Precision 7530 & Precision 7730 owner's thread

1. Startup
2. F12
3. 5 times arrow up + "Enter" (enter "Bios setup", arrow down seems randomly different due to available boot options...)
in Bios setup:
4. 1 times "Enter" (close "General" section)
5. 2 times arrow down + "Enter" (open "Video" section)
6. 2 times arrow down (navigate to "Switchable graphics" page)
7. "Tab" (select "Enable Switchable graphics")
8. "Space" (select/deselect option)
9. "Esc" (Save menü)
10. "Space" or "Enter" (save bios setup + reboot)

Edit: I updated step 3 cause i forgot the "Enter" there

 

Also you should still be able to use external displays attached to the USB-C ports to access the BIOS, if you power the system on and then quickly shut the lid?
(Unless maybe you had the "discrete output display mode" thing also turned on... not sure what happens in that case.)

 

I did leave that option enabled. It did not work. I was a dum-dum.

Anyway, @Rippchen, thank you so much for the blow-by-blow instructions, they worked great, except I skipped steps 2 and 3 and used F2 to directly enter the firmware.

I rushed back home to reinstall the original display and it worked. I think I'll ask for an RMA, not sure how it works with AliExpress.

The new screen also used a very low PWM frequency, and was factory-calibrated to be extremely greenish-yellow, and required significant calibration compared to the stock AUO screen. I might just cut my losses and stick with the 60 Hz. Not worth the trouble for 144 Hz anyway...

 

How do the Precision 7720-7740 models compare to the Alienware m17 R3 / Area 51m R2 in terms of performance/cooling?

 

Not in the same ballpark. The Alienwares, especially the A51M R2 which is a desktop replacement, are gaming laptops and use much higher TDP and performance parts and have significantly beefier cooling as a result.

 

You can sort of tell just based on the power use...
Precision 77X0 systems use a 240W power adapter.
Alienware M17 R3 needs 330W to avoid throttling (for high-end configurations).
Alienware Area 51M R2 wants 330W plus an extra lower-powered adapter plugged into the second port, I believe...

Physics says power consumed translates directly to heat produced, and more heat produced means a beefier cooling system is necessary. Just looking at the systems, it is clear that the Alienware systems have extra room for cooling fins on the back that the Precision 77X0 systems do not have. Precision does have some spec advantages (128GB RAM, 4× NVMe slots, Xeon/ECC option) but they are definitely trying to stay in the power/heat budget for a "regular"-sized business laptop.

 

Can anyone confirm the heatsink required for a 7730 with Nvidia RTX (3000) as there appear to be 2 options

0D1HY2 - NV-192
07JV64 - NV-256

Or do I actually need a heatsink from a 7740 ?

05VCW8 - NV-192
?????? - NV-256

Thanks in advance

 

There seems to be conflicting benchmarks online. Would it be worth my money to upgrade from the p3200 to the rtx 3000?

 

It's a modest boost. I personally don't think that it would be worth the $700+ that it's going for on eBay (unless you really need every bit of GPU power), but if you can find a good deal on it then sure.

 

Would you say it's worth it for $350+ tax? From the UK on eBay.