The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Ok so Dell just replaced my keyboard because the space bar sounds funny when you press it, and the new one started doing the exact same thing. When you guys push your space bar does it make a high pitch sound?
I had this exact same problem, a squeaky space bar, it was driving me crazy. Just got it replaced (second keyboard, the first had keys that did not work). So far the keyboard has been quiet. So I would have them replace it again.
I also recently had a bad GPU (BSOD problems) and had the entire motherboard replaced. Just today I noticed my 5200mWh battery can now only hold a 4700mWh charge after only 3 months. Dell is going to send me a new one. I really love using this thing but the quality really sucks. I may end up upgrading the warranty on it.
If you're thinking of buying a 1647 they are great but make sure you get the next business day warranty service.
My space bar also made squeaky noises along with a couple of other keys...i thought it was just me. I also thought about WD-40...its cured many squeaks around the house...
I bought a Dell from the Microsoft Store and I was wondering if it's possible to get the extended warranty from Dell still? Also anyone know if I can replaced the CPU with an i7-720?
It is usually always wise to update to the latest.... sure there have been bad bios releases but for the most part they do tend to get better than worse by revisions.
That's what I said to myself but my concern is the bios, motherboard and heatsink. Since the motherboard may not have the right voltage regulaotors to support it poperly and the heat output is greater then the i5 and i7 in the 1647 there might be issues with the heatsink
I need some help. I am trying to decide between a similarly configured xps 16 and a studio 17. Both would be i7-720, blu-ray, 500 GB HD, 6 or 8 RAM, 1080 p screen (B+RG on studio 17), wi-max wifi, blutooth. I talked to a rep today who tried to convince to get the Studio 15 instead of the others but it does not seem as nice.
Hi guys!
In the left side, where are the two USB ports.... I have a problem with one, the first (wich is closer to the jacks). When I plug a device that needs al the power of usb 2.0 (like my iPhone to charge), the power source randomly reset all the time. I have tested this on Windows and Linux, and still. Is this a hardware problem? BIOS? The machine is new (2 days), and the BIOS is A07.
PD: With the e-SATA port i have no problem.
Thanks!
Since my upgrade to the A07 bios, when i play modern warfare 2, whenever i play for a while, it starts to play really slow, the sound get all muffled with a lot of static, and when i exit, the CPU stays at 100% utilization for until, now i'm not sure, but I think it cools down a little, say 1-2 minutes
So...anyone had any issues or have any good/bad experiences with the latest ATI Mobility Drivers (10.5) for the 4670 they would like to share. Had a hell of a time installing the Mobility version of 10.5 yesterday and just looking for some advice about which version to use.
Hey everyone, I received my 1647 yesterday and I'm experiencing some really slow start up times (around 2minutes 45seconds). The machine gets to the login page reasonably quickly but it hangs after the welcome page and it stays black for a while before eventually getting on to the desktop.
Is this a windows 7 problem or is there anything you could recommend for me to do to speed it up?
I have the i7 620m and the 500gb 7200rpm hdd.
I heard some people complain, screen is scraped easily. Because Dell XPS 16 don't have space between screen and keyboard. I don't know that is right or wrong. Another thing, Dell XPS 16 is very hot when people play hard games, right! That is not good after 1 or 2 years, laptop will have some bad problem.
Hi Guys,
New to the forum.
I seem to have a bricked 1647.
I have tried using the recovery method but it never seems to get completed.
Any help would be appreciated
There are two rubber bumpers on the sides of the keyboard below the speaker grills for exactly this purpose. The screen should never touch the keyboard.
Most PC's/GPU's get hot when playing hard games for long periods of time. But it should never get hotter than thresholds, otherwise there could be permanent damage. Typical thresholds are 70C for GPUs.
I just thought I'd post on the Canadian website you can only get a full hd screen with the 1645, and only in the most expensive configuration ($1499). Everything else comes with 1600x900 with no option to upgrade to 1920x1080. It really seems Dell is limiting the customization options recently. I remember when you could go into the type of laptop you wanted and select from four or five different cpu's, hard drives, screen types, multiple video cards, etc...
Hi! I have a Dell studio XPS 1647 laptop which came with 4gb memory 1066mhz, core i5 430m processor, and intel PM55 chipset. I upgraded the memory to samsung 1333mhz 8gb. I just bought a core i7 820qm (shows Q3B9 ES on the CPU) and after installation, i hit the power button and the media keys flash from left to right and than "dicrease volume" icon flashes and system does not boot! Only 3 volume icons light up and the one in the middle (decrease volume) flashes. Now I know that the prior cpu I had was an Arrandale corei5 430m cpu 32nm and the core i7 I have is Clarksdale 820qm 45nm cpu. As far as I know, the PM55 chipset supports both core i5 and I7 cores. What might be the problem? I really want this cpu to work. I contacted the seller and he said it was %101 functional!
Thanks Gliderjoe but was brought in this condition so no warranty.
I have to see if I can fix it myself before relenting & buying a new motherboard.
From all the other related posts it seems that the previous owner had a bad flash.
There are lots of helpful posts on the 1640/1645, has anybody dealt with the 1647
Thanks
More then likey it is the memory... The i5 cpus only support a max of 1066 speeds.... try taking them out and seeing if it boots..... another issue might be the cpu... since you have a engineering sample it might be a bad chip
Ok the problem solved. Here is the answer I got from Dell Community Forum:
Reply 1: What you purchased is an engineering sample CPU - which, beyond what follows, is illegal for sale. Intel requires non-disclosure agreements when it sends engineering samples to manufacturers, testers, etc. which preclude selling the samples when they're done with them. Such CPUs are routinely used in durability testing - overclocked, over-voltaged, throttled beyond redline, etc. -- in other words, they're designed to be abused, and many have been. So, even if you obtain one, they're not reliable.
Beyond that, they're not multiplier locked - so even if they're in working order, they won't work on a system that doesn't have a provision for manually setting the multiplier. Your Studio is such a system.
Translation: this CPU is not going to work on your system. Send it back for a refund and buy a warranted, for-sale authentic Intel production CPU.
Reply 2: About the only way EBay sellers can make money on CPUs is to sell either high-demand discontinued models, or engineering samples. There is no way they could make much money on selling legitimate production CPUs when large companies buy them by the thousands, with discounts accordingly.
The biggest issues with engineering samples are that they've been used in ways that can cause damage - you have no way to know whether the CPU is in fact in working order -- and the damages can be insidious (resulting in calculation errors, etc.). You also have no way to know whether their lifespan will be a normal one, and without the clock multiplier lock they simply won't work in most production notebooks.
It is indeed a violation of Intel's NDA to sell an engineering sample - presumably if Intel wanted to it could trace the CPU serial number to the original owner and perhaps bar them from receiving future ES chips.
Reply 3: The ES in the CPU code you listed means Engineering Sample. These WILL NOT work in your system (and are VERY, VERY risky buys).
Engineering samples are the beta software of the software industry or the prototype cars of the automotive world - they are NOT intended for sale.
I've already sent the item back for a refund and got a legit OEM 720QM (not ES) from another seller. DO NOY BUY ES MODELS is what I learned. Thanks for every bodies help. BTY 1333MHZ Ram is not the problem as both Studio XPS 1645 and 1647 had the same intel chipset PM55 and it supports up to 1333MHZ. My Corei5 is in the computer now and it is working fine with 1333MHZ Samsungs...
I can get the keyboard to light up and the fan to run on what seems high,
but the usb stick shows no light action.
I feel i'm nearly there and I want to win this standoff!!
Quick question, sorry if it's been answered before; I want a 1647 with the 5730 gpu. I live in Canada but so far we only have the 1645 with the 5730. It seems like some countries have the 5000 series cards available on the 1647. Do you guys think it will be long before we see a 5000 series gpu in a 1647 in Canada.. if ever?
While it's true that technically selling ES chips is illegal and prohibited by Intel, if you find a reliable seller they will work just as well as an OEM most of the time. I say most of the time because sometimes the core can have scratches or other blemishes that reduce it's ability to be cooled properly. They aren't necessarily abused either but can be depending on what the ODM did with it. I have a 940XM ES CPU that works perfect in my M17x-R2. The only thing I'm waiting on right now is a bios update from Dell that will raise the multiplier to take advantage of the added speed vs. the 920xm. So you can definitely save a lot of cash by going with an ES.
Edit: I purchased the BB version X1647-533OBK for my sister today. Any opinions on the screen and who manufactures it? I'm hoping it's an LG 1600x900 screen.
can anyone tell me if the throttling issue could be solved by updating BIOS and using 130w adapter? Is there any chance that the problem still exists after I do that ? thanks.
thank you very much. I'll place my order soon. really appreciate.
PS: I'm really new for computers. about BIOS updating, I just download A07 from dell website and install it? do i need to do anything before installing it? thx
I am interested in an i5 SXPS, which I believe is currently model 1647. 1645 model is for quad core i7 CPUs, from reading these forums.
But I'm a little confused as far as the current options for the 1647. I'm in the US and the Dell website specs for the Studio 16 XPS mention the screen options as 15.6 LED or 16" RGBLED. But when I go into customizing any of the offerings, I only see 1600x900 and 1920x1080 15.6" screen options, nothing says 16". How can I get the 16" RGBLED?
Also, I see some people in this forum have ATI 5xxx generation chips in their laptops. Currently the 4670 is offered by Dell US. Do they only offer the 5xxx in certain countries/markets?
In the US the screen has supposedly been discontinued, but I bought mine less than a month ago from the UK and it's still offered on 1647 models. Your best bet is to ring Dell directly and see if there's anything they can do to meet your desired specs.
The ATi 5730 is being offered in 1645's but not in 1647's at the moment (I think) and I'm not sure if those systems have been shipped as of yet for the SXPS 16. But again I'd just say call Dell and see what they can do for you!
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
It's nice to have the latest Bios (well IHMO
