**The Official Studio XPS 1645 Intel Core i7 "Owners Lounge" - Part 2

Thanks for posting that...I've been thinking about building my own as well, if i can get some time i'll have to try to put something together.
The one i have been looking at is the NZXT Cryo
Newegg.com - NZXT Black Aluminum Notebook cooler w/ 3 120mm adjustable fans Model CRYO-001B

 

anyone have an issue where the print screen button stops working randomly until restart?

 

Although my fps does not go so low...... The sound becomes grainy and then the FPS drops wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......

And if i leave for sometime then it works for another 5 minutes and then again wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... hehe

 

It also depends on the location!! Which part of the world you are in!! The tropical where a i7-720qm has a idle temp of 60-65!!!! Now that is hot!!! When you start playing games n so on, if you have no coolers then you will obviously end up calling CUSTOMER CARE in no time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

...and customer care will tell you it's not meant for gaming.

 

There are other resource intensive programs out there that would still use the GPU and have it throttle still... just because it is cause by a game shouldn't matter really. Right guys?!!

 

and if my old Inspiron E1505 (2006) could play the game without overheating the 1645 should be able to at least do the same Example: Left 4 Dead (1), the old inspiron would get hot...but never throttled

 

well - had my 1645 for a few days now. Have to say - love it. This is an official refurbished dell. I registered windows 7 - I downloaded ubuntu lucid lynx. It installed without a hitch. Seemed to find everything I needed. (wireless and such)

So far so good. Not much gaming - but I did play a few fps's on ubuntu.

thanks
sam

 

yes sound goes crazy...so its a Official symptom of GPU throttling..hmm..

 

Is it possible to swap a rgb led from a 1640 on to a 1645 with a wled and the same 1 gig ati graphics interface?

 

My pure GUESS would be yes, I do not think the gpu matters necc. but the adapter for the LCD COULD be diff... not sure though man, sorry.

 

Hehehe... I recently got a 40" LCD TV 1080p resolution. Last night I decided to play some TeamFortress 2 on it, and I have to say it was a glorious experience. I haven't gamed on such a big screen before unless you count the times in school when I've hooked up my computer to a projector and played for a few minutes to "test it out". Sitting about 5-6 feet away, it really engulfs the entire center of your vision. With the resolution and details cranked as high as possible, it really is a lot of fun

 

The GPU is soldered to the motherboard; you could buy a 1645 motherboard...

LCD should be easier. I actually think that would be very possible.

~Ibrahim~

 

is anyones leather back wearing out?? im worries about that...

 

mine never leaves my desk so my leather is perfect

 

oh ok.. the only reason why i got this was cause of the leather so im just hopin it wont wear out

 

it depends on how much you use it i suppose. use the microfiber cloth sack and it will stay tip top

 

Does anyone know what dell's complete care policy is on (seemingly) cosmetic damage? Like my hinge is separating slightly and the corner of the palm rest is bent and separated from the base. Would something like that be covered? My XPS didn't do well on it's first fall

 

It definitely covers drops. Here is their site. It doesn't cover normal wear, though; a drop should be covered, though.

~Ibrahim~

 

Thanks, I know it covers drops, but what I'm confused on is if the damage doesn't hinder me using the laptop or it's performance, will they still fix it? I worded that poorly the first time around.

 

Oh, gotcha.

Here is the quote from the contract:

"Notebooks. Only the central processing unit, internal keyboard, internal hard drives, and the
computer’s built-in LCD are covered."

"Repair and Replacement Service. During the term of this Agreement and subject to the limitations
in this Agreement, we will repair or replace the Computer Device as necessary to correct any
damage to the Computer Device which occurs during the usual and customary usage of the
Computer Device because:
• An electrical surge damages the Computer Device’s internal circuitry, or
• You accidentally drop the Computer Device (in the case of Notebooks and/or Peripherals) or
the Computer Device is otherwise accidentally damaged from handling including damage to:
• The keyboard if you spill liquid.
• The LCD/monitor cracks or shatters in extreme temperatures."

IDK....I have a vague recollection of someone telling me that they are actually open to repairing cosmetic damage. You could try.

~Ibrahim~

 

Thanks, I'm going to give it a shot and leverage the fact that the hinge is cracked/splitting means my screen might fall off any day now, lmao. Seriously though my screen does seem wobbly now, and the palm rest being bent and splitting is unsightly and annoying. It's bizarre how the damage happened seeing as when it dropped it fell flat on the screen, not the bottom. I'm amazed the screen is fine.

 

Ok so I spoke with Dell and they want me to send in my laptop for the damage to be assessed, even though I was under the impression they did stuff onsite... and the turn around time is 10-15 days. That a ridiculously long time. The reason they won't do it onsite they say is because it's accidental damage and it needs to be looked at, anyone else able to get on site service for accidental damage? I really can't go two weeks without my system.

 

Tell them you need it for work or something. Tell them to come fix it on-site or to send another to use while you are without... Couldn't hurt to ask.

As for experience myself, I have none... sorry.

 

Well when I had my M1530, I dropped it for the first time about 2 yrs into its lifetime (Dropped August 2009, called for and got fixed Sept 09). The drop caused my aluminum palmrest to begin to separate from the base, which I guess you could call cosmetic damage (definitely an accidental one). Thankfully I had bought 3 years CC Onsite warranty, but I was still a little skeptical. So I called them, but I never told them that I had dropped the machine. I simply told them that my palm rest was starting to split from the base (I was essentially quite vague about it ) So 2 days later, they sent an Onsite tech with all the parts, a new aluminum chasis and base, and he fixed it in my room . I think its ridiculous that you would have to send it in to them. If they're doing that, then that defeats the point of the onsite service you paid for. Ridiculous...call them and politely complain. You paid for the best warranty, you should get the best service. (cbaty08 also made a good point). I hope you can sort it out.

 

The reason they ask for you to send out the laptop is so that they can replace any parts as necessory. These techs have a parameter that there shouldnt be multiple dispatches in a week or so. So if they send a part and the onsite tech finds out another parts need to be replaced the techs dispatch would be hit. It complete corporate bogus policies. Call them and say i dont want to send my laptop to any depot service. I paid for Onsite service so I want onsite service. If they dont listen or argue escalate it to the manager and tell the manager politely the situation and tell them which ever parts arnt right. He will send out tech with all the parts. Hope that helps...

No matter what is the case. Dont accept sending out the laptop to them. Tell the manager that you use it for home and business on the go so you cant afford to be without it thats why you got this CompleteCare Next Business Day Warranty....

 

Sweet, I'll tell them the damage, and leave it at that. I wouldn't mind sending it in if the turnaround time was lets say 3-5 days, rather than 7-15. That's just not ok.

 

Guys, whats a "normal" temp for these cpu's? my temps are always in between 50-55 no matter what I'm doing even just idling. If i start up a game and play for a while its goes to 70-75. I've never seen it go above 76 and that was when i played mass effect 2 on highest settings for 3 hours straight. Are these are normal temps?

 

Sounds right around what I'm getting with my i7. These CPUs do sort of run hot, especially in this 1645 chassis that Dell has thrown them into. I believe those are pretty normal temps.

 

those are great temps, mine reaches higher than that even with a cooler!

 

Those are good temps for a 1645, mine while playing Left 4 Dead (1) will hit 80-83C on the CPU and throttle at 84C with the GPU, this is without a cooler and my idle temp are about yours maybe a bit higher depending on the ambient temp.

 

Hello, I'm new to this site and I'm not an expert on computers. I was wondering if the replacement computer that Dell gave me is a good one. This is the second one sent to me. I complained about the first replacement because they gave me a dual core2 and it was getting very HOT. They wanted to send another Mother Board and replace the Heat Sink? The computer was about two weeks old and I told them ...now you want to dismantle a computer that you just sent as a replacement. So they sent this one I am now using It's a 1645 I think. From what I printer out it states4.00 GB RAM,# OF PROCESSORS ARE 4, 288 GB Hard Drive, 269 GB Free (288GB Total) Media drive (D): CD/DVD, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670, Total avail Graphics memory is 2810 MB, Dedicated Graphics memory is 1024, Dedicated system memory is 0 MB, Shared system memory 1786 MB, Display adapter driver version is 8.680.0.0, Primary monitor resolution is 1920x1080, Direct version is DirectX10, Network adapters are: Intel(R) Centrino (R) Advanced-N 6200 AGN; MICROSOFT VIRTUAL WiFi miniport Adapter; Bluetooth Device( Personal Area Network);Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet. Processor-Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU Q [email protected]. Memory(RAM) 4.00GB, Graphics- ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670, Gaming Graphics- 2810 MB Total Available Graphics memory, Primary Hard Disc- 269 Free (288GB Total) I think it is slower as the first replacement was a Dual core2 2.8GB and this one is 1.6. My question is should I complaine to them again? or just be satisfied with this replacement. My Origionla Comp was a XPS 1530 that I paid $2,000.00 two years ago and just about everything was replaced. Thats why they sent me a replacement. Thanks for any/all the help that you can offer.

 

PS, I have to peturn the first replacement within 10 days. Thanks again.

 

This is what just happened. I clicked EDIT to correct the spelling above to return and the cursor just goes spinning around and around and does nothing but I added this ststement. Is it freezing up?

 

Hey gflvette2, Welcome to the Forums ,

It would be nice to know the complete specs of your m1530 (if you know them). However going off what you provided, I'm guessing you had the T9600 and the 8600m gt in your m1530. Solely based on those two parts alone, I can tell you that your replacement is better. The processor you had in your m1530 (T9600) is a dual core, while the one in the 1645 is a quad core processor. Seeing as they both have a different number of cores, 2 vs 4, they function in slightly different ways. Intel implemented this clock management system (speed management) that puts the cores to sleep/wakes them up depending on the task being performed by the processor. During the more demanding tasks all 4 processors are awake and the clock rate is at 1.6ghz. The less demanding tasks wake up less cores, and when 1 core is awake, the processor can achieve clocks of up to 2.8ghz. It's called Turbo Boost. It was all very confusing to me the first time I heard of these quad cores myself . Watch the Intel Turbo Boost Tech. demo linked at the bottom of this intel page, it helped me understand better. Also a few programs/games take advantage of the fact that there are 4 cores, thus making that processor work better than the dual core. So never fear, you're safe. Side note: the 1645 does run warm though not too hot, especially if you're not doing anything too demanding.

Aside from that, I would think that all your other specs on the 1645 are better than the m1530 ones you had (the specs of that one would help confirm that). The ATI 4670 is def. a much better graphics card than the Nvidia 8600m gt.

As for the "spinning" around: If you do experience that again, or any complete freezes for that matter, first uninstall Creative X-FI Sound Blaster (something like that) software if you have it on your computer. That program has caused nothing but problems for people. Then uninstall your current Adobe Flash, and install flash beta from here ("plug-in" for Firefox; "active-x" for Internet Explorer). Hopefully this all helps you comprehend better .

 

Thank You E.D.U. You certaintly made me feel much better. In fact I was just going to call Dell and complain. I was trying to download a 4.1MB e-mail and it took approx 2 mins. to download. That bothers me. I just think its so slow. I understand what you said about the processors but I can't understand why it should take so long to download. I tried another e-mail that was 6.4MB and It never downloaded. I just cant figure it out. But I thank you for your expertise and certainly look forward to reading about these computers. I'm sure I'll learn about them here as you have already taught me. Thanks for your help.

 

Thanks E.D.U. I did as you suggested by deleting Creative X-FI then Uninstall Abobe Flash and installed the Active x for Internet. I hope I did it right. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the help. Regards, George

 

Have you tried your RGB screen outside in a very sunny day. What do you notice when there is a direct sun light on the screen. Mine becomes all GREEN . Is it faulty ?

Nikolay

 

about the email download times, i'm pretty sure that has nothing to do with the processor but rather a problem with your ISP or server, i know of 10 year old computer which can download stuff very quickly, just because they have a really good connection.

 

Thanks Wezley 91. But the first replacement downloads much faster. I still have it here and tried to see the difference and the first one is much faster. Thanks again.

 

Greetings all, I was wondering ....How can I find all the specs to this 1645 That I just recieved as a replacement?

Thanks in advance,

George

 

Hey again gflvette2. I find that the easiest way to get my specs is to go to the bottom right tray in your screen (the one with your volume, battery, etc.). Then look for and click on the "Dell Support Center" icon to open it up (hopefully you have that installed). Then when it opens click on "About your system". Then "Warranty Information", which will open up your default browser. Then "Warranty Status", and finally the gray tab labeled "Original System Config.". That somewhat confusing list are your complete specs as provided by Dell . If you can't decipher them yourself, you can post them on here and we'll help. I've been reading that gibberish for a while now that I understand it pretty well now . Figures....lol.

 

Thanks E.D.U. I did find as you described. I will have to wait as dell doesn't have this comp listed in my name yet. It shows No Warrentee. I called them yesterday to purchase an additional 2 yr warrentee and they didn't have the system listed yet. They said they willl call me back in 10 mins. but they never did. I called them 1 hr. later and got their voice mail,lol. So I left a message and I'm still waiting for them to call me. But, they did want to sell me more memory.$249.99 for 4 GB more maxing it out to 8GB. I don't know if thats a good deal or not. I would perfer to extend my warrentee for 2 yrs more instead of the balance of what I have noe which expires 4/2012. I will post my info ASAP. Thanks for your help again. George

 

Well, I finally took the plunge!

Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (2.8 GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
6GB, DDR3, 1333MHz 2 Dimm
15.6 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p Full HD WLED LCD, W/2.0 MP, XPS 1645
128GB Solid State Drive

I appreciate all the advice and expertise that you guys have presented very much. I really Dell has worked out some of the kinks I've been reading about

I'm assuming it comes loaded with bloatware that needs to be purged. Any other general advice to consider once it comes?

 

Pretty much all new computers from big manufacturers include bloatware.. But lately Dell has been really good about keeping it to a minimum comparatively.

But hey, with all the help here you would have no trouble at all if you did a clean install... which judging that you spent more on a SSD leads me to think you like speed... So good luck with the fresh install when it comes : )

As for advice when it comes, I have none other than make sure it is working... or maybe download all the drivers you'll need before installing...

 

Hello Again, How do you subscribe to this Thread? Also, my computer says Inteli7-720Q (not QM) 1.60GHz. Is it a QM? I don't know if I have the RGB Full HD screen(but it is 1920x1080)and HD. I don't know how to post my comp info either, lol..........duh. TY, George

 

That's certainly not a "good deal" but it might be the best you can find right now. For comparison, Crucial is selling at the same rate, and they usually aren't the cheapest.

The most important question is: do you need more than 4GB? Unless you are really into video editing, Photoshop, and similar applications, it's a waste of money. If you're not sure, you can monitor your RAM usage and always buy later if needed; you aren't missing out on a special deal.

 

@George

Scroll to the top of this page and hit "Thread Tools" and hit "Subscribe." Alternately, go into "User CP" (along the top banner of the forum) and go to like "Options" and in there you can automatically subscribe to any thread you start or post in.

i7-720QM. If you have anything that says i7-720 or 720, it's this model. There are no other variants.

To check the RGBLED, search the forums for the exact step-by-step process. Simple version: Go to the monitor's properties in Device Manager and check the Hardware ID. RGBLED should be SEC 448 or something like that. If it says MS_0000, restart and check again.

 

Thanks Gpig and ikjadoon, But I could find the info in device manager, But I did get to subscribe. One out of two for me is good, lol. Thanks again, George

I really have to learn this site....

 

Gpig, I won't get the extra memory. I think what you said is very true. I'm still waiting for Dell to post my warrentee in "My Account " page. I would like to but 2 more years so I will have 4 yrs. again. What do you think? TY, George