**The Official Studio XPS 1647 Intel Core i5/i7 "Owners' Lounge"**

Hey Everyone,

The Dell website has a ton of options for the 1647 warranty.

I am wondering where the right balance is between cost and coverage.

What did you guys get and why?

Also, what the hell is NBD Onsite Service?

Thanks



1 Year Limited Warranty w/1 Year Return To Depot Service [Included in Price]
2 Year Limited Warranty w/2 Year Return To Depot Service [add $120 or $4/month1]
3 Year Limited Warranty w/3 Year Return To Depot Service [add $259 or $7/month1]
1 Year Limited Warranty w/1 Year Return To Depot Service and Accidental Damage Service [add $99 or $3/month1]
2 Year Limited Warranty w/2 Year Return To Depot Service and Accidental Damage Service [add $199 or $6/month1]
3 Year Limited Warranty w/3 Year Return To Depot Service and Accidental Damage Service [add $409 or $11/month1]
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis [add $99 or $3/month1]
2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis [add $249 or $7/month1]
3Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis [add $429 or $12/month1]
4Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis [add $499 or $14/month1]
1Yr Ltd Wty with 1Yr NBD Onsite Service w/Accidental Damage Service and 1Yr Tech Support [add $198 or $6/month1]
2Yr Ltd Wty with 2Yr NBD Onsite Service w/Accidental Damage Service and 2Yr Tech Support [add $328 or $9/month1]
3Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage Service [add $579 or $16/month1]
4Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage Service [add $659 or $18/month1]
1 Year Ltd Warranty w/1 Year Return To Depot Service,Lojack + Accidental Damage Service [add $119 or $4/month1]
2 Year Ltd Warranty w/2 Year Return To Depot Service,Lojack + Accidental Damage Service [add $219 or $6/month1]
3 Year Ltd Warranty w/3 Year Return To Depot Service,Lojack + Accidental Damage Service [add $429 or $12/month1]
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage & 1Yr Lojack [add $218 or $6/month1]
2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage & 2Yr Lojack [add $348 or $10/month1]
3Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage & 3Yr Lojack [add $599 or $17/month1]
4Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis & Accidental Damage & 4Yr Lojack [add $679 or $19/month1]

 

Now, it shows up on Dell US website again with RGBLED option. (Member Purchase Program)

 

Where do you see that option? With the i7 proc? Just checked and it doesn't show the RGBLED for me. Thanks.

 

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...p&cs=2244&link_number=42038719&kc=epp_lt_perf

If it works for you. Like I said, It is for Member Purchase Program. Select Obsidian black gross finish for the system color

 

Thanks. I see it -- frustrating thing is it doesn't give me the option for the Blu-Ray though -- so, it's either BR (1645) or RGBLED (1647). Really strange why they can't offer both options for both product ranges...

 

Same here. Again delayed. New EDD is 2/24.
How long does the build phase last normally?

 

I would say a good rule is get as much warranty as you can afford. NBD is next business day service.

 

Oh man..... I tried configuring a 1647 with the RGBLED and it sets the preliminary ship date to May 21st. Ouch!

I'm very happy with my WLED, and having never seen an RGBLED I'm happy in my ignorance.

 

My Dell CSR gave me the generic "product is in high demand but it should be ready shortly since it's in the build process" BS. Lets hope they come through.

 

From what I've read/heared it could be hours or weeks in the Build stage.
And then there is the boxing stage.... Oh, lets not go there yet.

You can read more here.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=156489

 

LOL I'm sure. Darn those 620m's are hard to find!!!
Love that CPU, quads on a laptop for me is just overkill

 

Yea, kinda' thought you would be pushed back too. I've read that others can be in "Build" for weeks!!!
At that point I" hope I'm not DOA before my EDD !!!

 

Well my Edd has been pushed back to the 24th but that was expected as the 17tg was not really possible with it just entering the build stage the other day.

Just give it a little more time guys lol.

 

I hear you, come this far.

I just wish Dell was honest or more straight-forward with the EDD dates back when I ordered last month.
(40 or so days EDD and counting now)
Had I seen a wait like that, as Dell is currently showing as 60+ day wait for a RGB screen option, I would have gone with the 1080p WLED instead.
At least others who look for the RGB option know what they’re getting into first-hand now right at the purchase point.

 

Yea well hopefully now that we are in the build stage it will only be a few more days.

 

i was told that my laptop is expected to be shipped out on the 2/18. (ship date). .. not sure how true...

btw, i called the number again (provided in the delay email) and had to tell them not to cancel the order (as required by the FTC rules)

Waiting for a response from bill too.. I am hoping that its not a indefinite hold while its in build state.

 

How long do you have to be waiting before they cancel?

 

You only have 24 hours before they cancel.

 

To those who had their orders delayed make sure you call and ask for compensation and threaten to cancel. They gave me a $75 credit.

 

I have no reasons to complain. My EDD was 28 days, but I shall receive it in less than 11 days.

 

Wow...this was through the regular rep or did you have to go through to a supervisor?

 

The account specialist who was assigned to my account. She has been great, and keeps me informed. I'll take the $75 credit. The deal I got on this system is amazing including that. I wonder if it gets delayed again if that will be another $75 off j/p I'd rather have my system instead of getting another credit.

 

It looks like the RGBLED delay has been resolved. now with that option, the estimate ship date is 2/27/10. New stock probably.

 

Ah...I don't have a rep like that. The order status people will probably shoo me off if I ask for that. But good going on the credit!

 

She's in the EPP customer service department. I have no complaints. I am glad to see a new EDD for systems with the RGBLED screen. I just hope they'll start getting everyone's systems out early next week

 

Anyone notice that the RGBLEDs are back without delays now? Also the 1647 is back on the selection page for the XPS16. Perhaps Dell did get things fixed after a month...

 

Time will tell, like hopefully next week

 

What do you guys think of this latest quote, to me it seems pretty high but the dell rep says this is the best price and i can only order it by phone.
To be nhonest id rather do it online but the bluray drive doesnt show on the uk site as yet.
To be honest im getting a bit fed up of these Indian dell reps keep calling and pestering me , they have called me like 5 times in one day , its getting annoying and i feel like im being hassled .

Studio XPS 1647 Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 540M(2.53GHz,3MB cache)

Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 540M(2.53GHz,3MB cache) £1,327.79
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)
1 year of coverage included with your PC
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
No Accidental Damage Support
Black Leather back cover : 16" (inch) Truelife 1080p Full HD RGBLED Edge to Edge Display (Enhanced c
4096MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [2x2048]
500GB (7,200rpm) Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive
9-cell 85Whr Lithium Ion battery
Internal Blu-Ray RW (Blu-Ray, DVD and CD read & WRITE) Optical Drive
1GB ATI® Radeon™ HD 4670 graphics card
Intel® Wireless LAN 6200 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n card (EUR)
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module
No Integrated TV tuner
Studio XPS 1647 Order - UK
English - Documentation Studio XPS 16
Studio XPS 1647 Resource DVD (Diagnostic & Drivers)
90W AC Adaptor
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard
Integrated Camera with Facial Recognition Software

Subtotal:
£1,210.26

Freight:
£17.02

Total Net:
£1,227.28

VAT (Rate %):
£214.77

Total:
£1,442.05

 

MadieraG
I ordered an almost identical system except for no bluray about 2 weeks ago. There were some special offers on and it cost me about £1050. So your price of £400 extra for bluray seems expensive.

 

Yeah it does seem pricey, i dont really need bluray but as its a bluray writes i am just trying to future proof myself as much as possible

 

The US site shows that the Blu-Ray drive is read-only. It only writes DVDs.

 

Hmm maybe your right , in which case i could save a load of cash and not get the bluray , i only wanted it if it burnt them

 

Maybe I missed something between the 2 or three other threads, but I can't seem to find a non-quad core 1647 laptop you guys mention. I went through the Home part of the site, and the other 4 options are core i7 quad or core2duo. Maybe I'm just not going through the right portal on the site. Hope someone could help with that.

I guess the other 2 questions are:

you can't seem to get a 1645 (quad) with the RGBLED. From all the threads I read, it seems like its a 50/50 on having that as an option. I'm sorta bummed to be honest, I was hoping to get a quad core laptop with the better screen. I'm stuck at a cross roads, between the throttling issues (not really planning on major gaming but when I buy a laptop I want something nearly maxed out, not bottom of the road, since its almost impossible to upgrade the gfx usually). Also read on this site somewhere, that maybe the 56xx ATI card may hit the SXPS16 soon as well, again maybe its worth the wait. I certainly don't NEED this laptop, I'd like to own one though, but I would be rather upset knowing I bought again, an 'old' model. I know there is always new products in the work and better hardware is always right around the corner. meh.

Also know the studio 15z is around the corner and with all the issues on this model, it might be better to wait, not really sure though.

Any insight anyone could give me would be great!

 

Here's something strange...

I just installed the A03 BIOS from Dell and everything seems fine until I start Steam. An error pops up stating that "running Steam in Windows compatibility mode is not recommended". Has anyone noticed a similar result? It makes me wonder why Windows is now automatically booting in compatibility mode?

EDIT: Nevermind. It looks like it's not what I thought it was. Move along.... Nothing to see here....

 

Here is a link to the non-quad 1647 in the home side U.S.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=laptop-studio-xps-16
Note these are only I5's 430-540 (Dual Core) models. The 620m Is a dual core I7 and is very hard to get on the home side of Dell. A Few of us got lucky and bought them when they came up on their site last month.

 

This is probably already somewhere in the forums, but I can't seem to find it. On the front page of this post it says the turbo boost for studiox xps 1647 is disabled by default and I need a driver update to fix it. Can someone link me the driver page or tell me where to get it? Thanks in advance.

 

Direct link

 

Hey everyone...1st post on NBR

So just purchased my 1647 and wanted to shed some light on the i7-620m chip not showing up as an option. At least in the US, the only way I found the 620m available in a build is now on a Premiere login...meaning through Dell's EPP or employer and university (discount) programs. Not sure if the options change per organization, but I just finished up my order and yes, I got the 620m (I think it's the best processor option out there for this notebook).

So there you go. I got all caught up on this thread last night, all 143 pages (no, I don't have much of a life) and wanted to contribute something useful before I inundate the thread with questions.

Hope that at least clears up where the i7-620m is currently residing at Dell, though I know that may not help people with actually getting their hands on it.

And now I'm going to settle in and compulsively check my order status...

PS - Thanks to EVERYONE who's contributed to this thread! It's made me feel confident about pulling the trigger on my choice of computer and setup. I'll try and provide some useful data as soon as she shows up.

 

I'm also wondering what happened to the RGBLED? Wasn't it +$250 just like the 'Premium WLED HD' they have in it's place now? I'm very skeptical when they replace the better technology, keep the same price point, and just replace it with the lower tier technologies with 'Premium' stuck on the front.

I guess I lost out on my chance by thinking about buying for too long.

 

thanks for the heads up! ended up being a little more expensive due to the RGBLED display. still not 100% sure what I'm gonna order yet

 

Can anyone comment on this?

The Dell Website sells DDR3 1333MHz ram with the XPS 1647. (See above)

But all the Core i5 and Core i7 Arrandale (32nm) processors use DDR3 1066MHz ram.

So what gives? Are we paying for premium memory whose speed we are unable to access? Or is Dell just misrepresenting the ram in the system?

See the spec sheets on the following links for Memory specifications.

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43544&processor=i5-540M&spec-codes=SLBPF,SLBPG


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_i5_microprocessors

Any thoughts?

 

1333MHz memory running at 1066MHz will most probably run with lower CL timings. That will give it light performance boost.

 

We've had this discussion before. None of use are familiar enough with memory controller technology to know if the memory is able to run asynchronously with the CPU.

 

In the volumes Dell buys in bulk, 1333Mhz is most likely less expensive then 1066Mhz..

 

So I just did a clean install of windows 7 on my laptop, but I am having one issue. When I hit the "brightness adjust" keys or volume etc, I do not see the little menu that shows the sliders for brightness, volume, etc displayed on my screen. Is there a specific driver I need to install for this or a setting I need to change?

 

wouldn't that be Dell quickset that needs to be installed?

 

Yes, it is.

 

I am yet to get my laptop, but.. i am already thinking of getting a SSD HDD for my OS and and using a caddy for the 2nd HDD for bulk data.

I did see the DIY thread out here for the caddies., but they there is no reference to studio xps 16. So I need help on which caddy would work on the xps 1647.. i looked at eBay and found this ...

Code:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350300510833&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Would it work/fit ?

 

No. You need an external enclosure for this laptop.
Two problems:

1. This laptop has no CD drive bay, it is slot loading.
2. This laptop has no second internal SATA port.

 

i think its possible.... remove the slot loaded OOD, replace it with a caddy (which does not have faceplate).
Isn't the internal ODD a Sata drive?

technically its possible.. i am 100% +ve ... i know people have done it..

but the question i have is, which caddy to use!