Dell XPS 15 - Issues, Need help!

[shashankm]

Hi All, Recently bought a Dell XPS 15 L502x for around $1500 (63000 INR). As usual, Nvidia has played an awesome role in messing up the graphic options. There is NO Optimus technology, I can see! I repeat there isn't any as I have just downloaded latest Nvidia driver and it seems to have been deprecated. So coming to the point,

ISSUE 1: The nasty swap b/w integrated Intel Graphic and GT525m!

I installed GTA4 recently and to my horror, it was showing my graphic resource as 275MB and was running with lowest possible settings, needless to say, horrendous it was looking!

WHAT I DID?

Assigned GTA4 in Nvidia control panel setting as highest graphic processor with all the GPU recommended settings, resetted BIOS to A06, installed latest Nvidia driver 8.17.12.6830, still none to avail. I learnt at a site that disabling Nvidia Optimu from BIOS, does wonders! I only went there to find neither my BIOS has any such option and nor I have any entity entitled Optimus. After losing the game from each side, I sat back quietly and enjoyed 1992 version of Dangerous Dave!

Heck, my windows experience index is 4.5! [8o|]

SO?

Need help primarily on this issue, otherwise I will have to return this laptop, this bad issue has become! Google hasn't been of much help, calling Dell support seems only absurd as stated at many sites, Dell support wasn't able to rectify the problem! HELP!

ISSUE 2: Speed issues

I agree, newer system is full of bloatwares, which need to be removed still, I think it loads slower than my Quad Core Q8400/DG45ID desktop! Login takes atleast 40-60 seconds, shut down takes 60-120 seconds!

WHAT I DID?

Removed unnecessary programs from msconfig, ran CCleaner all that! Still, it feels unlike second generation i5!

SO?

Any suggestions are welcomes, as let alone deploying CPU/GPU intensive applications, I am even scared to turn it on!

ISSUE 3: Temperature, as if few kms away from center of the earth!

Idle temps are 50-55, loaded temps are 65-70 and max I witnessed was 100C in second core! And I thought my Quad Core at 80C at full load was hot....

WHAT I DID?

Actually nothing, planning to buy a Targu chillpad, there's nothing much I can do! Again, I am not in a mood of installing PS, 3DsMax and other CPU dreaded applications!

BOTTOMLINE

I may have missed some issues and if I find any positive updates on above issues, I will certainly write back! Till then need your help, especially on ISSUE 1!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[pranav0091]

issue2: Though technically uninstalling stuff should make a laptop faster, i have founnd that its often not the case. Though a little extreme, a full reinstall is what i'd recommend. and dont install from recovery disks, they arent going to be of much use. a clean fresh install and then install only the things you need. most of those help things are absolute no-no if you have the basic understanding of ur computer. 60 secs for bootup i can understand ( my lap was too until i reinstalled and now it boots up in less than 32 seconds)

But anything over 20 seconds for shutdown is unusually long and indicates to a process thats is unwilling to end normally. either you can try to find the offfending application or better IMHO go for a fresh install...

 

[Ishu Gupta]

Need help primarily on this issue, otherwise I will have to return this laptop, this bad issue has become! Google hasn't been of much help, calling Dell support seems only absurd as stated at many sites, Dell support wasn't able to rectify the problem! HELP!

I heard Dell have the best support?
Try to get the latest drivers and update your BIOS.

ISSUE 2: Speed issues

I agree, newer system is full of bloatwares, which need to be removed still, I think it loads slower than my Quad Core Q8400/DG45ID desktop! Login takes atleast 40-60 seconds, shut down takes 60-120 seconds!

WHAT I DID?

Removed unnecessary programs from msconfig, ran CCleaner all that! Still, it feels unlike second generation i5!

Clean installation of W7 should solve this. What is your CPU/RAM utilization after boot?

ISSUE 3: Temperature, as if few kms away from center of the earth!

Idle temps are 50-55, loaded temps are 65-70 and max I witnessed was 100C in second core! And I thought my Quad Core at 80C at full load was hot....

FFS. Power saving options should solve this. This will also impact performance unfortunately.

 

[shashankm]

issue2: Though technically uninstalling stuff should make a laptop faster, i have founnd that its often not the case. Though a little extreme, a full reinstall is what i'd recommend. and dont install from recovery disks, they arent going to be of much use. a clean fresh install and then install only the things you need. most of those help things are absolute no-no if you have the basic understanding of ur computer. 60 secs for bootup i can understand ( my lap was too until i reinstalled and now it boots up in less than 32 seconds)

Can I use Win 7 disk shipped by Dell, will that disk have bloatwares too?

I heard Dell have the best support?
Try to get the latest drivers and update your BIOS.

They are ready to replace/refund money the moment I hint them! I guess no other vendor in India is capable of this fledged support. They are ready anytime its just that technically, their support is saying the same thing, re-install GTA, Driver, BIOS if no, reinstall Window!

Clean installation of W7 should solve this. What is your CPU/RAM utilization after boot?

1.26 GB/20-40%!

FFS. Power saving options should solve this. This will also impact performance unfortunately.

I am already on the minimalistic settings!

Guys, rest of the issues other than ISSUE 1, can KMA! I don't care about them, its just first issue, needs a resolution!

 

[pranav0091]

Can I use Win 7 disk shipped by Dell, will that disk have bloatwares too?

If it is a plain windows disk, then no, it wont contain any bloat. but if its the stupid "recover to factory settings", then it probably has..

1.26 GB/20-40%!

20% is high... is it immediately after boot or say, like a couple of minutes after the desktop has appeared?

 

[Ishu Gupta]

1.26 GB/20-40%!

That's too high.

Download CCleaner and remove unneeded applications from startup.

 

[shashankm]

If it is a plain windows disk, then no, it wont contain any bloat. but if its the stupid "recover to factory settings", then it probably has..

Well it looks like a dell one, anyway I've got the "ahem" version!
And yeah, x64 version sucks bigtime!

20% is high... is it immediately after boot or say, like a couple of minutes after the desktop has appeared?

After couple of minutes, it stables around 0.99-1.15GB and 2-3 %! But uptill then, it is a nightmare to even think of multitasking!

That's too high.
Download CCleaner and remove unneeded applications from startup.

Done that!

 

[pranav0091]

If it has the "fastaccess" thing, remove it. remove all the startup items that are not absolutely essential.
Try Run>msconfig>startup and untick the ones you dont need.
you could even disable select services...

And uninstalling the supplied McAfee does wonder to speed up a dell. use something lighter or if you dont download too much, dont use any..

the best option would be download a windows iso from the net, te exact same type that you have in ur lap at the moment and use your original key to actvate. (that is not illegal, though i'm not sure how the key will work. might have to call up dell support). i can guarantee that should give a maaajor performance boost.

 

[shashankm]

If it has the "fastaccess" thing, remove it. remove all the startup items that are not absolutely essential.
Try Run>msconfig>startup and untick the ones you dont need.
you could even disable select services...
And uninstalling the supplied McAfee does wonder to speed up a dell. use something lighter or if you dont download too much, dont use any..

the best option would be download a windows iso from the net, te exact same type that you have in ur lap at the moment and use your original key to actvate. (that is not illegal, though i'm not sure how the key will work. might have to call up dell support). i can guarantee that should give a maaajor performance boost.

Well thanks for the tip, I am just concerned about GPU/IGP messup, I can rectify rest of issues quite easily I guess just that, when I am free and have ample time to messup!

 

[kaz]

i m going to buy xps 15
jst wating bcoz i7 is out of stock at dell xclusive store, kolkata

will u suggest me buying this one?

any problems with urs?

 

[xtremevicky]

This seems to be one of problem . I am sure my laptop has optimus technology as the GFX kicks in when I start FIFA 11.

Get a replacement ! Tell them the problem .

 

[hacktom]

I think their are some serious issues with your laptop even when I am using windows 7(pre installed with all bloatware) laptop temp never goes beyond 70 degree for any core. Even if a core utilization is 100 % max temp it goes to 72 degree( so I think 100 is to high, it can damage your processor). So I think you should contact dell explaining them you situation and if you are within 30 days period(since the time you received the laptop) you can ask dell that you want return back your laptop explaining the problems faced by you.