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    New Xps M1210 Bios - Critical

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by nealyblue, Apr 11, 2007.

  1. nealyblue

    nealyblue Notebook Enthusiast

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    new bios now available for xps m1210

    http://support.euro.dell.com/suppor...&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=1&fileid=203814#1

    Fixes/Enhancements
    ------------
    1. This update includes critical microcode updates from Intel.
    2. Update Intel 945GM VBIOS.
    3. Update support for Dell Wireless 1505.
    4. Fixed Hard Drive Security vulnerability if Admin or System password
    is not set.
    5. Fixed BIOS setup menu item "Wi-Fi Catcher" is unlocked when Admin
    password is set.
     
  2. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    Any idea what "critical microcode updates from Intel" means? Maybe this addresses the Intel Speedstep issue in Vista not throttling the CPU down?
    Oh yeah - what's the "Dell 1505" card? Is that the Dell draft-N 1500 card they mean?
     
  3. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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  4. gohanssjn

    gohanssjn Notebook Evangelist

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    Oh boy. My 2GB of ram comes today AND I get a new BIOS!
     
  5. wella

    wella Notebook Consultant

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    a new bios labelled urgent was also just released today for I6400 / E1505.

    I hope that the microcode updates from intel fix up the buzzing noise of the core 2 duo's.... or maybe the speedstep issue? or maybe both?
     
  6. mtor

    mtor Notebook Deity

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    Has anybody updated yet. Where there any problems after the update
     
  7. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    Ran the update on my E1705, and all seems to be well. Hopefully this helps with the memory BSODs.
     
  8. PaulyRags

    PaulyRags Notebook Guru

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    The BIOS Update for the 640M/E1405 is also available as URGENT.

    PaulyRags

    640M l T2500 l 1GB RAM l TRUELIFE
     
  9. roffensian

    roffensian Notebook Enthusiast

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    Installed on 6400, no problems so far.
     
  10. wella

    wella Notebook Consultant

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    haven't updated mine yet... too lazy to restart... :(
     
  11. firelegna

    firelegna Newbie

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    i have 6400.
    but while i install bios, occur error

    "ERROR! The BIOS update could not be performed because a valid ROM image file could not be found" :mad:

    How i can solve error? :confused:
     
  12. nealyblue

    nealyblue Notebook Enthusiast

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    Updated mine first thing this morning - no problems so far. XPS M1210
     
  13. Jokkon

    Jokkon Notebook Evangelist

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    i wonder if that would fix the cpu whine
     
  14. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    For those who updated, did it:

    - fix the CPU whine? or,
    - fix SpeedStep so the Core2Duo throttles down?

    I posted on Dell's forums also, but no response over there. I love the generic commentary on what this BIOS does: "critical microcode updates from Intel".
     
  15. roffensian

    roffensian Notebook Enthusiast

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    firlegna - am i right in thinking that your laptop won't boot now?

    If so then it sounds like the update crashed part way through and corrupted the BIOS - you'll need to try and update from a boot disk or use a boot disk to DOS and then flash from there.
     
  16. firelegna

    firelegna Newbie

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    thanx roffensian
    I'll try
     
  17. wella

    wella Notebook Consultant

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    On another note, for those of you that own an ATI x1400... there was a 5 - 6 mb ATI driver update that came thru windows automatic updates like 2 days ago... does anyone know what that was for??
     
  18. Aspyred

    Aspyred Notebook Enthusiast

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    You know that effect when you observe something to be true because you want it to be true? (Someone remind me what that's called again. Something...effect, something...fallacy? Expectation...something?)

    So, I'm going to risk sounding like a crazy person here, but after installing the BIOS update, I noticed increased performance in a few of my games. I installed the RtCW (Return to Castle Wolfenstein) demo just recently, and despite the fact it SHOULD run smoothly on a 7400 Go, the framerate stuttered all around town.

    I pop in the new BIOS, blam, runs like a charm. Might've been because I ran the demo after using the system quite intensively beforehand, and with the BIOS update, it was on a fresh boot (though I question if that would have a dramatic effect at all on a old game such as this).

    I figured that was the price I had to pay for using Windows Vista Business, but FEAR demonstrated poor performance, period, since I installed it. It worked fine on recommended settings on XP MCE, but after Vista, it struggled. For some reason or another, it plays 'alright' now. Actually tolerable at points.

    Please, no one take me at my word. Remember, crazy. Just want to see what anyone else has observed, besides the almost cryptic release notes that Dell has provided us.
     
  19. PhoenixFx

    PhoenixFx Notebook Virtuoso

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    LOL :D . I also don't know the word you are looking for, but I too feel that you are being "what ever that word :p ".

    But then again, who knows what DELL does to their BIOS to cripple/limit (or sometimes even enhance) the performance of the graphics adapter :rolleyes:. If what you are suggesting is true (which is highly unlikely IMO), then the only reason I can think of for a such an improvement is some sort of a power saving restriction getting released/fixed.
     
  20. sHARD>>

    sHARD>> Newbie

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    Just updated to A14 on my E1505. I'm running a Core Duo and seem to have been experiencing issues with SpeedStep in previous BIOSes (would almost always stay locked at 2GHz). It now properly adjusts speed between 1GHz and 2GHz, so that may have been fixed, as someone else in the thread guessed.
     
  21. Jonzy

    Jonzy Notebook Guru

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    Bummer, I deinstalled Vista yesterday and installed XP. I can't tell you if the whine is gone. In XP the buzzing noise is much less present than in Vista.
     
  22. roffensian

    roffensian Notebook Enthusiast

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    wella - I have seen an ATI update in Windows Update for some time as 'recommended' but ignored it because I had manually updated to Catalyst 7.2 from 7.1 (the first Vista version). I suspect that's what you got unless the issues around 7.3 have been resolved and that is now available.

    I checked the link on my non-downloaded update but it doesn't give anything remotely helpful and ATI have taken down all driver downloads for these cards and are referring to OEM sites.
     
  23. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    Please don't hijack this thread with ATI questions.

    Now, has anyone else noticed a change in processor speed throtteling down with the new BIOS update?
     
  24. DamienThorn

    DamienThorn Notebook Consultant

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    I haven't noticed anything but a decrease in the whine. I'm VERY pleased with it.
     
  25. sHARD>>

    sHARD>> Newbie

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    I don't mean to be rude...but I did just mention that on the previous page.
     
  26. Jonzy

    Jonzy Notebook Guru

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    damnit. Well I made a partition image of my Vista installation. I might just reapply it.
     
  27. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    No worries, was just wondering if anyone else had the same success.
     
  28. sbyer

    sbyer Notebook Guru

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    so.... erm.... if i buy the xps m1210, the BIOS will be fine and i don't have to worry about it?

    i would expect they ship systems with the update
     
  29. DamienThorn

    DamienThorn Notebook Consultant

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    Even if the bios isn't updated, it's a painless process to update. It took me something like 3-5 minutes and it was over.
     
  30. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    I updated it, but haven't really noticed any differences.
     
  31. quiong

    quiong Notebook Consultant NBR Reviewer

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    I think you might be referring to the placebo effect. Anyway I updated the BIOS on my e1705, no changes that I can see.
     
  32. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    I actually flashed back to A06. After flashing to A07, I had that annoying whine coming from somewhere, and it was bad. Flashed back to A06, and the whine is gone. Now that's odd.
     
  33. Jokkon

    Jokkon Notebook Evangelist

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    hi rock, how do you flash back to a06?
     
  34. RockyM

    RockyM Notebook Consultant

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    Go to the Dell Driver page and click on the driver for the BIOS A07. You'll see a link for "previous versions". Click on that link, and you'll see a download link for A06. I've had no CPU whining with A06, so I'll be sticking with that since I saw no other changes with A07. Good luck!
     
  35. toppy23

    toppy23 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I just updated to A07 and my m1210 still has the same old beeping/high pitched noises. No noticeable changes whatsoever.
     
  36. mikeslc

    mikeslc Notebook Enthusiast

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    I updated my m1210 yesterday from A01 to A07 and haven't noticed any difference yet.
     
  37. PCModifiers

    PCModifiers Notebook Consultant

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    might give this bios a shot, thanks for the info guys!
     
  38. Aspyred

    Aspyred Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yes, I found out not too long after. I was looking for either the placebo effect, or more specifically, the expectancy effect. Thank-you regardless :) .
     
  39. sc32valve

    sc32valve Notebook Guru

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    Updated with no noticeable effect. However, I did notice that my week and a half old M1210 was two BIOS revisions behind.
     
  40. Dell_6400_fan

    Dell_6400_fan Notebook Consultant

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    Same here, updated successfully earlier this week and haven't see any change in performance. I was waiting for a BSOD upon bootup but thankfully it booted into Vista just fine.
     
  41. crazybumblebee

    crazybumblebee Newbie

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    ...just changed from A06 to A07 - unfortunately no change noticeable (the whining sound is still there) :(

    I have noticed that the noisy sound stops immediately when the cpu is "working"; the less it has to do the more the sound is recognizable.

    How can I determine the actual CPU Speed in Vista? :confused:
     
  42. skyso

    skyso Newbie

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    Hi, I have problem with my monitor. I rechanged lcd displej from B121EW03 v2 to B121EW03 v3 and my bios doesnt support this type. Don't you know about bios for this type of monitor?

    thanks

    [email protected]