XPS 15 (L521X) Owner's Lounge

So, I take it Dell have no ETA on a fix for the Wifi, it still throttles and the battery life has been borked by bios A09? The reason I ask is I get questions every days on my Youtube review and am trying to keep people updated on the status.

 

Alright, thanks for the info. I hadn't yet disabled hibernate. I think you know it's working because normally in Sleep mode the power light pulses, but in RST, it should be out. The Dell pdf that explains the RST setup is invaluable. I did see at least two versions of this online, so make sure it is the newer one (has 3 technologies explained, not 2). I can't remember the name or date of it though. But ya, I did create the 8192 MB intel hibernation partition as instructed.

I ended up using a larger mSATA drive and completely installing Windows in it. In this config only the RST is available or useful, so that is all I set up. Maybe Smart Connect is available, but I don't need it waking up to do whatever online when I'm not using it.

The only trouble I had was making the mistake of creating a new partition for the install during the Windows 7 install process. I tried every BIOS config I could think of that may make a difference to no avail. I got the messages Windows is unable to install on this disk. Something like that. Finally found the answer online. I deleted all partitions and continued the Windows install on the unallocated drive. This is new for me. It still creates the partitions it needs automatically.

I don't know if it matters, but deep in the BIOS boot options seems to be a place to change what it considers "Hard Drive" in the boot order. Listed is mini sata and HDD. So I moved up mini sata. Don't know if it makes a difference unless there are operating systems installed on both devices.

One other thing I was curious about. If completely installing Windows on the mSATA, are the 6 Mbps speeds realized? Or can I expect only 3? Somewhere I read the normal form factor SSDs get 6, but the mSATA drives usually only get 3, except in certain situations.

 

A manager told me last night they are working with intel on a new chipset driver and BIOS. He estimated 2-3 weeks and then they have to test it.

 

a few reps have told me that the fix is already in at the factory and if you buy one now it will be fixed.

 

Well I received a replacement machine a few days ago and mines not fixed. so maybe I got an old one?

 

I have hibernate disabled and RST installed. Sleep mode the power light still pulses. I guess I don't know if it actually working or not.

 

hahahah LOL

 

Absolutely, ETA Oct 1.

 

I have my RST configured to kick in 10 mins after sleep, and the power light goes off pretty much like clockwork 10 mins after I close the lid.

I need to remember to check the SCT settings when I get home, to disable, because like others I don't need it and would rather have the battery be unused once RST kicked in.

 

Ok cheers peeps. I can't believe that I bought the laptop in July ( which I subsequently returned ) and they still have not fixed the issues. Not only that but our beloved Bill has departed which was pretty much the only source of reliable information for anything Dell. Gonna update the peeps on my review with the new information.

 

No problem, it's due Oct 1 and I will post what I find. Hopefully, good news.

Now getting back to my question, can anyone provide advice on whether I will need to do anything special to switch out the HDD for a SDD? Will I need to change any configurations? Also, can I keep using the mSATA or will that need to be removed?

Thanks

 

Hi I recently bought my xps L521 and I would like to install ubuntu on it in dual boot with windows.
The thing is there are already 4 partitions, so I need to delete one of them :


(1) OEM paritition - 39mb (I don't know the utility)
(2) Hibernation partition - 9Gb (I don't know the utility either)
(3) OS Windows - 456Gb ( I don't want to delete this one)
(4) Recovery partition - 12 Gb (Is it a big deal to delete it ? Can't I just re install windows if I have a problem ?)

Do you know which one I should delete ? And how to do that?

Thanks

 

kd 089, i'd just use one of the tools out there to shrink the OS partition to make space. There's info on the ubuntu forums to help you figure that out.

The least-destructive one otherwise would kind-of be the recovery partition, but it also has the diagnostics support on it that Dell supplies.

Just my opinion though, don't think of it as a Sanctioned Way To Do Things.

 

The problem is not space and I am ready to shrink the OS partition, the problem is that It's not allowed to have more than 4 partitions. So including the one I create with ubuntu, I have to delete one.

Doesn't the dvd sent by Dell with the computer do the same thing as the recovery partition. Otherwise, if I see my computer have a problepm I think I would just re-nstall the system with a windows DVD.

 

I was able to have more than 4 partitions. I went into disk management and shrunk the OS C: then made a new partition using the space I took from c:

 

I think you can with windows but not with ubuntu. I think I am gonna delete the recovery partition but is there something I should do before ?

 

By the way, I received the L521x today and I did not notice any of the common problems users seem to have. Maybe it's the new series or maybe I just got lucky

 

when did you place your order? I have heard the date of Sept 12 thrown around about the fix being put in the factory

 

About a week ago

 

Did it come with your computer? Mine only came with intel Rapid storage, rapid start, proset, and control center


Found the answer. Smart connect only comes with the 512gb ssd config,
http://partnerdirect.dell.com/sites/channel/Documents/Dell-XPS-15-Reviewers-Guide.pdf

 

Im not sure what you use to backup but you could always back it up before you delete it.

 

I am afraid to delete it. Does anyone have ever done this ? I fear it would affect my current system

 

Not one word from bills replacement.
Shame on dell. Shame shame shame.

 

In RST configuration you can set after how many minutes of sleep it enters RST. You can set it to one minute and stare at it for 60 seconds to check if the breathing light goes off.

 

I see Dell had two new posts of video drivers but neither is downloadable. Recently it's always like this.

 

I know a couple of you replied on the pulsing light. I didn't realize about the timer being from entering sleep mode. I came back to my laptop and light was out. So it is working. And it is FAST! RST gets my approval.

Anyone trying to reinstall or setup the new intel technologies (e.g. RST) you need this document:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=dell%20o.91%20pdf&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.community.dell.com%2Fcfs-file.ashx%2F__key%2Fcommunityserver-components-postattachments%2F00-20-08-79-33%2FIntel-Responsiveness-technologies-0.91.pdf&ei=qs5jUImTOuay0AGRvICICA&usg=AFQjCNEM-Y3Wkhz02F5bWHvjiThq6CvyvA

This document tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

BTW, I got a call from Dell tonight. They said the new network card driver is ready and it fixes the WiFi problem. I still need to have them put in original card (6235), so I'm not installing anything until it is replaced. I checked the driver page and didn't see an update. Maybe within the next few days.

My touchpad issue still exists. I will be playing with the settings to find something that allows me to type. I may have to disable scrolling. Would be a shame. I love the scrolling feature and still miss the "back" browser swipe gesture (Inspiron 9300).

About the recovery partition, I'm pretty sure it is an image that allows people to put the laptop back into the factory-supplied condition. I always delete it because if I have any major issues I will just do a clean Windows install and not a Dell recovery.

 

Oh god, we all know by now that driver won't fix that problem. Im shaky as hell to hit the buy button. I'll keep waiting.

 

according to some Dell reps. The Wifi fix is already in place for new systems as of Sep 12. So if the wifi was the only thing keeping you from buying then go ahead. You can chat with them if you want. Thats what I did and 2 of them told me the same thing.

 

summerside: I'd wait for more evidence that things are resolved.

No disrespect krayziehustler, but I don't trust most ANY sales-person. They're not directly affected by system problems, only a lack of sales. Sorry.

 

Thanks Kray for the info,


I chated with 2 different reps yesterday, both told me there was no problem at all with the Wifi and never heard of such thing. I told them there was over 3000 posts on the issue with dell support confirming this and they keept telling me there never was a problem with the wifi.

Here is the chatlog.



09/26/2012 12:39:02PM st***: "I was wondering if you have any updates on the L521x wifi problem"

09/26/2012 12:39:42PM st***: "I mean I really want to buy one, but there is obviously a wifi problem and can't have any updates on the progress on that"

09/26/2012 12:40:35PM Agent (Budala L): "May i know which system you are looking at ?"
09/26/2012 12:41:36PM st***: "XPS 15"
09/26/2012 12:41:41PM st***: "L521X"

09/26/2012 12:41:56PM Agent (Budala L): "okay ! thats one of the best system what we have"
09/26/2012 12:42:13PM Agent (Budala L): "Till now we havent had any issues with the system"
09/26/2012 12:43:24PM Agent (Budala L): "Reviews are there on each machine even though it’s a super computer. But please keep in mind that if you select the right machine for you based on your usage & based on the specs needed, you will never face any issues"



so from what I heard I WILL NEVER FACE ANY ISSUE.

 

Dell reps have always say that wifi was fixed, just go back in this thread to read it.
If someone has blind trust in Dell reps then JUST BUY IT.


Inviato dal mio GT-I9100 con Tapatalk 2

 

I agree with message above regarding the Dell's reps behavior. I posted a message on the Dell forum yesterday about the hardware fix delivered on the Sept. 12, and people said: there is still no fix.

I may ask the Dell France techs to see... Edit: just sent a message to Dell France on Twitter, wait and see...

 

This was one of the talks I had with Dell

09/26/2012 03:20:36PM krayziehustler : "that system has massive wifi problems however"
09/26/2012 03:22:17PM Agent (): "We looked into that and they are resolving it with new purchases."
09/26/2012 03:22:39PM krayziehustler : "so if i buy it today, it won't have that problem?"
09/26/2012 03:23:12PM Agent (): "Definitely."

I deleted the other one I had that mentioned the Sept 12 date.

 

addendum:

Being that I'm a software-geek (e.g. professional software engineer with a history of developing stuff to maximize hardware performance) AND that our hardware platform is relatively new (e.g. Ivy Bridge + 6235 wifi) I actually CAN believe that there are material gains to be had from software/driver tuning.

Whether it's enough to resolve everyone's issues? Well, dunno.

I guess that depends upon what the biggest hold-ups are for the system.

Since Dell has not chosen to share their findings there, and nobody else that is involved has the time/resources/inclination to really work it out I just can't say.

 

so do you think it could have been driver related all along? and the reps just mean that new laptops built will have that driver installed?

 

I think it's very possible that there have been driver issues all along, the current 15.3 wifi driver completely resolved one wierdness I had noted but had not had time to quantify properly.

Whether the ENTIRE problem is driver-related only, like I said, I just can't say. With the current 15.3 drivers I still have range limitations compared to the WNDA3100v2 N600 USB wifi dongle. Up to a point the internal 6235 and the N600 run equivalently, but after that range the 6235 performance falls off faster.

The issue I had noted that the 15.3 driver completely resolved for me was the quirk that my machine had been 2x as fast at uploads vs downloads, to a local server. At a given test point the 6235 would send at about 80 Gbps, and receive at 40 Gbps. With the 15.3 driver I basically get in the neighborhood of 100 Gbps up and down.

So we'll see.

I do advise people thinking about purchase, who NEED good wifi, to wait and see.

 

About Dell reps: if actually (after almost 3 months after launch) I ask to Dell reps (I suppose they are in north Africa and they work for all Europe country) if L521X has backlit keyboard they say it hasn't any backlit keyboard :SLEEP: :laugh:

I have many doubts about solution that are reported from Dell reps in this thread.

Changing Wifi card: it's established that the change of wifi card don't modify the performance, moreover this fix comes together with changing the wifi card driver, so neither drivers seems involved in this issue, also N6235 is used in many others laptops without issue.
The same N6235 that has wifi problem when it's connected to external display + antennas (spare part) works perfectly and this means no intel driver issue or any hardware problem on N6235.

Wifi fix through BIOS update: I think it's very strange this kind of fix, because the connector of wifi card must operate with different models of wifi cards.
I suppose that maybe the only thing that they can change through BIOS update it's supply voltage to wifi card...

The next two links are from L521x Wi-Fi-test results, where all is very clear:

1. http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...5-l521x-wifi-test-results-10.html#post8755238

2. http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...5-l521x-wifi-test-results-11.html#post8756263

 

The only thing I missed, to dress up the cables in aluminium foil from the base of LCD all the way to the Wi-Fi card. I did it only on card itself and no luck.


Dell engineer came over and changed; the heat sink, fan, back cover. Under the heat sink it’s a piece of tape that is holding down the Wi-Fi cables, and was not fitted properly, changed that one too.

One more thing has happened while working on laptop; I noticed something like a bullet coming out from the right side of it, when I checked what it is about, the SD slot was empty, I found the SD plastic reader at 2M far from it. It seems that is not holding it well. First time I have been seeing this happening.

 

I said I would return with my story/info.

WiFi on new computer ordered 9/26/2012 - bad. Same as noted all over this topic.

Story: Been following this thread, wanted the XPS 15 and held off. Read recent posts about new systems not affected, called Dell, spoke with rep. Said same thing. Ordered yesterday, next day today, received about two hours ago. Tested Wifi, downstairs, slow. Took upstairs and tested side by side by side (XPS15, 15z, and Lenovo W510). The other two systems were about 12Mb/s down and 6Mb/s up. The XPS 15 was 3Mb/s down and surprisingly 7Mb/s up. Ran the test about 5 times and basically the same results. The other two laptops were popping the pages right up and the XPS 15 was still processing.

Packed the XPS back up, typing this note and will be contacting Dell for return.

So here is what it seems to me. People that don’t have WiFi issue are lucky or don’t realize they actually do. Dell may have fixed the problem on new systems, but is it getting rid of the ones built already with WiFi problem.

 

did you try any form of troubleshooting like updating drivers and disabling bluetooth?


you picked a SHIP NEXT DAY system?


2:18:15 PM Customer krayziehustler when you say new systems, what do you mean?
2:19:41 PM Agent ******* It means, systems that you are going to order and needs to be build

 

No troubleshooting, I just opened the box, did set up, and than tested WiFi, it was bad so i put it back in the box. Not big on updating drivers or have tech support come out for a brand new system. Would rather return.


Yes it was a Ship Next Day System - obviously crud

Now - I have been on the phone with Dell for 1 hour trying to get someone to process a refund. My two cents - please take it with a grain of salt. Dell has not issued an official statement or acknowledgement of the issue. The tech did all but swear on his first born child that there were no issues with this system. and I would be careful if I were Dell based on the now possible growing

 

No troubleshooting, I just opened the box, did set up, and then tested WiFi, it was bad so i put it back in the box. Not big on updating drivers or have tech support come out for a brand new system. Would rather return.

Yes it was a Ship Next Day System - obviously crud

Now - I have been on the phone with Dell for 1 hour trying to get someone to process a refund. My two cents - please take it with a grain of salt. Dell has not issued an official statement or acknowledgement of the issue. The tech did all but swear on his first born child that there were no known issues with this system and that as a tech he would know. They tried to get a tech to test my machine, but I am not near it now and I have already packed it back up. Again, for any other type of product I would not “troubleshoot” just exchange for another laptop. They don’t even want to exchange at this point.

Disappointed.

 

unfortunately not all reps are informed. I spoke to 4 and 2 acknowledged the known issue. I got another rep today and they said only newly configured systems have the fix which is unfortunate.

 

Just so people know, deleting the recovery partition is not a good idea. There must be some smart ways to do it but if you do it straight forward as I did you might not be able to access your windows partition again. I had to re-install windows from a windows DVD, but now it's fine and at least I have a clean windows without all the Dell factory software.

 

On many Dells the Recovery partition contains the boot files. The system boots from that partition before then loading Windows from the OS partition. You can delete the Recovery partition, but you must first move the boot files to the OS partition. I have done this.

 

Got my XPS today! so far i have no wifi issues. It seems to be running just as quick as my other pc when am in the kitchen (10 metres away from router). Will do some further testing later.

 

Dell sucks

 

Yes, you might be right, but have one of the best services yet, and if you get the right person to talk with, is even better.
For instance, I was talking with two Dell Rep. in regard with a refund of a laptop, one was willing to refund 60% of the value of it, and the other one offered 100%. I went for the best option

 

If you want better return policies, you'll need to buy your machines from REI.

 

Since you guys haven't heard anything from Lionel, I tweeted him asking him to check up on the forum. If he doesn't Dell has lost my support. I don't even own this laptop and I feel for you guys getting the run around with Dell. Plus not hearing anything from Dell sucks too, Bill kept us updated almost every day. Lionel hasn't been here since his "I'm glad to be here" first day posts.