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    Getting XPS 15 soon, things to prepare for?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by kingfirejet, Jun 24, 2016.

  1. kingfirejet

    kingfirejet Notebook Consultant

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    Hello guys, I just recently ordered a refurbished XPS 15 and concerned over all the hardware and software issues everyone's been getting. Is there anything I should do when I get my unit other than get rid of the bloat ware?

    Model I got:
    Intel i7 Skylake
    16GB DDR4 Ram
    FHD Matte Display
    GTX 960m
    86whr Battery
     
    kingfirejet, Jun 24, 2016
    #1
  2. hanime

    hanime Notebook Evangelist

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    I have the same setup! I got mine a week ago. Do the following (checks):
    • Open up the back cover, and look inside. Some refurbs have missing screws or loose connections! My first one I returned did.
    • Dents, scratches, scuffs, etc. Anything cosmetically. My first one had HDMI chewed up pretty bad.
    • Imperfections due to bad QA. Dell is pretty known for them here. E.g. trackpad gap, bezel bulge, sharp aluminum bottom cover not aligned to chassis, etc.
    • Dead pixels
    • Light bleed on edge of screen
    • All ports or hardware working (USB, headphone, card reader, etc.)
    • Reinstall a fresh Windows, if possible
    Good luck!
     
    hanime, Jun 24, 2016
    #2
    Kikuri, pressing and kingfirejet like this.
  3. Eason

    Eason Notebook Virtuoso

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    Don't forget to repaste the CPU/GPU and put a new, thicker pad on the lower left VRAM.
     
    Eason, Jun 24, 2016
    #3
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  4. kingfirejet

    kingfirejet Notebook Consultant

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    Everything is working flawlessly with update drivers and such. Feels like a brand new laptop to be honest, saved around $500 compared to the Dell website cost. Overall satisfied :)
     
    kingfirejet, Jun 25, 2016
    #4
  5. GoNz0

    GoNz0 Notebook Virtuoso

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    You may have got a buyer's remorse return if you are lucky.
     
    GoNz0, Jun 25, 2016
    #5
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  6. pressing

    pressing Notebook Deity

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    Why not consider a leap in performance via Throttle Stop?
     
    pressing, Jun 25, 2016
    #6
  7. Nyceis

    Nyceis Notebook Deity

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    What settings do you recommend? Just got my xps15 and I'm curious :)
     
    Nyceis, Jun 25, 2016
    #7
  8. Eason

    Eason Notebook Virtuoso

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    Undervolt core/cache at least. -100mv is pretty safe to start on the xps 15
     
    Eason, Jun 28, 2016
    #8
  9. jdms8911

    jdms8911 Newbie

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    I'm thinking about getting the same setup as this will be my desktop replacement and 'on the go' laptop as well. I currently have a 2015 13" macbook pro retina as my main machine, and it's just not hacking it. The dual core i5/8gb ram just makes everything seem sluggish. What is your average battery life doing basic work?

    Edit: Also, I plan on getting the 9550, 1080 fhd version, but 8gb ram and 256gb ssd.
    Is the ram/ssd upgradeable?
     
    jdms8911, Jun 30, 2016
    #9
  10. pressing

    pressing Notebook Deity

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    The 9550 RAM is upgradeable by user to 32GB in the 15" version. Check around this site as I think some of the SSDs are weak and others are better quality. I upgraded to a Samsung 850 evo and some upgraded to the 950 Pro so do some research there.

    I quite like the FHD screen. Look at the XPS 9550 temperature observations thread here beforehand...
     
    pressing, Jun 30, 2016
    #10