Dell XPS M1730 Owner's Lounge, *Part 3*

Just checked with Everest Ultimate. Power minimiser is working fine for me. Clocks at 400/200/100 as I write this in Firefox with nothing else open. Also ran Mass Effect 2 last night, worked beautifully, best graphics I've seen on M1730 yet. Truly stunning!

So everything working here. Maybe you should try CPU-Z to see if you're downclocking correctly?

 

When you are referring to 400/200/100, do you mean it is GPU Shader Clock/GPU Core Clock/GPU Memory Clock? If this is the case then I'm getting the same figures in CPU-Z. I haven't installed any games yet so I cannot test the video cards under full load.

It is just a bit strange today. After I installed a few pieces of software on my PC, things like MS Office and its updates I then put the PC to sleep. I woke the PC up and started using it just about 2 hours ago and I kept an eye on the temp (from Everest) and it is in the range of 52-67 which is a bit lower than what I was getting before. I swear I was getting 60-72 yesterday. Maybe the temp isn't an accurate indicator when compared to the clocks. But I guess I will keep an eye on the temp and the clocks for the next few days.

I really wish to be able to control when the fan starts to cool down the cards. Really don't like how it is doing it at the moment especially it is summer over here (I'm in Sydney). But CPU-Z seems to indicate that the fan speed is 100% all the time.

PS: How are you finding Mass Effect 2? I'm playing ME1 on my Xbox atm so I don't think I will start ME2 until I get through that.

 

I've got 200/400/600, as reported by Riva Tuner.
What gives?

 

On another note, Did anyone succesfully disable powermizer in win 7 with the latest official drivers? cause that powermizerswitch thingie isnt working on the m1730, and the creator of it cannot help me ( he doesn't have an sli laptop ) ; normally i would like to have it on, but sometimes i want to play a game while not near a power outlet, so i would like to be able to turn it off so i can game a bit (prolly not mor than 40 minutes on battery anyway)

Thanks in advance

 

must disagree on that, try (a tuned) crysis warhead, never seen better ( in awe for that ! )

nb: Tho ME2 looks the part as well, but textures are a bit less detailed on some objects

 

I wasn't asked for drivers neither, but I still installed them just be on a safe side. I don't think there is any problems with not installing them. BTW, did the drivers work?
Indeed, ME 2 does look good. However, it is nowhere near Crysis both visually and technologically. But who cares as long as it runs all maxed out with 35+ fps on the beast!

 

I've only played about a hour of it and like it a lot so far.

As for the clock, checking everest's main panel now i see;

GPU Clock (Geometric Domain): 200Mhz (Original: 500Mhz)
GPU Clock (Shader Domain): 400Mhz (Original: 1250Mhz)
RAMDAC Clock: 400Mhz

Dunno, everest is my monitoring software and that's what it say! See above for more details.

I've got Warhead and tuned by our resident expert tuner - Magnus. I still think ME2 has better graphics; ME2 has some of the most humanistic faces I've ever seen in a game. Reminds my of those demos nVidia released.

 

BTW I went on a bit of rant a few pages back about how ArmA II wouldn't run at all well.

Well now, on w7 x64 Ultimate, with the lastest drivers - it runs perfect. I mean literally perfect, everything on the ball graphics wise. Such a joy to play, like getting a new game!

FTW w7 x64!!

 

Cool, a graphics debate. . .

Well, overall graphics are with CryEngine 2.0. You cannot contend the amount of post-processing and polygon quality. Bit for bit. There's just too much going on in that game when you account for the pixels and texture capacity. So graphically and technologically, all iterations of Crysis win against Mass Effect 2. However, specific factors of Mass Effect, especially its physical directing style and approach can make its quality assets stand out better than games like Crysis of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

I totally agree that Mass Effect 2 actually has that extra wow factor. In fact, this was my reaction to MGS 4 as well. You guys have to factor in the reality that games like Mass Effect 2, MGS 4, Uncharted 1 & 2, Killzone 2, etc., actually employ better production by way of cinematography. Cut scenes are angled and executed in the most effective manner. So even if you take the most graphically intensive cut scenes driven by a massive game engine, and then hold that up against a well directed--but not the best graphically measured--cut-scene, the well directed piece will work. Not to mention, Mass Effect 2 runs great!

Having that said, facial models do look amazing in Mass Effect 2. I actually prefer them to Crysis. Even Mass Effect 1 did an amazing job with facial models and scenes. But once again, that would be an issue of comparing holistic-graphics against specific facets. If we're to get really technical, then I think then ArmA II is an amazing piece. Glad to hear that you're having a good run with that one, 72Hundred. I know you were really looking to make an ace experience out of that game.

 

Read this first line and laughed!

...now to read the rest of the post.

 

You don't have to update the drivers, but it's worthwhile to install the latest Intel Matrix Storage Manager (which installs both drivers and the console application).

Then be sure to enable the write-back cache in the console application for a large performance increase. This is not necessarily the same thing as the advanced write-back cache in the device manager properties.

 

I haven't updated in the past couple of weeks, but manually setting PerfLvlSrc to 0x2222 in the registry has always worked for me, in Windows 7 too.

 

Yea, I think that sums it up pretty well. As you mentioned the fact that the cinematics are much improved and the smooth running of the game overall adds huge amount to the enjoyment of the game. I'd forgotten those points.

Yea, you're right finally get into ArmA II. Its like a completely different game now from what it was before. I literally did a double take to make sure I hadn't installed ArmA I !

What's "write-back cache"? Any down sides to enabling it?

 

Thanks. Also, I hear you on the ArmA II experience. It's a real pleasant shocker when you somehow stumble across the right OS or setup, and suddenly, glitchy demanding games start to play without a single flaw. Good stuff!


On a related note:
BatBoy managed to come up with a fix for Resident Evil 5. This fix refers to that infamous problem people here were having with the RE5 benchmark, where areas 3 and 4 ran like sludge, almost as though SLi performance had crippled.

Originally, I was forced to use the 182.46 drivers with Nhancer in order to get full performance in Resident Evil 5, and get rid of any slow downs. However, I wanted to move up to 186.82, and even with SLI updates, I continued to experience the same slow downs in-game and during the later parts of the benchmark tool. So I presented the issue to BatBoy, and after working through it for a while, he finally solved the problem. It was not a driver issue, but rather, an issue with the configuration. Resident Evil 5 installations store a 'config.ini' file in the '*.*/documents/CAPCOM/Resident Evil 5' folder. Inside this config file, there's a line that reads 'SLI = OFF'. One must simply change that entry to 'SLI = ON', and the entire problem is solved. Resident Evil 5 will fly after this change, and should reap considerable performance gains for SLi users.

Much like 72hundred rediscovering ArmA II in a whole new way--bug/issue free and all that--I too can now get back to finishing Resident Evil 5 without any slow-downs or issues on my new system, with my preferred drivers.

 

It's a write cache by the RAID controller and really increases performance. I enable it on all my RAID systems.

The only (theoretical) downside is that if your machine loses power at the exact moment stuff is still in the cache and not flushed, it won't get written and that block of data will be corrupt.

But on a machine with a built-in battery, that's nearly impossible.

 

Thanks for the tip. I did a bit more reading in it. But to be honest, I do the odd hard shut down (holding the power button down on the M1730) and I don't wanna start corrupting w7's files, if I enable it. Also I'm happy with the performance at the moment, everything to my mind is snappy enough. Not the SSD nirvana but close .

 

Hey all. Not sure if this is the correct place to post so feel free to move me.

Been reading the forum today but couldn't read it all due to the size so i apologise if this has been covered before.

Its mostly in regard to the normal operating temperatures for the GPU's, iv tried looking them up but with no success.

I have the T9300 2.5Ghz and 8800MGTX SLI

Im using HWmonitor and getting 80ish Celcius for GPU's at idle and reaching to 98 in games. This seems a bit hot too me so just wondering what your opinion was. I have read on here that in the 80-90 region is going to shorten the life of the GPU's.

Upon closing of Empire:Total War yesterday the computer locked up and when i shut it down i found it was due to overheating and was told to contact dell if it happened again (its not the first time it has happened tho).

I have owned the m1730 for a year and a half now and havnt cleaned any vents or fans in that time which after reading on here i found you really should do.

Is there any simple way to access all the areas that need cleaning? I tired following the disassembly guide on this forum but im up at university with no static band so was a bit worried poking about inisde.

Thanks for any input you may have

On an unrelated note (or perhaps related?) is there a recomended driver i should be using apart from the latest nvidia ones, im runnig W7 64 bit and Empire is a slide show on nearly every setting which it wasnt when it came out

 

@Callous_Hades
Yeah, these temps are off the charts. My temps go up to 85 in games and stay around 60 at idle.
Since you haven't cleaned your vents for over a year and a half, dust is the most likely cause of the problem. You can use a can of compressed air to clean out the dust. However, the best option is to disassemble the unit and clean it thoughtfully.
As far as the process of disassembly goes, there are some good articles in these forums. There are also videos posted by ifti, that cover the whole process.

 

A year and a half? Wow.

A disassembly and thorough clean is in order, but if you don't have time for that, force the fans to high and blow compressed air into the bottom and back vents until no dust is released. This quick method should get your air flow back to normal levels.

If you've still got insane temperatures, you probably have a heat sink contact issue, which is pretty common and requires complete disassembly to redo the heat sink and thermal paste.

You can also undervolt using RMClock or CPUGenie to reduce overall temperature and conserve power, though this won't solve temperature spike issues due to poor heat sink contact.

 

Hey a lot of info in your post, so apologises if I miss some of it.

Firstly those temps are too high. Although I've gotten similar now and again (maybe max temp of 92C), actually in Empire TW. But the game was fine, btw I've been running it a fairly low settings to that might it.

Its probably a hardware issue if you're using the latest drivers, since I am as well at the moment.

Cleaning vents, opening the chassis and applying thermal pastes are all things I've considered but not done, simply because the "ain't broke don't fix it" adage seemed to make sense! Although your case sounds different. If the cards get too hot they'll downclock and hence give poor performance. So maybe you should consider doing some / all of the steps above.

There's others who have done these things for maintenance on their laptops so I'll let them explain the finer details when the post up. But for a start you could easily enough just open the laptop down to the GPU's and blow away the dust with a hair dryer or something. Just make sure to but a paper clip in the fans so that they don't over rev and damage themselves.

The other option would be to see if Dell can replace 'em. Of course this means some tech (most are good/ok) will be opening you're laptop! So basically scr^wed if you do and scr^wed if you don't - just kidding!

EDIT: Just saw the two posts now! Must remember to refresh the page before posting!

 

Dudes,
Since people are amped up about playing Mass Effect 2, I have found that some few souls are still getting back to finishing the first Mass Effect. I, unfortunately, am in that boat.

To make this a good console-like experience (HAH), I dug into some information on getting a working joypad and so I found a link to a forum where someone's uploaded actual config files that activate 80% XBOX 360 gamepad functionality in the game.

So if anyone's interested:
http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=707757&forum=125

The setting upgraded the gaming experience for me, since I find that the console controls compliment this game a little better than traditional keyboard and mouse.

 

Major +1 on this one. After only a few months my system(granted, I run an OC'd X9000 all the time so my fans are on full-blast) started to get up there in temps... I pulled the GPU out and found honest to God dust bunnies collected in parts on the fans. That wasn't too fun to see.

 

Is there still a 9800M GTX SLI owner around? After running that RE5 benchmark and comparing to Kade's results, I would love to see where the 9800M GTX SLI is coming in at.

Same for you LegendaryKA8 - would love to see where the X9000 is at when run at 3.4. Wait, do you have that CPU as well Kade? I know we ruled out CPU as a factor, but it would be interesting.

Anyone interested - The RE5 benchmark can be grabbed here:
http://downloads.guru3d.com/Resident-Evil-5-PC-Benchmark-Utility-download-2331.html

Use the following settings:
1920x1200 resolution
Vert Sync Off
Framerate Unlocked
AA 2x
Motion Blur Off
All other settings @ High/Max

Be sure to follow Kade's info here:

Also verify the CPU line reads:
JobThread=2 (might say =1 so verify its =2, since the XPS M1730 is a Dual Core)

Kade is hitting an average of 70 FPS (confirm Kade). Attached is where the 280M GTX SLI is with the Quad Core. Not an attempt to rub it in (I used to be one of you folks, remember) , just listing it as reference.

 

hey Kade, do you know if it'll work on Mass Effect 2 ?

 

Are there any different key commands fractal? If not, it might. Dont see any dangers from trying it. Just back up the .ini files and configs. If they have different names, you can try to transfer over the settings via notepad?

 

Thanks bat, as i am still patiently waiting on my M17x-R2 to arrive, this is a theoretical question for now

 

Psy,

When on battery, I dont believe you can override PowerMizer - no matter what software tweak you apply.

-----------

Yeah fractal... if its not totally remapped in any way, I would think its possible. You could even open up the .ini files the author of the tweak created and go line by line looking for major changes. I suggest notepad++ - has an excellent compare feature. This is the only app I use when modding NV Display drivers, tweaking driver inf's or messing with the AlienFX themes. Its very versatile.
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm

 

I use textpad, but notepad++ is awesome too. thanks!

 

Speaking of GPU's upgrades and advancement... has anyone heard of a >256bit GPU being released? A quick look of Wiki shows no signs in the near future or currently from either of the big players.

 

I did see this the other day over @ LV2Go. Looks interesting.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/08/nvidia-pursuing-external-graphics-accelerators-for-laptops/

 

Standardised laptop GPU's.. we dare not hope!

But serious, that's an interesting article. I think the way forward though would be a removeable internal GPU, much in the same way we can swap HD's and RAM so easily. I don't really want my GPU hanging out the side of the laptop nor even easily removable.

Granted there's issues with ducting heat sinks correctly but that can't be that hard to standardise. And power and data interfaces should be ok.

 

I have run this benchmark, BatBoy. I used my trial-9800m GTX cards in stock for the task.

I got an average of 64 using the same settings (including job thread), with the exception of motionblur, which was on and running. Test involved using X9000 on the M1730 at the time, and the results only varied by a 1 FPS gain, going from 2.8 GHz (63 FPS) to 3.4 GHz (64 FPS).

Also, I am getting 70 average with my current setup. [email protected] GHz, along with a stock 280m GTX SLi. Overclocking the CPU to 3.2 GHz made no difference here, folks.

 

I should think so, but there is one problem that I might have to contemplate. . .

Doesn't Mass Effect 2 change around some of the game's features? For example, I heard that it is stripping down some of the mainstream RPG components of the original to accomplish a more stream-lined and intensive third-person-adventure feel; this could implicate the control settings. Then again, this is what I have heard and don't know for a first-hand fact, so it would be best if other ME2 gamers step in and bring their findings to the table.

However, the game is using the same engine, and -if- it is using the same control scheme, then as BatBoy put it, the possibility is very likely. Do keep in mind that while the link says 100%, I've found it to be 80% functional. If only the developers had allowed for this option. I mean, the game is a console port using the same engine, and it has the code inside to run on the 360 pad. Ditto for BioShock 2. Unfortunately, the developers have disabled the feature on the PC incarnations of the games, so neither of them will support a 360 pad, officially.

 

As I mentioned a few pages pack, my current Sony Optiarc BC-5500A BD-Drive is failing on me. So, I ordered a Panasonic uj-120 from ebay. Just got it today, and it turns out that it is a HP OEM drive. So, he drive is stuck in PIO mode, which makes it pretty much unusable. Requesting a refund...
Could anyone post part numbers of their Panasonic uj-120 or uj-220 that are working properly please? Or even better, if someone is planning on selling their drive

 

I like my blu-ray writer, man. It's. . . cool. Even though I have yet to burn a single br disc.

How do I get the part numbers for ya'?

 

It should be written on the drive itself. You need to physically take drive out. It should be written in the top right conner.

 

Just found a serial number myself, thanks anyways, kade
Just in case if someone else is looking for one, the product number for uj-120 is GY604.

Edit: Turns out it is a code for uj-110 drive and it's a SATA drive.

 

Well, here's the number for the BD-RE drive anyway. . . WDB4-B.

 

Thanks for your replies, i took it apart although i had a hell of a time trying to remove the fans, are they glued on or soemthing? Once i did get it off i was shocked, i couldnt even see the cooling fins just a solid wall of dust. Temperatures are far lower now so thanks for that.

I do have one question though when i start tht system and dont run anything strenuous my gpu temperatures will increase from 50 to 75 slowly. Then at 75 the fans will kick in and lower it to 70 so it keeps hovering between 70 and 75. However if i put them under load by playing a game, the temperature upon exiting the game is about 65ish and will continue to drop to 50 and stay there. Is this normal? i dont understand how the gpu's will only have an idle temperature of 50 once i have put them under load.

 

Thank you. Now it's just a question of finding one...which is not an easy task apparently.

Glad that helped. And yes, it is very hard to remove the fans. How did you do it btw? After a few attempts, I just gave up in fear that I'll break something....besides I got a warranty for another good 3 years.
As for temps, it is quite common. The reason behind it is that your fans spin faster when under load, thus providing better cooling. And it also seems to me like powermizer doesn't work for you. What video drivers are you using?

 

Hello everyone.
Run into a problem over the weekend, where my laptop would just freeze randomly. By the end of weekend it would be freezing right after it loaded up windows. Took me a while to narrow down the problem. It turned out to be undervolting the CPU. Right after disabling RightMark everything is back to normal. The weird thing is that I have been running CPU with RightMark without changing the voltage for over a year. Should I be worried? Could that be a sign of failing CPU?

 

Not sure if its a bad omen or not... keep an eye on the thermals and watch for any BSODs or other CPU related crashes in the Event Manager.

Weird.

 

I think DELL addressed the over voltage issue with the A10 BIOS. It's not documented.

 

Not necessarily, CPU stability can drift over time, especially when you're at the edge of stability in terms of overclock/undervolt. Many of my overclocked systems have required slight tweaks over time to stay 100% stable, and it wasn't on account of any hardware damage.

The problem is that by the time you actually notice an unstable CPU in regular applications, it is generally VERY unstable, and you could already have quite a bit of OS/data corruption.

This is why, when you overclock, undervolt, or push your processor near its limits, you should test with Prime95 in-place FFTs on all cores for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, and then retest every few months to make sure it's still stable.

For right now, if you don't notice any data corruption, tweak the voltage to the new stable setting and plan on retesting every so often. It also helps to buffer your overclock/undervolt by using a slightly more conservative value, to counter any future drift.

 

Thanks everyone for your help.
The first thought I had was overheating. So, I checked temps, and they were within norms. I have the latest revision of BIOS - A10. Fortunately, there was no data corruption.
I have a lot of assignments and thesis due in within next month and this is my only computer system, so I won't be doing anything that can potentially mess up the system for the next month Thanks again.

 

Ok thanks. My way of removing probably wasnt a good idea,i ran a piece of cable under one of the struts on the top of the fan and just pulled it very hard and it eventually came off. Probably a better way than that with less risk of breakage. My video drivers are the 195.62

 

Hello all! Somewhat of a new guy here (had an account that worked here over @ TabletPCReview, but couldn't post things here so made a new one). Just got my (Slightly Used) M1730 and am VERY content with it as my desktop bit the dust in a fiery explosion...

But i digress.

Had a question after seeing much heat related problems with the m1730, and am now hesitating to upgrade my GPU to the SLI 8800m's from the SLI 8700m's. Would the increased temp's be a problem for extensive PC use or should i stick with the 8700 for the lower temperatures?

 

Shrug... I've had my 1730 with 8800 GTX's for years. Never had any problems at all, despite a lot of hours of gaming. My rig just keeps on ticking.

All threads like this have a lot of people with problems, because this is where people with problems congregate. It's in no way a representative sample of how many problems a system has.

How much are you going to pay for the 8800GTXs though?

 

saw some for sale at ebay and was surprised to see m1730's equipped with 9800m's and 8800's (fairly new to laptop gaming). Dunno how much they cost atm but thx for the input.)

 

Hmmz, i took mine off by sticking a stanley knife under the fan and then gently twisted it untill it came off