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

@Kingpinzero

I have finally installed my GTX 460. 3D Mark 06 run in Win XP 3D Mark score 25682 Not too bad Although that is my Core I7 2600k overclocked to 4Ghz at a measly 1.216 voltage.

 

how it can help XPS M1730 owners? switch to desktops? i have i-5 750 desktop with HD5870 OC which runs very well but it does not help my DELL

 

Nah this is between me and Kingpinzero who compares benchmarks as well for XPS as desktop. You got into the discussion later on, just look back a few threads.

Also I don´t have any problem with my XPS M1730 It´s heavily tweaked with the X9000 running at 3.8Ghz and for now GPU´s overvolted to 1.05 and clocks at 660/1650/950.

 

Rather offtopic, what antiviruses are you guys using? I officially declare Nod32 as being useless.

 

I use Avast Free edition.

 

Hahahahha thats awesome mate!
Im in the middle of testing my new qx9650 @ 4ghz, doing 3dmark06 under windows 7 right now.
I should handle around 21k under win7, i suppose i can go up to 26k under xp since my hd5850 is on par with gtx470
I dont have time to stick to xp thought, and you SHOULDNT too, since gtx460 is a full dx11 compliant card it should rock under 7 (with a remarkable score loss under 3d06 thought).
I had the time to do a few runs with dx11 enabled games like f1 2010,dirt 2 and bad company 2 and im amazed how far the graphics went...remember when we used to play asteroids? Gosh time fly!

Edit: ok got my score, 21746pts under win7 x64.
Gpu is clocked @ 950/1230 and cpu is 4ghz @ 1,35v.

Not bad at all

 

Back on topic, im not using any antivirus beside windows defender.
I used to work as an it systemist specialized in disaster recovery by virus, therefore my experience helps me alot.
My 2 personal favourites are avira antivir and microsoft security essential.
The second is really good, lightweight and non invasive.

 

Same here.
My xps in sig is running heavily oced on both cpu and gpu and its doing fine since september.
And still, is an hell of machine.

 

Ok guys I have a 'problem'. I just ran 3Dmark06 (1280x1024 I believe) and got a score of 8950 w. T8100 @ stock 2.1 and 8800 GTX SLI (physX enabled).

What can be the cause?

Running A11 bios and latest nvidia official drivers.

 

Sli not working imho.
If youre running under xp then is that.
If youre under win 7 then its ok.
Me and Magnus72 get 16k under xp with oced 8800/9800m gtx AND an x9000 running at 3,8ghz.

So lets do some maths; your cpu is slower that our x9000 (2ghz?); your 8800gtx is running at stock speeds.

You should get around 1000-1200 points less in cpu; around 3-4000 less in gpu. So 8k should be in range, i would expect at least a max score of 10k.

Double check that sli is working and that youre running latest 266.58 whql.
Remember also to enable sli manually under nvidia control panel. Also be sure to set power management to max performance instead of adaptive.

 

Win 7 x64
Sli turned on. 3d set to performance
Processor running full speed, power set High Performance.

3Dmark06 - 1280x1024 :

Total: 8253.0 3dmarks
SM2.0: 3471.0
CPU Score: 1783

3Dmark shows SLI as 'on' but shows 0MB as memory, and core and memory clock as 0mhz!

 

Something is not right then.
Unistall your drivers, run driver sweeper, reinstall latest 266.58 again.
Or better, go over laptopvideo2go and download 265.90quadro with a modded inf, they are 1000 times better than 266.58.

Also be sure to have installed correct intel chipset software utility. Get those from intel website IN ZIP FORMAT!
the go into "manage computer" and under "system" update manually every intel driver reported by pointing the "search for driver.." option to the extracted folder of the above mentioned chipset software utility.
The folder that contains the correct drivers is the "all" folder.
Update your directx as well using directx web updater from microsoft.

Also to be SURE that both cards are working as they should download gpu-z and check if both are correctly read with right clocks and so on by selecting each card from the dropbox.

 

Edit: whats your sm3.0 score? You posted only cpu and sm2.0 scores.

 

I didnt even get a sm3.0 score. I just installed rivatuner and my reported clock frequencies are like WAY under stock. I am updating directx and checking clocks again with nvidia system tools.

Update to follow shortly!

Also, what chipset should I search for? (intel)

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

Well, problem solved. I just 100% bricked the computer by attempting to flash the 8800gtx cards to 9800gt cards using the guide here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...800m-gt-sli-bios-succesfully.html#post6904539
UPDATE: I realized that it seemed I blamed the guide for my bricking. That is NOT the case! I am pretty sure I messed up somehow myself and I know better than to blame anyone else especially considering many systems differ slightly.

Wont even boot into bios anymore, just black screen. Fortunately I just purchased the m1730 from Dell and have 1 year warranty so I guess I should just send it it.. or something..

Of course if someone has a 8800GTX bios I could try a 'blind' reflash..

 

DanLar, ive written the guide and i can assure you that ive done my tests before posting it

Imho one of your card was dead (hence the 0 clocks,low score) so its not your fault.

You can try the last thing thought: try to boot your system using the media button. Is the small button located near the power button. If it boots then its nobodys fault but dell, since it confirms that one card was dead on arrival.

For starters my old 8800m gtx is still running as a flashed 9800m gt,upgraded with latest bios from dell as well.
And the bios i posted in my guide are dumped from a genuine intel card and is reported by other users that the flashing went good.

About blaming me dont worry im fine.

 

Yo Magnus,
is there any way you could upload all your nHancer profiles for games?

All of them?

 

Yes of course. I just have to zip them all and upload them here

By the way here is the upcoming HomeFront running on my XPS M1730, though the magazine is swedish so I provide technical support a la my XPS M1730 for them to borrow and play on. First of course I tweak each game so it runs beautiful on the XPS M1730 first

So I have already made an Nhancer profile for HomeFront now even before Nvidia have made one

I can say the game runs maxed out on the XPS M1730 and I noticed the game is based on the Unreal 3 Engine so not difficult to make a good SLI profile for it

http://www.gamereactor.se/blog/petter/ scroll down on this blog a few pages where it says "Jag spelar Homefront". It´s not my blog though, it´s the swedish game magazine´s

@DanLar, You should be able to blind flash the 8800m GTX. You just need to know what to write.

However if you have a bootable USB stick I can provide you the original 8800m GTX bios.

So for instance if you blind boot the USB stick you just write nvflash -5 -6 -i0 standard.rom and for the second card nvflash -5 -6 -01 standard1.rom.

I will upload the GPU bios for you.

Also you can increase the speed of that CPU you have with 200 MHz using Throttlestop. 2.1Ghz Core2Duo is quite the minimum these days.

 

Ok, cool, I'll check back later on.

 

Hmm, seems I can`t OC the GPUs with Ntune and the quadro 265.x drivers.

I`ll check others...

 

Hey Kade, Kingpin, or Magnus... How's it going, guys?

I know you folks are running NVIDIA SLi, but I am curious if you have any experience with AMD CrossFireX that I can benefit from. Please see what I posted here and let me know if you can.

 

Mr. Fox,
I'll be getting an X-fire 5870s in my replacemet system for the M17X-R1, naturally, it's an R2. I will experiment the hell out of that setup.

 

Hmm I am not too familiar with profiles for ATI GPU´s. It would be great if there is any kind of program like Nhancer for Nvidia GPU´s.

Have you tried any config by the way for Crysis? That could probably be better and make you achieve higher framerates than what you have in stock settings in Crysis.

 

@eleron

I have ziped all my Nhancer profiles now and attached them here. See if there is anyone to use.

I would love to tweak a crossfire system though if I got my hands on one.

 

Thanks dude

 

Use evga precision mate, it works OB.
if youre running 2s 98k GTX, go for 600/1500/900 , its stable 100%.
Anything higher requires overvolt.
If youre under 88k gtx, go for 640/1550/950. Stable with no overvolt.

 

That's what I am thinking to. The low 3dMark score, the odd clock frequencies and other factors lead me to believe one of the cards was dead or at least having serious issues before I ever did anything.

Will prob just call Dell and report it as such. I also noticed that my AC adapter was showing as 'unknown device' in Bios before so in combination I am even ok with sending it back and just paying restocking fee of 15% and buying a new one if it comes to that. I'll report what 'customer service' tells me..

Yeah didn't blame you anyway, have been a tech myself and should know what I am doing

 

Sa du ar Svensk du med?

 

Dan,
If also your ac adapter was giving unknown device then theres more than one problem here.
First it can be the ac adapter, in the worst of the cases it can be the mobo.
Anyway try with the media button, you should be able to boot in windows at least or attempt a reflash.

@ mr.fox: nope never had the pleasure to use crossfire. Based on what i read around is more a pain in the than a pleasure, much like nvidia sli, but less working. Im pondering to go crossfire with my desktop (hd5850 vaporx oc toxic 2gb) thought. When it happens it will be my pleasure to assist you with all my knowledge.

@ Magnus72: mate i gifted my bro desktop with my old gtx260,so he's on sli right now under i5 760 @ 3,4ghz. It will be fun to see how well it performs in benchmarks, im planning to run some tomorrow. Ill keep you posted because i know you'll love it

 

@Danlar yep svensk här med

@Kingpin, yes do run some benchmarks of the GTX 260 SLI. I know GTX 260 in SLI scales really good and they should be killers in SLI

 

Ok well that went well.

Getting a replacement m1730, same exact specs but with a t9300 @ 2.5GHZ instead of the t8100 @ 2.1 so I can't say I am unhappy at all.

The replacement is shipping out today and with it hopefully a happy ending to my 'fried' laptop

Delivery confirmed for replacement within 10 days. Bone white, t9300, 4GB, 2 x 320GB (got an extra drive as well) and SLI GTX 8800.

 

Nice and you can get that 2.5Ghz to 2.7 using Throttlestop

By the way I just tested Dead Space 2 on the XPS M1730 and it runs great with all options maxed at 1920x1200 No framedrops whatsoever

 

hello from a n00b! i bought a well spec'd M1730 new in Q1 2008. there was $$$ burning a hole in the wallet & i wanted something extraordinary which would last for years. so far, so good disclaimer: i'm not a pc gamer at all. just a dell enthusiast, perhaps, and into making my own music.

everything is original except operating system, hard drives, and keyboard. anyway some specs below. can't remember what's standard or optional, so here's mostly everything.

mxg071/xpsm1730 (red panels)
x7900 2.8ghz core 2 extreme (ich8m-e)
4gb ddr2 667mhz memory
2 x 750gb/7200rpm in non-raid (originally 2 x 320gb raid0)
wuxga 1920x1200 17" lcd
nvidia geforce 8700m
sigmatel stac9228
ageia physx is currently off so i can compare pwr consumption
win7 x64, skipped right over vista (still has win xp sticker!)
verizon 3g wwan card which still gets online (dell code "mn624")
illuminated keyboard/numpad (also have black non-illuminated spare)
logitech gamepanel lcd
bose companion 3 series ii external speakers
bluetooth
wifi
expresscard slot
firewire port
infrared port
ricoh 8-way card reader
bios a03 (cannot easily upgrade w/ this dead battery)
dvi port
s-video port
ethernet
4 x usb
phones/phones/mic audio jacks
new mobo batt yesterday
hardware radio switch

looking forward to reading the m1730 threads for keeping the megalith my main squeeze for a long time to come! i love this laptop...

 

Hi Guys,

I really need some assistance with this. I have an out of warranty XPS m1730 with 2 x 512mb Nvidia 9800gt SLI'd and Intel T8300 2.4ghz. 4gb RAM

It intermittently boots up.

What I mean is, sometimes it powers on but doesn't get to bios or show any screen activity. The power lights come on and the HDD LED flashes a couple of times but the laptop doesn't attempt to boot.

When it does boot past post and loads Windows 7 it may behave itself, but sometimes the screen would go black. When this happens, the computer still functions; MP3s continue to play when the screen goes black. This could happen after 5mins or after several days. Very intermittent.

Because it's intermittent, my first inkling is that there was a loose connection somewhere. I had the whole thing apart, re-secured the graphics module. Alas the problem remains.

It's the latest Bios version (A11).

Help! Is the motherboard or GPU on it's way out? Please don't let it be an expensive repair!

 

Oh, and it's not over heating, I monitor these using RivaTuner

 

Nice, didnt even think of using throttlestop
@2.7Ghz I don't even think I'll have a need to replace the t9300 with a X9000

 

However an X9000 will give you a really nice boost in games

 

It can be lcd related or a power issue.
First pull out your battery, then keep pressed the power button for a minute.
Put back your battery and go to bios, check under battery and power if your ac adapter is correctly shown as ac 230w.
If it does test the machine a bit. Be sure that your ppwer management is set to the best power plan.
If it still behaves strangely, turn off then turn on the laptop with the media button (small button near the power button) and see if its stable.
The media button forces to use only one card instead of two.
If its stable then probably is the gpu the problem.
If not then it can be either the lcd or the lcd connector on the gpu.
Good luck mate!

@DanLar: very good mate, hope to see your benchmarks soon

 

Hi Kingpin,

Appreciate the response. It won't be an LCD connector issue as I've had the thing in pieces so have personally checked those. Also, it doesn't boot with external monitors either.
This media button thing interests me though, I'll let you know how that pans out. Do you think that it's not motherboard related?

 

Anyone tried Dead Space 2 yet? I will post a youtube vid of it today to show how it runs. I mean it rarely drops below 55 fps and goes up to 140 fps in some areas this with AA enabled 1920x1200 fully maxed out

 

I would try it mag if only my adsl comes back up, im off since tonight damn rain storm!
Prolly ill be back in 2 days, now im using my iphone to catch up with you guys.
Btw post your sli profile I guess youre running it under Xp yes?

 

Cant be the mobo imho, because if your lcd goes off but you still able to hear the mp3 playing then the laptop is working, hence the mobo.

Instead you said that your video out is cut off as well, so im really oriented to say that your gpu module is going to paradise.
Also the lcd connects directly via the gpu module therefore i'd exclude anything else: or is it the gpu or the lcd.
If you are sure that the lcd is ok then the gpu is the culprit.
Use the system by the media button trick and check if its stable. If it is then you nailed the problem.

 

Here is the vid YouTube - Dead Space 2 1920x1200 Max Quality, XPS M1730, X9000 3.8GHz, 8800m GTX SLI@660/1650/950

Nah actually I am running it under Vista 64 this time, haven´t tested it yet in Win XP

I have attached the Nhancer profile for Dead Space 2 below.

 

Great stuff mate, ill go check it

 

Well I just tested it in Win XP SP3. As always Win XP comes out as a clear winner in performance. Now we are talking about 100-230+ fps in Dead Space 2 compared to what I had in Vista 64.

 

Clear winner yes, someone on Ati forum benched both XP and 7 and there was a wide gap indeed, you confirmed it.

Anyway benched my bro pc with the SLI GTX260.

Cpu @ 3,8ghz it runs HOT althought i had the voltage lower...STOCK COOLING SUCKS. Well Sandy's doesnt need voltage and stock cooler is awesome, but first gen i5 are HELL.

Anyway: 23,887pts.

 

Is that in 3D Mark 06? Yes I love my Core I7 2600k. 4GHz and the CPU maxes out at around 55c No need to adjust voltage either, still stock voltage. Would be great if this was the case with the X9000. I would love to be able to run the X9000 at 4.2Ghz 24/7

I mean I can bring up my Core I7 2600k easily to 4,6Ghz or even higher. Though no need for it right now. A Core I7 2600k at 4Ghz is no slouch

However I flashed my GPU´s once more now, lowering the voltage to 0.95v for the Extra performance level of the 8800m GTX. Instead this lowered the temps by a few degrees meanwhile still allowing me to overclock with undervolted GPU´s. This is certainly where I will stay undervolted but overclocked

I was eager to send my GTX 460 back and get the GTX 560 instead. However I am very happy with the GTX 460 and it´s performance so I think I will instead SLI it later this year with another GTX 460

For now my GTX 460 runs at 850/1700/3800 and temps maxes out at around 65c for the GPU

 

That sounds amazing. I have to say. Even my desktop Q8200 @3GHZ w ATI 4850 struggles w Dead Space/Dead Space 2.

 

DanLar75 yes I have no problem at all with Dead Space 2, as I said in an earlier post the framerate in my tweaked Win XP SP3 is between 100-230+ fps in Dead Space 2. Quite impressive considering it is a notebook it is running on at 1920x1200 This notebook never ceases to amaze me in regards to performance.