Just got a Studio 1555 to replace my 1535

I'm sure by now you're all aware of the fiasco of my Studio 1535's incurable eject button failure. Anyway, in my last update to the thread about that, I mentioned that I was getting a replacement system. Well, it arrived today: my new (technically, refurbished ) Studio 1555.

I don't have a camera, so pics will have to wait, but it's looking good so far. I'm mourning the lack of a backlit keyboard, but I figure I'll install one myself when they become available from resellers.

The specs are pretty comparable to my 1535's original configuration, with some minor upgrades:

• Processor: T5750 (2.0GHz/667 FSB/2MB L2) --> T6400 (2.0GHz/800 FSB/2MB L2)
• Memory: 3GB DDR2-667 --> 4GB DDR2-800
• Graphics: ATi Mobility Radeon 3450 256MB --> 4570 256MB
• Hard drive: 320GB WD 5,400 RPM --> 320GB Seagate 5,400, same thing.
• Display: 1280x800 WXGA CCFL --> 1366x768 (720p) LED
• 6 cell battery --> 9 cell battery
• Jet Black lid + Graphite Gray swirl palmrest --> Black Chainlink lid + chainlink palmrest

That's all the main differences I can think of. And I will be swapping my T9500 processor in there as well.

It's definitely pretty. The display is much brighter than my 1535's CCFL display, and has moderately better viewing angles, especially from the sides. Vertical viewing angles are pretty much the same. I checked the Device Manager, and I have the Samsung SEC5441 display. So, if this is what people have been complaining about, I can live with that.

I haven't crash-tested the speakers yet, but default Windows sounds don't seem excessively tinny, thanks to the subwoofer.

Later tonight I'll install Steam and give the graphics card a run for its money, and I will also make sure to borrow a digital camera and get some side-by-sides for you guys.

 

Congrats on finally getting your system. I'm still waiting for my replacement

I wonder how your system will be. I have very similar specs. I only have 3gb of ram, a 250gb HD and the 900p screen. These specs shouldn't affect the performance of the computer on an everyday basis...

Let me know how it's working for you

 

Hello mate, congrats on your exchange

Can you keep an eye on your fps and heat when playing steam games?
I installed the copper mod as we discussed and it has brought my load temp down by about 5c. It will still on occasion hit 95c and downclock but it is now rare.

Also if you are changing your cpu be very careful removing the palm rests, it is well clipped in and easy to snap removing it

 

Nice man, I've always loved Dell because of their generous replacement policies.
Glad to hear about your upgrades.

 

grats on getting your replacement. I have a question bout the chainlink palmrest. Is it identical to the palmrest of the chainlink on a 14z? (there were some pictures of it in the 14z thread).

Thanks!

 

Generous.... maybe so... But what a hassle. Makes you wonder if it's worth it or not sometimes....

I'm also curious as to how the overall computer looks and feels. The Chainlink Glossy should be interesting

 

I'll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks.

I assume it is, but I've never seen a 14z in person. It's not a very loud design; you have to be looking at the palmrest to really notice, and on the lid, I thought it was plain glossy black at first, before I looked closer. It's really subtle and does not stick out at all.

Yeah, they take quite a bit of convicing before giving in.

I also just thought I would point out:

 

HA! WOW. I wonder if you would ACTUALLY get that.... If so... That's unreal haha. How dim is the screen? Wifi?

 

I'm happy that the chainlink thing isn't super noticable inside. I looked at the picture of a 14z zoomed really close to the palmrest, and the design is mediocre. By the way, is the outside fingerprint magnet?

 

Yeah...a minute before that it said 6 hours, and I thought THAT was unrealistic.

I was using the minimum brightness (which is still pretty bright on this LED display), and WiFi/Bluetooth was on. I'm sure it will fall back to something more realistic, like 3 and a half or so.

It's not bad at all. Unless it's in direct sunlight, you can't really see the fingerprints. And they rub off pretty easily with a cloth or shirt sleeve.

For the record, I am absolutely in love with this Synaptics touchpad.

 

Is the touchpad just really sensitive? How are the gestures and stuff?

Any other stand out features?

 

Shrooms iam really curious to see the pictures and give us performance/heat opinions. Whats your idle temps/max load. Use the tool to overclock to test how hot the gpu is going to get. Thank you.

 

The touchpad just seems to feel more natural. It doesn't seem to overshoot or undershoot motions nearly as often as the old Alps pad did.

badboys, I'm not going to overclock the GPU the day I open this thing without installing better cooling first.

As for heat, it seems pretty good so far. I haven't installed RMClock or anything else yet, so no numbers, but it's comfortable. The touchpad gets warm, but not uncomfortably so, and it's very usable on my lap.

Also, if you think 8 hours was insane, try this:

 

Ha... Post in 10 hours when it's dead.... haha

Are you testing the battery?

I would love to see how much time you ACTUALLY get...

 

That's a REALLY good battery if it's usable for 10 hours, lol.

 

Haha, that would be awesome.

I'm actually in class right now without an AC adapter, so it's a good way to judge. It's been on for about half an hour now, and it's saying 5:15 left. It still jumps around a bit, but usually only within five to ten minutes. Not too shabby.

And this is with the ATi 4570, too; I wonder how much I'd be getting if I had the 4500MHD.

 

Truesay. This really makes me want to get my laptop soon! I got the mouse I ordered from purolator today (same day i ordered my laptop), so crossing fingers that my studio1555 comes soon!

Btw, is it particularly loud? And did you do a clean install of vista to get rid of bloatware?

 

Yeah, it's totally fresh. I actually had to load the last few drivers and Windows updates here in class.

I haven't even heard the fan come on yet. The DVD drive is pretty audible while spinning, like when I was reinstalling Vista, but that's the only noise it's been making.

As far as good noise, the speakers aren't too shabby. I know a subwoofer can only go so far in a notebook, but it's still a world of difference from the 1535. Sounds actually have a discernable bottom end, and it's nice.

 

Even if you get 5 hours, that's pretty impressive.

I'm with Junctioned... waiting impatiently for my computer.
I wonder how much difference the 3gb vs 4 gb of ram will make....

How's the system running overall? Pretty smoothly?

 

No crashes or anything so far, and it's pretty quick, even with the T6400. I'll probably do the surgery to put the T9500 in there later tonight. Extracting it from my 1535 and putting it in this one...it's like a heart transplant!

You probably won't notice much, if any, difference between 3 and 4GB of memory, but if you want 4 just buy a 2x2GB kit and install it yourself. You can get a 4GB DDR2 kit for like $40, and the installation is easy.

 

Yea. I'm not too worried about the Ram. It's an easy fix/replacement

I'm glad to hear the T6400 is decent. Any chance you can get some benchmarks before you switchout the processor?

 

after the clean install; besides the drivers, are there no other software that one needs to install (provided by dell?)

 

I usually install quickset, but other than that, that's it from Dell.

Also 5 hours for a 9 cell battery is about what to expect. I used to get 6 hours with wireless on, medium brightness, just browsing the web and such on my Inspiron 1520 (T7500, 8600M GT)

 

Congrats on your new system!

 

Congrats on the new laptop mastershroom, fingers crossed you have no problems with it!

 

Ya i would like to see some benchmarks with old processor vs because iam considering upgrading my cpu. Shrooms check your p.m.

 

Hey, I love this laptop, I just have one question, I am deciding between 6 cell and 9 cell battery. I dont really NEED that much of a battery but it would be nice to have it. I mean, It can be really nice to have that extra battery life for a time to time trip but its not crucial for me. The problem is the size of the 9 cell battery for daily use, does it make the laptop bulkier? I dont want it to make the laptop ugly and oversized.

Thanx for reading this, I am really sorry for some grammar mistakes hehe.
Hoping to get your (or anyone else) reply soon. thx again

 

from what i hear, the 9 cell makes the computer a bit bigger. It raises the back end up a tad. Although it adds some bulk, i hear it makes typing a more comfortable experience. Typing on a flat surface sucks. Hurts your wrists after a while. So I hear the 9 cell is a nice choice

 

I love this 9-cell battery. Even with the ATi 4570, I get over 5 and a half hours of battery life. And the only added bulk sticks out the bottom of the back edge of the notebook by half an inch or so, which has the effect of raising the back up. As Stabilo points out, it gives the keyboard a nice incline, but doesn't really get in the way.

 

You can check out photos of the 1555 with 9-cell in the review here:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5114&review=dell+studio+15+1555

 

Thank you stabilo, Mastershroom and VVarwick for your opinion, I think im more decided to buy the 9 cell battery.
About the Review, I had already read that, the funny thing is I didnt notice any impotant bulk in the laptop, so thats good to know.

 

I just took a few pictures for you guys...for reference, in any pictures where both laptops are present, the 1535 is on the left, and the 1555 is on the right. Don't let the thumbnails fool you; these pictures are enormous.

First up is a side-by-side of the two systems with the lid closed. You can see how the 1555 is just a hair wider and shorter than the 1535:



The Jet Black matte lid of the 1535:



The Black Chainlink glossy lid of the 1555:



The Black Chainlink lid pattern, with camera flash to illustrate the contrast. It doesn't really look like this:



The same Black Chainlink pattern, without flash, so it looks more realistic under normal light conditions:



The two systems opened up, side by side:



Close-up of the 1535:



Close-up of the 1555:



Probably the best case badge ever.



Underside of the 1535, with the huge panel that covers everything:



Underside of the 1555. Note the much smaller panel that offers significantly less access than the 1535's:



Two shots of the 1555's chainlink pattern on the palmrest:





Close-up of the 1535's Graphite Gray topographical pattern, to compare with the 1555's chainlink palmrest pattern:



And finally, a comparison shot of the two systems powered up, with the displays showing the same thing:



If anyone has any requests for additional shots, feel free to ask before I ship the 1535 back tomorrow.

 

Nice pictures!

Im pretty glad there isn't separate media buttons. It makes the computer look pretty classy.

Hows she running? any word on how long the battery can actually last?

 

Judging from how it was going at class the other day, I'd say 6 hours is pretty realistic from the 9 cell, with brightness at minimum (which is still much brighter than the CCFL's minimum), and WiFi on.

I like the idea of touch sensitive media buttons, and they looked cool, but they just caused way more trouble than they were worth. I've had no issues with the 1555's eject feature so far. *Knock on wood*

 

Thank you so much shroom. The picturees helped ALOT; the chainlink design looks actually quite good, as it's subtle. The screen is also alot crisper on the 1555!

 

The 1555 screen looks crisper because it is more back then the studio1535. Iam still liking the 1535 better then the 1555 because of its design. Did you have the wled screen in the 1535?

 

No, I had the CCFL.

 

Thats why, if it what led the screen would look the same or if not better. And what where the bad brands to get for the lcd screen, was it samsung and what was so bad about it.

 

Supposedly the Samsung SEC5441 LED display is not as good as the AUOptronics model, as far as brightness and viewing angles. If you ask me, it's just fine.

 

"If not better" Ha. There is nothing to say that the old screens would be better. It's always hard to tell the quality of a screen through a picture anyways.

 

Someone on the 1555 thread said something about the Samsung 720p screen's blue being purplish, is that true?

 

It looks pretty blue to me.

 

I just got done with surgery on the 1555. Getting to the CPU is really so much more involved than the 1535!

ninja2000, I'm happy to say that at least my palmrest came off without much of a struggle.

Anyway, the process went pretty smoothly for the most part, except for one thing: the subwoofer cable was broken! The little plastic connector that goes into the slot on the motherboard was broken off, and parts of it were still inside the slot! The actual wires were stripped and loose, without the connector at the end. Luckily, I managed to get the ends of the wires in firm contact with the metal prongs inside the motherboard slot, and the sub seems to be working, but that still bothers me. I guess that's why the system is refurbished.

One more thing...one of the pins on the motherboard connection to the ExpressCard slot is bent, and it is way too small to unbend. It's no huge loss to me, though; I don't have a use for ExpressCard. Not enough to justify haggling with Dell for a new motherboard already. >_<

Anyway, I got the processor is, slapped on some AS5 and put it all back together. All seems to be in order now. The T9500 is undervolted to 1.000v at 13x with RMClock, and idles around 40C.

 

I am glad you have finally found some peace in the laptop world. I do have to admit that the 1555 is sexy.

 

hey mastershroom... how long did it take you to get your replacement? It's a refurb for sure???

 

Haha, so am I. And yeah, it's a lot better looking than I expected.

The rep said it would take 25 to 30 business days, but it only took 15 or so. It's definitely refurbished, given away by the bright green "REFURBISHED" sticker on the underside, as well as the damaged internal components.

 

Hum.... I wonder if I will end up with a refurb..... I hope not.... but you never know.... is the sticker on the outer casing or under the plastic panel?

Oh and what date was your order placed? Windows 7?

 

Oh shroos, did you notice any differences with the better processor, is it more snappier, load up faster, game better. Let us know.

 

I'm also interested in how games are playing. No troubles so far? No strange slowdown hiccups?

 

Another question, is the size of the studio 1535 and 1555 the same? (I know the screen on the 1555 is wider; but there was like a border around it, so does the 1555 have a slimmer border)? Also, does ur 1555 fit in a 1535 case (assuming you use one)

Off topic moment: Shroom, is ur DP supposed to be a tripped out kermit the frog or something?