Dell XPS 15 (Skylake) 9550 Owner's Lounge

I used Core Temp to measure CPU, and GPU-Z for GPU.

CPU: Cores reached max of 99C, load of roughly 60%
GPU: Max of 92C, around 50% load

I disabled 4 cores to 2 cores because I had heard it saved battery power - could this be a contributing factor to the temperatures?

 

Repaste the CPU & GPU

 

Indeed. Also check that the heatpipe is not bent and is making contact to the CPU/GPU dies + RAM. It sounds like there's something going on with your system. The GPU should never get that hot even at max load-- it would throttle itself before then.

Also, my CPU package temps in light use are around 33C. In moderate use the mid 40's.

 

Shared heatsinks for you, if one overheats it can't remove the heat so it heads over to the GPU.

 

Hello everybody!
I just got the XPS15 FHD. It's a beautiful laptop, I love how slim and sturdy it feels.

I immediately noticed how poor the LCD response time is though. I never even considered that a screen produced this decade could have such a problem. There is so much ghosting games turn to a smear moving the camera even at smooth 60fps.

Before I send it back can some XPS15 FHD owners help me out?
All you have to do is go to http://www.testufo.com/#test=chase and change the Distance In Pixels until the second box is fully outside the first box's trail. It doesn't need to be exact, but try to make sure it's fully out of the faint trail at the end.

I'd really love to hear from as many FHD owners as possible so we can see if there's much variability in this. I'll come back and post my results so it doesn't bias others testing.

 

Anyone has this problem:
1. Audio works ok through the speakers
2. Plug headphones, audio works through the headphones
3. Unplug the headphones, no audio comes out of the speakers
4. Plug headphones again, no audio through the headphones nor the speakers.
5. A blue screen with the error apc mismatch or something happens

I tried the following with no help:

• Remove the Dell drivers and just using the windows drivers.
• Reinstall the Dell drivers
• Restore BIOS to defaults
• Reinstall BIOS and restore again
• Reinstall the Dell drivers again

Any suggestions on what can I do? Do you think it might be a hardware error? It looks like a software (firmware probably) problem to me. Unless the problem is hardware, I don't see how Dell support can help.

 

I doubt anyone will help considering this is a well known issue and is well documented on here. Use search or settle in with a 6 pack and read the main threads on this laptop, it will take a while but I managed it.

Raise a Dell support ticket, the more that do who have this issue will result in Dell sorting it. Oh and is is also documented on here so you are not alone and I do not think anyone has managed to fix it but I may be wrong. One person seems to have sorted it with a motherboard swap but I would ask for a new laptop within the 1st month or 2 as it is the most invasive thing you can let an untrained tech do.

 

What is the conclusion then? Is response time on all FHD displays equally abysmal?
I googled this extensively and found a small number of people complaining, a few saying theirs is better but I did not see these people providing numbers from something like the box test.

Only one review had anything to say about the notably bad response time.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-XPS-15-2016-9550-InfinityEdge-Notebook-Review.156354.0.html

 

80

 

On one of our machines we use bluetooth headphones exclusively so never have this problem. On the other we do plug headphones in have in the past had the issue where when unplugging the headphones, you don't get sound out of the onboard speakers. By plugging the headphones back in and then taking them out several times. the sound eventually comes back most of the time. We have taken to leaving earbuds plugged in to that machine all the time to avoid the issue.

Thus far, no BSOD accompany the sound cut out.

 

Usually the BSOD happens when I test the sound through the sound settings.

 

I also had to adjust Distance out to about 80; maybe more if you get really nitpicky.
Unless somebody reports something lower I'll have to accept it's a flaw in all XPS15 FHD.

The notebookcheck.net articles cites the XPS15 FHD at 40ms Black-to-Black 62ms Grey-to-Grey ("94% of all devices tested are better"). Compare that with 8ms/16ms reported for the GS60 FHD. It's really disappointing because everything else about the XPS15 is so perfect. Why did they put a gaming GPU in a laptop with a screen completely unsuited for gaming?!

 

30 on my UHD.

 

That's kinda depressing. The reason I am avoiding the Razer Blade 2016 is that it only comes in QHD. As far as I can think of resolutions above 1080p are nothing but a hassle (DPI scaling) and force games to run poorly or look bad out of native resolution. It's starting to become impossible to find quality laptops at 1080p....

 

Are you sure about that? I rather end up at 75 with my UHD. (But it definitely depends on how picky you are)

There also have been some posts about that topic (I do not recall where exactly). And in comparison to them my display seemed in line...

 

I adjusted it until the trail didn't touch the trailing block. I didn't look at it with a microscope but to my eyes they didn't touch with what could be reasonably said to be a ghost trail

edit: okay I got home and tried this on my 5ms samsung LCD and got 32. A more stringent look at the trails on the UHD and I put it at 52.

 

80-85 on my FHD.

It's really the only major downside for me. But there are no other options. I need the device to be sturdy, not look like a freaking spaceship, weigh less than 2.5 kg and have a reasonable accurate screen for semi-professional photo and web editing. It plays the occasional Rocket League matches just fine and I guess I'll have to hook it up to an external U2414h to play some Overwatch next month. That's not ideal, but a good compromise I guess.

 

You are right, it's hard to match the understated design. (The GS60 looks like silly trash in comparison.)
What frustrates me the most is that the XPS15 is likely to support eGPUs and would have become an ideal gaming laptop running anything at high quality and 60fps. But the unusually bad LCD response time produces so much ghosting it's all a blur at any frame rate or quality.

I'm surprised people don't complain about ghosting in movies also.

 

I just noticed another issue with my new XPS 9550 .. Often when I put the laptop to Sleep or Hibernate and start turn it on, it turns on as if it was original shutdown. That is, it can't seem to remember the state. I don't think this happens always, but it does happen a decent amount. Is this a hardware or software issue, and is there a fix ?

 

as in it hasn't remembered what you were doing or you don't expect to see the post screen?

 

As in when I start my laptop, I don't see the things which I had opened prior to hibernate or sleep. Windows starts as if starting after a previous shutdown.

 

check the event viewer as it should say why.

 

Several new drivers and firmware for the Thunderbolt Dock posted today. I'm not home, so I haven't had a chance to try them out.

 

No new drivers today, lots reposted today but the original dates are all over a month.

 

Hmm. I believe you, but why would they repost them? I assumed the "original" dates were the date of the original versions, and the "updated" dates were for the latest revision.

Oh well.

 

Because Dell are a bunch of dicks

When you see a driver it has a release date and a last updated date.

Rule of thumb, use filters and pick original release date.

 

Thanks. I checked and I do see two errors there (that occur shortly after I boot up), but they don't explain the cause:

Error: "The previous system shutdown at 10:39:31 PM on ‎4/‎27/‎2016 was unexpected."
Critical: "The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly."

 

Do you have anything attached, the latest BIOS and drivers installed?

 

I´m not sure, if this is the right topic to ask this question, but I will send my XPS back now and I am searchng for a new Notebook.

Is this a good choice?

https://www.cyberport.de/?DEEP=1C28-23X&APID=6

And can I play with the Nvidia in my TV or will it use the Skylake Graphics?
4 GB GTX sound nice.

 

Don't think it's a good choice. Will have the same performance but it's much bigger. It's the same specs 100%.

 

Yeah, but it is also cheaper isn´t it and I don´t have to wait 4 weeks to get it. ^^
Are 4 Gb graphic power not better than only 2 Gb like the XPS 15 got?

 

More memory doesn't give the graphics card more "power", it's just memory. I think 2 GB is enough for most games running at full HD, but if you need more you will get an performance increase. Unused ram is wasted ram, so it doesn't matter how much ram you've got if you're not using it.

I've never used one of those UX501/G501 laptops from ASUS so I can't say if it is a good choice.

 

Thanks. I've seen the HP spectre x360 yesterday, this was a beatifull Laptop as well, but no dedicated GPU. I liked my Xps but I won't wait another 4 weeks or deal with Dell again after my bad experience with them. So I think the Asus is very similar in specs and design to the xps. If its not a good investment, doch Laptop would you recommend for around 1600 €?

Thanks a lot

 

The msi gs40 has tb3, a 970m, and weighs 3.7 lbs.

I might suggest buying a very cheap computer first, then just wait, honestly. There are so much better laptops just around the bend.

 

It's ugly but the specs are amazing. Do you think it's a good investment?

 

No computer is. But if I had to buy something that wasn't an XPS 15 tonight, it would be that.

 

Ok will give it a chance. Why won't you recommend the Asus, isn't it the same like the xps only that it's a little bit bigger?

 

It's a lot bigger. It has a big bezel and it's rather thick. This day and age no laptop that big should have only a 960m IMO.

 

Ah ok, can live with this I think. So it will be one of those two. I loved the design of the xps but Dell fecked it up unfortunately.

 

Did anyone else have problems connecting an external monitor? I have an older Dell U2312HM (1920x 1080) monitor and it worked just fine on my old notebook, but I can't seem to get it working on the XPS 15 FHD.
I updated all the drivers, called the Dell technical support service and searched throughout the web for any solution, but with no result... My Dell monitor only has a displayport, VGA and DVI-D output, so I tried to connect it with the same DVI-D cable and DVI-HDMI adapter as I used on my old notebook, which worked fine before. The Dell guy on the phone didn't really seem like he knew what he was doing and suggested to buy a Displayport- USB-C cable. Would that really make a difference? Those cables are had to find in my country and quite expensive, and I already see myself buying different cables and adapter with no result...

If anyone anyone knows a solution, please let me know.

 

Asus are far worst then Dell on just about everything, you should see the product support to start with, very rude support staff that just decide they won't even support certain products because customers made them look like the idiots they are.
I got in an argument with Raja (the biggest prick of them all) who told me my PC case was the reason my Rampage 5 extreme board wouldn't allow a video card with stock heatsink (an Asus card funnily) to sit straight up without hitting the heatsink, and then repeated himself after I said I stripped the board out and tested it on the box the board came in.
So now no one gets support on the flagship motherboard on the official Asus forum
Email support just ignore you after a while if they can't fix the issue so best of luck if you think Dell are bad

 

Bad
You guys are confusing me haha
I need a powerful Laptop within this month which is reliable. I was happy with the Dell but they disappointed me badly. I would have given them another chance, if their delivery time wasn't so bad. Can't wait another 4 weeks for replacement, the competitors only need around 3 to 4 days, that's a big argument against Dell.

Which Laptop would you thinks would fulfil my needs the most?

Thanks guys

 

My replacements came within 10 days. They get bumped to the top of the build list.

 

Are you from the USA maybe? In Germany they will need 2 weeks to charge me the money back and than another 3 weeks if I order a new one.
Don't understand why they don't have they basis Laptops in stock, greedy company, they don't want storage costs.

I think I have to decide between the msi, the Asus and a Macbook now .

 

UK and if you are unhappy they will build a new one, ship it and then collect the faulty one a week later.

 

Should I consider buying this? My Lenovo Y50 broke down twice already and I'm quite disappointed in the quality of it. OR should I wait until they update the models again (if someone can tell me when they update models). Pascal nvidia mobile GPU would be nice in this for longer battery life and efficiency.

 

I called Dell, I let them take over the PC remotely, run diagnostics, do "their thing" that was going to fix all the problems, I showed them several threads (including from the Dell forum that this is a known issue), and after all their "magic" didn't fix the problem the answer was: Reload Windows and it that doesn't fix it, you will have to ship the laptop in. I politely declined saying that I am not going to spend several hours restoring my PC given that this this a known issue and that several issues were already resolved with BIOS and driver updates. I said that I might do that after the next set of BIOS and driver updates, if they don't solve the issue.

I repeatedly asked "Please let the people in BIOS/driver development know about this." Unfortunately, I wouldn't bet a $1 that they will.

BTW, the first time I chatted with them (I had to cancel the chat since something came up), they told me "this is the first time we heard about this problem." Inside me I was like:



Anyway after I was done with Dell, I looked for the latest Realtek drivers and I found the latest version to be 6.0.1.7801. I did a Google with that number and I downloaded the driver of a foreign site (I don't remember which one actually worked since they were a few). I uninstalled the original driver and installed the 6.0.1.7801. No more "no audio" issues. However, on the device manager the driver version shows to be from 2015 and is an MS version. I am not sure what's going on, but at this point I am like "Ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

Tell them you want a refund then, see if they turn it around and offer a replacement.

 

Nope, they told me they will get my old one this week and send me the money back one week later and I have to make a complete new order.

Maybe I should order from the UK ; )

 

Ask to speak to the resolutions team as this is unacceptable service