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

One of the posters here removed the shiny plastic "edge-to-edge" layer and found the actual lcd underneath had a nice matte finish. That may have been a 1330... I don't remember...

 

can someone please go to bluejays.com and tell me if the blue background on the webpage is flickering for you? I have never noticed any screen issues before, but the background on that website (blue with team logos) is flickering/wavy. Is there something wrong w/ my screen? Thanks.

 

no, neither the background image or the solid blue wrapper are flickering. tried it in opera and firefox (this was on my desktop)... hope it's not teh screen... tried a reboot?

 

i didnt know a X9XX class existsed! I though X8XX was the highest.
I have a question, whats going on when I'm listening to music and then at random intervals my music would skip for half a second? Its kind of annoying.
Im interested in that anti-glare thing. My eyes hurt and I would like to protect my screen and reduce glare as well. Is it 100% clear/transparent?

 

Thanks for the link phobos512! I'm looking into buying one. I'd just have to cut a little rectangle on both the sides on the bottom for the silver hinge. The silicon adhesive makes me nervous tho. I have that adhesive at home for sealing stuff together. The bond is hard to break! I just want to know if it's easy to take the protector off and if it will leave residue I can't clean off. I was thinking the film would attach using static cling (like plastic wrap does).

 

Now that I have a little time on my hands, I did the search on google and here are the links to each of your 3 different graphics cards.
HD 4850 Mobile
HD 5730 Mobile
9800 GS Mobile
I put them in order from most powerful to weakest. The HD 4850 is the clear winner in terms of power. The 9800 GS is a close contender to the HD 5730 but is slightly slower.

P.S. Sorry for the double post!

 

Yeah restarting doesn't change anything...it's really weird though, its the only website I've seen so far that shows the colors like that. Haven't noticed it anywhere else so I wont do anything about it for now...gotta see about getting a replacement that doesn't throttle anyway.

 

Well, as E.D.U. clarified and as I have indicated in my Borderlands comparison on two laptops with mobile graphics chips, the HD5730 is clearly out-gunned by the 9800M GS.

I had both the Asus G50 (with an Intel Duo Core P7450 2.13GHz) and Nvidia 9800M GS and the XPS i7/5730 running last night, piped through to 24" inch monitors. Ran Borderlands at the highest resolutions and maxed out settings. There is simply no comparison. The G50 runs Borderlands at these settings with no lag at all. The XPS gives me a headache with all the stuttering.

Then, I started reducing the res to 1366x768 and turning down all the settings... with almost everything near low to midway, the XPS stops stuttering. I always thought Borderlands was a low use graphics game -- but that is clearly not the case.

Then I tried playing Singularity at highest settings. While playable on the XPS, it was absolutely smoother playing on the G50.

The most disappointing thing is that my G50 / 9800M GS is older and cost only $899 when I purchased it new. I wanted an updated system with a high end screen and i7. The XPS 1645 is a great laptop with a spectacular built-in screen, but if it cannot play Borderlands as my benchmark...


EDU was correct. I was and am expecting too much out of this XPS. Too bad, cus there is plenty to like about this laptop.... but after a couple of days of testing, I am sending it back to Dell with a penalty. Back to the G50 I guess

 

Wetcardboard, I have same spec as you, and no flickering on bluejays.com here either.

 

it was actually the xps 13. i used to have one and in the xps 1340 thread you can find it somewhere.

 

Hey Guys..Already started a thread on this but i was wondering if i can get any help here?

Okay..I'm really sick of this laptop now.The number of problems which have occured over the last 6 months involving two different 1645's is absolutely astounding.
USB ports not working,Random Freezes, Random Shutdowns, Throttling

How is Dell getting away with this ?

The latest problem is that my laptop speakers have just stopped working.
I plugged in my earphones today and after I pulled them out, the speakers have never come on after that. The IDT Audio Panel showed that the Headphone was connected even though it was not connected.
However music comes through the speakers when I run the tests in Diagnostic mode.
Now, Ive upgraded my bios, Latest A18 IDT driver in the dell website and tried reinstalling the old drivers too. No luck at all.
Too make it worse, the IDT application itself, where you could change settings and stuff doesnt exist anymore on my laptop once I installed the latest IDT drivers

Anyone here have any solutions ?

I remember the good work done here by a lot of people during throttlegate and the issue of underpowered adapters.
I really hope someone can help me out.

Also, can anyone tell me the chances of getting a refund on my laptop ?
This present laptop is already a replacement of an earlier 1645 and is close to 3 months old.

Thanks and sorry for the long post !

 

For the Headphone problem try disabling "Independent (R.T.C.) Headphones" by right clicking it and disabling it. If not you can bring it back by right clicking an empty space in that window and click show disabled devices. Sorry if that didn't help.

 

The thing is once I installed the latest drivers, my IDT Audio Control Panel has stopped functioning.
When I click on it, it says "unable to connect to com interface"

 

So I finally called into tech support and I am getting my motherboard and screen replaced next week. I highly doubt this will solve the throttling problems but thats what Dell wants to try first so fine. I feel kind of bad about replacing the screen as theres only one website that I actually can notice the flickering on which is very odd, but it is there nonetheless. I forgot to ask them about the keyboard, some of my keys (including space key) already have a squeaky sound to them. My battery is also at 10% wear level after exactly one month of owning this laptop. I tried to get them to send me a 9-cell to replace the 6-cell not only because of the wear I've already experienced but also because of the lack of airflow caused by the 6-cell...they wouldn't go for that at all.

EDIT: Well Dell just lied to me and wasted an hour of my time saying they could send a technician out. I got a call back and was told I don't qualify for the in-home servicing (the rep I was dealing with didn't notice it at the time) and that I have to send my unit into a depot to get it fixed which is unacceptable to me because I haven't even had this thing for over a month and I CANNOT be without a computer for up to two weeks. What do you guys advise I should do?

The freaking keyboard is driving me nuts it seems to be getting even squeakier by the minute too...I just want a replacement, and laptop that works like it's supposed to.

 

Yeah, how does that 1 year battery replacement work? Can i just request for a new battery for any reasons during that 1 year replacement? If so I will attache my battery back in. 1 week in and i got 5% wear so I removed my battery until winter comes and i elevated my laptop using a wooden flute(lol).

Also I just watched a part of Up on my laptop, and MAN! is it gorgeous! Sadly it only output 720p to my 1080i Plasma, is locked to 720p output or is it just because of my TV model?

 

So, I just got throttling playing GTA 4 on some pretty intense settings. They were the recommended settings for the card (Auto-configure option), and it wasn't CHOPPY per se, just like... normal speed, then slightly slow for a second, then fast, then slow- not choppy, there was no framerate reduction, it was just 'hopping' up and down.

But it plays TF2 on super high, and a few of the other games that I like- and it seems to handle graphics applications like a dream. Now I just need to buy windows 7 pro and see how it handles 3d apps.

Also, for those who think the speakers are bad.. try looking for the bass boost option in the sound menus. It makes a world of difference. Still not for audiophiles, but then again- it's a laptop for chrissakes.

Even if I might not be able to get EXACTLY what I paid for, it's enough for everything I'll need until a while after I get out of college. Recommendation... not for gamers, but for someone like me who uses it commercially with photoshop, it seems to be quite fine for the price.

 

oh yeah do u guys have a scratch on ur screen that is covered by the battery? I removed it and noticed it as i was cleaning my screen.

 

Does anyone here know how I can get itunes to work with my media keys at the top of my keyboard? I looked around google and found many links from 2006 which are no help anymore. Thanks in advance!

 

Hi I am just wondering if you use a logitech laptop cooler what kind of throttling issues there with the Dell Studio XPS 1645. I know the i5 model is better as far as throttling, but I want the 5730.

 

Mine doesnt throttle at all, cooler or no cooler.

 

They work for me automatically, didn't have to configure anything. Try re-installing your Dell QuickSet drivers.

 

If you would like the media buttons above the keyboard to work with iTunes, even when it's minimized (which is what I'm guessing you mean), follow the instructions from this Media Keys PAGE. Found it a while back, applied it, and it has saved me a lot of frustration and time . Hope it goes well.

 

Works like a charm! Thanks E.D.U.! And to wetcardboard, my keys were working while iTunes was in the forefront but not when minimized which is what I wanted. The post E.D.U. pointed out solved it, I just had to paste a .dll file into a new folder and it works minimized now.
On another note, has anyone experienced any negative effects from the silicon adhesive for the matte screen protector or similar? I'm hesitant because should I want to remove it, I don't want any defects to be left.

 

Hi all, longtime lurker first time poster.

First off, I would like to say thx to all that have posted on this forum. It has been quite informative to say the least. I started reading all the post since last week and finally read my last one just a moment ago. I tool almost a page worth of notes indicating troubleshooting ideas, potential tweaks and things to do from this forum. Thx for all the tips and tricks.

I will be receiving my SXPS 1645 within a few days and am totally pumped. However, I have one thing that is nagging me after reading the last couple pages of the forum. Is Dell no longer sending the OS disc along with their system? I would like to do a complete reinstall as soon as I get my hands on it.

If anyone has ordered the system within the last couple weeks and have received their lappy already confirm this? Any info will greatly be appreciated.

Cheers, Eric.

 

You must call them and ask for the recovery disks

 

I called in because I had networking problems. No hardware problems were found, it was solely software. I was on the phone with Dell for 3 hours trying different fixes and nothing worked. I just asked the employee to send me all the install discs with the Windows 7 one so I could reinstall. They wanted to charge me $10 for them. I just told them to screw off. I paid $1700 for a laptop, they better send me some CD's for free or else I'm returning it. I received them in 2 days free of charge. Much happier with a freshly installed system not laden with Dell crap. A tip though is to ask for the Biometric webcam logon software, the DVD software, the drivers disc and any other disc that may apply to your laptop. For some reason they don't put it all on one DVD.

 

you're the one who is very lucky.

 

Thanks for the tip. Funny thing, I called in to Dell today and inquired whether or not the discs are included with the order. The tech researched my order and confirmed that the discs were sent along with the system. EDD was July 31, but the tech said the FedEx is going to deliver my system tomorrow. Woo hoo. I'll keep you guys updated whether or not the disc was delivered.

My Artic Silver 5 kit is coming in on Thursday. Can't wait. Cheers.

 

I have asked for the disks as well and got an e-mail back stating just copy the restore to a USB drive. I just paid $1900 for a laptop and they are giving me stress over disks, of which I paid for the operating system??

 

had a choice between a hitachi 500gb or a toshiba 500gb. Think theres a difference between the 2?

 

Does anyone have hibernation problem on windows 7 (64 bit)fresh install. I have installed all the latest drivers, tried all the solutions on the web about this "hibernation just locking the screen" problem. The only background applications running are the ATI driver, Catalyst control center, Synaptics helper+enhancer, and Microsoft Security essentials. Any advice is well appreciated.

 

Okay I have a question for everyone here. Dell just called me regarding a "promo" for extended warranties. I have the basic 1 year warranty on my laptop, which I spent $1700 on, grudgingly. I expect it to last me through my last year in high school and 4 (maybe 5) years of university in a mechanical engineering program. I'll probably have it in my backpack all the time when its not in use, protected with a skin case and a laptop compartment in my backpack. I didn't want to spend this much but this laptop seems like it has the horsepower and portability to suit my needs. So Dell called me for the promo on the warranties: $219 for one year extension plus all the in-home repairs and stuff totaling 2 years under warranty, or $460 for a two year extension for 3 years total with all the premium features.
My question to you is if this "promo" which seems pretty expensive, is worth it. I always thought that in the first year is when hardware will fail, if not the hardware will probably last a long time. I want to say no to this offer because it's a lot of money (which can go towards tuition and other better expenses) and also because I'll baby this laptop and always make sure it's well taken care of. Both these reasons are making me very hesitant in taking up their offer.
So please, any opinions and experiences would be really appreciated. They're calling me back on Friday afternoon for my answer.
Thanks a million in advance!,
Spike

 

From my past experience with laptops if there is a hardware failure without users involvement this would be covered under the normal protection plan. But if you do have accidents like coffee spills (it happened to me) you should have accidental damage plan(which i did not have). The ultimate plan comes with expert tech support which others would have to buy. My old Lenovo Thinkpad was in very excellent condition but in the last month of 2 year warranty it had some problems but i couldn't do anything( they wouldn't upgrade to accidental once you had the "accident"). I have already spent around 1700(including HDD upgrades, lcd replacement etc) and wished i had the accidental coverage for 3 years. So i have opted for 3 year accidental coverage for my new XPS the total was around 1650. If you think your laptop is an investment (for me it is as i am doing my masters in computer engineering) you should protect it. Also always remember backup your work files and system very regularly.

 

Windows 7 fresh Install hibernate problems.


So, i have tried every possible solution available on the internet to make the hibernate work but couldn't. The dell tech support remotely tried to fix the problem but in the end advised me to reinstall the whole os or reset to a factory default. Having installed many programs i am in dilemma whether to reinstall the whole Win 7 along with numerous programs or to deal without having to hibernate. I wish my system was perfect. Anyways i also found that display drivers might be stopping the hibernation process especially the AMD Radeon graphics drivers. What is your advice.

 

You may want to check the BIOS for an entry relating to the OS controlling the power state or something along those lines. I don't have this experience with the laptop but my desktop with a Gigabyte mobo has the option to enable power control through the OS. Once enabled, this fixed my hibernation problems in Vista.
If you can live without hibernation, then I say leave it. However, if your laptop runs out of juice and can no longer sleep, it should hibernate to preserve your processes. This I see as key.
If it's not a BIOS problem then it's most likely a software problem. I would reinstall Windows 7 anyways (if you didn't get the discs to do so, read my previous post where I say how I got them) because it seems like Windows fudged something, similar to my networking issues.

 

just ran 3dmark 06 with my new 5730 and got 7600. Decent boost compared to the 4670 but i dont feel any extra frames in games. But that was to be expected.

 

Thanks for the reply l8mkbee. I've decided against going with the warranty. My laptop is covered in the house insurance plan in case it breaks, gets stolen, etc. Also, it's my belief that within those 3 or so years the warranty would apply for, if a component breaks, it should be less than the cost of the plan to get a new part. I am quite capable to fix it myself as long as I have the replacement part.

 

^^ if it's a generic part (eg. RAM), you're probably ok, but if somehow it's product specific it'll be quite expensive.

Example: GPU soldered to MB will be hard/impossible to replace without getting Dell to do it with their own parts.
My Inspiron 9400 needs it's geforce 7900GS replaced and dell quoted me over $500 for it. Fortunately it's removable/upgradeable (not stuck to MB) and ebay has a few options.

 

Point taken. However, in a few years, this laptop will probably be posted for sale on ebay, probably in rough condition too. I could use it as a parts computer if needed. Either way, $460 is close to $500 and I don't need the premium customer service where 5 minutes on Google is faster than 4 hours on the phone to solve a problem. Just a cash cow in my eyes.

 

Hello,

My friend, Jonathan Yeung, promised to buy this laptop, but now he is backing out. How should I convince him?

Thanks!

 

I started backing up my whole system (Fresh Win 7 Pro + TONS of Software Installed) using Windows Restore and Backup to an External HDD 2.5 hrs back and the it completed only 21%. At this rate it will take all night long to finish and i will probably check back at sun rise. What Backup software do you guys use and any other techniques to quicken this process, so it will complete before we evolve into advanced creatures.

 

I was wondering if I was the only one whose computer took that long to back up... I left it on overnight for 14 hours and it only got to about 26%. When I sat to watch it for a couple minutes I saw that windows backup would copy a file, then stop and wait for a while before doing the next one. I would appreciate any backup software suggestions as well...

 

I finally got it done. Took me 4-5 hours to backup 115 GB(60GB System Image+ Data files). The problem seems to be my 2.5" HDD of my olds laptop that i am now using as a portable drive. The drive seems to be having problems, especially the head making clicking sounds and there is a RED light blinking on the adapter half of the time. The fault though is with me, this 2.5" drive is 12mm height one and i tried to forcibly fit it in a 9mm Enclosure casing. I hammer the hard drive to fit in, but finally the aluminum casing won which caused the drive to get stuck in the middle. I had to cut the casing. Lesson learned never touch the Hard Drive (and of course realizing my stupidity).

 

I recently noticed that there's a black fleck which seems to be trapped between the plastic screen covering and the actual LCD. I know it's not a dead pixel since when I place my arrow over it then move my head to different angles, the black fleck moved in and out of it. If it was a dead pixel, it would stay put. I tried rubbing it off with my nail but it's not coming off and I don't feel anything raised. This leads me to think it's in between the layers. What should i do?

 

If it bothers you so much - call dell and they will replace the screen - otherwise there is nothing you can do.

 

I have the same problem, there's a diny black thing stuck between the layers of my screen, I freaked out when I first got it (since I will be leaving the US soon, I can't risk sending it back and waiting for it get it fixed). Then after some tests I figured out that it wasn't a dead pixel. So I am not sending it to dell, while gaming I don't see it since it's almost grey and fits well with the gaming environment usually... Unless they send a tech over my hotel to change this, any ideas if they would? do I need to have something other than the default warranty?

 

very mad right now. my new replacement just throttled this time it was cpu throttling. It never ends. i was just playing HON too nothing intensive.

 

Does anyone else receive a driver warning in Starcraft 2 with the 5730? It worries me...

 

I actually have a big black spec at the bottom right of my screen. if it moves or more appear i will call dell. But you have to call dell and have them replace the screen. Are you in US or Canada. In us i believe they will come to your house by default in Canada you needed to upgrade your warranty

 

I think Dell service comes to your house in every country. This product line has that kind of service (at least here in Turkey).