Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

The only way I can see that EVER being the case would be if you forgot to install some sort of driver, like the Intel Rapid Storage AHCI driver. Otherwise, as others said, if anything a clean system would be faster because you'd have fewer background processes running.

You're not missing anything except that Torx screwdriver. It seems that cloning works even for drives that are paired with an mSATA cache unit, which surprised me, but there you have it.

Swapping a hard drive (or any other component) has absolutely zero impact on your warranty; Dell publishes service manuals showing how to disassemble the unit and swap parts explicitly so that consumers can do this. The only exception would be if your work causes damage to the system, which wouldn't be covered (unless you have accidental damage protection). Otherwise, other than the fact that the SSD you're installing won't itself be covered by Dell's warranty since it wasn't purchased from Dell and certified by Dell for this particular system, you're good to go.

I'm not aware of an NGFF card that offers Wifi and 3G together, let alone Wifi, BT, and 3G. And while I agree that USB dongles are ugly, personally if I'm paying a monthly subscription for a cellular data device, I want one that I can use with other devices (including tablets and such) and that can easily be used with a new machine when I get one rather than having to buy the 3G hardware again. Integrated 3G only works with the system it's integrated into, and the chances of it being transferable to a new system are slim to none since if you choose not to buy a 3G card in a system that offers it (intending to transfer one in), you may not get the antennas either. Then there's the question of upgrading to newer cellular technologies like LTE, which is much easier when you don't have to wait for a card that fits your system and your needs.

Why not just use the mobile hotspot function on your phone, or a dedicated mobile hotspot if you don't have a smartphone? No ugly dongle, it can be used with any device that has Wifi, and it can support multiple devices simultaneously. You can even charge its battery from your laptop when the need arises.

 

My 3800 went a whole week with no problems, last night the D: drive went away in the middle of simple browsing/opening a file to edit. Reboot fixed it. I wish I could find this problem, weekend before last I made sure everything was updated. I don't recall seeing or doing anything with firmware, is that possible? Is this a mobo problem? I have a spare 512GB SSD I could try, is that worth it or is this not likely an SSD problem?

 

Dell rep put my replacement order in at the end of last week (Friday), had a shiny new M3800 at my door early this morning. I hope I didn't steal one of your guys orders!

 

I just got a replacement for my M3800, due to touchscreen failing to work + hard drive beeping noises.

Opening my new unit today, I have a new problem: when I plug in the power, it has this high pitch noise static/humming/buzz that is coming from the jack/laptop. really irritating..

Since I still have both the old and new laptop units, I tried problem solving to see which made what noise.
Sure enough the new unit makes the noise regardless of the power adapter used and the old one doesnt.

So now my fear is I will have to send the new unit today to replace this problem unless someone knows how to get rid of the noise from the DC Jack?

Repair shop somewhere maybe? blah.

 

Try reseating it maybe?


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I assume your C: drive is an mSATA SSD and the D: drive is a 2.5" SSD? If so, I agree reseating the drive in the SATA connector is a good idea, and while you're in there I might try carefully reseating the SATA ribbon cable that connects to the motherboard as well. This type of issue could be firmware-related; after all, back in the earlier SandForce controller days firmware glitches caused everything from spontaneous BSoDs to widespread data corruption on the SSD itself. And then make sure you've got the latest Intel Rapid Storage technology driver installed, which can be found on Dell's driver page.

 

No. Motherboard replacement is your only option. Better yet, send the entire unit back, and reorder.

 

I have the top tier model 512 Gb SSD with the large battery...

 

Also afflicted with the electrical noise. Mine stops as soon as I unplug the power adapter. Guess if I ever hear back from my rep I'll see if he will arrange a mobo and power adapter swap

 

Sorry to pop in here in the middle. My question is simple what is the best price I should expect to see on the top end m3800? After talking to a rep, she said the current sale price is as good as it gets. Is that accurate in everyone else's experience?