Dell XPS15 R2 (L502) Thread

My Dell guy called me today and said they're still having problems with the LoJack software, and doesn't know when my unit will be shipped. Bummer.

 

I'll be doing it when mine arrives, should be in the next two weeks and I'm happy to take some pictures while doing it. Not sure what isn't covered between the L501 thread and the Dell service manual though, but I'd be happy to report any changes.

 

Stonetrap, pictures would be great, but as the guy that requested it, i have never done it and a video would be so much better, not so much for the repaste but for taking the laptop apart, although the Dell guide would help and probably be enough, but a video would be awesome.

 

Pretty sure the aforementioned comparison was between the GT525 (1gb not 512mb) and the GT540. not the 425.

 

Oh, you are buying from the US site. Sorry, thought you were from Canada -didn't think the 2630QM was available in the states

 

It didn't used to be, but now Dell is offering i5's and the i7-2630QM on lower-priced base models.

 

I've already ordered two thermal pastes (ICD 7 & Shin-Etsu X23-7783D) and some arcticlean to do a repaste on this portable heater if I decide to. I'm really interested to see other's temps to see if this is normal or not. Hopefully we will have some more chime in with temps by the weekend. If not, I'm either doing the repaste or calling dell.

 

oh ok, my bad

 

My L502x:

Ordered: 3/4
Shipped: 3/14

i7 2720QM, 1080p, 6gb ram, GT540m, 640gb drive, Soundblaster X-FI MB 1.2, 9-cell, backlit keyboard

Hopefully it arrives by the end of the week.

 

wow I ordered 3/8, I guess if it should ship by the end of this week. Tell us if the soundblaster actually does anything.

 

Mine got shipped today too. I ordered on March 3rd and It got shipped today (March 14) and Fedex said ill be getting it tomorrow (on March 15) I used the 7 day free shipping. just to let you guys know.

L502X
2nd generation Intel Core i7-2720QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.30 GHz
8GB RAM
Backlit Internal Keyboard - English
15.6FHD TLF B+RGLED LCD L501X 1080p
NVIDIA GeForce GT540M 2GB graphics with Optimus
640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Tray Load Blu-ray Triple Writer (reads and writes CDs, DVDs, BDs)

 

Will do.

And just got the tracking number - on the Dell site it says expected date 3/17 but FedEx shipping says 3/16. Also with the free, 3-5 day shipping. Shipping from City of Industry, CA.

 

For people who got their Dell XPS 15 and did a Clean Install of Windows 7 64-bit Can you guys tell me how to do this clean install step by step or link to where I can do this? Plus what is the "Crapware" everyone keeps talking about? Im a noob to all this clean install Here are all of my details of my cutomized Dell XPS 15.......Plus where can I get a Legal Copy of Windows 7-64bit?

1 225-0675 XPS 15
1 317-6409 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2720QM processor 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 3.30 GHz
1 317-6414 6GB,DDR3,2 DIMM
1 331-1668 Backlit Internal Keyboard - English
1 320-1673 15.6FHD TLF B+RGLED LCD L501X
1 421-3874 Camera Software 2.X, Factory Install
1 421-3642 Basic Stage
1 320-2120 NVIDIA GeForce GT540M 2GB graphics with Optimus
1 342-2372 640GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
1 318-0490 Elemental Silver Aluminum (WLAN)
1 420-7938 Dell Connect 2.1
1 420-6576 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp
1 420-6436 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 330-6222 Windows 7 Label
1 421-1737 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 420-9876 Cozi-Calendar
1 421-2086 eBay Webslice
1 421-0757 Skype VOIP Application
1 421-4118 WHITEPAGES.COM,Webslice
1 421-4289 Dell Support Center Software 3.0
1 318-0392 Windows Live Wave 4
1 331-1674 Resource DVD (L502X)
1 430-4038 Integrated 10/100/1000 Network Card
1 410-1883 Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
1 318-0151 Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
1 318-0434 Roxio Creator Starter, FI
1 421-4550 Power DVD 9.6, 3D
1 318-0138 JBL 2.1 Speakers with Waves Maxx Audio 3
1 430-4046 Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000
1 421-4736 Wireless Display Software
1 410-9452 McAfee Platinum, 30 Day, MUI
1 312-1186 92 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
1 410-0487 Microsoft Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word and Excel with ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
1 939-4860 Dell Hardware Limited Warranty, Initial Year
1 939-4870 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus In-Home Service After Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year
1 950-3337 1 Year Limited Warranty
1 950-9797 No Warranty, Year 2 and 3
1 420-8878 Soft Contracts Dell In-Home Hardware Agreement
1 933-0410 Warranty Support, Initial Year
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1 927-2357 DataSafe Online 2.0 2GB
1 421-4356 Software, DataSafe Online 2.0 2GB
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1 430-3893 No Mobile Broadband L501X

Plus after the install what should I do next? Plus what are the benefits of a Clean Install of Windows 7???

 

Ordered 3/8, shipped 3/14, delivered 3/16. Dell EDD 4/1. Must be working OT..WIll be formatted straight out of the box...

 

@ Above9000 - you should check this forum it will give you more than you need Working Legal Windows 7 Download Links (Nice Try, but you still need a key!) (Just like vista before!!)

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

We do clean install beacuse to make HDD Partition and remove dell Bloatware ..

Bloatware -Software that has lots of features and requires considerable disk space and RAM. it decreased RAM and disk storage, bloatware is the disease. so when you will do clean install it will remove extra garbage that you don't need in your laptop and free up some space

 

USA

Ordered mine on 3/8
Shipped on 3/14
Estimated delivery on 3/15 (I took the 7 day slowmo shipping, I guess their drivers speed)

 

When was your expected ship date? I ordered from Dell on 2/26, and the expected delivery date is 3/23 with the free shipping option, which should mean it'll ship this week. Though I will definitely be asking for a discount if Lojack delays it very long.

 

Got mine today! Haven't been able to play with it a whole lot yet...mainly just verified everything worked. My impressions:

- The screen is BEAUTIFUL! Videos/Blu-ray look really good. Add me to the chorus of 1080p disciples.

- Best-ever audio I've heard on a laptop.

- Digging the backlit chiclet keyboard. Also, I like the touchpad, and I've never been too much of a touchpad lover.

- The fans run A LOT. Didn't even tax the machine much. I hope something like I8kfangui eventually supports the L502X.

- Don't like Stage, McAfee, etc. This puppy is getting a fresh-install enema before too long.

Overall, I'm thrilled, and any problems are minor quibbles at present. Finally, for those that understand, the WAF is pretty high.

 

DakkonA, the ESD is in my sig. Has anybody called you from Dell about this issue? Did you order through AAFES?
My guy said that once they fix the LoJack problem, he'll have the production expedited, which means they haven't even started building it yet.
I ordered it 22 Feb, the day they came out, at a 25% discount, so I'm reluctant to cancel the order and get something else, without a discount.

 

any Canadians get their L502x yet?

 

No and no. I ordered through Dell EPP for only a minor discount (probably ~10% from the nominal price). When I canceled my first order through Dell Home which was similarly priced, they offered me another $200 to not cancel, so I suspect I might be able to get at least $100 if I complain. But I think I need to wait until at least later in the week to do so.

 

Any more feedback on the CPU core temperature issue?

My 502 arrives today and if there's some serious cooling flaw, I'm hesitant to unpack it.

 

Not really much you need to know.

1) Insert Windows 7 disc
2) Boot from disc
3) Follow instructions (make sure to delete all existing partitions)
4) Insert driver disc
5) Install drivers
6) ?????
7) PROFIT!

 

Well here's the thing. If the exterior of the laptop isn't that hot, and the temperature of the CPU cores is high but stable and under the thermal protection junction, is it really a problem? Now if it was getting so hot under normal load or if it was getting so hot that it down-clocks under heavy load, we would definitely have a problem.

But for those who have posted high temps, have you also looked at what clock frequency the CPU is operating at while it is at load for an extended period? Does it stay stable or downclock? If it downclocks (since Sandy Bridge responds to the processor's heat), that indicates that it is generating more heat than it can remove. But if both the core frequency and temperatures stay stable, the system is removing as much heat as is being generated.

 

The bolded is optional. I personally plan on clean formatting but leaving my recovery partition untouched. It's better for resale and I like having it available.

 

Ordered:
L502x, i5-2410M, 1080p, 6 GB RAM, Nvidia 540, 640 GB, back-lit keys, 9 cell.

Can't wait, I hope it arrives before March's end *cross fingers*.

 

Guys need some help here, clear my doubts -)

i've decided to buy

Keyboard:
Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800

Mice:
Wireless Trackball M570

Headset:
Wireless Headset H760 ..... Is this a good choice ? i love keyboard and Mice so far but i don't know much about sound quality of headset. i have seen some reviews and they says sounds quality is nice..

 

Just order the new XPS with a sandy bridge i5 on the GF's behalf. Its overkill for her, but the DoD price with the EPP discount couldn't be beat.

 

I love the M570 trackball. I'm using it right now while lying down with my laptop--much better than using a touchpad, IMO.

 

Anyone from the UK received their units yet? I ordered mine on 8th March with 1st April delivery date. Been in 'Work In Progress' since...mind you I ordered a Dell Studio cover so not sure if that delays things. I noticed Dell haven't taken payment for mine yet...is this normal? I've got order confirmation and tracking on website details etc.

 

Dang, i ordered mine 8 days ago and it's already out on a delivery truck. The original expected ship date was 03/31.

 

Hamstar Yeah I'm in the UK ordered mine the 9th with an estimated ship of 31/3. Still "work in progress"
Got one of those studio designs too. When I ordered I was told it would realistically ship around the 20th. I think that might have been a sale tactic though to help with commission over online ordering.

 

but how would one start, just get the windows 7 home premium disc or code and just insert it in the dvd-drive. Plus do i keep everything i mentioned above?

 

That's an encouraging news, I just ordered mine and need it before this month's end.

 

maheshpatel already gave you the info you need to do this in his earlier post. Doing a fresh install is not for a complete newbie, out of respect for your time and ours on the board, nor is this the thread to explain it all in. Google is your friend.

Now, where are those temps?

 

Thanks , i will order one asap ..& Will write my review

 

Mine has just been shipped today! Ordered 3/3/11 and had a delivery date of 3/29/11. Looks like I'll be getting t early!

 

The follow image is from XPS15 L502X


So, it's confirmed L502X use SATA3
You can download this program from here:
GIGABYTE - Support & Downloads - Utility - Motherboard

 

I am going to try this right now, i have a DVD-RW with 4.7gb of space to download the file to the DVD. Its going to take about 2 hours to download this 3.0gb file of Windows 7.

 

Mine arrived about an hour ago - just checking it out.

 

My XPS is expected tomorrow.

Will publish all the temps as i get it.

 

I ran 3dmark06 with default settings and my score/temps are below.

Score: 8300

CPU: 2720QM
CPU0: 83
CPU1: 86
CPU2: 85
CPU3: 84

GPU: 540M
GPU: 68

 

Hi! I'm a little curious about the "thermal issues" with the 2720QM. I've observed this discussion for a bit and was wondering where the actual basis was for these temps being too high. If you take a quick peak at the specs you'll see that the Tjunction temp for this processor is 100°C. And that means it starts throttling at that temp... Does someone have evidence/documentation to support the claims of temps in the 90's being unsafe for the proc? I'd tend to believe that if Intel's spec says 100°C is the limit then anything less should be ok, but that's just me.

Intel® Core? i7-2720QM Processor (6M Cache, 2.20 GHz)with SPEC Code(s)SR00W, SR014

 

That's more like it and expect them to drop more as time goes by. Still 10 degrees more than my l701x but it's fine.

 

The turbo boost function might actually result in max temps closer to 100C than previous processors. Perhaps this is how it's designed to operate--automatically raise clock speeds if needed until you hit 100C, then lower speeds as needed to maintain that temp. If there's a high load on the processor for an extended period of time, it'll drop back to it's non-turbo speed, but for short bursts turbo boost can kick in as long as temps are low enough.

Edit: At least, that's my theory. Note that better thermal pasting could actually still help--not necessarily by lowering max temps but by allowing turbo boost to remain active for longer.

 

If you see new Macbook pro 15 review with I7 2635QM
(sorry it's in German, but the images are clear)
Test Apple MacBook Pro 15 Early 2011 (2.0 GHz Quad-Core, matt) - Notebookcheck.com Tests
you can see that temp goes to 100° and it start throttling
but Mac case temp are very low

 

Did you notice it has two fans? Perhaps that does the trick.

As for Dell's cooling system, I'm holding off with placing an order for L702X, until Notebookcheck published case temps and fan noise levels.

EDIT: Yes, I know, it's the L502X thread, but heat seems to be an issue for both systems. And I'm thinking about getting the smaller one for my wife...

 

No one have used prime95 to test CPU core temp?

ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p64v265.zip

 

Something interesting to note in that test: at idle, the system used 18.2 watts in MacOS but 26.4 watts in Windows 7.

I really hope Microsoft works on improving Windows' power consumption/efficiency.

 

Nice you're in Ottawa too! so when did you order your system? and with what specs? Thanks