How is XPS M1530 heat?

I ordered an XPS M1530 a few days ago. While I wait for it to get here I have a few questions. How is the system heat when doing normal tasks like web browsing? Is it cool enough to sit on my laptop with out wanting to reach for a cooling pad?


Can't wait for it to get here.

 

I didn't put it on my lap but mine seemed to get pretty hot. The fan would run sometimes during normal tasks. When I played a game it would run continuously. When I put my hand next to the vent it was pretty hot. Hot enough that I didn't want to put my hand there for long.

Sorry no actual #'s..

 

How about the bottom of the machine. How did that feel to the touch?

 

To me the part of the system that seems to get hottest is the palmrest and the area opposite on the bottom of the system. I do put my laptop on my legs and it gets hot but not too the point of being uncomfortable. I find as long as you don't block the intakes or vents with anything it's bareable.

 

the 9 cell battery raises the back of the laptop about 3/4 of an inch which allows for better air flow. i sit it on my lap to surf the web and other similar things. but for gaming i think u wont want it on ur lap

 

You can browse the internet and do other nonintensive tasks on your lap just fine without it heating up, but if you're gaming at all you won't want it there. Just don't block the fan vent.

 

the left palmrest and the touchpad get pretty hot. just use a mouse and you're probably fine

 

So this thing is comfortable to use in my lap if I make sure not to block the vents and/or use the 9 cell battery to prop it up.

I just want to avoid having to lug around my cooling pad with my laptop everywhere I want to use it much. It adds a good 2-3 pounds to my bag.

 

I wouldn't worry about bringing a cooling pad everywhere. This laptop does a very good job at keeping itself cool. I've had mine on for 18+ hours straight and it really only felt warm. The only time I can see it getting hot is when gaming for like 3+ hours at a time, but what laptop wouldn't heat up in those conditions?

 

Thats great news. My current laptop, a Sager NP2090 gets really hot after a few min with out a pad. I got sick of this thing for a handful of reasons including the heat and decided to ebay it and get a 1530.

 

That's strange, I heard that the Sager NP2090 was supposed to be a pretty cool-running machine?

At least in some reviews that was a "pro" of the machine.

 

Actually mine doesn't get very hot most of the times, the HDD is around 40 c during normal use...however i recoment getting a notebook cooler for home..it can knock of 5-7 c from hdd...

 

Thats not what I have found at all. The thing gets really warm and uncomfortable on my lap in a pretty short time.

 

I always put mine on my lap and it gets quite hot. Enough for me to feel uncomfortable. The left side of the trackpad is where the hard drive is housed so that gets quite hot too but not so hot that the area is unusable.

 

According to SpeedFan this thing is getting quite a bit warmer than I'm comfortable with. During normal activities like simple web browsing, the main system sensor reads around 140F, the two CPU sensors read around 120F and the nVidia GPU sensor reads about 140 to 150F. Now SpeedFan could obviously be doing something wrong (or I could be misconfiguring SpeedFan), but something tells me these figures are pretty close.

What has me concerned is the longevity of a laptop that is constantly turning up temps around 140F. And to give my own opinion on the matter of lap comfort, this is the first time in my life I've considered purchasing one of those lap cooler things. And my previous laptop was an HP nx9010 which I thought ran as hot as any laptop in the world.

This is otherwise the most pleasurable laptop I've ever used. I got the thing relatively loaded with the options, so for me anyway it's a heck of an upgrade over what I had. I did however have higher hopes for the thermal management.

 

I've got one of these babies on the way and I'm planning on using it laptopish.. aka sitting on the couch, etc. Heat is a concern of mine, but I do have a Targus ChillPad. Anyone seen some definitive results with a chillpad and the 1530? My thought is I will get one of those pillowy deals with the hard surface on one side and just toss the lapper up there on top of the Chillpad while I play Orange Box or surf or something equally as exciting..

 

The laptop gets too hot. it breaks my nerves... 45-55c idle, 80-90c full load

 

Try undervolting the cpu a bit (can take off 5-20c under load) , also think of applying some better thermal compound (i used arctic cooling mx-2, took off an extra 2-3c)

under 100% load my temps are 67c cpu, and 74c gpu (prior to these mods/tweaks, my load would easily exceed 90c on the gpu)

I now idle at a cool 42c cpu, 53c gpu

 

Browsing with like 15 tabs open in Opera with HDMI cord to 24" Ultrasharp (2408WFP) @ 1920 x 1200, room temperature around 77F:

Taken from HWMonitor.

 

yur temps are actually fine. perfectly normal temps for light use. my GPU runs at about 55c-60c and my CPU hits 45c-lower 50c durin light use. there are other laptops that have the same GPU and are runnin about 10c+ hotter at idle/load, so u should be fine. just make sure not to block any vents like everyone else has said. try to DL HWmonitor and see if readings are matchin up.

the m1530 gets a little warm, but nothin that isn't too uncomfortable or out of the norm. the palm rest gets a bit warm around the touch pad area cuz of the HD (lower left) and wifi card (to the right of HD) placement.

 

Anyone Know if applying artic silver 5 will void the warranty, or give dell any means to get out of warranty (like "Thermal compound was changed, therefore possibility of overclocking hence VOID") you know, that kind of way.

Mine - overclocked and gaming only hits mid sixties, though I'd still like to get it lower if possible. Though given the possible gpu 'heat cycling' failure issue I'd hate to waste the warranty for the sake of a few degrees lower.

 

Yes, afaik, removing the oem thermal compound and getting in AS5 voids the warranty... I think its mentioned in the other guide around here on NBR, about this mod....

 

Its of funny isn't it?

I know with dell they allow you to open the sysytem yet not void the warranty as long as you don't physically damage anything.

You'd think they'd be happy to let you put it in, The cost of the compound wouldn't be at their expense, neither would the time taken to do it, and it could also possibly reduce the no. of returns as the lower temps could save the pieces burning out (potentially) before the warranty's are up.

The mind boggles!

 

don't forget the intake air vent is under the laptop, make sufe your lap don't block it.
Anyways, it is hot, but is the price you have to pay for the design, there is pretty less room inside to hot air to cool, so it transmites heat to the case.

Love my 1530 anyways, so do other people that look at it.