Dell Precision 7540 and 7740 Owner's Thread

No. (Honestly I am interested to see how these displays survive against burn-in after a year or two of use before I would consider getting one. A desktop OS has a lot more fixed elements on screen than a phone or TV would typically have.)

You cannot disable the dGPU from the BIOS. Your only option is to enable graphics switching or disable it. If you disable it then the iGPU will be disabled but the dGPU will always be available either way. If you have graphics switching turned on, the dGPU "should" be powered off when there is not a program running that needs it.
You can use Optimus under Linux but (to my knowledge) it is not yet as streamlined as using it under Windows.

 

I'm thinking of getting a 7740 or 7540 with a UHD display. When playing media content produced at 25 or 24 fps, It annoys me to see motion artifacts that result from the screen refreshing at 60 Hz that is not an integer factor of the original frame rate. Is it possible to change the refresh rate on these laptops to 50 Hz or 48 Hz ??
Has anyone else had these kinds of issues with the playback of disparate formats on standard computer monitors??

 

PSA: Dell has pulled the capability of undervolting for 7X40 as in BIOS version 1.8.2. The same has happened to XPS 15 7590 since BIOS version 1.6.0.

 

Downgraded to 1.7.0 - still no undervolting :-(

 

Not all components are reverted in a downgrade. I would downgrade to the oldest one that you can find that works (sometimes they block at a certain version) see if you get undervolting back... Then upgrade back to 1.7.0.
Though seems like in the long run a choice will have to be made — continue to accept BIOS updates (which may include other security fixes) or stick with 1.7.0 for the lifetime of the machine.

I wonder if they will just go ahead and block undervolting on future systems, or if they will allow it again once we have CPUs that aren't susceptible to "plundervolt". It's a really handy way to manage the system's thermal output and boost performance...

 

Just checking the 1.8.2 BIOS notes.

Fixes & Enhancements
- Firmware updates to address security advisory INTEL-SA-00307 (CVE-2019-14598).
- Firmware updates to address the Intel Security Advisories INTEL-SA-00289 (CVE-2019-11157) and INTEL-SA-00317 (CVE-2019-14607).
- Fixed the issue that there is no user interface for wireless connection in BIOS Connect cloud SOS interface.
- Fixed the issue where the wireless disconnects. Also, the wireless does not connect to the network automatically when resuming from sleep or when logging in after leaving the system on the locked screen.
- Fixed the issue where the system stops responding on Dell logo when SMM Security mitigation and Secure Boot is enabled.
- Fixed the issue where the system is not able to update the BIOS from BIOS Boot Menu with SMM Security Mitigation enabled.

Enhancements:
- Updated the Intel Management Engine firmware.
- Enabled the SupportAssist OS recovery.
- Supports 5G band.
- Enhanced the system firmware auto recovery function when system firmware does not work.
- Refine BIOS warning message for lowered wattage power supply or source.


INTEL-SA-00289 and CVE-2019-11157 are the "plundervolt" issue. It looks like Intel put out a microcode update to "fix" this and Dell has included it in this BIOS update.
Microsoft has been rolling out Intel microcode updates via optional Windows Update patches as well (since not all motherboard vendors issue BIOS updates once the systems get old enough). It is likely that at some point, one of the "major" Windows 10 updates will include this one and you'll be stuck without undervolting regardless of which BIOS version you are on.

Whether or not undervolting is re-enabled for future systems probably just depends on whether or not Intel feels comfortable that they have fixed the issue and start allowing it in their stock micocode.

 

Undervolting can reduce CPU reliability. However, if you underclock, then it would certainly make sense to undervolt as well. Is underclocking (or downclocking) still an option in the new BIOS??

 

It is understood that undervolting can lead to stability issues however users here have found that it is safe to do it by 100 mV or so (exact value varies from CPU to CPU). Less power means less heat which means either less fan noise or higher clock speeds in turbo boost.

You can easily force the CPU clock speed down just by putting a limit on the "maximum processor state" in Windows advanced power options.

 

Reset to factory default in BIOS after downgrading to 1.7.0 to get undervolting back.

CineBench r20: -100mV around 3700, default 3400 on 9980HK

 

My understanding is that the boost speed is only available for very short bursts, causing the chip to overheat and clock back down. My question is not about that. I am wondering about sustained speeds. The E2276M is rated at 2.8 GHz whereas the E2286M is 2.4 GHz. Is it correct to assume that these are consistent operating clock speeds you could expect with the cooling available in a 7740 system ???