Amilo Xi 2550 experiences?

I just ordered a Amilo Xi 2550 with a T9300 cpu. I now wonder if there is anyone around on this forum who has some experiences with this notebook.

 

I just got one. Specs read in signature. Datasheet says it doesn't support > 2GB of RAM. I have no recovery DVD, no any disk were there. I've backup of manufacturer default setting using FS Recovery utility as it is recommended. But now I don't know if it'll allow me to make RAID 0. Overview and some benches will be later.

 

I think with a BIOS update, the notebook can support more RAM. For example, the previous range of Xi notebooks also stated 2GB of maximum RAM, however, BIOS updates have allowed it to accept more. I'm assuming the same is true with the Xi 1550, but I'm not entirely sure. The best way to find out is to conect Fujistu Siemens technical support, and see what they say about the issue.

 

Tnx Zero.

I've got a problem. There is a JMicron PCIE to SATA controller with nice JMB36X Raid Tool. It has an ability to create RAID0 from Windows. And, I've tried it. Now I have RAID0 with Windows and all files on first HDD (where windows is) saved, but second HDD is missed. I mean, there where 3 logical drives: C (~130GB), D(250GB), E(~70GB). But now I have just C and E drives. D is missed. 250 GB is nowhere . I'll try to run some checkdisk and partition magic. If it won't help I'll have to create RAID from BIOS and reinstall Windows from backup disks. Any thoughts?

PS. 3DMark06 - ~4060 marks. Crysis runs good if Shader parameter is on LOW. So, ATI HD2700, looks to be worse than X1800. That 128bit bus is a bottleneck.

 

RAID update: creation of RAID0 under windows using JMB36X Raid tool failed. I've not found the way to make second HDD visible. So I went to BIOS, deleted existing RAID0, created new RAID0 and put Recovery DVD#1. Recovery was successful. NB was in the state of first start. In the result I've got 2 logical drives: C: (~320 GB) and D: (~180 GB). That was not exactly what I wanted. So, some partition tool was needed. I've used Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0 (cracked, but because it helped me I'll bye it ). So now I have C: (150 GB), D: (180 GB), E: (125 GB).

Due to unknown reasons 3DMark06 can't start.

 

Vista sucks. Games are crashing all the time, tested on Oblivion and Rome TW. Game performance is a disaster:
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R there is 1.8 GB physical memory usage, swapping disk a lot, in some moment, when I went to the top of hill and watched down the hill I've got 0 fps and a 20 minutes of HDD hard work withou success. I had to turn around and watch to ground to get any reasonable fps and then quit the game. Crysis performance is really bad too. 800x600, all low, 15 to 40 fps. On X1800 I had 1024x768 with all on middle and had reasonable 20-25 fps (if shader to low then 35-40 fps).

 

A couple of days ago I got my Xi2550. I ordered it from Germany, because of the price and because in the Netherlands only the models with the T8300 CPU are on sale. I had to make some changes to the laptop. I replaced the German keyboard by an international keyboard, and I replaced the German Windows Vista Home Premium by an English Windows Vista Ultimate (32bit OEM version). Why English and not Dutch? Simple, I've been working in the IT industry for over 30 years now, and I've always used English operating systems and applications.

Before I installed the fresh Vista Ultimate, I downloaded all the Vista drivers from the Fujitsu support site, as well as newer drivers from the web sites of the manufacturers, and put them on a USB stick. As a minimum you will need the JMicron drivers for the raid controller, without that you can't install Vista. You can install the other drivers after you've installed Vista.

I also replaced the memory by two 2GB modules. The manual shows how to replace one of the SO-DIMM modules. To replace the other module you have to lift the keyboard. That is not very difficult. After you remove the cover to reach the first module, you can remove the keyboard as well. One of the screws from that cover is for the keyboard (it is marked on the cover) That screw seems just a little bit longer as the other screws, so keep it apart. The keyboard is kept in place by a couple of small springs along the borders of the keyboard. You may need a light to see them. You can find one between the shift and the shift-lock key, and another one between the F2 and F3 key. You will need a small screwdriver or a knife to push these springs back, and then the keyboard will lift slightly. After all of the springs have been pushed back you can lift the keyboard. Take care not to pull out the keyboard flat cable! Turn the kayboard upside down towards you, and you will see the second SO-DIMM module.

I use two 2GB Buffalo 800MHz modules. I read a couple of reviews by a guy who tested 2GB 800MHz modules in a MAC notebook (also Intel Santa Rosa), and these ones worked, contrary to other modules. Obviously the memory will be used at 667MHz, but I hope 800MHz modules will have beter CL timings at 667MHz than standard 667MHz modules. With a 32 bit Vista you will see 3GB, not 4GB of memory! With a 64bit Vista you would see the full 4GB, however some of my software can not run on a 64bit Vista.

I've put the two 250GB disks in a raid-1 set, since i'm more concerned about the safety if my data than about disk capacity. I've plenty of external storage.

 

that laptop what you have bought is perfect !!!
you will be satisfied on 100% !
you have everithing there for low price ! remember !
all connections best resolution you will not need nothing else ( mean laptop)

 

what? it cant be bossible that HD 2700 is worst than X1800?
and what about x1900 then ?

 

That procedure with keyboard helps me so much !!! BIG THANKS !
I own Amilo Xi1554 and there are 6 clips wich they holds k.board...
there was a mes blee... I cleaned up whole k.board

and that RAM what you wrote: of course that you wil never see 4GB of ram on 32bit vista or XP ...
you seen on 64bit full 4GB because that32 dont support 4 GB
Because manufacturers putting like 3GB + 1GB turbo memory...
Because they have licensed 32bit like standard op.system...
I've seen sony laptop there vas on label written 4GB and for me it was strage so I checked copmp. info and there was 3GB no 4...

 

A 32 bit operating system has a 4GB address space. However that 4GB is not just memory, but also hardware like the graphics controller and the disk controller. In this case, 1GB is reserved for addressing hardware, which means 1GB of RAM is 'wasted'. The 1GB turbo memory is seen as a FAT32 drive, in fact it could be much larger. The fact that it is 1GB and there is 1GB of RAM 'missing' is a mere coincedence.

I could have installed 64 bit Vista Ultimate, and that is what I had planned to do. There is no price difference between the two, in fact you can order a 64 bit update from Microsoft for just a handling fee. The problem is that some of the software that I'm using isn't ready for 64 bit according to the web site of the manufacturer. I think Microsoft and others would just love to see us use 64 bit Vista, now they have to maintain two different sets of programs and that is expensive.

 

Yes but on 64 bit is not enough compatibility... or yes ?

 

I do think there are 64 bit drivers for this laptop. However I want to use it for video transcoding etc., and it seems a lot of that software is not 64 bit compatible. Be carefull with the 32 bit Vista SP1, it also has a lot of compatibility issues with drivers.

 

Hi. I have a wierd problem HDD (or Vista). When deleting a lot of small files they are delete really slowly. So, to delete 4 GB folder of Oblivion with mods, which had a lot of small files it took me almost 1 hour. Did anybody have such a problem?

 

This is a nice Laptop.
The upgrade to 4 GB is NOT wasted. Of course there is a little waste, but Vista needs ALL the RAM it can get.
The keyboard is removed by 6 small tabs, on the side of the keyboard, and a screw on the buttom,marked KB.
Don't forget to protect against static discharge.
The slow deletion of files mentioned by Jarni is a known issue in Vista. This will (supposedly) be fixed by SP1, available in some languages by now.

 

FS service center refused to upgrade RAM to 4 GB because there are only 2 GB in datasheet. . Looks like I'll have to do it on my own.

My slow file deleting issue may not be a Vista problem. I'm using a TotalCommander and if I press F8 it deletes file to RecycleBin which means copying. So, it's clear that if I delete(copy to RB) 4GB of small files it'll take a long time. I've switched off this functionality now (I've never used RB in XP, but forget this on Vista) and I'll see if something change.

 

Check that in "Control Panel -> Device Manager -> Disk Drives under the policies tab 'Optimize for maximum performance', 'Enable Write Caching on the Disk' and 'Enabled Advanced Performance' are all set for each HDD. Also check that under Serial ATA Controller all checkboxes are ticked. Have you defragmented your drives?

When deleting files press Shift+Delete to remove files permanently without moving them to RecycleBin.

 

Ok. Thanks. I'll check that settings. And, yes, my drives are defragmented. I'm using O&O Disk Defrag which defragments drives then NB is idle.

I don't like Shift+Delete. That's why I always set 0 size of RB and switched off "Copy to RB on delete by F8" in TotalCommander.

 

Hello

I just got my XI 2550, haven't tested it so much yet, but it seems like a really good laptop.

It's just one thing that bothers me, and that is called Vista.
Is it possible to install XP on this machine? I just can't find drivers for it anywhere, and if it don't exist, how bad isn't that?
I don't want to be forced to use something i do not like

 

Use it [Vista] for a few days (weeks). I've had some issues with it (and still have a few) but now I think I can live with it.

I've upraged RAM to 4 GB on weekend and installed SP1. Now sys info shows 4 GB but TaskManager still have 3 GB of physical RAM in its performance tab.

 

I may get used to Vista, but i still have only 2 gigs of RAM, and unfortunately I am not allowed to install more (and besides that, can't afford it either).

With that in mind, it would be nice to have an OS that don't occupy half of the 2 gigs I have.
XP is better for games i think, and thats the reason I rented this laptop in first place (I rent it for a 3-year period through my work).

Now you wonder why i choosed the Xi 2550 with Vista, and the answer is; I didn't. I had the Xi 1546 for about a year, and then i got broke. The memorys got overheated or something, and FS couldn't fix it in time, so they gave me a brand new laptop instead, the Xi 2550.
Great deal, but i miss XP.

So the question remain

 

That is the way it should be with 32 bit Vista. It show there is 4GB memory (that is correct), and it also shows that it can only use 3GB. The address space needed to address the last 1GB is used to address the hardware.

 

I know that but PAE should extend addresing to 36 bits which with 4GT boot entry should allow applications to use 3 GB of RAM (2 GB as default). Such is written in MSDN about Physical Address Extension http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366796(VS.85).aspx

 

This is an article about the 3GB/4GB issue on Vista:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid&ID=929605

 

If you would like to use the latest ATI drivers on your Xi2550, check out this link:
http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php

These drivers are much newer than the Fujitsu ATI drivers, and you can use the ATI Avivo and Hydravision software as well.

 

Thanks for modtool reference because there are no omega drivers for Vista yet. And thank you for 4GB issue explanation.

 

For some mysterious reason, the ATI drivers do not contain the ATI HDMI audio driver. For that driver you need to go to www.realtek.com.tw , and get the High Definition Audio Codecs. There are two, the standard Vista drivers and the ATI HDMI drivers. Install both, the first one is for the normal audio and S/PDIF setup.

 

You're welcome. If you use the modtool and the original ATI drivers, don't be alarmed when your card shows up as a HD2600XT. It seems as if the HD2700 is no more than a normal HD2600XT with a faster clock rate.

 

I guess a have to stick with Vista...

So if I in a near future want to buy some more RAM, what should i get? I've found the specs in the manual, but does it matter which brand i purchase?
And what kind of modules is there in the laptop now, two 1-gigs or one 2-gig?

Hope you understand me, I'm not so good in english

 

In theory any brand of memory can be used. The original modules are made by Samsung. I replaced them by Buffalo 2GB modules, and these work fine.

When you buy new modules you can always reserve the right to send them back if they don't work in your notebook.

Standrd there are two 1GB modules in the notebook. Read my earlier contributions to this thread how to replace the module below the keyboard, you will not find that information in the manual.

 

Thanks for the info
I found a place that sell Samsungmemorys for a reasonable price, feels most safe to buy that brand, haven't seen Buffalo anywhere.

I think I'm going to buy just one module, can I replace just one of them with a 2-gigs, or do I have to replace both?

 

Yes, you can replace only one, but it isn't a clever idea .

With two similar modules the notebook will use the memory as one 128 bit wide memory bank (dual channel). With one 1GB module and one 2GB module the notebook will see two 64bit wide memory banks, and that is a lot slower.

 

OK, I guess I have to buy two then.
Unfortunately I'm a bit poor right now, so I have to wait a while anyway.

Hope a can manage to replace the one under the keyboad

 

Hi all !

I'm thinking of buying an Amilo Xi 2550 notebook, it seems correct for me. I've only one question about it:
Does it support the intel Matrix Raid technology (creating multiple raid volumes on 2 hard disks, for example one raid0 and one raid1 on two 160 Gb hard disk) ? Or just standard RAID 0,1 ?

 

I think, I've found the answer...
http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-022304.htm

As referred page means, Xi2550 has an ICH8M-E hub, as it supports RAID, so it supports matrix raid too.

 

I just bought the same item as Grunnsat, the difference being that I live in Germany but am English. I also ordered Vista 64 Ultimate because it came with English and I had heard 64 would utilize the extra 1GB RAM. Anyway, I loaded up the notebook with 32 and then tried to use the 64 disc. It won't work as it doesn't recognise the hard drive...or something (I'm not at all technical). Fujitsu won't send out any drivers for this. Can anyone help me before I trash this laptop?

 

Hi, download these drivers : ftp://driver.jmicron.com.tw/jmb36x/Win2k_xp_Vista/JMB36X_WinDrv_WHQL_R1.17.38WHQL.zip
Extract it and save the files to your USB Flash Drive. During the Vista installation, when no hard drive is found, click on 'load driver' and go to your USB Flash Drive folder "Driver\amd64\", Vista will see the drivers, then you click next and choose your hard drive

P.S. Does anyone know where in Device Manager can I see if I have 1 GB TurboMemory and how can I use it?

 

Hello guys

I got the xi2550, too and its an amazing worktool; realy happy with it: great cpu power and hidef graphics

²moover

go for "intel turbo memory console" in programs menu (should be installed together with the driver)

there u can configure rboost & rdrive; the second should have a little performance effect...
(cause i turned off superfetch and other stuff, which lets vista work to much on the drives, i can´t turn it on anymore

although theres no official support for vista x64 it runs great with it!
I just lost the green osd infos, when using the touch keys - no matter.

after putting in 4 gigs ram, I´m going for a faster hardisk and an intern dvb-t television receiver

since the documention and support is lousy (if you epect more than standard) we have to help ourselves to get the most out of it

²all

1. I suppose ahci can´t be turned off?
this may be of concern for the performance of ssd drives...(ide/ raid mode etc.)

2. I´ll try an intern oem tv card (digital terrestrial) since everything is ready to use one, but they forgot it

Do your 2550 has a connection socket on the right back side for an antenna? Or maybe s-video-in?

3. How long does your battery holds up on mobile use?

I tried rm-clock and std. saving pattern from vista and got 2h working time (office)...is there more potential for e-saving:

Can you use "powerplay" in the ati catalyst - with the modded 2600xt driver? Can´t acivate it there?

I can clock down the graphics with the silent button instead, but I don´t like it , maybe there would be heat problems...(and the fan isn´t loud anyway...)

But please have a look, maybe its an 64 bit issue that powerplay doesn´t work

 

Thanks Moover for the driver but then we couldn't get access to our modem.
Got to say I've had nothing but problems from this bloody machine/vista since i got it a couple of weeks ago. If you're not a very techy, it's a nightmare!
After the modem prob, we went back to 32 bit recovery. Now I'm stuck with vista in German and no 4mb ram. Got some blu-ray discs which look fine on the laptop but are dodgy once connected via HDMI to my HD ready plasma. No sound comes from the plasma or my receiver in this mode. I'm sick of this laptop already.

 

Forget about watching blueray on a big screen, this is a midrange graphics card and it lags via hdmi-out...spare your money and get it with the dvd-r drive

isn´t vga-out an option for you?
runs good with powerdvd and the digital sound connected separetly.

I think its anyway too big an heavy to use it regularly for movies...buy a standalone player if you have 42"+ screen and want a better resolution sitting 2m direct in front of it to see a difference

 

No, there shouldn't be any lag. You don't need high-end graphics card for smooth Blu-Ray playback. Any HDCP compliant graphics card with atleast 256MB dedicated memory should be able to handle Blu-Ray movies via HDMI. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2700 won't even break a sweat, especially since Xi2550 is also equipped with powerful dual-core CPU and plenty of system memory. Also the physical size of the screen is not an issue, since the pixel amount is still the same (1920x1080) as with smaller Full HD screens. There's not much reason to watch Blu-Ray movies with smaller resolution than 1920x1080. Here are Blu-Ray system requirements for Cyberlink PowerDVD (which is usually shipped with Xi2550): http://www.cyberlink.com/english/support/blu-ray_support/system_requirement.jsp

I'm pretty sure the issue is software related and should be fixed by updating drivers (and propably BIOS also) and the player software (e.g. Cyberlink PowerDVD).

 

My 2550 does not have a socket for antenna.

It's difficult to play games on this laptop, games that run smooth on my Xi1546 is hardly playable on 2550. Is that because of Vista, or is the graphics card poorer in this laptop?

 

I now have 4 gigs of RAM in my 2550. It was quite easy to replace the modules
I think that Vista now runs faster, but the gaming perfomance is still poor.
What should I expect when it comes to games? I think that it would at least manage the same games as my older XI1546, but it not seems so

 

Note that Xi1546 isn't capable of HD resolution without external monitor like your Xi2550 is. So, if you play at native resolution (1920x1200) with your Xi2550, it will perform a lot worse than Xi1546, which native resolution is a lot lower (1440x900). Even though being about as fast as Mobility Radeon X1800 or even faster in most games, the HD2700 in your Xi2550 can't handle high resolutions like 1920x1200 very well. One of the main reasons is its low memory bandwidth (i.e. HD2700 ~22,2 GB/s vs. X1800 ~30GB/s).

I'd say the best playable resolution for it would be 1280x800 in newest games and maby 1440x900 or even 1680x1050 in older ones (<3 years). Of course it also depends a lot on the game; how shader intensive it is etc., and how high the other graphics settings are set in that particular game. So, if the other settings are low enough, thus sacrificing the image quality and visual effects, you might be able to raise the resolution a notch or two and keep the game very playable. Note that newest games are more shader intensive, which might give a little advantage to HD2700 compared to X1800, which is older architecture and basically not as well optimized for doing shader calculations.

Make sure that your system is set to run at maximum performance: Control Panel -> Power Options -> Power Plan -> High Performance
You might also consider tweaking the system for best possible performance. E.g. there's decent guide for that here in NBR: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=166532

In short, Xi2550 is very capable for gaming. However, the HD2700 is currently a mid-range card (as opposed to X1800 being high-end of it's time) so you shouldn't expect it to perform like the current high-end ones (like HD3850/HD3870, GeForce 8800M/9800M etc.), especially in newest games.

 

Thanks for your detailed answer And sorry for the long time it took for me to answer again.

I know that HD-resolution is hard to manage for any computer, so I have tested my games with several resolutions.
The only game I can run in HD is Age of Empires 3, which will do just fine, not the highest settings, but high enough to satisfy me.

BF2 do not run as smooth as it did on my 1546, not even when i lower the resoulution to under 1400x900. I guess it should handle at least the same game that i used to play on 1546?
Crysis was hardly playable with 1546, so I hoped it would be better with 2550, but not even in lowest resolution and lowest settings it could be played.

Can it help if I update the graphics drivers? I still have the ones that FS shipped it with. I know that I always should have the latest, but can it make so much difference?