Precision M6400 Owner's Lounge *Part 2*

How well is the FirePro M7740 supported by Linux? I've been doing quite a bit of searching online but can't find many references to it.

 

Nevermind. Decided to check with nVidia with the FX2700 in a m6400 covet. Going to be upgrading the drives and processor right away, and the video card down the road.

 

My experience is that nvidia cards are better supported under Linux, but also here the nvidia reference drivers from the nvidia page are a liitle bit outdated (February 2008).

regards
Christopher

 

Hi,
I've tried the OCCT test but all seems to be OK. see attached results (all around 10min or longer)
I don't have Dirt or Dirt2 but Grid works fine.

If you have another test you would like run let me know and I'll try to do it for you.

 

Run a 1Hr test with a shader setting at 8
I have attached the report graph.

Your GPU hitting 90 seems worrying!!!

Regards David

 

Does anyone remember if the cooling pad for the m6400 is supposed to push air into the bottom or suck it out?

 

it sucks from the bottom and exhausts through the back

 

Thanks, but that didn't answer the question. I decided to play it safe anyhow (on the chipsets ATI does bother to support on Linux, they deprecate chipsets a lot sooner than nVidia does) and had bought a Covet with an FX2700 and will get an FX3700 separately and do the upgrade myself.

As far as disassembly goes; does the disassembly process for the standard m6400 apply? I'm going to be upgrading to a Core 2 Quad when the notebook arrives. I'm familar with many Precision notebook but have never worked on a Covet.

 

Oh great thanks. I figured out the source of my stuttering video was the CPU downclocking when it got too hot. I need a cooling pad. Anyone got any suggestions on a good one? How about these two below?

Antec NoteBook Cooler 200
http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Unbeatable-Notebook-Cooler-200/dp/B001G0WNFS

Zalman Cooling pad
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zalman-ZM-N...1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1270420397&sr=8-1-fkmr1

I was a bit worried that driving air up into the base would be working against the fans but it seems that, as you say, the air is sucked in this way anyways.

Veni

 

Good to see you back with us Barn, I was beginning to worry that you and Airblazer got 'renditioned' or something nasty the U.S. is up to but while you're here let me ask you something. Airblazer usually gives the best SSD but both of you are what I call expertos, compared to me anyway. My second gen Samsung SLC SSD is still reading/writing at close to the spec speeds of 100/80 and can be had for $400. The newer Intel, OCZ and Samsungs of the same size but with 270/210 read/writes cost $300 more. And I'm debating another SLC or possibly the Intel 80GB MLC that I hear so much good about. The boot and shut down speeds as well as the access times for programs is what wows me with the things and I wonder if the much higher read/writes will be 300 dollars worth of noticeable difference. Got an opinion or any info on that?

And for all the questions about the Quadro fx 3700, even with multiple external fans and the Zalman pad it sits on the GPU always runs hotter than the CPU and heats up faster when loaded up. If you have a 32bit OS 18KfanGUI is the program you want for fan control. It's made for Dells only and gives you complete control. I had it set so the fans never ran 'slow', when they came on they always came on 'high' but to tell the truth with all the external fans in my office, for cooling me as well as blowing the constant talcum fine volcano dust away I could never hear the internal fans. For the first time I had the chance to run my Covet with no external fans and found out that set on high they make quite a racket. But with 18k and the pad running temps. stayed cool enough for me. And I'm a temp. freak, at least as far as being constantly aware of how hot everything runs. I hear some of the operating temps people work with and am amazed the damn thing doesn't melt.

And there's no need to 'remember' anything. Get the internal fans running and put your hand in front of the back vents. If nothings coming out something's wrong. And in the manuals you can download for the m6400 all that is made clear. And christ on a ten speed, if anything ever hit 90 Celsius I'd drop the thing in a tub of water! You could cook an egg at those kind of temps.

For you folks that have questions about the 3700 and gaming my understanding is that it's not a 'gaming card' (what the difference is I know not) but the m6400 isn't a 'gaming' machine in general and what the real differences are I don't understand. I do know that using Nvidia drivers is asking for troubles I've never experienced sticking with the drivers on the Dell driver page.

And to Asalecdo = The sound coming on and off is the only problem, if you'd call it a 'problem' I've had with my Covet. The only thing I have noticed is that using external speakers there's never a problem but using the internal ones they sometimes just don't work. Rebooting the machine usually, but not always, fixes it until the next time it does it. The mic. always works fine and going through the 'Audio Properties' tells me everything's fine even when it's not. You're saying that reinstalling the IDT driver works for you? I'll have to try that but it's a strange problem and I'd like to know the cause so if you ever pin anything down please post it. I'd appreciate that.

And to the new post asking about cooling pads, I've always used the Zalman and it works well. And it's sized perfectly for the m6400. But I'm a heating freak and also have regular room fans that blow on me and the machine for dust and heat control. It really takes a load of work off the machine and keeps me cool and volcano dust free too. Loaded up and working hard anything above 60 Celsius is hotter than I'd like and my setup usually keeps it within that self imposed limit. But obviously the machine can take more heat, though I still maintain that more heat equals shorter lifespan. Whether that's true or not I really don't want to know, it must be an obsession or something.

And anyone with any thoughts at all on SSDs, SLC or MLC style, any tidbit of info you may have would also be appreciated.