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

thx for that-will go to the local Sony Style store and check it out in person. Do still like my XPS 16,but want something smaller to travel with and it looks like the CW has pretty good specs-T9600, GT230M 512, Blu-ray.

 

I promise you have the throttle issues. You likely just don't know exactly what to look for, or how to bring them out.

Tomb Raider is pretty low-spec too i think. I always have issues with World of Warcraft and L4D2 if I dont have throttlestop running.

ignorance is bliss i guess though so maybe you should just be happy and not go looking for it. (EDIT: Im using the phrase, not saying that you are ignorant or anything!)

 

I think I am going to keep my new SXPS. I have found that it works really well when I take time off from reading these posts!!!

LOL - ignorance is bliss....

 

Well this is about my eighth computer, my fifth Dell, and my third Dell laptop. So I can tell when there is something wrong.

 

Yeah, me too. It's way too nice to be a schmuck about. It'll work out in the end and we'll all have sweet laptops.

 

IMO, look no further then the XPS-1340. I've been regretting my 1645 purchase and eyeballing my wife's 1340 ever since our purchases...

 

I'm with you on that one! Mine is all that I wanted when I chose it, just need to bite the bullet and give it a complete reload.

First funny I had was when Media Player stopped working. Disabled it and re-enabled it and it came back to life. Then the brightness control via the keyboard stopped working. I'd been trying to get rid of the over vivid reds from my RGBLED screen and something I've done has stopped the hard keys from working. I reloaded gfx drivers using the modded desktop method and now Catalyst Control Panel won't work. OK I accept that is my fault.

I have one hardware niggle. The Volume from the right hand speaker is a lot higher than from the left hand one. Using headphones all is fine.

If I turn the right hand channel volume level slider down to zero I can still hear sound from the Right speaker. If I turn the left one down I cannot hear it. Anyone else notice this? Is it something to do with the 'sub-woofer' underneath that is quite close to the right hand side?

 

I smack my speakers when that happens, usually the softer one. It works sometimes, but other times I have to stop the music and start it again.

~Ibrahim~

 

Hey Guys need a little advice,

Have been eye-balling the SXPS16 for a while and it seemed like the perfect laptop prior to the throttling issue coming about. Dell UK is having a great deal on these machines expiring on the 6th Jan. Coupled with my Corporate EPP discount, I would be getting a very good deal. I had previously been holding off to see what new machines come out of CES 2010 but am worried about losing this opportunity.

Taking into account the following, would you recommend I take a wait and see approach for CES 2010 or bite the bullet and order the SXPS16.

1) I do not really game much (if at all) but do use my laptop to watch HD movies on an HDMI output a lot.
2) Heavy use of mostly web-browsing and Office applications though I tend to work with many multiple windows at once.
3) Already own a 130W Dell Power Brick from a previous laptop
4) Understanding that the current i7 is more powerful than the newly announced (dual-core) models.
5) Style and portability is somewhat important. I previously owned an Asus G1S and while it was very reliable, it was ugly and a chore to lug around (otherwise I'd go for the G73).
6) Screen is my #1 priority - has to be 1080p.

Got one day left to make the decision Throttle issue is worrying me but am unsure as there seems to be a fix on the horizon and/or it does not affect non-gamers?

Many thanks!

 

If you don't game (or use the GPU heavily), you'll never notice the throttling. And even then you have a 130W.

I've watched plenty of HD movies with the HDMI. Works great. Of course, it has some restrictions (only one screen, can't be both). Actually, that is the only restriction I can think of, lol.

Well, it depends on what you're doing. The extra clock speed of the i3/i5 models might benefit more single-core applications. Take a look at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...rrandale.22_.28standard_voltage.3B_32_nm.29_3

Scroll a bit up and down to get a good feel of what's coming.

If you use something that really uses eight cores/four cores, the i7-7xx/8xx/9xxx is the way to go. But otherwise the i7-620M should be faster.

The SXPS 16 may be updated for the new Arrandale models, or they might keep the SXPS 16 "luxury" and leave it as is.

~Ibrahim~

 

???
When I plug into my TV, it duplicates my screen on the TV, so I can watch it on both, were I so inclined.

 

LoL Can you only watch on one screen? Or is that only for HDMI? Can u dualscreen with VGA?

 

Sorry...should have been more clear.

HD = Blu-ray, DRM-infected/protected. Unprotected HD is fine, but try watching a Blu-ray on two screens. PowerDVD will work all the way up to actually displaying the movie. After that, it'll give an error saying you can't have 'clone-mode' enabled.

~Ibrahim~

 

Has anyone tried using the HDMI and Displyport to connect two monitors?

 

Hello all!

I purchased my SXPS 16 on Dec 17th and will receive it tomorrow ( I hope )
- specs i7 720, RGBLed, 6 Gig Ram, 500gig drive

I've read this entire thread as well the other related threads.
I am a professional game developer and will be running 3D programs, Image Editing, Unity 3D, etc etc. Do you think I will experience the fore mentioned throttling issues everyone has been with this product? ( I know I will when I run builds of the game )

I am heavily considering returning this machine and see what Dell does or see what CES brings.

Thanks in advance!

 

You want to return it before you get it? Kidding aside, I think its the best move to wait and see what CES brings to the table.

 

@daraj

haha I'll return it the day i get it
I'll sit tight and see what CES brings, I'll also do a test running this computer in the dev environment.

 

Have had mine less than a week... Although I've been able to resolve the random freezes & flash video lock ups, I'm waiting for CES results too. The 130W adapter is on the way from Dell, not trying to install throttlestop until...

 

does anybody know of different computer with a blu ray burner
since dell mess up my order
old order placed on oct 15
XPS 1645
Arctic White High Gloss
Intel i7 720QM
6GB DDR3 Ram
500GB Hard drive
15.6 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p Full HD WLED
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi MB
4x Blu-ray burner
Intel 5300 WIFI
Bluetooth
9 cell battery

got it 12-17 dead they sent some one out to fix it after they fixed it it kept shocking them so they set me up with a system exchange with the same or better
I called on dec 24 to see when i will get my computer order #
the gave it to me



new order

1 224-6716 Studio XPS 16 Notebook
1 310-0173 Airborne Documentation, System Exchanges,Factory Install
1 312-0950 9-cell Battery
1 313-8546 Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi MB
1 313-8874 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive WHAT NO BLU RAY !!!!!
1 317-2361 Intel CoreTM i7-720QM (1.6 - 2.8 GHz 6M/8 threads)
1 317-2365 6GB, DDR3, 1333MHz 2 Dimm
1 320-8339 15.6 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p Full HD WLED LCD, W/2.0 MP, XPS 1645
1 320-8350 ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4670 1GB
1 320-8354 Arctic White High Gloss Finish with Leather XPS 1645
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1 330-5460 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP,XPS 1645
1 330-6222 Windows 7 Label
1 341-8989 500GB 7200RPM Free Fall SensorSeagate Hard Drive
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1 410-2090 McAfee Sapphire MUI, 15-Month
1 412-0148 No ISP requested
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec
1 412-1397 No Productivity Software requested
1 420-6436 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-6576 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
1 420-7938 Dell Connect 2.1
1 420-9100 Dell Dock Consumer
1 420-9352 Dell, Software, Wild Tangent Inc Games
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 421-0187 Dell Support Center Software 64 Bit 2.0
1 421-0188 Facial Recognition
1 421-0323 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
1 421-1010 Dell Webcam Central v1.4
1 421-1361 MOD,SW,RXO,EZCD,10.3,DE,FI
1 421-1365 Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate, 64 bit, English
1 421-1582 Cyberlink Power DVD 8.3 Playback
1 430-0700 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)
1 430-0737 Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card
1 430-3605 Integrated 10/100 Network Card

called ask wheres my blu ray burner
they told my it's not available no more

then called dell american tech support back

they told me the only thing they can do is give me the computer they made and when the bluray come available they will send it out

i think i had enough dell bs

 

New owner of a 1645 here. Still trying to get used to win 7 and the XPS. So far I'm really impressed by the screen quality, it looks pretty amazing (i have the wled). Also noticed it runs very cool, although the constant humming sound of the fan can be annoying. Not so impressed by the speed of the computer yet, especially i noticed it takes quite some time to start up. I have some questions:
-I read about the different energy settings: balanced, high performance, and power saver. Where do I change these settings? Probably kind of a stupid question but i haven't really been able to figure it out.
-What do you usually do when turning off the pc: shutdown, sleep or hibernate? Let's say when you won't use it for 12 hours.
-I haven't tried any games yet, but do i have to tweak any settings for the graphic card to get the most out of it for gaming? I'm just wondering if there's a panel where I can control settings for the 4670. Planning to play some games this weekend, maybe crysis and left 4 dead 2, and looking fwd to mass effect 2.

 

1) Click the battery icon in the tray and then "more power options"
2) I shut down if it's THAT long.
3) Right-click desktop, ATI Control Panel. You can mess with PowerPlay, too, in there.

~Ibrahim~

 

Does anyone have a TV Tuner built in to their 1645? If so, what model number is it? Anyone know of one that can be put into it? I see in the manual generic 1640 that it is optional.

I know there are plenty of external tuners, I would just like an internal.

 

Last night I ran into the problem that some have described here, i.e., that PowerDVD DX will just freeze when you insert a Blu-Ray. However, when I logged in as a different user, I was able to play the Blu-Ray just fine. So that might indicate that some user-specific setting may be causing the problem.

 

Interesting....

I had a similiar problem with a game called Tinker that MS distributed as a Vista Ultimate Extra. It would freeze on my main account, but was fine on another.

On a whim: try using Process Monitor while running PowerDVD on both accounts, any difference? Any folder named RSA or Crypto being accessed?

~Ibrahim~

 

edit.
problem allready solved

 

I'll check. What would that indicate?

 

I haven't been keeping up on this thread so I have a question.
I was thinking about buying the studio xps 1645 after CES(if nothing else caught my eye). But when I go to dell.com I only can configure it with Core2Duo cpu's
Does this have something to do with the Core I7 issues?

 

Try this link.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DYDWFN5&s=dhs

 

+1
Ahh.... I wonder why I couldn't find that from dell's homepage

 

I'm pretty sure if you get a TV tuner with your system, it will be for your PCMCIA slot.

 

Wow. I just got a call from Dell. I opened a ticket on not being able to sync with itunes due the issue with the pm55express. They want to ship me an identical laptop and have me ship mine out to them so they can test. I'm trying to decide if I should take them up on it. Anyone else still having issues with itunes?

On one hand, I'd just have to image my drive to the new laptop. It wouldn't be a huge hassle at all. On the other hand, everything is working perfectly. Screen is fine, no freezes, etc. I dunno if I wanna risk a new one. Maybe if they offer to throw in some more RAM or something..

 

That's identiCOOL I would let dell use me as an experiment if they wanted too

 

Made this post a few weeks ago. The problem has escalated. Now the yellow blobs are even showing up at full brightness. When I turned it (brightness) all the way down the screen flashes green and blue. I have had the computer on for a while without turning it off so I shut it down and at reboot the yellow blobs are once again only apparent on low brightness. Anyone else experience anything similar to this?

 

Your screen inverter is probably the problem. Call dell and tell them to fix it.

 

It's an issue related to DRM, but I don't know much more than that.

~Ibrahim~

 

Does anybody know when blu ray burners will be offered again?

 

It looks like on my 1645 the left back corner is sagging down on the battery pack extension side. I noticed the front corner of the battery on top, (closest to the "studio xps" by the "on" button) starting to pop up. If i put a paper shim between the battery extension and the laptop underneath, (matching the gap all along) it comes up strait across again on the top just behind the touch controls. I checked before and after with a ruler.
So, when they fix the throttling, they can design a new battery pack "that supports the side with the most heat" from damm sagging. anyone else see this happening?

 

My XPS (out of the box):

Performance is terrible due to the Powersupply / Throttling issue. (confirmed with diagnostics)
Suffers from random freezes / shutdowns.
Overheats (confirmed with diagnostics)
Has the powercord in the way of the mouse (not great design)

Just wow...

Is anyone else SEVERELY dissapointed

 

jedismurf, it shouldn't suffer from random freezees and shutdowns. Try formatting the harddrive (boot with your win7 DVD) and installing the drivers and software (those that you need) from scratch.

 

I resolved the crashing problem, but I should not have had to do a reinstall and BIOS upgrade to get resolve something which brand new and been shipped by dell. But thankyou for the suggestion.

The other issues remain unresolved.

The throttling issue is by far the most disspointing...

 

keeping my fingers crossed that the core i5 models will be problem-free

 

The i5 will not be any better unless they change th PS issue.

I5's:
The arrandale (M and UM) i5 models only have a 3mb cache which is crap and use 35W.
So unless you are getting a clacksdale i5, which takes 73-87W (which is nearly double the i7), you are going to have even worse problems.

Further current I5's dont have hyper threading enabled... (which i7 and i9's do.)...

 

What's the issue with the PM55 and iTunes? Is it related to USB problems? Cause I have problems with my USB devices disconnecting randomly, especially during large data transfers.

 

Had the same issue with PowerDVD DX freezing, but with Std. DVD's No luck trying to get this fixed even after a re-install. Dell Tech Support were no help and basically gave the - 'try re-installing' guidance' before closign the ticket.

Decided to buy and install WinDVD 10 Pro (Corel). It is significantly better than PowerDVD in every department including the upscaling of Std Video for those that do not have BlueRay drives. Power management is excellent and I have not had a single crash, freeze, hang up, glitch or gremlin show up.

Hillie

 

Use Itunes to download the music and use winamp to sync your ipod, it is just so much easier to do. When do you think Dell will release 5870 for the xps 1640? So the new core i5s coming up are going to be bad? How about the next core i7 dual cores?

 

A question off topic.
I am running most of the latest games in 720p (better fps and no lags ) and some of the less demanding ones in 1080p (16:9 or 16:10). But the question is when i run those games in 1280x1024 resolution or 800x600 (4:3) resolution, then the game uses only the middle portion of the screen and the left and right edges are black... It is kinda annoying..... I know i have to enable "something" in the graphics department, but just cant find it...... Helpppppppppp....

Looking forward to your replies.

 

Well, since you already know that one resolution is 16:9 (much wider than higher) and the other is 4:3 (almost square), what is it you'd like to have happen? You can have your square-ish image stretched to 16:9 to fill the screen. I'm sure you'll enjoy having people look fat!

 

You can put most modern games into a windowed mode, which will run it in a window that you can move around your screen. You might want to look for this option. That way you actually keep a functional desktop instead of black borders.

Edit: in other games it might be necessary to go into a config file and make adjustments or edit the desktop shortcut to enable this option. If I knew what games you were talking about specifically, I could offer more detailed assistance.

 

Do you think I should buy this one instead of Dell XPS 1645

SONY F11 $1999 - 7% discount for being student = Total $1859. (without TAX)

Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit
Intel® Core™ i7-820QM processor (1.73GHz)
16.4" VAIO Premium Display (1920x1080)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M GPU (1GB VRAM)
Fresh Start No additional Office Software
4GB (2GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
500GB 7200rpm
Blu-ray Disc™ player
Keyboard Backlight
Large Capacity Battery
3 Years Warranty

My returned Dell SXPS 1645 costed me about 2,400 including discount already ????? Even if buy one now is cheaper when I bought mine, it's still more expensive. For example,

DELL 1645 $2663- discount $394 = Total $2269 (without Tax)

Intel® Core™ i7-820QM Quad Core Processor @ 1.73GHz
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional, 64bit, English edit
3 Year Basic Service Plan edit
Full HD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
6GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
ATI Mobility RADEON® HD 4670 – 1GB
85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery


The diffenreces between them are Sony Has Bluray Dirve but use Nvidia GT330M (not sure if it is worse than ATI 4670)and not RGB Screen (but Sony premium display seem to be very good already and Sony got reputation about display quality) including 4GB of Ram

DELL doesn't have Bluray option but comed with 6GB of ram and cost more $400. About the material quality. I dont think Dell is better than Sony (IMO, SONY is better)

I always here people complaint that SONY is too pricey. But for this case, I don't think so at all.

 

It's related to some problem with a chipset on the motherboard. Needs a bios update to fix...which dell hasnt released yet.