New Dell Studio 1749

It's hard to compare as I have not seen RGB screen.

I'm a full time webmaster and use computers every day. For me this screen is very good to work on and I am glad it is 1600x900 resolution.

Even if I had a choice I would still choose 1600x900 on a 17.3 inch lcd.

 

I have i5 540m/4GB RAM/500GB HD/ATI 5650 noise really is not an issue with this laptop while browsing. Yes the fan speeds up every now and again, but it is seems more subtle than on 1747.

If you replaced hard disk with SSD it would be silent in operation most of the time.

 

I just received mine today, I am loving it so far. It is taking a bit of getting use too, having a number pad on the keyboard and the keyboard isnt completely centered but the keyboard is great (I opted for the backlit one). I have the 1600x900 screen and I think its is gorgeous. Now I dont have a better screen to compare it too, all of my laptops before this one are 720p, but this one sure beats them hands down.

Edit: I have been messing around a bit, does anyone know how to install the new ati catalyst mobility 10.3 drivers? I cant figure it out I tried but then the ati control center wouldnt open so I did a system restore, I cant figure out how to install them.

 

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx

Install these and your good to go, I have been running them on my Dell i7Core 1747 Studio without any issues... CAT control panel works perfectly....Just download and run the setup normally, no mod is needed...

 

Hmm thats exactly the ones I tried to install earlier, and it didnt work and after I rebooted I was not able to open the CAT control panel.

 

Hey everyone!

Found this thread quite informative and the people somewhat inteligent so decided to register and just add my 2 cents

As my old laptop fried it's gfx (Ye Olde GeForce 8600 m gs started showing me 6 small deranged screens instead of one normal ), i've been looking to buy a new laptop. Being in a backwater locale such as Lithuania, i've been searching to buy a DELL Studio 1749 for over 2 weeks and the earliest promises i got was begining of May - which is agony. Sad story, i know. Somehow, i found someone who had ordered a bunch of these straight from DELL earlier, so mine is now arriving 14 April - yay!

The Specs are somewhat standard - Core i5-430M, Ati m. radeon 5650 1gb, 4 gb of ram and 2x500gb 7200rpm hards. no backlit kb. - but i'll live.

This model looks fairly awesome and i really like the specs (although the price is nasty in here - 966 pounds). Reason i'm writing this is: I've heard various people talking very different things about this laptop. Some say it's just fine and that the heating issues have been solved with the latest bios (how do i know if they include the latest bios in mine, btw?) - some people still claim this model has all the problems?

Can anyone give a defining view about the 1749? Much appreciated!

Darius

 

Strange.....Might try totally removing the current drivers making sure everything is gone and try installing again.
I ran the included uninstall feature in the CAT package first before I installed the drivers, and upon reboot my CAT center is running without a hitch...the drivers have been totally stable as well.....

Specs:
Dell Studio 1747 17.3" 1600x900
i7Core Q720
1Gig 4650 Graphics card
4Gig DDR3
Backlit Keyboard
2-500Gig 7200 Hard drives
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

 

Congrats with your purchase.
I'm also waiting on a Studio 1749. I shouldn't be worried about the bios version. You can easily download the latest bios at Dell's website.

 

Hello,

I recently bought a Studio 1749 and wanted to check whether this was normal:

- I noticed that the quality of videos (for example DivX videos) is generally sub-par with the 1600x900 screen when compared to my previous 15inch Dell laptop. Is this just because of the fact that the screen is bigger and so the video is effectively "stretched"? I even downloaded a 1080p video trailer from Apple and, while the quality is better, it still doesn't seem to be as "crisp" as I thought it would be.

Otherwise, the graphics on video games is prefect.

Is this normal?

Thanks.

Paul

 

When I watch a vid the picture is very good. (MPC, 480p and more). No codec Packs installed.

 

I finally got it to work, dunno why it dindnt at first but I reinstalled the dell drivers from dell website, oddly when I ran the driver pack from ati after that and clicked the uninstall option it said I had no drivers installed, but I did I checked. Either way I went into device manager and uninstalled the video card, uninstalled all ATI stuff on the computer then rebooted
Windows then put a standard VGA driver to my video card, I was then able to install the driver package from ATI without a problem and can use the control center.

 

Just arrived - was already updated to bios04 version. The fan is absolutely fantastic, quiet, no throttling, no problems at all. None of the other mentioned defects also - the laptop seems legit.

 

My M1749 also just arrived today. First I have to check the bios and want to make an image from the drive.
Also I want to remove the needless bloatware.

 

Does anybody know what changes there's in Dell Studio 1749 System BIOS A03?

 

You have bios v.04 installed??
I got only bios v.01 on my system delivered. I downloaded v.03 as that's the latest from April 8th.

I was also trying to find out. It only says "Performance Enhancement".

 

Whoops, i mistyped, meant the 3rd bios version.

I removed the bloatware also.

But my joy was too early. After the initial /gleee i tried putting a disc into the TSSTcorp TS-633 dvd-rw drive, and apparently it autoejects any cd/dvd after 3 seconds. Doesn't even spin it, just: insert-->wait-->eject Downloaded the latest drivers but nothing changed. Will return today to replace it. Oh well, hopefully it's JUST the dvd rom.

Edit:

Whoa, that was just impressive - my DELL distributor, just told me to come over. I did. They took the hard drive from the yesterday's 1749, put it in a wholly new one, gave it to me and said farewell. Everything works fine on the new one I am impressed

 

Apparently they are still trying to fix the fan throttling issue. It seems to me a lot more stable than what most posters claimed, but i still noticed some annoying throttling on moderate cpu activity, like fan for 5 secs, stop for 5 secs, and so on so forth for like 5 minutes - it's as if the machine can't decide . Then it resumes to stay idle or fan appropriately for some time, then again the throttling. It does not bother me at all because even if the fan IS working it's working quietly, so i don't really see the problem.

 

Whow, nice and quick solved this way. Only if you live close to your Dell distributor, I think.

Yeah, I noticed too. At least it's far from running at full blast when this happens. It doesn't make that much noise, otherwise I'm afraid I have to send it back.
My XPS M1730 is much more loud. Especially when I run it overclocked, the 3 fans run at full blast like an airplane.

 

I just received a 1749 today and OMG i'm disappointed...

Build quality isn't that great, but the fan, sweet jesus the fan!!!

Seriously, the fan behaviour is unacceptable.

Is there any official statement from Dell saying they are working on a new bios that will fix this?

 

i would disagree with the noise statement.

This should only be an issue if you leave it near your bed for a night time torrenting session or if you live in a monastery. It isn't that loud.

 

Did i say noise?

No mister!

I said behaviour, because yes it is his behaviour that is not acceptable.

My M17x makes more noise than this little Studio... noise isn't a problem with me.

To me, the fan seems to lack a "first spinning stage" that would prevent the temps from rising. Since it lacks this, it has to blow fast and for a short time to cooldown (since it blows fast, temps go down fast too). But the temps rise again... and here we go again with this cycle! This is completely stupid to say the least...

I have an M17x, and 2 Inspirons, an acer and 2 asus, i know how a fan is supposed to behave believe me, and its not like this.

But this isn't all! Stress test it a little, make it go the almost higher fan speed, there is a chance that when you stop stressing it the fan just keeps going at the same speed! I managed to get my i5 several times to 24 celcius degrees on each chore for crying out loud And i'm mot the only one to notice that... other users report it too. I even managed to get this while stressing in battery mode when cpu cooling is set to passive, this is a joke.

The guy that designed the thermal tables in the BIOS was a child or what? Is this a hardware limitation?

Oh and this studio isn't even for me... i'm just so pissed that i recommended that system worst case scenario i'll have to ask for a refund. But i'm not keeping this thing like this without hope of changes.

 

I Have also serious doubts about the fan behavior. It's just ridiculous when I compare to my other notebook systems. I hope Dell will find a solution soon.
This notebook supposed to be a present for my wife. I'm afraid it'll be no good for our relationship.

 

and i chose this system for my girlfriend (several years together so we are almost married lol)

Is there any official thread about the fan issue? If not, we should consider starting one to attract the attention of Dell.

Also this thread should gather us people disappointed with the fan behaviour: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/p/19321860/19678457.aspx#19678457

I'll probably post in it later, after the DPC latency problem with the M17x it's either a refund or Dell moves its butt. I love Dell but too much is too much.

edit: i posted, PLEASE ALL DISAPPOINTED USERS COME AND SAY TO DELL THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING

edit2: i just noticed there is already a thread about this, sorry: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=465660

 

+1 rep for giving this link.
I posted a 'nice' comment at Dell's Comunity Forum. I hope it will help to solve the fan issue.

I'll also contact Technical Support.
In the worst scenario I'm seriously considering to send it back and ask for a refund.

 

Well in my opinion you should

the only thing take that makes me think twice about it is that i will never find another machine with the same specs for the same price

 

I have the same problem.Its very very annoying. The fan started coming on full power intermittently and i though it wasnt that bad. Now it just wont stop. I ran the diagnostics and the 'PC' was able to turn the fan on full, low and off .I reinstalled the OS and updated the BIOS. I have also contacted Dell and suprise surprise no answer. I would not buy a 1749 regardless of the price unless this issue is resolved. Anyone want a laptop that sounds like a hairdryer?

 

My wife is using it when she's drying her hair. This way she doesn't hear the fan.

 

ahahah nice one

and to all new "pissed" people, please post a comment on Dell Community's website!

 

And call tech support and let them make an escalate complaint. I did.

How shall I put this nice. After the infamous XPS M1730 debacle it seems Dell's development department is loosing touch. Are they terminal or what? How incompetent you need to be to write such a fan controlling program? I'm working as an engineer at a power company. If I let the customers down I get shot.

If this will go on this way, Dell's loosing one loyal customer for sure.

 

Got my 1749 today. It was 8 days in the making and 8 days in transit which is better than I dared hope for.

As I wrote on page 10 in this thread the 1920 x 1080 screen is available if you phone Dell and ask for it - I can hereby confirm that since mine has it

Right now I'm contemplating whether to do a fresh Windows 7 install or try to clean out the bloatware. I suspect that the first option will be swifter.

And then there's the fan... oh the fan... I did know about it beforehand, however, it ought to have been been fixed - no excuses. I make software and embedded systems for a living so I can't be tricked into believing that it has to be this way or that it's hard to do something about it.

 

Congrats Trottelheimer,

How much you paid extra for the 1920 x 1080 screen?
I also did a fresh Windows 7 install to make the system crispy without the usual glitches you get from bloatware. It just didn't fix the fan issue. You can still use it like a hairdryer, it's the same loud.

 

Thanks! All in all it looks like a nice computer at a fair price.

The screen upgrade cost ca. EUR 100 including the local 25% VAT (i.e. EUR 75 before taxes). The picture quality of this panel seems to be quite good.

 

congratz on the ownership of your new hair dryier

don't forget to tell it on dell community, the more people moaning the better it is especially if you're someone who knows something about software development...

 

I'd like to do that, but unfortunately it's impossible to get a working community account going beacuse the registration process (or possibly the login) is buggered - also I can't find anywhere to report errors with the community

Add this to the actual fan issue and a white dot I discovered in the webcam picture... I'm not too happy with Dell right right now.

 

exchange / refund/ warranty are your best friend right now

and how is it that you can't create an account on Dell Community? This is sabotage i tell you

 

It's a conspiracy... When you're active at NBR they block you...

 

Any thoughts on this? Could it be that I installed too many codecs?? The strange thing is that game quality is perfect, its only with the videos in full screen that it feels like its a bit too "stretched" quality-wise.

Thanks

 

Hello All Studio owners,
Mine is supposed to be delivered May 6, 2010.
I've read many posts and hopefully the fan issue will not be a problem.
I 'll see....
I included the extra stuff so you can compare.
Total cost $2390 including free shipping and a backpack for 17" laptop

Code:

1	224-6922	Studio 17 Laptop
1	317-2449	[B]Intel Core i7 820QM 1.73GHz (3.06GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache)[/B]
1	317-2710	[B]8GB, DDR3, 1333MHz, 2 DIMM[/B]
1	330-4433	Backlit Keyboard
1	320-0874	[B]17.3 inch Multi-Touch HD+ (900p) Bright LED Display with TrueLife and Camera[/B]
[COLOR="Red"]*****There was no option for anything other than the 900p********[/COLOR]
1	421-1009	Dell Webcam Software 1.4 Application Kit
1	330-5790	[B]ATI MOBILITY RADEON HD 4650 1GB[/B]
1	341-9979	[B]1TB (2x500GB) 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive[/B]
1	313-8111	Black Chainlink with Red Trim
1	421-1737	Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
1	420-7938	Dell Connect 2.1
1	421-0187	Dell Support Center Software 64 Bit 2.0
1	420-6576	DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
1	420-6436	PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1	421-0323	Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
1	330-6222	Windows 7 Label
1	330-6363	DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP,1747
1	421-0092	DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1	420-9352	Dell, Software, Wild Tangent Inc Games
1	420-9691	DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
1	421-2086	eBay Webslice
1	421-0757	Skype VOIP Application
1	410-1883	ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1	313-8870	8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
1	421-1362	Dell Software,Roxio 1.0
1	421-1582	Cyberlink Power DVD 8.3 Playback
1	421-2000	Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio Software Enabled
1	430-3619	[B]Intel WiFi Link 6200[/B]
1	421-1354	Fingertapps Touch Zone, Win 7
1	421-0760	Dell Touchcam Application 1.1
1	421-1356	Cyberlink You Paint, Win7
1	410-2185	McAfee Sapphire MUI, 15-Month
1	312-0949	[B]85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery[/B]
1	412-1397	No Productivity Software requested
1	950-3338	2 Year Limited Warranty
1	903-6248	Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus At-Home Service, Extended Year(s)
1	903-6367	Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus At-Home Service, Initial Year
1	903-8411	Banctec In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis , 1 Year Extended
1	904-5640	Banctec In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis , Initial Year
1	412-0360	Soft Contracts - Banctec
1	900-8221	Dell Limited Hardware Warranty 7X24 Technical Support, 1 Year Extended
1	960-2780	Dell Limited Hardware Warranty 7X24 Technical Support, Initial Year
1	988-7717	5GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
1	420-9519	DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 5GB
1	988-0099	To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1	330-0171	S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1	330-4532	No Mobile Broadband Card selected
1	430-0735	[B]Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Module (2.1)[/B]
1	420-9800	Dell Remote Access free basic to access your PCs from outside your home
1	993-1919	Dell Remote Access, free basic service - access your PCs and files from outside your home 

Notice there are NO Integrated Intel Graphics with this CPU!!!!

 

Just called the 800.433.9014 USA number to find out the status of my order...

Order Placed: Friday, April 23 over the phone.
Order Shipped: Wednesday, April 28.
Order Delivery is to be on or before April 29.

From "order" to "shipped" in five days, including Saturday & Sunday!!!

Can this be possible?

 

That's pretty quick. It took 7 days for me to receive the Studio 1749.

 

I guess the 17" laptops are quite easy to assemble compared to my M1330 which took over a month in India to deliver a couple of years ago.

I asked the Dell rep on the phone if I had maxxed out all of the parts as I wanted the hottest lap baby I could find.
I really wanted an Alienware 17, but just couldn't reconcile the $4000 price tag.

 

Hah!

I actually ordered an Alienware on Friday which came to 3200$. I couldn't sleep the entire night and felt sick to my stomach.

The next day I canceled it and grabbed a Studio 17 + spec'd it for gaming ...total of 1400$, which can handle all games on max ...BC2 32 FPS max, MW2 38 FPS max ...=)

Now that's WIN I've been able to sleep since then.

 

Sometimes it's better to ponder one night fur such a big fund. When you consider the specs the Studio 17 is not so bad at all.
It's just the fan controller...

 

If this fan controller is a problem I will not let it rest.
From the first full day of use, if there is anything that bothers me, THAT is the time to jump into the DELL process of return or fix.

A noisy fan is a great nuisance to say the least.
I've read many of the fan problem posts and feel your pain.
Actually, it is hard to believe DELL can let this happen.

Good Luck

 

LOL, I was gonna max out the Dual 1GB Video cards with either the lowest quad or duo core (to upgrade later, when the price drops way down.)

And I knew this is the Best Well Built laptop you can buy for under $5000.
More like a desktop than a laptop is what the Alienware is.

I'm sure both of us will be happy.

Good Luck!!

 

Getting ready to pull the trigger on this laptop. From what I've read here and there, there aren't that many issues with it, other than the fan. Other than the fan are owners generally happy with the 1749? Any regrets; any laptop you wish you got instead or in hindsight?

Thanks!

 

well i think that the build quality isn't great at all... my 3 years old inspiron 1720 seems more resistant than the 1749. I can bend the plastic around the screen and right under the touchpad, it looks really fragile. And the viewing angle on its screen is total crap...

But yeah, nothing beats the fan behavior + bug

 

Besides from the fan issue this is a pretty awesome notebook. My wife's not complaining about the noise. She assures me she is not aware of it all the time. So I'm a happy husband.

I chose for the 1749 because of the HD5650 GPU. I maxed it out with the i7 620M CPU, what's maybe a little to much for my wife's expectations. If you're a hardcore gamer you should take a peak at the Alienware M17x, but the price start where the Studio 17 already ended. IMHO this notebook is the best bang for your buck. If Dell will solve the fan issue and treat us with a new BIOS, it should be perfect.

Also yesterday I took the notebook apart to see how the cooling system is mounted and if something wasn't blocking the air or something. This Studio notebook is a little more complicated to take apart than what I'm used to other Dell systems. Especially the wiring needs an extra attention. I've to keep that in mind cause I always clean all our notebook fans at a regular basis.

 

@Psychotic deformity @ernstig01: Are you sure you guys are talking about the same laptop ? Seriously, everyone has different criteria on which to judge these, so I can understand the variation in opinions.

I'm very close to buying a 17" laptop, but for each one there seems to be one little thing on each that is a problem. Not a one is flawless, so maybe I'm expecting too much?

If the fan really is the only issue with this, I can probably live with it. If it's more than just the fan, like build quality and a poor screen, then I'll look elsewhere.

I almost bought a Vostro 3700, but the only issue with that is the graphics card (GeForce 330m), which is a little under-powered.

So, the search continues. Four months and I'm still looking...

 

It depends how you look to it. Value for money I should say.

The screen is bright. Viewing angles aren't that great and the resolution 1600x900... Well it's like looking through a mailbox if I compare it to my 1920x1200 LG panel from my M1730. Hard to get used to. All 17inch panels are 1600x900 these days. Only with the M17x you can still choose for a higher resolution. I also took this Studio 1749 apart. I can tell it's not the most easy one to do the job. The casing isn't maybe that strong, but also not fragile. About the fan issue we know meanwhile.

Success with your quest finding the ri(n)g to rule them all.....