I'm about to buy one of these and Dell sales assistant told me that the original 1330 was shipped with incorrect BIOS settings and this caused problems..
He assures me that current laptops are shipped with updated setting and there won't be any problem. If there is they will replace the laptop.
I'm deciding between Dell XPS m1330 and the Sony VAIO SR, and have been slightly leaning towards Dell! yay! However, I'm kinda worried about the GPU problem I've read about. So I was wondering if I buy the XPS m1330 in say June (I'm going USA for college then), will I have the NVidia graphics card which does not have a design flaw? And also, about the heating issue, has Dell done anything about that? Or will I have to do the copper mod thing if I buy this laptop?
View 10 Replies View RelatedI recently returned my 1645 after 2 months of struggling with random crashing and throttling back to Dell for a full refund.
I am in need of a new system and was considering HP Envy 15 as an alternative, but I still like the 1645 given that it performs as advertised.
Already available
[url]
official Changelog:
Fixes/Enhancements
------------------
1. Added support for new versions of Intel CPUs.
2. Added support for 8GB memory.
8GB support implemented according to
[url]
Fixes/Enhancements
------------------
1. Added enhancement for Wifi sniffer function.
Direct download link:
[url]
. The BIOS / WiFi switch section now contains settings for controlling Cell behavior as well.
. no 8GB Support! Use BIOS A13 for that.
There are reports that 8GB still works with A14:
[url]
"A05 is still the best, long live A05!"
Just kidding - clearly anyone with a new CPU or a non Cu-modded 8400M GS or with the "won't eject my Dawn-of-the-Dead DVD" syndrome needs A12+... .
Speaking of which, I've compiled a [rough] list of "known" changes & associates threads:
A15 - Jan '09 (aka Boot-up and/or Fan speed up and/or Down revision...)
1. Enhance Fn+F8 function
x. Support for 8GB memory is... back! (Thx 2 Sesshomaru)
Note that they also added the following: "Please update VGA driver to version A10*(Vista 32bits)/ A05(Vista 64bits) Or later for optimal performance of system"
Clearly this BIOS revision is aimed at a problem with switching between LCD &/or an externally attached monitor (and I doubt that there has been any tweaking done to either boot-up or Fan speeds... ).
*"A10/A05" represents nVidia 176.44 (23 Oct. 2008) and Intel 7.14.10.1409 (7 Jan. 2009) driver versions. My guess is this issue is only with the Intel Integrated graphics.
A14 - Nov '08 (aka hound-dog revision)
1. Added enhancement for Wifi sniffer function.
A13 - Oct '08 (aka removed-from-the-official-list revision)
1. Added support for new versions of Intel CPUs.
2. Added support for 8GB memory.
A12 - Jul '08 (aka speed-up-the-fan-even-more revision)
1. Added enhancement for thermal control.
2. Update GM965 Graphics VBIOS from 1466 to 1588.
3. Update Intel CPU family name.
A11 - Jun '08 (aka speed-up-the-fan revision)
1. Added enhancement for thermal control.
A10 - May '08 (aka the Killa revision / eject-the-disc-already revison)
1. Improve compatibility with Dell Wireless 1390 & 1490 Dell WLAN.
2. Improve system performance on Resume from S3 with Driver Verifier enabled.
3. Added enhancement for optical drives.
A09 - Feb '08 (aka Penryn revision)
1. Updated Intel uCode.
2. Added support for New optical drives.
3. Support new CPUs.
4. Added enhancement for thermal control.
5. Added enhancement for MediaDirect control.
A08 - ? (aka never saw the light of day revision)
1. ah... huh?
A07 - Jan '08 (aka no one really knows... or cares revision)
1. Added enhancement for thermal control.
2. Update GM965 Graphics VBIOS from 1466 to 1588.
3. Update Intel CPU family name.
A06 - Sep '07 (aka battery-eating revision)
1. Enhance the function of the media eject button more stable in multi-CD/DVD installation.
2. Update the nVidia video BIOS to 60.86.45.00.40.
A05 ~ Aug '07 (aka top secret revision)
1. they removed it from their ftp sites before I could jot down the updates...
A02 - Jul '07 (aka VIPs-only revision)
1. Made the sound more stable when close the lid during audio playback.
2. Support the newer version of the Intel processor.
To be updated as necessary.
Just upgraded to the latest A15 bios and saw about 15 second reduction in boot up time
With A14 Bios 61 sec from power on to google search
I think. Ran Prime95 with 8 threads and CPU-Z reports 1.7291 GHz consistently with 13x multiplier. Screen brightness was on max. Is there a GPU test I can run also?
View 4 Replies View RelatedMy new Latitude E6500 has been suffering from a "stuttering" problem. The symptoms:
1. When watching videos on the web (CNN.com, for example), the video and audio would stutter and pause, with "breaks" occuring multiple times a second.
2. When moving windows around the desktop, they would jerk along rather than gliding smoothly.
3. Most windows and programs would open slowly (for example, opening the control panel would take several seconds).
4. Task manager would never settle down to 0% or even 1%, but rather bounce along at 2-7%.
I tried re-loading the OS (Windows XP SP3) from scratch. Drivers, etc. Three times. Same problem.
Things seemed to run fine without Control Point software, which I was prepared to dump--but I do like some of its features.
But I discovered that choosing a Control Point power managment scheme was the problem! The solution was to select a regular old Control Panel power managment preset (one without DELL in the name). Problem solved! Task manager now settles down to 0%, videos run smoothly, etc.
My E6500 specs:
P9500
4GB RAM
Nvidai 160M
260 GB HD
Was having an issue on bios A12 (I think it was) with the brightness (function keys were not adjusting it properly), so updated the bios to A15 and the latest intel drivers as advised. (have intel, not nvidia).
Now the screen on boot is either blank or with only blue lines.
Can hear it booting into windows so the system on the whole seems fine.
Have got it working successfully on an external monitor via the vga port. I have tried to reapply the A15 bios and reinstall the intel drivers but not changed anything. The display properties in windows shows the laptop monitor as stuck on 640x480 and low colours. screen is off on 640x480 and if upped to the only other option 800x600 gives blue lines.
I finally fixed all my problems (kinda) I have sound, wireless card, can go stadby hibernate, ethernet device works etc etc, Don't know how I did it because I went to so many different sites and google it thousand times!!!
I've noticed that sometimes you can't get the right drivers from dell even with the service tag number, I got some drivers from dell, but not from my specific model drivers download page!
The only problem I have now is that my hotkey: fn+esc don't work, it doesn't put my computer into standby like it should, the other hotkeys work just fine, Anyone know why? I also would like to get an older version of quickset because the new version that I got now I don't like it, its 7.1.8, I've been looking for the version that came with my computer from the factory but I don't know what version is! I liked that one better.
So about 3-4 weeks ago now I had to have my 7900GS replaced due to artifacting problems, and this ended up being a problem that was not fixed even after 3 repairs and replacements of the GPU itself, motherboard and screen, all got replaced about 3 or 4 times.
I rang up Dell for the 4th time, and asked to have a replacement but was told this was not possible until it gets to the stage where they need to take it in to the workshop. Anyway, the next day the technician came out and replaced the motherboard, GPU and screen again, and the problem was still there. I was sure that this would be fixed now, because they wanted to take it in to the workshop, which they did.
Now, I believe the problem has resurfaced, I was playing Crysis tonight and I had some more artifacting, the same type that I was getting before but, just in smaller areas instead of the whole screen. Here are some screenshots of the issue:
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
This has been happening on and off tonight, room temperature has been cool and I didn't notice any overheating.
Now I haven't noticed this within the last hour or so of playing, and goes away if I alt-tab then get back in game. The only other game I have been playing is Counter-Strike Source and I haven't noticed any artifacting in that, but that could be because it's nowhere near as graphically demanding.
I'm worried that the problem will keep coming back and possibly get worse, I have not overclocked nor plan to overclock and keep my machine in a very well ventilated area. This is not user error.
Using official Dell video drivers, was reformatted just week as well.
Do you think it's worth ringing Dell about this and try getting a replacement?
I actually have TWO 9-Cells, and they are both drain pathetically fast, whereas when I got it in August 2007, they lasted at least twice that.
View 10 Replies View RelatedI notice most of the major bugs with the new XPS's are vista related, so when windows 7 comes out later this year
View 3 Replies View RelatedI have an Inspiron 9300 that recently started having 100% CPU usage all of the time. After a lot of wild goose chases, the reason turns out to be that 3 out of 4 of its temperature sensors (CPU, Video, and soDimm) think that it is 255 degrees C inside the unit.
Error Code 3900-0626
Msg: Temperature Sensor out of range, temp=255C, min=10C, max=100C
As a result, the CPU steps down to preserve itself. I get perhaps 250MHz core speed rather than the 1.6 GHz the unit is rated for.
In any event, all other hardware diagnostics are fine, the machine runs ok (though very slow), and is otherwise healthy.
The Dell guys say that I need a new Motherboard, but I was wondering the following?
1) Whether the thermistors can be replaced by a shop that does motherboard repair
2) If getting an XPS Gen 2 mobo is worth a try. Would I still have to get new batteries, bios, etc if I planned to keep my existing graphics card? Can I do it without spending too much more money now that I would have to spend anyway on a stock mobo?
I've just got a Sony VAIO CW2 with a GT 330M GPU and have read that the chip is throttled from the default settings.
The source is a review at http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/...w2s1-nkrt-1101, translated with Google Translate.
According to http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-...M.22437.0.html the GT 330M should run at a speed that is higher than what is reported by CPU-Z:
Core Speed: 575 MHz vs my speed of 475 MHz
Shader Speed: 1265 MHz vs my speed of 1045 MHz
Memory Speed: 1066 MHz vs my speed of 680 MHz
I was curious if Apple has got its fan speed problem fixed for windows yet.
I know alot of people need their fans working good in windows for games and I would hate to have to boot into osx to set fan speed to high just so i could boot to windows to play a game.
My Envy has the i7-720QM processor. I noticed significant reduced performance when running on battery.
RealTemp, Sandra, i7Turbo, Intel turbo boost monitor, cpuid, etc.. all report the multiplier at 7 (~930MHz), and won't move from there no matter what I do on the machine.
The multiplier seems locked/fixed at 7 regardless of load. As soon as it is unplugged it dives to 7.
I've changed the power plan to high performance and set min/max power management to 100%. This made no difference.
Is the BIOS forcing this? I believe 7 is the low frequency multiplier but shouldn't this kick in only is there is no activity (to save power?). If I am doing work, I expect the processor to at least run at the minimum frequency specified.
This behavior has been confirmed now by other members of the forum. Previos BIOS releases (F.05 and F.06) have been tested and showed the same issue.
I attached two screenshots, one the system running on power, and the other one on battery. Both running prime95 small FFTs.
to get the windows battery indicator to show the time remaining in Windows 7? It seems like an HP issue but its worth a shot
View 7 Replies View Relatedi have a mini 1014tu that is mini 1000 series... every time when i plug power line the screen become very bright.. every time i change the brightness... that come back to most bright after plugin or out...... how to fixed? i use windows xp sp2
View 3 Replies View RelatedOver the past few months I noticed my laptop was super hot to touch and the fan was working overtime. I put this down to the additional memory and bluetooth device I installed 6 months ago.
The laptop began powering off without warning. It would just die.
I took out the memory and turned off the bluetooth and started disabling services I did not need in Windows XP.
This seemed to work for a short time. I noticed the fan going full speed whenever I used GFX intensive games. After power-off in the middle of a battle in Civ IV I decided enough.
Searched on-line and found some interesting notebook tools that reported the temperature of the CPU. Yep it was super hot. It appeared to be operating about 86oC. The system will power off once the CPU reach a critical threshold.
I figured the fan effectiveness must be reduced. I opened up the 5672 and took a look at the fan. Sure enough the dust was like looking into my vacuum cleaner.
I spent about an hour with a small screw driver, tweezers, some cotton swabs (q-tips) and alcohol based cleaner bulling balls of fluff out of the fan enclosure.
After I got all the clog out the CPU now operates a comfortable 55oC. No super fan blowing or sudden-power off.
I have recently bought a new probook450 g2 but whenever i play a video or audio file an interrupt occurs like a buzz after fixed interval, I don't know what to do ......
View 2 Replies View RelatedI got my laptop back from repair and the papers that came with it said that they not only replaced the LCD screen, but also updated the BIOS to the lates version--1.24
I was messing around with my laptop and the various thermal monitoring programs it has while searching the net why the hell my by-core temps always gets stuck at startup. I kept reading on BIOS, BIOS, BIOS. So I went to acer.com.sg for hopes that a newer 1.25 or so BIOS would be available for my Ciel Noir.
Surprise surprise, they have only the 1.16 (came with my laptop when it was new) and the 1.23 BIOS (mine was presently 1.24, and they don't have it). I downloaded it anyway, and checked the readme. I noticed that the flash utility .exe was named JALA0123.exe and then I noticed through HWMonitor 1.14 that my motherboard was marked JALA0 so hmm...this prompted me to flash the BIOS.
Booted up, got into Windows, fired up HWMonitor and what do you know, now it's working!! HWMonitor reads a different TJMax though, so I adjusted it to be the same as CoreTemp's and Everest, and now it's showing (I hope) correct temps.
Now my question is this: Why does the BIOS that comes from Acer directly i.e. after purchase or repair makes the sensors not work? And why are these BIOSes not available online? Is it possible that they use BIOSes that are for different laptop models, hence rendering the addresses for the thermal monitors different from the actual ones? (I read up that thermal sensors depended on the correct addresses, too.)
Updated: Found a better way to backup Bios only, Please see the end of this message
Let say your Vaio Z is using Bios R4040M3 and you move to Bios R4041M3 to use the official VT support. Later on, you want to move back to R4040M3 to use the Advance Menu hack. Unfortunately, you cannot move back as Sony never publish the R4040M3 Bios update. This is my current situation.
I decided to investigate a way to back up the current Bios. Using a program called Universal extractor, I managed to extracted the files in the original Bios update. The bios update uses a program called Insydeflash to flash the Bios. The Insydeflash uses a file called platform.ini to control its setting.
In the platform.ini file, there is a section called [FDFile]. The section [FDFile] has a parameter called BackupName. If we put in a file name here, the Insydeflash should save your current Bios into that file. Unfortunately, I cannot make it work with the Sony supplied Insydeflash. (version 3.38).
I managed to get the newer version of Insydeflash (version 3.72). The newer version has a new ini section called [BackupROM], as the following:
..........
[BackupROM]
Flag=0
FilePath=c:
FileName=....................
There are a lot of BIOS MOD request forums out there but most of them only specialize in SLIC modification. Our job is to unlock hidden menu in the BIOS. We don't want to use "specialize" word here but we know the "how" to get the job done. Based on the old thread Acer Laptop with Phoenix BIOS: Enable Virtualization, we decided to open new thread which specifically deals with BIOS MOD requests.
Other BIOS modder (bob12x, Darkening & others) and I will help you to unlock hidden menu(s) such as Intel Virtualization Menu and Intel Speedstep Technology.............
I've run into an issue that has stricken every single laptop, regardless of OS, that I've ran that has an intel 4965N WiFi card. Dell Latitudes, Inspirons, Acers, HPs, Lenovos, Toshibas, Gateway, Sony, XP, Vista, Server 2008, Windows 7, 32 bit, 64 bit.
Transfers of large files to my NAS, such as DVD ISOs, system images, or VMware images, will result in a failed transfer 100% of the time.
The issue does not occur with Broadcom or Atheros cards, or intel cards such as the the 2915ABG, 2200BG, 5100N, 5300N, 5350N. Just the 4965N.
I have an intel 5100N card I bought for a friend to use in a laptop, but he opted to use a Broadcom card that was supported in OSX. I'd like to use it in the HP to fix this issue, but unfortunately, HP's current whitelisting of WiFi cards prevents me from doing so. find a BIOS that will let me use my 5100N?
Lately my laptop would freeze and I could see faint white lines only at the top of my screen. (lines do not go all the way down) This has happened twice in a day. Ctrl Alt Del doesn't work so I have to power down the system and it runs normal after that.
I'm really afraid its the dreaded vertical lines issues. I had my mobo + GPU replaced a year ago, still under CC warranty but its such a pain.
I am wondering if anyone know whether dell fixed the video card and heating issues (like many in this forum mentioned) yet?
I am very interested in this machine but I don't want to risk buying something that would burn out later. I am also interested in the new studio XPS 13 as well though I would love to know how it handles heat and the video card (i hate burned-out video cards..
i have been having problems with my xps m1330 ive had it for 3 years now and its been decent to me... 3 months ago when my warranty was up i sent it in to get the gpu and mother board replaced because of the warranty. Just recently it started acting up bad...
Would freeze left and right start running check disk when i tried to restart it...so i decided to reformat it seeing some scan i ran in dos was saying i was missing a system file. So i cleared the c drive and installed vista fresh... re-put my 60gb of music over and everything seemed fine for 2 days... not today it froze up on me ... i tried to restart and got a blue screen that flashed to fast to read and i tried to restart again and got a 2000-0141 error and alot of beeping and crap... so i restarted it and it was gone...
I've had my M1330 for about 1 1/2 yrs now. The first issue is that at one point 3 months ago,
I was being randomly electrocuted by my laptop when I placed my hand on the open space below the keyboard. About a few days after the random electrocution started, the battery died, and won't recharge at all.
Lastly, there is a constant whistling sound that was coming from the laptop ever since I bought it.
I'm out of warranty. Am I able to buy a new warranty for my laptop at this time or is it too late for me? And if it is too late, should I attempt to make repairs through Dell, or am I better off selling the laptop,
and then use the cash towards a lower pc, like those mini/EPC's that these companies are selling now?
