S-XPS 1645 Throttling Info. and Updates

Hi 1645 owners, i was wondering about the throttling problem when playing games..

i was playing a so not demanding game these days like Devil may cry 4, and had the settings around medium for overall.
for hours i've played..and the temp didn't go above 75 degrees celsius..
which means the throttle did not happen..
now im wondering, is that alright? because i havent gotten my hands on the 130 watt adapter..

however when i played modern warfare 2, with 1280x720 resolution, and had everything off in the video options..after 30 mins of play, it throttles =(
goes up to 85 degrees celsius..

my question is, if i dont play games that are way too demanding, is it alright to leave it with 90 watt adapter?
i do want to get my hands on the 130 watt adapter of coz, because its safer when u play games..
thanks for the advice =)

 

Get the 130 Watt.

It's free.

With 90 watts, it won't blow up; you just won't get the performance that you will with the 130 Watt.

 

ok thanks for the advice..
but another problem for me is that Dell technical support is not in my country Indonesia
so it'd be hard for me to get my hands on the 130 watt adapter..

I'd have to look for an opportunity to get it overseas.. =(

 

So... while I await my new Dell SXPS 1645 i7, I wonder what the proper procedure is for getting the 130w adapter? Is there a sticky on that somewhere that I've missed?

 

Hmm. Answer is http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/02/24/throttling-update-for-studio-xps-1645-customers.aspx here, I suppose.

 

This thermal issue with the damn vent is what is annoying me.. u either get it thottle and games are horrible or u use riva tuner disable throttling and get overheat...unless ur playing right beside a fan...SO i can only game @ home...OR i walk with a fan..... anyway to raise shut off temperature?

 

I thought that issue was resolved?

Guys, I will be getting a new XPS 16 820qm with 130W. 9 cell battery..

So you say the heat is still that bad? When did u get the notebook? If i cant play games except at home I most likely will return it then.

Damn I'm saying this and haven't even received it yet....

 

Huh.

This issue can not be resolved, as it is an inherent design flaw. When they fixed the CPU throttling, they introduced increased heat, with one fan, and one vent. Now the GPU will throttle, as it reaches the Dell imposed 84C Thermal Limit. The machine will shut down at GPU 92C, so there is not much room to play with.

You can try to change out your thermal paste, and use a notebook cooler.

My advice, if you are gaming, even casually; steer well clear of this system.

 

Some people definitely love to make over exaggerated claims like this, I think they just love being negative.

I've been playing crysis on the high settings for the past 2 hours and the heat is the same as the heat discipated by my friends alienware 17 and my other friends asus g73...

If you game for 6-7 hours at a time then yes you might have a problem but then you are no where near being a "casual" gamer.

 

THe GPU shuts down at 96C

 

That's right, I'm negative /sarcasm; and so is everyone else that has done their homework and posted in these forums. I'm happy that you are getting such performance. Some of us are not, and never have. I gave my opinion, based on my experience with my machine; your mileage may vary.

And for the record, my machine will shut down at 92 not 96.

Thanks for sharing your observations.

 

Well, Should I have taken then the i7 620m instead the 820qm? with a 30 euro difference? Would that have made a big difference?

And should I return my laptop if that heat problem occurs.

And more importantly, is that 92 or 96 Degree imposed by Dell or could the graphics card handle more?

@lizard5 what r ur specs?

 

Its imposed by dell. ATI has a shutdown limit of 105C i think, but its rated safe up to 120-125C

 

Cheers mate. What are ur observations? As you nearly have the system I ordered.

I mean, if u want future proofness of ur dell, extend ur warranty and if a new xps comes out let them replace it

 

Exactly the way I sorta of see it. I got bought a 3 yr warranty with my M1530 initially when I bought it January 08. Just last month I got a replacement for my m1530 with an xps 1645 (both specs below), as I had had 3 mobo/heatsink replacement to no avail. It was a considerable bump up in specs for me. Honestly, I didn't even know that was possible before the Dell repair man told me about, so he was a huge help and it was a big revelation to me. So, as soon as I got my 1645, I bumped up my warranty 1 more year to last me for at least 2 years. .

Any problems that even require at least 2 tech fixes, I'm pushing for another replacement which would hopefully be a newer model at that time (with the 1645 EOL ). Now I'm not hoping for any problems with my 1645 (as I love the machine, and I am very grateful and happy), but at least I know I'm ready for any of them and can get a replacement that's equal or better.

 

Dude..... I just want my laptop to throttle the GPU and do whatever possible but the fact remains that when i am monitoring using EVEREST PRO i monitor the CPU @ 75 max and that too after 3 hours of CRYSIS WARHEAD but all in MAINSTREAM and some in MINIMUM. It is h0t when you touch the bottom of the laptop (hot means bloody hot)...... But after that my CPU comes back to is idle state temp which is 55-60....

So lemme get this straight... If you dont get your laptop fixed for some issue or the other within the 3 year warranty period, you are not eligible for a replacement?????? How does the process work actually????

P.S: ALL TEMPERATURES IN DEGREES CELCIUS AND AM FROM INDIA (TROPICAL HELL)

Outside temperature is 41.

 

I'm wanting to buy an XPS 16. I'm leaning toward the 1647 (which appears to have no throttling problems, even with the i7-620M), but I might be able to pick up an i7-720QM 1645 for a good price.

So I'm trying to figure out, is the throttling an issue with a non-RGBLED screen? I don't want to spend money on a computer that I can't eke every last bit of power out of... nor do I wish to be spending hours trying to fix an inherent design flaw...

 

On a Non-RGBLED 1645, the GPU throttling is almost a zero unless you game for 6-7 hours straight. I think it is better you go for the 1647 as it is much more cool and consumes less power than the BEAST .....

But if you are getting a good deal for it, then go for it. You ll have tio change the thermal paste. If you game a lot or do some demanding tasks then put a notebook cooler under it..... You will have absolutely no issues!!!

 

Well, I don't work for Dell, so I don't know how the process works exactly. I do believe that you have to at least have some repairs before you can even start to give them hints that you're getting fed up with the laptop, and wouldn't want it anymore. You gotta give Dell a chance to at least attempt to fix the problem. I think the magic number might be 3 times (3 mobo/heatsink replacements, 3 screen changes, or a combination, etc) But it does differ sometimes for each person. Sometimes you just gotta get lucky.

Well it depends on what type of throttling you're talking about. The CPU throttling issue has been virtually fixed for both the 1645/1647, with the 130w adapter (which I think the 1647 doesn't even need, works well with 90w) and BIOS updates. The other throttling issue, GPU throttling, is a little different because that would depend on the components you have running in your system. An i7-720QM would generally run hotter than an i7-620M under load, meaning that the overall temperature of the system would be hotter. This extra system heat might just push the GPU temps over their Dell-imposed limit of 84C, causing the GPU to throttle. The RGB vs the WLED shouldn't really have as much of a system heat impact, and the RGB is a great screen. .

The final decision is always up to you, but I'd go with the 1647 with the 620M. It performs very competitively against the 720QM and it would run cooler. Plus, I don't even think you can get the RGB with the 720QM anymore, so another reason to go with the 620M. The 1647 is just the most solid of all the XPS 16s out now. It's as though the 1640 and the 1645 were prototypes of some sort.

I still do wish Dell would at least raise that GPU thermal limit to like 88C (from 84C). Bill please if you read this can you tell please tell the engineers to at least do that, since a redesigned vent is seeming more and more unlikely? BFBC2 is actually pushing me closer to 84C (at 80-83) ever since I got it 2 days ago. I even use a USB fan. This now makes me scared as to what future games might do to the temps. PLEASE BILL!

 

Not sure Bill is still reading this topic now that a new one is made specifically for GPU throttling:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=462786&page=1

 

Thanks, forgot about that thread, just moved the last part of my statement there as well. This thread is named "Throttling Info. and Updates" and it really doesn't specify from the title as it could apply to any one of the two throttlings. It just slipped my mind...my fault.

 

I game... not a lot, but some. A quad core i7 would actually be pretty useful to me because I encode HD video quite often using x264, and the more threads the better.

Hmm. I have some more thinking to do before I can make a purchase, anyway.

I wonder if there are any other laptops with this level of CPU and GPU power that aren't gaudy, plasticky "gaming" laptops... ? (I really need something with the build quality of these lappies; I won't have the money to replace anything for a few years, it's got to last!)

 

If you are looking for a good gaming machine made of less plastic parts the best thing I can redirect you to is the HP Envy 15. If you go with it though, I think it'll probably end up costing you more, and you'll have to live without an internal disc-drive. Personally, I love the design of the Studio XPS 1645 and while I wouldn't mind less plastic parts it is still a solid design guaranteed to last you at least a few years if you take care of it right.

Outside of the HP Envy 15 though I'm not sure of anything that beats this model in terms of a combination of specs + size + design. You could of course try to wait out the market for something better, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Edit: On another note, if you aren't concerned so much about size there is of course the Alienware MX17, the SONY F Series, and HP's own 17" Models, ASUS G73Jh (really bulky, but excellent cooling) which are all pretty solid. (Although still all pretty plasticy.) Like I said the best equatable model I can find to the SXPS 1645 is the HP Envy 15. The biggest differences to highlight is you'll probably end up spending a few $100 more, the HP Envy 15 has better parts being an aluminum enclosure, is smaller, but you have to sacrifice the disc-drive. Personally, in terms of style, I like the DELL SXPS 16 better, because the HP Envy seems like a clone of the MacBook, and I prefer its darker tones. @_@

 

You could try the MSI GX640. Same processor but way better graphics card, I believe it has the 5870 with GDDR5. I think the body is metal as well but not sure if it's aluminum or some other type of metal. Of course it has the red trim that people don't really care for and the different placement of the fn key.

 

Studio XPS 16 is still throttling and at the same time there still not enough power to support RGB panel. So DELL pulls the trigger and is in no longer selling RGB panels all together.

It seems to me DELL has nothing to quickly substitute Studio XPS 16 line
so they will continue sell this defected laptop(vent issue+throttling+not enough power) until successor is ready for it's release.

 

I believe the reason RGB display keeps showing up and disappearing from Dell's website is due to lack of availability.

As far as I know, CPU throttling due to lack of power has been solved over a month ago with A08/130w. However, GPU throttling due to overheating can still occur.

 

I spoke with DELL rep via chat in regards to RGB panels on XPS 16 line and was told twice that due insufficient power even with the new 130W power adapter they no longer going to be sold.

...then I phoned and DELL and got similar response.

I only wonder what DELL will do when people start calling and demand their money back or request system exchange since they no longer can use RGB without safety risk.

 

I will let you know; I just emailed Global about how I can't even sell this laptop for a decent price because it was plagued with issues...

He tried telling me they do not exchange one model for another and I called BS because the only reason I got this 1645 in the first place is because of a SYSTEM EXCHANGE!!!!

I demanded to have a different model with like components. We'll see.

 

That's what Dell wants you to believe. The reality is that throttling might have been reduced to a level that doesn't infuriate so many users but that doesn't mean that it has been 100% fixed. There are still users that can't run all applications on their XPS 1645 at full speed, especially the guys with RGBLED screens.

 

Although thats true for some 1645 owners, my 1647 is not throttling at all.

 

I doubt that DELL would offer Alienware M15x more likely Studio 15 which is downgrade from xps 1645.

Are they going to call you back and let you know which particular system system will they exchange for?

 

You do not have RGB panel on your system, your cpu uses less power than i7 720qm or i7 820qm. So in retrospective your system consumes less power and it has more than enough power for all its components. With such configuration more likely system will not throttle, overheat nor pose any safety hazard.

XPS 1645 with RGB panel, i7 720qm cpu or i7 820qm even with new 130w power adapter -- overheats very fast(poor vent design) which is causing throttling and on the top of that it does not have sufficient power to safely distribute among all its components.

XPS 1645 without RGB panel, i7 720qm cpu or i7 820qm still overheats and it throttles but not as much as the system with RGB panel.

 

I am dealing through email at the moment, last email he stated he would call me but I am trying to keep as much documented as possible.

I do not expect an m15x, though I did mention the idea of taking what they charge for that system and I offered to pay the diff. for an upgrade. We'll see what happens.

Wish me luck guys.

 

Hopefully they can offer to you Alienware 15x, but last time I checked it does not come with RGB panel either

I still can't comprehend how XPS 1645 pass all its testing, safety standards and was approved for release with all these issues going on.

 

Just remember that the XPS 16 gives you better bang-for-your-buck than Alienware. My XPS 1645 (pretty much base model with 3 year warranty) was about ~$1500 and has better or matching specs (including better graphics card!) than a $2050 Alienware M15x.

 

Hi all,

I'm considering buying a SXPS 16 and am wondering how "severe" the heat and throttling issues are with the lid closed and not blocking the heat vent. I've been doing lots of research and am well aware of the throttling CPU and GPU and heat vent issues.

Assuming for a second that I would have the 130W adapter, i7-720qm, 6GB RAM, 4670 ATi card, blu-ray reader, and 1920x1080 WLED panel (not RGBLED, which i think is discontinued)

I use my personal laptop right now (hp nc6400) mostly for work, and sometimes for play. i'm a web and software developer, so memory and decent graphics are a bit of a must in my case. I use my laptop while plugged into an external monitor, mouse and keyboard almost all the time. occasionally i go into extended monitor mode when necessary with tons of windows open.

I intend on playing a few games here and there, as well as watching movies and what not, but not very often - I have an Xbox for that anyways.

Given that I primarily use my laptop as a workstation replacement with the lid closed, how hot will the machine get? Please keep in mind that I do use a laptop cooler (some 3rd party one, but it does a great job, keeping my T7200 proc about 5-10C cooler at full load). I understand that at this time people are still sufferiing from throttled GPU and CPUs, but are they getting throttled when the laptop lid is entirely closed? As well, if it helps any, my office temperature will never reach above 15C (climate controlled AC system), and my home rarely goes above 15-18C due to heating.

I've skimmed through probably over 500 pages on the forum here, and see that CPU throttling has been almost entirely solved but that leaves behind the GPU issue. However, there is little mention of whether people are suffering from throttling when their laptop lid is closed. I read a few cases here and there, but after 500 pages I've forgotten exactly what they said!

Thanks!

 

You pretty much know exactly what you are getting yourself into...

The 720 is pretty damn warm even just at idle I will say. Others say the i5's are a lot cooler...

I cannot say anything about throttling when the lid is closed though....

 

Sounds like you would benefit from a business laptop with an Nvidia Quadro or ATI FirePro (or whatever AMD has their workstation cards called now).

 

Will there ever be successor to Studio XPS 1645 line, perhaps XPS 1655 is the works at DELL labs....?

....any insights anyone ?

cheers!

 

thanks for the replies,

the truth is that i do not really worry about GPU throttling, since i won't need the GPU much. it will be short bursts of GPU usage ideally (Photoshop, Flash, etc. don't need constant GPU usage unlike games). i don't really intend on playing games much anyways, probably nothing more than a few hours of Fallout 3 or DVDs or the like while I am traveling. nothing as hardcore as Crysis or BFBC2.

would an i5 core (or any dual-core i x processor) matched with the ATi card mean less chance of throttling and heat output? i consider myself very technical and can build a pretty mean desktop. heck, i do it partly for a living too (im primarily web and woftware dev, but i help out with the desktop support dept since we're a relatively small company). but laptops are a bit out of my area of expertise. so i came here to ask the experts

i thought of this as well, but i do not need something with an industrial powerful graphics card. i believe just something that's not an integrated chipset like the Intel HD4500 etc. i'll really only be working with Adobe PHotoshop, Flash, and MS Silverlight (even thoguh Silverlight development is way more C# based than GUI based). Visual Studio and SQL Server is of course more processor+RAM reliant than graphics card. my current laptop (nc6400) only has the Intel GMA950 and it is HORRIBLE - but it was a gift so i cannot really complain much. i think bamboo shoots under my fingernails would be less painful than waiting for my laptop to render a mask on a 9500x7500px photoshop PSD file. (although i've learn to become much more patient because of it!)

yes, i've read that the i7-720 makes for a pretty decent space heater when when idle (i think it idles around 50C?)... i would consider the 720 as an extreme case, in that it is the highest model processor i would get. i'm looking into the i7-620 however (still i7 core, but dual-core instead of quad). i believe the 620 would output less heat and use less power, so throttling is less of an issue i believe?

 

perhaps... i don't want to hijack this thread, but while snooping around for SXPS16 info, i've read several times that there is a driver for the ATi HD 5730 card. i went and checked the Dell.ca website, and after a few clicks i was looking at the driver download for the 5730.

with this in mind, perhaps i'll be waiting a bit longer for the card to become available. supposedly this graphics card uses less power, therefore causing less throttling if at all? anybody, please correct me if i'm wrong about this! don't want to be spreading false hope

 

I do not think it is the graphics card that generates most heat it is cpu intel i7 720 or i7 820 which are causing swift temperature increase due to lack of proper ventilation on XPS 1645. ( poor vent design) In addition quad core require/consumes more power so there is less power to accommodate other main copmonents graphics card, screen and etc,.

 

a bit of a stupid question, but it just came to mind:
is there a way to change the voltage of the mobile graphics card? i recall Rivatuner being able to change the clock speeds for desktop cards, so it should work the same with the cards in laptops, no? would reducing the voltage reduce the heat output from the graphics card? i know that ThrottleStop allows you to remove the throttling issue, should you not have a 90W adapter for example, but are there any other applications out there for i x processors that allow you to set the clock speeds or voltages? similar to RightMark products?

 

It is no longer possible to adjust the core voltage on Core i processors like you can do with RMClock on the Core 2 processors. Intel changed the design and eliminated this feature and ATI blocks voltage adjustment from their mobile graphics drivers.

 

boy that sucks.

all the same though, thanks for the info!

 

UncleWebb:

Haven't been on for a while, so forgive me if I'm repeating a question. Tried reading the last 30-40 pages to search for an answer but got no luck.

I am currently running A01 and throttlestop for all my games and don't get too many issues, my question is,

1) can you still use throttlestop for A08 or does it not make a difference, as in is A08 the equivalent of running throttlestop?

and this question is directed to anyone that upgraded:

2) is there any real benefits for me to upgrade to A08 from A01 or is it fine to stick with A01 & Throttlestop if that is working for me?

Thanks in advance.

 

A.08 as it allows the BIOS to utilize the 130 Watt adapter.

 

dellxpsi7: If you have a 130 watt adapter combined with bios A08 then in most situations, ThrottleStop will probably not provide you with any performance benefit.

If you are feeling lucky then you can try updating your bios. The downside is that Dell may have added GPU throttling to the most recent bios when the GPU gets hot. Due to this, it's possible that A01+TS could be better than A08 with or without TS. GPU throttling kills gaming performance.

To prove or disprove this you would need to update your bios and then run ThrottleStop in monitoring mode only and have a look at the log file and see if you have any throttling issues. You'll also have to run GPU-Z so you can keep an eye on what your GPU is up to.

A08+130 watt adapter still throttles for most users when doing the Prime95+Furmark synthetic test but for more normal uses or games, the throttling isn't too bad now.

It's been a while so if anyone wants to post a log to prove me wrong that would be great. I think it is still possible to go back to a previous bios version with the right technique. You might have to do a Google search so you don't have to read 400 pages.

ThrottleStop has had a 101 changes since this thread first started so if anyone is interested in upgrading, you can download it here.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/3/3/1794507/ThrottleStop.zip

 

Thanks for updating it unclewebb, always get the latest version you have released.

BTW: I followed up with the setfsb developer re: a possible PLL but unfortunately he advised it wasn't one. So I'm still looking here and there, just hope others would have taken interest also.

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me with something (i posted this in some other threads as well for max response)

i ran hw monitor on the computer listed in my sig...however it only shows temperatures for two cores...shouldnt i have 4?