E6420 Owner's Thread

2 to 3 days? Goodness.....I don't reboot but every 30 days or so.

 

30 days??I used to format my PC every 30 days

I have ansys matlab AutoCAD Ms office tvtuner internet mail mathematics running all together so i restart every 3 days so nothing might not go wrong and loose any of my work.

I don't know if it is all the stuff i am running but it slower than a desktop PC with a 7200 rpm hdd. Maybe it is the 32bit OS it came with.I have to change that because in 32bit in only uses 2.8gb of ram

 

Is DVI Output (via the E-Port replicator) possible using the HD3000 card?

Together with my E6420, I own an E-Port plus port replicator and my monitor is attached to its DVI port. Under Linux I can use the DVI attached monitor only if I use the Nvidia card, while the Intel integrated card does not see the DVI attached monitor.

May you check if using a DVI attached monitor under windows forces the Nvidia card to be on (basically disabling optimus)?

Thanks
G.

 

I just got the replacement with working screen. This one has the 9-cell battery instead, however it also has the regular keyboard. And the cover makes a popping sound when opening. Bezel also has a screwdriver mark where it was inserted to pry open. What I initially thought was a great deal on a great laptop is turning out to be a major nuisance

 

Hi!

I am going to buy a Dell E6420 having an i5-2540M cpu and dedicated gpu. I am going to replace the processor with a i7-2630QM.
I have read that there are two types of heatsinks, this unit probably has the simple D/PN 7MJYV.
1. Is the new CPU compatible at all with the E6420?
2. Do you think it will be loud and would throttle the frequency?
3. Where could a I get a D/PN TYP01 assembly?
4. The bonus question: If I replace the cpu+heatsink by myself, would I loose the Next Business Day warranty?

Thanks!

 

Seeing you can order a new one with a i7-2640M, I think you will be ok with a i7-2630M

It will throttle by default. That is built into the processor and will go to the lowest frequency. Depending on your load will depend on the how much fan is used and therefore how much noise.

Start with eBay, then go to Google.

I would say so unless you have an order number from Dell.

 

Well, my almost 4 week old E6420 gets to go back to Dell. I was testing mine against my boss's, as he gets 8 hours of battery life, and I get 5. We have basically the same hardware, and I installed both of them. In the process of turning the screen down, I found out you can turn the backlight off. Unfortunately, on mine, it won't turn it back on.

*sigh*

 

Thanks for your answer!

In the meantime I came up with the reverse idea: it would be interesting to use the TYP01 even with the i5 as well. It could have better heating, therefore longer battery, quiter operation or lower temps.

(It's QM, but I think you just mistyped it.)

That was done of course, I just asked maybe somebody knows a special way or has useful relations

I don't if it is sealed somewhere. If I have issues not related to CPU I could just put back the original components. As I saw on the pictures the E6420 has a very "servicing-friendly" design, it's not a big deal to replace the processor or heatsink. Changing the ram or hdd is a supported operation (or at least based on my past experiences).

 

I would recommend getting the quad core as configured by Dell. The price difference doesn't justify buying the CPU externally and hanging on to the old one for warranty purposes unless you're pulling it from a broken laptop that you already have.

Also, unless someone actually tested a 2630QM with it, there is also the possibility that the CPU won't be properly supported by the firmware. If you look back earlier in this thread, there was an issue in a newer BIOS where some of us with 2720QMs lost SpeedStep and TurboBoost due to some microcode issue. It has been since fixed, but it's an example of what can go awry if the BIOS doesn't provide proper support (though in other cases you might see it just turn off outright like some older laptops during the Yonah -> Merom days).

I've also seen some Dell desktops just outright refuse unrecognized processors from the same family, though I'm not sure how strict that will be for laptops.

 

Any help, please? I am still struggling to enable the DVI output using my intel GPU.

Thanks in advance
G.