Dell Precision M3800 Owner's Review

I would consider the possibility that what you're seeing is a design decision made by the USB network adapter. If the adapter's firmware is programmed not to expose itself to the system until a cable is connected, no amount of system configuration steps will change that behavior. My own StarTech adapter is visible the moment I connect it to a USB port, no custom power settings or cable connection required. If I'm right about the cause, Dell Support won't be able to help you (and frankly I doubt they'd have the knowledge to troubleshoot this issue anyway, especially if you're using a third-party adapter rather than Dell's own), so you might want to just get a different adapter.

It's too bad Creo can't bind to the WiFi MAC address. Most hardware-enforced licensing apps I've seen have bound themselves to a proprietary USB dongle or a motherboard UUID. Have you tried talking to Creo to explain your situation and see about a workaround? I imagine they must be getting an increasing number of complaints about their authentication model now that systems without built-in wired NICs are becoming more common, so perhaps they've got an alternative.

 

Good day all,

Many thanks to everyone who posts solutions/suggestions as this is an excellent discussion forum!

Brief background: I own a Dell XPS M1330 that was top of the line when I purchased the laptop in 2008. I've wanted to upgrade to a new laptop over the previous year and a half and looked at several Dell laptops, read many reviews, and owner complaints. I decided that the M3800 is the best fit for my computing needs.

Configured Specs:
I selected the following specs for the M3800:
Windows 7 Professional, English, 64-bit (includes Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit License)
16GB (2x8GB) 1600MHz DDR3
15.6" UltraSharp™ IGZO QHD+ Touch(3200x1800) Wide View LED-backlit with Premium Panel Guarantee
Nvidia® Quadro® K1100M, w/ 2GB GDDR5
256GB Solid State Drive Full Mini Card
6-cell, 91WHr Primary Battery

I am somewhat tech-savvy but I admit that I have not kept up on all the hardware changes/advancements. So, I have the following questions for current owners:
1) Any suggestions and/or cautions about the specs I configured for the M3800?

2) What are the differences, if any, between the Full Mini Card and Serial ATA SSDs?

3) Any suggestions on the how many years of Hardware Support Service, Accidental Damage Service, and Extended Service I should include in my purchase? (I want to make sure that I can return the M3800 if I encounter coil whine and/or other hardware related problems).

4) I called Dell sales once before and the sales representative was knowledgeable about the personal/home line of laptops but did not as familiar with the business laptops such as the M3800. Is there a best time/day or specific Dell sale rep to call who is knowledgeable about the M3800? In other words, how do I connect with a sales rep who knows what s/he is talking about, etc?

Many thanks!

 

I see you selected the 91WHr battery. Can I ask if you found a way to do this without having to select the "Fully Customizable" option. I also wanted the more powerful battery but balked at paying the additional $300+ Dell charges for a custom configuration.

 

Dell has a Small Business Sales group of which handles the Precision Line.

 

As others have pointed out here, if you do in fact have the larger batter it precludes you from adding a second hard drive. With that in mind I would go with the 512GB SSD.

 

If you're coming from an XPS, any reason you're not choosing the XPS 15 rather than the M3800? It's hardware-identical except for the GPU, and even the GPUs are identical unless you need Quadro-specific functionality -- in fact it seems that the XPS 15's GPU may be clocked HIGHER than the M3800's. So unless have apps that use Quadro-specific capabilities, or you absolutely must have Windows 7 rather than 8.1, or you can somehow get a better deal on the Precision, you would probably be better off with the XPS -- which by the way can ALSO be ordered through Small Business, and comes with Win8.1 Pro (rather than 8.1) and ProSupport when ordered that way. You only lose the included USB flash drive Windows installer, included USB 2.0 to Ethernet dongle, and the dongle to allow you to use regular Dell AC adapters with this system. The first one I consider insignificant since it can be created anyway, and the last two can both be added to XPS orders as accessories and purchased separately anyway -- though for the Ethernet dongle you'd probably want a USB 3.0 version unless you require PXE boot capability, in which case you'd need Dell's USB 2.0 version.

In terms of your questions:

1. Check out the XPS 15 Wiki for details on the different specs.

2. A SATA SSD is a normal 2.5" drive; a mini card is an mSATA card. There's little to no difference between the same SSD model if it's available in both form factors, but they're not interchangeable because the connector shapes themselves are different, and a 2.5" SSD won't fit in an area designed for an mSATA card (though you can buy adapters to use an mSATA card in an area intended for a 2.5" drive). And as others have pointed out, the 2.5" option isn't available when you have the larger battery installed. Also be aware of the "Solid State Hybrid Drive". Despite the name, that is a magnetic hard drive that simply has an onboard SSD cache. As such, its price is much closer to a regular magnetic drive, and it will perform noticeably better than those drives, but nowhere near the level of a real SSD. Those drives are also 2.5" units.

3. Statistically most issues occur in the first 90 days or the second year, so I would get at least 2 years. That said, if this will be a critical system for you (business, school, etc) and you won't have access to a backup system if this one dies, I personally would advise that you purchase a warranty for as long as you intend to use the system in that capacity. If you encounter a major issue, you don't want to hear that you'll need to send it into a depot for a (paid) repair and that you'll get it back in a few weeks. You want someone there the next day getting you back up and running.

4. The M3800 is identical to the XPS 15 in terms of hardware specs except for the GPU. In terms of calling Dell to ask questions, personally I think you're more likely to get the right answers in places like this and the XPS 15 Wiki.

 

At least in the US, the 91 WHr battery is included in the top pre-configured M3800 and XPS 15 SKUs, which also include a 512GB SSD. But different regions have different options.

 

My apologies for not being clear. I selected the "Fully Customizable" option and then chose the 91 WHr battery.

 

Thank you for suggesting the 512GB SSD

 

If you're going to get the 512GB SSD, you may as well choose the top-end non-customizable version since that will be the same spec as what you're planning now, and that option will likely be less expensive. But also, check out the XPS 15.