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

The only possible issue is that you have a 1080p screen;unless you run those games at 1080p, the video is going to be scaled up to fit the extra resolution... which may or may not be good.

But, with the specs you have, i dont see any real issues.. there are some vids on YouTube with an sxps16 running Crysis at full.

 

Ok cool, also how is the overall screen quality and text??

 

how'd you nab such an awesome deal?

 

Give yourself 1-2 weeks to adjust to the screen; I came from an WLED LCD which was very bright, contrasty and on the cooler side.. so, it took some time to adjust to the 1080p which is warmer and has less contrast.

Overall, its one of the best displays ive used.. although, not the best (i still think the WLED LCD on my VAIO TZ is better). The resolution is awesome for multi-tasking (which is one of the reasons i bought it). I run two Word docs side by side regularly with no issues.

 

I called in the Dell Outlet guys and used the 15% off coupon.

 

Internet meme time..
The Dell Studio XPS 1640 seems awesome.. but can it run Crysis?!
YES IT CAN!!!1

Crysis at full lags a bit for me tbh. By Full, I meant "very high". It works fine on "high". GTA 4 runs fine too.. If anyone else wants any game specs, feel free to nominate names and I can test run them for you

I only seem to play Gears of War on my laptop.. most of the other games are (for now) played on my desktop

 

Tru.dat
The resolution is awesome for multitasking. I'm a coder and I find the extra screen real estate (as compared to my desktop which runs on a 17" Samsung LCD monitor at 1280x1024) seriously useful.
I've seen the 720p and 1080p monitors on this laptop and somehow, I feel the 720p looked a bit better.. Better brightness delta/contrast settings. My 1080p screen seems yellowish at times :-/
I'm not much of a monitor expert so I don't know if something is wrong or what... Even 50% brightness on this screen seems too much mostly while browsing the web (white backgrounded web pages)

 

I just got the fateful email today...

Your order has been delayed!

I ordered it on 4-7. Now it's estimated at 4-29 :O

I'm almost considering cancelling and shopping the outlet if I could find one with all the best HW including a 256GB SSD.

 

That was my original EDD (4/29), and I ordered on 4/7 as well.

 

Be patient fellas! Mine isn't expected to arrive till May 6th, 2009. Got to work the patience muscles.

 

I used to have this laptop for a week (T9400, 1080p, 4GB, 500GB 7.2, Vista x64) and also play some games on it (ATI 9.2 driver). I also test GTA4, but it was really unplyable. The only resolution it runs soomth was 840x400 at lowes details which looks pretty bad. So common games run fine on medium details at 1280x800 (like COD4), but not GTA4.

I return the XPS16 after the week because of:

• poor display red color quality (even I had a calibrated color profile instaled, the red was terrible), other colors were nice and live, but RED is oversaturated and nothing can change it.
• overheating - Even it was undervolted (the CPU temp was about 15C lower) under the load (gameplay) was laptot so hot that it was even hard to leave my wirst on it. And the Fun made still some noise, even without any load (mean normal windows work like internet surfing).
• power adapter stoped work time to time and it switched to battery automatically then. The power cord was still pluged in! This happend probably because it is to weak (90W is not enough using simple math)... there is 35W CPU + 35W GPU + cca 25W display = 85W and what about HDD, wifi, BT, chipset, DVD... 90W is definitely not enough under the full load.

I changed Dell XPS 16 for Dell Precision M4400 for the same price and now I am really happy. There is no overheating (with or without load), no fun noise without load, and no power issues. This time I take WXGA+ LED display and it is much better for me (but laptop configurator also offers RGB LED).
And what more, it has much faster graphic card NV Quadro FX770 (3DMark06 score 6800 points at 1280x800) and battery live is about 3.5 hours which si also much better. Also WinXP are supported.
But there are also some flies. Since M4400 is a business laptop I can't have a BluRay, it doesn't look so luxory and speakers aren't very good.

XPS 16 is really nice and powerfull laptop, but it has some serious problems.

 

I have a XPS 16 waiting for me when I get home on saturday. I'm currently using a 17" HP dv9000, which is a few years old and it's getting a little slow for my ever increasing needs. The only feature that my current HP has over the new XPS is the dual HD's. My current laptop has 1TB available. My new XPS will have only 500gb, once i swap out the drive.

 

I was just called to book a delivery time for my replacement SXSP16. I ordered the replacement on 13/4 and it will be delivered on 21/4.

BTW I'm using ATI 9.4 beta drivers for Windows 7 64 bit. I can't run TF2 with all settings to very high and full AA and full res. But I can't have everything.

 

The Dell Outlet has (occasionally) some great deals on the XPS Studio 16.

I just bought on Wed (two days ago), an XPS 16 with P8600, 1920x1080p RGBLED, 3670 HD w/512MB, 4GB DDR3, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, DVDRW, Bluetooth, Intel 5300, and backlit keyboard for $806.65 (using 15% off coupon).

For some reason, all shipping methods were/are free, even overnight, and so I went with overnight and received it yesterday. Perfect condition.

I do have to agree about the color balance on the RGBLED though. It will take some getting used to.

 

I must say that the noises from this Samsung drive make me a bit uneasy. As a 20+ year PC tech, the noises from this hard drive make it sound like the heads are crashing. It's definitely audible, and shouldn't be normal.

I might contact Dell and see about getting a replacement HD (hopefully, different manufacturer). Ultimately, I'm putting in an SSD so it will be truely noisefree!

 

Yea, laptops seem to to maxing out at 500GB unless there is space for 2 SATA bays. This will be resolved once terabyte size SSDs come to market

Although, for working space 500GB seems to be good enough for most folks and there are always NAS and that eSATA option as well. Which probably makes more sense for back-up or media serving purposes.

 

please advise: good deal or not?

Studio xps 1640 with the following:


Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9800 (6MB cache/ 2.93GHz/1066Mhz FSB)

Windows Vista™ Premium

FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD ( W/2.0 MP)

500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive

BluRay Disc Combo -Slot Load Drive

Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module



All for $2,094

plus you get $150 Promo Dell Gift Card


ANYONE got any coupons codes i can use?

 

That sounds like a lot to me. Do you need the 2.93 gHz processor?

 

Its not a bad deal, but, its not great either... are those USD or CDN dollars?

Although, i bet that processor is bringing up the cost a fair bit.

 

It seems that people have the opposite experiences gaming on this machine. In two posts one said GTA4 and crysis was playable, the next......only older games are playable and on a very low res! Is the laptop that inconsistent or do people have that big of a degree of varying ideas of playable?

 

I'd jump down one step in process and go to the 256GB SSD (which is what I did).

 

I run CS:Source at the highest res possible and in 16:9 Widescreen. I get on average about 90-100 fps running the latest drivers for Win 7. I run San Andreas at the same settings, everything as high as I can in Widescreen. They both run flawless. I've been thinking of buying GTA IV, when I do I'll let you know how it runs as well.

 

Both CS:Source and GTA:SA engines are quite old and Radeon 3670MB have absolutely no problem to run it on maximum details. Oposite the GTA IV is the most hardware demanding game on the market today and there is no chance to play this game with reasonable details and relosution on XPS 16. Maybe if you have Quad core it could be little bit better, because this game is not only GPU demandig, but also strongly CPU demanding.
But like I wrote before, on mine XPS 16 (T9400, 4GB, ATI CCC 9.2) it was hardly playable at 840x400 at lowes details. And whatever I increased the frame rate went rapidly down. So from my point of view the GTA IV is not playable on XPS16 at all.

 

I know the others are old, I was replying to the previous post saying old games wouldn't run. I kinda figured GTA IV wasn't playable, which is why I haven't purchased it yet. I appreciate the confirmation though, I won't be purchasing it now.

 

Does anyone have problems with a tinteling palmrest?
My SXPS 16 produces a tinteling sensation over the aluminium front when power adapter is plugged in. Dell tech support did research for this and told me this is normal as other brands also have this problem?!

 

What do you mean? A tingling in your hand sensation?

 

That sounds like a bad response from Dell tech. No way should there be a tingling sensation...depending on what that means. Some kind of electrical charge?

 

Can you order the blutooth media remote separate from the laptop? I really want one now.

 

I use a four year old XPS Gen 2 and I also noticed that I can feel tingling along the black side edges of the computer by the palm rest. I wouldn't think this is normal. It doesn't bother me but it can get uncomfortable sometimes.

 

Your laptop is not properly grounded. Therefore, if you touch any metal part of the laptop, you're getting grounded.

 

yes, you can order it separately.

i bought the dell infrared remote instead. i read reviews of the bluetooth remote saying it stuff out way to far from the machine. the upside is its bluetooth, which means better range and it chanrges when in the slot. but my infrared gets regular tv remote range, and runs on a watch battery, its not like itll need to be replaced often.

also, the ir remote was $10 to the bluetooths $50-60. main point, it works, matches the black/silved color scheme, and fits into the slot streamlined.

 

Does the 65-Watt Slim Auto/Air AC Adapter, work ok with the 1640? Is it that much smaller than the standard 90watt one?

 

I think that is the best description of my problem! Does more people have issues with this? (I used a Volt meter and found 10mV around the palmrest.) It feels indeed like a sort of static electricity when you touch it with your hands. How can they fix this?

 

Hey guys, I'm new around here, I've got my SXPS1640 on order and its due to arrive next week sometime.

I'm pretty confident and happy with the spec other than the screen, I decided to stay with the default WLED 720p screen rather than the 1080p RGBLED one, after looking around some more after I placed the order (typical huh) I'm starting to think I might regret not upgrading, as I went for the blu-ray drive etc, maybe I should have gone for the screen too, also after discovering the max res on the WLED is pretty low for a 16" screen.

The question I have is have anyone got any comments upon the screen itself and more importantly any HQ pictures or screenshots of the WLED and maybe some RGBLED ones to compare the two?

Thanks.

 

I felt the same as you, in fact, I tried to upgrade afterwards and wasn't able to. Although the resolution did bother me at first, I've gotten used to it. The screen itself looks beautiful and Blu-Rays look perfect on it. I'm actually happy I didn't after all the stuff about the RGB's I've read.

 

I'm afraid it's not the laptop's problem. It's the electrical setup in your home which should be properly grounded to prevent this.

I experienced this with my laptop when I travelled to the Philippines. The electrical outlet there doesn't have a ground plug.

 

ok just got my self a studio xps 16".
Studio XPS 16 : Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz,1066MHz,3MB) 1
Display : 16in Truelife 1080p Full HD RGBLED 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(Software install, no media) 1
Power Supply : XPS 90W AC Adapter 1
Power Cord : UK 1M 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 : Intel Wireless Card Label - Core 2 Duo 1
Wireless : Intel WiFi Link 5300 (802.11 a/g/n) Half Mini Card European 1
Wireless : Europe Dell Bluetooth 370 Card 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 Premium Warranty 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: £800.00
Freight: £0.00
Total Net: £800.00
VAT( 15%): £120.00
Total: £920.00


few questions.
is it worth still going for the 320gb 7200rpm instead of 250gb? is it any quicker?
as i dont need 320gb but i want a quick HDD
was it worth paying £20 for the wireless?

 

Spend the extra money and go with a SSD instead, you wont regret it!!!

 

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad someone has been in the same situation as me, sounds horrible but your the only person i've seen say that, everyone else seems to regret it. :S

In regards with the RGB could you explain what you mean by "what you've read" it might put my mind at rest abit i suppose.

 

Both the 320gb and the 250gb you cite in your specs are 7200rpm, so I don't think there will be a speed difference, just a difference in capacity.

 

Not just any SSD, but the 256GB SSD. The 128GB uses the old Samsung controller but the 256GB Samsung retails from $700-$750, so as an upgrade option for only half of that it is a bargain.

Just got notification today my lappy has shipped, ETA 4-22.

 

im not going to spend £500 getting a 256gb SSD. plus dell only offer 128gb

 

Did you order through the outlet? What is your location? I ordered mine the same day as you, and my machine is still in the build stage.

 

If you read back through the thread you'll see a lot of people complaining about over saturation and not being able to get the colors right. Many people have had to tweak them to get them to be comfortable. To me, for what I do, the 720p screen is perfect. Hell, I just got an iPhone and if it played games, I'd probably get rid of my laptop. It does just about everything else.

 

Aftermarket SSD's are the way to go. Currently, one of the fastest, yet most cost effective SSD's is the OCZ Vertex series. Very, very nice drive. None of the studder/pausing issues of older series SSD's.

Check them out. Hellishly fast.

 

No, just a regular build. You may get a message in the next day or so yourself if they got the parts they were waiting for to build it recently.
We all know it doesn't take 3 weeks to assemble a laptop and load the image on it, it must be parts they were waiting on.

 

And the Samsung 256GB SSD with new controller, which is half the price when ordered through Dell with a laptop ($325-$400), gives the vertex and indilinx controller a run for the money.
Granted Samsungs don't ship firmware upgrades like every week to tune performance, but it's easily the best SSD for the money.

 

Yes, for a 256GB drive (unsure what model Samsung Dell ships), that is a great price.

What model Samsung is it?

 

Yeah i've had a read back, i see what you mean. Well my main use of it is going to be gaming probably online gaming for the majority but also rts and maybe some fps, the only thing i was worried about was space screen wise but i guess i'll have to see what happens with it. What is your main use for yours if you dont mind me asking N20D50H?

 

There's not many reviews on it yet, here is some info on it that I don't support too much anymore.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=352730

Here's a review on it.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/17/review_storage_ssd_samsung_mmd0e56g5/

Corsair is also rebadging it as their 256GB SSD.