Owner's Thread: Dell Inspiron 11 3147 2-in-1

I'm having a niggling issue with Bluetooth now. I'll get a chime every so often where my keyboard and mouse (both bluetooth) will disconnect, and then 7 seconds later, will reconnect. Also, if I have an SD card inserted, it'll automatically pop up a window as if a card was just inserted and nothing has been removed.

It's bizarre.

 

To anyone who upgraded the wifi card to dualband, which card did you guys use and have you had any disconnect issues since? Sorry for all the questions!

 

Hi All,
I got a question and a comment.

For those of you who cloned over to an ssd, did you optimize the install for ssd or just go on about your business? I ask because no one has mentioned it. If you just copied, how would Windows know it should not defrag or any other settings it had based on an install on spinning media? I followed some info I found on tweakhound.

As far as swapping out the wifi, M-factors was mentioned a few pages back as definitely works. I went the Ebay route and picked one up for a little more than half their price with shipping. Things I looks for include 0KTTYN or 0KTTY as a part number. Also, its a M.2 card so the mounting point is midway of the edge, not in the corners. also if it says it is compatible with Hp or Lenovo, it won't work with the Dell. Don't accidentlly buy a non AC card, be wary of "Not" in the discription.
I've streamed a 1 hour Youtube podcast on both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands of my Asus RT-AC68R without issue, a different podcasts on each of the SSIDs.

 

What model dual band wifi card specifically works for the 3147? I didn't understand any of that, preferrably outside of Ebay (on Amazon).

 

Hello,

I did a clean install on a new SSD I bought from Amazon, all the drivers were installed but when I try to pair a bluetooth device my PC doesn't end up connecting, is there other place where I can find the bluetooth drivers?

 

I used Dell's Backup and Recovery program and created a factory image on a 16GB flashdrive. Replaced the HDD with a Crucial M500 and then tried formatting it with the flashdrive but getting "Backup Missing or Corrupt" error.

Should I put the HDD back in and try to create an image again or am I missing a step somewhere (in the bios perhaps)? Or maybe i am choosing the wrong option in the Dell Backup program (factory image vs rescue disc?).

 

Stupid question. How do you get to BIOS on this machine?

 

Paint:

Do all of these have the same issue with terrible paint?
I noticed the floor models of the 3147 had awful abrasion problems. My less-than-one-week-old 3148 already has paint problems around one of the corners. (The paint is very soft and is easily damaged under normal use.)

I'd like to find some way of mitigating this if it's inevitable. Tempted to get a paint match done and buy some touchup paint from a model shop or auto parts store. Or I can cover the corners in masking tape.

I've found some hard shell cases on Amazon, but they eliminate the possibility of converting the computer to tablet mode, and I want to retain that ability.

Any other ideas?

 

Hold F2 when the system boots.

 

I do have abrasions from putting the unit into a backpack and taking it out again. Agree the paint is not terribly sturdy.
Sorry, no ideas here.

 

You write "I tried formatting it with the flashdrive." did you just try to install Windows through the Setup program, or something else? Did you see the Setup program come up?

 

I chatted with Dell orders (sorry, I don't remember how I got to that specific target within Dell) and ordered part KTTYN. They had it "refurbished" for $25.99. I had the $25.00 gift card they gave me for registering the 3147 and also signing up as Dell Advantage Loyalty Program member after the purchase, so it was almost free. Shipping was free. The card was in a sealed anti-static bag and looked like new to my quick inspection.

I installed it and it works with my AC router (on 5GHz), N router and G router (2.4GHz).

Note, though, there are discussion about the Intel drivers mentioned above. Some on the Intel forum have given up on Intel's capability of making the 7260 work perfectly. Certainly get the latest drivers from Intel http://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...Bluetooth-technology-for-Windows-8-64-bit-WP-

 

I created a bootable drive through the preinstalled Dell Backup program. When I boot it up with the SSD installed, the Dell Backup and Recovery interface comes up. Then it proceeds to tell me my recovery drive is corrupt. I tried it with two different 16GB flashdrives.

 

I did not take this path. Rather I cloned my drive using a USB-to-SATA connection. Never booted USB on mine.

I did succeed in asking Dell via Chat to send me Windows 8.1 installation media (i.e., a factory USB drive). I just never booted it.

 

Hey!

My girlfriend has recently bought Inspiron 11 3147. Unfortunatelly I cannot find the touchpad driver. I have tried the one from Dell site, it does not work even though it says that it has been installed properly. I have also tried installer from Synaptic webiste, but it fails to recognize the device.

Is there any simple way to install this driver? My gf just needs the ability to switch the touchpad off (would be great to use F10 key), because she keeps sliding the mouse and clicking things while typing on the keyboard. I've seen post #93 and it terrifies me, is that all really necessary to make this goddamn touchpad work? :O

Thanks.

 

See post 185 http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...on-11-3147-2-in-1.758088/page-10#post-9853070

 

Anyone from here have problem with "Start button and charms stop working in Windows 8.1" on 3147?

 

Regarding upgrading the RAM from 4GB to 8GB.
Manual says " Memory Slot One - SODIMM Type - DDR3L Speed 1333 MH Configurations supported 4 GB "
Does this mean that only 4GB is supported or can I replace the module with 8GB?
Also, will any 8GB module work that is 204-pin SODIMM DDR3L?
Or is there any other specifications I need to look for on a replacement module.
Thanks

 

I just read that since the 3147 comes equipped with a SINGLE BAND Wifi card that operates on the 2.4GHz frequency, using Wifi and Bluetooth at the same time (BT is also on 2.4GHz) will cause interruptions and disconnection issues. So that explains it. Now I have to find a good DUAL BAND Wifi card.

 

Really? You can't use a bluetooth headset and the WIFI connection to browse the web at the same time? Because the WIFI card is single band?

 

You can but for me I get intermittent connection problems every now and then when using both at the same time

 

Hi, I installed A03 Bios (3147)and I noticed that i was haveing problems with touch screen reactions when tablet was on battery (when adapter plug - ok). Touch screen did not recognize every touch. So I roll back to A02 and everything is ok. Does anyone find that problem too? Is new A04 bios ok?

 

Next problem...
I turn on bluetooth but Windows 8.1 can't find any devices. It is only "searching for bluetooth devices" and nothig happen. I have drivers from Dell site.

 

Firstly, a big thank you to many who have helped me here while I lurked and read your experiences with the Dell 3147 before I bought it. I owe you one. Below are a few of my workarounds for this unit's limitations. Perhaps my experiences may help someone else.

The following is a review I wrote for another location, so you may already know some of the points I make as I saw them listed here first.
_____________________________

I love this Dell 11.6" i3147. I'm really enjoying using in in my work. But I did my homework first to make sure to overcome what downsides it has. Frequent complaints are:

* Freezing and slow OS. To fix this, I switched to an extra 500GB SSD I had. I cloned it directly from the new HDD at the very start. Then on starting it up, I made sure to run it 3 times through Windows Update and wait until it *finished* all update installs before I began to use it. Here is what I used to clone the HDD->SDD drive, though there are several free software solutions to help you do this, as you already know:
Sabrent USB 3.0 to SATA Dual Bay External Hard Drive Docking Station w/ Hard Drive Cloner

As for to-clone-or-not-to-clone from the factory-installed OS and HDD, I'm just tired over the years of fiddling to get the right clone with all files over and/or getting the right combo of drivers for all to work properly when doing a fresh install. This clone from the factory HDD means I lose some space, but not enough for me to notice. And factory-installed bloatware just is almost not there. Not enough for me to bother about

* The wireless card frequently drops the signal. This is in part due to it being only a single band working on 2.5GHz like the bluetooth. (I looked up the size of wireless card in the unit which was the slim , taller one, and then ordered a new Intel 7260AC wireless card from Amazon for $38:
7260NGW Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 802.11ac, Dual Band, 2x2 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
When the laptop arrived, I changed out the card at the same time I changed out the HDD. On bootup, Win 8.1 installed the new drivers and I then updated those drivers for the 7260AC wireless card. So far, I have no wireless issues. It works extremely fast on my company's AC router: 150-250Mbps. Funnily, I think I get a bit better throughput by letting Win 8.1 install it's default drivers for the card and BT rather than Intel's updated ones. No idea why, but the default ones continue to seem more stable. Sometimes the wireless signal would just disappear under the Intel updated ones and never under the default ones Win 8.1 loaded in. Interesting.)

* Many complained that the chassis felt thin and too flexible, with the area around the palm rest flexing and causing touchpad issues. Reviews also complained of the cheap paint job on the unit and frequent scratches on top and bottom of the unit. (Examining it, I found that the paint *is* pretty thin and cheap feeling. So when I ordered the 3147, I also ordered the iPearl mCover hardshell case for the Dell 3147 for $19:
iPearl mCover Hard Shell Case for 11.6" Dell Inspiron 11 3147 / 3148 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop (Black)
As soon as the laptop arrived, I put the shell on the top to minimize scratching while I worked on the inner components, and once I was done with removing the bottom, I put the bottom shell on as well. The shell does prevent the laptop from folding back into full tablet mode, but I already have a tablet, so I don't need that feature. I can still do 3 of the 4 positions: laptop, tent & display. Also, that thin bit of extra shell casing makes the laptop much more rigid. I get no touchpad errors at all and the palm rest has no noticeable flex to me. So that makes two clear benefits for having this hard case on it, though it does add 8 oz to the weight.

Then to keep down scratching on the exposed surfaces, with the bottom iPearl mCover shell off, I used some Carnauba car wax that I had for vintage pen restoration and applied several coats on the surface where my hands rest as an extra layer of protection. I put the wax over the entire area except the actual keyboard, of course, and buffed it to a slight shine. It works well and the paint feels much more solid now. When I have the time, I will do the same on the lid and bottom of the laptop. Sounds weird, but many do it for vintage pens as I did and this works well and is fairly harmless and never yellows.)

* Some complained that the bottom of the case was fragile/breakable when removing the bottom plate. So I purchased the laptop nylon spudgers tool kit for $12.50:
Set of 5 Professional Laptop, LCD, iPad, iPod Spudgers Non-Mar Nylon and Metal Pry Open Repair Tools
Then I opened the bottom carefully, avoiding any pressure near any of the port areas. And the nylon spatula sticks made no scars on my laptop bottom cover.

I decided I would wait on the RAM upgrade until I determined how much memory Win 8.1 would use under my usage. Dell's specs on the RAM are incorrect. The processor handles up to 8GB and many have upgraded it easily. But, IMO, the most noticeable upgrade will be switching out the HDD for an equal-sized SSD. That makes a real difference. The increase in RAM will only show up if you do a lot of multitasking and have 20+ tabs open in two web browsers at the same time. Mostly, the upgrade from 4GB to 8GB will not be very seeable to most users. Those more power-hungry users won't (or shouldn't) be buying this cheaper laptop. It is great, but it is no powerhouse, and it isn't meant to be.

* As an added note, several complained of huge amounts of bloatware/trialware/adware. To my surprise, beyond a trial version of Office 365 that comes with nearly all Win 8.1 installations, I found NO bloatware at all. Even the dreaded and hard-to-remove McAfee AV was NOT THERE. This, BTW, was a new boxed unit from Dell via Amazon. Still had the box & inner stickers sealing it from Dell. There were some Dell utilities for updating Dell drivers but after running it once and having Dell put in a driver that made an issue (wireless card), I just uninstalled it. So it is to me 99% adware-free. I think Windows Add-Remove Program list was perhaps 10 items. Very short and easy. I can't speak for others, but my 3147 arrived Feb 19th with pretty much NO BLOATWARE or adware. Yay!

For those worrying that opening the back voids the Dell warranty, rest at ease. The Dell Users Guide that comes with it is ONLY about how to open it to access all inner components. In other words, Dell *expects* you to open it and upgrade parts yourself! No warranty voided. Though if you damage the body while doing so, *that* is on your head. Nearly no other 2-in-1 laptops offer this kind of accessibility, so that was and is a real selling point for me.

* The MAIN CON I'd give it now is the old-style adapter plug. It juts out of the left side of the unit a good inch just waiting for an accident to break it off and damage the charging port. I'd have much preferred a right-angle plug to this. Perhaps later I can get such an extra adapter on Amazon. One day, maybe Windows units will come with magnetic charger plugs as we have on the Macs. One day ....

* Another con is that with the lid open in work mode, the laptop is a bit unbalanced. Depending on the angle of the screen, the front rubber pads may actually float a tiny bit off of the desk top allowing it to move around. To overcome this, I put my 8.9" tablet in its rubberized case under the back side of the 3147 by just a 1/4" or so. This raises the back end by about 1/4" and is just enough to keep the weight to the front and prevent it from moving and keeps it stable. Works for me. Others may hate this idea. I just want to get work done.

* Oh, and one last con. Several have complained about the touchpad. Many hate it. To overcome any glitches, I TURNED OFF all gestures on my touchpad. It can see one & two-fingered taps but no gestures. I also turned off scrolling, etc areas on the touch surface. I just wanted a mouse pad. And this works for me. Some insist on the gestures and zooming, etc features. I'd rather have that off than suffer weird mouse behavior. And now my touchpad works wonderfully; no glitches or wait-states at all. It does just what I want it to do.

Over all, this laptop flies for me; no slow downs, no freezes, no video buffering, no mouse touchpad weird behavior. The laptop body with the added hardshell case is firm and solid. Every OS operation is smooth and opening apps is also fast. All components are easily accessible (9 screws and if you have the right nylon spatula tool & patience, no damage to the housing). Many of the extra tools and USB 3 Cloner I bought, I'll use later for other devices, so no loss there either.

For me, factoring in its price range, processor and accessibility, I this this laptop is a very good and a great deal. (I see the price has gone up, so I'm even happier I got it for $339.)

 

You might try shutting the laptop down completely and then restart it. Sometimes that can refresh the driver.

Another trick is to go into "Device Manager" (right-mouse click the Windows Start icon in the lower left), highlight the bluetooth driver and delete it. Then select Action -> Scan for hardware changes and let Win 8 reload the BT driver.

Now turn on the BT and try to connect to the device again.

 

I find the Intel 7260AC wireless card to be excellent. It comes in two shapes. You want the one that is narrower & taller. Presently $38 on Amazon:

7260NGW Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 802.11ac, Dual Band, 2x2 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0

 

The A03 BIOS worked fine for me. No touch issues at all. I've not tried out the A04 BIOS. I'll flash that BIOS and get back to you.

EDIT: Okay, I installed/flashed the A04 firmware and everything appears to work normally.

 

No, my Win 8.1 charms bar and Start button work normally.

Have you tried shutting down and then restarting your laptop?

 

Apologies. I don't mean to hog this thread, but ....

Others, I think, have pointed this out, but I'm fairly certain the Realtek HD Audio drivers do not play well with the Intel 7260AC drivers:
* Remove *both* Realtek & Intel 7260 and BT drivers.
* Reboot & system installs its own default drivers.
* Wireless card connects and audio works.
* Install Intel BT & wireless drivers. System is okay and connects to network. Audio still works.
* Install Realtek HD Audio drivers from the Dell 3147 driver page.
* Card instantly loses connection and won't connect to internet.
* Removing both audio & network card drivers and the card still won't connect.
* Have to uninstall the Intel BT and 7260 drivers from Programs & Features. Reboot.
* Then from Device Manager, delete (total delete from system) all audio & sound drivers and BT & Intel network drivers. Reboot.
* Win 8.1 installs its default audio, network & BT drivers. The Intel 7260 driver is now 16.5.3.6
* Try to connect to network, put in the password and IT CONNECTS! Speed is great.
* Sound also works great in everything.

Funny that Win 8.1's default drivers for the sound (which sounds very good) and the network card seem to work better than the Realtek and Intel 7260 specially-installed ones. Life is strange at times.

It all works again.

BTW, I've repeated the above 3 times and get the identical results every time. If you upgrade the wireless card to the Intel 7260AC, just know that the Realtek audio drivers appear to conflict with the Intel 7260 drivers. For me, the solution has been to uninstall both of them and let Windows put its own version in.

 

Dell specs say the 3147 supports a maximum of 4GB, which others have said seems to be wrong.
To anyone who installed an 8GB replacement module:
A recommended memory module - part# would be greatly appreciated.

 

Part KTTYN from Dell "refurbished" sells for $25.99 with free shipping.

 

Hogging not found, please carry on!

Can you please report the specific installed versions that work for you?

My audio drivers are version 6.0.1.7283, which is the same version shown on the Dell download page. I no longer recall whether I installed these drivers from Dell, or whether they were the ones from Windows. See PS below.
My 7260 drivers are version 17.13.11.5 from Intel.

Both WiFi and sound work as expected. I did not test Blue tooth as I have no current need for it.

(PS
I have some recollection of one audio driver version incurring crackling, and another version playing OK; vaguely that the realtek drivers from Dell were the better ones. If someone can find the discussion upthread )

 

Thanks. Is there a direct link? How do I search that horrible Dell website by part number?

 

nm I guess I have to order directly from Dell Chat for that product. Good use of the $25 Dell Gift Card, since there is literally nothing on that website I can get elsewhere (cheaper).

 

Came to $2.45. woot

 

It just needs to be DDR3L (low voltage 1.35v).

 

Hello guys,
I just got mine 3147 and cannot find a way to run my bluetooth headset properly.

I connect it, pair it, run a song or a movie, and after about 2-8 minutes, the headset suddenly stops playing. The player continues, bluetooth seems connected, music seems to be streamed to the headset, but no sound comes from it.

Tried different drivers, even the stock ones, always the same problem. Headset works fine with other devices.

Would you suggest anything to help with this?

 

Same. I can't get my Bluetooth stereo speaker to sync to my laptop. It worked once for a short while, and then stopped. I tried deleting the pair and trying again, restarting my laptop, syncing (installs device), but nothing plays audio through to the speaker.

 

RAM: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L (PC3-12800), 1.35 volt, 204-pin SODIMM

Corsair Vengeance: $72
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Performance-1600MHz-CMSX8GX3M2B1600C9/dp/B00EXBUW7I/
Kingston HyperX: $70
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-HyperX-Impact-1600MHz-HX316LS9IB/dp/B00KQCOTCM/
Crucial: $58
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12800-204-Pin-Notebook-CT102464BF160B/dp/B006YG8X9Y/

 

Hi Jesse,
That's great news that the Dell Realtek drivers and the Intel 7260 drivers are working fine together for you. Now I wonder why mine were making issues repeatedly (killing my network connection and not allowing my card to reconnect)? Are my added BT drivers part of my issue? I've no idea.

Is your wireless card branded from Dell? If so, perhaps there are some small differences from the Intel 7260AC card.

On removing them both, Win 8.1 installed the following (that appear to work well. No static on audio or music as well):
Sound: HD Audio Device, Microsoft ver. 6.3.9600.16384
Networking: Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 7260 ver. 16.5.3.6

 

Oh bummer. I wished I'd ordered my card from Dell. Awesome price!

 

Johnny,
I'm assuming this BT is via the default wireless card that comes preinstalled on the 3147?

If so, that is a single-band Intel 1707 2.4GHz card. 2.4GHz is also the band that the bluetooth uses. Try turning off the Wifi connection and see if the BT works better.

This may all get solved once your new wireless card arrives.

 

you can also order a 8GB stick from Ebay for $60 shipped. No brand specified, but they should all work the same.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191074581419?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Then why not get Crucial DDR3L 8GB from Amazon for $58? Known brand and dealer.

 

Depends if you have Ebay bucks or the like, that's why I went with them. Or else I usually try to use Amazon only.

 

so is there a major difference in speed/power/battery life on the 3148 vs the 3147 (Core i3 vs Pentium Quad Core) ? For those who perhaps have both or whatever. thanks!

 

The i3, of course, benchmarks faster than the Intel N3530. In real-world use, I suppose it depends on what you are doing with it (Gaming? Photoshop? etc.) But I'd also suspect that either i3 will consume more battery life than the N3530, but I'm not certain of that.
**And be watchful that there are more than one type of i3 offered in this Dell 3148 on Amazon.**

Here are Passmark CPU Benchmark's numbers for 3147 & 3148 processor flavors:
Intel Pentium Quad-Core N3530 (2.16-2.58GHz): 1959
Intel Pentium Quad-Core N3540 (2.16-2.66GHz): 1868 (yes, it is slightly slower. I've no idea why)
Intel Dual-Core i3-4010U (1.70GHz): 2457
Intel Dual-Core i3-4030U (1.90GHz): 2707

 

Just realized I have the N3530 from Staples.

 

My wireless card is from DELL, see other posts.

I did mention that I did not try BT at all, not did I install the Dell Wireless package (labeled as WiFi+BT 4.0).

 

I tried disabling WiFi, with no success. Headset will disconnect after a few minutes. Dunno where the problem can be.