Precision M4500 Owner's Lounge

so after all that, i found a nearly perfect system and pulled the trigger:

-- Processor: Intel Core i7-620M Processor (4M Cache, 2.66 GHz)
-- Genuine Windows 7 Professional
-- Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Module
-- 15.6 inch UltraSharp FHD(1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED
-- 8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
-- 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz (2 DIMMs)
-- Digital Microphone
-- 64BIT Operating System DVD
-- 6 Cell Primary Battery, 60W
-- 500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
-- 130W A/C Adapter, 3P
-- Back-lit Keyboard
-- Intel 6200 Wireless-N (2x2) Half Mini-Card
-- 1.0 GB NVIDIA Quadro FX880M

all that for $909 / $965 after tax. i'm pretty happy, even if it is refurbished.

the one missing piece is the webcam... i'm not sure i need one, but it's one of those things that i'm sure i'll need as soon as i don't have it... does anyone know if this is user upgradable?

 

Hello all,
After reading through the thread I've convinced myself this is the laptop for me, but I'm wondering, is it a good idea to buy the absolute base model and upgrade stuff myself (e.g. intel wireless 6300 card is €65 ($85) if I configure it on Dell Ireland, compared to about €40 (€52) plus shipping if I get it on eBay). The base model is €1450 ($1885) on Dell Ireland at the moment, that's plus tax and shipping, and there are actually some "deals" on at the moment: a discount of €221 (ends 29th July) and free shipping (ends 30th July). So...

#1 Are there any known issues with upgrading/installing stuff like a wireless card, more RAM, a better processor and an SSD drive?

#2 Do you think this is an ok deal at the moment?

#3 Or is it just too high compared to prices elsewhere and I should consider waiting until they fix the outlet , trying and call a rep and talk them even lower than that price, or waiting until someone in Ireland or the UK puts one on eBay?
Thanks guys

 

How is the "refurbished quality"? For the price.. I want it too!

 

Hello,
I am a new owner of a Dell M4500 and I have some questions:
- I hear a high frequency noise coming from the side of the processor. It is constant but vary or stops sometimes. Is this normal? because it was inconvenient when I'm in a quiet environment.
- The bottom of the laptop is hot, very hot, much more than my HP 8510p, even when I'm surfing on the internet on battery power. It's disturbing on the knees. Is this normal? Temperatures are reported by HWMonitor 37-70 ° C for the cpu and 45-67 ° C for gpu with respective averages of 50 and 58 ° C and for surfing the web! It seems to me high.

here is my config:
i5 540m
4Go ram
fx880
hdd 500Go @ 7200tr/min
FHD screen
wifi intel 6300
9 cell battery 90Whr
no bluetooth or hsdpa or finger sensor

 

well... as with any dell product you play the lottery on components, but you do have the same sorts of warranty options as with the new systems, so the support is solid.

one advantage of buying a refurbished product which hasn't been on the market for too long (like the m4500) is the systems are lightly used--the systems on the outlet right now haven't had much time to be seriously abused.

i've had many people recommend the outlet to me over years, but this is only my second system purchased on the outlet, the first being an e6410 which is likely headed back next week... i'm quite happy with purchasing from the outlet, just decided the e6410 wasn't right for me.

the e6410 arrived with a slightly uneven keyboard, which dell happily replaced. i'm dissatisfied with the screen on the e6410--i apparently lost the lottery on that one. dell has offered to replace the screen, but i've decided i'd rather upgrade to a higher end system and display than continue playing the screen lottery with the e6410 (since i'm not convinced that even the best panels available will be acceptable to me).

anyway, the keyboard and the screen issues have both been reported by people who purchased systems new, so i don't think the outlet is to blame there. otherwise, you could have convinced me the system was new. unless you have a reason to insist on brand-new equipment, or need to order identical systems in bulk quantities, there is no reason to avoid the outlet... it's really a tremendous value.

 

thanks for replied. I guess the same warranty with lower price is the win-win thing.

I just pulled the trigger on m4500 too. hopefully I win the lottery.

 

well will it have heating problems like the w510 or driver problems and crashes like the 8740w?

 

This is what I got from dell outlet. Wonder if they will ship this tomorrow or not.

Code:

-- Precision Mobile Workstation M4500 Laptop
-- 9 Cell Battery, Primary
-- Silver
-- Shipping Material
-- Certified Refurbished
-- Processor Label
-- Software
-- Palmrest W/O Finger Print Reader
-- Management Engine Bios
-- Genuine Windows 7 Professional
-- Documentation
-- Dell 1520 802.11 b/g/n wireless card
-- Service Software
-- Win7 Starter Software
-- No Modem
-- Label
-- 125V Power Cord
-- 15.6 inch UltraSharp FHD(1920x1080) Wide View Anti-Glare LED
-- Roxio Creator 10.3 DE
-- Trend Micro 16.6 PC-cillin 30 Day
-- 8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
-- Software
-- 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz (2 DIMMs)
-- Digital Microphone
-- Power DVD Software
-- 64BIT Operating System DVD
-- Processor: Intel Core i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
-- 500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
-- Dell Control Point software
-- 130W A/C Adapter, 3P
-- Back-lit Keyboard
-- Dell Control Point software
-- Documentation
-- Label
-- 1.0 GB NVIDIA Quadro FX880M
-- Windows Live
-- Resource DVD
-- Prec M4500: 3Yr Basic Ltd Warranty and NBD On-site Service (Included In Price)

Subtotal: $969.00

 

Me too, very annoying when I am working at home where it's pretty quiet, particularly when the machine is otherwise absolutely silent (as I have no HDD noise), when the fans aren't going (which is probably 80% of the time for me). My config is a little different to yours: 720QM processor, 8GB, FX1800 & 128GB SSD.

Anyone else hear this?

It's very high frequency, I only hear it in one ear due to some hearing loss in the other.

 

I just got mine today and I don't hear it. I do however has a slight buzzing sound coming from the right side of the unit. It sounds more like a speaker than anything else. I can't hear it in my office without sticking my head on the keyboard and trying to listen to it.