New Dell Studio 15 withIntel® Core? i5-540M (2.53GHz, 4 Thread, turbo boost up to 3.06GHz, 3M cache)

Hi guys!

This forum thread was really helpful. I've booked the same Dell Studio 1558 (i5-540m) Lappy for myself (check attachment for the config)

Overall review sounds good...

I'm from Mumbai, and ordered this from a local Chroma Store. They said delivery will be coming from Chennai and it will take around 4 weeks for the same.

Order status says order date: 15th Feb, status: Work in progress. EDD: will be available in 3 working days.

Lets c if they really deliver it within 1 month.

One more thing I'm wondering is.... whether they give us a Windows 7 DVD or only an image of Win7 on the dell backup/restore drive??

Anybody who has already got this model, please let me know whether I have to burn a seperate Win7 DVD for myself or will it be available with my lappy from DELL.

Thanks in advance,

Chaitanya Phadke

 

Admin... Please delete this post.
I wanted to post a quick reply to some other thread and I posted here by mistake ... sry

 

The W7 DVD comes with the laptop so you don't have to burn it yourself I reformatted the laptop within the first few hours of opening the box.

 

Thanks timolol.
I'm also going to reformat the lappy as soon as it arrives It must be loaded with lots of unnecessary softwares.

 

Bump - any views much appreciated!

 

@activision - I think the bottom option would be better. Dell is currently working on a solution for the throttling issue, so hopefully that should resolved it.

The 5470 will be a bit better for games as it's a newer chip and requires less power consumption giving you better battery life.

I think both configurations will offer about the same battery life (i5 uses less power than i7, 4570 uses more power than 5470) but if gaming is something you are considering, than the bottom option will be a better fit.

Finally, keep in mind the Studio 15 line, while it can play games, is not main stream gaming laptop and when the GPU & CPU get pushed, the fans will kick in and make a decent amount of noise. No worries if you are gaming with headphones but if you use the speakers, you may here a little "wind" blowing.

Good luck.

 

I would go for the XPS if games were your priority. WildmanCAL is right, Dell is working out a solution for the throttling issues. If it were me I would go for a desktop. Battery life on the XPS with the i7 is around 2 hours with the 9 cell battery. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me.

 

@WildmanCAL and downbeat - many thanks for your comments.

To be clear, I would expect to mostly rely on power supply for my laptop (especially for gaming), so battery life is less important for me.

But I think your comments are right about the i7 v i5 (and the graphics card), I just hope Dell solve the throttle issue soon!

On the XPS, will the only difference be the noise of the fan? Spec-wise the XPs 16 looks v similar to the Studio 15. I've also read quite a bit about the XPS 16 heating (although I suspect this will be the case with the Studio 15 as well).

So if I'm not concerned with battery life, what are the reasons to go for the XPS 16 instead of the Studio 15 or 17 with similar specs (other than the very nice design and better screen of the XPS 16)?

Thanks again.

 

Is the throttling issue only on the i5 or on the i3 also?

 

Only on the i7. The i5 & i3 do not have this problem.

 

I came across this good detailed review of the studio 1558:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Studio-1558-HD4570-Notebook.25411.0.html

 

Thanks for the link.

Guys, I request some pictures, which show how big the 9 cell battery is and how many air intake vents are present in 1558.

 

Hi,

I'd like to piggyback off of your comments if I may. Last November, I purchased a Studio 1555. I bumped the processor up to a 2.53GH P8700. That and a few other changes bumped the price from a 'start out' $595 to $1089. So far, I'm pretty happy with the machine. I getting wPrime scores of around 31 -32. Now I find that current line of Dell 1555's have the new Core i5 processors and for the same price as what I paid for my notebook (including the same extras)

This Core i5 really smokes! Notebook Check reports a wPrime 32 score of 16. http://www.notebookcheck.net/ I have a couple of questions. If I want to, can I replace the P8700 processor for a Core i5? Does anyone have a clue what the additional cost would be? Would it really be worth it?
Thanks.

 

No, you cannot replace the P8700 with an i5. Completely different socket and different chipsets. You will have to purchase a new laptop to get the i5.

 

Okay, thanks.

 

Mine is coming in sometime mid week. I'll post some pics up with the 9 cell. It is big but props up the computer a little creating better air flow. It also angles the key board a bit making it easier to type.

 

Hi Guys!

Sorry it took a lot of days for me to provide a feedback as I was busy exploring the in and outs of the dell studio 1558.

I'm rating* it based on the following aspects:
1. Business\Professional\Coding & Development [8.9/10]:
Very fast; Very good at multithreading due to Intel i5's hyper-threading technology

2. Gaming [8/10]:
Tried playing NFS, GTA IV; Results were excellent.
NFS runs exceptionally faster than the speed of the cars in it.
GTA IV gives a great reallife experience due to its amazing detailed graphics it has and the DELL Full HD screen makes it even more realistic. Game runs v. good on med-settings at widescreen resolutions (1280x720). However, one weird thing I observed was that, without the adapter plugged-in, the gameplay became relatively slower. Probably, it switched on to energy saver mode.

Regarding heat issues, I did not find any noticeable heat problems. Also, with the increasing fan speed for i5's turbo-boost technology, it still remains quiet enough.

Windows Experience Index: 4.9 (lowest for desktop and aero graphics)
GTA IV [Required: 4.5][Recommended: 5.0]

3. Designing and video editing: [Haven't tried it yet. I'd update this later when I try these]

Conclusions:
Positives: Speed, Windows 7 experience, Faster processing, Multithreading, i5's Turbo-boost, ATI 4570's good 512 MB Graphics, Sleak glossy looks, Less Energy and Heat, Low Fan Noise, Awesome Full HD w\ LED TrueLife, Facial Recognition, 9 Cell-battery shows 4+ hrs. battery life., relatively low weight, Backlit keyboard with med\high intensity setting.

Negatives:
No LED indicators for CAPS, NUM, Wireless Media Indicators;
Delivered model had just one partition. I had to shrink volume and create partitions.

Overall, this model is awesomely amazing. Money's worth it.

I hope this review helps some new buyers.

Regards,

Chaitanya Phadke

*This was my experience over my dell Studio 1558 with the configuration I'd mentioned in the earlier posts. Your experience with the same might vary more or less.

 

Welll I am happy to say that I just joined the 1558 family...
i5-520
4GM RAM
Intel Graphics (wanted to get the 5470, but will not be doing gaming on this system)
500MB HD
3 year accidental protection
6200 Wireless N

this with a Mini 1012 with 6 Cell for $1250US with tax and shipping included.....Since this is replacing a Inspiron 9300 I cant wait......

 

Im looking at getting a Studio 15 w/ a Core i5-520m. I want the 1080p screen as I'll be doing photo editing and therefore I want the extra space. I'd like to get 2.5 - 3.5 hours off battery, anyone think I can do this with the new ati 545v? Or, should I stick to the intel integrated.

 

Sorry, posted twice.

 

Very similar here
i5-520m
4GB Ram
ATI 4570
1920x1080 display
320GB 7200RPM
Intel 6200 Wireless
Backlit keys
9-cell battery
For under $1,000 USD + tax/shipping

 

Yeah I got the 9 cell for the 1558 as well, the 6 cell was for the mini......Ive never had a laptop\desktop without a graphics card so it will be a new experience for me lol.....I wanted to 5400, but I just couldnt justify the extra 150 as I wont be doing any gaming on this laptop....I still cant complain 1 laptop for me 1 netbook for her and all for 1250 tax and shipping included...

 

Get i7-720QM

The rest are DUAL CORE! ... AND DELL DON'T TELL YOU THIS, BUT YOUR RAM WILL BE LIMITED TO 1066Mhz even though they suply you with 1333mhz modules.

 

The i7 has too many issues (Throttling and heat). Pass on the i7 for now guys. I had a XPS1645 and there is too many issues not being resolved by Dell. The i7 in general will eat up your battery and cook your legs. I am sticking with a Inspiron 1564 i5 with BR player and 500gb. Killer deals going on right now for a blown out 1564.

 

Throttling isnt an issue. They send out 130w chargers for free if you ask them. And theres a new bios out a few days ago to change the fan settings which lets the unit run cooler. It's alright tbh...

 

Agree about this 100%. I had an xps with the I7 and returned it. Dell is still having issues with the RGBLED screen. If you dont plan on going with the RGBLED, then just go for the studio 15. There is no reason to pay the extra money if you are not going to get the screen. (Even tho it doesnt look that great) At first you might think it looks great but using it for a while you will notice many colors are over saturated and off the charts. You'll have to tweak it with third party programs to make it look good. The 10080p screen that comes with the studio 15 is awesome. No complaints...

 

i5-430m (its fine or should i opt for 540 or 520?)
4GB Ram(I don't think there is much difference between 4gb and 6gb)
ATI 5470 (will it run gta4 at 1980x1200 at the lowest settings possible or at 1200x720 at medium settings?)
1920x1080 display
640GB 7200RPM
Bluray combo
Backlit keys
9-cell battery

Help me out.....i am leaving my gaming rig at home because of educational purposes and i want to do a little bit gaming(don't ask me to go for alienware or xps because it's out of my budget right now)
Thank you.