M6800 Owners' Thread

I know what you mean. I had the 'pleasure' of contacting Dell Customer Care this morning.

First of all, it is impossible to find a phone number on the Dutch Dell website to contact Customer Care for private clients. The only options that are presented after too many sub menus are chat and e-mail.

I obtained a phone number by chatting online with a sales rep.

After being on hold for 20 minutes, I was disconnected. When I redialed, I was put on hold again for about 10 minutes before finally getting someone on the other end.

Safe to say, I was not amused...

 

Has anyone experienced audio dropouts when using HDMI 7.1 audio?

Video keeps playing, but audio stops for ~1-2 seconds, or it pops/squeals.

 

Anyone??????

 

Oh wow, I hope I'm not too late about the sound dropping out. I'm having the same issue. I actually just got a replaceement computer from Dell since my M6600 died. I'm now on the M6800 and I'm having the same issue as on the M6600.
Sound is fine and dandy on the computer. And through headphones. Period.
The problem is through the HDMI cable out to my Monitor.
Sound drops out intermittently for about a half second. I can't pinpoint why or what causes it; it can be a variety of instances that prompt it. Dell has NO idea about this, and this is the first place I can even find anything remotely similar happening.
Please, if you have found a solution or even any further links I can continue my search with, I would be most appreciative.
Poster with this issue can contact me directly at my email. If it's not listed it is [email protected]
For that matter, anyone who can help can also contact me. If I find out anything more I will certainly return and post.
Thx in advance. Such an annoying issue.....

 

No news yet...

I'm working with dell on the issue.

 

Thx . I'll keep checking back in and let you know myself if I find out anything.

 

Dell is replacing the video card...

I am doubtful it will make any difference.

 

Hi,

I could really do with some help ...

My M6600 has broken and I am looking to get a new laptop.

I have the choice of an M6800 or an M4800 ...

I was going to go for an M6800 but was tempted to go for a M4800 so that I could get something a bit lighter and maybe enjoy more real-estate with the QHD+ screen.

I use the computer for long periods, in fact I spend all day in front of the laptop, and I have only used a 17" screen for the last 6 years or so.

I am frustrated by the limits of 1900x1080, so the higher res screen would probably allow me more text editing in Visual Studio, but the 15" probably will make everything really small ...

It is worth going to a 15" 3200x1800 or am I better off staying with 17" 1920x1080 ... like everyone I would like a 17" QHD+ but that's not an option ...

Also, the lack of Optimus is a shame, does that mean that a M6800 will actually have better battery life than an M4800 QHD+?

Which WiFi card would you go for on the M4800 ...

Dell Wireless 1601 2x2 802.11n+BT+60GHz (WiGig)
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 802.11ac/a/b/g/n 2x2 + Bluetooth 4.0 LE Half Mini Card

I don't think I am interested in WiGig, but I wouldn't know ... the Dell is more expensive, so it must be better ... right?
I have been quoted the 1601, but I can't help thinking ac will be more useful.

It really comes down to whether the extra resolution will actually be useful, or whether I am better sticking to 1920x1080 on a 17" screen.

... it will be a disappointing shock if the res isn't helpful and the screen is too small to work in VS about 1920x1080.

A lighter computer would be nice, I am getting tired of lugging the M6600 ... but lack of Optimus and screen uncertainty is making it impossible to choose between an M6800 and M4800 as my M6600 replacement.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I am considering

Dell Precision M4800
Intel Core i7-4930MX Processor (Quad Core, 8M Cache, 3.0 GHz, w/HD Graphics 4600)
39.6cm (15.6") UltraSharp QHD+ (3200x1800) Wide View Anti-Glare LED backlit Premium Panel Guarantee
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M w/2GB GDDR5 1 SR
16GB (4x4GB) 1866MHz DDR3L
512GB Solid State Drive Full Mini Card
750GB 2.5inch SATA (7,200 Rpm) Hard Drive (will replace with own 1GB Crucial SSD)
2X Blu-Ray Writer Tray Load
Dell Wireless 1601 2x2 802.11n+Bluetooth+60GHz (WiGig)
FIPS Fingerprint Reader and Smart Card Reader (Contact and Contactless)
Waves Maxx Audio
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Backlit dual Pointing Keyboard
9-cell (97Wh) Lithium Ion battery with ExpressCharge
Windows 8.1 Pro (64Bit) English

OR

Intel Core i7-4930MX Processor (Quad Core, 8M Cache, 3.0 GHz, w/HD Graphics 4600)
44cm (17.3") UltraSharp FHD (1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED-backlit Multi-Touch with Premium Panel Guarantee
NVIDIA Quadro K4100M w/4GB GDDR5
16GB (4x4GB) 1866MHz DDR3L
500GB 5400 rpm SATA Hybrid Hard Drive with 8GB Cache (will replace with own 1GB Crucial SSD)
750GB 2.5inch SATA (7,200 Rpm) Hard Drive
2X Blu-Ray Writer Tray Load
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 802.11ac/a/b/g/n 2x2 + Bluetooth 4.0 LE Half Mini Card
Waves Maxx Audio
Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Backlit dual Pointing Keyboard
9-cell (97Wh) Lithium Ion battery with ExpressCharge
Windows 8.1 Pro (64Bit) English

Many thanks in advance.

 

It all depends on (a) your eyesight, and (b) the applications you use. For me personally, a QHD+ screen in 15" is unusable, end of story. I get no significant benefit since I need to wear reading glasses anyway, so I'd end up having to scale things up significantly, meaning no gain in screen real estate. The next, and more serious issue then is that I am using a few applications that are mission-critical which do not scale well, which means they become positively unusable. But, like I said, your mileage may differ. I think you'd be well advised to try out a QHD+ laptop first, and see how it goes. In my opinion, Windows is not ready for high-DPI displays.

 

The Dell 1601 doesn't support 802.11ac, but comes with 3 antennas pre-installed (= WiGig back cover). The Intel 7260 comes with only 2 antennas pre-installed (= non-WiGig back cover).

The choice depends on whether you currently own (or plan on getting) an 802.11ac wifi router and whether you plan on upgrading the wifi card in the future, when 3x3 802.11ac or tri-band wifi cards become available.

Swapping out wifi cards is relatively easy, but installing an extra antenna is not.