M4400 Downclocks :(

**** really? what DID they fix then? What temp does it go up too in A09?

 

Fixes/Enhancements
------------------
1. Added support for BIOS that is signed.
2. Updated to PSA build 4117.
3. Updated thermal table.
4. Fixed the issue where system is slow to boot to internal hard drive after failed PXE boot exits.
5. Fixed the issue where Some BIOS Setup parameters are not accessible with only the keyboard.
6. Fixed the issue where system will automatically shut down at resuming from S3.
7. Fixed the issue where the time of BIOS power event log in Setup is wrong for power button event.
8. Fixed the issue where presentation mode cannot be turned on/off from the DCP.


Guess I'll just keep on using A02

Also interesting how they now have one for Linux users.

 

I read so much articles about nvidia/dell/hp in court, all the defective gpus, all the notebook gpu heat problems, i dont expect this machine to ever run well, i have been offered a replacement and when my refund warranty voided i got an e-mail saying my system would not need to be replaced.

They did fix and enhance dcp but the computer is nerfed to death, the graphic card is unable to function properly yet there is no problem, i did not expect this to run so well but it has stability issues because of heat, so you tell me what were the engineers thinking.

Thank god this computer is just a mobile daw slave/master, but i had visual processing plans wich are totally aborted now, as i was expecting to record and perform live with it. I honestly feel scammed because i added extra money for a card that doesnt work properly and dell just stretched out on me.

I am very dissapointed in this major failure , i cant imagine someone doing gpu work and watching it jerk off forever like this a09. My laptop right now is more noisy than a desktop, i cant control the fan, and installing anything from nvidia to get temps give me bsod.

This A09 bios makes my fan go full speed and it never stops, its still going from my 10 minute gaming session (coh) and it downclocked very fast. What am i gonna do when i buy my 500$ hdspe express card to turn this into a daw, will i have to rollback bios to get a working fan? I dont want noise when working audio but right now this laptop is equally loud to my old desktop full tower case.

Very dissapointed in the machines stability, and the way i was treated, obviously no more dells for me , they sell ram 2x price and they scam people by telling them they will contact them for a replacement then after the 30 day refund warranty is over they send e-mail saying they dont need to replace your system anymore, what a joke.

I would not recommend an m4400 to anyone, it has so many problems , bloatware, took a while to get a stable dcp , Major bios problems unresolved , i warned them dozens of times , the people i talked with seemed totally uninformed and This gpu downclocking is the cherry on top, i added extra money for a video card that doesnt work properly except for the first 5 minutes.

I was gonna do 3d processing for music videos (artwork) for my own music. I guess that project is canceled even with a quadro fx 770m , i still cant believe i was sold something that doesnt perform like it was designed.

I still wonder if this m4400 will be able to become my mobile daw without any problems, right now i have not even started and the laptop is more noisy than a desktop with a bios released 2 days ago, i really dont know what to think.
Overall i feel like i should have bought elsewhere, i tought dell had good stability, i also tought engineers tested stuff until now.

 

that why i 'm not cross the bank too. I'm would have buy this notebook to make some long 3D rendering task (about 6-10hours). So when i read the issues from guys who only uses it for gaming during 1-2 hours, i'm very desappointed. I can't afford me to spend nearly 3000€ in a 'false profesional computer' which cannot handle long graphical task (in other terms, what it is made for !!!)

You know, i've been very seduced by the look/design and technical components from this notebook. Having professional capacity with great look (not gamer one) was a great point.
For me, it was the ONLY ONE 15 inches notebook to equal and beat the alienware M15x (i talk about design/look/technical component)...

ahhhhh, what DELL didn't do again !!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope they prepare well the relaease of new XPS notebook and alienware M15.....let's see.

Please, Mr Santa DELL X-mas....think..

 

While I'm getting a good performance with A09, I can't say I'm happy with how Dell is treating you Sydalesis. I thought the M4400 would be the king of 15.4" performance machines and be finely engineered like a Swiss watch. I thought Dell would treat the M4400 the same way and make sure the system was flawless. Wrong was I.

 

I cant imagine someone paying 500$ extra for 1700m haha.

Right now its a nice deluxe multimedia laptop , i will try to turn this fake mid-gpu (nerfed gpu) into a simple daw with this ,

wich was the intent of the computer in first hand, hence the choice of buying a precision (workstation). I will format obviously and use the given xp pro x64. I hope it has less bloat than when it shipped. This is my last hope and there is still hope, but unfortunatly i am dissapointed in adding extra money for a nerfed gpu. Some dell representative even stated that it was not normal on these boards but nothing is being done. It's just not normal, either nvidia or dell has to react and start adapting notebooks gpus better because this one is clearly not working properly due to lack of proper cooling system.

I have been able to use a program called Fx Teleport and i use several computers for cpu processing, with great success (over network). I will do my best to format and start this daw properly once i get my hands on this card as it was released a few months ago. I will now roll back to a02 or a03 because right now after a boot even in a09 the fan is constant , does not vary and is as noisy as my desktop.

This m4400 was to separate Daw and gaming rig anyways, now i just need to focus on that side as i know that after extensive testing the gpu is completely nerfed because its running too hot and not properly cooled. You can still play cpu intensive games like hearts of iron and pre 2004 3d games ok probably but anything recent is bound to. Some games it's less apparent than others as well. I was simply testing this new guy's limits and found them, and found the issues too.

The cpu is the only thing left hehe, but this t9400 is pretty good, I might buy a cheap empty quadcore laptop as a slave to this one if the Daw transition turns out well , with good latencys and such , but not Dell , except used and very cheap. Wish me luck on that side as it was the primary reason, and also specced for that, and there was a daw section too in a dell webpage that recommended the precision series for daw's. There is still hope that this machine becomes the center of my recording studio like originally planned , but there is much work to do.

I am currently in transition of separating daw and gaming rig, If this works i will turn my gaming rig into a surround gaming station with 3x 22'' screens with a tripleheads to go digital edition , and then ill only upgrade that desktop for gaming and proceed with notebook purchases now that quads are coming in notebooks too , as i want to go mobile with my daw (live performance/recording/etc) , wich explains the transition. Other than the downclocking and some bloatware, lack of centralisation and slow dcp fixes (wich i wont use with a daw) it's a good computer and seems fast/stable atm, and its bloated. I really wonder whats on the provided os cds, cant wait to format and install the hdspe express card , i hope its a clean install so i can tune the os properly and from there see what i really need as a minimum.

Time to roll back bios again

 

Although i agree the laptop should've been of higher quality (performance wise) I don't have any complaints when i stick with A03. Why not just use that?

 

Sorry, only read your first post.

But yeah, like you say yourself just rollback to A03. I don't see any other problems with cooling etc. and definetly not up too the point of setting it away as a useless piece of hardware which is the idea i get from your post.
Cubase and all my external audio hardware flies when using it under XP, absolutely no issues there and 3D rendering AND gaming work great in Vista 64....i have no more complaints, only thing is that i would like to have an up to date bios because it makes me feel good

 

Scratch that, A09 downclocks me at 53C.

ANGER!!!

A03:
http://support.us.dell.com/support/...eid=R198154&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=273980

 

If you go to the BIOS download you should be able to click older versions or something. Don't remember exactly
If you cant find it let me know, i can upload it.....saved all BIOS versions on my HDD