New M6500 Discussion Thread

I noticed if you run any monitoring software on this machine IE HWINFO32-HWMonitor there is some massive DPC latency going on ..

I was having sound issues in some stuff i was running like popping/crackling/sound stretching(sound lag of sorts) and all this was from the monitoring software i would always run in the background on all my notebooks..

So if your having any weird sound issues and massive DPC spikes you'll have to turn off any of the monitoring stuff ..

The temps on my machine are amazing but im just used to running this stuff in the background regardless and was shocked the spikes it was causing after i started troubleshooting..

Not sure if this will be of any help to anyone but i figured i would throw it out there .

 

I also have been seeing the freeze issue effect my system more lately. However, I don't think this is a memory issue. Nor a SSD issue. Nor a USB 3.0 issue. I think its BIOS related, or perpetuated by some update in the June-July time frame.

Here is why: I am an early adopter, my M6500 Covet has a Intel 920M Extreme, originally had 8GB of Elpida 1333MHz RAM (4 x 2GB), originally had the Dell Samsung OEM 128GB SDD Primary drive and I self-installed a WD 640GB Second drive the moment the machine arrived. Also, my Covet doesn't have the USB 3.0 left I/O board; which was added as an option for orders starting in late-February/March.

Usage wise, I never had this freeze issue from February thru June. During this time frame, I routinely had my Covet powered on and doing work for 8 hours/day, 5 days a week for over 4 months while on a contract. It worked like a beast.

But then I started noticing the freeze issue appear around July. I got a new contract with another company in July, and they supplied me with a Precision M4400 so I haven't had much opportunity to exercise my personal M6500 for the past 5 months as much as before. However, the freeze issue is irritating -- and I see it more and more frequently when I do power it on to use some of my SW development tools and VMs.

BIOS wise, I originally had A02 then upgraded to the short lived A03 in late-April without issues. I believe I upgraded the BIOS to A04 in July thinking it might fix the freeze issue the first time I saw it. But it didn't work.

But I also wasn't using my M6500 as intently for a few weeks while between contracts (June-July).

Now, last month, I had the main board replaced for an unrelated issue -- I had a bad video connection when using a monitor through E-Port Replicators; and the new main board came with A04. Still had the freeze issue afterwards.

I also recently upgraded the memory with 16GB of Micron 1333MHz ram (4 x 4GB), and replaced the 128GB SSD with a new Samsung 470 series 256GB.

However, I still see the freeze issue.

So, give this... here is what I know:

First noticed freeze happen some time in mid-June. (Windows update?)

Freezes are probably not related to Memory and SSD drives. Nor related to USB 3.0 (I still have the USB 2.0 I/O board). I replaced all these components, and the factory supplied components (memory, SSD, USB) where working fine prior t0 June.

I think it might be something BIOS related.

During X-Mas break, I plan on hooking up the 1394a Kernel debugger up to the M6500, and just let my little desktop debug system capture info. Maybe that might show something -- an invalid OPCODE, or at least find something common happening in a CPU instruction or memory prior to the freeze.

Otherwise, I hope Dell is getting some luck on pegging this issue down. Its one scar on an otherwise amazing machine. And it helped me greatly during the contract earlier in the year - I couldn't have done much without it!

Also, can anyone confirm that the new Quadro 3800M Video Driver update (8.17.12.5729.A04) from Dell's website won't work? I tried installing this, and it disabled my Win7 Aero Glass. I think I had the same problem with A03 back in early August.

-Gripper

 

Have you tried this Win7 hotfix?

A computer that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 stops responding randomly

I'm not sure if it will help you, but it is a hotfix for a spontaneous lockup issue that is supposed to be going into the Win7 SP1 when it comes out.

 

So I got my New M6500 today...
I got a box, the laptop and the power cord...that's it. No manual/cables/disk or anything else. Granted the Laptop is running fine,but I've had a few deels before and they always came with extra stuff.This is a New laptop Not Refurbished, Is this going to be a standard thing with DELL now? or did I get jipped..
Cheers

 

This is a business machine!
why would you need anything more than the machine itself?

 

Yeah when i got my new M6500 a couple weeks back what came in the box was rather basic .. I think there was an office disc though and a booklet but never bothered looking at them ..

The Alienwares are the ones with all the fancy doodads ..

 

For What it is Worth;

Have been modifying my unit;
So far;

Swapped out the original i5 520M for a i7 620M

A Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 7200 RPM as the main drive

Pick up a 3.0 USB board assembly, Left IO Circuit Board RMNKT

Anyone else doing modification?

Regards

Joseph ~ ⎷⎛⎝⎛

 

Other then putting the extra HD in my Optical Bay i also covered the Palmrest in 3M Carbon fiber wrap ..

 

What adhesive did you use?

 

The wrap has its own adhesive.. It can be easily removed at a later date as well .. When/if i ever sell the machine ill probably just leave it on because it looks so nice .