Precision M4600 Owners Lounge

@ ksna and iieeann : do you use any 3D software or video app like PPRO CS5 in your M4600 ?


As we own both 2720QM, 2820QM and 2920XM, I'd take a 'real' test with for example the encoding of a video in PPRO CS5, or render a 3D scene (I'm using 3DS Max and Vue XStream 9.5) to see performance differences between the 3 quad core SB.

To do that, here's a link where u can download the 1080p trailer of TRON :

TRON: Uprising - HD-Trailers.net (HDTN)

(just right-click on the 1080p link, and save the file).

Why not copy and paste that video 5 times on the timeline and apply an gaussian blur effect on the video in PPRO and render it in h264 or mpeg 2 ?

Or if you prefer using another app, tell me !

 

This is what I found on PassMark - CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs , seems that the difference between the 2820 and 2920 isn't noticeable as the one between 2720 and 2820. So guess that the 2820 is the best buy.

[/IMG]

 

Again this are just numbers on paper w/o proper testing no1 can know enough...

 

What GPU do you have, the AMD or one of the NVidia's?

 

I have Rhino and Alias installed for 3D. I have Premier too, but I never use it, so I don't really know how I would go about doing that

Some quick search came up with some CAD benchmarks:
http://www.spec.org/benchmarks.html#gwpg (SW, Maya, ProE, 3D Max)
http://www.cadalyst.com/benchmark-test

 

Ok not very difficult, I explain you how to do :
Open PPRO, create new project, sequence in Hdv 1080p.
In the project windows, Ctrl+I to import the video file.
When imported, drag and drop it to the timeline, copy and paste it 5 times (right-click in an empty area of your video track and select : paste )
Select all clips, right-click on the selection and select "group"
Then you now have one unique clip.
In the effect windows, go to the blur section, and drag and drop the gaussian blur effect to your clip in the timeline.
Now go to the file menu>export>média
It will launch Media Encoder, just select h264 Blu Ray in the settings panel, choose a file name and be sure to select all the working area of your sequence....

That's it !

 

Does m4600 automatically recognize 1600Mhz RAM and run accordingly? I am using 1333Mhz and would like to change to 1600Mhz RAM, but worry that it still runs at 1333Mhz only.

The 2nd one, 4x2Gb KHX1600C9S3K2/8GX Intel X.M.P, Unbuffered SO-DIMM
Kingston Technology Company - HyperX SO-DIMM - HyperX memory is now available for notebooks!

@philip4600
Err, i didn't play those games and not doing photo or video editing. If i have time i may try them.

 

a dell tech came to visit me today, he let me take a look at the training materials for the M4600.

Product Overview


The M4600 mobile workstation is an E3 generation and is leveraged, to an extent, with the M6600 platform. The mobile workstation products are targeted towards the most demanding and highly technical professionals who desire overall performance and mobility, particularly around CPU, graphics and memory.

The M4600 provides the optimal balance of size and weight in a smaller and lighter 15.6” display. The product delivers uncompromised performance with support for Intel Sandy Bridge dual core, quad core and Extreme Edition processors, outstanding graphics performance and memory scalability up to 32GB at 1333Mhz. Additionally, it is capable of holding one 2.5” hard drive (max. 750GB) and an additional 2nd storage encrypted Solid State Drive (SSD).

This product will offer increased scalability from its predecessor, including expanded Input Output (I/O) options and other innovative features to provide the best possible customer experience.

In addition, the M4600 is also improved in the following areas:
•Graphics: Support simultaneous display with & without dock (quad monitor).
•Raid support: 0 and 1 via SSD Mini Card.
•Display: Introduction of brand new multi-touch screen with Stylus support.
• Ports: Introduction of HDMI* & having 3 external video ports (HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA).
•New keyboard design with num keypad (optional backlit).
• Internal display interface: LVDS (Low-voltage differential signaling) cable connector.
* HDMI = High-Definition Multimedia Interface
Competitive Products

The most frequently identified competitive products for M4600 are HP EliteBook 8530w and 8540w, Lenovo ThinkPad W500/W510, Apple Mac Book Pro 15, and Fujitsu Celcius H270.


Product Positioning


Marketing Information

The M4600 mobile workstation replaces the M4500 (E2 generation) and is positioned in the performance and mobility category. The M4600 maximizes productivity and provides innovative features that empower applications. This system provides a scalable work platform to meet customers' needs from basic 2D computing to analyzing massive amounts of data.

The M4600 is based on the powerful Intel Sandy Bridge processors, offering latest NVIDIA and ATI graphics as well as increased memory capacity. Features that aid in usability, durability and performance, valued by mobile workstation customers, have been added as well.

Target Markets

The target markets for the M4600 mobile workstation are high-end technical professionals from diversified industries such as Engineering, Research and Academics, Creative Professionals, Earth and Environment, and Defense. This group span all commercial segments across all regions worldwide and comes from small, single person business to multinational corporations.

These customers demand performance especially in CPU, graphics, and memory. They use highly specialized Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and mission critical applications that require significant hardware performance and scalability. The M4600 is ISV certified and is tested to ensure that it can run the software flawlessly.



Essential Knowledge


Introduction


This page identifies critical information presented in this document. Most of the material contained here involves updates from previous products or important information technicians should be aware of. A brief description of each subject is provided along with a link to the complete documentation.









NOTE:
This section includes supplemental information that's critical for support of this product. It's not intended as a substitute for reviewing the training documentation.



Parts Disassembly and Reassembly

The tear down for LCD bezel, LCD panel, LVDS cable and camera cable will be slightly different depending on the system's LCD type - Standard LCD, Touchscreen LCD or RGB LCD. Please refer to CRU/FRU List for more information on parts disassembly and reassembly.

RAID Support

Raid 0 and 1 is supported through additional 2nd storage hard drive via Solid State Drive Mini Card (SSD MC). Alternatively, user can choose to replace the 128GB SSD MC and use it as a single solid state storage.

The SSD MC is using the same slot as the WWAN card, which means if you have a SSD mini card, you cannot have WWAN card and vice versa.

Click on the Solid State Drive Mini card removal procedures section to learn more.
The image below is the SSD Mini card.

Raid Configuration
Raid 0 and Raid 1 can be configured with two drives present in the Dell Precision M4600.





NOTE:
By default, Raid On is set to Enabled in the Bios setting.

1.Enter System Setup.
2.Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight System Configuration. Press Enter.
3.Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight SATA Operation. Press Enter.
4.Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight RAID On. Press Enter.
5.Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight Save/Exit. Press Enter to exit System Setup and resume the boot process.

Enter Raid Configuration Utility
When prompted during system startup, press Ctrl and i <Ctrl i> at the same time to enter the configuration utility to create / manage Raid volume.





NOTE:
To enter the configuration utility, ensure that there are 2 HDDs attached in the system.


UEFI BIOS

The UEFI BIOS is implemented in the Precision M4600. Click on the System BIOS and Simulation section to learn more.

Battery Slice

E1 & E2 systems' battery slice is not forward compatible with E3 systems mechanically and vice versa. This is due to authentication code change and is not compatible with predecessor platforms.

Although some E3 systems' slice batteries can be physically plugged into E1/E2 systems via dock connector, the batteries cannot work.
The following warning message will be displayed:
The battery slice battery attached to your Dell notebook is not supported by this model. Please detach the slice battery to reduce the weight of your system.





NOTE:
Battery slice is not supported on Dell Precision™ M4600. Not all E3-series systems support battery slice.


New Warranty Support for Battery

Customers can now purchase the Dell Precision™ M4600 with an optional 3 years warranty support for the system battery. The quickest way to differentiate these two types of batteries support is to identify the battery label. The 3 years warranty battery wears a green color label compare to the standard battery's grey label.
For Dell internal users only, click Extended Battery Service to learn more.


eSATA

The Dell Precision™ M4600 system includes an eSATA / USB combo port. It can interface with either an eSATA device or a USB device. eSATA is an industry standard interface. A few of the key benefits of eSATA technology are:
•Data speeds up to six times faster than USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394
•Robust and user friendly external connection
•High performance, cost effective expansion storage
•Up to 2 meter shielded cables and connectors

For Dell internal users only, click eSATA to learn more.


Contactless Smart Card Reader

The card reader on the Dell Precision™ M4600 requires the user to simply wave their identification card over the sensor. This capability is implemented using a tiny Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag in the card. The RFID tag is essentially a microchip combined with an antenna. Contactless smart cards provide the user with greater convenience by speeding the authentication processes.
For Dell internal users only, click Contactless Smart Card Reader to learn more.


Backlit Keyboard

The Dell Precision™ M4600 system is offered with a backlit keyboard.

The keyboard on the M4600 illuminates when the system is turned on. There are 3 settings - Brighter, dimmer or turned off. This can be done through the BIOS or by pressing <Fn> and <right-arrow> keystroke.

This key represents a keyboard with back lit capable.
For Dell internal users only, click Keyboard to learn more.




CRUs



SD Memory



Express Card



Battery



SIM Card



Bluetooth Module



Bottom Door



Keyboard Trim



Keyboard



Optical Drive



Hard Drive



WLAN Card



WWAN Card



Primary Memory



Secondary Memory




FRUs



CPU Fan



Graphics Fan



Coin Cell Battery



Palm Rest



CPU Heatsink



Processor



Graphics Heatsink



Graphics Card



Bluetooth Cable



Express Card Module



IO Board



LCD Assembly



System Board



DC-in Jack



Touchscreen/RGB LCD Bezel



Standard LCD Bezel



Touchscreen LCD Panel



RGB LCD Panel



Standard LCD Panel



Camera



LCD Hinge, Hinge Caps, and Hinge Towers



LVDS and Camera Cable (Touchscreen and Standard LCD)



RGB LVDS Cable



RGB Camera Cable

 

Why do you want 1600mhz memory? 8gb 1333 to 8gb 1600 will yield no benefits on any real world situation.

 

System BIOS and Simulation


The System Setup options allow you to:
&#8226;Change the system configuration information after you add, change, or remove any hardware in your notebook.
&#8226;Set or change a user-selectable option.
&#8226;Read the current amount of memory or the size of the Hard Drive installed.






CE TIP:
Before you use System Setup, it is recommended that you write down the current System Setup information for future reference.







CAUTION:
Do not change the settings in System Setup unless you are an expert computer user. Certain changes can cause your computer to work incorrectly.


UEFI

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a specification which define a new model for the interface between personal computer operating systems and platform firmware. The interface consists of data tables that contain platform related information, plus boot and runtime service calls that are available to the operating system and its loader. Together, these provide a standard environment for booting an operating system and running pre-boot applications. One of the main differences between BIOS and UEFI is the way applications are coded. Assembler was used if functions or applications had to be coded for the BIOS while a higher level language code will be used to program the UEFI.

Dell UEFI BIOS implementation will supersede the existing two different sets of BIOS in the portables and desktop products into one single UEFI BIOS moving forward.

For more info about UEFI, please visit the UEFI homepage at UEFI - Home

Precision&#8482; M4600 UEFI BIOS

The Precision&#8482; M4600 are installed with UEFI BIOS. So, what should I be taking note of as a technician?

There is no difference in between the conventional BIOS and the UEFI BIOS unless the UEFI option is checked in the 'Boot Sequence' setting in the BIOS page. This will allow the user to create a UEFI boot option list manually without affecting the existing boot priority list. With the implementation of UEFI BIOS, the changes are more related to the manufacturing tools and functionalities with very minimal impact to the customer's usages.

Few things to remember are:

1.
If customers has a UEFI boot media and ONLY if they have UEFI boot media (either in the optical media or via USB storage), the one-time boot menu will show an additional section listing the UEFI boot options. If they don't have UEFI boot media attached, they will never see this option. Almost all will never get to see this option unless the UEFI boot option is specified manually through the 'Boot Sequence' settings.

2.
How to change Service Tag or Asset tag information?

When the service technician replace a system board, he's required to set the service tag upon the system starts up at one time off basis. Failure to set a service tag may resulted system battery not being able to charge. Therefore, it is very important that the service technician set the correct system service tag. If a wrong service tag is set, there's no way to reset it and the technician will have to place order for another system board replacement.

Customers may also report that after a motherboard replacement, the asset field is already populated in the system BIOS, and needs to be cleared or set. For older systems, asset.com can still be used if desired. Asset.com can only be used from outside of the operating system, so a floppy or bootable key or CD will need to be used. For older systems and all newer systems with the UEFI BIOS platform, customers need to download the Dell Client Configuration Utility (DCCU) toolkit to clear or set the asset field from within Windows. It is under Systems Management on the support website page. Follow these steps to set the asset tag:
a. Download the Dell Client Configuration Utility toolkit. NOTE: This is for all Windows operating system versions, and all recent Optiplex, Latitude, and Precision systems.
b. Install the utility. It takes less than 1 minute to install and only takes a small amount of storage space.
c.Once installed, open a Command Prompt. In XP, click Start, Run, type cmd and press <Enter>. For Vista and 7, click Start, in the Search box, type cmd. When the command prompt screen appears at the top, right-click and choose Run as administrator.
d. At the prompt, type cd\ and press <Enter>. At the C:\ prompt, type cd program files\dell\cctk\x86 and press <Enter>.





NOTE:
If it's a 64 bit windows, it will be x64 instead of x86


e. At the C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\x86 prompt, type cctk --asset=###### (with ###### being the asset tag the customer wants to use) and press <Enter>.





NOTE:
There is a 10 character limit for an asset tag.


f. It will take up to 30 seconds to process. If successful, it will drop back to a C:\Program Files\Dell\CCTK\x86 prompt. If your receive an error, check the syntax and try again.
g.Reboot the system to make sure the asset tag change was successful.


Entering System Setup
&#8226;Turn on (or restart) your notebook.
&#8226;While the notebook is booting, press <F2> immediately to access the BIOS Setup Utility.
&#8226;If an error occurs during POST (Power On Self-Test), you may also enter the BIOS Setup Utility by pressing <F2> when prompted.






CE TIP:
Keyboard failure may result when a key on the keyboard is held down for extended periods of time. To avoid possible keyboard failure, press and release <F2> in even intervals until the System Setup screen appears.


<F12> Menu