XPS 15 (Haswell) Owner's Lounge

I am not sure I follow you.
Are you saying the version of Firefox you are using has something to do with the noise?

Galaxy Nexus Tapatalk

 

I am saying it behaves differently. In version 28 the scrolling is different (much more laggy and less responsive), and there is much more coil whine. It is probably the case that version 28 is making the GPU work harder for some reason, and that is triggering the unresponsiveness and the noise.

 

Oh crap you are right, it turns out the monitor does not support higher resolution through HDMI! tough luck

 

Just lowering the screen brightness to around 40% lowers the energy usage to around 14.1W. This is starting to be something else, with estimated 6:15 hours (idle, wifi enabled).

 

Windows 7 runs just perfectly, not a single issue.
All the drivers work except I think it was intels hd 4600 needs to be installed one version earlier the last one to work on XPS.


iPad - Tapatalk

 

I'm currently on battery with it (the smaller 61 wh) and I'd say 5.5-6 hours at a half brightness level is about right, with non-gpu use and web/office apps.

 

Oh, that's good to know. I was getting terrible battery life (3.5-4 hours, but apparently that's the average for the before-high tier model), but it may be because my screen on a little too bright.

Are there any updated drivers for the XPS 15 that would help the battery life? Like a driver update for Intel Graphics? I don't know where I read about that, but I could have sworn there was a driver update for Intel Graphics that somewhat improved the battery life. Any driver update that could help the battery life, really.

 

Has anyone been able to restore the cursor in games with DPI scaling enabled at 200%? It'll come back in starcraft II if you're in full windowed mode, but that makes the game run at HUGE resolutions which leads to throttling....not sure what the best solution to this is, if there is one?

 

Is there any update on the coil whine issue with regards to this device, everyone?
Also, is having coil whine necessarily a bad thing to the hardware of the notebook? I heard it for the first time after plugging in my charger today and it wasn't loud but shocking to hear because I was so used to the silence. Again, it's not that loud but I'm just worried if it's bad for the laptop. If it's simply a noise, I can live with it.

I just wanted to know if anyone has heard some updates about the coil whine.

 

One of my XPS 15 get's sometimes a blue screen when booting. According to the MEMORY.DMP file it's caused by a WIN8_DRIVER_FAULT in the nvlddmkm.sys module. The laptop was originally shipped with Win 8.1 Pro and the nVidia driver 331. It booted to blue screen sometimes with this driver version.

After analyzing the first dumps I have upgraded the nVidia driver to the current version 334.89, but that didn't help. With the new nvlddmkm.sys it keeps the same behaviour.

So I guess it's a hardware problem in the nVidia GT750M. Does anybody know whether it's soldered to the main board? Or is on a separate mini PCIE card?

 

Not harmful, just a noise. I didn't even consider it an issue until so many people here complained about it and learned that some people didn't have the noise, since every laptop I've used that had a power supply of 130W or more has made that noise under certain conditions.

No update from Dell that I've seen reported here.

 

Duplicate post

 

Just a quick update. Still loving my Dell XPS 15 top tier unit but I did notice occasional problems where the computer would fail to wake up properly from sleep/intel rapid start hibernation (i.e. keyboard backlight would come on, computer running, but the screen would be black on wake from sleep--would require a hard reboot).

Thus, I followed the recommendations on this board to uninstall intel rapid start (this has been much discussed on this forum as the cause of this problem)--my issue is now fixed. I find no loss of speed on waking from standard windows 8.1 hibernate vs prior intel rapid start--per the discussion on this board I think the intel rapid start is not properly configured for our laptops causing occasional wake problems (i.e. only has 8gb partition on our SSD instead of what should be a 16gb partition for intel rapid start)

Uninstalling intel rapid start was very easy:
1. Boot computer into bios--disable intel rapid start here
2. Use the built in windows uninstall app utility via the control panel to remove intel rapid start
3. Enable built in windows hibernate function (via command line or control panel) (optional)
4. Delete 8gb intel rapid start partition off my hard drive (via computer management) (optional)
5. Changed button assignment via power options in control panel (I set mine so pressing the power button causes hibernate, closing laptop lid causes sleep (optional)

Thanks,
N123

 

How do you then reclaim the 8GB? Mine is just showing as unallocated. Can 'C' be expanded to include this or does it need to be a separate volume?

 

One of my XPS 15 get's sometimes a blue screen when booting. According to the MEMORY.DMP file it's caused by a WIN8_DRIVER_FAULT in the nvlddmkm.sys module. The laptop was originally shipped with Win 8.1 Pro and the nVidia driver 331. It booted to blue screen sometimes with this driver version.

After analyzing the first dumps I have upgraded the nVidia driver to the current version 334.89, but that didn't help. With the new nvlddmkm.sys it keeps the same behaviour.

So I guess it's a hardware problem in the nVidia GT750M. Does anybody know whether it's soldered to the main board? Or is on a separate mini PCIE card?

Same problem here, but its very intermittent. May only happen once a week, usually when resuming from sleep. It doesn't "feel" like a hardware issue. I wonder if there are any diagnostics that would thoroughly check the NVidia hardware?

 

Right-click the C volume and choose Extend Volume. The catch is that the unallocated space must be immediately adjacent to the right of the C volume. On the factory build, the factory restore partition sits between the OS partition and the Rapid Start partition; if that's what you have then you can't extend the C partition without using some third-party tool to shift the factory restore partition to the end of the disk, which would move the unallocated space into an area that would support expansion.

Or you could simply delete the factory restore partition if you won't ever use it, in which case you could extend your OS partition by the combined space you freed up by deleting both partitions.

 

Yes, it can be expanded. If the recovery partition is between the Windows partition and the unallocated space, you can use a third-party partitioning program to slide the recovery partition all the way to the right first, which leaves the unallocated space adjacent to the WIndows partition.

 

Any recommendations on software to make that move?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

Ah, that's good to know. Besides, I've read around that Dell has denied any replacements due to the noise until they figure out an actual cause, but in all seriousness, the noise will only irritate you if you're super sensitive to that coil whine.

Does anyone know if the memory in the XPS 15 can be self-upgraded to 32GB? Can the motherboard of the notebook handle it? I'd love to know.

Oh, and also, does anyone hear the fan (noticeably louder) when playing any games on the XPS 15? I hear it a LOT more when I'm playing 3D games, but I didn't think I would. Then again, I'm not quite familiar with the framework on the inside, but I didn't think it would be so intensive for the fans to work loudly for a powerful laptop like this. I honestly think that the heavy fan noise is due to the fact that I'm running a game while the screen's resolution is on 3200x1800. I should try changing it and see how it sounds after. I'll let you all know.

 

I have this problem as well, and it has been happening since I got the machine. It is a mid-tier, where I have swapped out the msata drive for a larger one and clean installed win8.1 on it. I have been running Intel Rapid Start for most of this, but after getting frustrated with the blue screens, have disabled it and can report that it has not blue screened since. It has only been a few days though, so will need more data to confirm.

As an aside, the reason I now have this XPS 15 is that my Intel Rapid Storage equipped XPS14 was throwing similar faults since day 1, and Dell never figured it out (and the tech did a total hack job inside the machine), so they "upgraded" me to a physically larger, worse battery, (and immensely more powerful machine) that has seemingly the same fault...

Problem details are below - but it certainly sounds similar to what you're reporting (note: AV_nvlddmkm).

Code:

Problem signature
Problem Event Name:	BlueScreen
Code:	a
Parameter 1:	10
Parameter 2:	2
Parameter 3:	1
Parameter 4:	fffff8036843b97f
OS version:	6_3_9600
Service Pack:	0_0
Product:	768_1
OS Version:	6.3.9600.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID:	1033

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID:	AV_nvlddmkm!CNvLAdapter::onRcErrorNotify

 

Has anyone who ordered on (or around) Feb. 2 gotten to "In Production" status?

I'm getting really impatient

 

The application I used for this very purpose is called MiniTool Partition Wizard Professional Edition. I had never heard of it, but I discovered it when looking for partitioning software that could be viewed at 3200 x 1800. It worked fine, and did its job speedily in Windows, without requiring rebooting.

 

I was going to ask the same question. If anyone who ordered in February has gotten any update on their orders?

 

Thanks for the tip. Partition wizard did the job just great!

 

Nope still in pre-production with an estimated date of 3/18. Sigh another month of waiting.

 

Yeah. I just talked to a chat rep who said that the top-tier model has a 24 business day build time. So, if ordered on the 6th, it should be built by the 6th of March. So, not too long for you guys.

 

The wait is KILLING ME!!!!!

If it really is 24 days for the top-tier model, then the 26th should be my lucky day! (Well, actually that would be the 27th if you included shipping)

I swear I check the order status every hour

 

When did you order? And if no status update by Wednesday, I say you call them up and ask for freebies!

 

Yes, it seems that since Dell has officially acknowledged the issue, they're no longer replacing motherboards for this reason because until they've changed something in the design that would give them reason to believe that a replacement would perform any differently.

In terms of 32GB, the motherboard isn't an issue because the CPU has the memory controller onboard; it's not managed by the chipset anymore. According to ark.intel.com, the i7-4702HQ supports 32GB of RAM, but as far as I can tell, there aren't any 16GB DIMMs to test with yet. Fwiw, Dell officially claims a 16GB maximum, but I've successfully used more than the maximum quoted RAM in the past. My guess is that 32GB will work once there are DIMMs that would allow that configuration.

And yes, of course the fans will kick on and run significantly louder when you're playing a 3D game because that workload requires the CPU and GPU to work harder, which generates more heat that has to be dissipated. Typically the more powerful the laptop, the louder the fans for that exact reason. Your post suggests you were expecting a powerful laptop would be quieter? I'm not sure I understand that logic. In any case, I wouldn't expect changing the resolution to do anything. The CPU and GPU will still likely be working just as hard; a resolution change will simply cause their compute power to be devoted to drawing more frames per second rather than a higher number of pixels per frame.

 

I think I have disabled Intel Rapid Start already, but I will double check it later.

 

Hi guys,
I've heard people reporting discoloration on the touchpad of dell xps 15 which is actually not clear to me if it is indeed real discoloration because of bad material or if it is just hard to clean the surface because of this strange rubbery material. So far I haven't noticed anything because I simple use an external k/b and mouse.
But because I will be using the touchpad and the keyboard a lot very soon I would like to ask the following:
* Does the palm-rest suffers from the same issue?
* I would like to deal with the above issues and I was thinking to buy a touchpad protector and a palm-rest protector (if it xps15 suffers from the same issues). Unfortunately it is hard to find protectors for this machine. Has anyone managed to find protectors for dell xps 15 haswell?
* Because of the lack of protectors for this machine I was thinking to buy - at least for the touchpad - a tablet screen protector and just cut it to the right dimensions. Do you think it will work? Has anyone tried this?
* Another solution would be to buy protectors for MacBookPro, you can find gazillions of them online! But unfortunately I can not find the size of the macbookpro palm-rest and touchpad in order to figure out if it will fit or how much I will have to cut them in order to fit. Could some rMBP owner help me with this?
* Of course I am open to any other suggestions.

Thank you!

 

I ordered on Feb. 2nd

 

Thanks for your reply! So, you HAVE used 32GB of RAM on your XPS 15? If not, I'm supposed to wait (I guess) until there are DIMMs that would allow it? I'm a bit confused on this part.

 

Hi, I just received my mid-tier xps 15, however, I am little disappointed as I realized that the battery was only 61 WHr instead of 91WHr.

Another point, that I have not found out about, is does XPS 9530 have WIDI?

 

On microsoftstore.com is written, that they sell this laptop with 6-cell lithium-ion battery but top-tier xps 15 has 9 cell battery. This is mistake or they sell different version? Also how long this store deliver laptop?
Can somebody make a photo of ac/dc power adaptor? I need this information because i live in Ukraine and have another frequency and voltage in electric grid. It's 60 Hz and 220 V.

 

Is anyone else having a difficult time accessing support on Dell's site for drivers? Apparently my service tag is "not recognized" when I have them detect it. Is their site being faulty?

Also, does anyone know of ways to improve battery life for the XPS 15? Getting barely 3 hours is super annoying especially when I'm not gaming or anything.

 

anyone mind checking this against your own ?

 

I simply use a screen cleaner and microfiber cloth, purchased inexpensively from The Source (in Canada), I assume any good screen cleaner, such as one available from Monster would do the trick. The one from The Source is touted to not damage any screen coatings, so I assume it's relatively gentle. I've not noticed any degradation of materials related to it's use, and it does a fine job of removing any discoloration from the touch pad, as well as fingerprints from all other surfaces.

The discoloration that people complain about seems to be simply oils from fingertips, nothing more, and certainly nothing permanent or overly disconcerting.

 

Just received my new Dell XPS 15 9530. Noticed very irritating high-pitched whining noise when the power is plugged in. I've noticed it's pretty widespread (some refer to it as coil whine). The question - has any conclusion been made/solution found regarding this issue? I'm thinking of trying for a motherboard replacement, but not sure if it's going to help?

 

Does anyone what the FN+F10 key is supposed to do?

 

The noise problem is a widespread one. Some users ordered a motherboard replacement and it happened to solve the problem. Others didn't. So far Dell is still investigating the problem and no specific cause has been identified, thus no fix yet.

Dell has noticed that this problem is a widespread one and stops to offer swaps for this problem. Some solution might come out in the future, and you can count on Dell to fix your machine ay that time. But diagnoising the problem and implementing in manufacturing process could take longer than your imagine, on the scale of months. So, in conclusion, for now, you can either live up with the noise until a possible solition months later or ask for a refund.

Galaxy Nexus Tapatalk

 

More on the multimedia keys, on Linux. Using Ubuntu 14.04, kernel 3.13.2, some multimedia keys are working, but not others:

• FN-F1 to F3 (volume control) are fine out of the box.
• FN-F4 pauses a movie in Totem, does nothing in VLC. It only pauses, doesn't resume.
• FN-F5 opens Firefox, instead of Play/pause.
• FN-F6 don't do anything in VLC.
• FN-F7 to FN-F9, nothing again.
• FN-F10, keyboard lighting (thanks gdir13).
• FN-F11 and F12, correct brightness control (yay!).
• FN-PRT_SCR (wireless), nothing happens.

It's a bit surprising that these mappings don't come out of the box, with this fantastic Linux support that this laptop is supposed to have (and that it does for the most part).

Can anyone pinpoint how can we contribute the fixed mappings for this laptop, so that it is included in later versions of the kernel / udev / wherever?

Otherwise, some hints on how to configure it for oneself wound also come in handy.

 

Keyboard lighting.

 

Thanks for the input. This is really strange. I've noticed there is the same issue with XPS 13 and it's been unsolved for almost a year. Truth is, apart from this issue, I love this laptop, so if no solution arrives, I will probably "deal with it". But at this price tag (got the top tier model) such things really irk you. I'm going to call Dell tomorrow and see if I can get a motherboard replacement.

Btw, I depleted some battery now and put in the power plug and it's almost silent. Why can't it be like this on 100% of charge?

 

The 130W adapter is 50-60 Hz and 100-240V. If it comes with the US plug configuration you will need to have an adapter for the plug so that you will be able to plug it in; but the adapter itself should work in Ukraine.

 

Check out the XPS 15 (9530) Wiki for the answer to this question (and many others):
XPS 15 Wiki

 

I definitely don't SEE it bowing, but there seems to be (very slightly) a more noticeable transition when running my finger over it from the top rather than the sides - but again, not visible at all...

 

Spoke too soon, just got another blue screen while Rapid Start was disabled....sounds like the Nvidia driver is not properly responding to the hibernate command....now to try an infinite combo of driver versions and sw configs to chase it down...only running around 4gb of RAM when hibernating too....boo.

 

had a look on the net at some pics and mine was not centred, it is now and the thick thermal paste changed!

And to think I went with Dell as the Toshiba's I work on by day seem poor quality...

 

I ordered the XPS 15 haswell with 91 watt hour battery on feb 4th, and it is expected to arrive march 20th!

why is it taking so long?