Recently Purchased a XPS 1645 Used. Advice needed

Hi all! I've just recently joined this site and I've done quite a lot of reading about this laptop and noticed the issues surrounding it. I've just acquired one of these laptops for what I thought to be quite a steal, but I'd like to know your opinions. Here are the specs.

Dell XPS 1645
SYSTEM COLOR: Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish
PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ i7-820QM Quad Core Processor 1.73GHz (3.06GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit, English
MEMORY: 6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
HARD DRIVE: 500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE: Slot Load Blu-ray DiscWIRELESS CARDS: Intel® 5300 AGN WLAN Wireless-N
HD DISPLAY: Edge-to-Edge FHD Widescreen 15.6 inch RGBLED LCD
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 4670 1GB

Pros: Was very lightly used. Seems very well taken care of. Restored back to factory settings.

Cons: No warranty. The previous purchaser got an Alienware and transfered the warranty, so I'm SOL in that direction.

I actually just got this system for $1000 flat and after some testing doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with the system. Looks flawless, no cosmetic issues at all. Runs very smoothly, but I have yet to put any stress on it (got it late last night)

I don't believe the bios has been updated to A09 yet and it is still using the 90w Adapter.

My plan is to update to A09 and purchase a 130w adapter. I don't want to purchase the adapter from Dell directly because thats $100 and wayyyy overpriced for the adapter. Does anyone know where I could get one for cheaper?

Also I have purchased the Zalman NC2000 laptop cooler, as I've read that the CPU/GPU temperatures are causing this machine to throttle.

Is there anything else I should be doing to ensure that I won't regret my purchase? I am currently not playing anything crazy like Crysis on this machine.

I typically play Rising Force Online, which I believe has graphics akin to WoW quality or slightly better. Aside from that I may play Heroes of Newerth and Starcraft II on this machine as well. Would I face any performance issues with the laptop cooler and the new power adapter? Is there anything else I can do to make this laptop run better?

Thanks a lot in advance.

EDIT: I tend to power game (sessions from 4 on weekdays to 12 hours at a time on weekends)

 

To get a cheap adapter from Dell, just ask. Here's the link where you can enter the service number of your computer and they will send you one for free.

Studio XPS 1645 Power Supply Upgrade

Even with the new adapter, you still might experience throttling while gaming. Some users get lucky while others don't. Try running ThrottleStop. It has helped out a lot of users but depending on the bios version you are using, it might not improve the throttling problems.

 

I'll definitely give throttlestop a shot. Also, will they mail me a replacement adapter even though I'm not on the warranty any more? I was under the impression that Dell stops caring about you at all after your warranty expires.

 

What you said leads me to believe you just bought a stolen computer. Where and whom did you buy from?

 

What exactly are you implying? I simply said his computer could be a stolen one. I don't care about what others do. I was simply trying to help him. I'm sure the OP would appreciate your response.

 

I purchased it from an individual who had the invoices and documentation of purchse and showed those to me in order to verify the specs of the machine. I also saw the m17x which he purchased as well sitting next to this machine when I visited it. I am 100% sure this machine was not stolen.

Not to sound snippy, but I would like to direct this conversation off of that subject as it doesn't help or provide anything constructive to what I am seeking. Thank you for your consideration though.

 

Sorry, if I offended you. I was suspicious because you said the two systems are linked together in warranty(How else could one transfer warranty from one machine to another). I will drop that subject now.

As for the adatper, go to ebay as there are plenty available. Search for "Dell PA-4E" and make sure you buy a genuine Dell adapter and not an OEM. Hope that helps.

 

A lot of the PA-4E listings don't list the 1645 as one of the laptops its used for. The charger looks exactly like the 90w I have right now. Is it safe to assume that it will work for the 1645 as well? Also, aside from these 2 issues should I be doing anything else?

 

PA-4E is a 130w adapter. It's a bit bigger than the 90w. That's what Dell sent me to replace my stock 90w.
I also recommend you apply some aftermarket thermal compound such as AS5 or AC MX2 on your cpu as well as your gpu, and use a cooler at all time.

 

So are all PA-4E adapters the same? If so I think I can pick one up for around $40 if that sounds right. Also, looked into applying AS5 onto the CPU and GPU. Seems pretty straight forward. I guess I don't have much to worry about as I don't have any warranty on this machine to start with anyways. I think I'll buy a tube of AS5 and give it a shot. Would you say that re-applying the thermal paste is a needed process? Or would you say that I could probably do without?

 

There is only one PA-4E. Make sure you buy the genuine PA-4E on ebay and not the OEM(these are knock offs with a similar spec as they look nothing like the real one).

You don't have to apply the AS5 right away. Hold on to your purchase for now and test your system first. Check your cpu/gpu temperatures from idle to max(stress test) and if your temps are too high, then yes, you should apply some AS5. My 1645 was fine with just a cooler, but I applied it anyway for fun.

 

Well seeing as I don't have a warranty anyways, I went ahead and ordered some AS5. Cost me like 7 bucks shipped so I figure I'll give it a shot. I looked at the tutorial that was posted on this site, and it seemed easy enough. I'll probably take a stab at it in a week or so. I'll stress test my temperatures and post them up before/after cooler and then before/after AS5.