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

I have the standard issue, at the time of order, "Dell Recommended" WiFi 5100 card. I looked into the undervolt option, but the freeware program I found caused Vista to load in Test Mode when I tried to install it...it was pretty much downhill from there. I thought I found the same program as the screen shots indicated...but maybe not.

 

No crackling audio...tested with Sennheiser PX 100's and HD 555's. Have you tried a different set of phones? I personally find the audio on this system fantastic for DVD's and streaming video from Netflix. It's not quite as good for music, but acceptable. I guess maybe the Dolby adds a little punch to the multimedia. I love streaming missed TV episodes in HD from the network sites, the sound and video are top notch to me. I returned an HP HDX 16 and a Lenovo Idea Pad before I got this XPS 16. Neither one could process multimedia on par with the XPS 16 in my opinion, although the Lenovo did have good speakers, and was quite sexy.

 

I have the same issue... Reported it to Dell Support, they replaced the motherboard and audio board, but problem still persists. I learned to live with it.

 

When you applied the Invishield how where you able to get all the bubbles out so it doesnt look bad when it dries? I have used it on phones and it seems almost impossible to get them out. On a large surface like a laptop cover I wonder how it will look?

 

I haven't my invisible shield yet. Like I said some posts back I ordered one. Will update when it arrives.

 

hi. im going to buy a Studio XPS 16 in june, basically, i think, the $1200 "base version" seems to be almost ok, but i definitely go for the 9-cell battery, and there are a few things i'm not sure about:
-FullHD display - worth it? i mean in such a small screen maybe i couldn't even see the pixels or read small texts.. i would only buy it, if it's really much better, i don't have too much money for just premium stuffs.. anybody who has either the HD or the FullHD version: can u make some hi-res photos of that? i'm really not sure what to choose..
-the other thing would have been to choose either the intel 5100 or the 5300, but as i see, now the 5300 is part of the basic price, so that problem seems to be solved i guess

 

OK thanks, thats good to know. Im not going to get a mobo replacement for this issue (it would have to be since the soundcard/portion is built-in).

I think im just very picky and sensitive when it comes to audio; stuff like hiss/humm, even if its very subtle, annoy me ... but, im not going to use my sxps for music anyways.

 

I have two laptops, one with a 720p screen and the sxps with the 1080p. Since getting the sxps, its VERY HARD for me to use the 720p laptop for any extended time since its impossible for me to multi-task with 1/2 the screen real estate.

If text is an issue, you could always bump up the native DPI. For things like Word, i use 150% to 200% magnification; as an added benefit, the extra resolution means that text is extra crisp and clear.

 

thanks, that sounds pretty convincing for the FullHD one. anyway, a hi-res photo would be still great, if anyone could make one. though, i think, i should see them with my own eyes, but i haven't too much opportunity to do that..
i think, text shouldn't be an issue if the average people say it's not, cause i have a good sight for close rage, still it just sounds a bit too impressive to me, to have FullHD on only 16"..

 

this totally disgusts me, highest temp reaches 70c(158f0) on motherboard, i was just watching tv for 10 minutes via an usb tuner.

 

Can anyone suggest a laptop case that fits the xps 16? preferably not a 17 in. carrying case.

 

I was playing tmnf over LAN and I had my laptop on my bed. After an hour or so it just shut down... I was low on battery when I started playing which is why I connected the AC power. What was wrong? Overheating was my guess because the laptop seemed hot.

I booted the laptop back up and started the temp monitoring stuff I have from the whole underclocking process. Seems the laptop was still around 55c which is usually is under load.. I guess the overall temp was higher because of the closed ventillation caused by the bed soaking up the heat and not letting air circulate
I was hoping the machine would beep or something before going down so that I have a few seconds to cool it down a bit (because that's all you need imo.. If I would lift the laptop off the bed and invert it, it'd take hardly 30s to cool down to normal temp )

 

I chose a 15" Belkin Messenger Bag to hold my 1640.

If you're looking for a very portable bag that won't break the bank, it's very slim and relatively cheap.

The interior compartment has a soft half that fits very snug around the laptop -- even moreso with a 9-cell battery. When I first got the bag, I was scared that it would not fit, but it was nicely worn in after a couple weeks of use. The other half of the interior won't fit much, but has a few compartments for discs, business cards, and other small items.

The main exterior compartment is large enough to store a power brick, additional battery, some cables, a bluetooth mouse, and even has a compartment for an iPod with an access hole for earbuds. There are two additional compartments that are very thin, where you may be able to store paper, but mine is pretty packed if I'm carrying everything.

If interested, you should be able to get the bag from Amazon or Newegg for around $30.

 

Does anyone know what size of star screwdriver I would need for the 4 hinge screws?

This bulging out thing is driving me nuts and I'm thinking that since it's aluminum, I should be able to take it apart and gently bend the piece that goes around the hinge light so that it lays flat against the hinge and gits rid of the large gap I have.

Any thoughts?

 

It is a T-5 but I would recommend picking this up from Home Depot since it has a few sizes: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...87664&catalogId=10053&storeId=10051&langId=-1

As for whether this is a good idea...I don't know but let us know how things work out for you. I am thinking about using some sort of glue to hold them together since I think it will be less invasive.

 

I tried 6 types of glue and bonders yesterday with no luck, so let me know if you find anything that works.

 

Anyone using Cisco VPN client on the 1640 with Vista or W7?

Can't get it set up, also created a virtual machine running XP and got the VPN connected, but couldn't use the remote desktop within it, so not sure if it's possible.

 

Thank you for the info & link!

 

OK...so I tried the T-5 torx and it helps but does not eliminate the problem. But maybe in combination with some glue it will work since the parts will be closer to aligned. Basically my gap went from 6-8 pages of paper thick to about 2. I can still see the gap but not as bad. All I did was loosen the screws a little and pushed in on the part while tightening. I was too nervous about actually taking the hinge apart.

 

Great! I'll try that first before taking it all the way off.

 

Don't bother...seems like the side relaxed a bit and moved part of the way back out....I think it might require a more forceful bend and the only way to do it would be to remove it. If you try this please take pics of how this comes apart for the rest of us. I don't think I have the balls to do it without a walkthrough.

 

I have Cisco VPN on windows 7 and a vista machine but both are 32 bit. Can't get it to work on the 64 bit vista machine.

 

Ok, I know Cisco doesn't support Vista 64, I was hoping someone had found a way around it. Oh well, I'll continue with my 2 laptops!!! LOL

Thanks

 

Thanks for the info.


Well, I don't have any balls , and even if I did, I wouldn't touch taking that apart with a 10 foot pole. I took both screws out, which really didn't do anything, and to go any further would be to mess around with the aluminum strip that goes around the back of the LCD.

Not knowing which parts are glued, and how it's actually put together, I have a feeling that you would just end up bending the aluminum trying to pry it apart, and then that would be it.

So, I took the battery out, back lid off, the rear caps, and used a 2 part epoxy with a clamp.

Going to let it set for 24 hours and will let you know if it did the trick!

 

If you install Windows 7, you can get the Cisco clients to work by installing Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode... but because of the nature of VMs (and assuming your processor actually supports it), you'll only be connected to the VPN inside of the virtual machine... so none of your W7 apps will have access to that connection. VPC and XPM does have the ability to basically add installed programs to the start menu and have them appear inside of W7's programs directory, though, so you can use them without actually running the full VM all the time. You have to create a shortcut for every program you'd want to use once the VPN was connected since only programs installed on the virtual machine would make use of that connection.

I actually tested this out and it works out fine for my needs (just really need a putty window so I can ssh into some remote machines). The Cisco client created a shortcut automatically during install and I just had to add another one for Putty. You have to start the VM up, then go into W7's Virtual PC directory and it'll have another directory for 'Virtual PC Programs' or something which will include all the shortcuts created on the VM. Once you start it up, you can select one, it'll prompt you to shut Virtual PC down, and off you go. Just start up Cisco, connect, then run any other programs from that directory you need.

 

Thanks for the info!!!

 

Yeah, if you want to try it and need some more concrete instructions, I suggest you check out http://lifehacker.com/5245396/set-up-and-use-xp-mode-in-windows-7

Pretty good step-by-step on getting it set up. Just also be aware that Virtual PC and XP Mode will apparently only be available with certain editions of W7 when it's finally released, which doesn't include Home Premium, which is what 90% of people use these days. (The W7 RC is a copy of Ultimate.) So definitely try it out, but don't get too dependent on it if you're going to need it past the end of the year.

 

I got VM up and running in XP and connected to the VPN, but then within the VPN I need to access a Remote Desktop application, which I wasn't able to connect to.

Of course the whole reason I'm trying to do this is so that I can be on the 1640 full time, instead of having to switch back and forth with my crappy work laptop. (see example with cat pic, LOL).
Since it's my own machine, our IT dept won't give any support, so just playing around trying to see if I can get it to work.

Thanks for the link!

 

Has anyone opened their laptop up? I was wondering if the laptop has a second HDD port. I have a spare 120GB 2.5in hdd that is inside my desktop (ever since the connector in the external hard drive casing it came in died). I was thinking of opening the access panel up. Hopefully I won't screw anything up (don't worry, I have a lot of experience with desktops.. just not much with laptops).

So before I open up, I was just wondering if there is an opening in there for a secondary hard drive for the Dell Studio XPS 1640 cause if there isn't there's no point in me opening it up

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Was the cap to the hinge coming out a bit?
Here is what my left hinge looked like..


If that's the problem you had, you should have just taken a snap and sent it to the Dell Customer care people. I basically called them and told them about the problem and told them that the pic would tell them what's wrong.. I asked for the techie's e-mail address and sent him the pic. A couple of days later I had a new faceplate (the entire lid.. monitor included) at my place and a service tech to fit the thing in place.
He had to open the entire machine up to get it in place.. he did just that No issues at all

 

Same question as in the Studio 15 thread

Has anyone gotten the Creative X-Fi sound upgrade? If so, does it even do anything? Like, is there any noticeable difference in sound output in the headphones or something? Also, does it stick out a large amount from the notebook?

 

Hi there, after looking at this thread for a while, I finally jumped the hoop and bought this nice and spirited high end XPS 1640:

Intel Core 2 Duo T9550 (2.66GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6M L2 Cache)
8GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm
16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP
Premium HD WLED Display Obsidian Black, Leather 2.0 MP Webcam
ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
AVerTV Expresscard TV TUNER TVT11
256GB Dell High Performance Solid State Hard Drive, 2.5MM
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit with SP1 Home Premium
BluRay Combo Drive
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Intel WiMax/WiFi Link 5150 (802.11 a/g/n 3X3) 1/2
6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery
9-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery
3 year on site warranty.

I was looking for a high-end machine, to deal with lots of large graphics at a time, since I do graphic design.

I just bought the machine and sincerly hope that Dell is installing the latest drivers since it looks like a number of updates were required by users. Especially the newest A06 BIOS.

I was especially looking for a quiet machine, since the machine is colocated in a baby's room. I heard the XPS 1640 runs hot, but that it remains quiet. I went for the SSD, which I hope reduces heat and noise altogether.

I feel, reading a few messages, that I made a mistake buying Home Premuim rather than Ultimate, since it seems there are more applications supported in Ultimate 64-bit, and that it might qualify for a free W7 upgrade.

I'll let you know how it goes once I get the beast.

 

In regards to heat, my XPS 16 seems to get hotter as the day progresses. But the heat generated has little to do with the fan or CPU. The heat around the palm rests and touch pad builds over several hours and never seem to cool.
The front edge below the silver strip by the touch pad gets excessively hot.
After looking inside, I've noticed that's where the HD, Wireless and Bluetooth cards are located. I suspect that these devices are adding more to the heat problems than the fan / DPU loads because there doesn't seem to be any cooling for these devices.

 

There is NO space for an extra harddisk. Today got an engineer on site with the 3rd LCD screen. All the LCD's had the gap in the left hinge. Guess it is "Normal". Anyway I will just try to look not to much to it

 

Yeah it's a pity that there's no room for a 2nd HD. Considering the XPS16 has pretty much the same guts (interms of hardware size) as the XPS13 but has a bigger foot print, I have to wonder why Dell fitted a regular keyboard (with no number pad) and no 2nd HD option.
It's odd.

 

So, you guys recommend installing windows 7 on my studioxps 16 once it gets here?

 

I didn't have a gap on my original monitor but it was replaced by a tech due to crap between teh glass and the panel...so this is hit an miss it seems. I will likely try the clamp thing if it works well.

 

I installed XP through Virtual PC for this very reason. It should work-are you not seeing the Remote Desktop program at all? The virtualized OS was slugish for me, but it did work.

If you want to spend the money. People have said the interface changes are really nice, but personally I *think* I'm going to wait until I buy a new computer that already has it, as it's still basically the same OS and the tweaks aren't crucial for me.

 

Has anyone tried the new video drivers posted on the Dell website yesterday?

 

I'm trying it for you right now!

 

I will be interested to hear the feedback on the new video drivers also.......

 

Tried them; didn't like them. They had major problems with the latest version of Adobe Flashplayer and IE 8. Screen flickering on scrolling and drop-down menus, large white bars in Flash videos, etc.

I immediately went back to the last release.
___________________________________

I guess I was a little gunshy after some previous video driver problems. After re-installing them and manually rebooting, they're working fine. First time I've had an ATI video driver update that didn't request a reboot after installation when one was really needed.

 

Ok, for those who want to try to fix the gap themselves, or can't get Dell to fix it, this worked pretty good I think.

Here's before and after pics.


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Which epoxy did you use?

 

Tried them also. I also had some problems with flickering in IE 8. A restart and everything is working flawless. No complains at this moment. Temps seems to be the same.

 

Materials for the job:

1. Loctite Quick Set Epoxy (pkg with 2 tubes, the plungers dry out)
2. Torx #5
3. Fine sand paper or nail file (depending on the size of the gap)
4. Rubbing alcohol or fingernail polish with Acetone in it
5. Lint free fingernail polish cotton squares (or any other lint free cotton wipe, if not lint free, you will have pieces of the cotton fibers stuck in the glue)
6. Piece of disposable plastic to mix epoxy together on
7. Tooth pick
8. Paper towel
9. Clamp
10. Soft towel to lay laptop on so it doesn't scratch

What I did:

1. Removed battery and back cover
2. Slid off the rear caps (pull gently towards center of laptop)
3. Removed 2x hinge screws
4. Scrape out any glue residue if you've tried previously
5. Take sandpaper or nail file and gently rub inside of gap on each side (be careful not to scratch paint)
6. Get paper towel folded and ready, clamp sized and ready, rubbing alcohol and wipes ready to go
7. Mix small amount of epoxy on the plastic (or coated paper plate, etc. just make sure it doesn't seep through the paper onto your table)
8. Apply small amount of epoxy in the gap with the toothpick making sure not to miss any area of gap
9. Press close with your fingers and wipe any excess off with the lint free square and rubbing alcohol/acetone
10. Clamp together with paper towel protecting hinge , making sure to leave room around the paper towel to be able to access and remove any remaining excess glue that will seep out when tightening the clamp. Tighten clamp just enough to bring pieces together, you don't want to break the plastic on the sides of the hinge.
11. Leave set over night

 

have you noticed that the drivers from the driver dvd shipped with computer are different from the ones listed on dell.com.
in short, drivers from driver dvd actually work. same thing with my studio 17, there is no ethernet driver for x64 on dell.com, you can only find it on drivers dvd.
strange things happen to dell everyday.

 

HEY.. check out this video.. some dude in Brasil, took off the Edge to Edge plastic on his SXPS.. apparently its a snap in piece and not glued in. LOOK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0QaFujU5Us

 

help with a missing driver, its SM BUS, i dont know which is the rit driver for this device.
thx and +rep for help!

 

SM Bus is your System Management Bus. The drivers for this item are contained in the chipset drivers. You need the intel inf drivers.

You can get those off the intel web site or use the dell drivers from their site.

(if you go on the intel site, which I recommend. Do a search for the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility, then choose which OS your using)

 

oh, thx, didnt know intel chipset needs its own driver other than vista default.


hd quality wallpaper.