XPS 15 (Haswell) Owner's Lounge

^ A bit off-topic, but I actually prefer the start menu from Classic Shell than the start menu in Windows 7. What I never liked about Win7 was the need to click on a group to bring up the sub-menu. Start Menu enables you just to hover over a group for the sub-menu to appear, which I find is a lot faster to use.

 

Hey guys, I've had my XPS 15 for about 2 months. At the beginning I noticed no problems, but lately my battery life seems to have dropped by a half. I am currenlty at 80%, and it shows 1 hour and 40 minutes...what could be the problem?

 

Dilemma: I currently have an XPS 15 with the 1TB HD and the 32GB mSATA SSD, I happen to have a 500GB Samsung SSD, do you guys think its worth trading out the 1TB for the 500GB SSD; storage is not that much of problem since I use the cloud for school/work. Would battery life improved significantly and would performance increase a bit if I switched. And if you guys recommend the switch, what are the steps(backing up Windows 8.1, etc.)?

 

Do you have the 61Wh or 91Wh battery? I would download a program such as BatteryBarPro to see what your battery wear is like. If you find the battery wear is very low, then you can use that to see the mW that your PC is drawing on battery. That should be below 15mW on idle (which would equate to more than 4 hours on a 61Wh battery). So if it's high, then there's something eating up your CPU, so check task manager to see your current CPU usage, and also look at the details tab in task manager: the "CPU time" column indicates how much processor time certain programs and processes have taken.

 

If capacity isn't a concern, then you should ABSOLUTELY do the swap. Battery life will improve a bit, but performance will improve by a lot more than "a bit"; it will improve dramatically. Have you never used SSDs before?

As for migration, first make sure you disable Intel Smart Response (under Intel Rapid Storage application > Acceleration), which will flush that cache to disk and set the system up to expect the cache not to be there. That's important since you won't use it with the SSD and you don't want data cached on the mSATA cache not to be included in the clone. Then if you can get a SATA to USB adapter, the best way to do this is to connect the SSD via that adapter and use a utility like Macrium Reflect Free to directly clone your existing drive to the SSD. If you can't do that, then Windows has a System Image Utility function, but it's very finicky about cloning to targets that are smaller than the source, even if the amount of space actually used by the source would fit just fine. You can get around that by shrinking your OS partition such that the total size would fit (and then extend it later to precisely fit the SSD), but I believe the recovery partition is placed after the OS partition, so for this to work you'd have to be comfortable actually deleting the recovery partition. Macrium Reflect Free is better about this because when you're setting up the clone you can specify the desired size of the partition when it's cloned to the target -- but again, that requires having both disks online at the same time. There may be other free utilities that would allow you to dump the partitions as files to an external hard drive, boot off some media, and restore them with custom sizing on the SSD, but I haven't looked for them.

Or you could just do a clean install....

Whatever you do, make sure you actually remove the 32GB mSATA cache when you install an SSD, otherwise you'll be using relatively slow SSD storage to cache a fast SSD, which as you can imagine will degrade your overall performance.

 

Quick question from someone who hasn't visited this thread in a while, have there been any advancements/support/updates from Dell (or elsewhere) on the coil whine issue?

Thanks.

 

UPDATE on the issues I have been having - and have posted previously about.

As a course of troubleshooting, I opened the chassis and removed/reseated both RAM modules.
The blue screens seemed to have stopped happening - but I noticed something else.
In the My Dell app - under Checkup - View Detailed Report - I noticed that each and every day there was a log for System Changes.
NOTE - these occurred EVERY day - (ie, even before I did the RAM module reseating and also after).
What I saw was that under Hardware Changes / Hardware Updated - there were up to 6 entries of "Memory Chip" listed.
Clicking on each revealed the serial number of the RAM module in question.
ALL of the entries were for the same RAM module (ie, only one of them - not both).
I then checked this for all the other days and found - again - that it was this same card that was reporting "Hardware Updated".

At this point I thought that for sure the issue must be the RAM module.
BUT - there was another problem.
For some reason, sometimes the laptop sleeps normally - but sometimes it actually shuts down (after being asleep for a bit).
I have NO settings to do a shutdown or even hibernate anywhere - so this behavior is also indicative of an issue.
IF I (do) initiate a shutdown - I notice that after starting up normally - and checking the event logs (My Dell) - a RED X appears under System Events.
The message always says "Unexpected Shutdown" - The previous system shutdown at (time) on (date) was unexpected.

This was the last straw - SO - I called Dell support tonight.

I explained my long saga of issues and all the troubleshooting steps I have taken to solve the problems.
They remotely connected to my pc and looked at a few things.
With all that has been said and done - they found some sort of issue with "NT Kernel" (or something like that).
They said that if the OS was somehow corrupt, it could cause the issues I have been having - (even the inability to correctly read the RAM module).
They did NOT rule-out that there could still be hardware issue(s) as well - but they seemed convinced it was an OS problem.
They said that if the OS image was indeed corrupt, then doing a restore from fatory image would (obviously) yeild the same results.
I guess this is plausible.

I have only 3 days left on my 30-day return timeframe - so I asked Dell what my options were.
I was told that they could do the following:
- do a parts replacement of the SSD (hopefully the new image would not be corrupt - if that was even the issue at all)
- do a system exchange (with a newly-build brand new system - NOT-A-REFURB)
- return the system for a refund

If I chose parts or system exchange - that would go past my 30 day return period - so basically I would (have to) own the system - working or not from now on.

Because I like this laptop (and wish it had no issues) - I decided to go for the System Exchange.
I am not convinced that the problems I am experiencing are solely due to the OS (but I could be wrong).
In any event, I don't want to be in a constant state of changing different parts only to find that the issues did not get resolved - and to have to try something else again and again until hopefully meeting with some level of success.
By getting a brand new system I do take the chance that (other) issues could be present - that my current machine does not have - (dead/stuck pixels for example) - but I felt that if I had to own this laptop - I wanted one that did not bear the scars of multiple repair attempts.
My fingers are crossed that the new one they send me will work as intended - with no flaws.

Dell told me that I should have the new unit around Oct 29.
You can be assured that I will post an update here on what transpires.

I want to point out that I DO like this pc - hence why I decided to stick it out and go with a replacement instead of a refund.
I sincerely hope my decision turns out to be a good one.

 

Wow, I just feel so BAD that you have unfortunately experienced so many issues with the unit and I think that you definitely made the Right & Best decision in going for an exchange for a "Brand New Unit" and I just Truly Hope that you Finally get a Complete Flawless one so you can then just enjoy your purchase and have it do what you Need it and Want it to do.

In regards to some of the very gracious and detailed explanations of tests, events and so forth that you have listed, I sincerely must say that after checking my Dell App under Checkup and View Detailed report that I Unbelievably have a series of Red X's and Error messages outlining unexpected crashes and restarts as well, yet I would be lying if I said I seen any of them, which I did not, or if they ever effected or halted anything that I needed to get accomplished, which once again they very Thankfully have not, yet this should now definitely shed some greater light on your scenarios, as this unit as far as I am concerned has been Great and Completely Flawless.

I would probably venture to guess that these Shutdowns, Restarts or etc., are occurring when I Finish my work and put the computer into the Sleep mode and it Now definitely explains Why I have Outlook opened, which I use constantly, prior to putting the unit into the Sleep mode and then upon waking it up the Following day Outlook sometimes needs to be restarted, as I just thought it was a glitch in MS Outlook!

These so-called Crashes or whatever I would be very willing to bet are the result of Windows 8.1 and not the unit and if it is in fact the case, then I guess None of these issues will be resolved unless patches are generated by Microsoft, as it must have something very great to do with the OS's Sleep function as I like I said, I have never been interrupted or Shutdown unexpectedly, while working,

As for me, as long as these system Crashes are not effecting my needed work I will just rest a bit easy knowing that I do in fact have the Extended Warranty until the end of 2016 if somehow needed.

Please let me know if there is "Anything" I can possibly do for you to Hopefully help you out with your unfortunate issues.

Best Regards,
SD

 

Thanks for the feedback, SD - that's what I was looking for.
You have confirmed that I am not alone in getting those nasty RED X's, and that the machine DOES do a shutdown (instead of a sleep) intermittently.
I guess since my BSODs, I have become more investigative and observant of strange behavior.
The one thing that my machine does - which I noted in my post - is that after every shutdown, it records multiple events related to one of my RAM cards - as if it is detecting it for the first time - (but many times in a row !). I don't know if yours suffers this or not.

So, the BSODs and Memory Card issues are at least something that warrants resolution.
If, after getting my new machine - the Red X's still occur - (but everything else works fine) - I will be able to deal with that.
But BSODs have a funny way of opening your eyes when they occur, prompting you to find a solution - as when they occur - you can kiss whatever you were doing - goodbye.

Thx

 

You are very welcome and I am so glad that I was able to help you in some way as I have just felt so bad for you with all of your unfortunate issues.

Yes you are definitely right, I am definitely no computer GURU by any means just a layman needing a good reliable computer with an excellent Display for photography, which this unit definitely has, as I had the MacBook Pro with Retina Display prior to jumping back to the PC side, so you most definitely dissect a unit or suspected issue(s) far greater than I could and KUDO’s to you! :thumbsup:

Some of the things that you are describing you might as well say them in Greek to me as like I said, I am just a computer layman yet if you would like to give me a better ABC approach to checking something further out for you then please do, as I will be more than Happy to do whatever I possibly can, as after all, is this not what this GREAT Forum and Venue is For, To Help Others and Be Helped? :hi2:

Best Regards,
SD

 

According to the german website "computerbase.de" samsung released an firmware update for the evo 840 which drastically increased the performance of older files on the ssd:

Old firmware: 1GB reading time 12 seconds
New firmware: 1GB reading time 2 seconds

Link: Samsung 840 Evo erhält Firmware gegen „Altersschwäche“ (Update) - ComputerBase

Any news about an update for the 512GB SSD in the Dell XPS 15 ?

 

How do I enter the startup repair interface should Windows 8.1 not start?

 

If it fails to start twice in a row, Startup Repair will be invoked automatically. If you want to get to it manually, hold Shift while clicking Restart in Windows. F8 is no longer available, as I've mentioned twice in the last few days here. For more information, Designing for PCs that boot faster than ever before - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs.

If you don't trust that the resilience that Microsoft discusses in the post above will be sufficiently reliable, then you can always create rescue media on a flash drive. Note that you can do that from any Win8.1 system, so as long as you have another one, you can always create it on-demand rather than keeping it around.

 

Since no one replied, I guess the issue persists. Bummer.

 

Funnily enough, I requested a motherboard replacement on top of my screen being replaced citing coil whine as the reason, and had it done today. Unfortunately, this replacement hasn't resolved it, and arguably it might even be worse than my original, oh the irony.

I did however notice the replacement motherboard had refurbished on the packaging, so might not of even been the revised version Dell have said exists.

The colouring of the entire board was different compared to my original one though, (green colour, compared to the dark blue my one original was). That however doesn't mean anything really. I didn't get a good look at any revision numbers sadly.

The motherboard I now have in my system has the i7-4702 processor, like my previous mobo. Not sure if the fixed versions are under the i7-4712 variant only, or Dell modified the original ones as well.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if its possible to obtain the magical revised board through warranty (you might succeed with new orders), it doesn't seem they've filtered down to many areas outside of the US, thanks Dell UK!

On the bright side, the technician who repaired my laptop was a very nice chap.

 

I don't see how it follows from a lack of response that the problem still exists. Maybe people are tired of rehashing the same subject when there's a Dell Communities thread dedicated to this specific topic, which has been linked several times in this thread and can be found on the coil whine page of the XPS 15 Wiki.

The issue sort of persists. I got my revised board and it solved my issue, as have a few others who have reported here and on the Dell Communities thread. However, as has been said above, others have gotten replacements that have not resolved the issue, and people outside the US do indeed seem to be having trouble getting these boards.

 

Thanks for the update.

I meant for it to be a quick question with a single line (or word!) response since I was out of the loop for a while - something someone who is following this thread regularly might not have any trouble answering. (In other words, I was trying to be lazy.)

As an aside, your second para addresses your first line. Thanks, I do appreciate your help.

I guess I'll read through the thread but I wonder if the newer ones ship with only the revised boards.

 

Unfortunately no. I tried to do the update anyhow but the SSD is not recognized so I guess the firmware is specific.

Are there reports that the issue affects the ssd in XPS 15?

 

I am unable to get my webcam/microphone assembly to work in my Dell XPS 15 9530. The microphone shows up in the device manager, but the webcam does not. I have tried un-installing the microphone in device manager and re-installing etc, but nothing seems to work. Can anyone help with this? I also can't find any webcam drivers on the Dell driver site for this model.

 

The webcam uses drivers built into Windows, but if you don't even see it in Device Manager, that's not the issue. The webcam ribbon cable may be loose, in which case you'd have to open up your system to disconnect and reseat it. In fact after a Dell tech worked on my sister's Inspiron 7437 and reconnected the webcam, it showed up in Device Manager but as some unknown USB device with an odd error message. Reseating the cable fixed it.

Time to find the right Torx bit to perform surgery! And check the manual for this system on support.dell.com, which will clearly identify the webcam ribbon cable and show how to disconnect and reconnect it.

 

Are you saying that in Device Manager you have No Imaging devices category as that is where the Integrated Webcam should be listed?

 

I am not sure...but I also never heard of the problem on the normal 840 ssd before.

 

It will be the sm841 and I expect Dell to drag out a fix for a good few months if they even bother to sort a new firmware!

 

Hey guys,

i just got a replacement unit for my xps 15 because a tech guy damaged the old one (motherboard replacement). Now i got the coil whine again but thats another story.

With the new unit i got another problem: The display is sometimes changing color tint randomly, normaly the whites are more blueish but sometimes it changes without a reason to a kind of orange tint. Did any of you had similar issues and knows if it could be a software or a hardware problem?

 

Hi, Anyone has heard anything about an xps15 refresh maybe a 4k screen and a upgraded card since maxwell is definitely delayed till next year ? Obviously people working in Dell would have a better idea as I guess such changes are normally planned at least 3-6 months before start of manufacturing ?

 

Try turning off Intel Display Power Saving Technology if you haven't already. More details in the XPS 15 Wiki.

No rumors on even the timeframe of a refresh, never mind actual specs. And the people inside Dell who would know these things wouldn't be allowed to post them here....

 

I already scanned the wiki for solutions and disabled the power saving technology, sadly it didn't help, seems like a hardware issue

 

Dell ships new xps models with a software called something like 'true color', try to find it and disable/uninstall it.

 

quick question a friend of mine wants to buy Dell xps 15 but he lives outside the U.S and the 9350 model is not available in his country , so his only option is to order the laptop through Amazon. Now he is concerned with the coil whine problem. So the question is there some known amazon seller that sells new models ?
Thanks as usual.

 

Anyone know if 1866Mhz ddr3l ram works at rated speed? or will it down clock ram to 1600Mhz?

 

it will downclock.

 

Hell,

I am trying to get some census to see how many people are experiencing the random connection/disconnection issue when plugging in any mobile device to any USB port (2.0/3.0).

It turns out that many people I asked are experiencing this issue, not sure why this has not became a big issue like the noise problem.

Kindly, head to the following post and let us know if you are or are not experiencing this issue. I am trying to consolidate this issue into one thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/760728-xps-9530-usb-connects-disconnects.html

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

 

Would anyone tell me if the problem with the wifi dropping out and the coil whine issue is still persistent on this particular laptop and if there is a fix yet? Thanks.

 

This is due to the ports delivering more than 500ma to devices that can take it, cheap cables drop out. I fixed this by using the cable that came with my phone.

No problem using the latest intel drivers.

 

Did not work for me. I used original and high quality cords that I bought for $30. Non of the cables worked for me; I tried more than 10 cables.

 

So your wifi does not drop out any more and you have no coil whine issue either?

 

not enough to notice.

 

No wifi issues here, after I bought my Netgear R7000 router and connected in 5G, thus avoiding the noise from all my neighbours. And no issues with the USB devices. Life is good. My only issue is the coil whine.

 

You would have thought Dell would have at least found a fix for this issue as this isn't a minor problem. For people sensitive to sound it would be really annoying to use.

 

Just had my new XPS 15 in.
Been looking for the possible touchpad gestures.
Could not find anything in the Dell PDF's.
Anyone?

 

... should have gone for my own SSD + manual upgrade :/

 

Control Panel > Mouse > Touchpad Settings. Poke around to see your options. The Synaptics drivers allow more gestures and even have videos demonstrating how to perform them -- which is how you end up with a touchpad driver package that weighs in around 250 MB....

 

Anyone know how to install straight Intel Graphics Driver on the XPS? When downloading the auto installer I get error message while doing the driver installation stating I should use OEM driver. Going the way through Device Manager and choosing files from local list, it stops stating I already have latest Driver for my card installed. But comparing my driver version in Device Manager with latest Release on Intel’s Download Center, it is definitely not the same version.
I want to update my Graphics Driver for the HD4600 because of BSoD in some cases on my lap when entering the system from sleep mode.

 

Does anyone knows how to identify if you got the new revision of the motherboard (i.e. with a model number)?

 

Hello, I HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM!!!! PLEASE HELP!!!!

My Problem: I have a XPS 15 (Haswell). It is my second. Problems with the machine have cost me months. I've had, defect Hard Drived, Keyboards, Microphones, a weired palm rest and driver issues. All in all my experiences with Dell have been a nightmare so far. On top of it all is the coil whine! I cant live with that! I was just about to
get my money back from dell. Since Dell wasn't feeling that, they offered (or are about to offer) a better configuration. BUT!!! I dont want a
configuration if there will be coil whine still. I would not want the best computer in the world with that, period! Its the most annoying thing ever!

So, who received a XPS in Oct. In the web I see that complaints are fading, why? I even have a revised Motherboard in my current computer and it did not solve the issue!
But for some people it has. What do you think are my chances of getting an XPS 15 without the coil whine? Should I just take my money an run? Please help with the decision.

 

I just got a XPS 15 with the 512GB SSD - a refurb unit with the 4702 processor - looks like it was made in July.

So far it is great. I am looking to encrypt the drive though and am unsure of my options. Does anyone have any experience as to what may work? Do any support the built in encryption module on the SSD?

Thanks,
Chris

 

get the zip and point to it via device manager during a manual install, after that the exe will work for future updates.

hardware encryption isn't supported as you have to enable it via samsung magician or its bootable usb stick that you can create. This is the downside of OEM parts, I ended up swapping mine out for the 1tb Evo and have not looked back.

 

Hello,

I am thinking of buying this refurbished laptop in Canada from someone, and it is provided with 90 days of warranty. I wanted to ask, can I put in a request for the parts to be replaced IF the laptop has any problems, like coil whine?

I would not purchase if I cannot fix the coil while or other issues inside that manufactured refurbished warranty.

Thanks.

 

It depends on the hardware encryption your SSD supports -- but if you're referring to the one that came with the system, I'm not sure it supports any of the 3 current hardware encryption standards. However, I would think very carefully about enabling hardware encryption even if it's available. I wrote a long post summarizing options here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...ion-m3800-owner-s-review-261.html#post9649418.

 

I think you have to choose the "Let me choose a driver manually" (equivalent to the old "Have Disk" option) rather than the "Browse for a driver in a folder I choose" option. They're similarly worded but don't work the same way. The latter will let you target a directory and see if it contains a newer appropriate driver. The former will let you specify any driver you want, even if the system thinks it's older or even not correct for the device.