?

seems that a lot of newer games are actually supports 1366x786 as the "new" widescreen version of 1200x800.
Well, starcraft 2 is anyway and its the only pc game i look forward to.
any higher then 1366x786 and the GPU will limit it so my screen should be ok
i like large text otherwise.

 

First of all, you need to setup your PC correctly. For example:
- If you are using PowerDVD make sure the sound output is set to HDMI
- If you are using Windows Media Player, you need to use the AC3 Codec (K-Lite Codec pack) and set it up to use S/PDIF
- If you are using VLC VideoLAN player, you need to change the Sound to WaveOut in the configuration and then use S/PDIF in the sound menu

On your receiver:
- You should set yoru receiver to Surround Decoding, most receivers will show you the format: Dolby, DTS, DTS ES, etc..
- If your receiver has an On Screen Display menue, there should be a section describing the sound signal (Video resolution, Khz and Sound Format)
- If you don't see the format, you should at least see a diagram representing the channels

Finally you can also do an empiric test by using a DVD/Bluray that you know has encoded surround sound and judge whether you can hear surround effects...I am sure there are also test sound files that you can play to test surround sound. It should be easy to google one such file out.

Good luck!

 

I dropped off here after receiving mine 3 weeks ago and just wanted to chime in and say my XPS16 (720p screen) has been running flawlessly and I got a chance to finish up Half-Life 2+CoD4 on it as well. The color production on the LED screen is mind-blowing compared to non-LED laptops.

PS: Was surprised how Dell have raised up the pricing on this now compared to the $1270+$100 Dell giftcard deal that I got during the debut!!

 

There were a ton of posts about it. Dell isn't or wasn't shipping Blu Ray playback software with it, and the support people were clueless. Someone posted a while back that theirs was delayed, and the included software changed, though I don't know if they actually got the right software.

They're all LCDs. All notebook screens are. And both screen models Dell ships with this use LED lighting.

 

What do you use as a case/bag for your new laptops, people?

 

I'm using an old swissgear bag I got for my 1505. It manages to squeeze in there snugly, the edges just need to be worked in. That's really the only gripe I have with this screen, there aren't too many options for casings.

 

I am using this:

​

Although I am still waiting on my XPS 16 to arrive, the dimensions should be perfect. It is a little overkill but spending almost $2K on a laptop and tossing it into a backpack is crazy. It is about the size of a small briefcase and it comes with a shoulder strap.

I use pelican cases for my photo gear and they are tough as nails. They will outlast me.

 

Is the RGB Led screen thicker than the Wled screen?

 

swiss gear bag. i am waiting for the official dell sleeve to be sold for it. for now i use the dust when its out of the laptop bag. i really like the built ny cargo sleeves, but i would prefer something made specifically for it.

and to cobra: do you wear a hockey helmet when you carry that thing around? i presume you free jump off high rises quite often. in otherwords, that is a little overkill.

 

Just a temperature update..

Played UT3 at maximum settings, the game very smoothly.

I first played for about 45min without having the back of the notebook raised. The GPU temp was around 72 degrees Celsius.
Subsequently, I played for 45 min after raising the back of the notebook (I basically kept my wallet under it), and there was a drastic decrease in GPU temperature...it was around 55 degrees Celcius.

Also, if the temp hovers around 55-65 its decent, right? Cause there has just been one instance of me getting a temp higher than this (as written above). I finished COD5 on this and the temp was always around 60-65 (with the back raised)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K89KlbRkD5E

A short video mostly showing the side of the laptop [13 or16?]
The following are of the Studio XPS 13 [just because some things are similar between the 13 and 16]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svn1ep11J4U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enapV_YafC4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzfYOWTdk4

 

metroline... lol. no, no hockey helmet. this pelican case is actually no bigger than my dell brand case for my Inspiron 6000. Yeah, it is a hardshell case but better safe than sorry. There are a lot of wuss cases out there with no real protection.

 

that reminds me again how happy i am to have the xps 16 and not the 13.

 

I couldn't get myself to finish watching the first video (system specs in Description). I felt like barfing after 2 minutes

 

I'm absolutely in love with the LED screen on the XPS16. I don't think I will be able to go back to standard LCD.

 

After reading over 100 pages of this thread, I finally bought it. I ordered it last night. Est. Delivery Date: 2/24/2009 but I can't wait. Here is what I got;

XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3M L2 Cache)
4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 720p HD WLED LCD, W/2.0 MP
ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit Edition
8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Intel 5100 Wireless-N (1x2) Half Mini-Card
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640
$150 Promo Gift Card-Arrives in 6-8 wks
----------------------------------------------------------
Order Subtotal: $1,124.10
Shipping and Handling Total: $0.00
Tax Total: $94.15 (NY)
Total Amount: $1,218.25

Note: I decided I'd use that $150 Gift Card to get an additional 9-cell battery in the near future. If not, if anyone here wants to save $25 I'm willing to sell it for $125

I have one question. If I used my Dell Preferred Account should I be seeing a 3% off my purchase, because I don't see that anywhere?

Major props to all the contributers of this thread!!!

 

How did you get that promo gift card? I am so jealous of everyone who got one!

 

Use the Catalog Number: 23 DXCCFP1

If you already placed the order, try to fight it out. I'm sure they'll budge.