Dell XPS M1330 Midnight Blue - 2008 Version

I received a 2008 manufactured/assembled Midnight Blue Dell XPS M1330 yesterday. Here is my review:

Compact Configuration

Notebook: Dell XPS M1330
System Color: Midnight Blue
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache)
Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
LCD and Camera: Slim and Light LED Display with VGA Webcam
Memory: 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
Hard Drive: 200GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) Free Fall Sensor
DVD+RW Drive: CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
Video Card: 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
Wireless Card: Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
Bluetooth: Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
Battery Options: 6 cell Primary Battery and 9 cell additional Lithium Ion Battery
Sound Options: High Definition Audio 2.0
Fingerprint Scanner: Biometric Fingerprint Reader
Antivirus Software: Trend Micro Internet Security 15-months
Productivity Software: Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
Entertainment Software: Yahoo! Music Jukebox - Music Player
Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop + Premiere Elements
Power Options: Dell Slim 65W Spare Auto/Air/AC Adapter
Warranty and Service: 3Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor, 24x7 Phone Support
Accident Protection: Accidental Damage to 3Yr Warranty
DataSafe Online Backup: DataSafe Online Backup 10GB for 1 year

Memory & Extended Warranty were part of the package and could not be downgraded. If you insist and find a way to return some of these, the cost benefits are negligible. Similarly, Anti-Virus, Office Suite, Music Player, Digital Media Editing Software and Online Backup were part of the package. Although you could uncheck some of these while configuring, they neither cost you any additonal money nor can they be returned back for a refund.

The additional 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery and Slim 65W Spare Auto/Air/AC Adapter were ordered as a part of the package as they cost more when ordered separately.

The starting price of this configuration is $2596 USD before shipping & handling and taxes.

Functional Features

1. Midnight Blue Color

View attachment 14161

2. A09 Revision BIOS (02/06/2008)

3. A04 Revision Motherboard

Feature 1 is a great option. It does not attract fingerprints, changes color based on the surrounding light and is the smoothest texture available on this notebook. It looks professional enough to carry at a formal meeting but gels equally well at any informal gathering.

Feature 2 is now available for download from Dell's website: M1330A09 This BIOS revision provides support for future Intel Penryn processors, Blu Ray/DVD+/-RW combo drive and enhancements for thermal and MediaDirect controls.

Feature 3 can be verified by checking the revision number printed on the sticker pasted on the SODIMM Socket 1 or A. Check the Service Manual for accessing the memory: Memory

Features 2 & 3 eliminate processor/bridge whine (piezoelectric effect), excess heat/fan rotation, hard drive clicking and also conserve power without affecting performance.

Features 1 & 3 were offered on some notebooks ordered/replaced in late 2007.

Ignorable Issues

1. Left Hinge Gap



2. Left Side Display Case Gap (from the center towards the left side)



3. Battery Compartment Wire (Twisted Flat Ribbon Cable)



Issues 1 and 2 seem to be present in almost all M1330 notebooks, although in varying degrees. It is not very evident that it mars the beauty of the notebook and can be comfortably ignored.

Issue 3 seems to be present in some M1330 notebooks, although in varying degrees. Even the pictures in the DCSE Dell XPS M1330 Self-Study Manual show this issue. As the wire does not get caught during battery insertion or removal and is evident only when the battery is removed, this too can be ignored.

The physical build quality in 2008 has suffered due to the same 2007 issues in design of some components especially the hinge, display case and cable routing.

The notebook has no functional issues and therefore worth keeping it given that the above physical issues are likely to repeat in case an exchange is requested.

The functional build quality has improved radically in 2008 with a new motherboard and BIOS revision.

 

I have a hinge gap too on both sides of my monitor

 

My hinge gaps are same in distance on both sides. I think the hinge gap is supposed to be there as the outer edge of the LED screen would not be flush with the outer edge of the laptop body if there was no gap.

Do you only have gap on one side??

 

Are these "common" gaps present on non LED displays?

 

Yes. It does not matter whether the display is LED or CCFL backlit. The physical build quality has suffered due to the issues in design of some components especially the hinge, display case and cable routing. The only way to eliminate these issues is to redesign the affecting components.

 

I think the detriment of this site is that we gather enough information to look for every little thing.

I would consider my system perfect but just angled it correctly and can get the same look from the left hinge. Of course, there has to be a small space to properly move the monitor.

Likewise with the HD cover, you have to really look. If you want to fix the HD cover, by the way, unscrew the battery, pull it out, push it back in and rescrew it...works fine.

I had never even heard of the battery ribbon sticking out before and I have had 7 M1330s come through my hands.

To take this to the extreme, I would bet there are a fair number of exchanges from those who heard 'ghost squeals'.

A healthy suggestion to all would be to just hand your system to an impartial, unknowing party and ask their opinion. This is what I do. I state this because, to this day, my wife laughs her butt off when I speak of the squeal my M1210 had. She swears it wasn't there; they eventually granted me an exchange to a M1330 though after several motherboard, adapters, HD, heatsink and DVD replacements.

Im not saying problems don't exist because most do. I believe the site actually promotes finding imperfections in your laptop though.

A healthy suggestion to all..... Give your laptop to a friend who knows nothing of what you suspect and ask if they can look it over and give you their opinion.

Most would be surprised at the response.

 

The gap on the left is more than that on the right. This results in some teeth showing up at the center towards the left. My camera could not capture it.

 

Mine are fairly equi-distant and I don't see the teeth you are mentioning. But, the routing/cable and mechanical spacing concerns you mentioned are good points. Personally know about this system (Thurman) and the mechanical challenges you mentioned at the CM (Wistron).

 

I stil like the red better

 

I just wanted to see how things have changed in 2008 and mentioned some of those issues here. I am extremely happy with my notebook and have nothing to complain about. I had seen the wire sticking out on many notebooks and wasn't surprised to find the same on mine.

If I hand my notebook to a layman, he or she would find issue 1 easily and it would take some close observation to find issue 2. Issue 3 would be tough as there are other wires (like black), aluminum foil and so on which make the flat twisted wire a part of the package.

For those who are looking for an M1330 without any of the above mentioned issues, they'll have to wait till Dell resolves them by redesigning the affecting components. Knowing Dell, I highly doubt if any changes would make it to M1330.

 

Ya and I was a bit afraid that post would be taken the wrong way.. On the other hand, remember Im the guy who has shown alot of XPS owners how to do the Dell 30 day exchange. I actually answered a thread regarding that earlier today.

If you dig real deep in the August threads, you will see a few emails with people telling me I was dreaming and there was no such program. Actually they were a bit more blunt back then lol.

 

I completely agree with this. A typical user could be ecstatic with their laptop until they get here and see what others are complaining about, realizing that their laptop also suffers from the same things.

 

I'm indifferent to the view point you and Flamenko are putting across if I'm honest. I wouldn't say that you're explicitly right or wrong in what you incinuate as generally I would accept this perspective (especially of mainstream Dell machines which can be hit and miss); but this is XPS. You expect perfection from this Dell line, and you pay for it. Whether you study stories on a hardware forum or not.

You should not expect or put up with your premier line 1530 suffering the same manufacturing/quality ****-ups as a consumer grade 1525. Otherwise what's the point of the XPS?

Those are my thoughts on the matter anyway. Please don't take them personally.

 

I share your view point as well, but to a lesser degree. Example my new 1330 has a very small gap on the left hinge, but it does not affect performance, and its not glaring, then don't worry about. Every product on the market has acceptable design defects. I still think dell did a fantastic job with the 1330, I just wish there Quality control was better

 

@op I'm somewhat curious as to one thing with your config.. When you ordered with 3 gb. ram were you under the assumption it would operate in dual channel mode ? I'm thinking it's not though would love to stand corrected. If it's not then the order page for memory options is somewhat deceiving.

 

I did not assume anything and had to choose between 3GB or 4GB at an additional $250 and I opted for the 3 GB of memory. I definitely see increase in performance when compared with a similarly configured M1330 but with 2GB (1GB each in two slots) of memory. I checked in the BIOS and it says the memory is in Dual Channel.

 

i think red is better and i fell in love with xps 1530
thanks for the review

 

It may not be on the dell site, but if someone wants it - PM me...

 

L. Rawlins....

Actually, we have the same viewpoint and the same feeling about an XPS purchase. If you go to Dell.Com under the same name you will see me complaining about my M1210 and that exact issue with respect to the squeal.

I am not trying to minimize anyones concern and am the first to advise the system replacement policy if there is anything about the received system you dont like.

If something bothers a person now after just receiving a system, it will only get worse from there if they dont do something.

Having said that though, I still believe there is a certain percentage of perceived faults as a result of the site.

 

That was my reasoning also - is odd to see that the same Dell 2gb stick sells for 110.00 as a stand alone order. Customer service has offered me 2 25.00 gift cert. for implying that the 3gb setup would run as dual channel (tech support was on fence, then said it wouldn't).

 

Omg. That's a massive discount!!!!!

 

Does M1530 have this problem ?

 

Does the new bios really solve the cpu whine and fan spinning all the time (2.2ghz)? Any idea when this will be available for everyone else?

Thanks.

 

No as posted by some members over the last few weeks.
Having said that I have said bios on a brand new M1330 3weeks old and no whine and the fan does not run all the time..
I/we own 3 of these units 1st was back in Aug 2007 basic spec 1.5 CPU, Intel video, 1 GB ram 120 GB HDD it ran very slow on Vista off it came replaced with XP Pro and sweet as they come now.
I must be one of the lucky ones as all our units had no build issues barring the P[/] logo coming off within a few days on the basic spec unit..
Enjoy your new PC

 

The combination of a new revision of BIOS and a new revision of motherboard seems to eliminate the said problem. Well, out of the 30 machines we received at our office, this seems to be true.

 

I personally have not got a chance to deal with a lot of M1530s and therefore can't say anything with certanity. From my experience with 2 to 3 M1530s I came across, it looks like the defects have been minimized as compared to M1330.

 

Couldn't agree more.....i have m1330 for around 4 months now......no complaints....!!

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly does it mean by being a "Dell Member(s)"? Does it mean having an account with their site?

Pls provide details so I can sign up and get discounts on future dell products.

Thanks!

 

If your office or school buys a lot of Dell computers, they are likely to have some kind of agreement with Dell. Ask your Administrator/Human Resource Personnel for more details. You usually need a Member ID that you can enter at http://www.dell.com/epp/

If you are a student try: http://www.delluniversity.com/

If you are a AAA member - http://www.aaa.com/ then you could use http://www.dell.com/aaa and get the EPP/MPP discounts. This site currently has both EPP and Holiday Discount.

 

I am interested in the A07 Bios and A04 motherboard removing CPU or whatever else it might be whine. I received my M1330 on Friday; all was superb and I can’t fault it yet except for a slight whine. The whine is noticeable to me when placed on a wooden surface, but when on my lap, granite or glass table for example it is not noticeable.

My M1330 shipped with the A07 Bios installed, however when removing the battery it looks like I have the A00 motherboard. I do not think it is worth the hassle of a replacement, especially as there are mixed reports about this bios and the A04 actually solving the whine, and in most cases, during install, causing other problems.

Anyone else have the A07 Bios on the A00 mobo? Should this combination even be possible or was the A07 strictly for the A04 revision?

 

You ordered on 1-8-08 and got it on the 14th!!??

HOW!?

i just ordered lastnight and it says my estimated date is 2-15!!!

 

As I said earlier "...exaggerated estimates helps Dell to deliver faster and create an impression of delivering earlier than promised...".

You are likely to get it earlier than the said dates.

 

Hi, just a reminder, you have to look under the first ram stick, not the battery, to determine m/b version .

 

Do you have to unseat the RAM to do this, and if so where is this RAM located? When I removed the battery, I saw A00 on a label on the bottom of the mobo; surely this is a giveaway to the revision.

 

I have clearly specified the steps to verify the motherboard revision in the first post including link to the service manual to access the memory: "...Feature 3 can be verified by checking the revision number printed on the sticker pasted on the SODIMM Socket 1 or A. Check the Service Manual for accessing the memory: Memory..."

 

Thank you; I will look into the above. I never paid attention but have also noticed a sticker on the bottom of the notebook itself which states A04, but I have no idea if this relates to the mobo. Other specs of my machine are as follows:

GP457 PROCESSOR..., T7500, 2.2, 4MB, CMER, G0
0 01323 INFORMATION..., NO ITEM
1 J2551 CORD..., POWER..., 110V, 3F, ALTERNATING CURRENT..., 3W, PROPOSITION 65..., UNITED STATES...
1 RW506 PLACEMAT..., GETTING STARTED..., EXTREME PERFORMANCE SYSTEM..., M1330, DAO/EMEA
1 MU194 KEYBOARD..., 86, UNITED STATES..., ENGLAND/ENGLISH..., SINGLE POINTING..., BNTS, LIGHT...
1 NX511 BATTERY..., PRIMARY..., 56WHR, 6C, LITHIUM..., DYNAPACK INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CORP...
1 FK454 KIT..., EARPHONE..., BUDS, NOTEBOOK...
1 Y9530 DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE..., 1GB, 667, 128X64, 8K, 200
1 Y9540 DUAL IN-LINE MEMORY MODULE..., 2GB, 667, 256X64, 8K, 200
1 RW194 ASSEMBLY..., DVD+/-RW..., 8X, PANASONIC..., 9.5, SLOT
1 NX061 ASSEMBLY..., ADAPTER..., ALTERNATING CURRENT..., 65W, 3P, LATIN/LATIN AMERICA..., M1330
2 GX074 BRACKET..., SUPPORT..., METAL..., 13.3, LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., M1330
1 GX081 ASSEMBLY..., CABLE..., COAXIAL ..., LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., LIGHT EMITTING DIODE..., M1330
1 RP774 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., 13.3 WXGA, VIDEO ELEC. STDS. ASSOC...., TLF, TRANSFORMER METROPLEX DESKTOP...
6 2864D SCREW..., M3X3, K SCREW HEAD..., MICROSOFT..., BLACK OXIDE...
1 U8042 ASSEMBLY..., BASE (ASSEMBLY OR GROUP)..., DISCRETE..., 128M, M1330
1 FW331 KIT..., REMOTE CONTROL..., NOTEBOOK..., M08, PHILIPS
1 CW725 CARD (CIRCUIT)..., WIRELESS..., INTERNAL..., BLUETOOTH..., 355, VSTA
1 WR053 BATTERY..., ADDITIONAL..., 85WHR, 9C, LITHIUM..., SANYO
1 GN866 KIT..., SOFTWARE..., DELL MEDIA DIRECT..., 3.5, DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE..., EXTREME PERFORMANCE SYSTEM...
1 MU118 HARD DRIVE..., 250GB, Serial ATA..., 9.5, 5.4K, SA125
1 HX425 KIT..., SOFTWARE..., OVERPACK..., VHP32, A01, DIGITAL VIDEO DISK DRIVE..., ENGLAND/ENGLISH...
1 HX105 ASSEMBLY..., PALMREST..., MAGNESIUM-ALLOY..., W/FPRDR, M1330
1 N6704 ASSEMBLY..., CAMERA..., 0.3M, INTEGRATED..., MANUFACTURED IN CHINA..., M1330
1 RW485 BEZEL..., LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY..., PLASTIC..., 0.3M, CAMERA..., M1330
1 MK933 CARD (CIRCUIT)..., WIRELESS..., MINICARD..., 4965, MOW1

After looking on the forums, I believe the above means I have the Toshiba screen which is good news.

My only concern is its looking more likely I have the A04 and A07 but have the whine. To be honest with everything else on this notebook bordering on perfect its not worth considering an exchange; I can live with this.

 

Do you have to have your Service tag to be able to find the part numbers? Online my M1330 order says it has been shipped...where can i find the part numbers?

 

The above list came from the service tag on the bottom of my notebook. I am unaware if you can obtain this prior to receiving the notebook.

 

Usually, it is not possible online to obtain the service tag prior to getting the system. Although you can try this to figure out your service tag: Go to Dell's My Account > My Support > My Systems & Peripherals and click Add My New Systems. You can also try contacting Dell over phone or chat but the chances of they obliging is rare.

 

Thats not entirely correct. I got all of my service tags before shipment.

There was longer waits when I got mine but I would start calling about a week before the expected ship date. You need to find a CSR Rep who understands how to use DOMS (Dell Order Management System). They can give you the Service tag. If they give it to you too early though, you will find no information available.

The service tag is the first part of your system accounted for and everything is tied in to that. When you eventually check your warranty page on Dell.com, you will see a page which lists your original configuration. This configuration is created through the scanning of each part as it is installed into the system.

 

I didn't make myself clear and have corrected my statement. The inside information is that they have been told not to disclose the service tag as it is not required till the system is actually in the hands of the customer.

Does anybody have any questions on the 2008 version of M1330? What would you like to know? I am waiting for your questions to complete the review.

 

I cannot say that this hasn't occurred since my last order received which was in early December so, maybe a policy has been changed to reflect your experience. It would never hurt to try though if one wants to.

The trick is finding a CSR that has access to and has been trained on DOMS; I found out that not all have this.

 

I'm expecting my m1330 with LED next week and I would like to know if your screen is grainy at all, especially on whites?

Thanks

 

My LED backlit LCD display looks uniform no matter what color is displayed on the screen. Some might consider it grainy but I did not find it any different from the hundreds of LCD displays I have seen so far.

It is a very subjective issue. What you find grainy may be perfect to somebody else. Personally, I have never come across any LCD display be it CCFL backlit or LED backlit without some graininess. An LCD display can never be as sharp as a CRT display and comparing the two, one feels the LCD displays are grainy.

 

Thanks, I completely agree with you there, I am completely ready to accept some graininess because I know it is more often than not featured, just not a ridiculous amount like my AUO panels used to have

 

Hi-can you post more pictures of the notebook from different angles? I'm still trying to get a good idea of the Midnight Blue color. I'm deciding between this and the Tuxedo Black. The fingerprint issue slightly concerns me with the black-do you find the Midnight Blue is better with hiding smudges?

Also, how much smaller/lighter is the slim AC charger you ordered? It's a bit expensive and I was wondering if it's worth it.

 

actually, the LG ccfl screen has grain free and looks clean like a crt. i love it.

you should go to bb and check out a screen on the sony notebooks. those things are beautiful.

 

my xps m1330 was built early Jan and i received it about a week ago.
the mobo revision number is A04 and the bio's revision is A07.

it has the mobo chip, the southbridge, i believe, high pitched squel/whine.

i have requested for an exchange and we'll see if i receive a version without it.

 

Try this work around.. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=210389
Can't say if it works as my M1330 does not suffer from this noise Mobo A04, Bios A07. 2008

 

ty very much, blackrussian.

disabling the fingerprint reader from powering down has reduced the whine by a little bit. and also having RMclock with C4 state disabled has also reduced it a little bit. it is not good enough for me though. it is still annoying.

the noise is coming from the bottom right hand corner of the palm rest. i suppose it is the intel chip. although it does not explain why the rmclock has affected it.

i will see how the exchange laptop they have sent is when i receive it. maybe this is as quiet as it can get.