Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

Did you get to run Prime 95 or any similar programs on it?

 

Nope, nothing wrong as far as I know, I've had crashes going past -100mV and the benefit of an 50-90mV undervolt is already significant enough. Anyway, you probably meant 28.4W for the power usage, my 4700HQ is a bit less efficient at 29.2W (3Ghz / -90mV offset / Prime 95 with In-Place large FFTs).

 

It would be helpful not to make assumptions but to make a side by side comparison of both the XPS15 and the rMBP15.

@Bokeh, are you able to get near the rMBP15?

Apart from noise, I have asked previously, and would like to ask again:
- Could you comment on how *glossy* that IGZO panel is? Again, compared to the rMBP15. Is it more glossy because it is a *touch* screen?
- How is the trackpad, is it *as good* as the one on rMBP15?

I am surprised not so many people asked/ care about that.

 

Intel 8 Series Rev C1 Chipset for Haswell Processors contains ‘annoying’ bugs affecting some USB 3.0 devices | Hardware BBQ

This webpage said

Though QM87 is not listed, but it was launched in Q2'13 according to
ARK | Intel® QM87 Chipset (Intel® DH82QM87 PCH)

Therefore, it is possible that QM87 shares the same design and bugs with Z87.

 

QM87 is listed according to the Product Change Notification. Don't know how to check for the C2 stepping though.

 

Not sure why I can't guess based on stuff Bokeh says. Through various posts he has implied that the fans are extremely quiet, that it is very difficult to stress the system, etc. I'm just trying to figure it out from that. Never did I say that it will be quieter, just that based on what he says I'm guessing it's quieter.

 

Yes, we have the previous gen rMBP15 on display in the campus bookstore. Checking to see how long before the current gen shows up.

Planning to check viewing angles and glossiness with the ones there now. The screens on the rMBP15 appear to be the same in the new ones.

Testing the trackpad is going to be tougher. I can check to see which one covers a larger area, but there is a lot of room for personal preference with surface feel, the action of the button clicks, and responsiveness.

Under casual use running Outlook 2013, Word, Firefox, and Pidgin, the fans will either be off or spinning at 700-900 rpm. If you mash your ear onto the bottom of the machine, you might be able to hear it. It is quieter than a spinning HDD.

If you put enough of a load on the system to get the temps above 70C, one fan will run at 2300 and the other at 2400. With an ear on the system directly over the fan, you can hear them. With the machine on a table or on your lap, you cannot hear them. The fans have this quiet low whoosh sound. Fully stressing the CPU or CPU will put the fans at 2300/2400 or 2400/2400.

Both fans start to become audible with the system on your lap once they hit 3800 rpm, but you need to be less than a foot from the machine to hear them. At 4400-4500 rpm they sound like a typical business notebook and can be heard from a couple of feet away. At 4900-5000 rpm, they are easier to hear in a quiet room. The sound is still more of a whoosh than fan sound.

The only way to get over 3800 rpm is to fully load the CPU and GPU. When the fans fall to less than 3800, they are quiet. I can still hear 2900 with ear almost touching the screen. I can't hear 2400rpm or less.

Keep in mind that what I hear is subjective. If I hold my arms all the way out to the side and rub by thumb and finger together, I can hear that papery type sound in each ear. Your ears may be better or worse.

 

I remember seeing somewhere that this laptop (well the XPS 15) had an Ethernet port listed in the specs. It clearly doesn't, so does Dell include a USB to Ethernet adaptor or similar in the box?

 

Yes, USB 3.0 to Ethernet dongle is included.

 

First of all, great job Bokeh! You are doing us all a great favor!

I have a question regarding the sound: did you have a chance to compare it directly with a rMBP? To me the latter is one of the best sounding laptop I've seen lately, and I am interested in understanding how does it fare directly against that Mac. My concern is that the speakers of the rMBP are facing up, while the ones of the DELL are not...

As for the rest it really seem a great alternative to the rMBP! Thanks DELL

CEO Loide