New XPS 15z

Just got my 15z went ahead and opened it up to swap out my HDD with an SSD and was wondering if anyone has reapplied thermal paste. I didn't get to spend much time but I saw that the CPU was "glued" kinda like hot glue to the motherboard. Just wondering if there was anyway to physically remove the CPU from the Mobo or am I just missing something...

 

The CPU is soldered on the board for the 15z . No upgrade possible ...

 

I don't suppose anyone has tried cramming 16GB into these yet? I could go to 8, but I' d be perfectly willing to go for overkill if it can handle 8GB modules.

 

Just received my xps 15z:
i7, 320 5400hdd, 8gb ram, 525m 2 gb, FHD 1080p screen.

has the screen door effect. My wife who usually tells me I am too sensitive about my new gear issues actually sees the problem as well so i think its actually an issue.

Anyone else notice that the problem makes pixelated pictures and videos worse? I think it accentuates the grain by adding its own black pixels (or rather the dark spaces in between the pixels accentuate the actual bad pixels in the grainy or bad pics).

Low quality vids, which were decent on my old HP HDX16t 1080p screen are much worse and you can see individual squares in the light scenes.

I compared my IPAD2 screen on the same web page and see more pixels on my supposedly more dense dell 1080p screen than my non HD IPAD screen. on the HDX it looks great. Most pics on web pages especially look horrible as they are grainy to begin with.

Has anyone had dell replace LCD and actually seen a noticeable improvement? or do the replacement panels have the same problem (hardware spec issue rather than defective unit?)

Planning on calling dell for service tomorrow, but wanted to know what my expectations should be regarding the fix...so far everything else has been good, and I would hate to have a tech open the box and possibly mess up something else just to see the same issue on the new screen.
thanks for any input from fellow screen door-ies

 

I got my screen replaced.. However the new one did not seem to resolve the issue.

Can you turn down the colour to normal in "windows mobility center"

This might help the blockiness in the videos and images.





Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

Does anyone know if the screen door issue is also in the "refreshed" models... like the ones that came out past september... Mine comes in on thursday and I am pretty nervous...

 

I have received mine 28 Nov 2011

 

Screen door affect exists on all models.

As far as CPU whine, it seems to be worse with the I7, I have a couple of these laptops, the I5 is not as bad CPU whine wise. With the recent I-7 (build date January 2012) the keyboard backlight issue is fixed. The older one, it still remains.

 

I saw that and tweeted about it yesterday. Scratching my head over that one. I guess they wanted to get the 14 out with the Ultrabook hoopla at CES, but the comparative wallflower of a 15" Envy got kinda hosed later.

As long as it's a standard notebook BD at 9.5mm z height, it should fit. We couldn't procure them in necessary quantity for production at launch, so we had to go with DVD only for the time being.

 

Hey Bill,

Thanks for being the go-to Dell person on this board! Good to see that someone at Dell appreciates and tracks the viral market. Keeping an ear to the ground helps great companies innovate even greater products.

Planning an SSD HD swap and noticed the bottom panel screws use an incredibly tiny Phillips screw hole. Is this the normal screw or is this to discourage owners like me getting in there and mucking about?

 

@skoodog I think they are standard Phillips size 0 screws. They aren't the challenge with removing the bottom panel. The bottom panel is the challenge. lol. You have to be very careful to work your way patiently around the perimeter when popping the palmrest and base apart. Feel free to tear it down. The way we write our warranties typically lets you do all the tearing down you want as long as you don't induce damage. If you break something, and we can prove it (key point), you have to either fix it yourself or have us do it at our depot repair rates.

Edit: Use the service manual if you decide to open it up.

 

Hey Bill. I have a question. Is there a way to get my Order Expedited. I really need this laptop i ordered and i do not see any sense in waiting for it for two weeks almost. If you need any of my information, feel free to email me at [email protected]

 

I don't think that's really in his job description. My question was more directed at the actual product than my specific order - he probably doesn't work in order processing and you would be better served going through Dell itself.

 

I have seen where he has helped people get their order that had either been cancelled or been delayed for two months.

 

I can't do anything personally, but in the past I have been able to get the guys on the social media team to help out. It's easier and quicker if you reach out to them directly. The 3 best ways:
Twitter- @DellCares
Facebook- Facebook.com/Dell and use the support link on the left.
Dell Forums- Not as quick as Twitter or Facebook, but still works.

If it really goes south on you after those guys try to help, let me know.

 

Hey Bill. The twitter people said they couldnt help because it was already in the build stage. I Told them why I need it so quick. That is because my desktop crashed four days ago. and I am seriously behind on my school work as my classes are online. If i cant get it by wednesday or thursday of this coming week, i will either fail the class or have to withdraw from it and both of those will put my graduation back another year. I really hope you can find a way to get it built faster.

 

If its that important, I suggest you go to a local library and do your work. My school has a full computer lab and its not like they check ID's. I am not sure where you live but I would suggest 1. Going to your school's library, 2. Going to the nearest schools library, or 3. going to a public library.

I am not sure if you have many friends, but ask around... I am sure that someone has an old netbook that they never use anymore. Hell, if you live near jacksonville florida I will let you borrow one of my computers until your new one comes in.

I am not trying to call bs on your story, but to drop out of school because you have not had a computer for 4 days seems like a far-fetched story. I can totally under being inconvienced, but to drop out... really...

 

i understand. but i also have full time job as well so by the time i get off work the local library and my school library is closed.

 

Sounds a bit far-fetched, I agree...If I were in his shoes, would I fail the class, drop out, or just go to Best Buy/Staples/Walmart and get the cheapest notebook that has wifi and use it until my Dell came, then return it? BB, I know, has no return fees. Neither does Apple, and I think they have some notebooks they'd be happy to sell him!

Not to mention dozens of other options available to him.

Hmmmm.....

 

nevermind. i should just keep my mouth shut.

 

I really didn't mean to come off as rude... I am sorry if I came about that way. This forum is for people with similar interests and who are passionate about the computers they have. I am glad your a part of our community and I really didn't want to start a flame war.

We all are giving you valid options though. Stay in school and don't let a computer stand in the way of that. The option of returning the computer is a good one that I didnt think of. I know Target sells netbooks and I think they have a decent return policy too. Walmart should have a cheap e machine laptop for the meantime.

Either way, I just wanted to apologize if I came off as being harsh or rude.

 

its ok. ijust really need it. I had a del inspiron that i used for it but i used it for gaming too and the gaming card wasnt up for it. and besides the screen was too small. i needed someting bigger. i looked at the laptops dell had and i liked the options that the XPS 17 have. I know im on another thread but i just wanted to see if anyone could help me get it faster by knowing a way to get dell to biuild it faster. and btw The screen on my inspiron broke so i cant use it either. I have three nieces that love to play and the didnt know it but they broke it by sitting on it lol.

 

I know ima like my XPS 17 when i get it. i just wish i didnt have to wait for two weeks

 

Did anyone notice that A09 Bios came out... I just upgraded to A08 a few days ago and A09 came out on 2/2/12

 

Nothing fixed as far I know all the issue remains same. I already tried BIOS A07>>A08>>A09.

 

I hate how they never really say what the updates do... My trackpad seems to work a tad bit better... not sure if thats the "placebo" effect or its really the cause...

 

does anyone know how to use a tv tuner with a laptop

 

yes... plug it in via usb... then start windows media center...

 

ok thanks. Will it come with an antenna

 

usually it will

 

Installed my Samsung SSD drive this weekend and I have to say, I appreciate the caution and tips everyone gave for dis-assembly of the back panel because it REALLY helped out a ton. Install was a breeze but I must say, I'm a bit annoyed at the lack of attention to detail on the refurb team. My battery was held in with three screws, not the factory six, and all the back panel screws as well as the HD cage screws were screwed in so tight I'm surprised the panel/drive wasn't damaged. I nearly stripped the screws trying to get them out. I've been building comps for about 10 years now and there is absolutely no need for that kind of tension on the screws.

It runs like a dream now though - one problem I have noticed is the fan noise issue is prevalent. It was so bad that my roommate was asking me what that whine coming out of the back of my computer was and was it normal. Well...that's definitely not good, but at least the bottom of the PC was relatively cool to the touch so I can deal with a little noise to save the life of my computer. (I generally push my PCs to the limit performance-wise so cool > quiet.)

It's not perfect but given the deals I got I can deal with it. Still need to tweak the SSD a bit and work on a few other things but all in all a pretty decent rig. Next up is the game stress-testing!

EDIT: Just wanted to add - has anyone tried to replace the fan in their 15z? I know that's annoying b/c you don't want to buy a laptop only to have to make hardware upgrades to it (like for instance a desktop gaming rig), but I'm wondering if you couldn't try to swap it out. Usually fans are hard-soldered in so I'm betting no.

From a design perspective, what are the thoughts of using larger profile fans with better fan speed management on the BIOS in laptops? Is there simply not enough real estate with the ultrabook movement making such a big push? Has there been much development on better heat management like has already been tapped into in the desktop market with copper coils and ramsinks?

 

FYI, the fan in the 15z is definitely removable and is fairly easy to replace.

BUT, regarding your fan noise...is your fan at a constant high speed or does it increase and decrease, depending on temp? When you first turn it on, is it as loud as say, an hour into using the PC?

The reason I ask is because I had an issue with a 15z (not mine) that had a fan that ran at full blast all the time. Dell replaced the system board twice, and the fan twice before the problem was fixed.

Hopefully this isn't your case!

Also, you can view the 15z service manual and check out what is required to remove and replace your fan here.

 

It's after prolonged use - I was downloading some games off Steam which on my crappy overloaded Time Warner node takes a few hours. Came back to hear it running hard.

Did you try to replace the fan? Do we know who makes the fan? Is it some cheap Chinese no-namer? Given the speed was happening at what the computer thought was high load, I'm wondering if their is some way to have it spin at slower speeds, but we're exhausting my knowledge at this point (and I'm not sure if that needs a better fan at the outset with specific controlled wiring).

 

The fan speed is completely controlled by the BIOS/System board. Changing the fan won't fix anything unless the fan is bad, in which case it should be either not running at all or running full blast.

I've seen where the CPU/GPU heatsink was badly installed and the thermal pads on the graphics RAM were way off center, and the CPU thermal goop was badly applied. In this case, the cooling system was not able to keep the CPU and GPU RAM cool, causing the fan to endlessly run high, trying to keep the system cool. Reapplying thermal pads and properly cleaning and applying high quality goop helped considerably on one 15z.

 

Just put in my fan replacement order. We'll see if that clears up the very obvious rattle at any speed.

 

Its quite possible you have a bad fan... Mine only comes on under load.

Do you have your power settings to Max Performance? I leave mine at power saver while at school (as not to annoy anyone with the fan) but at balanced power it comes on at about 50% speed and at max with a game running... Its audible. There is no high pitch noise though...

 

So here's a new wrinkle...

Was downloading Skyrim off Steam while cleaning up my kitchen and I couldn't have been in there for more than an hour when I come back to notice my computer is off. I hit the power button and it gives me the warning that my battery has less than 3% and I've lost any data prior to hibernation...um, what?

I bought this thing because reviews said it would have a relatively long battery life (4.5 hours is the minimum any major reviewer hit), but apparently it can't even last more than 2.5 hours on idle battery. If I wanted an expensive desktop replacement I could have gotten an Asus with better specs for cheaper. This is upsetting.

 

Under high settings while downloading a large file, ya, the battery will get spent pretty quickly.

I played a game of league of legends with full charge when I started. I had the settings all the way up and when the game ended (45 minutes later) I noticed the battery was at 14% left.

The battery on power saver mode with the brightness down can last quite a long time.

 

4.5 hours for light duty. I wouldn't call doing a steam download, which can easily saturate available bandwidth, light duty.

 

To those of you who purchased refurbished units... Did yours come with the insert for the memorycard reader? Mine did not and I am not sure if I should call dell and see if they will send me one... After really weighing the pros/cons of this notebook, I think that I am going to keep it after-all.

 

Yes, all the ones I have ordered came with the card reader insert.

I've got an extra. PM me and I can mail it to you (free).

 

I ordered this computer off of the Dell outlet site. I ordered the configuration with a 750GB hard drive. It got here and I was so excited! Looks fantastic! However, it only has a 320 GB hard drive. I'm not sure what to do about this. I've already spent 4 hours on the phone with them fixing problems entirely on them when they cancelled my first order for no reason. Now i'm afraid I might have to send the whole thing back again. What a pain in the .

 

Where is the XPS 14z thread on this? I cant find it. Thanks!

 

Here you go Dell 14z

 

PM Sent. Sorry for the long delay, I was out of town all weekend. Thank you so much!

 

Replacement fan received and installed. Fan noise? what fan noise? I think the original one was defective out of the box.

 

Do you think I'd be able to set up dual SSD's in a raid array, using the optical drive caddy?

 

Has anyone tried applying thermal paste, versus the pads?

 

First thing if put your primary HD in place of ROM you will void your warranty because dell don't allow.

 

BIOS does not have RAID configurations. You'd have to setup a software RAID, which you don't really want to do, plus I believe the ODD SATA is SATA 2 and PRIMARY SATA is SATA 3.

Get yourself a nice 17" notebook with dual HDD bays if you really want RAID.