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

As long as I have my laptop cooler running, it doesn't get hot left of the touchpad, so by itself, the laptop definitely doesn't have good enough airflow.

 

That's all you need. As stated before, format both partitions and install. It's run so much better since I did it.

 

It appears to. I never really used it with a disk based disk. When I got my first SXPS, I immediately took out the disk and put in my G.Skill. The left palm rest got really warm sometimes, but not all the time, and the touch pad and the, right palm rest got warm, too. Then I returned that one when they started offering the 256GB SSD and now the left palm rest and the touch pad don't even get warm, the right palm rest will get warm, but not uncomfortable so at all.

But here's another thing, a lot of the venting is straight out the bottom. At home I regularly put the notebook on a pillow and work with it on my lap. It will heat up in that scenario, because the venting is blocked. I'm sure it will not be OK to work much with it directly in your lap, either. The out the back vent is only for the gpu, cpu, chipset heat pipe, evidently there is more abient heat from other parts of the notebook that causes the palm rest and under neath the palm rest heat. I bought the thinnest notebook cooler I could find from NewEgg, a StarTech. It has fans you can power from the USB ports, but I doubt I'll ever plugging it, it just works better than a pillow, because it allows flow under the notebook. It doesn't get hot at all, now, in my lap.

 

Some of the heat exhaust exits through the bottom of it? Nobody has mentioned that before.

 

lol i found this out when i got it to. Theres a part on the left top side of the bottom were it intakes a little air and pushes out some more. I position it on my lap with the left side on my left leg and have the right side of the laptop off so it can intake and my temps are nowhere near as hot as what people told me

 

That's good to know.

 

Here's a sleeve where the 1640 fits perfectly!
http://www.caselogic.com/16_laptop_sleeve/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=133250

 

If you [the people who have one] could change one thing about the 1640, what would it be?

 

I would put a 9800M GTS into it instead of the ati card

 

Dell's customer "support".

That and the slight heat issue, but if you're in the market for a pure laptop, this isn't for you. I bought it as a desktop replacement that I could take with me.

 

Come on man, be realistic.

 

Hey people, I'm back! And now with this amazing machine with me... Ok, I was back a while ago, but you guys don't stop writing, so I had to read everything before posting again.

With the 1640 for some 3 weeks now... I had some problems with the friend who brought it from the US. He forgot (or lost, really doesn't matter) the AC adapter. Just great, right? After finding that out, I HAD to do something that I'm not proud of... Wait, it is not that! (Didn't killed him, even thought I wanted to.. heheh). I called Dell and said that the adapter they sent me was defective. After that, asked them to send a replacement to another friend's house in the US, which they did. This other friend got here today, and now I have a complete machine. DELL requires that I send the defective one, but since I don't have it, that's not going to happen. Can that get me in trouble? (Just forthe record, the computer is not in my name... All the information DELL has is from the guy who brought the computer.)

In the period that the AC adapter was not here, I was using a 65w AC adapter from my roommate. Can that cause any problems for the system? I couldn't notice anything, apart from the lower performance during the usage of his adapter...

I also had the displeasure of seeing some BSODs. All of them after trying to update windows... Had to do two systems restores and decided NOT TO DO ANY updates. Can you tell me if this is going to get me in trouble? What am I really losing from not running windows updates?

One other issue is the HD. It makes a clicking sound from time to time. I called dell, and they will send me a new one. Hopefully, this time I will send the defective part back to them.

Brazil is a hot country. Sometimes its difficult to cope with all this heat coming from the lappy... But I WILL survive. heheh Gets much worse when playing. Feature which, now that we're in the matter, is nicely done by the SXPS16. I installed GRID, and it goes like a charm in 1360x768. In my screen native resolution (1080p) the frame rate is a little low... Gets difficult to steer.

I've been constantly monitoring the machine temps with Everest. On idle, the processors are around 55C, and the GPU around 60. While playing the processors goes up to 75C, and the GPU 80C. Intel said that it will be fine until 105C, as previously mentioned in the thread, so I guess it is fine.
If you're not with it in your lap while playing, you should be fine. Even though, I'm getting a cooler for it. It should arrive in one week or so... I bought the ZALMAN NC2000, and I will see how it goes, keeping you people informed about the experience.

Just to finalise, this is a really amazing machine. I would recommend it to anyone... It looks great and runs even better. All those heat issues, color and sound unbalance are simply dismissed the minute you start using it.
If you are about to get one, don't hesitate! JUST DO IT!
And guys, please forgive me for my poor English. This was written in a hurry, and there's so many things I would like to share and ask... I think I wrote too much.

PS.: I'm thinking about UNDERVOLTING. But before doing that, I would like to now more about your experiences... Still a little afraid, I guess.

 

does anyone know if the 1530 sleeve fits the 1640? they are easy to come by on ebay.

 

i had this happen with a bad battery which i neglected to ever mail back. i forget if nothing ever happened or if they just charged my account for it.

as far as bsod, maybe youll not even have them if you install on the new drive. else there can be a million things causing them, id do the updates, remember to reboot frequently. check the logs to see if a driver caused the problems.

 

Just reformat, it saved me from my BSOD nightmares.

 

Touchpad scroll is not working for me in Firefox 3.1b2, W7 x64. It shows the icon but doesn't move.

Any1 have a fix?

 

I have the same problem. Touchpad scroll works on almost every other application but not on Firefox.

 

Hi Krionx,

can you please post current settings of your clibrated display so that we can adjust our monitor.The profile you loaded earlier in zip file seems we dont have program installed in machine to open the file.may be u can upload how to adjust settings and the current settings you are using in a notepad or anything it will help.Thanks

 

subhash_i,

Go to Vista's Control Panel > Color Management. Or, Start button, type "Color Management". Associate those icc files I uploaded with your device/screen ("Add" button, then set one as default). Also check the checkbox that says "Use my settings for this device".

Then restart.

BTW, it's best to put those icc files on c:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\color folder first before you set them in Color Management panel.

 

Even though I am aware that this is not a gaming laptop, have any of you tried some recent games on it? Like Crysis, Assassin's Creed, GTA IV, etc?

PS. I know GTA would be run pretty badly, but I just wanted to get an idea as to how it runs.

 

I tested GTA4 yesterday (my CPU is [email protected]) and it is playable only at resolution 800x480 and minimum details. But it looks like a nice crap than

 

Is GTA4 the new Crysis? ... as in.. Does it Play GTA4?

Anyways, if youre getting this for gaming, would the 720p screen be a better option?

 

What do you guys think about a USB powered cooling fan? Wouldn’t that just make the computer run hotter while utilizing the USB?

Also can you guys recommend the best one for our 1640?


I've been hearing good reviews about Zalman Accessory ZM-NC1000B Cooler for Notebook Black

but it runs using the usb. Sells for about $55 and is actually made for a 15.4 notebook so it might stick out a little.

 

Some pages back, someone told us that it would not fit. Based on that, I bought the NC2000... Don't have it yet though. As soon as it arrives, I can give you guys a heads up.
Personally, I don't think that using a USB port would make your system much hotter, so not a problem.

 

Amazon has it for $65.99 It is indeed The ZM-NC2000


How much did you pay for yours? and where did you order from? I might pull the trigger and order this today.

 

Using a device hooked up the the USB shouldn't make it hotter. It would make the motor for the fan warmer which isn't a problem at all.

 

My n80 runs much cooler under full load (100% CPU and GPU) than my 1640 did at idle, so if nothing else, the cooling is far from ideal.

Yeah, me too. Even a 9700GTS would be great (or a 9600GT even).

What's unrealistic about it?

Sort of. You'll be able to play a lot more games at their native resolution if you get the 1368x768 screen, so they'll look a bit better. You can still play games at a lower resolution on the higher resolution screen of course, but they won't look quite as good since they'll be scaled.

 

I've beeen playing crysis for 2 days now, and haven't had a problem with it since. I use the 4th options of graphic, I don't remember the name, the one below the gamer like enthusiastic or so on all the config. and it runs great at 1280x768

 

I have the ZM-NC1000B. It works well. I don't have a SXPS16 yet, but the ZM works great on my old laptop.

Got it at NewEgg for about $45:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998051

 

can i use the dell operating system DVD included with my purchase to install Vista on another machine? will my vista registration code work?

 

Generally if you don't have a multilicence (and in thist case you definitely do not have it) then you can use that OS only on one PC. If you install it on different one then the registration probably would not work because the registration is online and microsoft finds out that it is already used on different PC (there is hardware mark inside the activation key).

 

Thanks for the insight. However if for example my firend lost his installation cd for vista can i use mines to install it and then he can use his registration code from the bottom of his laptop. would that work?


what about if i need to reinstall my operating system (clean install) and use my own product key - is that "hardware mark" what recognizes my computer an allows me to re-register it?

Thanks.

 

BAD NEWS EVERYONE...

I decided to return my XPS16 to Dell and get back my money. I do so because it is very hot. In one case my battery even collapsed and bios couldn't find it in system for some time.

Dell is about to take it back from me in two days :-(

But I am deciced to buy a Dell again. Even though it wouldn't look so luxury the business class would be probably better solution. I thought of Dell Precision M4400.

 

If it is normal installation media of Win Vista which ask you for product key during the installation, then asnwer is 'yes'. You can use that on your friends PC and use his registration. But you have to install the same version correspondig to the registration.

On your own PC where it is originally registered you can re-install it as many times as you need without any problem. When windows gives you an activation key for registration it will always contain the 'hardware mark' of your PC and Microsoft finds it legal.

 

Sweet thanks for the useful intel.

 

I got my XPS Studio 16 this weekend. I love it.
First it was wrapped rather sweetly!. The system is beautiful, but not to the touch I find that I keep a soft lint free cloth by my system as it is prone to prints.
The keyboard is light to the touch, its so quiet. All around great system so far, Its my first weekend with it so I'll keep whoever reads this posted

I basically got this system for gaming "City of Heroes" I was a little hesitant to get xps studio 16 because of the graphics card ATI Radeon HD 3870 and some of the reviews regarding gaming that it might not function with some games, and I saw no review for "City Of Heroes or City Of Villians" working with 64-bit systems when the specs for the game hasn't been updated on there site.

So for all you COH gamers out there, this system is brilliant. The graphics colors are amazing, I played all weekend and didn't get lagged or kicked from the mapserver. The refresh rate is astonishing. One think I found quite odd is there are two program files on the 64-bit system one for X86 and X64. The internet explorer on the desktop wouldn't open to the web. I had to open it from the Start-Program Files x64-Internet Explorer folder and that worked. The links on the Desktop weren't connecting at all. But the game ran perfectly.

The System does get hot after a while 15 minutes. So I ordered a notebook cooler pad from amazon it should be coming in a few days. That should hopefully solve that issue on my end, but I wish Dell would build systems of this type with more that one fan installed. So I basically use the laptop for gaming, database stuff, and video software

Here are my specs: I upgraded on the processor and memory, bluetooth comes installed.

1 224-5210 XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo T9550(2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6M L2 Cache)
1 320-7330 Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish with Leather XPS 1640
1 311-9977 6GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
1 320-7329 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640
1 320-7337 ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
1 341-8989 500GB 7200RPM Free Fall SensorSeagate Hard Drive
1 420-8586 Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Ultimate 64-bit Edition English
1 330-1917 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP XPS 1640
1 420-6576 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
1 420-9100 Dell Dock Consumer
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-7938 Dell Connect 2.1
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 421-0323 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1 313-7054 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPS1640
1 420-9850 Roxio 10.2 DE
1 420-9334 Cyberlink PowerDVD DX 8.2 for DVD
1 313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
1 430-2955 Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card
1 410-1595 Norton Internet Security 15-Month, English
1 312-0811 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640
1 412-0148 No ISP requested
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty
1 993-3487 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
1 992-4500 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec
1 991-1179 LoJack Theft Recovery Service,XPS - 1 Year DHS
1 420-8655 LoJack Theft Recovery Softwarefor Laptops, 1 Year
1 467-7771 Thanks for choosing Dell!
1 988-7707 2GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1 420-9518 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 2GB FOR DIM/INS/XPS
1 430-3206 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
1 320-7618 Premium HD WLED Display Obsidian Black, Leather 2.0 MP Webcam
1 420-8223 Dell Video Chat
1 420-9330 Dell WebCam Central 1.0 XPS 1640
1 420-9699 Facial Recognition Sensible Vision
1 330-1757 Intel Centrino 2 Label
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System

Enjoy!

 

How long does an SXPS16 stay in "Production" ... mine has been in production since March 3.

 

I've seen mines there for about 2 weeks.

 

The 1640 wasn't designed as a gaming notebook. Besides it produces enough heat now.

 

same.... i hope i can get it before end of march..so if anything goes wrong i can still have time to send it back before i leave the country...but the EDD is still march 13...

 

So I got my new 9 cell battery this weekend and immediately put it on my 1640. It is slightly elevated on the back side and does allow for some venting from where the display was blocking the vent using a standard 6 cell battery.

If I keep my laptop plugged in with the Ac adapter most of the time, will it affect my new 9 cell battery? Should I remove it and only use it when not using the AC adapter? Please advise - I want to prevent it from not performing at 100% when on the go and in need of it. Thanks.

 

lol.. sounds like we ordered at the same time, my EDD the 13th as well.. i doubt they will meet that date though, esp. if its still in Malaysia at this point

 

Heat will shorten the battery life.

If you plan on running your laptop plugged most of the time, I suggest you remove the battery. I also try to keep the battery charge to 40% when storing it (if I'm not gonna use it for a week or so).

 

it. this wait is killing me. I think one of the member here in fact did get it within 10 days.. I remember he put the timeline in his sig.

 

what if im using a cooling fan - meaning little or no heat...will my battery still be affected? do it only use power when not Ac adapter is present?

 

what are the best drivers for the 3670 and where can i find them?

 

I'd like to know this as well. I could keep the 6 cell in when at home on power, then put the 9cell in for travelling.

 

I'd like to know what are the best drivers for W7 x64. I know they had a ATI W7 beta driver a while ago, but I think they removed it, right? What are you guys using on W7 x64? Right now I'm using the Dell provided vista driver.

 

I ordered mine on March 3 and it was in production for 2 days and was sent on the 6th. Haven't received it yet though.

 

I'm using vista 64-bit but i know that 9.2 drivers came out and the ones from dell are 8.5. But the dell ones are giving me probs.