Latitude 6430u owners thread

Is anyone seeing issues with constant CPU usage after a sleep/wake cycle? When mine wakes from sleep, it constantly shows 18% CPU usage in the Task Manager. Process Explorer says this is caused by interrupts. I'm trying to track down if this is a problem with this laptop in general, or just my installation. I performed a clean install of Windows 7 x64, then installed drivers from Dell's support page. If you're not seeing it, are you on the Dell image or a clean install? What about if you are?

 

Not seeing that on mine. I sleep the machine fairly often as well. Corporate build of W7 with all drivers apparently working fine, sorry I can't be more help....

 

It arrived!

First impressions, fan is indeed noisy. Or rather almost always on. I'll sort that later, suspect its caused by some of the Dell proprietary software.

Build quality, first thing I had to do was snap the palmrest back into place - a nice little bulge near the SD card reader. Keyboard also bulging near the Windows key - again will fix later. Dell's Quality Control should have picked that up. Otherwise sublime.

Performance - blistering.

Keyboard - oh my God, this IS the keyboard I've been searching for. Perfection!

 

If you can figure that out, please let us know. I wouldn't bet on it though.

 

I believe I've resolved it, actually. Certainly works for me anyway.

Steps taken (note, I am still using the default Dell factory image - Windows 8 x64)

1. Click the battery icon on the system tray
2. Select 'More Power Options'
3. If not already selected, chose the 'Dell' power management option
4. Click 'Change Plan Settings'
5. Click 'Change Advanced Power Settings'
6. Under 'Dell Enhanced Settings' then under 'Thermal Mode' change 'Standard' to 'Quiet (reduced fan levels)'

If you don't have this option you may need to download and install the Dell Power Management tools from the Dell website.

I don't believe this option throttles back the CPU because under 'Processor Power Management' the maximum available CPU power is 100%. I've also monitored CPU usage in Task Manager and it idles at around 800GHz and when I open apps etc it jumps to ~1.5GHz (my maximum on the Core i7 is 2.5GHz).

Bare in mind however, if you're still using maximum performance and less noise from the fan it's inevitably going to run hotter. You can't have your cake and eat it, as they say.

 

Can anybody else confirm that this effectively makes the laptop much quieter (albeit hotter)?

I'm strongly considering buying a 6430u (other choices are Lenovo X230 and X1 Carbon). So can anyone comment on the quality of the 1600x900 screen? I.e. if the brightness is okay for occasional outdoor use, if the colors are accurate or require calibration (the notebookcheck review of the HD+ screen stated that theirs needed significant calibration).

Lastly, any comments on the build quality? I'd like a portable laptop that is still durable. I'm just wary of whether these newer "business" laptops/ultrabooks which are much thinner than older business laptops sacrifice a significant amount of durability to reach their thinness.

 

Can anybody else confirm that this effectively makes the laptop much quieter (albeit hotter)?

I haven't noticed it running any hotter since making this change but I haven't been taxing it too much either.

I'm strongly considering buying a 6430u (other choices are Lenovo X230 and X1 Carbon). So can anyone comment on the quality of the 1600x900 screen? I.e. if the brightness is okay for occasional outdoor use, if the colors are accurate or require calibration (the notebookcheck review of the HD+ screen stated that theirs needed significant calibration).

For me, brightness is ok. It's perfectly usable outside. The colours look a little pale and washed out to me. I ran through the Intel HD Graphics and Windows 8 calibrations to make it a little better. But again, screen quality isn't a major concern for me. There's only so much quality you need when staring at SQL tables all the time. If I was using it to watch movies then it might be a little unsuitable.

Lastly, any comments on the build quality? I'd like a portable laptop that is still durable. I'm just wary of whether these newer "business" laptops/ultrabooks which are much thinner than older business laptops sacrifice a significant amount of durability to reach their thinness.

I have no concerns on the build quality front in terms of materials used and their construction/long term durability. If you've owned a Latitude of any flavour before, then it's certainly on a par with earlier modes. One niggle I did have was Dell's quality control - they should have picked up on the fact the palm rest wasn't properly clicked into place on the left hand edge. After removing the back plate and gently pressing it down it snapped into its slot and has been fine. I shouldn't have to do that on a new laptop, however.

 

I tried quiet mode when I first got it, and it does work for a bit until you actually do anything that requires CPU. Then the fan spins right up again. It's really not a fix. The problem is the fan is too small so when it runs the noise has a higher frequency than most computer fans, so it's easy to hear. Additionally, the fan cycles on and off, so it's much more noticeable. I wish there was a way to leave the fan always on but at a low speed, so at least it would be a constant noise.

Other than the fan, the build quality is good and the 1600x900 screen is nice. I don't use it outside, so can't comment on that.

 

I have to disagree with the logic here. Watching videos can be done on generally poor to medium quality screens since things are moving around all the time and bad quality is compensated for with motion blur, etc.. I'm not talking about a perfectly calibrated home theater setup -- anyone expecting that on a laptop is an idiot.

However, viewing text and reading on a screen all day makes a good screen vastly more important. A bad screen can make colors appear harsh. I've seen too many low quality screens with extreme blue tint that makes them very fatiguing to look at for a long period of time. You don't want to be staring at something like that all day.

 

In that context, then I have no issues with the display and could happily look at it all day. My video analogy was just that. I don't watch films on my laptop, I have a 42" TV for that.