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

If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost after tax, and did you use a coupon? thx

 

The 2.8ghz, 8gb ram, Vista ULT 64bit was $2,179 shipped with 2YR LTD warranty. It was a 'Scratch & Dent', not 'Refurbished'. I did use the 15% off coupon. I configured on dell.com and took of $100 for the 2.8 and it came to a $3,018 system, so not a bad deal.

The 2.9ghz, 6gb ram, Vista HP 64bit is 'Refurbished' and shipped with 3yr CC was $2,143, also with 15% coupon. System config on Dell.com was $2,950.

It's weird because the outlet prices to really vary a lot for almost the same config systems. I spent a couple of days looking for these, and all the other ones I saw were a lot more for some reason.. ???

 

I got this system: 2.8ghz, 4gb ram, 160gb 5400rpm hdd, blu-ray, 1080p RGBLED, Intel 5300, BT 5300, vista home premium and next day air shipping, for $1,291 after tax

I will be getting an X25-M 80GB, so the crap HDD it came with won't matter.

I was thinking of getting a system with the lowest CPU possible in the outlet, then getting the X9100 CPU from ebay for around $300. Then throwing in an 8GB DDR3 ram kit on newegg for $700.

 

WOW! That was a good deal!! Now I see your thinking, much better idea

However, whichever one's I don't keep (I'm up to 6 now.. ) I'm going to put on evilbay, so I don't think I would have had much luck selling them if I had made the upgrades myself and the specs didn't match the service tags.

And luckily my bonus is going to pay for whichever one I decide to keep, so I wanted a good deal, but it's already paid for.

The way you are doing it though is definitely the way to go for bang for the buck and best specs in the end!!!!

What's the X25? Is that SSD?

 

Just googled it, SSD, nice!!! Are the Dell SSD 180gb any good?
I read somewhere that there weren't as good as the 250gb and not to bother basically..

 

One of the reasons I didn't go for a high end CPU out of the gate (I got a 2.66 thrown in with my deal) is I am waiting to see if anyone tries to add a quad successfully. Just not sure of the voltage design of the mobo if it will be able to sustain the power requirements.

Also, I will wait until fall when the next CPU's and socket come out and these start to phase out and stock starts getting dumped. Hopefully then I will be able to get a fast dual core or a quad to give the lappy some additional longevity. Since I don't use it for games the vid card getting old won't mattrer much, and all the other HW is pretty future proof.

 

Well, people do recommend the Samsung because of the size and it has good performance. The X25-M is generally considered faster/better, but it used to suffer from performance degradation over time. That's been fixed in a recent FW update. Since I have plenty of external storage, I don't need 256GB for OS and programs.

Dell offered the 2.8ghz when the SXPS 1640 was first launched. A little while after they upgraded it to the 2.9. I don't really think there is that much difference though.

 

Yeah, I'm not going to use if for gaming either, and only intensive programs occassionaly, so not sure it would really make a difference one over the other for me.. (2.8 vs 2.93)

So far my thoughts is to stick with the 2.93, because i would have no use for the 8gb ram anyways, 6gb will be far more than sufficient.

 

Ok great, thanks for the info!!

 

But the 6gb ram isn't in dual-channel mode, which means your memory will be a little slower than the 8gb dual-channel.

I see plenty of QX9300's going for $400-$500 on ebay, so I wonder if they'll work in this system?

If you scored a system in the outlet for around $1,080 with blu-ray, 5300 wireless and bluetooth, then put in the QX9300, 8GB DDR3 RAM, and X25-M, it would come out to around $2,550 - not bad for a monster system

 

OMG you are a bad influence!! I've just told myself I wouldn't go on the outlet again, LOL...

I told my husband I had bought a 'few' to compare (I'm the techie in the house)..but 6 is far from few at this point..trying to figure out if they'll all fit in my closet until I resell them, ha!!!!!

But you are so right...ugh..

Are you seeing by gullibility and trying to get me to be the guinea pig for the quad core???? LOL

So no one here has tried it yet???

 

Oh, and I've already bought a blue ray, 5300 and blutooth..so I will have those parts coming in the mail.. (from one of my first purchases..LOL) so I could try and find one even cheaper on the outlet without those and install myself.

Not sure about the QX9300 though..don't want it to end up like that profile pic of the flaming notebook!!!!

 

At this point, I'm thinking of just moving over the 8GB from the 2.8 over into the 2.93 and be done with it. That set up will be far more than I need.

The SSD and Quad would be overkill for me..think I will leave that up to the experts to sort out and then maybe I'll upgrade to those later on down the road ..

 

MSI-1722 (GX720) with/ BIOS 10S/EC 429
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Intel Core2Extreme QuadCores QX9300 2.53GHz 1066FSB 12M
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Yeah, I think you'll be just fine with the 2.93 and 8gb ram. Lol @ 6 systems, but hopefully you'll make a good return on ebay to make it worth while.

I'm kinda tempted to send mine back (it has a couple specs of dust trapped under the screen). Then go with a stripped outlet model, and buy the extreme parts myself. But, the only thing I don't like about that is, those parts aren't covered under warranty, and it's kinda a hassle to order and install all that stuff lol.

 

So the QX9300 won't work in the 1640? How about the x9100?

 

QuadAllegory, reminded me of this..

Has there been a resolution with the dust being trapped in the display issue? Does it happen to everyone after a certain amount of time, or does it just come shipped like that in some instances??

If it is something that will eventually come to be, I definitely will need to find some sort of clear thin sealant to use or something, as that would drive me mad!!!!!!!

 

My first brand new unit had none, and didn't get any within the 21 day return policy, but I sent it back because of a bad subwoofer. My current outlet unit shipped with it. A tech is supposed to come out in a couple days to replace it.

 

Yeah!!! someone else with OCD!!!

Do you have any trapped dust behind your screen???

 

Did they give you a hard time about replacing the screen due to the dust? Some people have posted that they couldn't get Dell to do anything about it.

 

I know my laptop shipped with no dust under the screen. (I am mildly OCD myself about such things) The true test will be in 3 weeks when I leave for Iraq for a year. If dust is going to be a problem, thats where its going to happen.

I have thought about applying a small amount of clear silicon sealant around the edges of the screen. Just a small amount smoothed out probably couldn't even be seen.

 

Actually that was the exact thing I was thinking of trying..it could always be easily taken off later if needed, and if done well, wouldn't be noticeable.

Good luck in Iraq!!! A year's a long time..

 

By highflyingbull at 2009-04-29

this is rgb led on my studio 17, with saturation 125(+25). i like it like that!

 

Every time you post a screenshot, it only looks as good as the persons screen that's looking at it. In case you didn't realize that.

 

They didn't give me any hassle, but mine also had a dent/scratch on the hinge, and I think they only replaced it because of that. Even though it was refurbished, I said it should have been a scratch/dent, so that probably worked his mind.

 

Has anyone else noticed how much CPU usage IDT takes up? stacsv64.exe is the program, it was using 50% of my cpu. What's up with that?

 

Where do you guys think the dust is coming from?

I too want to be proactive on this.

My thought is the vents at the bottom left makes the most sense how it is getting injected behind the screen, because otherwise I don't see it going in too easily.

That should mean a small 1/8 wide strip of scotch tape or silicon just around the vent area on the screen maybe all that is needed.
Would be hidden from view too.

thoughts?

 

Awesome, do you make your own wallpapers, or are they from a website??
I've seen some similar on Digital Blasphemy...very nice!

 

I don't even have that process running.

 

Hey, that cellophane tape that is on the hinges is supposed to come off, right?

 

I didn't always have it running, but I happened to look at my cpu usage and it was at 80%. So I opened the resource monitor and it said that program was using 50% of my CPU. After some googling I found out it was from the IDT driver, so I deleted it and no problems now.

*edit - Apparently it's not a new problem.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=324049

 

Yeah, it's just a protective covering.

 

I wonder what the invisible shield will look like once applied? Someone should post pics once they get it.

 

Any1 know of the intel X9100 CPU will work in the Dell SXPS 1640?

 

Intel® Core™2 Mobile Processor T9800/2.93G/6M/1066MHz
【Best and fastest 】Support for mobile P/GM 45 chipset

Seller: xiaobaiyang2( 432)
Feedback: 99.3 % Positive
Member: since Dec-14-03 in China
sSpec Number: T9800 QHTS( engineering sample,same to OEM)

CPU Speed:2.93G

Bus Speed:1066MHz

L2 Cache Size:6M

Package Type:Micro-FCPGA

Manufacturing:45nm

Technology:EO


is it worth buying this sample chip? i dont know how ES chips work, are they the same as oem ones performance wise?

 

I modded CCC 9.4, then checked the driver in Device Manager. The driver version shown indicates 8.6. Is that correct, or did I botch the install. The desktop 3670 mod and install seemed flawless, but I'm confused by the driver version not indicating 9.4.

 

yeah i do. i didnt for the first two months or so, then i noticed one, then a few more.

the dust is really small, but noticeable on white background. i have no idea how it gets in. the dell chat told me i couldnt remove the edge-to-edge glass without breaking it. so i expect ill have to live with it.

i tapped the screen to migrate some of the dust away from the center of the screen, it only got so far, but i think static electricity hold it in place.

i figure if it gets too bad ill have dell replace it before my warranty is up. id photograph it but its probably too minute to capture.

 

So the 2.93ghz is the fastest this laptop will handle? If so, I already have 2.8ghz and don't think it's worth the upgrade. I thought for sure I remember a guy saying he put a X9100 in his 1640 and it worked fine... hmmm....

Why did you sell your 1640, and what did you replace it with? Just curious

 

Hello guys.

Looking for some advice from you around here.

Im almost convinced and about to buy a studio xps 16...

I have a Sony with those defective NVIDIA chipsets and after the third meltdown and the 4 year extended warranty's refusal to fix it and buy the warranty contract out (lol) i am done with nvidia.

The main attraction for me about this model is:

1. it's Dell. I had a dell laptop that lasted around 5 years....had an awesome experience with Dell's warranty. And my laptop would be around if i hadnt spilled HUGE amounts of water on it.

2. it's the only Dell laptop option that i can find that offers an ATI Radeon card.

so that pretty much right there are 2 very important points.

I use my computer basically for gaming, internet and Photoshop. I also like to play around with video editing but its all amateur stuff.

In terms of games, i dont really play a lot of heavy games, as i also have an xbox and ps3 for gaming but i play a LOT of Final Fantasy XI Online (what I use it for mostly) and now The Last Remnant. Even so i like to know that my laptop is able to handle games i throw at it.

so i guess my questions would be:

1. any suggestions on the specs i should choose?
2. I found a very short thread on gaming and this pc, but would like to hear more opinions on it? i also watched a video on youtube of Crysis.. and it looked pretty good, yet im still wondering if its legit.
3. do these laptops have any particular/recurring problems happening that i should be wary about?

and last but not least

4. I have no idea what to expect from vista 64 as im used to running 32. Will i have compatibility issues with applications? Is it better than 32?

Thanx for any suggestions

 

^^

If youre into gaming, you may want to wait for the refresh to get the ATI 4xxx series GPU; the Studio 15 received it recently, and its only a matter of time before SXPS16 gets it.

 

I've always wondered if keeping the screen closed when the system is on could possibly damage something? I like to watch Blu-Ray through HDMI to my TV and use a media remote while the screen is closed.

 

Mine says the same thing under device manager, 8.6000. I thought my mod install went smoothly too. Anyone else care to chime in?

 

Hi - Somebody pls. clarify of DELL STUDIO XPS 16 (commonly known) is same as DELL Studio XPS 1640 ?

Secondly, do the users of this laptop experience the laptop running HOT !!

This laptop has been rated # 1 on:
http://alatest.co.uk/reviews/laptop-computer-reviews/dell-studio-xps-16/po3-69139115,30/

MAve

 

I read somewhere that the newer versions were just modifications of the 8.6 version. I directly installed Catalyst 9.4 from ATI for Windows 7 without using the Mobility Modder this time and it says version 8.6 on mine too.

*edit - Look at this screenshot of CCC. It says driver package version 8.6, Catalyst version 9.4 Beta.

 

Yes, the Studio XPS 16 is the same as the 1640. This is its first generation.

This laptop does not run terribly hot (30c low, 60c high, with undervolting), but can feel much hotter due to the metal plate on the bottom. Most of the heat comes from the front end of the system, where the hard drive and wireless cards are located. Solid State Drives (SSD) and the 9-cell battery propping up the back of the system can help alleviate some of the heat, as well as disabling wireless when not in use.

 

Thanks - mate

Sounds absolutely terrifying to use a laptop that runs HOT - do u think i should buy it ? I;m already using Latitude D630, i want another..

Mave

 

I am unable to register my system at http://downloadstore.dell.com/media. When I click on the button to register the system, absolutely nothing happens. It looks like something flashes for a second on the screen, but that's it. I've tried in both IE and Firefox. In IE I got a window asking to install something, but when I allowed it, I was right back to the screen with the green "register" button, and clicking it did nothing more.

Any ideas?

 

tsger: Once I allowed the register program to run, I had to restart windows.

After I restarted it asked for me to register my system, after I clicked on the button it took like 3 seconds and I was in the site.

I don't know what is wrong with their site but I sent their web developers an email detailing the problems I had.

 

1: depends on your money limits.
* Alot of people love the 1920x1080 RGBLCD screen. It's a true wide gamut display allowing great color rendition. So as far as screens go, it's pretty amazing.
* Blu ray combo drive isn't too much and if you see possibly watching a bluray in the next several years on the laptop or outputting to a TV then get it. Again the 1080 RGBLCD looks stellar at full 1080p.
* Memory is sufficient, CPU at 2.53 is sufficient.
* If you have the cash the 256GB SSD is pretty awesome. Granted it cuts storage in half so you can't have as many games loaded at once but the quality of the most recent SSD's in a laptop makes the experince pretty impressive. It retails for $700, but as a Dell upgrade it's a killer deal at around a $325 upgrade.
2: Dunno, it's a laptop, all laptops have issues with a game at some point. No developer can test games with all laptop configurations and outdated MFR drivers.
3: No biggies AFAIK. Lappy gets warm at times, less so with SSD and bluetooth disabled. Dell's warranty support is great so get a decent warranty and you'll be covered.
4: Go with Vista 64, it's what this laptop was initially designed for and all it's hardware and drivers work well with it. No compatibility issues with applications that are worth mentioning today, 32 bit applications run on it fine too unless it's quite old and unsupported. You get the benefits of 64 bit, subtly snappier OS, better memory addressing for games, plus you'll actually be able to use the 4GB RAM you have in the laptop where 32 bit never will. There is very little reason to go with 32 bit unless you have some 5 year old printer that won't make a 64 bit driver and the printer is more important to you than everything else about moving forward with technology. A gaming example: Yesterday the Empire Total War patch automatically enabled 64 bit users to address 4GB RAM in the game, 32 bit users may still crash because they hit a memory barrier. Games like company of heroes, supreme commander, applications like photoshop, etc. all do this too in providing support for 64 bit users.
64 bit maybe new to you but it's been around a long time, there is nothing to fear but fear itself, too bad people still have fears of the unknown and it's a large part of why we can't leave 32 bit in the grave completely where it belongs.

 

I had an issue the night I got a laptop with something similar, called tech support, they remoted into the machine tried it and they where having web site issues apparently after some research, so they just sent me a box with all the CD's the next day. Next day site was working too.