Precision M4600 Owners Lounge

No, you have to physically remove the card.

 

Which means tearing down the whole laptop to remove it, and doing it another time should I need the graphic card again... I'm glad to hear it would work, but I'm not really comfortable with the procedure.

I really wish Dell would give us the option to use the integrated graphic controller instead of being stuck with this (useless) scorching powerplant.

If anyone has a hack... ?

 

People with m5950 - I need your help! Could someone share with the vBIOS rom file of m5950 with me?

 

I just got in on the last batch of new m4600 before sunset, quick ?-I believe the 2gb ordered come installed underneath the keyboard. Can I install the other 2-4gb sticks under the back cover without denigrating performance or do I have to take the keyboard off and install underneath?
The computer is for a friend who is not gaming or doing anything really stressful.
TIA

 

The motherboard failed again in less than 1 year.

I'm speechless.

So far I've had replaced:
1. graphics
2. motherboard
3. palm rest / touch-pad

and now the motherboard failed again.

 

Howdy, all! Newbie here.

Just got my Dell m4600 today and took it for a quick test run. I love the look and feel of it -- solid with a good heft plus the umber brown is a nice, unique color. It's a manufacturer's refurb with 2.5 years of Dell NBD warranty left on it. Snagged it for $1,500. Aside from two light scuffs on each edge of the cover, the machine looks brand new.

Here are the specs:

Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
i7-2860QM (2.5GHz, 3.6GHz Turbo, 8MB Cache) (basically an i7-2960XM)
15.6" 1080p, RGBLED-backlit, IPS PremierColor, 100% Adobe RGB Color Gamut, Anti-Glare screen
16GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
512GB Solid State Drive
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M (2GB GDDR3)
HD web cam + mic
Backlit Keyboard
Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
1501 Wireless-N 802.11a/g/n Card
Wireless 375 Bluetooth Module
9-cell (97Wh) Battery
Intel vPro Technology Advanced Management Features

The ISV certification for Adobe and Autodesk products was a selling point. The machine is primarily for 3D work in Maya, modo, and Houdini. I also film edit in Adobe Premiere CS6 and am learning to color grade film with Davinci Reslove. I haven't installed any software yet, but the specs seem solid for 3D work: the 196 CUDA cores can access Adobe's Mercury Playback Engine and Quadros typically work well with 3D/CAD apps.

I'm still in the process of verifying the specs (all good so far), but need some info, as this is my first quad core processor, first SSD drive, first Quardro card, first IPS screen -- and first Dell.

I did my homework on the computer before buying it, but thought I'd still ask what to expect and what my first steps should be. I would assume transfer the Dell warranty is No.1 on the list?

Anyways, here is a list of questions and observations:

Solid State Drive

The SSD drive is a Liteon lct 512m3s, which seems to be a Plextor. A guy on Ebay has the speeds listed at:

The guy has the speeds listed as:

Seq. Read 520 MB/s
Seq. Write 430 MB/s

The Samsung 840 512GB has speeds at 540 MB/s read / 520 MB/s write, so the LiteOn read speeds seem good, even if the write speeds seem a little slow. As a first-time SSD user, I'm sure I won't notice it.


IPS Screen

This is the most exciting feature for me, as I'm heavy into 3D and animation.

I have the tint problem: green in the bottom left and pink in the bottom right. At this point, it's hardly noticeable, so I'll deal with it (but I knew to look for it thanks to you guys). Does it get worse over time?

What is the item/part number of the IPS screen vs the full HD non-IPS screen? I want to make sure the screen is correct -- though I assume a non-IPS screen would not tint in the areas mentioned and would not react to PremierColor software.

I notice when toggling from the web to Media Player to the desktop, the color profiles shift quite a bit, as indicated in the system tray (it's a tad annoying, but nice to know it's switching):

Internet Explorer: sRGB
Desktop: Full
Windows Media Player rec.709

Sound about right?

How do you calibrate your colors? Do you use the software that comes with the monitor, or do you use a Spyder 3 or 4?


Express Card Reader

The 54mm ExpressCard slot had a piece hanging out upon arrival. I pushed it all the way in, but don't see an obvious way to eject it. How do I eject the piece and what is this reader for?


Is It Worth Upgrading To...?

... a 128GB Solid State Mini-Card secondary storage device?

... a Intel Centrino® Advanced -N + WiMAX 6250 from a Dell Wireless 1501 (802.11 b/g/n 1x1)?


BluRay Writer

I could have upgraded to a BD-writer for $150, but stuck with the Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive. New bluray writers on Amazon go for less and have 6x write speeds. These built in bluray writers are stuck at 2x, plus they're tray loaders, unless you buy the new Panasonic slot loader, but that will set you back about $400.


OS Media

I didn't get media for Windows 7 Professional. What is the best way to get this in case I have to wipe my drive and reinstall? Or can I just create install discs directly from the OS, like in the old days? Is it possible to get Windows 7 with XP mode, like you see from Dell.com?


Laptop Protector and Travel Bag

I know folks with MacBookPros are crazy about getting hard shells to protect their investments. Has anyone gotten a cover to protect their m4600? I kinda like the way it looks on its own, but was just wondering. Also, what laptop bag works well with the m4600?

Anything I'm missing, like Add-ons, like the Dock? Dell printer? Dell IPS full monitor?

A big thanks in advance,
Zach

 

Guys,

I want to verify specs and make my new m4600 is working fine.

Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
i7-2860QM (2.5GHz, 3.6GHz Turbo, 8MB Cache) (basically an i7-2960XM)
15.6" 1080p, IPS PremierColor screen
16GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600MHz
512GB Solid State Drive (LiteOn LCT-512M3S)
NVIDIA Quadro 2000M (2GB GDDR3)
HD web cam + mic
Backlit Keyboard
Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
1501 Wireless-N 802.11a/g/n Card
Wireless 375 Bluetooth Module
9-cell (97Wh) Battery
Intel vPro Technology Advanced Management Features

Before I start installing software, which tools should I download to test things out?

So far, I've created this list:

CPU-Z
HD Tune
Memtest86+
prime95
SSD-Life Pro
Dead Pixel Buddy

I'd also like something that tests the speeds of my ports and to properly test the GPU without frying it.

For those that have an SSD, did you TRIM your drive?

Thanks,
Z

 

When it comes to the Quadro 2000M, I've had one Blue Screen event based on an incorrect video driver.

I have v. 9.18.13.1110. Is that the newest driver?

For the IPS screen, PremierColor v1.01 came installed. I clicked Check Update and downloaded "Premeire_Color_1.02.032_Setup_ZPE" (14.4MB) from Portrait Displays.

I also came across another file called "Dell_PremiereColor_Setup.exe" (15.6MB) that's listed as Product Version 1.03.002

So there is an even newer version of PremiereColor???

I'm not sure what to update to...

Last, how do you calibrate your screen?

Thanks,
Z

 

Hey Zach,

A little OT, but where did you buy your laptop? That sounds like a great price for those specs.

I spec'ed out and bought an identical (save for the Wifi card) laptop for work but I'm looking for a personal replacement when I head back to school.

Thanks

 

Hey Befuddled,

Check your visitor messages after you log in.

Z