XPS 15 2-in-1 with 8th Gen Core G?

Microfibre cloth works great to clean my XPS. Only thing I found that works on carbon fibre

 

Thanks for the feedback - I'm reading a few bits of commentary that you need the latest BIOS, and all updated drivers to tame the fans. It seems strange that it would run fans at 5400RPM with temps as low as you are saying. Have you updated the BIOS? Also, are you running any of the Dell software for fan control? I saw 4 different fan modes in a YT video; optimal, Quiet, performance, etc. I know you said you did a clean install of windows and likely wiped out all the Dell software.

Here is an interesting video:



He also said in the comments that "optimized" works even better for quieter fans. I also heard that when charging the battery, it tends to crank the fans louder as well. Once it's at 100% it quiets - or so the internet has said to me.

 

I installed the dell power manager application when I did the reinstall and it's been running the "optimized" plan. I am on 1.1.1.1 otherwise the fans spin at max when you charge the laptop, lol.

 

So do you find the fans more acceptable? Weirdly, I thought I noticed a 1.1.1.1 BIOS, but now on the support page it only tells me 1.0.7 is available? Did they pull 1.1.1.1? I thought I saw a date of like 11 May for that 1.1.1.1 BIOS.

 

Sorry I should say I've had the bios and the app installed the whole time that I've been running benches. These are the "normal" fan profiles I guess, not phenomenal and super loud when gaming. I haven't tried any of the other profiles like cool/ultra performance or whatever.

Weird, they must have pulled 1.1.1. I am running it however without seemingly any issues.

 

I'm not generalizing to the whole world because I knew what I was buying. And I use it for moderately bad computations not superbad.

But I see a lot of complaints of folks that did not know what they were buying. Simply because cooling capabilities are not specified on the sales pages, this is my main complaint.

 

BIOS 1.1.1 just released again with a 21 May date - that is odd.

 

New to Dell? Thats kind of their signature move, to release old software with new dates pretending something old is something new.

 

Well I saw they had it out in early May and pulled it, now it's back again. Perhaps it's just dell being dell - or maybe they made some bug fix for the BIOS without changing any features?

 

This doesn't seem to be a lively thread - I take it that the 9575 is probably selling slowly. The 9570 thread is where it's at, although it doesn't seem like Dell spent much time on the 9570 design this year. Thus why I've been more interested in the 9575.

How does everyone who owns a 9575 feel about their new laptop? Are you keeping it? I finally saw a review on YouTube showcasing the standard 1080P screen, and it looks fantastics, at least through YT on my Macbook Pro screen. It seems like a helluva good design with performance on par with the 9560 (slight bump in graphics?) - that seems to also throttle less out of the box (I.e. it stays above base clock even when gaming). The only issue seems to be poor fan optimization - but it also comes across as a fairly complex fan profile depending on software setting and other factors (Dell said it considers whether you have it on a flat surface or on your lap).

Kind of a ramble, but I'm still waiting on my 9575 to ship, and since I'm deployed, it will take 7-10 days to get here. Just keeping the conversation alive.

 

Sadly I don't know of any other users on this forum with a 9575 so this is super slow. I think Dell is pulling your leg about knowing if it's on your lap vs on a flat surface, it may adjust the fan profile if it's in tablet vs notebook mode. Overall I'm pretty happy with the laptop still. I don't notice the loss of color space compared to my 9560, but I'm sure the glare screen helps to make things appear more vibrant than they are. The screen does get very bright which is nice, I notice in a bright room I still am at less than half brightness for easy viewing.

 

Great to hear on the screen - do you notice a loss in sharpness when browsing text compared to a higher rez display? Also this is straight from Dell's page:

Adapts to the way you work: A built in gyroscope and accelerometer can differentiate between lap and tabletop positioning, upping your system’s performance while you’re working on your desktop, knowing you are not in contact with the base and adjusting the temperature accordingly.

I also remember them talking about it on the video associated with the cooling system on the product detail page as well.

 

I don't notice any real sharpness loss, but when I used UHD screens in the past I put the scaling up so I could read.

I still don't buy the stuff from dell. I notice no difference in performance when it's on my lap vs on the desk. Dell can't even figure out how to make fan grills the proper thickness, I don't think they can figure out something so "complex" as a gyroscope and accelerometer.

 

My X1 Carbon 6 had the same thing. Literally no difference to setting it to one mode over the other.

 

Any comments on this:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Frank...hanks-to-the-latest-BIOS-update.305104.0.html

 

I've been on 1.1.1 since I've had the laptop so I really haven't had any fan issues under light loads to begin with. They are still loud as hell when doing anything intensive though.

 

Haven't we heard all this before from dear Frank?

 

Since this is such a relative comment - can you provide me other laptops you've owned and say where the 9575 fits on that spectrum?

I've owned quite a few...the original 9550, Alienware 13r3, Surface Book 2, Dell 7577, Macbook Pro.

Right now my spectrum is this (with estimated dBa measured just above the trackpad)

MBP (42-44 gaming) <<<<<<<<< Alienware, Dell 7577, SB2 (47-49 dBa) <<<<<<<<<<<< Dell XPS 15 OG (52 dBa)

Notebook check says the 9575 is measuring 44-45 dBa under gaming conditions, which is definitely an audible and "loud" fan noise, but it's still half the normal gaming notebook range.

UPDATE: I should say that one thing I have learned owning this many laptops over the last couple years as a previous all desktop owner. They are all still loud when gaming - the only solution I've found is to use an eGPU and 2m cable. I also modded my Aorus Gaming Box fans so it would run much quieter anyways, and it does great. The Max-Q setting was a joke that nVidia released in the Geforce Experience software. Who wants to both cripple power input to the GPU and set all your game settings to their lowest image quality settings?

 

That's a hard question since it's so subjective and I don't have anything to actually measure acoustics. Think about the recent "powerful" laptops I've owned: multiple 9550s, multiple 9560s, multiple 7577s, Alienware 17r4, Alienware 13r3, Alienware 15r3, GS63VR, and a P35X V5.

I would say that the XPS systems (along with the 9575) are much louder than the 7577s and Alienwares but quieter than the GS63VR.

The 9575 is not any quieter than my 9560 when gaming. You can easily hear the fans from the living room when the office is 20ft away.

 

So one thing I've noticed about this laptop with the newest 1.1.1 bios is that the fans never seem to come on when just using it lightly. Right now the CPU is idling at 52C and the bottom of the laptop is quite toasty. I have the fan profile set to optimized. If I set it to cool the fans kick on pretty loud but at least the bottom of the laptop is a little cooler to the touch. It gets quite warm when using it on your lap, but there is no change in fan profiles if it's on the desk.

I am also not a fan of AMD's drivers. I find creating profiles for applications a total pain in the rear. I also notice that sometimes the GPU is active when nothing should be using it but nothing shows up under recent or current applications.

 

Agree about the AMD software, that alone would make me choose Nvidia all else being the same.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

 

Can somebody explain to me how an insulator (GORE) help with thermals in this 2-in-1 or in the new XPS 13?
I can understand it makes the bottom of the laptop less warm but this, in turn, should make the internal component warmer.

 

I mean it really doesn't help thermals, it helps the user's comfort and that's about it. In the 9575 they block off half of the fan grill with the gore tex which is pretty stupid. I think dell could have done it a lot better, but that would require some actual thought, we know dell isn't up to the task.

 

Having a tough time deciding between this and the 9570 (ordered the later but I will probably send it back).

I like the versatility of a 2-1, and the ability to charge from USB. Also the cooling does seem to be better on this one, a newer chassis design whereas the 9570 just reused the old flawed design with a VRM tweak. The 9575 seems to throttle less.

What good is a six core if you have to gimp it to prevent thermal issues?

I'm using an awesome little spectre x360 with the new quad core, and if it had Intel Iris I think I would just keep it as my main pc. But I like to game on the road.

 

You can also charge the 9570 with thunderbolt although it won't provide enough power to charge when under heavy use.

I am struggling between the two as well. I like the versatility of the 2-in-1 and it does run well, however the AMD drivers are pretty terrible. I also dislike that the ram is soldered and find myself running out of memory when doing multiple things.

Overall it's a great unit that can use a few tweaks, much like the 9570.

 

If you are running out of ram week #1, then you need to dump the 9575 ASAP.

I suppose the 32Gb version will approach $3,000 as it will be packaged with 4k screen, 1TB SSD, W10Pro, and some other expensive gizmos Dell will "throw in".

 

Yeah you're right I should return it. I was hoping 8gb would be enough, and it is for the most part, but there are times when I could use some more.

Also LOL at the 32gb version, I'm sure they will make you buy everything to get that option.

 

On my 9550, I was lucky enough to pick up some fast HyperX RAM 32GB of ram just before the prices started rising. That was to solve a memory leak with one program.

The developer fixed the memory leak and Win10 runs much more efficiently so frankly 8GB is sufficient for my uses, some of which are rather intensive so I get your thoughts around 8GB.

For most users, 16GB is overkill but it prevents the laptop from going obsolete for a long time. . .

I'm thinking of selling the 32GB but unfortunately it won't plug into your system. . .

 

Hah, I've actually got 2x8GB 2400mhz in the spare parts bin from my 9560. If only the ram was upgradeable...

I keep looking at 9570 prices but even with the 10% discount and cashback it's still more than I'd like to spend. I guess I need to figure something out though.

 

Dell support says my 9575 should be delivered by 1 June - wahoo!

Hope I wasn't wrong to go for the 9575 over the 9570 - but the 2 in 1 design seems more appealing to me. Of course, you can't get a 1080P touchscreen on the 9570. i7/16gb with 512GB stick in it, although I should have stuck with the 256 and put the 150 buck upgrade to buy the 970 EVO for only 50 more bucks.

Can't wait to experience the product first hand, and also test it with my eGPU setup. I'll report back all I learn since this thread is light on fellow owners.

 

There were some 1080 touchscreens on the 9560. I think it was a rare option, not available until several months after release. I think the MicroSoft store had them and I might have seen a few on the outlet site.

 

Quick impressions after 3 days with the device.

I bought the i7/16GB/512GB/FHD

Most of my initial impressions are comparing it to my current daily driver MacBook Pro 2016 13" with Touchbar (MBP). I look at the MBP as an extremely high benchmark for hardware quality in every way (except that keyboard).

SUMMARY of impressions for the TL;DR crew: Overall build quality is great, but a hair short of my MBP. Screen is better overall than my MBP (discounting overall text sharpness), and to my surprise has a similar anti-glare/reflective coating! Overall performance is solid to include GPU when gaming - but more testing needed. eGPU's work! Keyboard is a huge step up from butterfly switches. Fans can be odd when charging the device, but overall, even when gaming, seem to be significantly quieter than any gaming notebook I've had. Undervolted -125mV, so this may have helped. I'm seeing temps in the high 70s under load. Fans have a very different sound when you lift the laptop off a flat surface (whistling characteristic). MBP is quieter overall, but obviously way less power in the chassis. I have already seen AMD driver issues in a few games, namely Skyrim Enhanced (sub 10FPS what??) and for some reason in Dishonored 2 image quality is very dark/dim. Overall things are looking promising outside of initial fan noise quirks when charging.

 

Details for those who care:

• Build quality is great, although falls a hair short of MacBook Pro in a few areas of fit and finish.
• FHD Screen

• Minimal backlight bleed on the bottom left and right. Equals MBP side by side
• Color reproduction is nearly the same, perhaps a bit cooler out of box than my MBP
• Contrast and black levels are better on the 9575. The 9575 does not get as dim as the MBP
• I watched a few movies on both at the same time side by side and found the XPS15 to offer a better experience with darker blacks, and brighter highlights in any given scene.
• Text isn't as sharp on the FHD screen, but I do find video sharper than the MBP, likely because there is no interpolation required on 1080P content.
• FINALLY, a windows computer has anti-glare/reflection coating that is almost as good as the MBP! 9575 is about 80% as effective as the coating on the MBP screen to my eyes. I've had the Spectre x360 15, Surface Book 2, and an older XPS13 and all of those are straight mirrors by comparison.
• Brightness is eye-searing on the 9575 even under fluorescent office lights; 50% max during the day seems plenty bright.

• Keyboard: Another huge step up from my MBP (which I don't like for long periods of typing) - although space-bar and shift keys still exhibit some odd mechanics compared to the other keys. All the reviews that start by comparing the maglev to MBP keyboard are doing it a disservice. The backlight exhibits some weird activation and deactivation timings at times though – I’m not sure what triggers it to turn on (motion?).
• Size and Weight: 4.3 lbs from the 3lb MBP is quite a bit more to lug around. This might be obvious, but I was hoping it would feel minimally different. If I had gone from my Alienware 13r3 to this, it would have been a revelation.
• Gaming: Still assessing, initial impressions are decent performance for most titles med/high
• eGPU / external Graphics Docks: Wahoo! It works! I’ve only tried internal screen acceleration. It is mostly plug and play, although driving the internal screen requires disabling the Vega chip in Device Manager, which is an annoying nuisance. I’ll likely keep the dock on my desk and use for driving external monitors moving forward.
• FANS: On 1.1.1 BIOS, and the fans can be odd – seems like some additional optimization is still needed.
  • While charging, fans will largely be on – there must be some connection to heat in a chipset not related to CPU because I’m not seeing temps being any reason for the fans to ramp like they do while charging. Initial impressions are annoying considering my MBP is virtually silent the majority of my daily use.
  • Optimized mode: Seems to adjust fan speeds on a wide range of rpms, both on power and off. Off the adapter it is largely silent.
  • Quiet mode seems to keep fans at a very narrow range, and likely caps performance. I noticed that Quiet mode will never allow the fans to go above some specified RPM, but also will not let the fans shut off either, which should be fixed in my opinion.
  • Overall SPL has got to be <45-46 dBA while gaming (I don’t have my SPL meter while deployed) – more testing needed. I’ve been using in Optimized mode and to me this thing is very quiet relative to other gaming laptops I’ve owned. I need to try Battlefield 1 for an hour before I make any conclusions.
  • Overall I have yet to hear this thing ROAR like all the reviews said – I think many reviews are using a relative standard to other class ultrabooks, which is unfair.
  • An annoying whistling is present when you pull the laptop up off a flat surface that does increase the SPL, but on a flat surface it’s just a nice woosh of air sound.
  • When you flip the screen past 180 degrees, it must auto-enable reduced performance and fan noise because it goes nearly silent. I need to try gaming in “presentation mode” to see how it does.
• Additional comments:
  • Charging works from all ports – also able to charge with 60w USB charging hub I bought for 30 bucks off amazon.
  • I doubt I’ll use the “tablet” mode all the much, but I appreciate the flexibility and the fact you can get a 1080P touchscreen on this whereas you cannot on the 9570.
  • 1080P/FHD screen is the right choice over the 4K…I’d save that $400 upgrade towards an external 27/30” 4K screen.
  • Don’t waste money on the SSD upgrades, swap out an 860EVO or MX500 with 1TB or more. Dell charges a ridiculous $550 above the 256GB price for 1TB. I should have done better here.

 

Well i should have mine soon. Ordered the top model. Waiting for the damn thing to arrive. Will be doing a close side by side with my sons macbook pro touchbar edition.

 

Never. You must be thinking of XPS 9360?

 

Have you ran any benchmarks like firestrike, realbench, etc? I'm curious how much of a difference there is between the i5 and i7.

 

There is not much difference between the two, however, to get the "Goodies" you HAVE to purchase the i7.

 

Right, which I still think is stupid. Hence the reason I ordered a 9570 and returned the 9575. I am still curious to see if the i7 is much faster than the i5.

 

agreed, I would love to buy the i5 with the High res screen and max ram/SSD. But...alas, I could not. There were benchmarks somewhere between the two. The i7 is obviously faster, but not Mind blowing'ly so.

 

Firestrike = 6362
TimeSpy = 2258

Found out the Skryim bug was just because it was defaulting to iGPU over the Vega...once switched it seems to run 30-60FPS. Couldn't tell why the huge variation though in FPS.

After eGPU was working, it now is not. Keeps telling me that thunderbolt capability is limited. I don't know what changed. I didn't do anything as far as I know.

 

I should add that I don't have great internet speeds while deployed, so downloading other benchmarks might be tough. Is there a real good one that would illuminate any difference between i5/i7?

I also ran the above in ultra performance in Dell's software as well as the slider all the way to the right.

 

Thanks for the benches. Really no difference, are you undervolted or anything?

Odd about the eGPU, did windows updates screw something up?

 

Yeah I know about the slow net OCONUS...

Maybe realbench would be a good one to show the differences?

 

I wouldn't imagine GFX benches show much of a difference.

Got eGPU working again, uninstalled and reinstalled Thunderbolt controller software. Didn't even have to reboot. I can't think if of anything installed that would have ruined it.

I'm using Intel XTU with a -125mV undervolt. Although I'm finding it doesn't seem to stick on boot (keep having XTU crashing on launch when I go to check the undervolt values)

Overall love the form, fit, and function of this device. Still a bit bummed about how the fans rev when charging the battery, really odd to me the necessity of that.

However, I do like the various fan mode choices, I have already utilized all the modes. Optimized seems solid choice when using on a desk for general power user work, cool mode works to keep the device much cooler on your lap with skin exposed and not a ton of power, and quiet I use when plugged into the eGPU to cut overall fan noise. I may also experiment with cool mode as well for eGPU. Of course when gaming without an eGPU, it's best in ultra performance and max power mode for windows on a flat surface.

 

I want to footstomp the anti-glare coating one more time - I truly haven't seen a windows device (excluding matte screens) that are this close to Macbook Pro glare/reflection reduction to date.

 

Intel XTU is a bit buggy and tends to be wonky with XPS laptops. Try ThrottleStop for your undervolts (uninstall Intel XTU, or at least do not run it at the same time as you run ThrottleStop).

Your crashing could also be due to an undervolt that is too aggressive for your particular CPU; stable undervolt varies by CPU type and individual unit; try a less aggressive undervolt.

 

Glad you got the eGPU working again, odd you had to reinstall the drivers.

My main reason for the GPU and CPU test was to see if it would power throttle down. I don't know what your GPU vs CPU score was on them specifically.

 

I'm not as familiar with Throttlestop, however it's only XTU that's crashing. The whole machine is fine.

One other bug I'm noticing is that after using any "slow charging" adapter (60w, or 100w PD on my eGPU) - the power status still shows up as "plugged in, not charging" despite having nothing plugged in at all. I'm talking about the icon in the taskbar.

 

Updates:

Tried various games: RoTR, Dying Light, Doom, SkyrimSE, Subnautica. In all cases, I'm noticing GPU throttling of some kind. I know it's not thermal, since temps are staying in the 60s (occasionally spiking to 70C). I am seeing GPU Freq being capped at somewhere between 500Mhz and various steps up to the 1011Mhz. When it's allowed to run at 1011, the 9575 offers a good user experience, but it doesn't stay there in any power or thermal config that I tried. IS this the infamous VRM issue on other XPS15s?

Also , when using eGPU, I was hoping for a single cable solution, but the 100w power delivery my eGPU provides is apparently insufficient in all thermal modes in the Dell Power Manager. I'm noticing battery drain, but haven't been paying enough attention to monitor the rate it loses per hour.

Also, I'm having about 50% success rate driving games onto the internal monitor using the eGPU. Some games flat out do not seem to be accelerated by the nVidia 1070 no matter what I try to force in nVidia's driver software.

These things are likely enough to make me return the device as it does not meet my needs, and the dissapointing throttling is an even bigger issue since I was hoping for stable performance on the road and this thing is constantly dropping GPU frequencies down. I'm really surprised I haven't seen this mentioned even in the more robust reviews out there.

 

It's not VRM throttling but power limit throttling. There are ways around it via modifying the bios with efi shell but then the laptop gets way too hot.

Sadly I can't comment on the eGPU stuff since I haven't tried it in years. 100W should be sufficient, makes me wonder if your eGPU dock really provides that.