Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

hi, no the 2 bars under are nothing you can feel with your thighs. They are very subtle. I had the 8cell battery on my m1330 that had the back of the laptop lifted on my lap so that air sirculation under it was better. The m3800 gets hot if the air intake are too much covered by your thighs...

 

Since updating to the latest Nvidia driver from the Nvidia website the occasional freezing after hibernation/sleep seems to have stopped.

Has anyone found a good way to clean the rubber palmrest area yet?

 

I have not seen any M3800 driver update from Dell yet, what is the normal Dell procedure are they far behind Intel, Nvidia etc. to make new drivers avalable?

 

Hello, same freezing issue here, but I haven't been able to update directly from nvidia. How did you manage to get the k1100m drivers? And, what version are they (I have 32680 official dell release)? Thanks!

 

Also remember that the 8GB configuration is probably 2x4GB, not 1x8GB, in which case upgrading to 16 would require throwing out your existing RAM rather than just adding to it, further increasing your cost.

Just get them from NVIDIA.com. Even though the K1100M isn't listed, Quadros use a unified driver architecture, so it should work just fine: http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/70378/en-us

They've been getting a lot better about fast releases, usually a few weeks to a month or two tops in general. They seem to be lagging on the Intel GPU driver possibly because that driver requires custom tweaking for Optimus (the one on Intel's site won't install on our system) or possibly just because it's the holidays.

 

Hi, I just updated the driver in the Windows device manager... (right click on card- update driver)

 

This has been an informative thread. Thanks to all who are posting. I'm new here, and my current system is in dire need of replacement (current issues make browsing through 128 pages of this thread challenging), so forgive me if this has already been covered...

1. Is there any real difference between the M3800 and the new XPS 15. They price out about the same, I think. Is one clearly better than the other?

2. I'm looking for a capable, light-weight system (5 lbs or less - I travel a bit) that will allow me to do everyday stuff + some audio, photo and video editing. With the upward trend in visual media and screen resolutions, it seems crazy not to get a QHD+ display if the system is supposed to last me at least 3 years. Aside from a MacBook Pro Retina, is there anything else in the ballpark that I should be looking at? The offerings seem pretty slim in the 14-15" range.

3. The middle-of-the-road M3800 has a 256GB SSD + 500GB hybrid drive. Does anyone know if the hybrid drive is 5400rpm or 7200rpm? Or what the final weight of this system is? I was trying to save money over the higher-end config with 512GB SSD, but I'm concerned that the added hybrid drive might jack up the weight a bit.

4. I am buying this for some work with a charitable organization, and funds are tight right now. Does anyone know if there is a way to get a discount on either the XPS 15 or M3800? I used to get good coupons all the time, but I don't seem to see anything to save a dime off the stated online prices. Sales reps won't cut me a break at all. Also, I hear some people saying they are returning theirs, but I can find no mention of either the new XPS 15 or M3800 models on the outlet site. Is there some way of finding refurbished units?

Thanks for the help!

 

They have different graphics cards, and different warranties. For professional 3D graphics the M3800 is clearly superior; everything else, the differences are minor to non-existent.

I disagree completely. Note that others have a different opinion, but for me, there's no point at all in getting this high of a resolution on such a small screen. On the flip side, there's quite a few applications that become unusable on high resolution.

It's 7200rpm.

If that is the case, you shouldn't get either. Both are premium laptops, the capabilities of which far, far exceed the modest requirements you have listed. Sounds to me like you are looking for a cool toy. This is not something that should be supported with the scarce funds of a charitable organization. You can get a middle-of-the-road laptop that will work beautifully for all you need for half the cost of one of these machines. That's what you should be looking at.

 

M3800 I ordered 8 days ago and currently is shipped. On the Italian store it has become possible to make a custom configuration. If I wanted to return my M3800 what should I do?
What costs do I pay?
Dell gives me the full amount?

 

Thanks for the helpful feedback, Pirx. From what you are saying, it sounds like there is little reason to choose the XPS 15 over the M3800. Any thoughts on the 256GB SSD + 500GB hybrid option vs. the more expensive 512GB SSD option?

In terms of why I'm considering a premium system, while I love "cool toys", I am frugal to a fault, especially when spending funds from donors. The whole reason I posted my message is because I'm looking for the best system that will meet my needs for the least amount of money. I am often on a computer for 12+ hours a day, about 1/2 of that doing something media-related, and am constantly being inhibited by the limitations of my current Sony Vaio Z (a premium $2,000 notebook 3 years ago with dedicated graphics, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD). Because I move around a bit - home to office to places around the globe - weight is a serious issue. I'm looking at a 14" or 15" system because for photo & video work and portable presentations, 13" is too small (this will be my only computer, and since I'm doing a bit of media work out on the field, relying on an external monitor isn't an option). Almost everyone I know doing similar work, even those working for charitable organizations, is using a MacBook Pro. I have a significant investment in some Windows-based software, and was hoping to find a system cheaper than a rMBP. If you (or anyone) can recommend "a middle-of-the-road laptop that will work beautifully for all [my needs] for half the cost of one of these machines", PLEASE make a recommendation. That is one of the key reasons I'm on this thread. Thanks!