Finally, my XPS 1530 being replaced due to GPU fails!!

Hey!

Most of you know my *history* with my GPU fails on my XPS 1530 *Scarlett*, and the damage the "OnSite Technician" did to my lappy when replacing the Mobo' etc.

Well, after a few days of slowness, overheating, and freezing up...I got onto chat today (for well over an hour I sat before being connected). And, I presented my problem calmly.

**Last night I did a PreBoot Diagnostic, and that was a major fail, so I had that to my advantage! : ) I have had several GPU's replaced, and this time..I was done.

The Chat Rep spoke with his Supervisor and they agreed to replace with: "The contract or the warranty what you have on this system will be carried on to the replacement system". So, I'm getting a SXPS 1640.

And, it will take 3-4 weeks to process. I hope my 1530 doesn't completely die by then Finally, some resolve. I will surely miss the XPS 1530..it has been a wonderful lappy ~ minus the GPU issues incurred. But, now it's time for something new.

I wish I knew what the replacement specs' were going to be, and you didn't have to wait the 3 weeks to find out

It appears from what I have seen thru the threads here, that Dell is finally replacing other 1530's owners problematic GPUs with replacement lappy's, also!

I hope for the best going forward. Now I get to join the ranks of the SXPS 1640!

Cin...

 

Congrats on getting a replacement, Cin! Hopefully this one will be a bit more stable!

 

you will love your 1640, i just got mine its AMAZING! the rbgled is insane!

 

Thanks, Richard...I think it will be...staying positive. A very good thing!

Oh thank you for the feedback! Did you have a 1530, also?


Cin...

 

Wait don't you have xps 1340 that you got from another replacement?

 

Nope..I had been pushing for a replacement for the 1530, and wished for a 1340 for a purchase/or replacement. But, Dell wanted to replace the GPU, and just fix the mistakes the Technician made before. : )

I will take the 1640. I guess I could have pushed for a 1340, but really was tired, and stunned that they did the replacement.


Cin...

 

the 1340 sucks, i have one.. trust me the 1340 and 1640 are like night and day.

 

Could you give us your opinion on the two and why you prefer the 1640? Im trying to decide between the two as well, thanks!

 

Yeah, I'm excited..either way..to be getting a replacement lappy.

I will really miss the 1530 though...had it for awhile. But, the 1640 is very nice so it will work out for the best.

I just wish I knew my specs'


Cin...

 

@cin, i didnt know my specs til i kept chatting dell every day on dell chat, if u can chat the dell rep and ask for your customer ID/order ID number you can go to dell.com/support and enter it in the order status it will give u your specs.

ok well, i have a 1340 with normal screen and a 1640 with rgbled

1340 cons-
screen washed out, trying to watch videos full screen the videos look very distored and fuzzy.. flash videos look interlaced..
speakers ARE SOOOO WEAK they sound horrible.
the little rubber nubs fall off quickly.

1640 pro--
AMAZING SCREEN. it looks bigger then 16"
the sound system packed into this little laptop --ok its not really "little" but the speaker system sounds GREAT! the resolution is 1920x1080 where as the 1340 had 1366x768 (i believe).

battery life on the 1640 i get little over 2hrs on "performance"

battery life on the 1340 i get close to 4hrs on "balanced"

i really like my 1640, its brought back NEW faith in dell because the 1340 REALLY REALLY let me down

notice the difference between the screens?

 

Thanks bluejake, love the side by side comparison

 

no problem. i seen a 18.4" laptop in person today so now i want one of those.. maybe a dell xps 1840 will come out!

 

I'm also getting a 1640 as a replacement for my 1530. I'm supposed to find out next Friday, the 15th, what the specs are. Like you I'm hoping my 1530 holds out. It's been overheating even though I had the motherboard replaced this week.

 

So true ... my only complaint, but I have the CCFL screen, is yours the same or do you have the WLED

 

bluejake! Those are very nice comparison pics!

I tried to "chat" today..but Dell Chat seems to be down..and I tried to get on the phone but got lost in "forever hold mode" after 10 minutes, I hung up (was on my cell phone) will call after 9 when my minutes are free!

But I did see some good news on my account...See below!

msboc...I'm glad they are replacing yours, finally! Looks like all us 1530 First Cycle Owners are finally getting due replacements!

I checked my Account Status today, and this is what I saw:

I have a Order Number! Just no specs..

1 079 Customer Kit,Documentation, Airborne $1.99
Order Date: 1/7/10
Order Status: In Production
Shipping Method: Next Business Day
Estimated Delivery Date: Data Temporarily Unavailable
Carrier: Not Shipped
Tracking Number: Not Shipped

So, I have no "specs" yet...yet the above information....

Maybe this is the beginning of my order being in preparation. I hope.

If anyone else who has had their 1530 replaced has seen this, could please chime in and advise, I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Cin...

 

on my 1340 i have the normal screen, im going to be selling it here for around $650 when i format it and stuff... so if neone is interested in it for whatever reason

 

Hmmmm. When I spoke to tech support yesterday, they told me the order had been placed last weekend. But they didn't have a number to give me. They told me that I'd get it when I got the phone call. Has anyone called you? Where did you get your order #?

BTW... just curious... When did you get your 1530?

 

I went to dell.com, signed into myaccount, and just checked under MyOrders, and there sat a Odd Order for 1/7/10, with the Order Information, and I knew it had to be linked to my replacement lappy.

Dell chat was down this afternoon, so I finally got thru on the phone with a Tech Rep, and they advised it was one of the Order steps towards a replacement lappy. And, they gave me my Case Number & Dispatch number that my Chat Rep forgot to e-mail me, so that was helpful.

I was a bit apprehensive though, when the phone Rep reminded me that a replacement/exchange is equal to what I currently have, and I could be getting a 1530. He had said to me who authorized the replacement, and I told him to check the notes, as all the pertaining info was in there! At that point it was time to end the conversation, it was not necessary for me to do a repeat of my chat earlier this week, I felt. : )

My 1530 was received 1/08. When was yours?

Cin...

 

All I have is a dispatch #. I just checked my account and nothing's there about the new computer. Actually, what's even stranger is the fact that my 1530 isn't even listed there. All that's there is my old Inspiron and a purchase and refund I made a few weeks ago for Dell software support when I couldn't get rid of a virus. ( a total waste of time.)

I guess I'll wait until next week and call again. I was told that I was getting a 1640. I don't think there are many 1530s left except maybe on the education web site which is actually where I purchased mine.

I got my 1530 in June of '08. Just wondering whether there was a bad batch.

 

Your lucky you got a Dispatch #!! I had to call to get that!

Oh on the account information status at dell.com, when I had checked that a few weeks back I had the same results. I'm thinking it's a system fluke. As, all my order info' was missing at that time from the last 2 years (even recent 60 day orders). So, I bet it will get corrected.

Yes, call on Monday ~ maybe you will have better information. Did they say if you would be receiving Win 7 with your 1640, by chance?

I think Dell is prolly getting tired of replacing all the Mobo's on the 1530's and that is why the are sending out replacements?

Cin...

 

Cin', if you call Dell Support with that dispatch number, they should be able to give you the Service Tag for your replacement unit, and from there you can go online and look through your account to find out the specs by entering in the Service Tag # under My Systems. Dell also will call you in an automated call as well. Did you get my PM I sent you earlier this week?

And you will most likely be getting Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit.

 

Oh, I will call or check chat tomorrow, then! And, I replied to your PM.

Well, if I get Vista 64bit, I can just do the upgrade to Win 7 Ultimate like I did on my 1530, no biggie.

The waiting again..is the hardest part.


Cin...

 

Yeah I hear ya on the waiting part. It is a very anxious time indeed.

I wish I had Windows 7 Ultimate... I have Win 7 Home Premium coming my way. I use Remote Desktop often, and Remote Desktop Host is only on Ultimate I think.

 

yayayayayay!

Go free upgrades.

 

I know...reminds when I was waiting (patiently) on my 1530...wow!
Yeah, I really like Win 7 Ultimate, it's very nice to have. And, yes I do believe Remote D.top is only on Ultimate : (

Hoping for a Red one..hoping...Scarlett2

Wahoot! So excited....finally.


Cin...

 

Host is on 7 Professional, too.

Finally! You'll love it; I love[d] mine, even after the hard drive failed.

~Ibrahim~

 

You will get a 1640 for sure they are not sending out any more 1530s. You will also get windows 7. Dell cant send out a computer with vista on it anymore. I am waiting on my 3rd replacement for my 1530. I have gone through hell trying to get a replacement. Dont let them downgrade you like they tried to do to me. I am getting a big upgrade to the 1645 but I have been dealing with this for a little over 2 months now. So good luck to you guys its not a fast process.

 

Hi Cin! well its like im hearing my own story all over again, welcome to the sxps 16 replacement club!!

its a BIG step up from the m1530, trust me! you wont miss your m1530.

here are some things that stand out in comparison ( if your like me, then you wanna know EVERYTHING about the new laptop right now )

- the build quality is a bit better than the m1530, you dont get that wobble on 3 feet that the m1530 gave you

- its a flashy notebook, it WILL get noticed when people are around, the backlit keyboard and the screen are absolutely incredible ( i have especially enjoyed the backlit keyboard, its also a joy to type on )

- the performance is fantastic, the m1530 was already a fast machine, this one is a beast, especially with the ati 4670, it seriously leaves the poor old geforce 8600 way behind.

- the sound is the best ive seen in a notebook, loud and very enjoyable

- mine did come with vista, but i just installed win 7 the moment i opened it up. it also came with the standard led display, not the RGB, this one did seem a bit off in colors and saturation, but a bit of tweaking made the trick

- my only concern is that the hard drive is making weird noises, and the computer lags when it odes so, so im guessing a hard drive replacement is in order...

now one problem that i do notice is that this model is also affected by the throttling, it happened to me twice in all the time ive used it while gaming, this means the problem is there, but nothing to worry about, a BIOS update might fix it...

overall im thrilled with my new computer, its bigger, but lighter and shorter ( 16:9 aspect vs 16:10 )

best of luck with your new laptop!

 

This might be slightly off topic but I found this thread after a bit of searching...

I had an XPS m1530 for almost 2 years now, and suddenly when I turned it on the monitor displayed nothing. After being unable to get anything to show up on an external monitor I decided that the problem was isolated at the GPU.

Does anyone else have this problem or know how to solve it?

Thanks!

 

^ search M1530 GPU Failurep

The Studio XPS 16 is definatly a flashy system, and with good specs, you put most laptops to shame.

I have a C2D 2.93, 6GB RAM and the ATi 4670 Card that I got as a replacement for my M1330. Holy , playing games on it is insanely good. I have the 15.4" screen, and it looks excellent. Watching movies is awesome.

Only problem I've had so far is the HD failed and apparently the tech said it was pretty common

 

Too true. Two of the three SXPS 16's I've had have had hard drive corruption/failures.

~Ibrahim~

 

It's going to be interesting to see what specs I'm given and how much of an upgrade they'll make the 1640's specs.

Has anyone heard about getting upgrades with their replacement computer?

 

I got some pretty nice upgrades coming from an M1330 to a 1640, but I didn't ask for any

C2D 2Ghz -> C2D 2.93Ghz
4GB RAM -> 6GB RAM
8400m GS 128mb -> 1GB ATi 4760

Those were the main upgrades, besides the obivious 13" Notebook to 16" Notebook

 

One interesting thing.... when I was talking to the tech guy a week ago who told me I'd be getting a replacement, he said something like... "you can always ask for blu ray." (Of course they don't seem to be offering that now anyway.) But I wonder at what point you'd get to ask for anything.

Right now, I just want the new computer before this one craps out completely. It runs cool. Then it runs really hot even though I'm doing the same things on it. I loved it... when it was okay. But I'm really looking forward something I don't have to worry about and to Win 7.

Cin... btw...how are you upgrading to Ultimate? I'm wondering whether it's worth it.

 

You can ask for a million bucks, but doesn't mean its gonna happen!

I just wanted a working computer of the equal specs, they chose to send better, so I was happy.

You actually have a good chance at getting Bluray, because they send Refurbished Machines out as replacements. Mine was a "Previously Ordered New" computer. New machines don't have BluRay, but it depends on Dell and how generous they are.

For Windows, my M1330 had Vista Home Premium orignally. The XPS 16 they sent me had Windows 7 Ultimate installed. When I had the M1330, I had Win7 Ultimate installed when it first came out, I got the upgrade from Microsoft because I went to one of their conferences.

I wouldn't try to push for upgrades, as long as you get a machine thats the same specs, you're in a better place because you'd have a decent machine.

Beware, the 1640 runs pretty hot, I've read the 1645 has sigificantly less heat issues

 

@shadow

I had both the 1640 and the 1645. I don't think there was a big difference? I thought both were moderately warm at times.

~Ibrahim~

 

I was told that I'd get a new computer. I really don't want a refurb. Just about every part has been replaced (many at least twice) on this 1530 and it still has a ton of problems. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

What are you doing about the heat? Do you need a separate fan?

 

I am a little envious that you were able to get 6GB, shadow25. I had 4GB in my XPS m1530, and got, well, 4GB. It is perfectly within the System Exchange policy... "equal or better". I just with they went with better instead of equal for the RAM for my 1640 ... since... DDR3 notebook RAM is so expensive

 

Aight...so I had a SXPS 16 that I bought and I chose the standard 4GB instead of paying $175 to get 6GB. Probably the best decision I've made so far. My new replacement system, as can be seen, has 6GB. What have I gained? Nothing. I don't use memory-intensive programs and the 4GB machine handled Word, PowerPoint, FF with 40+ tabs (research project) and a few other programs amazingly. No lag and memory hardly peaked, especially with 7 seemingly less bloated than Vista.

It just makes you feel a bit better inside (I know how geeks work, lol). But, hey, want to know something? All the SXPS 16's 6GB configuration's run in "fake" dual-channel that is slower than the real dual-channel that the 4GB/8GB rigs use. The performance difference is minimal and probably proportionate to the difference between 4GB versus 6GB (size alone) in using programs if you don't use memory intensive programs.

With FF open, I'm at 1.9GB used. Don't think I've ever been over 3GB.

My two cents.

I realize you're a bit envious that while he got 6GB, you only got 4GB, regardless of the speed difference. But, I'll let you know first-hand, right here and now, totally truthfully: waste.....of.....cash.

Save up for an SSD and you'll be in a faster world than an extra 2GB could ever (ever) net you.

~Ibrahim~

 

Congrats on the replacement! Sounds like you got a great replacement.

I got the approval for replacement for my m1330 too. It has been in production just a day before you. Here is my config:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
XPS 1340, Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB 3M L2 Cache)
4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1340
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery
8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive
NVIDIA GeForce NB9M-GE - 256MB
Frameless HD WLED Display, Obsidian Black, Leather, 1.3 MP Webcam
250GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Genuine Windows 7 Professional, 64bit, English
1Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1)
Dell Wireless 1520 802.11n Half Mini-card
Integrated Network Card
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
They gave me a 6 cell but a rep called and say I'll be getting the 9 cell. So hopefully they will ship it later.

I originally bought this laptop on NBR for $700 with -20% bing cash back. Now I'm getting a XPS 1340 thats $1500 config. Dell is AWESOME.

Now the hard part, waiting.... Anyone know how much longer till it is shipped?

 

Oh, I can't wait....I just got a killer deal on a Wifi printer (needed a new one)...

Hey Koer!

It's been a bit!
Yes, we are now part of the "XPS 16 Replacement Club" took a while, but we finally made it! I feel so special!

I know you say I won't miss my 1530..but it's Scarlett, and my first lappy ever! So, some significance there for me!

Thank you for pointing out some comparisons for me! Remember my smiley overload? You got it here!! lulz.

I plan on reinstalling Win 7 Ult, as soon as I receive it. Once, I added Win 7 it was a better improvement for me. When do you think you may call for a HD replacement? Are you going to do a BIOs update soon?

I'm so glad you don't have to fight Dell over the evils of performance issues you had with your 1530 any longer, Koer! Grat's to you!

Well, I have Win 7 Ultimate already on my 1530 (used TechNet Subscription)...so the upgrade will be fairly easy to transfer over to my 1640 once received. To me it was worth it, when I upgraded it on my 1530, the diff. between Vista and Win7 for me was sweet!

Cin...

 

If you noticed in my sig, I have an SSD already ... the 4GB / 6GB is still a bit of an issue for me

 

I seriously hope not to get my HD replaced soon!! ive just finished installing all my stuff, it would be torture to re-do it all again... so im just gonna wait until its too annoying and then il give dell a call ( already have a backup so if it suddenly stalls i wont loose anything )

i think the BIOS update helped, i have the most recent version ( cant remember which ) and the throttling seems to have disappeared now...

lol, yeah i noticed your smiley bombardment!! good to be back

if you have any other question, PM me. oh, and another thing... if you do a fresh install of win 7, you'll notice your eject button doesn't work, you have to install dell quickset, dont ask me why, this button should go directly to the BIOS, like the m1530 did...

 

Howdy!
Yeah, Nope no HD replacement for anyone soon..not allowed..

Glad you were able to get some relief with the BIOS update! And, very good thing that the throttling has disappeared. Yes, those smileys! ..Sometimes I can't help it. I will plan on doing the latest BIOS update, also.

I had spoken with Dell Chat yesterday about getting both of my batteries sent with the lappy (6 & 9 cell), as that is what was ordered with my 1530 ~ they are going to try and push that through. If not, once I receive the 1640 they said to contact Chat and they would overnight one to me. Thanks acaurora, for that reminder!

Yeah, I will surely PM you. Now' it's just remaining patient. Last night I was able to get on my lappy for a bit, and my temp's sky rocketed to 78, then to 80..and then I quickly shut down.

Thanks for the info on the eject button & I will plan on installing the quickset. I bought a new wireless printer today..can't wait to use it with the 1640!

How long did your install of Win 7 take on the 1640?

Cheer's to our new lappys!

Cin...

 

There's a driver fix posted for the noisy seagate issue...not sure if anyone here looked at that or not.

 

ermmm... i cant remember how much time exactly, but it was friggin fast, like less than 30 minutes from inserting the win 7 dvd to logging into my new installation and seeing my desktop.

i didnt know, the ST9500420ASG is a seagate, but i doubt its just noise because the computer stalls for a second or two when the hard drive makes its clicking sounds.

 

Ah, I see. Well it can't hurt, can it?

 

Yeah, for sure! i'll try it tomorrow, right now im struggling to keep my eyes in their sockets, time for bed

thanks for the heads up Fen!

 

No problem.

 

Does new software come with the replacement? I had Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. Will the 1640 come with a later version? What about Office?