Dell Studio XPS 1645 Optimization

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and am hoping to get some information on my newly obtained Studio XPS 1645. Let me get this out of the way that I am a COMPLETE noob with laptops because this is my first time purchasing one. Moving on...

How can I optimize my XPS 1645 in terms of performance?

-What programs are important to have/essential for the laptop?

-How do I maximize the performance of my laptop? I've tried playing SC2 and it still has FPS lag on high settings so I want to know if there is any way of improving the performance.

-Whats the talk about throttling for this system? If this matters, my current BiOS version is A011. Should I worry about this at all?

-Which cooling pad best fits the XPS 1645? Also, is it possible to stack let's say... a Logitech Lapdesk and then a Zalman NC2000, then to the actual laptop? (while putting all of it on my lap of course)

-What are other accessories that a laptop like this should have?

-What are general things to know about a laptop? [battery(how do you find out the wear level of your battery?), etc]

Thanks in advance for anyone that replies. These are all of the questions that I can think of right now and if there are any more, I'll be sure to keep this thread updated.

 

I don't have a 1645 but a 1647. Let me try answer some of the questions...

1. Windows/Linux/Any kind of other OS...Well It depends on how you will use it. Some people may think the Dell dock is a nice thing to have while some people may not think so. So it's up to you.

2.Solid State Drive! If not then nevermind...I am also playing SC2 in 1080p with texture set to ultra; terrain, effects, models, movies and physics set to high; shaders, shadows and post processing set to medium; lighting set to low, no reflection, 3D unit and cap it @30fps...It runs smooth!

3.According to other posts, throttling is likely to happen on a combination of i7 quad core+ATI 4670+RGB LED screen. If you are not having these spec, it should be less likely to have the throttling thing.

4. It shouldn't need one...My 1647 has never been that hot...

5.Depends on your need...I have a Logitech VX Revolution (bought it a few years ago), a Kensington laptop lock, an Upek Fingerprint reader (to read files from my old XPS M1330), a nice laptop sleeve/bag (I use WaterField laptop sleeve case, which is made in San Francisco SFBags - WaterField Designs - Laptop Bags - Laptop Sleeves - iPhone 4 Case - iPhone 4 Sleeve - Kindle Case - Droid 2 Case - Droid X Sleeve - Magic Trackpad - iPad Case - iPad Sleeve - iPad Bag - Checkpoint Friendly - Travel Cases - Made in USA )

6.Try not turn it on 24/7 I guess...my M1330's battery dies pretty quick because of this...(I guess)

 

If you were inquirying about bundled apps, Dell doesn't have that much worth worrying about on their systems. Off the top of my head, there's only Windows/drivers/antivirus/MSOffice/PowerDVD/Facial Recognition/Webcam software/Java/Dell Dock/Dell Support Center and that's about it, sometimes some Media Center game or two. I guess now that I had time to list that out, Facial Recognition isn't all it's cracked up to be and uses a lot of resources, Dell Dock is optional unless you have use for it, as is Dell Support Center and the webcam software. I personally only use PowerDVD and the Webcam software (and upgrade Java, usually worth having around), never bothered to reinstall anything else.

 

please add to this thread

btw, it gets laggy in starcraft no high settings?
i am mildy disapointed

 

did your dell come with a sleeve?

 

Im running at 1600 x 900 Ultra settings, Shadows medium, Reflections off, and Framerate capped at 30fps. And it runs as smooth as butter. Your system is probably experiencing throttling

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies thus far!

Here are the specs of my laptop:

Studio XPS 16 - 1645 Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i7-720QM Quad Core Processor 1.6GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor
Dell Support 2.0 Software
Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate
Facial Recognition Version 2.3
Blu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM)
125V Power Cord
130W A/C Adapter, 3P
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730
8 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)
9 Cell, 85 WHr Lithium Ion Primary Battery
15.6 inch High Definition+ (900p) W/LED Display and Camera

That's all for now. If anyone can find out what's wrong, please inquire. Still hoping for more posts regarding the topic and also "throttling" and how to fix it.

Thanks!

EDIT: Another question- What programs should I uninstall (that came installed with the laptop)?

 

Hi Hunk,

I have the exact same laptop as you. only difference is I have a SSD for my hard drive.

As other posters have already said, you are more then likely experiencing Throttling issues in game. The game runs fine for a few minutes, then begins to stutter, and frame rate drops down poorly. Dell has yet to really fix this issue yet, but the people here at notebookreview have devised a solution that should solve your problem, please refer to this thread for more information.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/446193-s-xps-1645-throttling-info-updates.html

 

make sure that you install the QuickSet64 application from Dell. it provides a kind of HUD when using the media touch buttons above the keyboard. lets you know if you've accidentally hit the Mute or Volume keys, for example. (not necessary for the buttons to work in Win7, but a good feature set to have).

applications are always a personal preference, so i can't really recommend anything off the top of my head. a good antivirus is always a must, even if you are very careful where you go on the internet; better safe than sorry ("sorry" being code for "rummaging around for the Dell OS restore DVD").

so far as i've read, A11 is OK, though A09 is supposedly better as it removes the thermal/throttling cap. my unit came with A09 installed, so i didn't bother updating my BIOS. haven't had throttling problems yet.

a good case with decent padding. heck, any case with any padding. the unit is not the best build quality in the world, but it's quite decent. however, with bumps and accidental punches through the months ahead, this thing will show wear quickly.

if you intend on using the unit on AC for prolonged periods of time (for example, 2+ days straight) i recommend draining hte battery to around 50% and then removing it and storing it in a cool place. this helps prolong the overall life of the battery, so it'll last you more than a year or two. basically, this helps slow down battery wear over time.

 

I think the best performance boost you can give this system is: reinstall with a fresh OS, throw in a SSD (or remove the dvd bay and put in a ssd..), keep all the softwares/drivers up-to-date (BIOS is recommended to be v09 by many users). About the cooler, I highly recommend the zalman 2000 because of its size and design. Personally, I put my sxps16 on it while playing games and I do not turn it on at all and still able to keep the system fairly cool.....hope this helped.

 

Mine will arrive tomorrow via purposely. Unfortunately I will not be at home to receive it. Wonder if I can pick it up the same day after 5. Anyways what should I do first once I get the laptop? Burn recovery disc. Update bio then reinstall windows? After that download anti virus... Oops I forgot the test out the speakers and check for dead pixel. The go and buy a cooler... Did I miss anything?

 

i would say
1) burn recovery discs
2) (if already A09 then ignore) update BIOS to A09 (people prefer this to A11)
3) re-install OS if necessary (or just uninstall any pre-installed applications)

 

Thanks again for all the replies guys!

Currently, I'm reinstalling the OS, so that might take a bit.

A question I have is: How do I downgrade the BIOS from A11 to A09? Anyone have a thorough step-by-step guide on how to? Thanks!

 

If you have the 5730, then there is no reason to downgrade to A09. Unlike the 4670, which has a unique vBIOS in A09, the 5730 had the same vBIOS from A07 to A10. The A11/12 vBIOS for the 5730 should be a bit better, as it was a significant revision.

 

Since I can't even run the game at 30 FPS solid (it moves around from about 20-32) and I have the HD 5730 series, what seems to be the problem?

Reinstalling of the OS is almost complete. :X

 

Have you determined yet if the GPU is even throttling? It might be the CPU, or it might not be throttling at all. To determine if the GPU is throttling, download GPU-Z, go to the sensor tab. Download FurMark, and run it on 'extreme burn mode'. If the GPU clocks drop suddenly while FurMark is running, then you have GPU throttling, if not, then it's something else.

To determine if it might be CPU throttling, read this thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/446193-s-xps-1645-throttling-info-updates.html

If the throttling is due to overheating, something as simple as replacing the thermal paste or removing the dust filter blocking the fan input could drop your temps by over 5C, possibly eliminating the throttling.

 

20-30 fps sounds like it's not throttling, but rather doing its job fine. remember that the 5730 isn't exactly the best notebook GPU on the market. it will be able to run most every game on the market, but it doesn't mean it will run them all well.

try lowering the resolution to 1600x900 or lower to 1280x720, and try turning off Anti-Aliasing and shadows. while they make the game look nicer, you usually won't notice the difference when there's constant movement across the whole screen (andthey have a huge affect on overall performance!)

 

Is there much of a difference doing a clean install, then grabbing all the drivers as opposed to just removing any bloatware that Dell preinstalls on your system? Seems like much more of a hassle to grab the drivers again IMO. Btw, can someone elaborate on the problem that some people are claiming to have with the audio driver and the HDMI audio driver?

 

should i download throttlestop just in case? i have the newest model of xps16 is it compatible?

as well as which drivers are essential (newest/most suitable)?

 

well in theory a completely clean install, with drivers installed over top, would be better than removing the bloatware from a factory install. this is because removing software via the "Remove Programs" application doesn't completely remove all files: sometimes registry keys or AppData folders are left behind.

however, with computers as fast and resourceful (hardware-wise) as they are today, i do not think there will be a noticeable difference between clean installs and bloatware removal.

i did not have any problems with the HDMI audio driver, with either 10.7 from Dell and 10.8 from AMD. i think that issue may have been from previous AMD/ATI drivers?

 

i guess for me, the reason i would do a clean install is for the sake of "painting the canvas with my own color" to make it truly my own.

 

It looks like the topic has derailed from the original purpose... to get it back on track:

Anyone else out there with insightful information?

 

Sorry if it was my fault, but it hasn't really derailed in terms of the actual thread title, since it's still with regards to optimization, and I did not want to create a separate thread for something pertaining to the same topic. In any case, I'll stop asking if it bothers you that much.

 

Oh no, I don't mean that. You can use and abuse my thread all you want. In the end, it benefits me too. :]

 

Honestly if you're still looking for an answer, and it's really up to you unless you want the functionality, I'd remove Facial Recognition (because it doesn't work worth anyway), the Dell Dock, and Dell Support Center. If you never plan on using the webcam's built-in software to record videos or pictures (or use it's video/audio alteration effects), that is optional as well, but personally I use it. The webcam will still work in other applications without it, though. Uninstall MSOffice unless you bought it because it's just a trial version.

PowerDVD is required for proper DVD/Blu-ray playback (unless you have your own MPEG2/DVD/Blu-ray decoders), Java is generally only required if you run Java applications or want Java support in your web browser. Adobe Reader is of course necessary to view Acrobat/PDF files and instruction manuals, unless you can do without - you decide.

Pretty much everything else that comes preinstalled is required to support the hardware and use your computer.

 

Or, do a fresh install and use cloneZilla

 

i did a clean install. How can i get powerdvd back? as well as the Roxio CD creator? it's not in the utlity cd dell provided.

 

order the discs from Dell, or use the Dell download store: https://downloadstore.dell.com/Pages/ViewAccount.aspx

 

so... is it true that I SHOULD get powerDVD? I've tried to get it thru Factory Installed Software download. but that dell site is ... crappy. it's broken for me.

I don't want to get thru the trouble of calling dell if there's an alternative that is just as good and free.

 

PowerDVD is amazing. The whole TruTheater shtick really does make a difference when watching DVDs. I would get it.

 

alright i called dell. the service was great... they are sending me the backup cd, the powerdvd cd, and the roxio creator. the lady kept asking me, do you have any other cds you want... (doh i forgot to ask for window cd)

anyway, once i get it, i can just install it and the laptop should regonize it and the lincense key right? that's what i was told.

 

What is a well-fitted messenger bag / sleeve / cloth for the XPS16?

 

i actually love the sleeve that came with the laptop. it doesnt offer any bump and knock protection, but its great for preventing scratches and wiping off those finger grease on your keyboard. the monitor too when i sneeze on it which happens quite often