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

What do you mean by increase the number of drives?

 

@ Wolfpup: I think he wants to make new partitions.
@ haiitsmee: you can try using the windows installation disc, it has an option for you to change your hard drive's partitions but you'll have to reinstall windows though. Otherwise, you can try searching for a Hirenboot cd, it has the norton partition magic for you to change the drive's partition while maintaining your OS.

 

Thanks, but yea, I've done that already. I was thinking of a more tangible solution to lower the volts or clock-rates. I used rivatuner for overclocking my old PCs videocard, which of course would be an ideal program for underclocking as well, but doesn't look like it supports the HD3670.

 

Greetings! I have good news to report and am receiving a new replacement system after the technician on site damaged mine. I received the run around abit initially but have to admit that Dell has been very efficient and prompt to resolving this and the order has been placed so now it's going to be deja -vu - checking the status and waiting its arrival again!

 

How long have you guys seen the "boxing stage" to last? Mine's gone since yesterday morning...figured it wouldn't last more than yesterday.

My EDD, according to customer service, is 4/20 still (looking at the website, I'm sure). The automated service says 4/13. Will this boxing stage ever end, or will they hold the thing another week?! ; )

 

Hey guys the studio xps 1640 is now in the dell outlet

 

It will be there for 3 to 4 days. The time includes shipping it to the center that is closest to you where they will finish boxing it. Once that is done it will be shipped to you.

 

How do you connect the studio xps 16 to a home cinema amplifier in order to get 5.1 surround sound?

 

Hey guys, so I grabbed the Zalman NC2000, but here's the thing, it's friggin' amazing and SO quiet, but how do i know it's working at its full capacity? Like when i put it on full blow, and put my hand over the vent of the fan it feels like a very soft breeze. Is this typical of all Zalmans? I guess my question is, how do i know my fan is working at full capacity to reduce heat from my sxps

 

Download http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php and watch your temps with and without the cooler on. Its a standalone exe file, is good.

 

HWMonitor is reporting wrong CPU temps for me.

I compared temps I'm getting with HWMonitor, RMClock, Everest, Core Temp, and CPUGenie.

HWMonitor's and RMClock's temps are 5 degrees Celcius lower than those reported by Everest, Core Temp, and CPUGenie.

I assumed the latter three are reporting the correct temperatures because those programs have been recently updated unlike the earlier two.

 

Is there a list of centers out there? I'm interested to see about how long it'd take to ship once it gets finished. I live in Connecticut.

 

I can tell the difference between it on low and high when I play WoW. It is a lot warmer left of the touchpad with it on low. But yea, I can barely hear it even on high.

 

I think the laptops always ship from Memphis for U.S. orders. Accessories can ship from other locations because I had something ship from Ohio once.

EDIT: I think prebuilt and outlet laptops can ship from other locations than Memphis too. Just custom built always ship from Memphis.

 

Anyone know of XPS 16 coupons?

 

Closest you might get right now is 7% student and 4% EPP. They might have a sell, however, since the end/beginning of school is near.

ALSO: Would someone post a link (and maybe directions) so I can update the gpu driver the the best currently available? I would really appreciate it. Instructions will be important if I have to do more than just download it.

 

My custom built sxps 16 was shipped out of Reno, NV.

 

hey guys, been thinking of picking up a sxps 16. i just had one simple question: have the heating issues caused anyone to regret buying one?

thanks

 

Mine always come from Reno.

I love the laptop but couldn't take the heat on the palmrest while gaming. My husband tried it for a day and then refused to use it because of the heat. So my son decided to buy it. He spent 2 days with it and said he could live with the heat.

 

simple answer to your question NO.
I havent even noticed serious heat issues with my unit, i brought a cooling pad and use that when im clocking up serious gaming time but other than that it isnt an issue for me, and if im not gaming i dont need to cooling pad.

 

Get the SSD if you are concerned about palmrest heat. You should get it anyways.

 

Getting the SSD makes that big a difference when it comes to the thermal behavior of the 1640?

Anyway, I just read on another thread that Dell Canada has made the ATI HD 4330 optional on the Inspiron 15. It looks like Dell is slowly rolling out the 4xxx graphics cards. I'm waiting for the ATI HD 4670 to make an appearance on the 1640.

 

hmm the 2 areas where my notebook gets hot are top left area above the power button on the black area and middle bottom of the notebook, the palmrest doesnt seem to increase in tempurature at all, maybe im not running my notebook hard enough.
but those 2 areas arnt really a problem and as i said when im gaming i use my cooling pad and have exellent results, using the 'cooler master X1'.

 

Friends i wanted to partition my c drive with about 290 gb of hard disc space. I shrinked the volume and found that only 86 gb is available for shrinking and i converted the 86 into another volume but i dont know how to shrink the remaining 200gb. I tried defragnentation and shrinking but even after 3 hours it didnt finish and i cancelled the process. Is there any other method?? i cant stand the 200gb os c drive... Help!!!!

 

I'd recommend this laptop to anyone! Heat issues are definitely over-exagerated from what I've read, but there are some warm spots (mentioned by others). I did order the Zalman NC 2000, not for my comfort, but to keep things as cool as possible and extend the life of the components. Also, I plan on undervolting the cpu for the same reason.

 

anyone updated their bios to A06? the touchpad of mine are cooler after updating it.

 

I posted this in the section with talk on video cards, but might as well put it here. The message is related to underclocking the HD3670 gpu:

I downloaded GPU-Z, which shows:

gpu core clock:
ati power play max performance: 337 Mhz
ati power play min performance: 148 Mhz
gpu mem clock:
ati power play max performance: 396 Mhz
ati power play min performance: 292 Mhz

At the same time, on the main page of GPU-Z it tells me:
gpu clock 680mhz, memory 800mhz
default clock 400mhz.

And finally, when I use AMD GPU Clock Tool, any small change downwards results in GPU-Z telling me:
GPU Core clock: 54mhz
gpu mem clock: 202mhz
i.e. whether I lower it by 1mhz or 10mhz, it always results in these clocks for gpu-z.

Is one of these programs incompatible with my video card or am I misunderstanding something.

My drivers are modded 8.10 catalysts, recommended elsewhere as drivers that work with AMD GPU Clock Tools.

 

With no extra cooling and no undervolting, the laptop can definitely get very hot when playing certain games. It was just a tad uncomfortably warm playing WoW, but when I played DDO, it would get hot. Even the WASD keys were uncomfortable to touch. With the Zalman cooler and undervolting, it definitely brings down the CPU core temp 20-30 degrees C.

 

Hi Guys

I placed my order for the SXPS16 on 18 March. Today I receive an email from Dell UK stating that my order has been delayed due to high demand and will only be delivered on the 14th April!!!!!!!!

So my question is has anyone else experienced delays with regards to their UK orders?

Thanks.

 

Im not in the UK, but, when i placed my original order back in Jan, they delayed that about 2-4 weeks. I canceled my order and waited for the next sale.. i ended up getting a system for $100 CDN less, P8600 (vs. 8400), 256 GD SDD (vs. 128).. and everything else the same.

They were much more efficient by the time i placed my second order... I probably received it at about it same time (since it was delayed).

 

I placed my order on the 19th march, and recieved the same email my has been delayed until the 15th April. I was pissed...

This is not the UK but Denmark - as they are built on the same factory it would seem all EU orders are delayed...i don't know which component caused the delay.

 

I ordered mine one week ago...the automated order status service has reported that my computer has been in the "boxing stage" since Thursday morning. I guess they've delayed my shipment because they have a high demand of boxes.

My EDD is 4/20 on the website, and according to the country of India. It's 4/13 according to the automated order status service. But if they're lacking cardboard and materials necessary to place my machine in a truck that brings it to my house...well, it could be months.

 

My XPS1640 order also got delayed (pushed back 1 month), back in January.... i was disappointed too... BUT it turned out that the order was delivered at the very day of the initial estimate. What was your your initial (first) Estimated Delivery Date?

I'm in Denmark as well.

 

It was April 1st. I don't think it's likely they will make this date as it should have shipped already(or tomorrow at the latest). How long did the shipping take? I was told by DELL DK that it usually takes 2 days.

 

Matt: I should of acknowledged that I'm not a big gamer. I edit video and run some modeling software that causes the heat to crank up, but not like hard core gaming. Your comment is on target. I just think the XPS 1640 is getting a little too much scrutiny over the heat issue. This is a great laptop.

 

@Trekster

2-3 days if i recall correctly.

 

XPS1640. What is the chip at the green arrow?

 

Another question regarding the XPS1640:

Where's the built-in TV-tuner located physically inside the laptop? Can the early XPS1640s be retro-fitted with the TV-tuner? (It was not an option back then). Or is it an external unit?

 

so i have a quick question. I was watching blu ray the other day and i noticed that it wasn't as clear. I mean it was sharp but i could still make out the pixels (as frames moved) though small as they maybe. I was wondering if there's a way to view it in better quality. i watched a 12 gigs 1080p blu ray film on a 720p screen. One more thing..when i view the trailers through apple's site in 1080p they are super duper crystal clear. my question is how can i get a movie that clear...????

 

im thinking its the southbridge, but it gets really hot on my machine

 

Sorry I'm not answering this, but I'm very interested in this as well. I have a HP ExpressCard (the mini-one, for the Inspiron 1521), but I'd rather have an internal one if I can install it.

 

If you have EPP, that is going to be your best bet for *new* 7% and 4%, for the additional DPA discount.

Now, the 1640 hit the Outlet on Friday, so I would expect to see them added to the coupon releases in the near future!

Cin

 

Hey we spoke in the past and with your help and advice i grabbed the Zalman. I'll get the program to test the temps with and without it, but was just curious as to how i could tell my zalman was working at it's fullest potential.

Also what're the dangers of undervolting? I don't want to harm my machine in anyway, but man it gets really hot sometimes, NOW it's a bit warm on the left palm rest with my zalman on blast. without it it gets very hot on the left palm rest and track pad, it gets INCREDIBLEY HOT at the front of the machine (the part with the wifi, bluetooth and battery LED lights, that whole length) it gets SO HOT. so just wanted to know two things:

- how to tell my zalman is working at full potential
- dangers of undervolting

 

The spot you are describing is where the HDD/SDD is at; which is going to get hot depending on what you are doing. Its not that well ventilated either.

 

That's why I'm asking When gaming, the area and chassis close to this little fellow gets very hot. I'm not complaining, because I think the chassis of the XPS1640 is a good heat conductor and I bet it's an important part of the overall thermal design. Otherwise it wouldn't get so hot.

 

Hello all,
I think I've finally managed to browse through all of the posts in this thread. I have to say, I was pretty worried and dissappointed after reading all of the posts as I recently placed an order for a 1640. My general impression after all this reading is that Dell shipping sucks, that there is some possible hardware issue making the computer prone to BSOD, and that the computer runs hot due to poor design just to name a few of the issues. Had I not already placed my order, this thread may have convinced me otherwise.

Here's my experience. I placed my order on 15 Mar through the Dell Government Purchase site. Great setup for $1530 "out the door". On 18 Mar my order was still in the production phase, and I called to change my delivery address due to finding out that Dell will only ship computers to FPO/APO addresses via USPS Standard mail (I'm stationed in Japan). It can take upwards of over 2 months for shipping if it's not sent via USPS Priority. With no option to change the shipping while destined for my FPO address, I called customer service (U.S.) and asked to change the shipping address to my parents home in California. I received an email back from Dell on 21 March stating it was too late and that my computer was already in the shipping phase (online it stated it was still in production). I was extremely angry and refused to believe that my order just barely placed two nights ago was already built, tested, boxed, and on it's way. I fired off a few more emails. I received another email back on 24 March from my customer service rep stating that he had made contact with their logistics department and managed to catch the computer before it left the factory. It was rerouted to my parents house. He even upgraded the shipping to FedEx next business day for free, and he sent me an online coupon for $100 towards my next purchase for my troubles. The computer arrived at my parents house on the 25th. The $100 in accessories I ordered on the 25th arrived at my parents house on the 28th. I have to say that thus far, I am EXTREMELY pleased with Dell's customer service. They really came through in my case.

My computer was mailed from California via USPS Priority just 3 days ago, so I haven't received it yet. It'll probably take another 4 days or so. Barring any issues with the computer itself, I have to say it's been a great experience so far. This is my 3rd Dell laptop by the way (2nd XPS), and I've been just as pleased before as I am now. We'll see what happens when the computer shows up. Hopefully I don't have any issues with the computer itself.

I thought I'd share because I feel maybe there are plenty of pleasant stories regarding Dell out there to be heard; however, it's only the unhappy customers who jump online and complain. I think maybe we just don't hear much from the happy customers. I wanted anyone thinking of buying this computer to know that Dell doesn't screw it up ALL the time. Again, maybe I'm just lucky. We'll see when the computer shows up. I probably jinxed myself by talking good about them... haha. I'll post an update after I've had my laptop for a few days.

r/s

Chris

XPS 1640, P8600, 320 Gb @ 7200, 4 GB RAM, Intel 5300, RGBLED, etc., etc., etc... pretty much same setup as most of the others here in this thread

 

I've always had excellent service from Dell. From customer service to tech support. I usually use email to contact them but when I had trouble with the 1640 and called someone actually answered the phone! No hold time and excellent service. Even though I don't use the 1640 because of the heat on the left palm rest I still think it is a great computer. Just not the right one for me. I have no concern that it will cause any problems. It is strictly a comfort issue and what I am looking for in a computer.

The average person doesn't use a laptop for hours playing a game that requires them to use the WASD keys constantly so they won't have a problem with it. My husband and I do. When we get the chance to set down and play a game together we want to be comfortable.

If my son hadn't decided that he wanted the 1640 there is no way I could have sent it back to Dell. It is just too gorgeous.

Good luck with your new computer. You are going to be amazed when you see it.

 

The reason I purchased this laptop, and not an ultraportable, was twofold:
1) Part time use as a media hub to wirelessly beam content to my 360
2) Run torrent version of Solidworks (CAD) for LEARNING purposes (I know, I know)

Trying to configure the wireless link between my xbox and computer fails even though the xbox can be seen on my network and has been given access rights. Solidworks 09 64 bit installs but crashes near instantly when running.These are both things I was able to do, in atleast some capacity, on my old XP machine and I'm getting really discouraged that neither work on brand spanking new hardware. Has anyone successfully used their 360 with this machine? And in trying to get SW working, I'd like to roll back the video drivers to those that shipped with the computer, but dont want to roll windows back. Where can I get these drivers?

 

I know my Zalman is working because the area left of the touchpad doesn't get close to as warm as it used to.

The only danger of undervolting I know is that programs can crash if you set the voltage too low.

 

This review ( http://www.techtree.com/India/Reviews/Dell_Studio_XPS_16_Review/551-100558-616-2.html ) claims "The rings [on the hinges] glow in different colors while gaming on the laptop" Made me LOL. To be honest I haven't seen other colors other than the steady white glow.