Does your Studi 15 have and eSATA port?

Some Studio 15's are now shipping with an eSATA port and are being classfied as model 1536.
Anyone who received one recently get one of the new models?

 

I was under the impression that the 1536 was the model number reserved for the AMD variant of the Studio series.

I've had a S15 for around 5 weeks now with an eSATA port. BIOS shows 1535, along with all documentation.

I'm based in the UK. Hope this is of some use.

 

Yes, the manual does say that 1536 will have eSATA port and also that 1536 is for AMD variant but even my 1 month old 1535 has one e-SATA port (checked only visually though)

 

A few weeks ago I looked at the 1535 manual because the pic shows what looks like an eSATA port, but manual says it's a powered USB. So I got excited when I looked again and saw the 1536.

Wonder when they'll be offering the AMD version or if it might be only available in certain markets.

 

My S1535 has a e-sata port too.. I'm not too happy with it because I don't have anything that goes with that port. So I actually lost a usb-port instead

PS I live in Belgium if you want to know

 

Mine has what looks like an eSATA port on the left-hand side, but it functions as a USB port (it's the upper of the two stacked USB ports). I didn't even realize it did not look like a USB port until I read this thread; I've had my mouse plugged into it. I did notice that the fit is tighter than on the three other USB ports.

Apparently, there is such a thing as a combo USB2/eSATA port; maybe this is one. But I don't have an eSATA drive to test it. Anyone?

I'm in the USA, FWIW.

 

This may be a really stupid question, but what exactly is an eSATA port? What do you use it for?

 

It is for external hard drive connections and it faster than USB since it is a SATA connection, just on the outside.

 

eSATA port is for high speed data transfer. It's much faster than USB 2.0.

 

You didn't lose a USB port, it is actually a USB + eSATA port.

 

umm...i believe that is the same port as is on my 1735...I actually believe it is USB 3.0 http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/09/ces_usb_3_revealed/
It is not eSATA for sure because my eSATA cable did not come close to fitting. As read in the link it is backwards compatible but now has double the connectors allowing power and much faster speeds.

 

Oh really? Is your computer from the future? The USB 3.0 specs just got released by Intel and is only being demoed.

 

Well thats better than thinking its an eSATA port. It's some sort of USB port no eSATA.

 

Thank you to those who answered my question. I had never heard of that kind of port before.

 

I mailed a dell rep and they responded:
"...I had researched on this and found the external SATA connection is not available with the systems that are sold directly from Dell."

If that helps any.

 

So what is it then? It sure doesn't look like the other 3 usb ports.. My usb stick does work with it but it's a much tighter fit.

 

It could be draft USB 3.0. Don't see how much good that would do now, nothing has been released that supports USB 3.0 (or nothing available to the average consumer that I know of).

 

as mentioned before... its too early for anybody to release any usb3.0 stuff. the specs were just released a few days ago.

 

as mentioned before... its too early for anybody to release any usb3.0 stuff. the specs were just released a few days ago.

 

could someone give us a closeup pic of this supposed e-sata/usb 3.0 (roflmaopimp at that even being a possibility)/plain old usb 2.0

maybe then we might get a better idea of what it is....

Edit: by someone i mean everyone who is convinced that theirs is not just a plain old usb 2.0

 

here you go..
the 2 on the left are at the cd tray side (right) and the two on the right are the ones we're talking about (above one)

 

...then what in the world is a "powered USB" port and what good is it without a powered USB cable.

 

Thanks for the close-up. This is an eSATA/USB combo port. The notches you see on both sides are for the eSATA cable.

USB provides power and data connections all through one port. eSATA is just a data port, you need a separate connection for power. All USB cables can provide power, but there are some Y cables which have two cables to plug into your computer to provide the necessary power since it can only supply 2.5 watts = .5A x 5 volts.

 

compare it to and existing eSATA/USB combo port (on the dv5t) and you will know it isnt a eSATA port...

 

lol, you guys in this thread kill me. Don't believe me then, it's quite OK.

 

If you compare the pic presented here with the pic of the port in the HP, it seems to be the same port.

 

http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/images/Notebook/Asus/M50/comboport.jpg
^^^combo port from the asus m50.....look a lot like the one posted above

thanks gryffin53 btw

have some rep on me

 

now i'm completely convinced and thx rezendevous!

 

tz.. you guys are funny! USB 3.0 theories, not believing it's an eSATA port, of course it is!! I don't have it, but a friend of mine got his 1535 (Intel-based) with the port, and I tried everything to make it work with an external HDD (2.5"), seems to be that it's disabled to eSATA, or it just lacks drivers, but the truth is, that I plugged it there with USB powering the HDD, it turned on but Vista didn't pick it up, plugged to the USB was recognized, but to eSATA nope.... any clues? drivers? BIOS update?

 

Here is a comparison to the 'comboport.jpg' (said to be from an asus m50) that specifically says it is an 'e-sata/usb 2.0' combo port & a pic of my new dell Studio 15 (1535):

 

its a d-bay port (would said e-bay but didnt want to get sued) just to sti the rumor pot some more

 

Tried the eSata port for the first time yesterday, and I can confirm that it's non-functional.

 

Has anybody bothered to check the port configuration in the bios?

 

I feel a bit cheated by Dell. They gave me this port that none of my USB devices fit into. Now I only have three spots instead of the promised four. With my wireless mouse, TV tuner and occasional ipod/external hard drive connection, those things fill up fast!

 

Why won't it fit? The USB connector is standard and fits fine in mine.

 

The port is a powered USB port and fits a normal USB connector just fine unless you try to put the usb connector in upside down in which case it simply will not go in.

 

For me, when I use the USB it glides into the port smoothly without using much pressure, but with the other one I find that I'm encountering friction. I don't want to try to force it in there in case I break something.

 

Ok so it does fit. It's just that it's a tight fit. Well most USB ports I have encountered are usually a tight fit, depending on what I am plugging into them. My IPod usb connector was always tight when I put it into my Dell desktop machine. I found that getting it out again required a gentle wiggler of the USB plug while pulling it.

I guess you'll just have to not use that port if you are afraid of breaking it.

 

I don't think mine has one...both USB ports on the left look identical. I'm in the UK and it arrived a few days ago. Is there any concrete way of checking whether its eSATA? (device manager, bios?)

 

No way to tell because Dell has disabled the eSATA ability for whatever reason. It is available on the 1536 which was the AMD model not yet released or never going to be released.

 

I want it to work..!!!!!

 

If one did have a need for eSATA, they do sell cards for the express slot or whatever it is that replaced PCMCIA.

 

I have the eSATA port on my 1535 and 1537. I've never actually looked at the ports before yesterday, I always just assumed they were USB ports, and they both say eSATA and have a USB symbol. They are both a little tighter than the regular USB ports, but my USB thumbdrives go in and work just fine.

Realistically, of all the people complaining, how many are actually going to use eSATA? I doubt more than maybe 1.

 

It's a combo port. However on the 1535 it is disabled from the eSATA standpoint, not sure about the 1537 though.

 

Is it confirmed still disabled w/latest A06 Bios?

 

Confirmed still disabled.

 

Thanks for confirming...

Seems to me the actual eSATA controller wasn't included in the Studio 1535/1735 system board for whatever reason. Otherwise it would have shown up in the device manager under windows and doubt Dell would have it disabled at the BIOS level unless they are sadistic.

 

Mine has the port, and it even says eSATA on it:

hxxp://img397.imageshack.us/my.php?image=esataportgc5.jpg

replace xx with tt, cant post URL's yet!

Mine is a 1537 though, not a 1535. Im going to purchase an eSATA HDD soonish, so i'll be able to test it

 

What would the line in Device Manager look like? I'm not home so I can't check my Desktop for anything eSATA related in device manager (as that has a working eSATA port).

 

With only a Studio 1735 without eSATA support, my best guess would be a device similar to the firewire port would be present but for eSATA? Someone with Studio 1536/37 or 1737 would have to confirm the presence of eSATA device in windows...