Precision 7530 & Precision 7730 owner's thread

Oh, snap, that's bad.

There are a few things that could've gone wrong, and chances are you'll be getting a lot of surgery done to your laptop, with every possible damaged component replaced: the battery itself, the power cable, the power distribution board. Might change the motherboard, too.

 

I have updated to BIOS 1.5.2 and updated all dock-related drivers/firmware.

USB problems on the TB16 remain unsolved (mouse and keyboard lag/sticking, and bluetooth headset with a USB dongle connected to the dock keeps dropping the connection).

Poor form from Dell, how long as the TB16 been out?!

 

Alright, so I guess the recent firmware update for the TB18DC dock was instrumental in fixing this USB problem. (It did include an update for the ASMedia USB controller firmware.)
Hopefully, they also update the TB16 firmware to fix this soon...

 

My laptop is primarily used as a desktop workstation. Hence it is connected to its dock most of the time

1. is disappointing, but I can live with it (usually 4-hour battery life is sufficient to me). I suppose newest BIOSes will provide improvements
2. haven't noticed. I've got an external soundcard.
3. I barely use touchpad, so no opinion on this one (seems fine to me)
4. I don't care, I'm not even sure I would have noticed. Side-by-side with my external monitor, there seems to be a light red shift in color accuracy
5. my graphics card is p2000. nvidia support on linux could be better.

On day-to-day use (remember, my system is linux only), my main concerns are dock-related (TB18DC):
I've got disconnection 8 times out of 10 when moving the laptop (even slightly).
Plus sometimes I don't get all my connected peripherals back upon reconnection (and I need to type a command to get the network card).Cable is too short and stiff, and/or I would have preferred it to be on the opposite side of the dock (ok, this is related to my specific desktop setup, but still, I think the double TB connector should be able to be locked or secured, in order to prevent disconnections). So basically the dock is OK as long as you connect the computer and don't move it around your desk.
Also, Linux is relatively slow to boot with the dock.
And you can hear the dock's fan, which barely stops once it has kicked in.
I wish the USB issue would be solved (no stuttering here: I've got no external keyboard and mouse when C-state is enabled in BIOS), in order to achieve the rated 4.8 GHz.
Last but not least: dock's firmware can only be updated with Windows. I tried some WinPE live CDs, but I could not run the firmware program (it asks for administrator password, but doesn't validate it).

So from my point of view this is a powerful machine, with a few caveheats, and a troublesome dock. But, to be honest, I expected far worse Linux compatibility for the dock.

I'm confident power draw will be improved over time and BIOSes. And I hope they find a way to improve the dock's connection reliablity. Unfortunately, I don't think they will release a linux program for dock firmware updating.

 

Just purchased my Dell 7730 with p3200 and i78850. When i installed my ram under the keyboard i noticed there isn't a cover for the ram. i contacted dell and they said there isn't a cover(they said the keyboard is the cover", but the manual shows there is. Can someone with a 7730 confirm whether on not there is a cover?

 

There is definitely a cover, and especially if the manual says so. Cite the manual to the support staff, and tell them that the assembly QC was poor, and you need a RAM cover.

 

where to buy 32 gig memory stick for 7730? as i already have 2*32 =64 GB RAM in 7730 and want to extend the same to 128 GB?

Is someone has any link where to purchase the same?

 

After much thought, I've finally ordered a Precision 7530 i9/P3200. I can't wait to get it!

I went through this topic and I'm wondering if it's worth to repaste it. Does anyone have a feedback on this?

 

Hi,
I have a pretty basic question regarding RAM but I want to make sure before making the purchase. The configuration I want to buy has unfortunately just 2x8GB RAM, is it possible to add 2x16GB to the remaining slots? Are there any possible compatibility issues due to different RAM capacities (2x8 + 2x16)? If there are no issues, is it possible to start with just one 16GB stick and add another one later?

Thanks

 

2x8GB + 2x16GB should be fine. Make sure the speed and CAS latency match.

2x8GB + 1x16GB might work with a performance hit. The RAM is dual-channel so installing in pairs is best.