Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

Over the weekend traveled to a vacation place where a neighbor lets me parasite his WiFi. Reception was worse than with my M2400. Any tweeks or suggestions? I have an old USB Amp which I will use.

 

Like I said, you might not be able to make that SATA operation change without reinstalling the OS, because that changes how the SATA controller works (using the mSATA port as a cache or using it as an independent device) and also changes the type of controller driver required. This also means that you probably can't clone your existing environment over to an mSATA SSD and expect it to work. But don't use Legacy mode. If you switch to Legacy, you definitely won't be able to boot a Windows environment that was built for a UEFI system. Even if you're doing a clean install, UEFI is a better choice, especially for Windows 8.

So apparently if Windows was installed while the SATA mode was Intel Smart Response, you can't keep using that same environment after switching to AHCI.

 

This thread is the best!!! Thanks, Bokeh and all other contributors for all the info.

I am planning on doing a masters in Industrial Design and the universities recommend any workstation laptop. I was wondering if the M3800 is a good option for a post graduate student? The only spec that worries me is whether the Quadro k1100 would be sufficient for the course. The following are the software I would have to run: Solidworks, Alias, ProE, Catia, Rhinoceros, AutoCad, Inventor, NX Unigraphics, Maya, Solid Edge, 3ds Max.

By the reviews and design, Im in love with the M3800! However, it would be a shame if I require a more powerful GPU like the Quadro k2100, in which case I'll have to look at a W540 or a Precision M4800, which are more powerful no doubt, but expensive and not as pretty

I have my eyes on a refurbished M3800 on eBay for around $1400 (the one without the 3k screen) but I thought that I must get some expert advice before I order something.

Thanks in advance!

 

This thread is awesome, thanks for all the information.

I haven't read all the pages, mostly those about the coil whine issue, which I also suffer from... But I also have another problem, I didn't get a USB recovery drive with my m3800. I don't know how to handle this, should I contact Dell or maybe the retailer? It was a company purchase so I'd rather avoid contacting the retailer, I can just imagine the hassle.

I made my own recovery usb from inside windows 8 but I don't know if it's the same. I'm thinking that the bundled usb recovery drive has a bunch of Dell specific drivers included while the one I made is a generic windows 8 recovery drive or something.

But my biggest issue is the coil whine at the moment, but I'm going to follow the advice of some guy from like page 202 and wait until Dell knows how to fix it and then request a fix while the warranty is still available. I just unplug it when it starts and then reconnect it after a while.

One other problem I have is that I can't upgrade the Nvidia GPU drivers. If I do that, from Nvidias own webpage, windows will turn the gpu off and in the device manager, it will state something like: "Windows has turned this device off because it reported problems" To fix this I have to delete the device and the drivers, and let windows detect it and install it again with the older Nvidia drivers it has available. Not that big of a deal but I like having the latest GPU driver so it's kind of annoying.

I'm sure I will return to this thread later but for now I am very content with this machine. I sure as hell don't think that a high end device such as this should suffer from these stupid game changing problems but that's just how it is. I mean imagine if Apple had these problems with the Mac book pro. People would go ape s**t all over everything.

 

The answers I've seen in this thread from people experienced with such applications (both students and professionals) is that you'd be fine not only with this system, but even an XPS 15 that uses a GeForce instead of a Quadro. Yes, a Quadro accelerates at least some of those applications, but the "need" for a faster GPU as a student is dubious since after all, students aren't billing out by the hour. I've seen several posts from engineering students who used those applications just fine on GeForce-equipped systems, so judging by that, I expect you'd be fine with either system, and you may be able to save a bit (and/or get a more desirable spec) by looking at the XPS 15 as well.

The USB stick you create in Windows 8 is purely a recovery drive, i.e. it only allows you to do things like access Command Prompt, Startup Repair, and System Image Restore -- you can't install the OS clean or (by default) restore from an existing image. If the option to include a recovery image was available when you created the rescue media (if it wasn't, it means Dell didn't include the Windows 8-specific implementation of one) AND you selected that, you'll have the option to restore that with your rescue media. The flash drive you get from Dell, and which incidentally should have come with an M3800, is a generic Windows 8.1 installation flash drive that would allow you to perform a clean install, NOT restore your system to its factory state, i.e. you'd still have to retrieve all of the drivers yourself. If you want to create one of those yourself, all you need is the correct Windows ISO file, and then you can use the instructions in the XPS 15 Wiki in the How-To section to ensure that your media is UEFI-compatible.

Or you can call Dell and I believe they'll send you one for free.

No idea why your drivers won't install. I have an XPS 15 and they install just fine. Maybe someone with an M3800 can chime in with their experience in this regard?

 

Hi Guys,

I am about to order a new laptop- need to order either tonight or tomorrow.

Been deliberating over M3800 or M4800.

Does anybody use their M3800 with Revit (or Building Design Suite)? How does it cope?

Are most of the issues (that cropped up in early machines) now resolved in machines that would ship now? ie coil wine, intermittent WIFI, not waking on sleep?

Also: I have heard that the power adapter socket on the laptop is quite fragile???

Whichever laptop I get, it is going to spend a LOT of time on the road- i am a training consultant, delivering live in-house training around the UK. Is the M3800 robust enough to live on the road, as a daily driver- or would the M4800 be better suited?

Thanks for any input,
Kind regards,
Ian

 

Try getting the newest drivers from the Intel site. You might also try disabling bluetooth.

 

Can't speak to your intended applications, but I'll address the rest:

1. Intermittent WiFi. Almost completely solved by driver updates. A few people who remained affected solved it by also updating their router firmware. There are a small handful of people who are still stuck, either because they had an old router that was no longer receiving firmware updates or didn't have admin control over the wireless infrastructure they were using. But I would say that the reported WiFi issues at this point are at a level you'd expect for anybody with any laptop. Given a large enough sample size (and we've certainly got an especially large one in this thread), there are always going to some WiFi issues somewhere.

2. Coil whine. Some recent recipients seem unaffected, but there are still a few reports here and there. Many people don't consider it a dealbreaker though and mention it simply because they have it, not because it's driving them nuts. In a perfect world, it wouldn't exist, but I've experienced it on several laptops and considered it normal until I saw all the complaints on here. Doesn't bother me at all.

3. Failing to resume from sleep. Caused mostly by Intel Rapid Start. Disabling that should cure the issue. A few other people have reported this issue despite not using Rapid Start, but again, I think the remainder is low enough to be within what you'd expect anyway when enough Windows users were gathered in the same place. I doubt it's specific to this system.

4. AC adapter socket. It's smaller than the standard Dell connector because it has to be in order to fit on a laptop this size. I wouldn't call it fragile, but treat it the same way you would any other small connector, like micro-USB. I'll put it to you this way: if your travels put this connector at risk of breaking, your travels would probably be better supported by a ruggedized laptop.

Yes, this machine will handle being taken on the road without any problems. The bottom and sides are carbon fiber (doesn't get stronger than that) and the lid is aluminum. Aluminum -- pardon me, "aluminium" -- is a relatively soft metal and can therefore get scratched, so watch out for that if you're concerned about aesthetics, but it will protect your system just fine. On the inside, the display is protected by the latest generation of Gorilla Glass (again, doesn't get stronger than that) and the keyboard feels like it will stand up to heavy usage without any issues.

I'd also recommend reading the XPS 15 Wiki. It addresses some of these issues and much of it would also apply to the M3800.

 

Many, many thanks for your comprehensive reply- it's much appreciated and very helpful.

Can I ask how long you have had your M3800 for?

Anything about it you "really" don't like?

I don't have a problem with it being generally "un-upgrade able", but at some point I'll need to replace the battery. Is the batter user-replaceable or is it like an Apple device- ie you have to return it to Dell for them to do?

Thanks once again,

Regards,
Ian

 

I have an XPS 15, not the M3800, but from a hardware standpoint they're identical except for the GPU and the fact that the XPS 15 comes with NFC and the M3800 doesn't.

I wouldn't call this system "un-upgradeable". The GPU and CPU are off-limits (but they're often painful to impossible to replace on any laptop, especially thin and lights), but you can upgrade the WiFi card, 2.5" storage (if so equipped), mSATA storage, memory, and yes, the battery. The battery is easy to replace, but since it's not technically considered a user-replaceable part (pretty much nothing that requires removing the underside cover ever is), you won't be able to buy it from Dell Accessories. Instead, you'd have to go through Dell Spare Parts, and thus they've been unable to sell people these batteries. That said, it's been a while since anybody reported having tried in this thread, so that may no longer be the case, and even if it is, I imagine that will change. But if you can get your hands on a battery, your biggest obstacle will be finding a Torx T5 screwdriver to remove the underside cover. Once that's off, the battery is one connector and 2-3 screws. You can see it if you look at the manual for this system at support.dell.com, which shows you how to take the entire system apart and put it back together again.

I've had mine since early November 2013 and use it as a full-time machine. There is nothing I really dislike about the system. My system spends most of its time on my desk with the lid closed because I have two external displays and an external keyboard and mouse, but with regard to the built-in components, on the occasions I've used them:

- I love the built-in QHD+ display. It's stunning -- once you turn off splendid mode. Glare is visible if you force your mind to see it, but unless you're in extremely bright and direct lighting, your brain will easily tune it out as you start using it.

- The built-in keyboard feels good -- not ThinkPad-grade, but similar to the latest MacBook Pro. Not having dedicated Home/End/PgUp/PgDn buttons is slightly irritating, but nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I've adapted to using Fn+arrow keys for these purposes.

- The trackpad is ok. Definitely nothing to write home about, but once you install the latest drivers, disable gestures you don't need, and install the touchscreen update (which for some reason updates the touchpad as well), it's reasonable. It developed a shiny area where my fingers spent most of their time on the pad faster than I was expecting, but that's a purely cosmetic issue and I'm told that can be cleaned with water or rubbing alcohol; I simply haven't bothered.

Other than that, this system is the first one that came on the market that had everything I wanted in one package for maximum futureproofing: Thin and light, quad-core CPU, discrete GPU, QHD display, touchscreen, 802.11ac WiFi, HDMI 1.4, Mini-DisplayPort 1.2, M.2/NGFF slot, mSATA slot, USB 3.0, headset jack (i.e. includes both line-out and mic/line-in, and can do both simultaneously when using a headset), etc etc.

There's nothing else on the market I'd rather have.