Precision 3510 Lounge

Based on the issue I documented in the video, I have speculated that the 3510 with Xeon/32GB/NVMe/62Wh battery suffer from a problem related to the internal power system. So if you intend to run this laptop on the battery, watch the video. You will see that no thermal events were logged, and the shutdown is akin to removing the battery while the laptop is running.

FYI, I am using Windows 10 Enterprise and booting from an NVMe, in this configuration Samsung NVMe drivers don't appear to be needed (you can correct me if I am wrong)- and Dell has not mentioned them or made them available for installation. The 1TB PM951 is a exclusively for sale via Dell, in other words you can't buy it from another shop. You can verify this by reviewing Samsung's website; search for a PM951 in the 1TB config. I believe Microsoft also has access the the 1TB PM951, but they don't allow you to buy it directly, ie it's an internal part.

 

This was the review (XPS 15 9550) which said in the list of bugs at the end:

So getting that driver installed would be high on my list of priorities. Or have you already tried that?

I think you will find that the SM951 is the retail equivalent of the PM951.

John

 

The latest XPS 15 and the Precision 5510 (very similar machines) get frequent BSODs if running a NVMe drive on AHCI with the stock Microsoft driver. Installing the Samsung driver or using RAID instead of AHCI will avoid this problem.

This is not an issue on the Precision 7510/7710, they work fine without having to install the Samsung driver. I don't think that this is a widespread issue, but something specific to the XPS 15 / Precision 5510. The issue at hand here is not a BSOD but a complete power off, if I'm understanding correctly, so I don't think it is the same issue anyway.

Still, you can install the Samsung NVMe driver and see if it helps you at all.

 

The video shows that the issue does not result in what most people deal with, ie a trapped error(BIOS thermal, Windows Hardware, Windows application). If I saw a trapped error, ie Windows Event, or BSOD, or saw the Laptop did not boot, BIOS/drivers updates would be my first trouble shooting step. That is not the case here, the effect is the equivalent of someone removing the battery while the laptop is running.

Because these comments stay around for a while, I don't want anyone to get confused; and it's easy for a simple misunderstanding to continue for an extended period. While it's true they share the same m.2 form factor, my opinion is that the SM951 is a older and different product (NVMe or AHCI support, MLC NAND) than the PM 951 (NVMe only, TLC NAND).

You are correct, at the time the SM951 was introduced, Windows 7/8.1 required drivers to use the drive correctly, however Windows 10 does not need NVMe driver support(except of course if the driver corrects a compatibility bug). The only thing you should need is IRST.

 

The Power Events log shows a "ASF2 force off" entry. This seems to confirm that this issue related to power. If we are lucky it may be able to be worked around with a BIOS change. But there does not seem to be any urgency within Dell to handle this issue.

Sequence used to "trap" something after the logs were "cleared"

1. Power On
2. Run BurnInTest for 15 Minutes on AC charger
3. Unplug AC charger
4. Run BurnInTest - uncontrolled shutdown should in a short period of time (about 10 seconds)
5. At this point the laptop will not power on without the AC charger
6. Attached the AC charger
7. Power on
8. Access the BIOS, select System Log->Power Events

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But this only occurred after doing doing the following

Disable Write Cache

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab.
3. Click Device Manager.
4. Click the plus sign (+) next to the Disk Drives branch to expand it.
5. Right-click the drive on which you want to enable or disable disk write caching, and then click Properties.
6. Click the Disk Properties tab.
7. Click to clear the Write Cache Enabled check box.
8. Click OK.

Clear BIOS Power Events Log

1. Power On computer
2. Press the F12 key
3. Select BIOS Setup
4. Click to expand System Logs
5. Select Power Events
6. Click on the Clear Log Button

My guess, is that because the log was not cleared, there was not enough time/power to make room for a new entry. By clearing the log prior to running the sequence that causes an issue, there is just enough power to update the BIOS. However, the Windows event log is still empty.

 

Do any of you know if you can update the AMD graphics on the 3510 to a newer chip? Thought I read somewhere that Precision graphics chips can sometimes be upgraded.

 

You mean swap out the GPU or graphics card? That is a no.

Only the 75XX and 77XX series have that capability. Graphics cards on those machines are on MXM slots.

The ones on the 35X and 55XX series are soldered on.

 

Thanks! Yes, I must have read about the GPU swap on the 75xx thread.

 

Does anyone know if the Precision 3510 supports DisplayPort over USB Type-C or DP Alternate Mode? I'm looking to pick up the ASUS MB169C+ 15.6" USB-C display device, but would like to know if it will work first.

Just picked up a 3510 off the Dell Outlet. So far so good! I wanted E-Port docking but wasn't interested in the larger 7x10/7x20 form factors. Wound up getting the i7-6700HQ, 32GB RAM, and 512GB M.2 NVMe. Doesn't feel like the PM961 NMVe is overwhelmingly faster than a Samsung 850 EVO SSD in my older laptop.

 

Great choice, i have a 7710 and though it is problem free it is on the heavy side. 3510 would seem to be a good balance of form and performance