Dell XPS 15 R2 - L502x - Owners Lounge

Got my laptop yesterday and uninstalled/installed the necessary programs after spending the entire last night with the laptop.

I went to the Dell update page:
Drivers & Downloads

I haven't gone down the entire list of updates on that page yet but I noticed that after downloading two updates and trying to run them, nothing would happen. I'm not sure if its the installer or what.

Did anyone experience this? I appreciate any help on this.

 

A good number of them are just extractors.
For anything that didn't autoload, you need to go in and load it yourself.

 

Dell's downloader doesn't seem to work with firefox. Not sure if that is your problem but I had to use ie for them.

 

I use Chrome and I noticed the dell downloader wasn't working properly so I started downloading manually one by one.

Last night I would execute the file but nothing would happen. When I shut down, it stayed on the "Logging off" screen so I had to hold the power button down.

This morning I would execute the file and it would extract but nothing would happen after I click OK to creating a folder (since it doesnt exist).

For the other updates that worked, the installer would load up and it would apply the update but this time, nothing would happen.

 

I've now been using my dad's D830 (previously mine) for a couple of days now, one which he re-formatted the hard-drive and did a clean Win7 install on; all I can say is WOW. It runs faster than my brand-spanking new l502x did before the HDD died. When I get it replaced, I'm definitely going to wipe it. It's incredible how much junk Dell packs on their units.

 

I think I will be doing a clean win7 install after this week.

 

Joosay, look at Falco152's post. For some of the updates, once the file is extracted, you have to go to its folder and click on the .exe file for it to install. The folders should automatically get created in the C:\Dell\Drivers folder. Some updates install automatically, but not all. And look at Rogo's post, #736, for the correct order. I did this three days ago, and haven't had any problems on a new OCZ Vertex 3 SSD.

 

Thanks Rick. I'll do this tonight when I get home. I didn;t know the updates had to be installed in a certain order...hopefully it doesn't mess anything up.

 

as nooe seems to answer in the other topic, im posting my question here

there is a built-in option in Samsung notebooks to extend battery life and reduce wear level. Basically this controls the maximum load of the battery (you can charge it max to 80% which is the most "comfortable" for LiIon batteries).

Is there a similar option or application for dell? I'm already using the extended battery life and the stop charging option, but it could be more efficient if I could maximize the amount

 

Does anyone know if there is a reputable firm in the US that recovers information from dead hard drives for a reasonable price (i.e. ~$100 USD range)? I'm not sure if there is a firmware or physical issue with the drive yet, but I'll try to find out when the tech comes. I backed up my drive a month or so ago but there are some things I'd rather not lose.


EDIT: Since I will have a dell tech at my disposal, is there anything I should tell him to check-out or the likes? So far all I can come up with is checking the antenna on my intel 6230 wireless card as I feel I should be having a better wifi connection.

 

anyone know if you cna use a 90W universal charger w/ the l502x?

 

Wikipedia states that X-FI MB is just a software add-on...
Sound Blaster X-Fi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Which is why I've got my eye on this instead ($59)...
Amazon.com: Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Audio System with THX SB1095: Electronics

It's only $30 more but provides actual 5.1 audio outputs for a surround speaker set. Anybody have any experience with this USB solution?

XPS 15 L502x | i7 2720QM | 1080p | GT 540M | 120GB Vertex 3 MaxIOPs| 500GB in Caddy | 8GB RAM | 6230 + BT | BL KB | TV Tuner | 9 Cell

 

Why that when the onboard GPU can do full 7.1 HD sound?

 

Hello all.

I recently got my L502x and I'm loving it! It has the following specs...

i5-2410M
Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium, 64bit, English
15.6 HD WLED TL (1366x768) 720p with 2.0 Mega Pixel Integrated Camera
4096MB (2x2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel
8x DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
500GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
6-cell 56Whr Lithium Ion battery
2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M Graphics Card
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1000
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard


I feel a little sad that i missed out on the back-lit keyboard, i have should have checked my order closer as i assumed all XPS 15's came back-lit :[ but after i found this site and seeing its possible to upgrade yourself, i feel happier knowing its a possibility in the future. :]

I was hoping for a little advice if possible, Ive removed all the various Dell and trial software which has really allowed the true performance to shine. Ive Updated to the latest Intel HD drivers and latest A05 BIOS, but i was wondering if there are any other drivers your recommend updating? (apart from Nvidia drivers, i explain why below).
I was also looking into cooling pads, thinking of getting the 'Cooler Master Notepal U3' any thoughts on this? Bearing in mind im a student so im on a budget haha!
Also aiming to go for 8gb of RAM in the near future, is Corsair generally regarded as the best for gaming/media use?

Ok, now my turn to share some advice, for any of you who play Battlefield Bad Company 2 as i do, DO NOT update to the Nvidia 270 drivers! This will cause a well known issues with Bad company 2, random black flickering and CTD. Stay with the 267 drivers on the Dell site, they are very stable with Bad Company 2 with no CTD and no flickering at all, even with settings maxed. There are ways to use the 270 drivers with BC2 but you have to turn certain features off, which seems silly to me. Anyway i just hope this helps someone!

Sorry for so many questions on my first post! But this is a great thread!
Thanks in advance. :]

 

I haven't been able to find any dell software that can do this. I searched to see if there is some 3rd party battery management app that can do this but haven' had any luck finding one with this feature. I read that there maybe a way to just disable charging so you can try to handle this manually. Basically just discharge the battery to 50% and then disable charging and plug it in...I guess that would be better than nothing if I can figure out how exactly to disable it.

Anyone else have any luck finding software that can handle battery charging like this?

 

Msheikh25, page 37 of the paper XPS Setup Guide that came with our computers talks about that.

Control Panel, Power Options, Dell Battery Meter, in the Battery Settings window, click "Turn off Battery Charging", then click OK.

Battery charging can also be disabled in the BIOS.

 

yes but turning on under windows is only for one time, when you restart your computer you have to enable this option again....which is kinda ridicolous. The BIOS option is an other half-solution, because it totally stops charging,but batteries automatically loose power day by day (cca 1% per day).

This is not good because the charger keeps micro-charging the battery all the time (as I remember, after 5 percent is lost, the charger automatically refills it). This microcharging increases the wear level as Lion batteries are not designed for keeping them fully charged all the time and last much longer if they are charged between 40 and 80 percent.

Samsung already built in this option in BIOS that "fully charged" level means only 80% of the total capacity (and microcharging automatically refills it to 80 percent) thus increasing battery health. You may loose 20 percent of the capacity ( I dont really care as I have 9-cell version and 80% of it is far enough for me) but thats sure that your battery will last much longer.....Im missing some similar option from Dell

 

Meishka - the application install was the better way to go. Even if you tried to just install the drivers many look for an install the app. It looks like you've done a great job. Other then un-ticking the Startup items it appears you are at bare minimum. I keep Realtek HD Audio running at Startup becauase I often push to a large LCD via HDMI and need to keep the sound coming from the headphone jack.

The only other option you might want to remove is Intel Wireless Display. This allows you (If you have the right wireless card) to push laptop image to a LCD or TV. It also requires Netgear or similar Push2TV hardware. I have two of these devices and converted back to a HDMI cable.

AWESOME JOB!

Rogo

 

When ordering the optional sound software you will receive X-FI MB v1.2 which is nothing more than their Vista 64 version 1 tweaked to install on Win7. The actual Win7 version is called X-FI MB2 (notice the "2") and is only available as an accessory purchase through Dell. I did get MB2 and installed. I found it duplicated most of what WaveMaxx3 already does.

Here's my take: It seems there would be two reasons to purchase the X-FI MB software. Gamer with headphones on all the time or someone who uses the laptop to drive a 5.1 or 7.1 surround system. It has some audio effects that could be interesting for Gamers, like an alternate voice. If you are using a laptop to drive a surround sound system I doubt THX will add any value

I installed MB2 and found all the features I would need are in the WavesMaxx3 application that comes standard. The basic app works fine, has the EQ, allows me to create profiles for movies and music, can setup a surround sound environment, etc. Additionally, installing MB2 will require the app run all the time to make sure it can take over all the Realtek Audio items. MB2 is basically installing on top of Realtek and hijacks the sound icon in the tray and some other things. I found it a complete waste. But then again, I'm not a gamer.

 

After you download all the "R" files (R34853 blah blah) burn them to a CD. When you do the clean install just slide in the CD, pick the drivers in order right click on it and "Run as Administrator". Like Rick said, the first driver will create the Dell/Drivers folder and the rest will install in the same folder.

When you get to the DVD/BlueRay driver this is actually a firmware update called CD11 or something. It won't install like the rest. You have to extract it to a folder, just put it in the Dell/Drivers folder. It will created a "Windows" folder you open and click on the exe file. It will open app and install the firmware on the unit. You only have to do this once. If you decide to redo your clean install the new firmware will still be in place.

 

Our ship has very, VERY slow internet so uploading pics can be/is very frustrating, and I don't have my camera anyway... sorry.

I will say that if one is better than the other it seems negligible to me. I've played the same blu-ray movies on both and I really can't see a difference in quality. The desktop on my 16 might seem a bit "sharper" but I really haven't taken the time to "dial it in" on the 15 yet.

 

The XPS 15 L501x and L502x both have actual 5.1 outputs without the need for a usb adapter.

 

Can you explain how to connect the 3 cable to have surround sound plz?

 

Thanks! I was able to find the Dell Battery Meter exe in the Dell Quick Set folder in Program Files. So I just pinned that to the desktop for quick access to manually take care of turning battery charging on & off. Not as great a solution as the thinkpad had, but it will do.

Thanks for the feedback. So Realtek HD Audio is the only thing you have running at startup? Some other things seem pretty important too such as Synaptics driver for the trackpad and FF protection. Do you turn the rest on manually after your PC has booted?

Also, you mentioned you had two of the Netgear Push2TV devices but converted back to a HDMI cable. Did you have issues with them? I discovered the lapotp had this feature and it seemed pretty cool. But I guess it doesn't work as great as advertised?

 

Actually it does work as advertised.
However, I think he was shocked that HDCP isn't supported as of yet.
And was only useful for basic stuff and watching movies.

 

Guys do you see blurry or hard to read text on Firefox 4? Anyway to fix it on this laptop?

 

Disable hardware acceleration in the firefox options.

It's under Advanced -> General

 

I've read that the external X-Fi USB hardware should be a significant improvement in sound quality. This is the same reason people install SoundBlaster cards into motherboards that already have onboard sound.

I considered the software-only X-Fi MB2 option at purchase-time, but it didn't seem like it was gonna do much for sound quality.

Anyone else here have actual experience with the Soundblaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB THX SB1095?

 

Its not just onboard sound. The GT-525m (and most the 4 series, all the other 5 series, and every AMD card from the 5 series up) can do full 7.1 HD audio over HDMI. No need for a sound card.

 

Alright guys got a quick question. Decided to pick up a corsair force 3 SSD (supposedly is going to compete with the vertex 3, newegg just put them on sale) and I tried getting to the HDD with no success before. The part where I discontinued my adventure was when it came time to take out the keyboard top.. It seems to be "stuck" in a way and I believe the manual said I needed to "pry it". Any idea's as to what I should use doing this / tips for doing so? Maybe i'm just doing it wrong? Thanks for the help in advance. Also if anyone is going to be doing it again soon would you mind possibly making a video for youtube?

 

well, i hoped to record a video, but don't have a camera right now anyways i've disassembled this laptop for 5-6 times already. So, first take of the battery, underneath it you will see two hinges (they hold the front cover), just push on them and you'll hear that the keyboard cover pops near the Dell symbol on your screen. Then just pull it gently and try to put your fingers under the cover and step by step it will come off) A little force is required though. After that you'll see the touchpad is attched by a strap to the board. Easily pop up the little black hinge that hold the strap, like if you try to open a pepsi can and the strap will come off) switch your hdd and do a reverse procedure.

First time it took me 1,5 hours to get to the heatsink, i was so afraid to break something... it's normal. But now 15 minutes and the laptop stands with reapplied thermal paste) Good luck

 

I am about to order l502x with i5

I need help to choose wireless card:
There is few options:
1. Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N + WiMAX 6150
2. Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1000
3. Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6230 & Bluetooth 3.0
4.Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1030 & Bluetooth 3.0

The more wireless network I can see and connect the better. I have a router D-link DI-524. I will be using my laptop outdoor as well.

 

^^^^
no. 3

 

I'd get the 3rd one. Bluetooth support, and 802.11a support.

Also I'm going to go ahead and mention this just to make sure: You have to get the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display upgrade; you don't want to buy this laptop without the upgraded screen.

The B+RGLED 1920x1080 display is really really good. It also gives you more "screen space" to fit side-by-side windows because things onscreen aren't so huge.
The WLED 1366x768 display is absolutely terrible, and many people can attest to this. It's worse than most other 1366x768 displays, and can't hold a candle to the 1920x1080 display.

If you can't afford the display upgrade, you'd be better off looking into another laptop. I can't emphasize this enough. The difference is huge and the upgrade is necessary. If you're in the USA, use the coupon code 0QZNX8B2J326BZ to save $100 to make sure you can afford the 1080p screen.

(if you'd like an idea on how bad the 720p 1366x768 screen is, take a look at these photos: http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...oes-l502x-need-full-hd-cable.html#post7483123 ... the last two compare his laptop to a TV, the first few demonstrate the terrible contrast and narrow viewing angles)

 

Well, 802.11a is really rare to see in the wild. They been pretty exclusive to corporate wireless AP.

The reason why for the 6230 is the Full N support + Bluetooth 3.0.
While 1000 and the 1030 are not that bad, they are targeted towards to customers who ask that kind of question, "Which wireless card is better?". These kind of customers with a high probability with never take full advantage of a higher end hard like the 6230, most likely not, in the next 3 years.

 

My university's network uses 802.11g and 802.11a, but actually when I think about it, that's the only network that readily comes to mind that I know uses 802.11a.

 

I guess I should clarify that I'm interested in gaming with surround sound. I use the DisplayPort connector to attach to an external monitor, not HDMI. How will the GT 540M help me in this case with sound quality?

 

Has anyone installed the new 2.1 drivers. I recently purchased a Netgear Push2TV before my unit has arrived (on the basis an update would eventually solve the issue). Has anyone been able to stream HD content smoothly over WiDi connection?

Intel WiDi 2.1 adds HDCP and Blu-ray streaming - Computer Chips & Hardware Technology | Geek.com

 

has the fan issue been fixed yet?

 

Any one know the missing (misc) specs of the following systems:

Description
XPS L502x
Date & Time: 28/05/2011 08:51:05
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
XPS L502x Qty 1
BASE English Windows 7 Professional (32 BIT/64 BIT) COA Unit Price £585.73
BASE WY4K8
Hard Drive : 640GB Serial ATA (7200RPM) 0GK43
MOD,LBL,DEO,ESTAR 5.0 0VJFK
Carry Case : Not Included 1H663
Misc 4G7JN
Misc 7FHH7
Optical Drive : Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to
DVD/CD) 7N17C
Graphics : 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M Graphics card 88H8K
Misc 8DG2W
Display : 15.6" Full HD B+RGLED True-Life (1920x1080) with 2.0 Mega Pixel
Integrated Camera 8GFV1
English Windows 7 Professional (32 BIT/64 BIT) COA 9RY9V
Misc DW8YJ
Shipping Material F71M6
Misc HNXY9
Memory : 6144MB (1x2048 + 1x4096) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel HPGRP
MOD,INFO,NO MEDIA MX962
Battery : Primary 9-cell 90W/HR LI-ION NJ44M
MOD,SW,ADB,RDR,9.0,MLANG P349J
MOD,INFO,ARB,EMEA,SDMO1 RHHMN
Misc U451C
Processor : Intel Core i7-2630QM processor 2.00 GHz V4874
Misc V9KPP
Misc VWX72
LCD Back Cover : Silver WWAN WYRXN
misc YTPW1
Certified Refurbished
ARB - 1yr Standard Service for your PC Qty 1
Unit Price £0.00
TOTAL :£585.73

Cheers

Steve

 

The only ones I could find are added in bold...

Any one know the missing (misc) specs of the following systems:

Description
XPS L502x
Date & Time: 28/05/2011 08:51:05
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
XPS L502x Qty 1
BASE English Windows 7 Professional (32 BIT/64 BIT) COA Unit Price £585.73
BASE WY4K8 Base,Notebook,Configure To Order,Extreme Performance System,L502X
Hard Drive : 640GB Serial ATA (7200RPM) 0GK43
MOD,LBL,DEO,ESTAR 5.0 0VJFK
Carry Case : Not Included 1H663
Misc 4G7JN
Misc 7FHH7 Service Install Module,Software,Extreme Performance System,L502X
Optical Drive : Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to
DVD/CD) 7N17C
Graphics : 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M Graphics card 88H8K
Misc 8DG2W
Display : 15.6" Full HD B+RGLED True-Life (1920x1080) with 2.0 Mega Pixel
Integrated Camera 8GFV1
English Windows 7 Professional (32 BIT/64 BIT) COA 9RY9V
Misc DW8YJ Service Install Module,Software,WIDI,Unified Memory Architecture,L502X
Shipping Material F71M6
Misc HNXY9 MODULE,CARD(CIRCUIT),NETWORK,6230,CNB,WORLD WIDE
Memory : 6144MB (1x2048 + 1x4096) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel HPGRP
MOD,INFO,NO MEDIA MX962
Battery : Primary 9-cell 90W/HR LI-ION NJ44M
MOD,SW,ADB,RDR,9.0,MLANG P349J
MOD,INFO,ARB,EMEA,SDMO1 RHHMN
Misc U451C Module,Adapter,Alternating Current,Flexible,130W,3P,WorldWide
Processor : Intel Core i7-2630QM processor 2.00 GHz V4874
Misc V9KPP Module,Label,Intel,No Bios,CI72
Misc VWX72 MOD,BRKT,W/O,TVT,PLSTC,L501X
LCD Back Cover : Silver WWAN WYRXN
misc YTPW1 Module,Software,Roxio,Creator,Start,Factory Install
Certified Refurbished
ARB - 1yr Standard Service for your PC Qty 1
Unit Price £0.00
TOTAL :£585.73

 

So I've had my L502X for about a week now and I am noticing that the fan runs at random speeds when pushing 70-75C. It will spin up then spin down then up again all within just a few seconds. It doesn't do it all the time but enough where I noticed. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this...Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks

 

I've got the sweet FHD screen. I'd love to put a protective film on it to cut down glare/reduce chance of scratches, but it seems like heresy to put anything on this beautiful screen that reduces it's sharpness, even a tiny bit. Photodon makes a protective film that is glossy and apparently alters the image a very small amount, while cutting glare a moderate 25% percent. Has anyone opted to put viewguard or any of the other screen protectors over their B+RGLED? If so, how do you feel about it?

 

I used a matte film on a netbook I had, there was a noticeable hit to quality (and that had an inferior display to the XPS 15 to start with). Its hard to explain exactly how it changes, its like you lose some sharpness. Also, those things are damn hard to put on without getting any minute specks of dust between the film and screen. I was really disappointed.

 

Thanks for that, I ended up ordering the below from the outlet site for a stonking price can't wait!

XPS L502x Qty 1
BASE Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 BIT) Unit Price £748.68
BASE WY4K8
MOD,LBL,DEO,ESTAR 5.0 0VJFK
Carry Case : Not Included 1H663
Battery : Primary 6-cell 56W/HR LI-ION 23T8J
Misc 4G7JN
Optical Drive : Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD) 7N17C
Graphics : 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M Graphics card 88H8K
Misc 8DG2W
Display : 15.6" Full HD B+RGLED True-Life (1920x1080) with 2.0 Mega Pixel Integrated Camera 8GFV1
Processor: Intel Core i7-2820QM processor 2.30 GHz CGDJD
Misc DW8YJ
Shipping Material F71M6
Misc HNXY9
Memory : 8GB (4x2GB) 1333MHz Dual Channel Memory K3MTV
MOD,INFO,NO MEDIA MX962
Hard Drive : 500GB 2.5inch Serial ATA II (7.200 Rpm) Hard Drive P2N9W
MOD,SW,ADB,RDR,9.0,MLANG P349J
Misc U451C
Misc V9KPP
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 BIT) VR08H
Misc VWX72
0 WA005
LCD Back Cover : Silver WWAN WYRXN
misc YTPW1
Certified Refurbished
ARB - 1yr Standard Service for your PC Qty 1
Unit Price £0.00
TOTAL :£748.68

 

Mine finally shipped, estimated to be here the 2nd now instead of the 8th.

 

I swear dell is retarded... I ordered my free one time physical copy of windows 7, here was the response

 

That's whacked. Give'm a call.

 

So the Dell tech guy finally got around to my house today to replace my dead HDD and completely f***ed it up. I should have just done it myself. First of all, the guy was my age (around 20) which scared me to begin with. After about 20 minutes of watching him struggling to open it up, I wound up going to the dell service manual on their website and showing it to him. Apparently he'd never opened an xps before? I'll give him that. At this point, I knew I was in for a ride. Anyway, to make a long story short, my keyboard no longer works (nothing happens when I type), the keyboard itself sits it an off position, the palm-rest is gouged where he tried to pry the keyboard out, a part of the palm-wrest seems a bit bent in the front, the displaying seems to be bowing outward in the middle (no doubt from his failed attempt to open it with no manual), and he won't answer my phone calls. This on top of having a failed HDD in the first month makes me question why I keep going back to Dell. I am PISSED.