** The Official Studio XPS 1640/45/47 replacement thread **

Hi there,

I thought I should share this with you. I got my laptop exchanged a few months ago after have been dealing with upper management.

 

 

Hey Guys,

Im looking for some advice. Ive got a refurb 1645 going through for replacement via the michael@dell email. Now the rep im talking to wants to give me a L502x with a shoddy screen so i turned it down and requested a L702x instead.

Now ive been told there are no 702x at the outlet and i can either wait for one, get the L502x or get my refund.

I would rather wait for a 702x, but i want to ask what else you guys think I should do. Is it worth waiting or do i go for another option?

Thanks,

 

I would say it depends on your needs, if you have time and want that system then wait for it if you don't mind. Or you can always ask for a refund and see if there is any competitor that have the specs that you want.
It would be helpful to know the specs you were waiting for, the price and also your location.

Cheers,

 

Im in the UK, and all i am looking for is the 1080 screen really, otherwise im quite happy. The refund will be £700 almost to the penny.

Thanks,

 

There is always some other options with other manufacturers, it's hard to say as I don't know what you will be using it fore, but if you don't mind having a heavy 17" laptop then go for it, In my opinion the screen and especially the sound is really good on the laptop (I have the lx502)

 

From:

PROCESSOR Intel® Core? i5 Processor 520M(2.40GHz,3MB cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit- English
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Word Starter, Excel Starter) SERVICES AND SUPPORT 1Yr Next Day Hardware Support
SECURITY SOFTWARE McAfee® SecurityCenter 6 Month Subscription
LCD Black Leather back cover : 16" (inch) True-life 1080p Full HD RGBLED Edge to Edge Display
MEMORY 4096MB 1067MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048 HARD DRIVE 500GB (7,200rpm) Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD) with Roxio Easy CD and DVD Burn software
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g) - European
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
PRIMARY BATTERY 9-cell 85Whr Lithium Ion battery
GRAPHICS CARD 1GB ATI® Radeon? HD 565v graphics
Camera Integrated Camera with Facial Recognition Software

To:

XPS L502x
Processor: Intel Core i7-2670QM (2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
8 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
8X DVD +/- RW DRIVE
Display : 15.6" Full HD B+RGLED True-Life (1920x1080) with 2.0 Mega Pixel Integrated Camera
Graphics : 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M Graphics card
English Genuine Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium (64Bit OS)
Back Up Media Not Included
Wireless: Intel Wireless-N 1000 Card
LCD Back Cover : Silver WLAN

Just waiting for another one to come back in stock in the outlet

 

So I got off the phone with the Dell Tech Support guys, and I guess I am getting a motherboard replacement, but not for a little while. Neither of us can really confirm that I am actually throttling - I don't suffer from the same debilitating throttling problem that many have had - but I do have some sort of throttling when I am playing games for a short while. I have GPU-Z logs that show my clocks dropping to 450/700 and even 100/150 mid-game, but never for more than say 30-90 seconds at a time. The tech support agent basically summed it up to "why don't we try replacing your mobo and see where that takes us", which I'm fine with.

The tech agent over the phone said that they only have the ATi 4679 available in Canada, which I thought was complete bunk. I'm sure they couldn't just ship a few hundred 5730 motherboards across the border, or this poor guy just doesn't know about it. So I bugged him about it, and he's going to look for a motherboard with the 5730, which I currently have.

I'd wager $10 on this tech agent taking up to a full week just trying to find a suitable motherboard for me.

 

If you want a 15 inch laptop I say get it. then do what I did, wen they offer you the deal ask them "Will you at least upgrade the screen to 1080p" (I'm assuming your current set up has 1080p monitor) They will most likely agree because you paid for the upgrade before.

Just base it off of this. Replacements have to be equal or better.

 

Hello, recently I have been encountering some adapter issues on my i5 1647; When i turn on the computer it says the adapter is unidentified and im unable to charge my batteries.

Is there any possible way to fix this, and also I read that I am able to change my adapter to a 130W? I am out of Warranty can I still get a replacement?

edit: im from Malaysia

 

I have been having some issues with my Studio XPS 1645. I have had mine from 2010 January or so and the warranty is until 2013. I got my 130W adapter but from 2011 december the problems started. I was listening to music and playing Dota 2(isn't very needy game and I have set everything to the lowest(resolution 1920x1080)) when the audio started to crack and the game started to lag heavily(it will start lagging even if I play only Dota 2 and close everything else). Found that audiodg.exe is using 10% from CPU(too much for that process but the CPU is something like 50-60% loaded). If I ended that process(sound goes away with that) the game laggs for 2-4mins and then goes back to normal. I tried every trick(what google offers) there is to fix the audio problem but nothing helps. It didn't happen every time. Sometimes I could play multiple games without a problem.

So I thought that I should make a format as I needed that anyway and maybe it will go back to normal. Installed new Win 7, put on all the new drivers and was ready to go. But now the game starts to lag the same way with audiodg.exe hogging the CPU but not much(10% maybe, and CPU is 50-60% loaded then). Now it is even worse as it also lags randomly and it's some heavy lag(1fps if good). I can't get away from this as the audiodg.exe doesn't use any CPU and closing it won't fix it.

I would like to know what programs should I use to log the CPU and maybe the GPU, because maybe they throttle as lots of people have problems with that. And is there any chance that I can get replaced the computer? Probably you can't say for sure as I should contact the support but want to know your opinion if I have any chance with that. I am from Estonia so it might not be as easy as for the US but worth the try.

 

I have a Dell Studio XPS 1645. The Warranty just ended and before it did I had the HD & monitor replaced. I'm having problems with the computer slowing to crawl when using Ableton Music Software and Office. If I do a restart I get the BSOD. I was thinking of buying a new computer but I really like this laptop and style. It looks like it would cost me $50 to upgrade the RAM according to Newegg's memory finder but how would I find out which parts are replacements for the ones I have right now i.e., Processor, MB, Video Card?? Would it be cheaper to go this route or just buy a new laptop equivalent to this one?

 

its funny how i started this thread and now ive come full circle.


Im having the SAME EXACT dota2 /audiodg.exe problem.

I've analyzed it to death and it is in FACT audiodg causing the problems not dota 2. Ive done everything google has to offer and nothing works

The "freeze" goes away after about 5 minutes and audiodg goes back to normal, but I want to figure out what's triggering/causing this! SO FRUSTRATING!

 

Has anyone experienced "occasional" throttling?

Let me explain a bit.

I recently had my motherboard replaced. My specs are no different than before. Well before the replacement, I was totally fine. A little while ago I was getting CPU throttling where short amounts of time of high CPU load would cause me the throttle.

After the motherboard replacement, I was doing just fine for a little bit. Now, I am getting something akin to throttling, but it is not consistent at all.

Sometimes if I'm watching a bluray dvd in bed, I might get severe throttling where the entire movie is like a slideshow. Other times I might be doing some light gaming (e.g. Tribes Ascend, settings on Med @ 1920x1080 ), and I might get occasional throttling that might last like a couple minutes max.

It makes no sense to me that watching a bluray movie would cause higher throttling than a video game.

Also, throttling while watching bluray discs is inconsistent. A couple nights ago I had to hard shut down my 1645 (held the power button for 5+ secs) after watching Firefly for no more than 30 minutes. A couple nights later, the same disc (different episode) I had no problems at all for several episodes. Likewise for gaming. I could be playing a couple hours of Tribes and have no problems; maybe a few days later I could be 20 minutes into Burnout Paradise and suddenly things crawl to a halt.

Is this throttling, or do you think that the motherboard, which I believe is refurbished, is faulty? I have not experienced any problems otherwise - no crashes, nothing is slow, nothing out of the ordinary.

Keep in mind that I also run VMs on this thing daily (at work) so I imagine that if the motherboard was bad I would have found out sometime last week or before that, when I got the motherboard replaced.

Cheers

 

Hi all,

What do you think my next step should be?

I have had the following part replacements:
1. heat sink + fan
2. heat sink + fan, motherboard
3. motherboard, AC adapter, LCD panel

Now they want to take my 1645 to the Dell depot to place under "observation". As this laptop is my primary machine for work (except if I have to travel), I can't let go of this computer as I won't be able to get a loaner laptop. Not to mention that simply observing the machine and replacing more parts will not suddenly resolve my throttling issue.

Before I had the parts replaced I did not have bad throttling - I would need to be an hour into a game or BD movie for he throttling to occur. Now it only takes upwards of 20 minutes before the GPU dies down and things look like a PPT slideshow.

I don't want to jump the gun, but I feel like after 3 part replacements, and a silly suggestion of placing my laptop under Dell's observation, I should move this case beyond the regular Technical Support staff. I simply don't have the time to spend another 2 hours (per call) for them to ask me to run a Dell software stress test that proves nothing.

I feel like I should email [email protected], but I don't know if it would be too soon to do so?

 

I hate bumping threads, but I'm getting frustrated and impatient regarding my issue...

If you have any feedback/ideas for me, I'm all ears.

Thanks

 

You've been too patient already. I second going the e-mail route or the Unresolved issues route LINK (more or less the same thing I would think.) Three replacements/attempted fixes is the norm before you can start pushing for more. You really need to show them your dissatisfaction with the system and Dell's failed attempts to fix it. I agree that them wanting to 'observe' your system is just silly.

Don't waste your time running through their protocols anymore, they need to either give you your money back or issue you a replacement (period). Don't tell them that, but say something along lines "I can't put up with this system anymore, and all attempted repairs have failed, so provide me with a permanent solution. All this has hampered my productivity and this cannot go on any longer." Something like that should hint to them that you're fed up and they should offer you a replacement (or a refund). Otherwise they will be all too happy to keep you in their perpetual, merry-go-round of failed repairs and time-wasting diagnostic tests. Good luck man, let your voice be heard (without being rude of course)! Tell us how it goes...

 

Thanks, I've now just sent the email to [email protected].

It doesn't sit well with me that I need to write such a message to rectify this issue. But I don't want to sit on that merry go round of failed repairs, as you astutely put it.

I'm just frustrated that I was doing so well with my 1645, no throttling, games were great with seeker_moc's BIOS, bluray drive meant bluray movies on any TV with HDMI, and a great workhorse for work. Then all of a sudden a couple months ago I started getting throttling and here I am.

I'll certainly keep you updated. I hope they just give me a replacement. I have a large project at work right now and frankly I just don't have the time and energy to deal with a debate with Dell.

 

My voice was heard alright, now I just have my fingers crossed that they will be kind enough to provide a painless process of replacing my machine.

I was contacted this morning (before I had my coffee, *never* call me before I've had my coffee ) by the Exec Customer Support team. They really tried to push for a Dell depot observation, but I kept rejecting it. And for very good reason too: some of the projects I work on are under an internal NDA, and also there is always the potential for student data (I work at a university). As such, I never let my primary hard disk leave my possession, even with disk encryption.

So after pushing away the Dell depot observation offer, the Dell agent (very nice guy though, don't get me wrong) said that he is going to contact the "Product team" and he will hopefully get back to me within 24 hours. It relieves me a bit to know that there is hope yet, but I don't have my hopes up too high.

Thanks, EDU! (And everyone else in this thread that I read, page for page, for pointers).

 

There we go...at least you're getting somewhere. So, most likely, they are going to scour their refurbished inventory to see if they can find a suitable (equal or better) replacement. In recent cases, replacements for SXPS16s have been XPS 15s, but you never know. Hopefully, if this guy's as "nice" as you say, he'll give you a new system and allow you to build it yourself as well! It has happened to people on here before. Then you'll be able to hang on to your SXPS16 and manage it until you get the 'next system.' I don't want to get your hopes up too high either, but there is always hope. Good luck again!

p.s. Also I'm sure you know already, but be sure to wipe that hard drive clean before you send it off (assuming you get a nice new replacement system ). Never know where it's going to end up. Of course back up what you need to back up first before the wipe...then again you might be able to even keep the hard drive. But we're probably getting ahead of ourselves at this point. . Let's sort out the replacement first, lol.

 

Of course it would make my day if they offered a replacement XPS15. Hell I'd be happy if they even gave me another SXPS16 that just didn't throttle!

As for the hard drive, I'm already prepared for that. I went out to the local shop (NCIX) and picked up a Hitachi 500GB 7200RPM, that can serve a dual purpose. First is if they do in fact replace my machine, I will swap out my hard disk to ensure that there is absolutely NO traces of private data (work or personal) on it. Second is if I get to keep my drive I can upgrade my storage: I can drop it in a eSATA enclosure, as my internal 500 is close to being full, and my external 250GB is already full.

 

So, I got a call back today, and the first thing Dell tried to do is offer me to have my computer's motherboard, RAM and hard disk replaced. Again. So I said "no", again.

Now they are offering to replace my 1645 with a XPS 15 (L502x).

Here are my 1645 specs as purchased (not in my sig):
i7-720qm
6GB RAM
ATI Mobility Radeon 5730
1920x1080 WLED
500GB
Intel 6250, Bluetooth
BD-ROM

Here are the specs of the XPS L502x system they are offering me:
i7-2640 (dual core)
8GB
nVidia GT540M
1920x1090 BRGLED
750GB
Intel 6230, Bluetooth
BD-ROM

Of course I'm not going to allow them to bring down my CPU from a quad to a dual, but otherwise I am rather satisfied that the system is effectively the same as my 1645.

 

I called Dell, and they denied to have my computer replaced. I got this computer serviced "in-home" 2 times because of motherboard issue. First time, it was overheating and computer bricked. 2nd time it bricked, they both came and replaced the motherboard. 3rd time, graphic card totally went out, and they wanted the computer to be sent to the Depot for repairs. And this was all in January. Today, the LCD screen is flashing in a strobe like effect in purple, green,blue and red. Seems like the LCD screen is pretty much dead. I called dell again, they said to send it to the depot again, or get some replacement parts. I said that this is unacceptable. After getting this computer fixed since November. seems like i can't go a solid 2-3 months without the laptop having problems. So, the person who took my call said she'll write up a replacement request. And i got a call saying that it was declined. I was raging cuz they want me to sent it to the Depot again... and this time, i was like. hell no. you guys messed up this many time. how many time does this computer need to be sent to the depot before you guys are satisfied with a unhappy customer. So this time, i'm experience throttle problem whenever i hook up my computer to just the battery.

Sooo, 2nd time it's being submitted for replacement request. Hopefully, 2nd time is a GO, but, who knows. Any feedback?

My Studio XPS 1645:
i7 Q720 @ 1.6GHZ
8GB Ram
ATI Radeon HD 4670 1GB
500GB HD

 

Dell is sending me a replacement - the replacement unit was "ordered" this morning through the executive customer support agent. It is new, not refurbished so I am happy about that.

The specs are:
L502x
i7 2760QM
8GB
BRGLED 1080p
750GB
nVidia GT540M
BD-ROM
Intel 6230 + BT

Overall I am happy that it did not take long for me to reach a "quick resolution" through them. I am a little disappointed that they tried to push for a Dell depot observation (and even RAM and HDD replacement) again, but truth is I'm not too surprised - they are a profiteering business, after all.

I think the key strategy to these Dell support agents is to be patient with them. As frustrating as it is to be patient with them, if you do not give them a reason to screw with you, they probably won't. that said, ask to speak to their manager the next time you call. explain the issue with them, make sure that he is aware of this cyclical problem. then email michael @dell.com to complain about the poor support (in kind words, don't get angry at them!) and that you want a quick resolution.

Make sure you reference all Dell Technical Support Customer #'s and your service tag. Explain everything that has transpired, and why you believe that you shouldn't have to wade through the BS the Customer Support agents were tossing your way.

At least that was my strategy, with large chunks of advice mixed in after reading through this whole thread, and EDU's post above.

 

hmm. thanks. i did everything dell told me to do. Sending it to the depot, and waiting weeks to get it back. using it for about a month or two. a motherboard crashed again. Called Dell, the Declined my request the 2nd time. They keep offering me that they'll send out replacement parts, but thats ridiculous. I complied with all their request till now. And now, im sick of having a broken computer that came back even worse then i bought it. They called me that they declined the 2nd time. And now, im forcing them that i want to talk to management, but they give me the bull about, "We send it to our supervisor, our supervisor send's it to the higher echelon in India. And the higher ups declined it. So i was frustrated and asked to talk to his supervisor. He said it's impossible. And that what made me clicked. I told them how much the system is so messed up on my request on a replacement. Im currently on the phone with them, but im been on hold for about a 10 min. and he tells me that hell put in an another request. And i say bull, whats the point of putting in another request if its gonna be declined. and i say i want to talk to his manager. wow. lets see how far this goes....

 

are you still covered by the warranty?

 

yes, i am. Until November 21, 2012. Well, good news. I got a call back after i sent a email to [email protected] guy. And they said theyll send me a replacement computer. Niceee =) However, he told me that i was going to be getting a refurbished Dell Studio XPS 15. How'd you get a new one? or did the person who called you say you were getting a New one from the beginning? He said he'll call me back regarding the specs. Reading from your posting, you got the specs i want. Any recommendation on how to get the specs you want?

 

That's great news! I don't think I did anything specific to receive a new unit. In fact, I never specifically asked for a replacement unit, only that they fix the problem with the laptop - I guess "replacement" is the solution to the problem with troublesome 1645 laptops.

(While on the phone) when the customer support guy said that they were going to replace my 1645 with a xps15, and I thought it would be a refurbished one (makes perfect sense to me). However, when he sent a confirmation email with the original specs (that I declined and then corrected), the text clearly says that it would be new. I have attached a screenshot of the body of the email for your reference: feel free to use it as reference, but please understand that each agent handles cases differently... so as always YMMV.

Those specs in the screenshot from the email are the original specs they offered for the replacement unit. I declined them, and very firmly and politely said that I should at least receive specs that are as close as possible to my current 1645. So in that regard I should receive a quad core processor (wasn't specific as to which model), 1080p screen, and a "2nd tier" video card. By "2nd tier" video card, I explained to the agent that when I bought my 1645 there was an option to upgrade the ATI GPU from the 4670 to the 5730 (for like $150). I equated that ATI choice to the current nVidia choices (from 520M to 540M), and the agent eventually agreed with my vain logic and bumped up to the 540M.

Hope that helps you with your replacement unit, and good luck with it!

 

hmm. thanks for the info. I'm waiting on the specs now. Hopefully, they get it right on the first time. Cuz i really don't want a downgrade on terms up getting a replacement. Getting something that im actually happy with would be amazing, but i doubt it. Expectations are low, but my hopes are high. And as terms of declining, where u able to negotiate a better computer via email or phone call?

 

A bit of both. On that email I attached, as you can see, he was giving me a worse screen, processor, and graphics card. I immediately mentioned these to him over the phone (he sent the email while we were on the phone), and he said to go to dell.ca to "configure" a XPS15 with the specs I would prefer, and then reply to his email with said specs. He would then "pass them along to [their] product team" to make sure that it is basically a fair deal.

All I did was, using the table he sent, copied and pasted the specs from dell.ca into a reply message and sent it to him. That afternoon he replied back saying that he will put the order in and then contact me to let me know that the order is underway, etc.

 

@daver160, I'm very happy for you that you're getting a new system replacement. See, stern patience and perseverance does pay off. Glad you didn't let them bamboozle you with the lowered specs as well. Most people don't really understand what they're getting (not tech-savvy enough), so Dell usually gets away with giving people lower than "equal" specs. Your replacement system is very nice and new, enjoy it gratefully when you get.

@ek8six, daver160 has already said everything I would say and has offered great advise. Glad they're replacing the troublesome system for you. Whether you get a new replacement system or not, really doesn't matter...as long as it eliminates all the problems you were having with the last one. Just make sure the replacement system they give you is "equal or better," and try not to get too greedy . Based on the system specs you have, you should more or less be getting what daver160 got. Use that as your goal, and use logic not anger, to explain why you might deserve a certain part because it would be "equal" to what you have. Just like how daver160 argued for the 540M and the quad core. Don't let them bamboozle you. Of course this is all assuming you haven't already received the replacement system by now, lol .

 

Just an update that Dell called me yesterday morning (on a holiday! woke me up at 8am ) to let me know that my replacement unit had shipped out. EDD is Monday April 9.

I'm really hoping that Windows 7's own built-in system migration functionality is as good as they promise it is. I hope to be able to just clone the hard disk to the new machine, boot up in Safe Mode to wipe out all the old hardware drivers, and then boot up again and begin installing the new drivers.

Anyone had much success with doing that?

 

Hi peeps, have not been on this site for a while. I did not know about this replacement thread. Is there a post detailing what needs to be done to get a replacement? What would I have to do?

 

What problems are you having with your Dell? I see in your sig you have an i7-820 and an ATI 4670. Do you have throttling problems?

 

Yes I do. Did you have a similar system that was replaced?
I already received the 130 watt power supply from them which from my understanding only helped a little. I really never complained to them since. I also had my keyboard replaced because the back light stopped working.

Thanks

 

I did. My system was also the 1645, only i had the 720qm processor and the ATI 5730 GPU.

I contacted Dell for my throttling problems. Eventually they tried to get me to jump through hoops that nobody should have to jump through (which I imagine only goes in circles and circles). I do believe my experience was no where near as bad as some people have had, but it was still time consuming.

I would suggest you contact Dell and log your current throttling problem and complaints. I am certain one of their first steps is to replace your motherboard.

 

So I'm in the position that I will need to have my old Studio XPS1640 replaced and would like some advice on how to go on about it. The laptop itself is pretty much just bricked completely, doesn't respond to the power button in any form (Sounds like motherboard problems to me, but it was also having hard drive problems before it just completely broke like this). It also has other additional problems such as the adhesive on the speaker grill has worn off, so that's missing and and a missing spacebar (The middle of it fractured from use, and eventually the fracture became a split and it was useless). Anyhow I do have an active complete care warranty for it, but really I'd like to have this thing replaced and not just 'refurbished' like it was last time i sent it in for repairs. Any helpful information for who exactly I should try contacting for best results?

also rough specs as I remember them:
Studio XPS1640
Core 2 Duo @ 2.4ghz (P8600 I believe)
ATI Radeon Mobility 4670HD (I think, it was something like this)
4GB RAM
500GB Harddrive
1920x1080 screen (not the fancier RGBLED that was also offered)

Hopefully the hardware is old enough I can actually get a little upgrade from this, but first I just want a working laptop back.

 

I had a history of issues with my Studio XPS 1640 (also had complete care), overheating, hard drive replacement, three bad screens, and then technician damage during service, all of which I called up and had serviced. However, after the last bad screen replacement and technician damage, I emailed Michael Dell, and got a response from the customer resolution department.

I'm not sure if you've tried to have it serviced before, if not, then I have no idea what the result of you emailed Michael Dell will have, your best bet may be to have it serviced and then replaced later if it can't be solved during service. But, if you have a legitimate complaint (and a documented history of service/complaints) then hopefully they will be able to help you out and offer you some form of replacement.

It worked for me, I've read lots of responses here about having to really push for a replacement, and having to constantly refuse service, but I can say that as long as you have the warranty, and simply state that you tried to get your computer serviced to an extent, and that is no longer working, or is no longer an acceptable solution, they should be able to help you out.

 

Well, I sent my email to [email protected] explaining that and now I guess I just wait for a response.

 

Hi all,

I might be qualified for a replacement, just wander if is better Dell XPS 15 L502x compared with the one i still have it 1647 i5 540...?
I had a lot of issues with it, many parts have been replaced: three times the LCD, hdd, motherboard, heatsink, fan, chassis, battery....all those some time ago and some 3-4 weeks ago.
There were around 7-8 engineers over the time home changing the parts. The last engineer that came and replaced the LCD, was the most unskilled i have ever seen, his hands were shaking so hard , trying to hide this by pulling hard all the cables and falling on his knees some parts....when put them back i shown his how to do it. I was nearly to kick him out.
I reported to dell and organized a collection of it to be serviced away.
I just got it today and was replaced again:
LCD, heatsink, fan, plmrst, keyboard, DRAM Hynix, I had Samsung....
All those because it freezes/vibrating and not responding at all.
I can push for a replacement. My warranty is gone on 21 this month but I have 90 day warranty based on the present service.
I got a call from head office and they are willing to replace it if not happy with this one, which is basically brand new.
What I do not like is that a wire from the back of LCD, the connection inside of it is damaged; it might be due to an attempt to connect it to the wireless card……. and the last engineer destroyed my N-6300 card two of the three connectors by pressing hard in a wrong position. Now I am using the N-6200, glad I did not sell it...
The only thing I am afraid is the vibration, it is very annoying.

 

Well I got my call from Dell today and despite some insistence they want to send a technician over. I'm really not enthused considering this model has been repaired a few times and was sent off for servicing once and yet it still failed like this. I dunno I guess I'm just not pleased with the whole thing.

 

You really got to play the game right. These technicians have protocol to follow. It may take you time, but that time is well invested. First, your computer really needs a legit problem. My XPS 1645 started to have problems after problems. but thats all right. You call them, and of course, at first, theyll send out a tech. You need to build yourself a history with your computer. Now, if your intentional AIMING for the replacement, no hate, the system here is flawed, so you can exploit it. Keep complaining about the same problem. You need to send your computer to the depot at least once. Once it comes back from there, and your computer "still" has issue, complain about the computer being more broken then before. After this fix, and that fix, this computer never got fixed. Then, theyll ask you want you want. And say, i want a replacement. And theyll have to submit that to the upper staff to get approved or disapproved. I had mine disapproved twice before i emailed [email protected] about it. Saying, the customer service is not good at all. Explain your computer problem. Explain how you qualify for a replacement because you had it fixed this amount of time and the problem is reoccurring. And from there, it's going to get refereed to someone else from the technician in India. And he;ll say, i got this reference from Michael, you are qualified for a replacement. At first, there going to find you a refurbished one, no fighting this. Its all luck from here. In my case, they were out of refurbished in stock, so they allowed me to build my own computer. You either get the option to get the XPS 15 or 17. I took the 17, At first, they emailed me the bare minimum specs that they are thinking about building. At first, i wasn;t very satisfied with the build, so i went on to the website, and built my own and emailed those specs to him. But be aware, you shouldn't ask for TOO much. Maybe a 1 up upgrade from what they are recommending. And that got approved. Now, after investing about 4 months, i was finally able to get a new replacement:
XPS 17, 8GB,DDR3,2 DIMM, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 and Bluetooth 3.0, 2nd Generation Intel Core i7-2760QM processor, Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo, NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M 3GB graphics with Optimus, 17.3in FHD WLED AG (1920x1080), 750GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive.
Just know that you really need to be lucky and patient. Not all results will come out like this. I read in the forum that they give you refurbished one, and if thats the case, you just have to take it from their.
But like i mentioned, at first, my MB burnt out, then it burnt out again, 3rd time occured, but this was a graphic card issue on the MB, so i sent it to the depot. Screen was flickering, and from their, i was like. okay, i need a replacement, i feel this computer will never be fixed to the standard anymore. But it was a stressful battle. and i won.
Hope this helped. Good luck.

 

You can read my story starting from page 157

My problems didn't pop up until well after i bought my 1645, and I had a few part replacements. Ultimately it didn't fix anything so I contacted [email protected]. The agents tried to push here and there a bit, but I stood my ground and eventually got a replacement that has (so far fingers crossed!) made me another happy Dell customer.

You just have to be insistent that replacing the motherboard a hundred times won't fix the problem, and you absolutely have to be patient with them. Don't ever yell at them, just express your frustration and let them do their jobs. Realise that they are following a playbook of sorts, and work with them otherwise they will likely push back as hard as you push them.

 

Just now I removed the plastic protective seal and realized that the LCD back cover has no Leather trim as it should be. All the other three LCDs that have been replaced were ok! Strange. I do not like the look of it without the leather. I'll call Dell again and again. I did a search and I did not find anyone with XPS 16 without leather trim, and one of the three wires for antenna is damaged. I am speechless.

 

Well they tried replacing the motherboard today and it still didn't boot up. Going to send it to a depot but really now my patience is just being tested.

 

After depot, if still have issues, next will be replacement.
I kind of like the way it is working now. Except the two things above already mentioned, I do not see the point for replacement. as long as is fine now!
I have 90 days of warranty from now on, I was told that is something will go wrong with it , NO MORE REPAIRS, Is going to be replaced.
I might extend the warranty, I will see....

 

Just an FYI, the 1645 and 1647 were available with out leather. I have a black 1645 with out leather and a red 1640 with leather.

 

So I finally got my notebook back and it's still having HDD issues (because they refused to replace it) AND they downgraded the 4670 to a 3670 when they replaced the motherboard, which is just not acceptable.

 

I was able to get Dell to replace my Studio XPS 1640. The customer support guy was so nice to talk with.

Old Spec:
Studio XPS 1640
Intel P8700 (2.53ghz)
4GB RAM
1GB Radeon Mobility 4670
500GB 7200RPM Harddrive
DVD Writer
1600x900 LCD
6 Cell Battery

New Spec:
XPS 15z
Intel Core i7-2640m (2.8ghz-3.5ghz)
8GB RAM
2GB GeForce GT 525m
256GB SSD Drive
DVD Writer
1920x1080 LCD
8 Cell Battery

The only thing here is I think we had a miscommunication because he told me that I'm gonna get an XPS 15. When I checked the order details, it shows that I'll get the XPS 15z.

I'm really intrigued by the XPS 15 because of the nice B+RGLED screen and the JBL speaker.

Anyways, I have a Dell U2711 so it's all good. I'm just worried about heat and throttle issue because the XPS 15z is one heck of a thin laptop.

Should I tell them to give me a XPS 15 instead of 15z?

 

No, but for reasons I'm a little unsure about.

Recently people have said that Dell is no longer producing XPS15 L502x with the 1080p screen. Apparently you can only get the 720p screen.

Aside from the screen (and maybe the speakers), everything else is a major upgrade from your current 1640. You're getting a SB i7, twice the memory, a high resolution screen, a MUCH BETTER hard disk, and much better battery life. All in all I think you are getting a very good upgrade, if the lack of B+RGLED and JBL speakers aren't a deal breaker for you.

As for the heat, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about it, sorry.

 

Hmm you know what I think the B+RG LED is no longer an option for L502x because they're saving it for L521x Ivy Bridge!

I wish I've waited for few more months!