New Dell Studio 1749

Thanks to all of you guys for keeping this forum updated. I haven't received my 1747 yet (just ordered it a week ago today); it's not expected to arrive until 8/4. To say I am nervous about the fan noise/temp issues is an understatement. I've been keeping a close watch on what you have been posting and I will post my own experiences as soon as I can.

Thanks for the info!

 

From my experience 1747 with i7-720 QM is definietely warmer than 1749 with i5-540M.

 

Yeah, it will definitely be warmer.

45w 720QM (55w under load) vs. 35w (~39w under load) 540M
35w 4650 vs. ~15-19w 5650

33-36w extra overall.

The cooling in the 1747 is more than adequate and the same cooling in a 1749 is overkill which is nice if you want to drop a 620M in there (which I will be doing with the 1749 arriving tomorrow).

One thing to help kill the palm rest heat in both models is to move the HD (if you're only running one) to the 2nd bay with an adapter from newmodus (or get an SSD) since the HDs (especially 7200rpm models) can get downright toasty.

 

I just ordered a 1749 today with the 5650 and an i5-520. The 540 was not an option that I saw. Any way are you sure you can put the i7-640 in? I saw on the Dell community that someone was trying to put an i7 in a 1749 that had an i5 before and it was not working. I will be very interested in how it works for you because I may do the same thing at some point with mine.
First two things I'm doing is add second drive and memory to get 8 gigs. Can it handle 16 gigs or is 8 the limit?
I do a lot of photo stuff and like lots of memory to keep the speed up.

 

1749 Motherboard revision (HM55) does not support i7 quad cores but it supports the i7-620M dual core.

1747 Motherboard revision (PM55 pre B3 stepping) does not support Arrandale CPUs.

I tested this some weeks back.

I tried to get a few quad cores (720qm, 920xm) working in a 1749 as the 1747 supports the 920xm (along with the 720qm and 820qm) no problem and it was a no go. Either on a hardware level or BIOS restriction (or both), the 1749's will not support i7 quad core CPUs.


I tried to get a slew of dual core Arrandales working in a 1747 and it was a no go. After doing some research, if you are using a PM55 chipset laptop, it needs to be a rev B3 or greater version to support Arrandale CPUs.

Pity, as I was hoping to couple a i7-quad core with the 5650 chipset.

 

Well even the i7-620 will be a nice improvement.
Where did you get the chip and how much was it?

 

I am ready to pull the trigger on one of these (after much research). How is the display? This on in particular:

17.3” Full HD (1080p) B+RG LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera

Thanks. I will be doing LOTS of photo editing on this machine and need something that has accurate color rendition, good contrast, bright display and no huge shifts in brightness/color when moving viewing angle slightly.

 

Prices vary, but eBay has a nice smattering of OEM chips.

Er, well, they did but the 3-4 OEM's under $300 have all sold in the last few days, hmmm.

 

I've been reading your comments and you guys are pretty informative.
I'm thinking about the Studio 17, 1749. Do any of you with the "Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled" know if there is a mixer on it where you can change your mike input to a line input and control the volume of it? A lot of laptops only have the mike input with no way to change it to a line input. I need to come into it from the tape out of my Home Theatre receiver.

 

That's a good panel. It is AUO149D (AU Optronics) with ~90% gamut coverage. 6-bit.

 

Thanks for the quick reply electrosoft!

 

Whats the difference (if any) between these two?

17.3" Full HD (1080p) B+RG LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera
17.3" Full High Definition (1920x1080) LED with TL

I can't seem to find parts references on the uk website and there are multiple names for 17 inch 1080p screens. Confusion reigns.

 

New BIOS for 1749 is out on dells homepage!

 

I have no noise what so ever from the system other than the fan. I have used it in two locations, one very quiet. I have good hearing (the power adaptor to my LCD TV in the bedroom puts out a fine pitch when plugged in, I can hear it my girlfriend can't, she thinks I'm nuts) so I would hear a noise as you have. I'll have to check the ends of my USB's to check if scratched. Let you know

 

The new A05 BIOS doesn't seem to solve the fan issue.
Shame.

 

It could be a stiff bearing in the fan. I once had a 120mm fan that developed a squeaky bearing and in hindsight this sounds stupid but at the time I was a student and lived in <cough> 'appalling' conditions. I thought that my room was infested with rats.

 

Thanks for your input. It seems that I was unlucky then to receive the system with those problems.
Can you download a trial version of HD Tune Pro to see if it reports a warning, as shown on screenshots in the other thread?
Can you check the model number of your HD (HD Tune Pro should show it)?

 

Is there any way to have a second HD installed, but somehow disabled, so it doesn't spin? I'd love to have quick and easy access to the 2nd drive, but I wonder if two 7200 RPM drives running all the time will kill my battery life?

 

Exactly where did you find it on the homepage? Got a good link? Anybody know if it helps fan noise problem?

 

ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/1749A05_W64.exe

 

Did you just happen to find this or is there somewhere that tells you what the new bios versions will fix? I haven't bought a 1749 yet but I want to make sure the fan noise has been fised first.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

It's not been fixed, and it doesn't say anywhere what it fixes.

 

Hi Studio 17 owners,

I'm interested in this laptop and have a few questions:
1. What is the issue with the fan? Too loud? Doesn't cool well enough?
2. Face recognition software option: is it a good thing to have? does it work well?
3. I saw on a YouTube video that the laptop has the option to turn off battery charging. Sounds awesome, since you don't then have to worry about a partially discharged battery getting charged. Does this option work well?
4. How good is the 1920 screen?

thank you for any feedback.

 

and one more question:
what sort of battery life do you get with an i5 vs i7 processor? thanks

 

I cancelled my Studio 1749 order because I spotted a killer bargain on Dell Outlet:



Anyway I get my receipt and theres more details in the product description than there was in the screenshot above. For a start, it says I have the backlit keyboard, no OS media CD and the LCD Backcover = Design Studio Image Info -- Misc--

I hope its not something really loud and embarrassing that will get me punched by colleagues at work. <shudders>

 

ELECTROSOFT, did you ever receive your 1749? If so, give us your impression on the display. Thanks.

 

I just got my new 1749 yesterday with the RGBLCD and can tell you I think it looks great. I just installed my Spyder elite software but have not calibrated it yet. I have spent all day installing software on a fresh copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. Takes way to long to get it all configured the way I like.
My fan does come on a little but it is not much and I sure would have never thought any thing of it if I had not read on here about everyone complaining about it. Now mine only has the I5-520 chip in it with the Ati 5650 card. It came with the 90 watt supply and it seams to work fine. I have not overly stressed it yet. I did run a little EQ2 and it was fine. The supply gets warm to hot but not real hot.
On Friday my 750gb drive shows up plus 8gb of 1333 memory and I will install that.
So far I am very happy with it.
Dell also came to my house today and put a new motherboard and cooler in my xps m1530. This is the second replacement for that computer. Nice service as I called yesterday about it and they were done in less than 24 hours.

 

They gave you a studio 1749 and fixed your faulty laptop?

 

Sorry no those are two different things. My 1530 just was acting up and it happen to be the same day my new 1749 showed up.
I have a small collection of Dell laptops.
XPS 1730
XPS 1530
mini 1010
Studio 1749
XPS Gen 2

 

Thats nice to know, brlowe.

I ordered my 1749 a week ago and have an estimated arrival date of 8/17/2010. Hopefully it gets to me before then.

 

Mine was due on 8/4/2010 and it came in 7/27 so yours may show up sooner

 

Does anyone know where can I find the guide to apply aftermarket thermal paste on my studio 1749? Thx.

 

You're lucky. I ordered mine on 7/14. It was due to orrive on 8/4/2010, was then switched to 7/30, and now is back to 8/4.

 

You must have ordered something I did not get that delayed yours.

 

I'm nervous about picking apart my 1749 without a proper guide. I want to apply some MX-2 thermal compound and possibly change the lcd lid.

 

How hot is you 1749 getting?
I play battlefield bad company 2 last night and the highest temp recorded was 78c I think it stayed around 70 most of the time.
Normal idle temp is 47-50 and when the fan stuck on the one time it was sitting at 28-31c. I wish we could set our own fan parameters I would have mine on a medium setting always and then high after 60c I think.

 

Not really hot and I don't game much. I just want to apply the MX-2 since I already have it and it is probably superior than the stock paste. Any guide would be appreciated.

 

Ugh, I got it and boxed it right back up.

I picked up a refurb and with Dell it is hit or miss. Usually it is hit and all is good, but this one looked like it had been donkey punched in the middle of the screen and on top of that had a nice cluster of bright, shiny green pixels and the front palm rest was warped.

Final insult? Not only did they send a 90w adapter, but it was the OLD SCHOOL Dell M6300 PA-10 chunker.

Pity, I had a nice, shiny 620M ready to go in it.

 

Dell Service Manuals (1745/1747/1749): Dell Manuals

And the 5650 is ~16-19w less consumptive than the 4650
The 520M is ~10-15w less consumptive than the 720/820

So overall you shave 26-34w off consumption levels and heat output. The 90w PSU *might* be enough but under real heavy load pushing both the GPU and CPU it may be close to redline but nothing like the 120w+ readings the 1747 w/ 4650+Quad Core was registering.

 

90W is certainly not enough for 540M in 1749 to achieve 3.06 GHz.

 

Looking at that manual. Looks like it's going to be really hard to apply the aftermarket thermal compound on these.

 

Sorry to hear about that electrosoft.

I sure hope mine doesn't come with any problems.

 

It's the luck of the draw TheToad. I was having a good run on refurbs, but the last two have been pretty poor. Here's hoping yours shows up pristine and sparkly.

 

I can find no explanation of the "Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled" option. What it is (hardware/software), what does it include or provide, how it compares to the High Defintion Audio 2.0 option, etc.

Some of the 1749 configurations include the 85WHr 9 cell battery, but I can find no picture or information about it. Is it physically bigger than the 6 cell? Does it hang out the back or stick out the bottom? If so does that not make finding a bag that fits and gettig it in and out more akward?

There has been discussion of power supplies, but Dell does not seem to state the size power supply incluced. I have only seen 90W listed in options and accessories. How can you specify or check?

 

CH_MN:

1) It's just a CD with creative software in it. I got rid of mine in minutes after use.
2) The bottom of the 9 cell sticks out, but it also works as a stand and helps air ventilation.
3) Contact Dell if you are having problems with your power supply. They should be able to send you one.

 

Hi there-

Thanks for such an informative thread.

How would you compare the Studio 17 B+RG LED screen to the screens of the G73s? Is the Asus of a similar quality, or is the Dell just that much better then all of its competitors in the market.

On overall specs, heat and noise I like the Asus, but I keep coming back to the Dell because I hear so many great things about the screen.

 

Asus is random with their screen selection. Some models have Hannstar HSD173PUW1 and some with AUO FHD's. It's a draw, really. I prefer AUO over Hannstar.

 

Thanks for your help.

Are the Asus AUO FHDs comparable to the Dell B+RG LEDs, or is the Dell better regardless of which Asus screen you get?

 

Asus AUO is same as Dell's.

 

Great thanks.

The B+RG LED has always confused me. Currently Dell offers 2 choices:

1. 'Bright LED'

2. B+RG LED, which everyone raves about.

For the Asus G73 Ive seen it described as '1080p (1920x1080) display with LED backlighting'

I just want to make sure Im in the same ballpark here. I am a big believer in getting a great screen as its the one thing you use 100% of the time. My main use for the laptop is Lightroom and other photographic tools.

Here by the way is a review of the G73 screen from a few months ago:

'The G73JH comes with a 17.3-inch LED-backlit screen with a full HD (1920x1080) resolution. The display has a glossy surface that helps make colors more vibrant, but suffers from reflections as a result. The display is, in a word, beautiful. It is very enjoyable to use for gaming and multimedia. Viewing angles are about average; there is little color shift from side to side. However, colors quickly wash out and darken from above and below.

The display has a high-resolution as well, which is appreciated. With a full HD resolution, it’s easy to view two windows side-by-side without shrinking them too much. The higher resolution also helps bring out the finer details in games and reduces the amount of scrolling necessary while surfing the Web.'