---> OFFICIAL: Dell STUDIO 14z Owner's Lounge <---

And that's why we're all here.

 

I'm thinking about getting one of these with a 2.4GHz processor. I want to use it to watch 1080p videos. The would have to be scaled down to fit the screens resolution and I don't know if that takes a lot of processor power. Would my computer be able to play 1080p files flawlessly?

 

Ok i just installed the A03 bios and now the boot up is either really slow or really fast. Also once im booted into windows 7 it freezes for like a minute and resumes to normal again. Anyone have this problem? The previous bios worked fine with windows 7

 

I need your advice...I've had my 14z for only a month now. Bought from the Dell outlet; previously ordered new.

And now it needs to have the motherboard and LCD screen replaced.

The circumstances that led to it, where I was using it fine that day, closed the lid and it went in hibernate. Opened the lid, and the screen would not turn on no matter what. So the tech decided to have an on site tech come to my house and replace my motherboard and LCD screen.

I don't know if I trust a tech to come out and have to disassemble my brand new machine, esp the major parts like the screen and motherboard.

Should I make them take it back and have it replaced? Though it was from the outlet.. I don't know how that is possible, since I got a discount via the outlet. Its frustrating enough being w/o it for a couple weeks now..

I guess my question is what would you do? should I return it, or just let them replace the parts, etc? Any help appreciated...

 

That really is up to you. I specifically asked for another machine fully refurbed to be shipped out. Dell seems to have pretty good CS and they do listen to your problems surprisingly. I believe they have multiple ways to solve issues like this and its up to you to decide. Since your unit was new you could ask to see if they will make another new one for you. If not the next best thing is to replace the parts. Im pretty handy with software and hardware (I'm a computer engineer) so I would not care either way. If the guy takes his time replacing the parts, there is no difference between a newly assembled vs replaced parts. If the guy does a bad job or does not really know how to open the notebook you might get some pry marks on the plastic.

I had a T400 ibm which had some dmg on the screen when it arrived. I returned it to get the screen replaced and after I got it back I noticed some minor plastic pry marks used to open the machine. I didnt really care. The way I see it, it doesnt matter since you'll replace your machine anyways in a few years. Also my current laptop with the dead pixels has pry marks due to the panel swap most likely.

 

Yes, especially if you use CoreAVC with CUDA decoding. Only uses about 10-20% cpu with the gpu handling most of the load. Even without cuda the processor alone can handle 1080p just fine. I recommend the KMplayer.

 

P8600 running W7. I undervolted to .8750/.8875/.8875/.9375

Been surfing for an hour now and my temp hasn't gone above 43.

 

Alright sweet. I figured it would be able to but I wanted to check anyway. Thanks!

Does the 14z still come with a windows re-installation cd even though there's no disc drive?

I'm also curious how difficult it would be to replace the hard drive.

 

Hm, sure you didn't update anything else? A few users, including myself, had issues earlier with the chipset driver that was controlling the SATA controller. Try installing the vista 64-bit driver for the nForce chipset thingy...read a few pages back.

 

Yes. Also the usual Dell drivers and utilities discs.

 

I did upgrade almost everything including the chipset. Thanks ill def try that out.

 

there is only 1 t and 1 p processor available to configure now

i bet there were heat issues with the stock voltages on the other t procs.

 

Does anybody have a link to the Dell Webcam Studio program? I couldn't find it after reformatting.. I downloaded one, but it said that it couldn't find/recognize my webcam.

 

Having owned this computer for a month, I cannot say I'm very satisfied. The hardware seems appropriate for the price, the portability is great, and the 9400 GM is difficult to find (impossible?) on a laptop that ships with Windows and without paying Apple prices, but this seems like a hastily thrown together product designed for the Best Buy crowd. I will be keeping mine, as I feel it is "OK" for the price I paid and fits my needs. I did want to leave a note of warning to potential buyers, however, and to find out: are these issues ubiquitous or am I the only one experiencing them?

Construction and overall feel: The plastic chassis and black plastic lid give the computer an overall cheap and flimsy feel. There is play in both the battery pack (a common issue) and in the charger's connection to chassis. Sharp edges abound and may become an issue depending on your wrist position. Adjusting or closing the lid can result in contact with the panel, and in the closed position the lid picks up imprints from the keys. Given the extreme gloss, this can be annoying on a dark background. At the price, however, these issues are forgivable.

Trackpad: Having owned 5 laptops and using two more extensively, this is the worst trackpad of them all. My 4 year old E1505 uses the same side-scrolling mechanism, but is infinitely more sensitive and easier to use. The TouchCheck feature of the Alps software is useless on the lowest setting and an extreme annoyance on the second lowest. Forget taking notes in class if you have thumbs. My $300 Eee PC has a much, much better trackpad.

Screen: I have the 1600x900 screen, and the only thing that can be said about it is that it's absurdly bright. I don't know why Dell and other laptop manufacturers are infatuated with ultra high gloss and brightness, but can only hope that this changes in the future (ASUS and Lenovo are about your only options for matte at the moment, and don't produce comparable products). The contrast and viewing angles are also among the worst I've ever seen. Color reproduction seems okay, but only within perhaps 5 degrees of vertical viewing angles. As above, the Eee PC's matte screen and better contrast ratios make it easier to use in office and internet applications.

HDD: I ordered a 320 GB WD Scorpio Blue. I had repetitive (~1-5 sec) disk clicking that was an annoyance in a quiet room. Dell RMA'd the HDD and replaced it with a Seagate, which I did not check for disk noise as I replaced it with an Intel X-25M SSD. This was perhaps my biggest problem while it persisted, and I understand it to be somewhat common are WD Scorpios (as well as Seagate's, etc.).

Other issues: After updating to firmware A03, I received occasional MBR boot issues when exiting from BIOS or when returning from hibernate which were not fixed with the repair console (fixboot, MBR), reinstallations, etc. This was an issue with both Vista and 7 on the original HDD. On occasion, there's also a slowing of juttering of the cursor by both mouse and trackpad that resolves in 4-10 seconds. Annoying but not worth a return. The stock cooling profile is also less than ideal (fan high pitched at 40C, off below that).


I feel the construction, screen, and trackpad "issues" are probably present with every 14z. About the HDD, fixboot, and cursor issues; did I get a lemon have others experienced something similar?

 

Go to https://smartsource.dell.com/web/main.aspx and sign up with your Service tag. It will allow you to download any software that came with your PC that isn't just a freely-available driver.

For me it shows:

Sight Speed Dell Video Chat
Dell Webcam Software
Dell Webcam Central 103UMD

and the Facial Recognition software.

Alternatively, it will be on the DVDs that came with your system. If you have another computer with a DVD drive and a home network, you can share that drive and install from there.

 

Thanks, this helps a lot!

 

I un-installed a bunch of programs that I was not familiar with on my 14z. Now when I press the function keys I don't see the green notification on the screen on what is being done. Does anyone know which program handles the notification of function keys? (for eg, wifi on/off would show a green tower on the screen with/without 'signals').

Thanks

 

Download Quickset off of the drivers page and you'll get all of the notifications back.

 

I experienced every single one of these issues. I also experienced extremely poor low light webcam performance on top of that. The LED that turns on when plugged into the machine I noticed got busted after a few days of receiving my refurb and that was finally the last straw. I sent it back and I'm glad I did. Dell design and finish leave much to be desired. I would say get a Sony CW for something similar. Obviously not as thin but maybe you wont have any complaints?

I picked up a dm3z and i'm happy with it so far.

 

I've experience many of the same problems. I also noticed that just about every surface of the 14z was easily scratched/marked up permanently, and I never even scratched it. I still don't know where the marks came from. It was like Dell just didn't put enough coating over the paint on the chasis and it is just wearing away on the left and right palm rests where the top of the screen touches it. As a result, I will be selling my 14z on eBay and getting a d3mz, which should provide similar if not better performance in every way except heat management and raw processor speed + the dm3z looks way better in my opinion.

I'd still recommend the Dell 14z to people on a strict budget, but I can't say that I was satisfied. The trackpad drove me absolutely crazy, and still does, can't wait for my dm3z to come in. The Dell Studio 14z was a winner in so many ways, but I just don't think the laptop could last over the long term with it's flex and (at least certainly not last and still look nice...).

 

I'd say the 14z is good on paper. In reality not so much. They need to make the machine thinner than a macbook 13.3" with sleek styling and non crap build quality to have any chance. All it really has going for it is the 1600x900 res screen and even then there are other notebooks like the sony Z or Envy 13 (yes they are more expensive). Is it worth it to buy a new dell studio 14z? I absolutely would not recommend it.

I've been playing with the dm3z for the past few hours and I think it looks pretty good. It feels well executed even with the low end AMD Neo X2 L335 and HD 3200 integrated gfx. I think once adobe gets their act together and has gpu acceleration for video, it would be perfect. The machine feels fast in windows 7 and I can surf just as fast as my desktop E8400 o/c'ed to 4ghz with a few tabs open. My desktop actually only has 4gigs of ram which is the same as the dm3 from OD the 7200rpm drive is basically silent and very fast. Windows updates actually do not take forever.

I helped a friend with an hp that had a 1.5ghz core 2 with vista and I thought it was absolutely horrible. It took hours to upgrade to sp2 and add ie8. Win7 on the dm3 pwns!

 

Thanks that worked!

 

Hey everyone. I am having an issue and was wondering if anyone has an idea what may cause this with my 14z.

I am trying to connect it to my Samsung T260HD monitor 1920x1200 resolution using HDMI out on the 14z. The output works fine unless i set it to a vertical resolution higher than 1080. When i set the output resolution to 1920x1200 (or anything else with 1200 as the vertical resolution) the screen flickers and there are black lines through it. It will not stay on consistently and usually it goes black permanently. The monitor is designed for 1920x1200 and i have verified that it works using HDMI out on an HP laptop at 1920x1200. When connecting the HP laptop i use the setting "Just scan" which is for 1:1 pixel mapping. For some reason when ouputting with the 14z the option for "just scan" is no longer available. I think this may be the case. I do not think it is an issue with the monitor but something going wrong with the 14z settings.
I updated 9400m to the latest driver on dell's website. I have tried adjusting all kinds of options within the nvidia control panel. I think the issue may be with the signal the 14z is outputting to the monitor.

Any ideas?
Thanks a lot..

 

Hey everyone,

I know this has been touched on tangentially in several posts throughout this thread, but I had to ask it outright - how is the 900p screen's brightness and viewing angles, at least compared to other 14" Dell screens/competitors' screens?

I own an Inspiron 1420 with the 1440x900 screen, and from day one I've been mightily disappointed in the screen's brightness and incredibly limited viewing angles. My old Toshiba's 15 inch 1280x800 panel from circa 2005 blew it away in every aspect, and I feel one of the large factors holding me back from purchasing another Dell - the 14z in particular - is the quality of the LCD screen.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

 

Quick update. For whatever reason, I attempted to install A03 again today, and all of the issues that I encountered before, didn't happen this time. Brightness works, Bluetooth works. I'm happy that the problems are fixed but clueless as to why it worked this time.

 

HELP! I need some drivers

I ordered a Dell refurb (perfect condition, lucky me) and it had the "Sound Blaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Eneabled (+$25)" option on it. I put Windows 7 on it immediately and cannot find the drivers or software online at all. I've tried Dell Support website, Creative.com, the Google, dell forums, and so far can't find anything except the standard audio drivers...

Anyone able to find them, or can pull them off their machine somehow?

THANKS!!!!!

 

Figured it out finally...It's not a hardware upgrade but just a piece of software installed to make the sound sound 'better'...guessing it's just a gimmick or lets you mess with the equalizers or something.

 

I got the Studio 14z w/900p screen to replace a Dell E1405 laptop (1420 predecessor) there is no contest. I couldn't use the old dell outdoors, but the 14z is very bright. I wasn't sure when I chose the 900p screen, but am glad that I did.

 

On maximum settings, the screen is insanely bright, and might hurt your eyes! I use it on 50% when plugged in, and on 25% when on battery. This is one of the brightest screens I have ever seen.

 

Visit back here when your dm3z overheats, touchpad stops working, the optical drive not reading discs, battery can't hold charge, etc. I promise I won't laugh.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/hp-pavillion-dm3t-and-its-terrible-touchpad-get-reviewed/

On a serious note, every computer model design is different, and the problems and annoyances are different. Sure, you won't have exactly the same issues with dm3z as you are having with 14z, but you will definitely have other problems, of which you are currently unaware of. You'll see in a couple of months. The 14z is not perfect, but personally for me it's been a very reliable machine so far (4 months now).

 

Installed Windows 7 Ultimate x86 (32bit) over the weekend...

Tracking down the various drivers was annoying, but I think I have it all running well on my 14z.

One problem, it now has the "sound idle/wakeup pop" problem.

This occurs when running on battery and sufficient "idle" time to power off the sound subsystem. Then an event happens to restart the sound and a very audible "pop" comes through the speakers. It will seem to occur randomly but will always happen at shutdown (power off).

It sounds like it's coming from the screen or some plastic part is snapping, but it is not. Just mute the sound (or disable sound driver/device) and walla, no more pop.

It seems other sound devices have had this problem, so not sure we can blame it on the Nvidia MCP79 driver. This is a quirk with this laptop combined with Windows 7 (Vista/Xp work fine).

So far, the only "work around" is dig into Adv. Power Setting and change the "pci link state power" setting ( see this). I will continue to work on this.

Anyone found a real solution?

Btw, I've tried every MCP79 driver I could find (for Win7 x86) and no change. I'm running graphics driver 191.56 and the AHCI driver posted by Dell.

UPDATE: Fixed by installing the "IDT codec" driver, which replaces the (default) Microsoft HD Audio driver. No more pops. Still crackles when playing the Windows Startup sound however.

PDS

 

Hi, I bought a 14z which was supposed to have the 'Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled' option. Is there any way I can verify that my laptop actually has this? In my device manager and sound properties I see references to 'IDT High definition audio CODEC' but no reference to Soundblaster. Thanks!

 

In your programs list, you should have a "Creative" folder with (at least) 2 shortcuts for the "Creative Audio Console" and another similar.

In Services, you'll have an entry for the Creative sound processor.

This is all software and nice software, just like having an X-Fi sound card, however I played with it and couldn't hear much benefit for normal web surfing, music playing, video watching. It could benefit gamers with detailed EAX support.

I'm sure this software has some cpu/memory impact, but I couldn't really tell.

The next question, does it run on Windows 7?

PDS

 

Anyone else using Windows 7?

Can't seem to get the Brightness buttons to work. My brightness is constant using the buttons or by using QuickSet. Neither method changes the brightness.

PDS

 

is anyone else having trouble with using an external mouse?

I know there's a checkbox that disables your touchpad if an external mouse is connected but for some reason, the touchpad will still switch on by itself after awhile when using an external mouse.

 

Control Panel / Power Options / Change plan settings (for the selected power plan) -- there you'll see brightness settings for when the computer is on battery and on AC. I set it once and forgot about them.
Windows 7 RC 64-bit

 

i ordered a studio 14z with a p8600 and 8 cell with the ruby red and wireless n from the dell outlet for just $550ish after a coupon.
I thought about maybe getting a hp dm3 because of its sexy chassis, but the hardware on it is a total letdown. only config thats not pathetically slow is the sp9300 and nvidia 105m, but it was expensive, and having a discrete 105m is not as elegant as having an integrated 9400m. I also prefer the 16:9 displays to 16:10.

 

I'm curious to see how owners who purchased from the outlet enjoyed their purchase. I decided to end up with two computers, the acer 1810tz for school and the 14z for work. I want a two computer solution since computers are my lifeblood but the budget won't allow a brand new 14z anymore. Took a look at the outlet today and I'm hoping to find a 14z with a slightly faster processor in the coming days but did anyone buy from the outlet and have great luck? Bad luck?

 

Check it real good (when it comes) as my recent Outlet 14z came without Bluetooth or Express Card Reader.

PDS

 

How is the functionality of the unit overall from the outlet?

 

The two I've purchased have been nearly flawless. The only problem being one shipped without 2 items (which I'm dealing with now).

If you have a 15% or 20% coupon, then just wait till your perfect 14z (and price) comes up.

For me I must have 900p and backlit keyboard. Would also prefer a color case (black gets dirty looking in seconds, literally).

PDS

 

How long did you search before you found one with those two options? I'm looking for those as well and hopefully one of the faster processors? I've been checking slickdeals and techbargains lately for coupons, any other ideas for sources?

 

Ya, inventory low, be patient, always more deals!

15% HERE

PDS

 

That link is dead?!

 

Nope, it's good. Just go to main Outlet Home page and look for "Daylight Savings" promotion on left.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfh/notebooks/ct.aspx?refid=notebooks&s=dfh&cs=22

COUPON CODE: TJ6GPVRWKPL2T?

Not a secret or anything.

PDS

 

Thanks. I think I have these folders. I sent mine in for repair and I think the speakers sound differently after they replaced the mobo. It sounds very tinny and doesn't get loud. Is there any way to test the speakers and tweeters separately? I am not event sure if the speakers are playing anything at all now. Perhaps only the tweeters are connected.

 

Sorry to bring this back up.

Have you guys seen a dramatic decrease in CPU temps when upgrading to Win7 and undervolting?

I'm currently on Vista and undervolting my T6400 to 0.9250 on all multipliers. It gave me a tiny drop in temps, but it still idles between 58-65. When it's on full load it still hits 70-75.

I'm more worried about the idling at 58-65. I'm getting my Win7 soon and was hoping that will do the trick. I looked up taking apart the 14z on Dell's Service Manual, but I have to completely remove the system board in order access the CPU and fan to use some good ol' AS5.

Have you guys tried?

I'm using HWMonitor to check temps.

 

anyone get the win7 upgrade through dell?

 

Dell just started processing (10/26/09) the free Win7 upgrades if you registered at win7.dell.com with your new system. They'll start shipping them out based on a first-come/first-serve basis.

 

My temps are a little bit higher (3-7 degrees). Usually it lingers between 40 and 50 celcius.

I noticed that my audio sounds muffled when playing music through my speakers. In Vista it was fine... Also, my laptop occasionally freezes when turning the display back on. The cursor gets messed up and doesn't allow me to left or right click anything for a couple seconds.