XPS M1530: a brief review

[dOm1naTOr]

First of all, sorry for the delay. I was busy with college matters nd was already short on attendances.

Here is the thread i started when i ordered the lappy:
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85541
I finally got it on 25th April.


PHOTO LINKS :

8Mp cam

K790i
​

Here is what is found when i opened the package
XPS M1530
Charger kit
Carry Folder with 16 CD capacity nd provision for holding earbuds
Nylon Case
Bluetooth headset
2*EP 630
Driver CD pack etc


And the config is:

C2D T8100 Penryne 2.1Ghz 3Mb cache 45nm
965 Express chipset Dell mobo
2*2GB NEC Dual channel 667Mhz memory [total 4GB]
Dell 8600M GT 256 GDDR3 475/1400
250GB HDD 5400rpm
Crimson Red Body finish
15.4" True Life 1440*900
Intel 4965AG wireless N Card
SoundBlaster Audigy Advanced Audio
2.0 mp web cam Creative Integrated
8X DVDRW 24X CD Slot loading type
Dell Bluetooth Module
6 Cell Battery Li-ion
90W Charger
Dell Wireless Bluetooth headset A2DP stereo
8 in 1 card reader integrated
Binder kit
Finger Print Security
Travel Remote control IR
Noise isolation ear buds [Creative EP 630]
RJ-11 modem cable
nylon sleeve
1 Year Dell XPS Care warranty

Got 2*EP 630 noise isolation earbuds nd the case free when i opened the package.

Now lets move onto The features nd design.

The design is cool nd is comfortable to carry too. The thing is sturdy nd most of the body is metal. Only the silver lining on edges nd inner areas are non metal.
*img380.imageshack.us/img380/5099/1003155tu4.th.jpg
It has approximately 2.75 KG(when measures on a soft spring balance) weight which is on higher side. But with such build quality nd features which makes it a desktop replacement one, the weight is justifiable as this one packs quiet a punch.

The Screen performance is commendable nd marginally better than most lappys within the same price range, though the viewing angle from the bottom of screen cud have been better. The angles from top, nd sides are awesome.
The speaker quality is average compared to others. Its even weaker than most of he mobiles phones actually. The speakers are situates at either end of the dark grill above the media buttons. But using the bundled earbuds is recommended for movies nd music. The speaker is only gud for hearing windows warning sounds.....lol
*img139.imageshack.us/img139/3949/1003156kx2.th.jpg

The keyboard layout is the one which is seen common on most lappys. The media buttons above the keyboard is really helpful. They are touch sensitive nd have impressive blue backlit nd the response is gud enough.

The Travel remote is a nice feature, but sports a IR sensor, so u shut point it to the front of the lappy for proper working while operating from a distance. This is helpful on occasions like presentation, watching movies on TV etc.
*img504.imageshack.us/img504/5976/1003266nn6.th.jpg
*img509.imageshack.us/img509/3336/1003292wv9.th.jpg
The DVDRW is a slot loading type. SO You wont be able to use mini discs burned on ur camcoder or use driver discs which comes on mini CDs or DVDs. The drive is sometimes noisy nd slower due to its 8X DVD speeds nd 24X CD speed. The ejecting disc can sometimes collide with large thumbdrived or USB connector on the right side.
*img73.imageshack.us/img73/113/1003300ts1.th.jpg

The carry case is real gud one though it dun have any carry strap ot handle. Its only to serve the purpose of protecting lappy from smudges, scratches or mild shocks. Its a very compact nd fits the lappy perfectly. The lappy bagged in the case can then easily be goused in any medium sized lappy bags which has handle or carry straps.
*img230.imageshack.us/img230/8922/1003268vz1.th.jpg

The left side has connectors namely
HDMI, D-sub, 2* USB, IEEE 1394 nd charger port and right side has Express card, CD/DVD slot, 1*USB, S-VID, Lappy lock port etc. The front has three audio ports of which two can be used as headphones nd the thirt as mic or line in. Also there is a Media card reader hwich accepts SD/MMC/MS Pro/Duo standards.
*img501.imageshack.us/img501/7048/1003279ej1.th.jpg

*img178.imageshack.us/img178/6250/1003287mw8.th.jpg

*img178.imageshack.us/img178/9637/1003291jf7.th.jpg

The bundled bluetooth headset is stylish nd comfortable, though it has some trouble with vista. It worked perfectly on my mobile with A2DP nd the sound quality is gus though the it cud have been a bit more louder. It can be folded to fit in ur pocket, but itll be bit bulgy. It has got gu battery life nd can be charged thru mini USB cable bundled with it. It has play/pause, next/prev, vol +/- buttons.

*img512.imageshack.us/img512/2435/1003272ei1.th.jpg
*img379.imageshack.us/img379/1264/1003271at7.th.jpg




And do i need to say nythin bout the EP-630???? It simply rocks
*img166.imageshack.us/img166/4153/1003276vm3.th.jpg

The rear left side of the lappy heats up quickly while doing heavy tasks like animation on games nd u cant keep working while placing it on ur laps. The hot air is pushed away from rear nd all the heatpipes throws the heat out thru this vent. Ive seen on some reviews some long copper heatpipes running throughout the inside of the lappy nd a large heatsink on the rear nd air is pushed out after filtering thru the heatsink. Make sure the air exhaust is not blocked while the lappy is on cloth surface or a bed while gaming or ull end up buring the GPU or system might crash loosing stability on overheating.
*img247.imageshack.us/img247/1428/1003299lb3.th.jpg

The battery backup is quite average about 2~2.25 hrs of usage with med~high screen brightness. It couldnt even last 1.5~1.75 hrs while under heavy gaming nd under max volume nd brightness.
The battery status can be found using the display on the battery itself which can be activated by the touch of a soft button on battery itself.
*img230.imageshack.us/img230/1517/1003295fa6.th.jpg





MOVING ONTO PERFORMANCE

The system breezed thru 3D Mark 06 compared to my desktop running Athlon X2 4200+939 oc 1GB Ram and 7600GT oc.
AT resolution 1024*768 the system score was impressive though the scores got bit down at 1440*900. It performs almost same as a Desktop 8600GT as Dell just started shipping GDDR3 with their XPS 8600GT.
The M8600GT runs at 475 Mhz while desktop one runs at 540. Memory runs at same speed.
[the nvidia driver was tuned for max performance nd AA to 2X and texture quality to 'Performance' nd kept most of the stuffs off.
*img138.imageshack.us/img138/3826/screenshot2hw3.th.jpg

 

[dOm1naTOr]

*img393.imageshack.us/img393/4589/screenshot3rc5.th.jpg

*img360.imageshack.us/img360/7699/screenshot4xn0.th.jpg

*img141.imageshack.us/img141/3355/vistaperfrtxa6.th.jpg
All scores managed to get above 5. The memory score was limited to 5 maybe coz og the lower frequency ram @ 667 even though at dual channel.
BTW now Vista detects only 3.5G ram due to the bug nd will probably be solved after SP1. Then maybe the performance might improve.

ill post more bench results nd scores soon.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

EDITED

Got Vista Sp1 installed and now the whole 4GB is shown in system properties, but actually MS is fooling us. Still it wont use higher than 3.5GB even thogh it shows 4G to keep the audience satisfied while they keep on their drama.

I installed the latest forceware[175.80] for desktop GPUs with a modified .inf files [otherwise it refuses to install].
Also got rivatuner and ATI tool to start some overclocking. I prefer ATI tool.
Here are the stock and oced bench scores:


Stock:
clocks : 475/1400/950

latest driver from Dell website [dont say ny driver version nd naming seems diff from normal ones].
3D M 06:
1024* 768 : 4785
1280*800 : 4281
1440*900 : 3843

Overclocked:

clocks : 645/1510/1290
driver : modified forceware 175.80 (fromLAPTOPVIDEO2GO )
1024*768 : 6042
1440*900 : 5056

on 2/8/08
driver : 175.97
clocks : 645/1510/1290
1024*768 : 6303 wow!
1440*900 : 5138
max temps during bench : 74c
*img145.imageshack.us/img145/2979/3dm066457551440kk1.th.jpg


Overclocking Guide

[Actually the 8600M GT houses the same G82 GPU used in desktop 8600 GT cards. But the core/memory clocks are locked at lower value like 475/1400 as opposed to desktop ones 540/1400. This locking of clocks is not a BIOS lock, and just a driver lock...means the driver provided for 8600M GT from Dell locks this clocks at this value. I u managed to install normal forcewares, then you can set clocks at any value like in 8600GT provided the temps are under control]

1) I suggest u to updare XPS M1530 to latest bios, ie A09 from dell site. This one runs cooler, especially the GPU and so better suited for safer overclocking.
2) go to this siteand download a good forceware with modified inf file (i suggest 175.xx drivers). After download, extract the archive and replace the nv4disp.inf file with the modified one downloaded from the same driver download page.
3) Now you can easily install this desktop forceware on ur lappy. This driver will support more games, which otherwise refuses to start on 'Go' series driver for mobile GPU.
4) download rivatuner from here and install it.
5) start rivatuner and click on this button as in pic:
*img143.imageshack.us/img143/5605/3dm06440oc645755ic0.th.jpg

6) tick 'enable driver level hardware overclocking' select 'performance 3D' from drop down list.
7) slowly increase the clocks by movinf=g the slider. I must say, the XPS M1530 with GDDR3 can be taken to a min of 620/1290/750 w/o worrying bout the temps. You can go much higher as ive did, but just watch out for the temps.
8 )open rivatner's hardware monitoring and run a 3DM o6 or vantage bench and see if the temps goes beyond 85c~90c, then its somewhat the limit for the oced clocks, even though the GPU can withstand more than 120c with ease. but consider other sensitive components situated close to GPU on a lappy, 90c+ will be somewat overkill.
9) Run some benchs post in this thread

Hope this will help u guys who have bought this lappy [or similar one with 'go' series driver by default], to pust the rendering performance of ur lappy yo its max. Please do comment if uve got ny
Now trying to oc the proccy and ram. The bios has no option to oc. Will try to do it with some software from windows.

 

[Krazy_About_Technology]

You got the machine of my (and ofcourse, yours too ) dreams man! Good luck to you. Enjoy!

I have a deep sense of respect for Dell in my heart as far as quality is concerned. Dell is unlike the other guys who spend a lot on ads with movie stars (read Hritik, i am stuck with an Acer Travelmate Grr..., their customer support cheated me by temporary solving a problem that i was having with it, coz the warranty period was going to be over in Next 5 days. X-( ) in them and dont care about quality when it comes to their lower end models. With Dell, even the lower range (which apprently is not that lower) has the same quality components.

 

[dOm1naTOr]

thnx

 

[Krazy_About_Technology]

Hey, you running Vista Basic theme on this baby man! Why don't u enable AERO? its just a suggestion buddy

 

[dOm1naTOr]

Aero is automatically turned off when 3D M 06 is launched.

 

[Krazy_About_Technology]

OK, got it. i didn't know that.

 

[Pathik]

Congrats aravind. But why did you get the crimson red one?

 

[gxsaurav]

^^^ because he likes red color

Personally, I would have prefered a pImped up HP TZ2000 laptop. in 60K you get 2 GB RAM, 2 GHz AMD Turian CPU & touch screen, it is also a tablet PC.

 

[dOm1naTOr]

@pathik
thnx mate

he he
its not..... "i like red"
but the black nd blue shades arent that impressive for the XPS models as seen on some reviews....and im too much impressed by the mpvie '300' lol

For Inspiron, i wud have opted piano black or white(mac like look) or green(for green computing).

 

[iMav]

^^ cool accessories man, the headsets and 4GB kick a$$ dude, have fun on the baby and do let all know how is vista on 4 gigs

 

[debsuvra]

hey aravind, does not XPS M1530 comes with Vista SP1 installed ?

 

[dOm1naTOr]

@debsuvra
nope as of now, coz MS withdrew SP1 downloads due to some bugs nd posponed the release. Maybe Dell ll start shipping SP1 anytime soon.

@iMav
And Vista runs on it as if i was running XP on a 256MB ram walla PC. Apps like VS 08, Dreamweaver, Flash CS3 nd Fireworks lags much more than my desktop which has mere 1G ram. The tooloxes of these apps first launches empty nd slowly each tools are loaded......wtf???
Its really annoying..

Ill soon install XP SP3 which ive been using on my desktop. I dun know if all XP drivers wud be available, but surelly im not gonna stick to Vista atleast till SP1 is released.


One of the mistake i did was not opting factory partitioning nd didnt pay dat 516/- for partitioning. SO The whole HDD came with two partitions.
220 GB Primary active
10GB Secondary...

And while trying to shrink the volume using Vista Disk Management tool, everythin went crappy nd i lost the OS. Thanks DELL povided Vista Full installation disk nd full driver disc i reformated it back to that 220.
That 10GB partition contains some Dell restore utilities (which didnt work while trying to repair).

Anyone knows how to resize the partition w/o losing data???
I know Partitoj magic or Aconis can do it, but the problem is

Whenever i try to rezise/shrink, the free space is created in Primary session, nd white trying to format the free space to new partiton it says "One one active partition is alloved as primary". It dun have option for formating as secondary...wat shud i do?

I need to install XP urgently.

 

[praka123]

Vista crawls for you?

 

[dOm1naTOr]

yap. The UI gets sluggish sometimes and some apps are faster than XP while some are slower.
Formating (both full nd quick) flash memories like memory cards, thumbdrives takes almost 5x more time than in XP while moving large files on HDD us faster.

 

[gxsaurav]

Clean install Vista, then install SP1 standalone EXE & you won't face any driver incompatibility either cos the hardware of your laptop is new.

After that you can read my guide of Using Windows Vista the MVP way. On your hardware Vista should rock if configured properly. I guess you must be having many unnecessary services running by default.

 

[dOm1naTOr]

ya
SP1 is open for DL now.
Thnx, will try it

 

[desiibond]

^^^ because he likes red color

Personally, I would have prefered a pImped up HP TZ2000 laptop. in 60K you get 2 GB RAM, 2 GHz AMD Turian CPU & touch screen, it is also a tablet PC.

Did you mean Tx2000 entertainmeny lappy?

if yes, it's display maxes out at 12.1" which is a big let down for entertainment PC. Watching a movie on a 12" display doesn't feel good.

 

[Krazy_About_Technology]

I donno whther the option is available on newer HDDs but in Devcie Manager, on double clicking the Hardidsk drive, a property sheet appears. On this sheet, on the policies tab, there is a checkbox "Enable Advance Performance" under the "Enable Write Caching....." checkbox. Enabling it gave a huge performance boost to my aging lappy, on Vista. Try it if it applies to you. But this option is only recommended for Lappy's or computers with reliable power backup systems.

 

[j1n M@tt]

Crimson Red finish is really cool......even if it is red, it has a professional touch.

Unlike all other laptops which I hav reviewed, this lappy really caught my attention when domi brought it me on the very first day after its delivery from Dell. Dell guys really amused us by sending the lappy by air, after just 12 hrs before domi called those guys at Dell test center.

Build quality is really solid and rigid, with gud layout of keys and other media buttons and side ports. Display is really nice on ur eyes. Brighter with more clarity than most of the laptops of this range. Also hav gud wide viewing angles from top and from the sides, even though its a little foggy when viewed with a downside angle. The lap only heats up at the top left conner, where all the copper heat pipes running along the inside of the lappy ejects all its heat.

All accessories provided by Dell really rox. I think Dell guys dunno wat all stuffs they hav to pack......they send two EP630 with a small note telling dat with a small amount of additional bucks they will send one more EP630 if u want(sounds funny ). The media+control IR remote and Bluetooth headset are really handy extra stuffs.

The 8600M GT with DDR3 really does its job and the audio output is very powerful than on any other laptops. The EP630 will punch the h3ll out of everyone if volume is turned on maximum. But the in-built lappy speakers r below average. Apart from this everything is fine and cool.........