XPS 12 Owners Lounge

Hi all,

I am considering purchasing the XPS 12 (i5 haswell/4gb/128ssd) or the Lenovo Yoga 11s (i5 haswell (y processor), 8gb, 128ssd) and am struggling mightily with the decision. I love the way the XPS 12 looks and feels, the composition and the form factor of its convertibility compared to the Yoga 11s. Also, the battery life seems uniformly great. On the other hand, the 11s is more portable (which is a plus for me) and lighter, but the battery life even of the haswell version seems to pale in comparison to the XPS12.

However, while the Yoga 2 Pro has seen some serious repeated complaints re: wifi and in particular yellow rendering, the 11s hasn't seen any of those complaints, while re: the XPS 12, I see repeated issues with:
* the auto-rotation of the screen not working in tablet mode, having to sleep or re-convert in order to rotate the screen
* image retention
* trackpad

Would you recommend buying the XPS12 or make another choice in this sector? Thanks so much.

 

Hi ladidah,
I would generally still recommend the XPS 12, since the only issue that every single model has is the image retention. If you can live with it (I don't personally think It's a huge deal) this ultrabook is really a great choice. I don't have any problems with the auto rotation or the trackpad (anymore).
The newest trackpad driver in combination with TwoFingerScroll for certain multi finger tapping options works like a charm.
And the auto rotation... I don't really know what fixed it in my case, but I guess it was a driver update.

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9300 mit Tapatalk

 

I'll have to second Furion. The XPS 12 started off with touchpad issues, but those have mostly been ironed out through driver updates and by using the right settings (e.g. set scroll speed to max to eliminate "jumping to the top" issues"), and my only complaint with the auto-rotate is how low the sensitivity is (you need to place it kind of vertical in the direction you want to rotate the display, before it will rotate).

Though I will mention that I've been experiencing image retention lately, though right now it isn't really bad, only noticeable when I arbitrarily open the Start Screen after browsing for ages. I have no idea if it will get worse though.

 

Thanks so much for the feedback from folks who are actually using the machine! It is good to know that the touchpad/rotate issues are resolvable at least.

 

Hi, i just bought one and while i loved the build quality and screen, the image retention is a deal breaker. I'm sorry, but on a laptop that costs this much this is unacceptable. I'm returning it because right now i can return it easily with no questions asked, but later, if it gets worse, then i'll have to deal with Dell's customer service. My decision to return it was confirmed when I went to a store last week and saw that horrible image ghosting issue with the floor model. It looked burned in, bad bad bad. Too bad. I wanted to keep this machine.

 

Agreed! The XPS 12 is great except for the image retention. And while it may be minor on some screens, on the 4 I have gone through it has been obvious enough to interfere with work and movies. It's a real shame because otherwise the XPS 12 is a fine machine. I can only hope that the XPS 13 I'm swapping for doesn't have it's own set of problems.

 

Hi everyone! I have been watching this thread for a while and I noticed that there isn't a wiki page for this laptop. When I had a CR48 Chromebook, I remember a really nice wiki page that helped users install other OS'es and fix common problems with the laptop. So I have collected a series of common fixes and solutions to problems XPS 12 users have. to make one for this computer. It's only a start, but if you have any more fixes I may have missed, please comment to me and i'll add it! Also, I'm going to add a hacks page next so feel free to share any that you have created or come across!

xps12.wikispaces.com

 

Does anybody know if the Haswell XPS 12 has displayport 1.1 or 1.2?
I can't seem to find this printed anywhere. I understand the 3rd Gen. had 1.1, but not sure if they updated this...

 

Is the image retention temporary and disappear after a shutdown for a while? I had an Asus that did something similar but it went away really quickly once I noticed it. Sounds like this might stick around a while on the XPS 12. I may try one as long as it's temporary.

 

I got xps 12 with 4500u but I don't have image retention problem or I did't feel it?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

 

I'll probably give one a shot. Form factor is great and 14 day return policy will be good if I have display issues.

Thanks for the reply.

 

U r welcome. Anyway what's the price?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

 

$799 at my local Microcenter. i5 4200U version. 128GB hard drive.

 

@usman84: it's likely that you didn't even notice it. I didn't notice the image retention until I've owned the XPS 12 for about 2 months. Try leaving your laptop with the screen on and the Windows or Explorer title bar visible for more than an hour (screen brightness close to 100%). Then open a full screen movie or picture. It probably works best with a bright Windows scheme, mine is white.

 

And what's for i7 4500u with 256SSD

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

 

Did you get the XPS 13 for free or did you have to drop a bit extra on it? Also did you suggest the transition or did they? If you suggested it, how resistant were they to switching models?

 

Has someone noticed ghost images (screen burn-in) on Dell XPS 12 Duo? - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

DO NOT purchase the Dell xps 12.
I have had mine less than a year and the image retension has got worse and worse. The haswell systems are effected too, the problem has already started to show and will get worse after a few months.
Dell are in denial about this, they know the issue is therd but still say no one has reported it. They will swap out screens and waste endless hours of your time before offering any alternative, my warranty is almost up.

but pleasr don't take my word for it, here is a link to dell's own forum. There are users that have been lied to throughout. Dells own technicians have commented on there but dell still claims no one has reported the incident before. Please read, just try pages 18,19,20 to see how frustrated we all are.

send it back while you can.

 

They gave me two options after I received the new Haswell XPS12 and it still showed image retention. They would 1) swap out the LCD with a different part number or 2) swap the XPS12 for an unlike system. The Dell Tech Support Analyst who has been working with me since November suggested the XPS13 as a replacement. I'm not sure if the support is different, but I am on a business account with Dell.

 

Hmmm, I actually haven't noticed it while playing with device for almost 2 weeks now. If anything, I am going to strictly focus on that today to see if it's there because I have till Sunday to return the device back.

 

I have been with the Dell's XPS 12 forum, I'm very curious when I hear people say they don't have image retention. Try this test made for MBP (google "image retention test", the first link should be the test. I have never seen any XPS12 that passes this test. Try even just 1 minute with the checkerboard pattern then switch to gray.

Its easy to overlook the IR if you work mostly on bright and/or complicated images (like browsing the web). You will need to switch between high contrast images and plain dark colors (esp. gray/blue) to see it clearly. In the beginning it will happen only along the edges of the display, so watch around there. Later in a week or so it will fill up the entire screen.

 

Image retention update:

I originally purchased an Ivy Bridge XPS 12 and had very obvious image retention after a few months. Got the screen replaced... New screen no better... Got the screen replaced... New screen no better. Now I have a new Haswell machine... Image retention is still obvious and getting worse. I'll be asking for a refund once I've found another laptop that suits my needs.

 

It might be too early to tell, but the XPS 13 might be a good one to switch to, if you're looking to avoid image retention problems.

 

Couldn't pass up the $699 deal for Haswel I5, 4GB and 128SSD from the Microsoft Store! Time will tell....

I played with Windows 8.0 for a while and had that terrible tracpad jumping. After some time I decided to go for the 8.1 upgrade (just noticed that the Dell site says they come with 8.1). Had read horror stories about screen rotation issues and the track pad. I made three lists of all drivers:

1) Dell website 8.0 drivers
2) What I had on my machine
3) Dell website 8.1 drivers list

After the 8.1 windows update, I rechecked the drivers on my machine. Many were automatically updated, and in some cases to versions more recent than the Dell 8.1 specified drivers. So I did not run any of Dell's 8.1 packages for those items (I think the graphics and 7260 wifi were included).

My first concern was getting the Dell 8.1 chipset drivers installed.... all of my chipset components in device manager still showed versions from 8.0. The 8.1 driver update utility for the chipset ran through its motions and then instantaneously said "finished." It didn't do anything. Nothing changed in Device manager. Dell tech took control of my machine and did the same thing. No changes to chipset:

Intel(R) 8 Series LPC Controller (Premium SKU -9C43
Intel(R) 8 Series PCI Express Root Port #1 - 9C10
Intel(R) 8 Series PCI Express Root Port #3 -9C14
Intel(R) 8 Series SMBus Controller -9C22

...all the above items are ver 9.4.0.1017

Intel(R) 8 Series USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 9C26 (under USB controllers section)

shows ver 6.3.9600.16384 6/21/2006. Note, on this device, I had right clicked to uninstall, it before attempting the Dell driver install for 8.1 because I had read a review of another who said he uninstalled drivers before, running the update). Should it be the same as the above 8 series drivers?

Well everything seems to be working fine after running the remaining Dell 8.1 utilities. Everything sleeps, wakesup, rotates and scrolls perfectly. The Dell tech said he got a duplicate 9q33 machine and ended up with the same driver versions, so I was good to go.

But something doesn't sit right with me. If Dell says I should have ver x and I have version y, then something is amiss... right?

I read elsewhere that someone ran chipset updates from intel. Their driver update utility does not recognize my chipset?

So should I stick with what I've got, or force an update from intel somehow?

Thanks.

 

I followed a link to an image retention test and can verify the XPS 12 shows some aspects of image retention, which however fade fairly quickly (within a couple minutes). It seems to take a little longer to fade around the borders of the screen than at the center. I would say, unless I performed a test, I would not have noticed this image retention on a daily basis, as I generally find the screen extremely sharp, vibrant, responsive, and easy to look at. I must say for the price I spent on this laptop it is a bit concerning that there is ANY image retention, but on the flip side, doesn't impact daily use.

 

It has been mentioned on the Dell website's discussion thread for XPS 12 image retention (there's a link to it earlier in this thread somewhere) that there is a new screen being developed that is expected to be shipped some time in Feb/Mar to replace the defective LG screens present in all XPS 12 units. If you haven't already gotten multiple screen/machine replacements and become frustrated enough to seek a refund, I'd encourage you to report your issue to their technical support and arrange for a technician to replace your screen (for free if it's under warranty), and hopefully it will last long enough to wait for the new screens if they in fact do come.

As for noticing the image retention, the easiest way is to simply browse the web for an extended time without using fullscreen, and then to open the Start Screen and to check if you can see the "ghost image" of your browser's URL bar.

 

For anyone in the US looking at one of these, theres 25% off in the outlet store at the moment: 8 hours only! Save 25% on any Dell Outlet XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook! Enter 2C7R0VNJZ8K2C6 @ http://del.ly/6010d7fa (Exp.1/17@11:59pmCT)

Shame it doesn't work in the UK

 

Just received the replacement XPS 13 9333 Haswell i7/256GB version to replace the XPS12 which was showing image retention. Other than missing the rotating screen and NFC, the XPS13 is a great machine. I think I actually prefer the aluminum top and the larger screen with smaller black bezel looks much better (oh, plus there is no hint of image retention). Everyone suffering image retention on the XPS12 and who are still under warranty should seriously consider requesting a swap for the XPS13. I'm quite happy with the swap. If you have any specific questions about the XPS13 let me know and I will try to answer your questions. I will be calibrating the display later this week and will post the results over in the XPS13 forum.

 

Is the new Samsung mSata 1Tb (part number mzmte1t0hmjh) compatible with the XPS12 as a replacement for the included SM841?

 

I'd like to know which division you talked to in order to get this swap.

 

After my initial complaint, my case was escalated and since I've been dealing exclusively with the Dell Resolutions Expert Center in Round Rock Texas. As I stated in a previous post, my original XPS12 was purchased through the Dell business channel by my employer. I'm not sure if there are different CS centers for retail vs business customers.

 

So, I posted a bunch a few months ago but then walked away for a while because I was trying to ignore the niggling little problems I was having with the laptop. I'm so glad I finally read the posts I'd missed. I cannot believe that there was a trackpad update all this time but I hadn't seen it because I didn't change the OS to 8.1 in the dropdown menu. Bye bye, memory leak! Ahh, much better.

I'll parrot what everyone else is saying: I have the image-retention issue, and a replacement panel was good for a week then got worse for a month and now it's just like the first panel. It's annoying but liveable for my usage, since it's really only noticeable in the ghosting browser bar, and goes away after a minute or two. I'm not sure I can give up the tablet mode to swap to a 13 -- ever since I discovered downloading comic books and (real) books, the tablet mode has become indispensable to me. I think what I'll do is try one more panel replacement after March/ April when the rumored fixed panels will become available (anyone got a concrete source on that?), and then I'll reconsider my options.

A thing to note: generally, Dell goes in product cycles of about two years before a redesign. The Broadwell XPS 12 should appear this summer, and might well be that redesign. I don't care about the new chip, but a new body design would likely feature a different screen. If the image retention isn't fixed by then, getting a free upgrade might be possible. I'm tempted to purchase the extended warranty just to make sure this is an option.

My only remaining issue with the laptop is that I sometimes get the buzz/crackle noise a few others have mentioned. Three MBs have all had it, so it's either universal or from a different part. It seems directly tied to processor use -- in particular, changes in the screen make it louder, which is several people have reported that it's loud during scrolling (since the whole screen in changing). It comes and goes, and I cannot for the life of me figure out a pattern to it. While it's not a dealbreaker for me, I'd love to have it fixed. I don't believe this is coil whine (it's a low crackle, not a high-pitched whine), but I might try the coil-whine reg fix just to see.

Problems that I've fixed:

The screen flickering on battery. Dell replaced my MB for this (which did nothing), but turns out all I had to do was turn off a panel self-refresh in the Intel graphics menu. The recent panel firmware update fixes this anyway. Anyone whose brightness levels are adjusting on the fly based on the color mix of websites can fix that in the same menu by turning off the Intel battery-saver function. Classic example of Dell rushing to swap parts rather than sitting down and actually figuring out what's happening.

I had an issue where my USB ports and screen auto-orientation would turn off randomly. To fix that, turn off "selective suspend" under usb option in the battery settings. (Apparently the laptop considers the motion sensor an internal usb device.)

So, now I have a laptop that is amazing in every way except for a boggling (what year is this?) image retention issue, and an annoying random crackling noise. In every other way, I love this machine. It's attractive, runs well, and so fun for reading comics or playing touch-based games. I think this should be the poster child for convertible laptops -- it's a much better design than the competitors offer.

 

After a month and a half of asking for a refund for my XPS12 (Haswell) because of screen image retention I had pretty much given up hope, and was about to proceed with getting a tech out to replace the screen - I'd sent a final email to Dell escalations asking what happens if the screen is replaced and IR is still present. Then, surprise surprise, last Friday I received a reply from Dell escalations saying they'd organise collection of my machine and give me a full refund.

Maybe support are being given new instructions on handling XPS12 customers with the IR issue?

 

lol, if you have problems with your laptop then avoiding the Owners Lounge thread is the last thing you want to be doing.

The Dell representative Terry-B (who also used to hang around on this thread, apparently) posted somewhere on this page in the thread on the Dell forum: Has someone noticed ghost images (screen burn-in) on Dell XPS 12 Duo? - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

I'd be wary. I suspect that the ETA of February is a best-case scenario one rather than a realistic one.

I'm tempted to draw this out for either a fixed screen or a Broadwell update, now that I've read what you've posted here.

Apart from the image retention, ^this is the problem that's bugging me the most. It doesn't hurt the laptop's usability like IR does, but it wreaks havoc on the peace of mind.

Exactly as you've described it too.

 

Hey does anyone have ideas on how to get the chipset drivers updated for 8.1? I posted on previous page a while back and haven't heard anything....

 

In the Dell thread you linked to (thank you), someone suggested that the factory-8.1 models have a slightly different internal setup, so perhaps the crackle problem would also be fixed there. Some days it doesn't bother me, but others, especially at night when I'm just quietly web-surfing, the noise really bugs me. it's a bit distressing when scrolling makes a scraping noise...

It also taunts my analytical side that I can't figure out any pattern to when the noise pops up.

*edit*

The Dell drivers and downloads page has a newer chipset driver if you select 8.1 from the OS dropdown. That's not an 8.1 driver?

 

Yes.... I tried that. It goes through the unpacking process for a bit and then prompts to install. When I say yes, it instantly finishes and says "complete." But nothing has changed with the driver versions for the devices I specified in the previous post:

Intel(R) 8 Series LPC Controller (Premium SKU -9C43
Intel(R) 8 Series PCI Express Root Port #1 - 9C10
Intel(R) 8 Series PCI Express Root Port #3 -9C14
Intel(R) 8 Series SMBus Controller -9C22

...all the above items are ver 9.4.0.1017

Intel(R) 8 Series USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 9C26 (under USB controllers section)

shows ver 6.3.9600.16384 6/21/2006.

 

Do you have any issues with the device or why do you assume that there need to be new drivers for 8.1?
There weren't any big changes going from 8 to 8.1, so I don't think it was necessary to adapt every single driver.

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9300 mit Tapatalk

 

Hi guys,

I have only a question regarding this device. It supports wacom active stylus?

I think I'll pull the trigger for this PC instead of buying Thinkpad Yoga because Lenovo's device is more expensive and its tablet mode seems to be more unconfortable. Although to me depends on the day, tomorrow I could find that not as important as today and maybe I'll focus on the temperatures or the fan noise, that are worse on the Dell. The more I think about it, the more I'm confused about the choice.

 

The XPS12 sadly does NOT support an active stylus. I wish it did as I really got used to using the active stylus on my old HP 2730p.

 

So before wiping my XPS12 9q33 for the swap to the XPS13 9333 I decided to do a battery drain test. The XPS12 has a 50whr battery and the XPS13 has a 55whr battery. I setup both the XPS12 (~3 weeks old) and XPS13 (<1 week old) to loop a 1080p local stream of Avatar with DTS decoding for sound using Cyberlink's PowerDVD 11 (hardware acceleration enabled). Sound was set to 50%, both screens were calibrated to D65, 120cd/m2 using a i1Display, display drivers were set to maximum performance on battery, and all power saving features were turned off (ie. display dimming, power saving battery profiles).

The XPS 12 came in at 5:09 and the XPS 13 came in at 6:07.

 

Umm, thank you very much. I guess that could explains the difference between the prices today.

 

No real issues. I just thought that some of the Intel 8 devices in device manager would reflect 1024 instead of 1017. I did finally run the intel inf update utility and it didn't make any changes either. After that I tried to run Dells chipset driver utility (thinking maybe the inf changes would effect it). It now states that the version on my machine is more recent. Which is weird because they are both supposed to be 1024 versions.

Can anyone check the device manager driver versions for Intel 8 items and see if they match? Especially the one for Intel(R) 8 Series USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 9C26 (under USB controllers section), mine shows ver 6.3.9600.16384 6/21/2006. Before my 8.1 upgrade I think that one said 1017, but following someone else's advice, I removed that driver before trying to run Dell's 8.1 chipset driver utility.

Thanks

 

Guys I need help.

Sometimes when I wake my laptop up from sleep, there's no sound and I have to sleep/wake it to bring back the sound (I think it only happens when I leave my headphones in while charging). Can I prevent this from happening?

 

Hello, really good feeback ! Can I ask if you tried the USB to Ethenet adapter under linux? is some driver needed?

 

Hello everyone,

So I just got my replacement xps 12 I7 4th gen, 8GB ram, 256SSD

everything seems to working well however battery life is terrible and I dont know why. I have everything turned down on power-saver mode thru advance options.
Sometimes battery meter says I have 1hr and 30mins left on 55% charge!?!? Its been pretty bad only had the replacement xps for a month.... also have memory leak like most of you however I keep an eye on it and restart my xps often(very annoying).

One my first xps 12 I have amazing battery life of 9-10hrs on balanced mode but had issues with track pad jumping, wifi drops, usb ports. Now with my replacement its memory-leak, and battery issues!!

Any ideas or suggestions, even with what I should say to stupid tech support after they transfer me 12 times like last time. It would be greatly appreciated

 

Hi ozzy4654,

to be honest, that sounds like a defective battery... However, make sure, you've updated everything before trying to get another replacement.
If you're still having the memory leak problem and jumping, you don't have the newest touchpad driver that's available for Windows 8.1 (if you haven't upgraded to 8.1 yet, I'd suggest doing so). Wifi drops can be eliminated by using the generic Windows driver (uninstall the Intel driver in your device manager).

Make sure there's nothing CPU intensive running in the background, check your device manager -> CPU utilization shoud be less than 5% while doing nothing

If none of that helps, get another replacement.

 

everything has been updated and the system came with windows 8.1
CPU is running fine and well under 5% when system is on idle. I disabled the touch pad and the memory leak stopped and I have never had jumping on the replacement model... I just been using a wireless mouse since I disabled the touch-pad last night(annoying).

I will try to uninstall the touch pad drivers and re-install them. As for the battery looks like I need to go complain to tech support for a replacement battery.

Thanks for the reply I appreciate

 

So good news from dell.

They are sending a tech to replace my battery, MB, and touch-Pad. I hope this fixes my issues with memory leak (fingers crossed).

basically they are giving me a brand new xps....they have to be losing $$$ if they just keep replacing parts.

 

@ozzy4654: You didn't read carefully... Since Windows 8.1 and the new drivers for it, the memory leak of the touchpad was definitely fixed. You must have not selected the right operating system on the Dell site if you've still experienced a leak. Remember to do this once you've got the replacement parts installed.

Has anyone experienced issues they haven't had before after the BIOS update to A03? My wireless connection was dropping out with the newest Intel driver and even now with the generic Windows driver it sometimes enters an "ultra-slow-mode", where I'm losing ping packets and can't access any webpage anymore until I manually reconnect to the wifi network. Energy saving options for the device are disabled btw.

Additionally, and most annoying, my notebook sometimes doesn't go to sleep when I close the lid (yes, the appropriate settings are correct).

Is it possible to downgrade the BIOS to A02?

 

Anyone seen/tried a Dell MKS14 monitor stand yet?
Dell Monitor Stand with USB 3.0 dock - MKS14 | Dell
Dell Universal Dock and Monitor Stand - MKS14 : Computer Accessories | Dell

Could be an interesting solution for my wife's XPS12. Especially given how poorly the Targus-based dock is being reviewed. Might it bode signs of an alternative USB superspeed dock coming from Dell?