XPS 15 (Haswell) Owner's Lounge

Intel updated the integrated graphics drivers today to 15.33.8.64.3345

This fix might be important:
Resolved black screen occurring when resuming from an automatic monitor off scenario (Windows 8.1)
Resolved the issue where the ‘Built-in display’ is off, after resuming system from sleep state (Windows 8.1)

Anyway found it in the xps12 thead, here is the link, enjoy.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/693432-xps-12-owners-lounge-223.html#post9468268

 

+2 for me. It launched once when I first opened it up, it updated itself, then crumped. I did an uninstall and then reinstall as part of a performance test on Dell.com. Even after the reinstall, I still can't get it to launch. I click, get a splash screen, then nothing.

Initial UI leads me to believe that it's not meant to simply run in the background.

 

Did it to me first time or 2 as well.. kept running it.. eventually it started though.

 

100 percent agree.

 

So am I. I tried to have Dell UK send me a laptop with a Spanish keyboard, but they said it was not possible. And Dell Spain doesn't send anything outside Spain. So I ended up buying it in Spain, and I'll have to wait until I go there in order to pick it up.

 

Tried to install but got a message that the drivers weren't approved for my machine. I'm missing something simple? Do I need to uninstall the existing drivers first?

 

Well, at least you're not the other way around.

Just imagine what it feels like when you only know English and have to use a Spanish keyboard.

 

All the English letters are in the Spanish keyboard. You can't easily write ñÑ¿¡ with an English keyboard (áéíóú are easier).

But yeah, I feel and share your pain. In contrast, in the Apple Store you can order a Mac with any keyboard, regardless of the country.

 

Just got my new machine. Just a couple questions. Google Chrome? Does it have a fix yet with respect to scaling? I'm using firefox now but would like to use chrome. Also, it keeps opening up as an app in full screen mode. I don't like that.
Also, anything else that I need know about newly configuring my computer?

 

here is a possible solution: dell support center has stopped working a problem caused the program to stop working correctly. windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

any takers?

 

Double post.

 

This was posted a few pages back. Still waiting for my XPS so haven't tried it.

 

Even with tweaks, I couldn't get a satisfactory result with Chrome. Scaling/tabs/app opening was bad enough, touchpad made it even worse. It surprised me, but IE worked much better.

 

I received an email from Costco this morning informing me that my order had shipped. FedEx lists the package as picked up on 11.25. Service is listed as FexEx Home Delivery. I have received no communication from FedEx, even though I'm signed up for their shipping notifications.

 

In the top right corner of Chrome click Settings and there's an option to open Chrome in Desktop mode. Drove me batty as well opening as an app. Don't think Google has fixed Chrome for scaling yet but the recommendations in this thread do make it better (I'm still using Firefox for the time being)

 

so dell just called me, and after my many calls with different complaints, like my phone not connecting, my dell app not launching anymore, touch screen intermittently stops, and starts again after logoff/logon, and what else...anyway, they offered to replace this machine with a new one...but heres the thing, im not experiencing the whine noise some people mention, and im not sure replacing this machine bc my phone doesn't work on it, is a good enough reason, well, that and my dell app doesn't work anymore...everyone elses still works?

so my question is: replace or not...is it a risk in getting a lemon as a replacement?

 

Go to the menu icon, choose open in Desktop mode

 

Interesting thing to mention, played mirror's edge for like 20min without external fan until it started throttling, added the external fan an boom! no throttling. so if you want to do demanding tasks on this machine, use an external fan.

 

I used Screen cleaning fluid that i got from staples. works like a charm.

 

I can't imagine that the phone failing to connect will be a hardware issue. It's more likely OS/driver or possibly firmware (on either the laptop or the phone), but if you're already running the latest updates to those elements, then nothing will change with a replacement laptop. Same goes for the touchscreen, which means a new system won't behave differently -- or if it did, you'd be able to download the relevant update for your existing system. As for the Dell app failing to launch, what is this Dell app people keep talking about, anyway? I wiped my system first thing, so I never encountered it. The only thing I didn't reinstall from the Support site is QuickSet because I've never found it useful on previous laptops and like to keep my machines as lean as possible -- is that it? In any case, failure to launch anymore is also obviously a software issue, not a hardware one, and thus the fix should be possible in software with the system you have, so I'm not sure why you're contemplating a system exchange.

As for the noise, I believe that all units have it and that the reason some people here report being problem-free is that the noise is sufficiently high-pitched that not everyone can hear it. It's almost as high as the "mosquito ringtone" that some high school students used to use on cell phones in class because the average adult (read: teacher) can't hear frequencies that high and thus wouldn't hear the phones. I'm 27 and posted that the noise exists on my unit but is also no different from basically every other laptop I've ever used, so I don't really care; I can also hear the whine from CRT TVs across an entire room. The whine on the laptop is also very quiet and not constant, fyi. But to test my theory, someone who claims their unit is whine-free can test their hearing at this video; I think the whine most closely resembles the 15 kHz sound, so if you can hear that in the video then I'll believe your laptop is problem-free, but if not then I suspect your laptop makes a whine that you simply can't hear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrewnzQYrPI

In any case, I personally wouldn't go for a replacement because I can't imagine it solving any of the problems you're talking about, or at least not in a way that wouldn't be achievable on your current unit. But let me know what this Dell app does, please.

 

As a suggestion people should also update the intel 4600 graphics drivers from the intel website. I noticed the drivers are substantially newer than those on the dell website/the ones that shipped with the laptop

 

That one errors out when you try to install it, I believe because that driver isn't designed to be used in an Optimus configuration with another GPU. NVIDIA reference drivers seem to work just fine on this system, though.

 

Tried that, BatteryBar seems same power consumption (10-12W) as before and same full runtime (~6:10). I didn't expect it to make a difference - was already displaying the active GPU on my traybar, and the nVIDIA has "Activity: None" 100% of the time. Nor did switching between Balanced and Dell - similar results all around.

I am curious - does your mainboard make the noise when plugged in? Perhaps there's a correlation between poor battery life and the whine.

As stated, on absolute minimal load of screen off, just sitting on a webpage (not even typing) I'd get 9.7hrs absolute tops. That is not acceptable for a claimed 11hrs of actual web browsing, presumably with the screen on. Perhaps my unit is faulty.. but there seems to be many in the same boat if so :/. That yours works as advertised straight from factory is puzzling, it means it can't be a driver issue.

 

Do you have the right software and drivers from Samsung for your phone? Samsung phones typically need special drivers to connect.

 

I do not have a whine. I just installed BatteryBar and my power usage is between 8-10 mW with the screen on and browsing the web. It lists my expected full runtime between 9.5 and 10.5 hours. Battery wear is at 2%.

 

No there are certainly systems that simply don't have whine. I can hear coil whine on other machines but I don't have it on mine. Also some people have reported whine on one system but not a replacement, or that the whine went away after a motherboard replacement.

 

Guys, which version of the XPS 15 should I get? I don't mind just having the 1080p FHD screen. I will be playing games like Dota 2 and LoL, so should I get the hd graphics 4400 one or the GT 750M version?

Also, since the gt750m and the hd 4400 have the same battery (61whr), which version will have better battery life during normal browsing/watching movies?

 

this phone worked out of the gate on my 6 year old dell inspiron 1525, it automatically installed the necessary drivers. I also went to best buy last week with the phone, plugged it into an asus laptop running 8.1, folder opened immediately with /phone folder and /sdcard...without installing anything..why cant my dell do that?

so I then downloaded the "necessary" drivers from samsungs website onto this comp...with zero effect. so im stuck for now...im tempted to agree with "jp" for now, as I don't think a new maching will operate any differently with the current circumstances

 

hmmm, well id say go for the one that works flawlessly out of the box...but wait, I don't think that one is up on the dell website yet...id sit tight

 

.. I don't understand... I'm sure there will be a few bugs, but I don't mind. I just want to know if the hd graphics can play dota 2 on 1080p resolution if settings are medium. And which version will have better battery life..

 

Interesting. Maybe I'll chase Dell up on this whine, see if replacing the mainboard solves my power issues at the same time. Thanks.

 

jphughan - your posts always have depth, are informative, and are well written. I enjoy crisp writing, so thank you very much. This latest post was intriguing. I am 53, and i went to the youtube video that you posted. I can easily hear the 15 khz tone, but am not sure i can hear the 17.4 khz tone. I am one of those who cannot hear anything from the XPS 15, so if it is making a noise, it is definitely above 15 khz.

 

Somewhere earlier in this thread, somebody referenced a review on the Dell website that mentioned that the mid-tier XPS 15 couldn't use both Intel Rapid Start and Intel Rapid Storage, because the former requires 16GB and the latter requires at least 18.6 GB, and the SSD is only 32GB:
Dell.com - XPS 15 9530 customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings (it's a ways down the page)

I was confused about this so I chatted with a Dell rep and this is the transcript:

Me: The mid-tier comes with a 32GB mSATA drive and a 1TB hard disk. The 32GB mSATA is intended to be used as a cache for both Intel Rapid Start and Intel Rapid Storage. However, it won't function because Intel Rapid Start requires 16GB of that drive and Intel Rapid Storage requires at least 18.6 GB to work, so only one out of the two of them can be made to work
Agent: yes you are right, only one for the Intel Rapid programs will work at once
Me: How do you choose which one to use?
Agent: it will be decided by the processor
Me: So it will switch on the fly?
Agent: Yup

Is the review right or the agent right on this? I'd like to get the mid-tier because I want the larger hard disk, but I'm confused about this particular issue. Thanks in advance for any clarification anybody can provide on this.

 

The Dell representative I spoke with said that both will work, as the usage will never go above required, therefore only 32 gb. He said they partitioned it just enough for both to work

 

Hi guys, so the battery seems to work at an acceptable level for some at least...
I have not seen any posts on the smaller 61w battery performance though. Has any one experienced with the duration on those units yet???
I would be really curious to know, since I ordered a mid tier m3800 myself and I am getting a little worried that the battery might only get a couple or hours at the most on light usage...

 

Wondering what the tracking for the shipping looks like before its delivered to you in Canada

So far this is what I have. I am hoping it comes soon. What did it look like for any of the fellow Canadians?

Nov 25, 2013 2:46 p.m. U.S.A. Ground Linehaul Departed sort facility
Nov 25, 2013 2:45 p.m. Purolator Shipping label created

 

I just ran youtube videos nonstop for almost 6 hours from a full charge. After this time, the battery icon showed 1:18 (19%) left. The power scheme i used was Dell, modified so that the screen never turned off and the computer never went to sleep.

 

I seriously doubt this. I hate when Dell reps confidently say something when they're not sure rather than just admit they don't know something and will have to escalate or follow up with you later.

From reading Intel's documentation on this, Rapid Start will only expose itself to Windows when all of its operating conditions have been met, one of which is a partition on an SSD at least as large as the amount of system RAM and with the proper partition ID string. I suppose it's possible that Intel or Dell has changed something since that documentation was written, but even then the best case I can imagine would be Rapid Start only working when the amount of consumed RAM is less than the hibernation partition size. I guess that wouldn't be a bad design, but it would also mean Rapid Start couldn't always hibernate and would therefore lead to customer confusion/frustration.

This is all easy enough to test, though. Someone with a mid-spec config just needs to confirm a too-small hibernation partition, set the hibernation timer to Immediately in the config app (and make sure Rapid Start is enabled at all), and then SLEEP (not hibernate) the machine. If the machine goes into hibernation, it works. If it stays in regular sleep, it doesn't. It's also worth nothing that Dell themselves say that Rapid Start isn't supported or validated by Dell on systems with more than 16GB of RAM: http://www.dell.com/support/trouble...cles/ArticleView?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&docid=545794 (those instructions only work for MBR, not UEFI). That said, I'm running it just fine in that configuration, and granted that article is over a year old now.

But whatever the case, the processor switching the disk between Rapid Start and Smart Response sounds bogus to me. I suppose it's possible to design that solution for people who want both technologies on a small SSD since you'd never need SSD capacity for both Smart Response and Rapid Start at the same time, so there could be a unified partition setup for this, but if that exists I'd prefer to learn it from an Intel white paper than a random Dell rep, or at least ask the rep what documentation he has to back up his claim. That design would also remove some of the caching benefit upon resume if some cache data had to be replaced by hibernation data.

 

Thanks! I always try to base my posts on facts or at the very least reasoned theory (ideally including a suggestion for how to confirm or refute) and always ask myself whether someone will consider this worth having taken the time to read it. Seems I was wrong on this particular issue though, sorry about that! When I played the 17.4 kHz tone I just felt some pressure in my ear, no actual sound. The sound from the laptop is definitely closer to 15 kHz though, possibly a bit higher-pitched. But that wouldn't explain some people who heard it out of the box and not after a motherboard replacement though. Still, I think I'll just keep mine for the time being and maybe mention it if it will be getting serviced for something else anyway in the future. If new boxes still have the whine, then I feel getting a replacement at this point wouldn't guarantee I'd get an improved motherboard, and later on it's likely there will have been more part revisions and thus that other fixes and/or improvements will have been implemented too.

 

Are you using the 61whr or 91 whr battery!?!??!!?

 

Hi there!

First of all, please let me apologize myself for my English level ^^

I have been following this thread since the very beginning and decided to but the top-tier XPS 15 after a lot of time waiting for a good 4th gen i7 laptop (I am not a mac user).

I will try to summarize my experience with it, so I hope it will help others, as helped me before!

This are the list of issues reported by other users:

- Screen: I have one dead pixel on the upper left side of the screen. I cannot see it during my daily use and it’s difficult to see. I found it during my first check of the laptop when received from DHL. No dust underneath the glass found. I am not returning the laptop due to this only dead pixel.

- Touchscreen: It worked fine during the first 2 days of use. Then suddenly stopped working but this was solved with the Win8 option to prevent the touchscreen from going to sleep (previously reported in this thread). Solved.

- Touchpad: Discoloration: Only minor discoloration observed due the daily use. Cleaned without any problems.

Performance: My touchpad is working correctly. No issues occurred. However, I am a mouse user, so I do not use it very frequently. I did not update Synaptic drivers or modified anything yet, as I have not suffered any issues.

- Motherboard/USB/SSD sound: I think I can hear a noise from the laptop when it’s plugged in and its 100% charge, but it’s hard to hear it (the room needs to be in absolute silence). I think that this laptop is quieter than my previous laptop (Sony Vaio S) so I am not really worried about this.

- Wifi: No problems at all. I updated to Intel 16.6 driver and I obtain 50-80 Mbps (sometimes above 90) of internet connection from a bad wifi n router. I modified some router and laptop settings and I am happy with it. My previous Sony Vaio S had a lot of problems with the same router and never obtained a download rate as with this laptop.

- Battery: The claimed 11 hours duration is impossible to obtain of course, but I am getting up to 8 hours duration estimation with light web-browsing and 20% brightness (and other solutions reported in this tread). Using Battery bar (and other battery meters) I am obtaining 8-10 mW with light web-browsing, and 10-13 mW in my daily use. On the other hand, battery report from powercfg /batteryreport command report Battery life estimates from 6,5 to 8 hours, as it is observed in all other battery meters. This was one of my main concerns about this laptop, but I am also happy with this. However, I will continue trying to improve the battery life.

I hope this will help others.
Feel free to ask anything!

Aram

 

I haven't had this issue myself, but if it does in fact work, I wanted to add a bit more information since nobody provided it when I requested it before I received my laptop. To do this, go into Device Manager and under Human Interface Devices, and look for "USB Input Device" -- NOT the one that's actually called a touchscreen. There should only be one USB Input Device if no external USB devices are attached, but if you want to make sure you've got the right one, go to the Details tab, choose "Hardware Ids" in the dropdown, and if yours is like mine, the top string will begin USB\VID_06CB&PID_0AC3 and then a revision code. If Dell has multiple touchscreen vendors, yours may not look like that, in which case try disabling the device and confirming that your touchscreen no longer works. Either way, when you've identified the right USB Input Device, that's the one where you want to go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the sleep option.

 

Quick newsflash the preview of the XPS 15 Review from notebookcheck.com is up.

Preview Dell XPS 15 (Late 2013) Notebook - Notebookcheck.com Tests

 

That is exactly what I did (I had the same "Hardware ID: \VID_06CB&PID_0AC3) Its quite easy to fix!

Thank you for adding this info!

 

Hmm, not quite yet. Just a preview with a few test results written up auf Deutsch. Still waiting for the full review.

 

Quick note on battery life. I disabled the Bluetooth under settings and used the Power Saver setting. I was getting 5hr 24min estimated life left with about 50% battery remaining last night (with full allowable brightness and light web browsing). Very satisfied with that and was surprised how close that was to the high Dell estimate. Turning off the Bluetooth seemed to make a big difference for me, but YMMV. As soon as I started watching some videos, battery life took a big hit.

 

They got 9 hours on their battery test browsing with wifi. So that is pretty much in line with my results. I would say those who are claiming 4 hour battery life on the larger battery either have something wrong or are using a heavier workload than they claim. The idle power consumption is pretty high, but that should be able to be fixed with driver updates.

 

YMMV = your mileage may vary....had to google that one ;-)

 

DAT CONTRAST is amazing! Holy Moly!

 

Just a preview.. exactly as i advertised it

So far im pretty pleased by those numbers, but i have to wonder why no one complained about the heat on the lower surface so far.
Up to 64.6 °C (148.28 °F) is quite hot or am i mistaken?