Update XPS M1330 to the latest BIOS?

Hey, I'm running my XPS M1330 on BIOS v10 and I believe the latest version is v12. Should I update it? I'm not having any problems but I read on Dell's blog that the latest BIOS is supposed to help the GPU from overheating. I haven't had any problem in that regard but I would do it, the only thing I'm wondering is if the fan kicks in more frequently on v12. Can anyone tell me if this is the case...thanks.

 

In theory, yes, its better to update the BIOS... and I would recommend you do it, though its supposed to be temp fix for the GPU issue... but it does turn on the fan' earlier preventing the gpu from over heating.

For more info: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=271002

 

I'm still on A09. I tried 12, and it was just too noisy for me. I haven't had any GPU issues in a year of ownership either, though.

 

I've run them all since A09 and have gone back to A12. I don't notice any noise difference.

 

My M1330 has A12 and I've never heard its fan (I've been using the laptop since I received it on Thursday)... I've felt warm (not really hot) air coming out of the back and bottom air vents though.

 

^^^^^Same here I mean it doesn't HURT so I would suggest you do it (my personal opinion---i prefer more fan than busted GPU)

 

The sad thing is, if you got one of the bad GPUs, it's not a question of whether or not you'll have a busted GPU, but when. If it's bad, it WILL go bad, no matter the BIOS. If you didn't get a bad one, you shouldn't have any issues anyway. Knock on wood, I haven't had any GPU issues at all, and I use my 1330 pretty heavily, including gaming.

Everybody's going to have to look at what benefits them. From my perspective, I'd rather stress the GPU with the older BIOS and have it fail during Dell's one-year GPU warranty extension, than to prolong the inevitable and have it fail out of warranty altogether. If mine were to fail within the next year, I get a free motherboard; if I use the new BIOS and it delays the death of my GPU 13 months from now or more, I'll have to pay for it. Something to think about....

 

I disagree.......if you stress it like there is no tomorrow, it doesn't really matter what you have it's going to fail....

I have my gpu running games all the time but I baby it (with the mod of course) she idles at 49 and stressed she barely gets to 70 (i the sixties)

The issue with these GPU's was heat SOOO if you cool them properly there is no issue and you don't have to stress and wait for it to happen

My last Dell was the Inspiron 5100 and dell didn't know what to do with heat back then.........5 years later she still works just fine (yup even with those Horrible regular pentiums instead of the M's)

Do what you want but then don't talk about the horrible GPU's that burn out when you don't even even try to keep her cool

 

Oh, I won't complain. I fully understand I may be affected by the faulty GPUs. I also understand my GPU may not be faulty, and I may never have an issue. Only time will tell, because nobody, least of all Nvidia, will fess up to the extent, or even the true nature of the problem. You're saying the problem is heat; many have said the problem is temp fluctuations (cold-hot-cold-hot cycles); who knows? Do you KNOW your current operating temps are going to save your GPU?

Please understand, I'm not trying to persuade anyone from NOT using A12; I didn't like what it was doing to my fans or battery life, so I switched back to A09. Like I said, if my GPU IS going to fail, I'd rather it happen sooner, rather than later, so it's still within warranty. What good will it do me to baby it till it's out of warranty, only to see it fail anyway? I think people are missing the point that an unknown number of GPUs are DEFECTIVE; they are going to fail... copper mod or not, fans running or not.

If you're at all concerned about any problems, you should absolutely baby your GPU (which I think goes further than even what you've done):

1. Install BIOS A12
2. Copper mod
3. Drill extra ventilation holes on the case
4. Always use your laptop on a cooling pad
5. Cool the room you're working in
6. Quit gaming
7. Run your fans at high speed, full-time

The steps above should keep your GPU nice and cool. Are they all practical? No, but that's my point: everyone has to decide how far they want to go with this on their own. Everyone raves about the copper mod, but if it's so great, why do they still have to switch BIOS? And, again, if they've done both, have they now guaranteed they won't have any issues?

Conversely, I'd hardly say I'm stressing my GPU "like there is no tomorrow;" that's a bit of an exaggeration. There's a lot more you can do to really stress your GPU out than just running an earlier BIOS.

I doubt we'll ever really know the fall-out from the Nvidia issue. Between new Nvidia drivers, Dell BIOS updates, people modding their systems (software and hardware-wise), it's hardly a controlled environment for a fair comparison (e.g. If your GPU fails, will it have been because it was one of the defective ones? Or because you screwed something up during the copper mod?)


Good luck to everyone, is I guess all we can say for certain