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

Power DVD that shipped with my 1640, gave the option of an "online update", turned out to be a full version upgrade with some very nice tweaks to improve image quality. I was upgraded to Powerdvd DX 8.2.5202.

After a side by side comparison, this is my preferred DVD playback software to date. it even works well with the Dell Travel Remote.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but doing an online update does not upgrade you to the full version, it just downloads the latest stripped down version that Dell supplies. The full version is called PowerDVD 9 ultra and the layout is completely different to the dell's DX version. Much more user friendly and gives you full control of your movies, and provides online movie details when you insert your blu rays.

 

Well I received my replacemnt XPS 16 about a week ago, and it looks like I will be keeping this laptop. I had some heat issues and build quality issues with my original purchase. The replacement did not have the same quality issues, and does appear to run at least somewhat cooler, or perhaps more accurately, not quite as hot, as the original. I did notice something on the replacement invoice that I don't recall seeing on the original system invoice...something having to do with a heat sink assembly. Now I kniow there are numerous heat sinks in this thing, but I just don't recall that being specifically listed in the original invoice. Turnaround time for the replacement system was less than 10 days, probably closer to 7 business days. All specs are the same as the original...I do have the LG/Hitachi standard CDRW on the replacement...the original was a Lite On CDRW. For some reason I prefer the Lite On...but it is not a deal breaker. No problems yet except that the LG/Hitachi is louder when reading data...I was afraid it would be that loud with DVD movies, but oddly enough it's not. So, for now anyway, all is well with my Dell. I am going to get the 9 cell battery and see if that helps with the airflow/cooling.

 

Did anybody happen to order the Express Card Media Remote? It is not even listed as an option anymore with the online configurator. Anyway, I ordered one with my system and it has been delayed three times now with an est delivery date of 6/4 that I am VERY skeptical of. Just wondering if anybody actually has one of these?

 

For anyone that may be considering adding to or upgrading their existing battery, try this on for size...the 6 cell is MORE expensive than the 9 cell as of tonight on the Dell U.S. site. When I looked, the 6 cell was $149 while the 9 cell was $79. I guess the 9 cell option is not a popular upgrade, and with Dell literally selling more of these notebooks than they can build, the demand for the 6 cell is pushing the price up. Who knows what the price of the 9 cell will be a year or two from now when they start to become scarce. So, if you've been considering upgrading your battery, now may be the time. If you order 2, it looks like you get free 3-5 day shipping.

 

I went online tonight with the intention of purchasing one 9 cell battery to upgrade my original 6 cell, and one spare adapter to keep in my travel case. The spare adapter is $69, and there seem to be two 90w offerings. The one that looks like the one I have, the three prong deal, one customer review states that you don't get the power cord if you order that model...it's somehow separate. Anyway...then there is another kind that looks like my Inspiron 1705 adapter, also 90w. Ok here's my dilema...my Dell Inspiron E1705 90w adapter seems to work just fine in my Studio XPS 16. That being the case, is it really necessary to get the recommended Dell adapter...or in other words...is my new adapter doing anything that my old adapter cannot...both seem to be able to charge the 6 cell battery. What I am most concerned about is damaging the laptop...any thoughts ?

 

90w is 90w. I wouldn't be worried about damaging anything.

 

Hey all!
I have a config question for the St. XPS16 i am buying soon...I want to keep it under 2k, and was wondering which would be better for overall system performance and game performance (mainly FSX and America's Army and some others) the T9800 w/ 4GB DDR3 or the T9550 w/ 6GB DDR3? also, is an SSD a good investment for the heat management aspect and better read/write speeds?? thanks

 

Actually, the voltage requirement of the laptops may be different. His old adapter may be rated at 90W, but it may be putting out 14V when the laptop only needs 12V max. Then again, it might be the same for both laptops. I just sent my 1640 back, so I don't know offhand what the input voltage is supposed to be.

 

You should only have RAM in 1, 2, 4, 8, etc configs. mixing a 2 and 4gb module is no good, which is why theyre sold in sets.

Also, the 9xxx processors are 35w compared to 25watt for the 8xxx.. do you really need the extra 3mb of l2 cache?

Definitely get the SSD!!!

 

True. It's a 90w/100-240v Input/19.5v Output if anyone wanted to know.

 

i would personally get the 4gb RAM, and whatever CPU you can afford with the SSD. Absolutely get the 256gb SSD, it is amazing, and a really great deal.

 

Thanks for the RAM input, i will get the 4GB... however I definitely like the faster clock speed from the 9xxx procs, but what would be the tangible diffs other than batt life between the 9xxx and 8xxx line of chips?

 

Since I am getting the SSD now, what do y'all think about the 128 option with the T9800 or 256 with the T9550? I wanted Dell to offer the P9600 proc but alas they do not

 

Sorry the flood the thread with repeated posts, but is there a real performance difference in games like FSX and America's Army 3.0 (hopefully releasing soon!) on the SXPS 13 with P9600 and 4GB over the SXPS 16?

 

Get the 256.. its the current gen. model from Samsung, the 128 is the older model line and is slower.

 

Thanks a lot! but what about the proc differences?

 

Can I ask why you say you shouldn't mix 2 and 4 Gb modules? I wasn't aware of this.

Is this about the dual channel architecture? Only I have read about that theory being debunked on 'Tom's Hardware'.

 

Hi, yes I know it doesnt do an upgrade to the full version, but it does do a 'full version upgrade' giving a very different program in look and feel, rather than just applying some patches. Which is what I meant. And using the built in True Theatre option realy helps clean up the image when watching DVD's on the lappie imho.

And hey, its 'free.' As in beer.

 

Despite what my name may say, I am far from the ultimate status of "nerd" however, I do wish to join those honorable ranks soon

I am a rising Freshman in college. I just purchased a Studio XPS 16 with the following specs:

-- Intel® Core 2 Duo P8700 (3MB cache/2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
-- 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)
-- Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
-- ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 3670 - 512MB
-- 500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
-- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit
-- Integrated Gigabit (10/100/1000) Network Card
-- BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive
-- Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card

My first question is, is this a good laptop? From the research I have done, it seems to be a pretty solid machine. I spent hours upon hours looking up all the specs, different discounts, and all that jazz. I understand that it is relatively large for a student notebook but I am a pretty big guy. I can handle the extra 2 lbs. from class to class

The student discount pushed my ship date all the way to July. However, when it arrives, what will I need to do? This is my first laptop and I am sure it will come with an instruction manual and what not, but I figure you guys are much smarter than those silly Dell folks. Is there anything you guys reccomend I do that may not be included with the Dell instructions? I read some stuff about overclocking and clearing the bloatware and what not, but is that really necessary/easily done? Since I am totally new to this, I am a little skeptical but if you can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

THANKS A TON!

 

Clearing bloatware is a good first step. Download a program like Ccleaner which helps in unistalling software and just deleting crap that you don't need. I don't really see the need to overclock a CPU too much in the SXPS, because it should never be a gaming issue.

 

Which student discount did you use? was it just through FSU's negotiated discount or more like a coupon code i don't know about?

 

Thanks. I downloaded what I thought was "Ultra", but it was actually PowerDVD 9 which was a major improvement over the DX 8.2.5202. I'll upgrade to Ultra later.

 

This is my exact machine. It's very portable and sleek. You should have absolutely no problem using this around campus. Some quick advice you should consider before settling in:

- CLEAN INSTALL ( DRIVERS HERE) - Although there isn't much bloatware, it's always best to start fresh. You can update your drivers from the provided disc, or go to the Dell website for more recently updated drivers. The only real downside to this would be losing some of the pre-installed software like PowerDVD and facial recognition, although searching this forum should provide links to legit Dell downloads of this software.

- UNDERVOLT ( GUIDE HERE) - Undervolting will reduce heat, improve battery performance, and will ultimately prolong the life of your machine. On the P8700, I run about 10°c cooler under max load.

- 9-CELL BATTERY ( $80 HERE) - Investing in a 9-cell will, of course, greatly improve battery life. Another benefit of the 9-cell is its added elevation for superior air-flow. This keeps the machine much cooler than its 6-cell counterpart.

After that, it's personal preference. If you spend a lot of time at home, it might be worth the investment in a notebook cooler. If you travel a lot, you're going to want a more robust carrying case.

Hope that helped.

 

They don't give 9 cells here in India.. The sales rep was hesitant to give me an extra 6 cell too
/me needs to order an extra battery for outdoor workness

 

Can you use the serial number from the one dell includes with PowerDVD 9 Ultra?

 

Hi Guys, I just got my xps 16 with 2.4 ghz, 320 gb, 3gb ram and 1080 screen. I have blown the vista home and installed xp pro on it. Now I have manged to get most of the drivers, just have two yellow question marks against the IR and 1394 net adapter.

My issue now is that the eject touch button for the dvd drive just does not work. on hitting the button the light brightens up but the cd/dvd does not eject. I can however eject using the rightclick eject option from the explorer window. any suggestions?

 

I'm not sure which drivers you picked up, but hopefully these fix your problems:

Dell Quickset - This driver should update all your multimedia touch keys, including the eject button.

ITE Driver - This driver should update your infrared receiver.

Dell (Wireless 1397) Driver - Not sure if you meant the 1397 adapter, or 1394 firewire port. For the former, this driver should help.

Sorry if these links don't work. You should be able to go to the Dell drivers website, enter your service tag and download the appropriate drivers.

I hope this isn't redundant information, but I didn't want to make an assumption about what you have or have not already done.

 

I just tried all the three drivers, The IR still has the same problems, the little yellow ? still exists. The drivers you suggested for the buttons are not supported on xp so no luck on it too. Also the other ? i mentioned is on the 1394 net adapter just rechecked. Any case thanks for the help

 

I have the HP laptop,downgraded the OS from vista home premium to Windows XP Pro,installed all drivers,Only 1394 adapter was a problem,did bit research and in some forum,it was mentioned to downgrade BIOS and it worked for me,So just try upgrading or downgrading BIOS for this one...Though am NOT SURE if this works in your Case.

 

Sorry those didn't work out; it sucks that XP isn't supported. I did a little digging and found a few resources that might be able to help you.

ITECIR Infrared Receiver(EC) driver - This driver is from another manufacturer, but was designed for XP, so it may work. It's worth a shot.

Realtek 1394 WLAN - I found that most of the 1394 adapters are made by Realtek. If you can find your version (e.g. RTL818XXX), you should be able to find your driver.

Still no luck with Quickset, since the only supported laptops were made for Dells with Vista.

My last suggestion would be to upgrade to Windows 7 RC. It's free for a year. It's incredibly fast and stable, like XP. It works with almost all Vista-compatible programs and drivers, with more being added daily. It's the best of both worlds.

 

Dell Quickset Link for Win XP x86: http://www.downloadsource.net/17312/Dell-QuickSet-Application-Windows-2000-XP/

 

Tried the IR driver...says that the device is not supported...guess it is either a different make or model. Same result as the IR driver for the 1394 net adapter too.

I actually have a software for which I bought this laptop in the first place. Unfortunately it is neither supported on Vista or Win7 So I guess I am stuck. But still It is quite useable and nothing seriously wrong. all the features that I need are up and running without any issues.

Thanks for the support guys.

One thing I would like to try is downgrade the bios to the original one that came with the system. I have failed to mention in my first post that I upgraded the bios to their latest release (abt a week old) to solve the over heating issue. I have to say that it has actually made a difference. Now I have dome tweaking by undervolting, so I guess I can try reverting back to old bios. Does any one have a link/copy of the old bios? would be useful to me

 

This should be it. The A06 was the previous version. You can also get the versions before it if needed.

http://support.us.dell.com/support/...eid=R214437&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=303795

 

Version A06 - 04/27/2009 - "Fixes: 1. Update thermal table to v06. 2. Support PWM panel."

Version A05 - 01/21/2009 - Fixes: "1. Improve UUT, it will not automatically enter PXE when press ESC key in F12 Boot menu screen. 2. Improve RGB panel, it will not display Blue or Red colors after flashing BIOS."

To find old versions in the future, go to the Dell driver website and select your model or input your service tag. Under the suggested driver updates, the BIOS tab will have a link that says " Dell XPS 1640 System BIOS" which brings you to the most current BIOS version. To the right of the description, you should see a link to " Other Versions." Same goes for drivers of all types.

 

Thanks for the link...I just flashed the bios with the older version and voila! My buttons are back!!!

Now for the down side...my processor is running 3 deg hotter..will monitor it for a few days and decide which is worth sacrificing. I havent yet done undervolting till the max...so that is another option left to explore

Thanks for all the support guys!!!

 

Hmm... for some reason im having trouble to access notebookreview..i can sometimes access this thread.. but cant go to the main forums page.

Anyway, i started the process of sending back the Studio xps 1640 so i can get it once the new configuration is released. The pc works awesomely but still, I only got it last wednesday and already an upgraded graphics card is on the horizon, and since im a gamer then it's definitely worth the wait.

Seems it will be pretty painless with dell's total satisfaction... ill let you guys know how it goes.

 

Mine's going back today too. I'm getting ready to reset the laptop back to factory settings, pack it up and drop it off at the UPS store. I'll miss it for sure but I can't wait until the new version comes out.

Edit: Be sure to run the Dell recovery (F8 on boot) and clear the laptop of anything you might have added to it. I just finished reformatting, cleaning and packing it up. Gonna send it off and wait patiently for the new one.

Edit 2: And it's goooonee! Now begins the wait for the revision...

 

Have dell offically released a statement stating a upgraded GPU to the HD4670 or is this still speculation?

 

Nothing official yet but with the Studio 15 already receiving a GPU upgrade to 4570 and the A07 bios for Studio XPS 16 stating support for the 4670, it can't be far off at all. My bet is the beginning of June.

 

WHAAAA, you guys skipped over my post a while back. LOL j/k
Can someone give me some feedback on these, I would appreciate it, I have dell tech support involved too, but would like the REAL story.
Hopefully, my info will add something.

1)
The brightness on my 1640 with rgb LED always returns from a suspend or hibernate on full brightness (like I have it set for AC mode) but when it’s on DC .
Even when it is displaying just the opening "Dell" splash screen with the F2 for setup showing or when the hard drive password prompt shows too.
Then you hit the Fn down key once and it instantly jumps all the way down to the DC setting (which I have set to the lowest)
I tried A07 bios to no avail.
I have 2 identical units that do this.
ANYONE ELSE?

2)
Is the infrared port just for the remote?
I thought it might do printing or mobile phone transfers too.
ANYONE Know?

3)
FYI, I had to replace my 500MB 7200RPM hard drive cause it would clunk (guessing self park) about once every 2 min.
The new one does it every once in awhile. Maybe because of the heat from the wireless card?
ANYONE ELSE?

4)
The heat under the touchpad is so hot the metal band around the edge gets hot to the touch. I have the 5100 wireless card.
I see many other post on this and undervolting, etc. I might try it.
BUT is this where the heat for you guys is coming from or is it from the back?

5)
I have the 3 prong AC adapter and bought the 2 prong AC adapter also.
Both get VERY hot, like 60watt light bulb hot, can’t continue to hold hot, and also give off a burning smell.
One even shut down.
I saw one other person mention this but no one else chimed in yet and didn’t see any responses to them either, so any news?

 

Hey santosh,can u post the url,of the drivers u used for xp,I had seen it before in some post,but not able to find em now.

 

There is something wrong with the sleep/hibernate modes and the drivers. My web cam comes on even though I have disabled it. The web cam light comes on for no reason and I can't switch it off with out rebooting. The quick touch buttons seem to have a will of their own when I de-hybernate. It seems that Dell's drivers aren't as well coded as other marques.

As to the heat issue...my touch pad gets intollerably hot. After a few hours of exporer/surfing, the front black plastic strip by the touch pad gets so hot, i can't even touch it. Which is where the 5100 wireless card sits...a bizarre place to put it. The HD seems to get very hot too. I don't use Blue tooth, so i've switched that off. This should lower the hear in this area. It seems that there's no cooling down this end of the laptop.
I have undervolted too, but when I run City of Heroes, after 45mins of playing my laptop is literally too hot to touch.
I love the laptop, but it's drivers are pants and it has a cooling issue under high load.

 

How does everyone like this pc? Anyone use it for 3ds max, zbrush, After Effects, Photoshop etc. if so how does stuff run?

the one I am looking at is

Intel® Core™2 Duo T9550(2.66GHz/1066MHz FSB/6M L2Cache)
4GB 1067MHz DDR3 SDRAM
ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670-512MB
Edge-to-edge Glossy 16 inch Full HD RGB-LED LCD display (1080p)
500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium x64 Edition



Also how is the RGB LED screen?

 

Can someone tell me how exactly to use the IR on the laptop?
I mean, can I use the IR on my phone to send/recieve files/contacts to/from my laptop? If so, how do I do this? If not, why does it have IR?

Can I use it as a possible alternative remote? (like other IR devices can be, assuming they have the range)
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The RGB LED is totally hot. I have the 1080p screen and I have used the 720p as well and I must say, its totally hot
Photoshop runs fine, that I can attest to. I don't use the other softwares so I don't really know.

 

1) Yes, me too but I don't think its an issue.. just tap the reduce brightness and it returns to the lowest setting

2) I'm wondering myself

3) Nah. The laptop does get hot (everyone's does) but I never have any HDD issues. No noise or anything (except the cooling system working on full blast which is expected. Noise isn't so much.. just enough to be heard in a quite room with my ears close to the vent)

4) No. My touchpad ain't too hot but the edges of the laptop (the front) get hot some times.. Just make sure the machine has enough air beneath it to cool. Don't keep the vents closed. Undervolting helps

5) The AC adapter does get hot though I've never had a burning smell to it.. I can smell it being VERY hot when I keep my nose almost on it but nothing like a burning smell away from it (if you keep your nose on a hot electronic object, it will seem to give a particular smell.. it always does.. something which kinda seems like burning but isn't. If its really burning, you'd be able to smell it at a slightly longer distance than having to keep it right under your nose) The adapter has never shut down for me but the laptop did once. So I usually keep it on my lap and lift it every 20 odd minutes for a few seconds.. mostly to move around myself. If its on a table, it should be fine. On a bed is trouble because the bed will soak up heat causing ventilation to stop. I just keep it on 2 book (on either side) when on the bed allowing air to flow beneath it. Helps

 

i used cs3 for work, everything runs awesome. im on the 2.4.

as for ir, i bought the dell pci ir remote, it works awesome, especially when outputting to hmdi and running windows media center. i dont have any other ir devices anymore, not more pda, or old school mobile with ir, thats so 3 years ago

but i highly recommend the ir remote, i got mine on ebay for 11 dollars, and now i dont have a useless piece of plastic that VIBRATED during bassy songs stuck in there.

 

Dell didn't offer anything of the sort here in India
Then again, you said you got yours off e-bay, right? Can you link me to what you got? I might get it. I watch a lot of movies and tv shows and having a remote would totally rock.

What kind of range do you get?

 

Does anyone have the link to the PCI remote from Dell's website? I can't seem to find it.

 

hey guys i'm planning on buying this in 2 monthslaptop , so i need a few answers please

1) does the laptop heat seriously go up to 79 degrees centigrade under full load
2) does it have loud good quality speakers for those HD movies
3) is the screen good for full HD movies
4) how is dell's customer service in england