Dell XPS 15 (Skylake) 9550 Owner's Lounge

Maybe someone also has a similar issue to this. When having a HD monitor attached using HDMI, the monitor does not wakeup after screen comes back after go on sleep. I'm using multiple setups as I travel a lot, some of them get back by turning off and on again. Others get back by detaching and attaching the HDMI cable. Very annoying, in particular with detaching and attaching the HDMI cable...

 

It is by design to make the touchscreen usable, you could strip the panel hinges out and loosen them if it is that much of a problem but I suggest against it.

mentioned before, it doesn't have the correct drivers to boot from (stupid dell)
You would need to integrate the intel RST 64 bit drivers into the boot image but I never did it as I prefer to wipe the lot and install my own.

 

Sounds like a whole bunch of BS I can't be assed about.

Thanks

 

Is the USB drive there when you F12 when BIOS starts?

 

Could you point me to exact version of drivers you are using? I would like to test that.

PS. I remember right after I used this laptop for first time it was Nvidia drivers errors that "stopped working" with information in tray bar. Then after some time and drivers update it just started to hang the whole system...

 

A new problem. A while back I was having a problem following updating the BIOS to 1.1.19 so I went back to 15. I thought I would try 19 again but I am unable to update the BIOS. It restarts as it should but it then just goes boots into Windows without changing the BIOS. Any ideas?

 

Just a quick response, the attached is the driver info.

I remember having some issues with the Nvidia driver at start, which resolved as updates have been installed.

 

Have same issue with HDMI connection at work. no problems on DP connection at home. Also, other annoying problem I have that if I use laptop with lid closed, monitor would go blank for 1-2 seconds every 10-15 minutes. Never happens with lid open.

 

I run with the laptop closed using an external monitor connected via HDMI. The external monitor would intermittently go blank and all devices would disconnect from the dock. Also, when waking up from sleep it would revert to the laptop display rather than the external monitor. Basically unusable. All drivers/firmware were updated, following the very specific Dell instructions, multiple times with no resolution. Bottom line is that Dell/Intel still don't have the drivers/firmware worked out. According to Dell their has been no change to the dock hardware between the first batch that went out and the current batch of docks. I'll give them a few months to work things out and then probably reorder one. At this point I'm not going to waste anymore of my time doing beta test for Dell. As always, YMMV.

 

This is another very annoying aspect of the current sate of the TB15. When using the dock the fans run continuously and noticeable. Very annoying actually. Again, I think this will eventually be fixed by updated drivers/firmware but at this point it is just not a working solution.

 

Yes, I and many others (go look thru the Dell Laptop forum) have this issue using an external monitor thru HDMI with the laptop closed. Like I have said, this thing is not yet ready for prime time.

 

yessir

 

yeah im not gonna mess with that, i'll get used to it

anyway, i'm seriously thinking about an exchange now. the more I think about the fans being always on during charging the more frustrated I get since it shouldn't do that. Also, i get a delay when going from sleep to wake. The screen stays dark for about 5 to 7 seconds before lighting uo. I was under the impression that it would instantly light up? Am I wrong?

anyway, would dell even grant an exchange for something like this? how do I even go about asking for an exchange anyway?

sorry for all the questions, i'm a little peeved about this, even though it's kind of petty lol

 

I have had 4 9550's and they all spin u the fans charging from 0-80% until the charge rate drops off so I doubt you will get any joy from an exchange.

 

Was set to RAID.

 

ugh that's so annoying, but apparently it doesn't happen for every user. is this something that could be potentially fixed on the software side, or is it a hardware issue?

i'd rather try for an exchange than keep a product that isn't the best it could be

hopefully though if i do get an exchange, the new unit isn't worse :/

 

I been using my laptop 4k screen as second screen and my external Dell u3415w as main screen when I connect to TB15 and I've not noticed any issues that you've mentioned. But in order to use my external monitor as the main screen I had to set that in the windows display settings. Did you have to do that to use your external monitor as main screen with the lid closed?

Anyways thanks for sharing your experience with the TB15 and hopefully this issue you encountered is resolved when you order your next one.

I'm glad the TB15 worked out for my use case because I needed to use the $250 gift card that came with my Dell u3415w I bought over the holidays.

 

If you don't run with the laptop closed using only the external monitor than it is not the same environment and you would not see the problem.

 

To get it to work with your lid closed you probably had to change the closing the lid behavior in setup but did you also had to tell Windows that your external monitor is the main screen or set your display mode to second screen only? Just curious if windows was confused about which monitor to display in for your setup.

 

Look, this is a well documented issue with the current drivers for the TB15 dock. This is not an "incorrect settings" issue. Yes, of course the lid closed behavior is set correctly. Yes, the monitor settings are correct. Take the time to go to the Dell laptop forum and read thru the pages of reports of the problem. Please understand that I am reporting the problem here to save others the trouble .... I'm not asking for help.

 

Very strange behavior, I always have the lid open so not seen before. My monitor at home, Dell monitor, does not wake up unless unplugging/plugging the HDMI cable. At a customer site I'm using a HP monitor which I need to turn off/on and then works. Will check it when I have some spare time.

 

I have the same problem when the screen goes to sleep. As far the laptop is concerned, the monitor is still connected, however there is no signal going to the monitor.

That said, when the computer wakes up from the standby mode, the monitor works so I learned to put it standby so the monitor will come back on.

 

Hi everyone, I am in the market for a new laptop, either thinking the 13 or 15 xps, but it seems quite a few people have issues with the laptops. Are these laptops that prone to being faulty? I am wondering since spending over 2500 for a laptop and then having so many issues is rather unfortunate.

 

You could say they're before their time. If you need something that works right now, then no. But if you don't mind tinkering then it's a great, future-proofed package

 

I have had no problems with the laptop itself, In fact it is probably the best laptop I have ever owned in terms of size and performance. The only problem I have had is with the Dell Thunderbolt 3 dock (TB15) that was just released and honestly that is clearly a driver issue that Dell/Intel will eventually get worked out. Net is I highly recommend the laptop.

 

I second this. Best laptop performance for its size I have ever had. Also, I have zero issues other than USB 3.0 port on the DA200 through the thunderbolt port. And I also have an XPS 13 which is a great ultra book.

 

I'd agree. Its like having a powerful desktop in a good looking laptop. The only issues I've had with mine were due to my choice of setup and not having quite enough technical knowledge (but you can find it here if you dig deep enough!)

 

I advice to you all to do a clean install Of the machine before starting to work with it. Mine after a clean install is running perfectly!!!

 

I used iobit to remove the mcafee software and my system runs fine. I purchased my system directly from Dell and there was very little (actually none) extra SW loaded on it except for a few Dell utilities which have not effected performance. Personal preference I guess but it is certainly not the way it used to be in the past with Dell. YMMV

 

Their XPS, Latitude and Precision systems usually don't have much bloatware. This has been the case for a few years, those systems are marketed to businesses (yes even the XPS) and those usually come with notably fewer bloat.

 

All software on the XPS can easily be removed by going to 'Programs and Features' and select Uninstall. Using iobit to do that is ridiculous - use a bloatware to remove another bloatware...

The XPS does not run perfectly and has lots of issues as can be read here in details. These are not isolated faults but unsolved bugs in BIOS, drivers and firmware. Everyone stating 'it all works' is either employed by Dell or using only 10% of the laptop's potential.

 

I thought McAfee came with the system too but when I tried to uninstall it through Windows program I didn't see it listed. Apparently mine didn't come with it. I installed Norton which I get through Comcast.

 

I think for their use case is implied when anyone says "works perfectly" as every ones setup and use may vary.

 

Iobit is certainly not bloat ware. I have experienced several instances in which using Windows uninstall has left empty directories, registry entries and other unwanted items behind. Iobit gets rid of all of that safely and effectively. If you prefer not to use it, good for you. Several of my use cases "exercise" my XPS 15 9550 rather hard and I have had zero issues. And I don't work for Dell. Clearly for your use cases you have found issues. Doesn't mean others will, or won't. My data point is just as valid as yours. YMMV!

 

100% correct.

The XPS comes with minimal "bloat" compared to other Dell and other manufacturers. And everything can be uninstalled easily, if desired.

As far as the issues, there are a few categories.. one is physical build, which early on there seemed to be quite a few "fit & finish" problems now mostly resolved, then there are bios/driver/firmware issues, which have gotten better and better with newer releases of each, and I really hope Dell continues with the pace of updates, and finally we have hardware issues such as speakers blown or not working, lag of the screen response, usb/tb connectivity, etc and those seem to be a lot more random.

But honestly, the number of issues with the XPS 15 isnt THAT significantly more than any other PC laptop out there lately. Some better, some worse, but I could find problems to complain about any computer these days

 

Although some issues, in the end most minor and fine to live with, it's one of the best laptops till now. I use it fulltime in multiple locations, and it is a delight to work with. I bought mine with the 1TB/32GB setup, and would advise to go straight for the 512GB/1GB SSD (which wasn't available when I ordered ). I have replaced the spinner disk with a SSD, which adds quite a lot to the setup. The screen is great, and the disadvantages of using it in multi-monitor setup is related to Windows 10 rather than the XPS. It is ahead of time in a way, and provides high performance.

I would advise the XPS 15 rather than some others that I have seen. I have received a lot of positive response from users of comparable devices including Microsoft employees with their Microsoft Surface or Lenovo.

But agree with some responses that in some cases the XPS 15 is ahead of time

 

I am not sure which model I might be buying, 13 or 15, pricing wise the 15 is a lot more expensive, since to get the 4K screen would cost me 370 USD extra, so a FHD with 16GB and 512GB is 2,000, which is not bad considering the specs. The 13 inch would either be a FHD with 8gb and 256GB for 1700 or QHD/8GB/256GB for 1800. Or QHD/16GB/256GB for 2200 USD. Not sure yet.

 

Not sure what the prices in the US are, but EU pricing (Netherlands) vary pretty much. Some browsing brought me a better price than I could get from Dell, comparable with distributor pricing. If you have the money I would go for the 4K and take the 15" but that depends on your usage..

 

I'm in Poland, so I converted the pricing from dell's website. Currently no retailer here has the Iris equipped XPS13 except Dell, it might appear in the next few weeks or months on other sites but no doubt it. There are some sites with slightly cheaper prices than dell's for the xps15 but the difference in price is not that significant.

 

Okay so I've spent a few hours already trying to get the Thunderbolt dock working but to no avail...
Well the dock charges the XPS 15 and displayport is also working, but I freaking can't make the Ethernet and usb ports working, making this dock pretty useless.

Reinstalled latest drivers from dell's website numerous times but it doesn't make a difference...

What a crappy docking station...

 

BOS up to date? .19 ?
Try uninstalling all drivers for the dock rebooing in between each one and then reinstall with reboots between each installation. That did it for me. I have the second batch T15 released about a week ago and working perfectly so far.Using Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 (USB-C), displayport.

 

I'd like to go for the XPS 15 4K model but I am worried about its weight.

At the moment I have the XPS 13 QHD Skylake model which is very light and nice at around 1.4kg. I can hold it with one hand and move it around easily. It also doesn't feel heavy in the bag either

What is the XPS 15 4K like for weight? I know its about 2kg, but its spread over a larger surface. What is it like to carry around for a few hours and how does it feel on the lap? Can you feel its weight on the lap and get tired or is it about the same as an XPS 13?

 

Well it is not heavy on the lap, but in general it is considerably bigger and heavier. I had to take 15 because of the work I needed 4 core processor (to impress customers with software performance...), but otherwise I would always go for 13... (I have XPS 12 as my private laptop).

For 13 you dont even need a bag, just get a fancy leather case.

 

Did you update ASMedia USB 3.0 driver? You need to update that.

TB15 is working fine for my use case and I have external monitor, external HD, ethernet, wireless keyboard & mouse and speaker/subwoofer hooked up and working without issues.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm finding the XPS 13 screen too small to do video editing and web design work on. 80% of the time I use it with a monitor but 20% (say 2 hours per day) I use it on my lap which is where I feel like having more room on screen and on the physical keyboard.

Is the XPS 15 that much bigger and heavier that I would start to loathe using it for 2 hours on my lap? I used to have a 17.3" Samsung Chronos 7 which weighed 2.7kg and that was way way too heavy for me.

 

@SonyHome re: Did you update ASMedia USB 3.0 driver? You need to update that.

Where did you find the latest driver/version # ?
Thanks.

 

To me, the XPS 15 weight on my lap hasn't been an issue at all. It is heavier than the XPS13, but not by a whole lot.

 

Here you go.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=V2WY5

 

I'm on latest ASMedia drivers, and when connecting the dock it shows up in the device manager (ASMedia eXtended 3.0 usb host" or something like that.
I can see there are two "Generic Host" related to ASMedia that also show up right under the ASMedia items when connecting the dock but can't seem to update to proper drivers (be it ethernet, sound or whatever), be it manually or automatically.
Can anyone tell me what is supposed to be displayed under device manager?

 

Been there, done that
Doesn't seem to make any difference.
I'm on BIOS 19 and I have uninstalled and reinstalled all 6 items listed under the Dock section of the XPS 15 download page...

Any idea what sequence I should be following?
Anyway I'm quite tech-savvy and don't really care about being a beta tester for brand new products but this is going too far. It's indeed an half baked product as others have already commented. I'm not saying it should work out of the box but at least I shouldn't face so many issues, like the Ethernet driver exe file needing to be extracted with 7-zip in order to bypass the Windows Smartscreen error saying it's unsafe and I shouldn't run it.