Dell XPS 15 R2 - L502x - Owners Lounge

Hi all,
UK based question. I have had my laptop for 15 days now and I reported about a week ago that my DVD Rom would not eject correctly. They ordered the part last week and the tech guy should have called and repaired yesterday but he didn't show. After phoning I was told that they had run out of DVD Rom drives which I found quite hard to believe. So I said I wanted to return the laptop as it was defective. As it stands I was told I cannot now as it is past the 7 day cut-off to return a laptop.

Is that correct? Surely a defective laptop should be replaced or am I wrong?

 

Yeah - 7 days is the cooling off period under the distance selling regulations. That can just be because you don't like it. The sale of goods act should cover you because it's faulty, and lets you get a refund, but it seems like it's not directly law that they have to offer a refund...

Consumer Rights: "Give me my money back!"...

"If something's faulty, returning it speedily is crucial.

Within four weeks. You can usually still get a full refund as you're unlikely to be seen as having 'accepted' the goods. After that only expect exchange, repair or part-refund."

Will still take longer to get a refund and buy a new one than to wait for a guy to fit a replacement though? I had a faulty part on mine and the replacement was delayed but when he did come he sorted it quickly.

 

There has been some discussion in this and other threads about the Sale of Goods Act in the UK. You can Google it to see what your rights are. Here are a few links:

Your rights under the Sale of Goods Act in the UK

Sale of Goods Act

Consumer rights - an introduction : Directgov - Government, citizens and rights

I believe one person mentioned that Dell became more helpful after the person mentioned his rights under the Act.

 

Just got off the phone with Dell, they are sending someone out to replace the screen. I am definitely going to do everything I can to get an Lg Phillips screen (as my receipt specifies) instead of another crappy AUO.

 

My first issue is: Has anyone gotten a keyboard skin for this unit? I'm an engineering student, and our labs always have grit and crap floating around. I'd like to have a screen protector and keyboard skin to keep the worst of it out. I'm going with a Zagg InvisibleShield for the screen. There's not a lot of options with the keyboard skin though, so I'm looking for some input or advice.

Second: Has anyone upgraded to Windows 7 Pro? I got the system from Dell with the basic OS, since my student upgrade cost for Pro was only $30 from Microsoft.

The system was fantastically fast prior to the upgrade, but now on Pro it takes forever to boot up! I'm hoping I don't have to resort to a restore and reupgrade to try and fix the problem.

 

I upgraded to pro (retail upgrade bought from Amazon) from 7 home premium and my system takes 32 seconds to boot. I didn't do a fresh install. just upgraded as soon as I got my laptop and then I removed the crapware I didn't want.

 

I have heard that the upgrade form 525m to 540m is not worth it even if it is from 1GB vram to 2GB vram. Some talk about the vram not being able to be utilized makes me wonder if I should stick to the 525m for the better price, or go with the 540m for a bit more.

I am looking into a refurb dell xps l502x by the way. It is 750-ish after coupon and discounts.

You guys think im making the right decision getting the vram/buying this laptop? thanks!

 

I havent tried Maya or Mudbox, but I do run 3DS Max a lot on this lappy.

3DS Max Design 2011 : Found direct 3d performance pretty poor (yes, made sure the Nvidia is set to run for max). It seems to hang every quater of a second when rotating the viewport etc. Then its even worse when it comes to minimising the views (ie, from full viewport perpective to quad view). It seems to copy the output from the current selected viewport to 2 of the others.
The whole effect is unusable!
Switching to OpenGL seems much much better, havent noticed any major bugs yet however, the it just doesnt feel as slick as d3d.

3DS Max Design 2012 : Installed this a few days ago and found that the new Nitrous viewport drivers work like a dream on the lappy! It is very slick and I havent noticed any errors with the viewport.

Much happier now!

 

Hi,

How do I check the model/make/manufacturer of the FHD screen? and which ones are good?

 

Just to check the New XPS's cant play 3D games straight from the 1080p screen if you have NVIDIA 3D shutter glasses right? But it can connect up to a 3D TV/ Monitor and do it that way? thanks

 

Yes, you can since it supports hdmi 1.4 specifications.

 

So what i just need to plug in the glasses and buy a compatible movie and I'm ready to go....the movie will project 3D straight from the screen? thanks

 

As long it is a 3D supported Monitor/TV with a hdmi 1.4 cable, and have nvidia 3D vision installed + 3D movie. It should be enough.

Never tried it. But Nvidia 3D Vision is preinstalled in our models.

There is a technical reason why they don't offer it due to the use of Nvidia Optimus.

 

But I wont play movies in 3D straight from the laptop screen itself with nvidia 3d vision? I think the following Sony laptop can do it for example: SONY Vaio VPCF21Z1E/BI buy online | Currys

I'm guessing its a different screen technology though?

 

The dell xps 15 cannot do 3D directly off the laptop screen but I don't know if it allows it externally via hdmi.
-----
Different screen technology + hardware limitation if they opted to use Nvidia Optimus.

 

Yer thats what I presumed....thanks

 

The XPS 15 can support 3D to an EXTERNAL monitor that has 3D support. THe reason the onboard screen doesn't support it is because it's only 60Hz and not 120Hz. The graphics chip has enough power to process 3D blu-rays and games with 3d support at 720p in low to medium settings.

 

Personally stuck with 4Gb as was told its cheaper to upgrade yourself if needed as its alot cheaper

 

Hey, many thanks for your help! I did the ABR thing with the OEM key, then removed ei.cfg from the .iso and did a clean install of Win 7, which was basically done in just over 10 minutes on the Intel 320. I've then installed the latest drivers, and then some of the pre-installed software including McAfee Security Center and PowerDVD downloaded from My Dell Download linked by you. I've left out some of the unnecessary Dell stuff (like that Stage thing) and I've currently used up 33GB of HD space compared to I think 40GB on the stock HD from the factory.

So the clean install seems to have gone well and I'm now typing this on a screaming fast laptop which is better spec'ed and cheaper than a MBP 15. Can't wait to bring this back to the office and transfer the 20+GB of Outlook .pst's over and see how the SSD improves the agonizing load times.

Thanks again McGobble.

edit: something was borked with the factory install as Roxio Creator would constantly crash so I was forced to use Roxio Classic. I installed Roxio Creator downloaded from Dell on the clean install and that seems to be working fine too but I haven't tried to actually burn a disc.

 

Does the esata port on the L502X support 6gb/s or 3gb/s?
Same thing for the usb 3.0 ports on it?
What kind of external hdd enclosures should I get; one that connects via esata or usb 3.0?

 

I just put as5 on my lappy and now the gaming seems a bit eh, think i messed it up putting on the as5 maybe i touched something on the vid card i shouldnt have? Or maybe the temp hasnt settled in? What should i do? Should i remove and reapply it?

 

sorry if this has been asked but does anyone know how to disable bluetooth?

I don't use bluetooth and either turn it off or disable it completely.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

I got my Dell XPS 15 Thursday and made some video's with fraps, hope you guys like them


Processor:i7-2630QM Processor 2, GHz

Screen:15.6 FHD B+RGLED TL (1920x1080) 1080p with 2.0 Mega Pixel Integrated Camera

Ram:6.144 MB 1.333 MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [1 x 2.048 + 1 x 4.096]

HDD:500 GB (7.200 rpm) HDD

Graphics:1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 525M Graphics Card

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x unboxing

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Portal 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay CoD Black Ops

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Crysis Warhead full HD (medium)

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay WoW

edit
YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Left 4 Dead 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Crysis 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay COD: Modern Warfare 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Dead Space 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Battlefield Bad Company 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Crysis (full HD) (medium settings)

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Bulletstorm (full hd) medium settings

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Team Fortress 2

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Crysis 2 (720p)(HD)

YouTube: Dell XPS 15 L502x Gameplay Crysis 2 part 2 (full HD)

 

hey mystycs! I remember you!


You got a new XPS 15 replacement for the sutdio xps 16? details please?

 

and some pictures from my Dell XPS 15 and my MacBook Alu late 2008

 

Nobody to reply these questions?

 

Thanks for the images - looking good - "I want my order to hurry up!"
Out of interest what is the sim card slot used for? Is this standard on all XPS?

 

you can use it with your 3g enabled sim card for internet. i think it is standard for all XPS models yes.

 

I see you got it done. Good job. FYI - next time just fill out the form at Dell.com to get the W7 CD. They will do it as a one time courtesy. The only thing that isn't available for download is the Soundblaster X-Fi MB software. So make sure you ask for that in the "Message" box.

Thw link below will take you to a post that shows exactly what drivers and apps you need for a clean install, the order to install, and where to get them. Scroll down to the middle of the page.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...92-dell-xps-15-r2-l502x-owners-lounge-74.html

MR

 

Haha i basically just michael dell i was having major issues with rebooting randomly and the screen went fritzo! Got a call back next day they offered an exchange!

 

TOday I got my new L502x.
But the touch pad, if i my move finger it is not scrolling up, I need to hold the left click and dragging up and down with side vertical bar.
Does all L502's are like this

 

hey guys

I just received my XPS 15 2 days ago...the thing is a beast compared to my old stuffs, but this era like optimus and so on is kinda new to me.

COuld you please explain, how can I check, which GPU is running during games ? the 540m or the intel hD graphics....and how can I switch manually between the 2 thing

 

Doesn´t touchpad require 2 fingers to scroll. fking multitouch sucks.

 

So i've heard people go back and forth?

So people think I should hold on to this studio xps...Is the xps 15 really not that great?

Im confused

Nice, so didnt have to go through replacements this time? Was easier than the first time?

 

Sorry for the noob question but can you install two hard drives in this thing?

A quick search for optibay and dell xps 15 yielded nothing.

edit: http://www.newmodeus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=358

Should've searched for caddy! This looks like it will work.

 

Just wondering guys. I like how the xps 15 has the B+RGLED screen, but I think the gpu is more mediocre than expected for such a performance machine. Is the gpu soldered onto the motherboard? Or is it mxm-upgradeable? Also, is it the same in the xps 17?

Thanks

 

Soldered for both. The GPU is really just fine for many, if not most, games. You just may not be able to use intense antialiasing or such.

 

The control panel lets you disable multi-touch and enable side scrolling.

 

Anyone got recommendations for a carry case with the 9 cell battery fitted?

Cheers

 

I am about to purchase this laptop, but then I can't order line it, so basically I am stuck with the least spec available (in Dell Malaysia, they won't accept foreign cc, that's why can't purchase online).
Does the 720p screen is bad?I am currently owner of Lenovo Y550P, how's the screen compare? And how's the 1030n card speed, as my current AP is DIR-825...

Oh, and another thing (probably just useless feature), is it possible to output sound to headphone and built-in speaker at the same time, because when I demo the sound, it's damn nice, I want to link it to X-mini and some additional portable speaker with the two jack, while let the built in speaker running.

 

Have had mine over a week and like it a lot. No issues at all cept with one game where font size (I'm 52 have them blown up a tad) caused an issue with it, but I fixed it.

Question, going to Europe in a week...can the Power Supply handle 240V over there? So I just need a Plug Adapter, not a Converter? Anyone verify that?

Edit, just looked at the PS brick, it states 100-240V/50-60Hz....so looks like I'm good with only an adapter. Sweet!

 

It's worse than a lot of other 720p screens out there. Actually, there are two 720p screens, one made by AUO and one made by LG. I've heard one is a bit worse than the other, but neither are great at all and couldn't hold a candle to the B+RGLED 1080p screen.

I've seen an XPS 15 with a terrible 720p screen that had poor color reproduction, and I've seen ASUS laptops and IdeaPad laptops with better 720p screens.

 

Hi All,

Clean Install: After you install the Realtek Driver (which includes the software app for audio adjustments) do you also install the X-Fi MB software from the CD?

This is pretty confusing to me. My laptop was ordered with the Creative Labs X-FI MB. But when you hit the "Waves" button, "Dell Audio by Realtek" opens. This is the black and aqua colored application. I did not look around much for the X-Fi MB software, and went ahead with the clean install.

I'm not sure if I need to unistall the Realtek before I install XFi, or just install XFi in addition to RealTek. I do have CD for X-Fi MB with the Activation Key (from Dell).

UPDATE: "I think X-FI MB is just an application that sits on top of your existing Audio hardware and software. It supposedly enhances the cheap integrated audio components laptops always come with and doesn't require the laptop be built with any special hardware."

 

@edit1754
Ouch, then if not possible, I may go other brands. I think, it might be a better luck...

 

If you're on a budget but want a good laptop, the Sager NP5160 is a great bang for your buck

Sager NP5160 Custom Laptop (Built on the Clevo W150HN)
- 1600x900 screen standard (best balance for a 15.6" screen)
- 1920x1080 option isn't as great as on the XPS 15, but still good
- 1920x1080 95% gamut matte option - exact same screen as on XPS 15, but not glossy
- Speakers aren't necessarily all that great, but it's just a minor quirk
- Be sure to scroll to the bottom and select Windows 7 Home Premium to be included.

The Sager NP3250 has a slower graphics card and a 1366x768 screen without a 1600x900 option. Upgrading all the way to 1920x1080 puts the price at only $20 behind the NP5160 with 1920x1080, and more expensive than the NP5160 with 1600x900. This is why I don't recommend the NP3250.

There's also the NP5165 which has a better graphics card:
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np5165-clevo-w150hr-p-3063.html?wconfigure=yes

 

where can i download Dell Webcam Central ?

 

Anybody know the correct order of all the Dell drivers we are suppose to install when we do a clean install? I think somebody has posted it before, but it's not on the main page for this thread and this forum's search function leaves my blood boiling. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Also, how much of an improvement have people found with a clean install v. just manually installing bloatware? Is it worth the trouble?

 

Does XPS L502x has manual graphics switch option for optimus ? or the graphics switch is controlled by the system itself ?

 

Chipset before anything. Order of rest doesn't matter but i usually do graphics next

 

Didnt take long, but my keyboard surround has cracked, just above the speaker on the right. Nothing major, and not worth the hassle of returning to Dell, but its a bit annoying none the less. I don't even carry the laptop anywhere, it sits on my sofa!

Also, anyone else ever have a problem booting up if they have USB devices plugged in? If I try and boot up with a 360 wireless adapter plugged in, then it jut stays on a black screen after I switch the laptop on.