Precision M4500 Owner's Lounge

Thanks, I'm aware of XP mode but unfortunately it doesn't work for a few of my programs that require the graphics processor. The virtual machine can't use the graphics hardware.

 

I'd like to ask if is there are some M4500 owner, especially guys with more power-hungry CPU like quad cores i7-720QM, i7-820QM or i7-920XM, willing to test their machines for THROTTLING.

Throttling, that seems mainly related to power consumption, has been found (and still not fully resolved with latest A08 BIOS) on Studio XPS 16, look at this thread which explains the problem and how to test it:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/446193-s-xps-1645-throttling-info-updates.html

Some times ago I've asked the same to M6500 owners and the results were, luckily, no throttling.
But M6500 has a 210W power adapter whereas M4500 has a 130W adapter, just like recently delivered adapters for XPS 16 (which seem unable to completely solve the problem).
I suppose that an high-end professional workstation like M4500 couldn't have throttling but ...

 

what do you mean by no throttling? if you mean changes in cpu speed, they're designed to do that as required (throttle up/down)....there is an intel app (gadget) I run on my desktop to monitor this....so yeah, my 6500 throttles up as it needs to which is constantly during normal use. I have an m6500 with the i7820 btw. Are you talking about throttling when _you_don't think it _should_? if it's not the app, then heat will cause it to rev down. I always use a laptop cooler to minimize this during gaming.

Check out that intel gadget...what I mainly use it for is for a rogue app keeping the 'throttle' stuck high.

 

I tried that on an old acer laptop but just ended up with scratches in the paint on the palm rest. Sure it was a really cheap model but I would still prefer if the stickers weren't there from the start. Anyway, hopefully I'll do a better job removing them this time.

 

"Throttling" (as used to describe this issue) means that the CPU is unable to reach high multiplier values even when it should, i.e. at maximum load.
For an 820QM that usually means having multiplier at about 7-8x instead of at least 13x-15x, with a great impact on performance.
Studio XPS 16 has an annoying throttling problem, that seems related both to bad BIOS choices and insufficient power from its 90W adapter. Unluckily, it seems that even using a 130W adapter and new BIOS doesn't fully resolve the issue (maybe because of overheating?).

M6500 has better cooling than XPS 16 and, above all, a 210W adapter which should be enough to power it in every condition and every hardware configuration. In fact, I had no news about throttling for it.
But M4500 has same CPUs, a smaller chassis, just one fan and a 130W adapter, so I think it's worthwhile to check for possible similar problems.

M4500 is advertised as "the world's most powerful 15.6-inch mobile workstation", so I think is appropriate to investigate if it provides all needed power when necessary or, on the contrary, those quad cores (and maybe dual cores, too) fall down to much less speed when stressed.
I suppose it's unlikely that a professional workstation such as M4500 is affected by throttling, but some previous Dell cases make me being careful.

The link I pointed out explains everything in detail, including test procedure (which stresses both CPU and GPU at the same time).

 

You can just peel them off with your fingernails, don't use any tools for this. To get rid of the remaining gunk, Goo-Gone will work just fine. As a final step, wipe off with rubbing alcohol.

 

My 8540w with i7-720 and QFX 1800m pulls a maximum of 112W out of the outlet. So an standard i7-920XM shouldn't come to 125W, but you have to subtract the losses. The 130W adapter should be fine.

 

They've come off all the Dell Latitudes I've owned quite easily, so I assume the same goes for the Precision. You might need to use a little rubbing alcohol or something similar to get it perfectly clean. An eyeglasses cleaning towel packet has worked nicely for me.

 

A couple of confirmations about the M4500:

1. If I get the SSD MiniCard, I cannot also have a Gobi WWAN, right?

2. If I get the SSD MiniCard, I can get an SSD in the primary drive bay and a hard drive in the expansion bay, if I wish, right?

 

My 3D Mark06 @ 1280 x 1024