Dell XPS 14 L401x Thread

where did you buy the ram and how do you install it. thanks

 

Are you using CPUID HW monitor, im using it but its not working properly, now im using something call OPEN hardwaremonitor for temps....Any suggestions.

 

I found removing the bezel to be extremely easy... but you're right the bottom sides are a little harder. Just had to work at it for a minute.

 

Newegg.com - OCZ 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model OCZ3M13338GK

Flip laptop over, unscrew panel, remove old memory, install new memory.

 

Here is an interesting question: Why does Dell put 1333Mhz memory in a computer that only supports 1066Mhz (the i5 and i3 XPS)?? It's ok to use 1333Mhz or it's better to use 1066Mhz?

 

My right mouse button is something thats bugged me since about day one with this laptop and I'm wondering if its just my laptop or if this is how the whole 401x series is.


to give a bit of context;
My particular way of using my touchbad is to leave my thumb (right handed) on the left mouse button and use my index finger to operate the touch pad.

IDK whether or not this is a common "hand stance"(for lack of a better phrase) but when i pull my thumb towards my hand ( palm resting to the southeast of the touchpad) i only usually hit the top-left part of the right mouse key which no matter how hard i push the key is unable to actually *click(action, not sound)* I've since corrected by simply shifting my hand moreso to the right... but every once in a while (think... gaming) its reaaaallly annoying for that right mouse not to click.

so the question is; is it just my laptop (ie a less sensitive "trigger") or is the whole series designed as such? Thanks, all answers are appreciated.

 

You can use the 1333, but it will only run at 1066 for the i3 and i5. Guess it's easier to have all the same part.

 

But if I want to put 8gb of memory I'll have to buy two 4gb sticks. In my case (i5), it's better to use 1066Mhz or 1333Mhz??

 

Anyone have information on

updating the BIOS
and
updating the video card driver (GeForce 420M)

I haven't done either since purchasing the laptop (early December)

Any info would be helpful, thanks'

 

For the bios, plug in the power cord. Run the update, hit next next next.

For the video driver get the latest beta from Nvidia, hit next next next.

 

Run WHAT update for the bios?

Link to the beta?

 

The bios is right there on the Dell Download page
Drivers and Downloads

Here's the latest beta for the video driver, you have to use the beta right now because this is the first one to officially support the GPU in the current XPS laptops.
NVIDIA DRIVERS 266.35 BETA

 

Weird- I right clicked the vid card and ran "update driver" but it said "you have the latest driver"

clearly I don't, though.

Do they not recognize betas?

 

hey friends,

I'm getting an XPS 14 as a replacement for my studio 14. My old studio 14 had i5 540m, 4gb(2x2gb) ram, 500gb hdd, ATI HD 5450 gpu, and xps 14 will have i7 740qm, 4gb(1x4gb), 500gb hdd, and nvidia gt 425m.
My doubt here is that the ram on my old studio 14 was 2 sticks of 2gb whereas the xps 14 would have only 1 stick of 4gb. So will it affect performance? And how's the oem screen on the xps 14 compared to the studio 14? Please reply. Thanks.

 

Do you have an order # for the xps yet? If so, it should show on the order online how many DIMMs it is. From what I've seen they always give you two.

 

Computer faint Electrical Buzzing noise!!!!

Hi, I recently purchased a refurbished xps 14 401x
i5 460
420m
256 samsung ssd
4gb ram
when i scroll during internet browsing or there is some kind of moving advertsiment on the website i can here a slight electronic buzzing. Actually whenever i type use word, type, delete typing, scroll in word, do anything i hear a slight buzzing. When the ssd is accessed I hear a slight buzzing. It sounds like faint electrical buzzing when i input something, ie a key stroke into the computer or scroll a page. IS the computer defective or do all electronics make a buzz when you use it. Is it the SSD. There are no moving parts so why buzz noise when get accessed. HELP. Thanks.

 

Anyone know where I can purchase a quality third party 9-cell battery for the XPS 14?

My replacement comes with only a 6-cell, and I think I might want to keep the i7 processor, so I think the 9-cell is a must for me. Dell sells this, but it $180 (ridiculous) and won't ship until the end of March (more ridiculous).

Ebay is not an option. I have had too many bad experiences.

 

They'll give me the order # today. But the dell's quotation says that it has 1 DIMM of 4gb.

 

Electrical buzzing noise. help??

 

I know I've heard that the CPU makes a sound when it switches power states, and I'm guessing the RAM and SSD might also make slight sounds, but I never hear anything.

 

After I switched to LG 1600*900 screen

WOW, it's as good as my macbook air 11 screen.
For only $86, I got such nice upgrade, I won't be regret it...........

Waiting on my envy 14 with Radiance screen, will see what it looks like

 

I'd get the L401x if it had USB 3.0. Also wish it didn't force you to get a BD-writer. Why can't I just get a reader? I don't want to pay $300 extra for a writer I'd never use.

Also now they're forcing you to get mobile broadband and the TV tuner is no longer an option.

Really disappointing options, Dell. Hope the L402x comes out soon with better options...

 

There is a new 420M driver set available from Nvidia, and it may fix the blocky adobe flash video many people have been complaining about (at least it is listed in the fixes at the bottom)

NVIDIA DRIVERS 266.58 WHQL

 

Just got my new XPS 14. I read all the comments about the screen, but was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. The screen is terrible - worse than my 5 year old latitude laptop. Dell should be ashamed to sell that screen on a high end laptop. I'll be replacing the screen asap. Thanks to everyone for posting the replacement screen info and instructions.

 

Does it buzz when you lift your laptop up with your hands? I think I'm getting the exact same buzz you're getting, but when I reposition my laptop it stops. My assumption is there might be something loose inside. Everything else seems to be fine.

 

I'd LOVE to hear that comparison.

 

You're in for quite a treat, there really isn't anything comparable to the Radiance display in the 14" notebook realm, especially the color reproduction and contrast.

 

OMG I got mine yesterday and since I'm updgrading from a dying m1530 with cfl backlit screen I find the new one godly. Ignorance is a bliss indeed.......

 

Hello guys,
Anybody tried using SetFSB to OC the XPS 14 yet? It seems like the clock generator for the laptop has not been registered with SetFSB yet, but I could be wrong. If you guys have any information, it would be great.

 

GT 420 overclocked to 702Mhz
Got 8532 3Dmark 06 in 1366*768

 

That's great but I was referring to OC the CPU , which should provide a significant performance boost for emulation and other CPU-intensive purposes.

 

hey people, just got my new xps 14 with i7. My query here is that the system often gets pretty hot even when idle, from the bottom. The palmrest stays cool. The only region where it gets very very hot is where the fan/heatsink is located. My idle cpu temps mostly are between 47-54C, and GPU sits at 51C. Otherwise, any region of the laptop stays cool. And also, I find the screen too bright even at minimum mode. Is there any way to fix this?

 

I am having a strange graphics issue with my XPS 14. My screen keeps flickering, its like someone is taking the saturation settings and putting them up and down depending on what window I have open. Also, at times it will stay up, everything will be oversaturated and then it will randomly go back to normal if I don't end up having to reboot. This is not limited to the factory screen, but it also happens when I use while connected to an external display. Anyone know of such issues with the 420M or Intel HD chips?

I am updated to the latest driver provided by NVIDIA which was mentioned earlier (I was trying to fix the pixelated Flash videos)

Thanks for any help.

 

For those considering the screen change, I posted on the screen change link, but I will give a short summary here. The screen change is easy, and I just cannot understand why anyone who owns this laptop would not change their screen. The stock screen is horrible, the LG screen is excellent. It's bright, crisp, white, the 1600x900 resolution is fantastic, the viewing angles are excellent, and it's one of the better screens I have seen period.

As for changing out the screen, it's just not that hard. The bezel is easy to remove, took me three minutes. It is flexible thin plastic, and pulling it off takes gentle steady pressure but its not hard to feel out the point it may crack. Took me about three minutes to take the bezel off, and you can remove the six screws in about another two minutes, and you have to use a small philips to remove four screws that hold the screen to the frame. Their is one connector, and that took about a minute to remove the tape holding it down, and another minute to remove it and put it on the other screen. The towel suggestion on the keyboard is a good idea. This was straightforward enough that I would recommend everyone who owns this laptop to change to this LG screen. The LG screen is that good, and it's the screen this otherwise excellent laptop deserves.

 

Im thinking about buying one for school which starts very soon for me. Would you guys recommend this? I doubt i will replace the screen, it cant be that bad. I know the SB models will come out in the upcoming months but I will just be using this for music, web surfing and word processing. I usually obsess over having the newest tech, but i just came to the realization that the last get i7's and nVidia chips are more than enough for me. I could get one built, but that might take a long time, plus it seems more expensive compared to the version in the Microsoft store, the only con is that it doesnt have a backlit keyboard. I was considering this Dell XPS 14-8271MAL - Buy from Microsoft Store Thoughts?

 

If you can wait a couple months for SB, I would. You will get much better battery life and possibly better performance.

I personally wouldn't want all the Microsoft crap on my PC. Getting rid of bloatware yourself is a piece of cake and Microsoft Security Essentials is a freeware program anyone can download. The Bing and Zune stuff you can easily get for free online also, but I would never ever want that on my machine. I have no idea why you would need tech support from Microsoft. You can find the answer to any problem online. But to each his/her own.

That being said, I now an XPS14 with the exact same specs plus the backlit keyboard. It's ok. Heavy and kind of bulky for a 14in. Runs a bit warm, but not terribly so; it is because of the i7 processor. Around 2.5hrs of battery life in powersave mode (not great). The screen is not great, like everyone says, but it is serviceable. On the positive side, the speakers are fantastic and the backlit keyboard looks really cool.

If you are really looking for a portable laptop, I'd look at other models. If you want a power PC and are willing to look at 15.4" laptops, I think there are as good or better computers for less money that may already have a Sandy Bridge processor like this one (my brother owns it and loves it): Newegg.com - lenovo IdeaPad Y560p (4397-23U) NoteBook Intel Core i7 2630QM(2.00GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD±R/RW AMD Radeon HD 6570M . It is actually barely heavier than the XPS 14 and seems very nice when I briefly played with it. My whole family has had good experiences with Lenovo, but this is subjective.

I would also try the Dell Outlet. Those computers are pretty much ready to ship and you can probably get a better deal. I have personally owned both refurbished and new computers before, and from a manufacturer like Dell that completely reworks returned models, you won't notice a difference, if you are squeamish about that. I also STRONGLY recommend you upgrade to a Next Business Day at Home Service warranty, if possible, no matter where you buy your computer.

Full disclosure: I'm still fuming at Dell for all the trouble I've had with the m1330 that this XPS 14 replaced. It took ages to get this replacement and I've already had to call them AGAIN for forgetting something, so I am hesitant to recommend Dell to anyone at the moment. Their service leaves much to be desired and if I were going to buy a new PC tomorrow it probably wouldn't be a Dell at all. I am just sick of dealing with their crap hardware. But the XPS 14 does seem to be a bit better so far.

 

Would there be another reroll of XPS models by the time SB comes in? or would it be next year?

 

Thanx so much. Before i considered the XPS i was thinking about the y560p. I also considered the SB Dv6t but its well known that its trackpad is horrible

 

I've never had any experience with a Microsoft Store computer, but from what I've heard they're pretty light on the junk software. Still Dell Outlet is probably a better deal.

 

Does anyone who has this unit have the blu-ray option? I am looking for some details on the unit so I can find those of us without a good aftermarket replacement. Thanks!

 

Anyone knows where can I get the webcam software that came preinstalled with the laptop? The one that allows to add effects to the video taken from it. I can´t find it in dell's support page, only the driver.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hey!
I'd like to know about the laptop's lid -- is this ok? i mean, is this stable or is shaky as my old inspiron 1525 was?
and what about the fan problem that some were experiencing? fixed?

thanks in advance!
=D

 

It's stable. I see no wobble. My old Hp, an time I move it the lid would wobble..

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...-dell-xps-14-l401x-thread-27.html#post6967644

 

Hey, this is DaneGRClose's wife. He just gave me his XPS 14! Any recommendations for a first timer? Anything I should look out for?

 

Pls help Intel Core i7-740QM is without Integrated graphics so the Optimus technology is not working, Am I correct?

 

Thats correct. SB is the first processor line to include the IGP with the i7 line. In order to have Optimus you have to order either the i5 model or wait for a possible refresh with SB processors.

 

Thanks, I also have another question I see on Intel's website that Intel Core i7-740QM is not compatible with HM57 express chipset? Why is it available for customize in the specs of XPS? I consider to buy this XPS but not sure about the specs Dell XPS 14 Laptop Details | Dell

Intel® Core™ i7-740QM Processor
(6M cache, 1.73 GHz)
COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS
Compatible Chipsets

Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset (1 Configuration)
Mobile Intel® PM55 Express Chipset (1 Configuration)
Mobile Intel® QM57 Express Chipset (1 Configuration)

Intel® Core? i7-740QM Processor (6M cache, 1.73 GHz)with SPEC Code(s)SLBQG

 

I don't know where you found info stating that the HM57 isn't compatible with the i7-740qm but I guarantee you that it is. The info on Intel's website points towards the HM57 being compatible with SB cpu's only because Intel is pushing the latest and greatest, aka SB, but no where does it state that the HM57 is incompatible with the first gen i7 cpu's. I'm currently typing on an i7-740qm/HM57 XPS 14 computer so I promise it will work.

 

What's with the ridiculously limited options on the XPS 14 right now? You can only get core i7 and a mobile broadband card? I don't want either of those things...

I hope this means they're going to update it with SB soon...