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

I did the same with the i7 and windows 7 logos on mine because I was going to put the Zaggs invisible shield on the palm rest. Waste of time! I might buy some new logos and put them on!
Maybe a cheeky i7 extreme mobile logo let's face it, nobody is going to open it up and check!

 

I would put the logos on the vent cap, above the power button.

I don't even know why they put them on the palm rest... they're just in the way there.

I've been thinking about getting an Invisible Shield. Are they worth it?

 

Only if you buy one /w a 50% off coupon.

 

If you install it right then they might be worth it! But most people struggle just installing it! And trying to install it was perhaps the most frustrating half hour of my life! Definitely don't recommend it to be honest!

 

Has anyone else had problems with throttling with the i5/5730 combo? I just got mine today as a replacement for my perennial-PITA m1330, and just a couple of hours after getting it going, the framerate slowed to an utter crawl (literally 1 FPS) at precisely the same second that the CPU fan came on. I didn't have any diagnostic software installed, so I don't have any logs yet, but I thought that the i5/5730 combo was supposed to be power-efficient enough to not have this problem? I do have a 90w adapter, though.

The problem hasn't recurred yet (I exited said game and waited a minute or so), but it's only been a couple of hours.

 

I thought all new XPS 16s were suppose to come with the 130w adapter. I'd visit: Studio XPS 1645 Power Supply Upgrade for an upgrade.

 

Thanks for the link, but it says I'm ineligible -- presumably since it's a 1647 rather than a 1645. Not sure why mine came with a 90w...maybe Dell also assumed that the new i5/5730 combo was efficient enough to not need it.

 

Can you use that site if you have an XPS1647 also?

 

Ring Dell and they'll give you a 130W adapter.

 

From what I understand, that site is only for the 1645. However, if you call with your 1647 and complain that the 90W is overheating, they'll send you a 130W. They should send the 130W as default. Even though the i5/5730 consumes about 20W less than the i7/4670, it's still 60W just for the CPU/GPU, doesn't leave a lot of power left over for everything else.

 

The 1647 absolutely needs a 130W PSU - it throttles without it (at least with i7-620 / 5730 / RGBLED). Dell should just ship it with the 130W to start with IMO. I was planning on creating a youtube switching between 90W & 130W to prove the throttling for anyone who has problems getting a 130W PSU.

Sort of jumping between threads, but applying Arctic Silver MX-3 thermal paste dropped both CPU / GPU temps by 10 degrees. I really dont know why they dont spend < 50 cents per machine to put some decent thermal paste in, and it's not like I'm an expert - was the 2nd time I've applied the stuff.

 

cook99, it's not that simple. It may be 50 cents to one user, but much more in global scale, not to mention the licensing cost, brand name, and etc. It's a lot more complicated than you think.

As for the adatper, I don't think Dell is going to ship the 130w adapter with the 1647 anytime soon since they just got rid of the RGB panel for that reason(at least in the US).

 

I know it is is not quite as simple as that, but when users are spending $2k+ on a premium laptop, it is a very small price to pay for a significant increase in performance, particularly for a laptop plagued with heating issues. Happy to agree there is a lot more involved

As for the adapter, that's fine for the US, but RGB is still available in other countries. If they are going to ship it with RGB, they should ship the 130W, rather than waste users time (and their own money on shipping) making users request it. For me this just screams "we don't care about our customers". I specifically requested a 130w with my 1647, was specifically told that I cant have one as it is not required. Now I'm having to chase them up for something that should have been included in the first place. It is not like the throttling/heating/psu issues are unheard of.

 

My CPU doesn't seem to be able to turboboost... it's stuck at 2660.1 (i5-520M). I've already installed the dell turboboost driver.... not sure what the problem is :/ It seems to go to 2700 for a second but then goes back down.

 

It will only turbo boost when you really need it.
Are you sure you downloaded the turbo boost software and not just the monitoring software?
Try running something demanding and see if it boosts then.

 

I think the issue is that the cpu clocks down if the app in focus isn't as demanding e.g. Run Super Pi but have cpu-z in focus.

 

hmmm I'm also noticing the em noise from the processor, which is a high pitched whine. I believe this has to do with speedstep and not having ideal frequencies.... or perhaps its the slight fluctuations between frequencies. I wonder if it's possible to redefine the steps.

 

If you're getting 2.66GHz, then it is turboboosting, as your processor is only rated at a base 2.4GHz. It won't boost to the full 2.9GHz unless you're running only 1-2 threads on only one core.

 

does anyone have an idea of what the % of users this effects is and if there has been any narrowing down or "bettering" of that % as time goes on?

I have been looking at the dell outlet for a while at some studio 17s and occasionally the studio 15s or studio XPS 16s. i was finally about the pull the trigger but decided to google the model number and word "problems" and well... that's a bit like going into the hospital and wondering why so many people are sick. but in all seriousness, it seems EVERYONE has the problem. yet, most ratings sites still have about 80-90% positive ratings and only 10-15% give it under 3 star or the equivalent and fewer still mention these specific problems.

yet, even now, when i pick the one i want in the outlet, say a 1747, it has 90w adapter listed.

I'm not a gamer. honestly, kick me out of the forum if you want, but i'll be loading up some AoE3 and SimCity4 with the SLIGHT possibility at some point of trying out SC2 just because starcraft 1 was so dang fun a decade ago.

So do these machines ALWAYS fail? i'm way behind on this and have searched and read scores of places and pages so forgive me if I haven't caught up on ALL 250 something pages of this, but basically it seems that there was a lawsuit, dell lost, and now what. people can
get the better charger for free, have to do a bios update to get it to
work right (something about throttling) and even still some people
have issues.

1) is this only a small % of people. 2) is it 100% but only people who CRANK
their systems to the max all the time or 3) is it only a small % of
people who crank their systems to the max all the time.

i can live with 1 or 3 and take my chances and hope the warranty covers it if I am in that small % but if its #2 i'd always be worried and not end up using the machine to its potential.

 

oh, and awesome first post, i didn't even mention why i was on this forum in the first place. my question was mainly because i was thinking of NOT getting the 1747 but looking for a 1647 or other XPS version instead because it seemed to have fewer problems. is that accurate or are they all the same? (honestly, i've never quite understood the REAL differences or ranking between the studios and studio XPS models)

 

so why would i not just get a dell mini since i'm not a gamer. okay, sorry, again, more info needed. i will be editing HD video on a small scale (home video only...nothing professinal...but lots of it) and its the wonderful AVCHD that requires a bit of processing power. I'll also be watching HD video, both my own and movies, either local or on the network or through the tubes.

 

if you ask me, it's not really accuracy (problems between 1747 vs SXPS 1647), but rather a case of "who's louder, and sounds off more with the bigger megaphone?". i don't know about how many problems the 1747 has, especially in their own forum, but you'll see here that there's been thread after thread after thread after pissing contest regarding the throttling problem in the SXPS 1645/47.

honestly, as of late (as in the past 5+ years) people who voice out on forums usually have more negative things to say than positive ones. for every vocal person who is having, e.g., throttling problems, there are upwards of 5 (or more) people who are happy with their problem-free notebook. this of course includes individuals who do not even know they are suffering from the, again e.g., throttling problem - but in the grand scheme of things, if they're ignorant of it, they're generally happy with it. take for example the reviews on Dell's on website. for the SXPS 16, there are something like 650 reviews, most of them giving it say 3.5/4 out of 5 stars. that's not too shabby. granted, Dell may be filtering their reviews, marketing them to make their product look better. even so, if 2/3 of the filtered 650 reviewers are giving the product a 4 our of 5 starts, the product can't be all that bad. that's still over 500 people with positive reviews. i'm sure UncleWebb will want to stab me in the face with a very blunt object for putting a very troubled-past notebook in a positive light, but it's still something to consider.

at least on the 1647 throttling usually happens when you absolutely hammer your system with CPU and GPU intensive processes, such as synthetic testing (you'll see lots about Prime95+Furmark benchmarking) or newer video games in the market. here and there you'll see people with problems with older games and other less intensive applications - real issues that deserved to be looked into by Dell. but for hte most, with a little bit of effort on the user's part, the machine should be relatively throttle-free (the prevailing problem with the Dells you mentioned) under normal circumstances.

in terms of percentages of people who "crank" their system, and if they get the throttling issue, i think it's too subjective for me to really give you an answer. but like always on the internet, take everything with a large salt-lick.

truth be told, i think you would have no real problems with the 1647, if you do in fact use the system as you intend. SC2 might pose a problem, as some folks had reported a bit of staggering in the game, but really it might just be due to very-high graphics settings.

UPDATE: (i had not seen FrankiiieD's 3rd post)
if you are going to edit HD video, it would be worthwhile to consider the machine with more "oomf" in the processor, if you do think you'll be editing frequently. what made me consider the 1645 over the Asus G51J was the WLED screen: my partner is really into photography and I thought that the 1645's screen would be a treat for her while we're traveling and what not. if you really want a good screen, i hear the Studio 17's come with the RGBLED screen still - apparently the LED panel worth killing for, to some people. furthermore, the bang-for-buck philosophy was another factor, as similarly configured notebooks were anywhere from $200 - $600 more expensive than the 1645 configuration i had initially configured (before discounts as well).

 

thanks for the reply, and i'm sure others will too so i'll be patient. i should probably post as well on the 1747 forum.

if i had to guess, i would say even though it SEEMS a large % of what i do is one thing, when i actually think about it, 80% of the usage would be ... well... this sort of thing. writing emails, paying bills, reading forums, browsing, etc.

of my "power" usage, i was just wanting to point out i don't game but would be watching and more importantly editing HD video. I know a lappy isn't ever going to kick out what a $1000+ desktop could do and that's fine...i'll get there if i ever really get into the HD video editing thing big time. for now I just want to be able to do normal things. Something that could handle Canon Pixela, Cyberlink PowerDirector, Sony Vegas, couple others, to know i covered the bases. all on low to mid usage really.

sure i'll be transcoding sometimes, such as FormatFactory or Handbreak, and those might be lenghtly overnight runs (but at least the lid could be closed). but even the video editing wouldn't be every-day-many-hours like a gamer would be.

I guess i was kind of hoping for a couple people to say either, "hahaha, you are NOT a power user, you'll not have ANY of these problems" or "yeah, the 1747 sucks but for what you do the XPS 16 will be perfect, no published problems" or "you know what, even 70-year old solitare players are having their studios melt at a rate of 25%... stay away if you dont' like to tinker."

thanks again for your help.

 

how about...

you are NOT a power user, and i'm pretty sure you won't run into ANY problems you've read about

is that the answer you were looking for?

truthfully, with the screen lid closed, you should not hit throttling as the machine churns through your videos overnight. as for the other normal, everyday tasks, even a netbook can handle all that. i think you would be good to go with either system, the 1747 or the 1647.

if you ask me, your deciding factor may be on whether you want a larger, better screen for your video editing (17 inch RGBLED), or if you want a bit more horsepower in a smaller package (16 inch, better GPU).

 

thanks, @daver160 there are so many hundreds of pages here and on the studio 17 forum, plus the other places, that 1)these issues seem massive and 2) i cannot really in such a short time understand them all.

so basically the only major issues that so many people are seeing are on the studio 17 and studio xps16 and have to do with the combination of high-end options (i7 and big Vcard and top monitor) plus massive usage plus crappy power options. and even then, the biggest complaints are that the fan noise is annoying or the machine starts running really poorly.

so if I get an inspiron or studio 15 or either of the above mentioned boxes with an i5 instead OR if I get one of the "bad combos" yet don't really push it too much (save for the occasional video editing and streaming and overnight file conversion processes) I likely will not have noticed and of these issues.

Sound about right?

 

well some of the problems may be blown out of proportion by some users. i wanted to witness throttling first hand, so i installed CODMW and ran it with the highest graphic settings. an hour and a half or so into the game i didn't get any throttling. mind you, i was on external keyboard + mouse + monitor, and i removed the battery and did not use any laptop cooler. just a flat notebook sitting on the tabletop. but it didn't throttle. by no means proper "testing" criteria, still i didn't throttle without proper airflow.

you are right, an i5 with hyperthreading may suffice for what you want to use the notebook for. of course a decent GPU would be nice, and i believe that the Studio 15 comes with a 54xx ATI card, which by no means is a slacker (though it's not stellar either).

and yes, most of the issues seem to be a combination of high-end options with a lack of proper power draw. people were having problems with "older" games (like Left 4 Dead 1, which is not demanding), so i am a little hesitant to confirm the "massive usage" part, but nonetheless yes there were problems.

this is almost entirely speculation on my part here...

but i do not think anybody has suffered from unusual throttling while using a 1645/47 with a non-GPU accelerated program. for example, video editing will mostly be done with the CPU, and so long as the GPU is not running a full speed along side the CPU you should not run into any of the power problems people were facing before. as well, with the LCD lid closed, thermal throttling should not occur as the vent is not blocked.

all those options - the inspiron, studio 15, studio xps 16, or studio 17 - should be fine.

i'm trying to keep your options open, which is why i'm not really telling you which notebook to get. i still believe that for your usage, you should consider the screen size and quality as the major factor. i just received my 1645 last night and the WLED blew me away, compared to my older notebook's screen. i think at this point any processor would be just fine, although a quad core would of course be beneficial.

the fan on the 1645 is definitely "kinda" loud, but it's not hairdryer loud (though i still bet it could wake the neighbour's dog). i would imagine similar results from the other stated notebooks - perhaps something to consider if you don't like fan noise?

 

do the 1647s still only offer dual core? on the dell uk website the 1647s are offering the 720qm?

 

1647 = dual core; 1645 = quad core. Besides that there is no difference. What you are seeing with the 720 is the 1645.

 

The 1747 does not use an RGBLED. The screen it uses is called AUO149D and it is not made by Samsung. It's an AUO display.

From what I understand it's far and away superior to the AUO11ED in the SXPS 16, and almost on-par with the RGBLED of yore.

 

So do we have folks running a 1647 with an i5 450/5730 and being able to play sc2 on lower (but not minimal) settings with no issues and getting a good framerate (30+ all the time)?

I mean we know its a laptop and not a huge gaming desktop replacement at that, but as long as it can run sc2 without throttling it seems like it would be acceptable for most folks...

 

I'm able to run high settings on my 1647 (i5-520, 5730 GPU) and receive 30+ fps (1600x900 resolution) during all matches, including 4v4, with only dips below in Nexus Wars at the end.

 

Im running at 1600 x 900 at Ultra, Shadows medium, reflections off and i have it locked at 30 fps and it never drops.

 

hey guys, I just have a question regarding the system. Would these specs be able to play games such as SIMS 3, COD etc without throttling? In other words the modern, more demanding games?


Intel® Core™ i7-740QM (1.73GHz, 4Core/8Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 6M cache)
8GB (4GBx2) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB SATA 7200RPM Hard Drive
Slot Load Blu-ray BD-R, BD-RE / DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability
1GB DDR3 ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5730


Thanks guys.

 

Sounds like you should be fine! And FYI the i7-740QM is a 1645 system, not a 1647. But both owners lounges are happy to help!

 

True! I've been playing The Witcher and Bioshock on mine with max settings and have had no throttling, even after hours of play.

I don't even know why there are a separate 1645 and 1647 owner's lounge anyway. The differences are so minor that they would be the same model with any other manufacturer, lol.

 

How hardware intensive is playing a DVD? lol. Cause PowerDVD is bringing my temperatures just a notch (10 degrees or so) below gaming. And the palmrest is a lot hotter than while gaming as well.

I don't mind since I'm not inclined to touch the thing while a movie is playing, but imo it's pretty ridiculous how hard this thing is working considering it's just a DVD. I'd hate to see what kind of load a Blu-Ray disc puts on it.

It might just be PowerDVD. I've read a bit (just a slight bit; I have a movie to watch lol) about the whole TrueTheater thing and I do have it turned all the way up-- I find the increased frame rate+fake HD thing pretty amazing... but I'll have to find something else to use if it's gonna be uncomfortable to use my baby after I'm done w/ a movie.

 

What are gaming temps for you?

 

In my air-conditioned room, 79c max CPU, 76 GPU. I usually game here, at my desk.

In a normal room it's about 81c CPU and 79c GPU. It really varies a lot depending on temperature.

 

I should go play games in my basement then lol it's nice and cool down there.

 

same specs with 1080p screen. All ultra settings and all graphical settings maxed out. runs smoothly besides for huge battles and nexus wars. there does seem to be some throttling if i play for too long but i can go for hours while running ultra settings very smoothly.

 

You can try downloading VLC. It's freeware, and plays just about any kind of media. It's also a fairly small install. If that doesn't cure your problem, it may be the DVD drive itself that's heating up. What's the CPU/GPU load while playing a DVD?

 

Okay, I am joining you guys!

 

New guy with a new XPS 1647 with a few questions. Does anyone know if I can turn off the hotkey lights? I know I can set the keyboard lights off/dim/bright but I'm not sure if I can also change settings for the hotkey / quickset keys.

Also, I did a clean install of Windows 7 and now the facial recognition software can't be installed because it says that the machine should have a previous version of it. Where can I get that and how can I get the software to recognize I'm supposed to have the facial recognition program?

Thanks by the way, very informative thread here!

 

I just received a 130w adapter from dell and ran some tests. With the 90w adapter and running furmark and prime95, I was at 10-13x (i5-430m), but was averaging 17.xx (didn't really hit 18x) with the 130w. However, the 130w adapter was around 118 degrees F and the 90w was at around 95 degrees. Is it normal for the 130w adapter to run that hot? I'm using the latest BIOS, I think A09?

 

Are you talking about the adapter itself?? If anything, the 130W should be cooler, unless you're actually drawing over 100W out of it. Either way, 118F really isn't that hot. If it was 118C then you'd have a problem, lol.

 

Yes, the adapter itself (130w) was running at 118F after playing SC2 then running Prime95+furmark. Now its running at around 105F with just browsing and some excel/Word. The 90w was running cooler but I also was only getting 10-13x multiplier, although it is thicker than the 130w I have.

 

Hello,

I've received a 1647 and I ran some tests for throttling.

With Furmark and Prime95 running, the temperatures stabilize at 70°C for the CPU and 80°C for the GPU. The multipliers are around 12, and goes up to 20 when I use only Prime95 with 1 thread.

So I think it means that's OK for throttling, but do you think changing the thermal paste is worth it here? Are this temperatures high or normal?

I've got an i5 540m with an HD 4670.

 

That's pretty good temps as far as I know. You might be able to get it down to 68C for the processor but it's not worth the trouble.

The video card temperature probably won't budge an inch. It should really be at around 85C...

 

Anyone have their fans constantly working even with very light CPU loads? I have the fan constantly working with mine, turns off for about 2-3 mins then go again even with very light CPU loads. I'm running A09 bios.

 

Every once in a while my fan will click on while internet browsing, but it's only a few seconds each hour, doesn't really bother me. Are you running a 4670 or a 5730? If you're running a 5730 it might be worth it to upgrade to BIOS A11 and see if that fixes anything.