Dell XPS 1645 (i7 720qm)

Hey! I've just bougth a Dell Studio XPS 16" with the RGBLED screen (because they do not deliver the normal WLED screen in white anymore.)

Anywas, the speccs is;
i7 720qm
Radeon HD 4670
4GB ram @ 1333MHz
500GB HD
9cell battery

My plan for the Dell XPS is to use it for WoW and Starcraft 2 (Thats the games I usually play) but also; CoD MW2, BF Bad company 2. and games like those. Of course I am not excpecting max graphics but around medium without lagg would be nice. Except from games, I have to use this machine at school withn 1-2 years. And im also going to use it for movies, maybe some Photoshop, and normal use as internet browsing etc. ++

I know that most games today only support 2 cores, but I hope that the i7 will do the job as well. And yes I know that it isnt the CPU which is most important for games, its the graphics card. I have to say that it was the only option I had, either the 720qm or the 820qm.

So i'm not sure if I've really made the right chooice. I know that the Dell XPS isn't a pure gaming machine compared to the MSI 660 for example, but since i'm only a medi core gamer I landed on the XPS. Any thougths around this?

I've read a lot about the throttling and heat issues, will the macine heat so much that it's going to be useless after a while? I'm planning to get a cooler pad to use when i'm gaming etc. But i'm not sure which one I should go for(?)
This machine comes with the 130W adapter btw.

Thanks in advance!

 

I've used 1640 (dual core) and now I have 1645(i7 720QM). 1640 definitely throttles and overheats wayyy too quick, mine lasted about 30min in to MW2. So I got the replacement 1645. Though it took too long to get to me because I wanted RGBLED and Canada don't have RGBLED anymore. But finally I got it.

Expect some heat (obviously) but never had 'lag' due to heat or throttling. I played MW2 for straight 3hrs but no issue. I got no complaints (for now). The 1640 lasted about a year, and I used 1645 less than a month so we shall see what problems it will cause.

There are posts related to 1645 throttling/over heat so if you got some bad luck then you can post it on that thread.

My spec is same as yours except I have 6g 1333MHz and ATI 5730

 

Alright, that sounds good. Yes of course I have to expect some heat, but as long as it does not burn it self to ashes and/or causes a lot of problems due to the heat im happy! Still wondering on wich coolerpad I should get.

More thoughts/comments/experiences are welcome!

 

i've been using the multimedia programs likw photoshop cs5, priemere, aftereffect. all 3 opened, no lag what so ever.

 

I wouldn't get a cooler because I think its fine without it, but I would recommand:
Zalman NC3000 or NZXT Cryo LX
Both are one of the best out there.

 

With the 4670 and RGBLED youll will have increased throttling chances as well as over running the ac adapter. My unit (specs in sig) uses far less wattage then the system you stated and I only have ~15 watts to spare using a 130watt adapter. Are you guaranteed to experience throttling with real world usage? No. But you will be at a much higher risk then 5730 WLED users.

Honestly I think youll be fine. But if you do experience any performance issues you will know what is going on.

 

I have the same specs as you. I use BIOS A09 so no throttling due to heat (specifically GPU). I have virtually no CPU throttling, though I have noticed very minor throttling during my most CPU demanding game (BC2), that is my multiplier dropped from the default 12 to 11 for a split second (based on Throttlestop log). Otherwise I don't experience any problems. (Also use ATI 10.8 mobile drivers).

As I've said I play BC2, and it runs very well (30-50 fps) at 1280x720, all graphic settings maxed except for shadows on medium, AA 1x, and HBAO off (this is even without forcing dx9). I've also tried MW2 on my system and it runs even better (40-60 fps) at native res (1080) with everything maxed and AA 2x. Additionally I run NBA 2k11 (most recent game) maxed out at native res, AA 2x. I've found the 4670-i7 combo to be a capable enough combo for gaming, and it has impressed me on many occasions. I also have played Borderlands, Bioshock, MOH (final beta), in case you'd like to know what settings I ran those at. So I feel like you'll be fine, as long as you are lucky enough to not experience throttling (more likely on 4670-i7-RGBLED combo than 5730-WLED combo as liquidxit2 said above). Use Unclewebb's program Throttlestop to monitor for throttling.

For cooler, I use the Zalman NC2000, and I love it. I wanted the NZXT Cryo LX, but it was out of stock everywhere at that time and I couldn't wait. The fans of the NZXT lined up better with the bottom vent of the XPS16, so I feel like it would have been more effective at cooling, though the NC2000 works well enough for me. It keeps my system about ~5-10 C cooler under load, so I'm happy. For example BC2 on my system rarely ever goes above 80C on the GPU with my NC2000 on. So I would recommend it, though the Cryo LX might still be better. If you have any more questions I can help, as we have essentially the same exact specs.

 

You bought a new system with the 4670? That seems odd, when I spoke with a Dell Rep regarding my system exchange, she told me that 5730's have replaced all the new models for some months now, and that if I actually managed to get a new system as a replacement (which I did)...I'd get a 5730.

I'm presuming you bought this from someone else, or perhaps this is from a Dell other than the US branch?

 

Thank you liquidxit2 and E.D.U, was those kind of answers I was hoping for. And of course, thanks to the rest of you as well, for great answers!

E.D.U do you have an idea of which BIOS version my machine will come with?
And you said that you had noticed a very minor throttling during BC2, was it like lagging all the time, or just sometimes in new and down in the most intensive periodes, with a lot of explotions etc? I have to say that I don't have BC2, but migth planning to get it. As I said the only games I play at the moment is WoW, SC2 and some MW2. And thank you for offering me help, I guess you'll probably hear from me.

Anyways, hopefully I won't have throttling issues. Is it more likely that the machine will throttle at max settings compared to medium for example? Or doesn't that matter?

And liquidxit2 is there anywhere you can check how much watts there are left? So I know if the adapter is pumping on 100% or 80% for example?

I shouldn't take sorrows in advance tho, but I feels its okay to know about it.

Maybe a few dumb questions here, but I just have to be 100% sure. Thanks again!

 

Yes Hayde, I bought this from the norwegian Dell site, as i'm from Norway.

I've spoken with one who got the 5730, and compared it with the 4670, he said that there was not a very big upgrade. Talking about 1-3FPS here.

 

It is slightly faster, but the main advantage is the 5730 is cooler/uses less power.

 

Hm, that sounds better with less power use as the setup I got is more exposed to throttling.

What do you suggest I should do? I haven't got my computer yet due to some production failure as I said in my first post. (I choosed the white WLED screen which they are not producing anymore, so I had to call Dell and ask what was taking so long time, then they told me that I had choosed a screen which is no longer in production. So they offered me either to choose a black or red WLED screen or I could get a nice price on the white RGBLED screen.)

Should I ask the sales guy I've spoken with earlier to hear if I can get the 5730 instead?

 

Since it seems like the Dell Norway is still selling the 4670-i7-RGB new (I assume a new one is what you're getting), I'm guessing you'll either get the newest 1645 BIOS, A12, or A11 (as A12 is relatively new). I use A09 as that's the only 1645 BIOS that doesn't cap the GPU temperature at ~84C before it throttles, which is useful for the hotter-running 4670-i7-RGB combo. There are threads on NBR that discuss ways to downgrade your 1645 BIOS to A09 if you find that you want to.

When I said "very minor" I really meant very minor . That subtle depression in my multiplier from the default 12 to 11 (on four cores) for a split second, doesn't translate into any in-game slowdowns/lagging. I was just mentioning it because I can't exactly say that my system is completely free from throttling. The people who can really observe those slow-downs in-game are those whose multipliers drop down to like 7 (which is bad for an i7, as the lowest multiplier it should have under load while on four cores is 12) . Let's just say I'm on the edge, and I don't throttle nearly enough for me to experience any of the gaming side effects of throttling.

As for your last question, I honestly don't think it matters if it throttles more at maxed settings compared to medium. The fact is that it shouldn't throttle at all, since you're not using the system beyond the capabilities of what it should be able to handle. I mean you're only playing games . Although this THREAD is massive and has grown into some life form of sorts , I recommend you read some of the posts on there (especially the first one and any of Unclewebb's posts). You'll learn a lot more about the issue than you'd ever like to, but I'm a better tech head for having gained the knowledge from the thread . Hope that helps.

EDIT: The 5730 and RGB would be sweet if you could get that rare combo. Try asking the sales guy, it wouldn't hurt at all.

 

I guess I will not downgrade the BIOS except it's the last way to fix eventually throttling. But as you said I shouldn't experience the throttling at all

Due to notebookcheck.net it says that the HD 5730 is using ~26 Watt against 35 Watt which the 4760 is using.

Sent an email to the sales guy and asked about the 5730, but I guess the answer is no. Worth a try tho

Anyways, I think i'll be happy with the new system Looking forward to get it!

 

Got answer today, and it was as I thought, the answer was no. Dell doesn't offer the 5730 in Norway yet.

 

i dont think 5730 is available anywhere in europe yet and i doubt it especially if an new XPS replacement is due so soon.

 

Thats true. Wonder how long time it'll take for the new XPS to come to Norway. I reckon we'll have to wait a half a year after the rest of the world has gotten the machine.