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    XPS m1530 BIOS update A09

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by kanehi, Jul 26, 2008.

  1. kanehi

    kanehi Notebook Deity

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    It's on the web site now. :eek:
     
    kanehi, Jul 26, 2008
    #1
  2. benbeck08

    benbeck08 CCNA/A+ In Progress

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    Nice find what does this mean exactly?
     
    benbeck08, Jul 26, 2008
    #2
  3. derviskemal

    derviskemal Notebook Consultant

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    doesnt look too much different but...

    Fixes/Enhancements
    ------------------
    1. Added enhancement for thermal control.
    2. Update Intel CPU family name.

    Thermal control sounds good as the laptop (mine especially) gets sooo hot!
     
    derviskemal, Jul 26, 2008
    #3
  4. Jamaicanyouth

    Jamaicanyouth Notebook Evangelist

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    It just runs your fans more aggressively so your GPU won't die.
     
    Jamaicanyouth, Jul 26, 2008
    #4
  5. Oppermann

    Oppermann Notebook Enthusiast

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    Bah I don't want my fan to run more than it already does.. Is it possible to reinstall A08 if you don't like the A09?
     
    Oppermann, Jul 26, 2008
    #5
  6. n640nec

    n640nec Notebook Consultant

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    n640nec, Jul 26, 2008
    #6
  7. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    fonduekid, Jul 26, 2008
    #7
  8. derviskemal

    derviskemal Notebook Consultant

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    update basically did nothing visible for me, the only thing i can tell is that the fans kick in a lot quicker but the lappy is still hot!
    i know this is not dell's fault so i will not lecture them too much, but them and nvidia should be working together to solve the issue and make sure the affected users are made aware of the problem, if it affects them and whether they will get a replacement part through a recall etc.
     
    derviskemal, Jul 26, 2008
    #8
  9. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    Well, I wouldnt say my laptop is hot.. The fan kicks in at arnd 66 for me and gets it down to 56 which is a couple of deg C less than before. And anyways this was what the update meant to do I guess.. get the fan to kick in earlier!!!
     
    fonduekid, Jul 26, 2008
    #9
  10. kanehi

    kanehi Notebook Deity

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    My m1530 didn't really run hot in the first place (nVidia GT8600m) but with A09 it does feel slightly cooler. I don't know what the Intel CPU family name is all about. Dell doesn't usually elaborate on their BIOS updates and that drives me up the wall. The update is running and no complaints so far. The one thing I noticed is that if you try to update the video driver thru nVidia's site with its autodetect software, it refers to back to Dell for updated drivers.
     
    kanehi, Jul 26, 2008
    #10
  11. benbeck08

    benbeck08 CCNA/A+ In Progress

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    just upgraded mine....seems cooler i think
     
    benbeck08, Jul 26, 2008
    #11
  12. roryk

    roryk Notebook Enthusiast

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    will new ones just ordered come with it installed or will i have to do it myself?
     
    roryk, Jul 27, 2008
    #12
  13. benbeck08

    benbeck08 CCNA/A+ In Progress

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    it should have itll show you when you boot up your laptop but it should have a09 already
     
    benbeck08, Jul 27, 2008
    #13
  14. kanehi

    kanehi Notebook Deity

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    I do admire Dell for developing the patch for it's affected laptops right away. I guess they want their XPS customers happy since we paid premium for the darn thing!
     
    kanehi, Jul 27, 2008
    #14
  15. benbeck08

    benbeck08 CCNA/A+ In Progress

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    Yeah no kiddin.....this seems to work really well!!!!! My laptop is WAY cooler
     
    benbeck08, Jul 27, 2008
    #15
  16. v_c

    v_c Notebook Evangelist

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    The bios update is related to the Nvidia problem - Dell elaborated slightly about it in their blog.

    Im cautious that installing this bios will simply push back a graphics card failure to outside the warranty period.
     
    v_c, Jul 27, 2008
    #16
  17. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    You are right. Happened the same for me too, though I must add this was there even before the BIOS update thing. Anyways, I tried so many times to update through Nvidia but it keeps sending me back to the Dell Drivers. Then someone told me that this is probably because the dell drivers specific for your system come with some functions like hotkeys and things.. So yeah, I then updated the driver from Dell. Though I don't know why Dell doesn't have 175.97 in its XPS M1530 driver page but they have it in their M1330 page (though the driver seems to work for 8600m GT as well, according the info on dell site. Anyways...
     
    fonduekid, Jul 27, 2008
    #17
  18. jon_m

    jon_m Notebook Guru

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    Updated now. It definitely makes my fan run more often. At a slightly lower speed, it seems - but still annoying. My XPS is less quiet than it used to be :(
     
    jon_m, Jul 27, 2008
    #18
  19. Jamaicanyouth

    Jamaicanyouth Notebook Evangelist

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    Did anyones biometric fingerprint scanner stop working or doesn't work properly since updating the bios?
     
    Jamaicanyouth, Jul 27, 2008
    #19
  20. kanehi

    kanehi Notebook Deity

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    Are all the GPUs affected or just batches from certain time period? Wished they would elaborate more. I've read even the 8700m is affected too. Someone messed up with quality control big time and nVidia should burden the cost of replacements. Intel owned up to the P60 Pentium chip with the math calculation probem.
     
    kanehi, Jul 28, 2008
    #20
  21. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    Fact is, there haven't been any cases of failures as a result of this defect, and the ones that do have problems usually notice it as soon as they pop a game into it and notice poor FPS. They call in for a replacement, and its all resolved. No one knows for sure how long the defective cards will last. Many M1530's that were bought as soon as they were launched still work fine after a year and are still going strong. For all we know, it probably shortens it by a few days or months.

    Lack of info is bad I concur.
     
    Forte, Jul 28, 2008
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  22. philiptha

    philiptha Notebook Geek

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    has anyone noticed a significant drop in battery life after applying the update?

    this is stupid, my laptop isn't quiet anymore...

    also, my fingerprint scanner is working fine...
     
    philiptha, Jul 28, 2008
    #22
  23. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    I havn't noticed any real drop in battery life after applying it. Maybe 5 mins shaved off?

    My laptop is still quiet, fingerprint scanner has always worked fine.
     
    Forte, Jul 28, 2008
    #23
  24. red_kipper

    red_kipper Notebook Enthusiast

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    Well, my GPU failed just 3 weeks ago. Brand new system. First day I got it booted and the screen didn't come on. Worked fine for about a week, then screen didn't come on full stop. VGA out still worked so I could get a picture on an external monitor, could even get the internal LCD to display colours using Dell's diagnostic function (hold d and press power button when off) but internal monitor wouldn't display anything when you switched it on. This is well before I heard of the GPU errors. Dell engineer came and replaced motherboard (a new lcd panel didn't work still) as it was identified the graphics adapter had gone kaput. So at least 1 failure already!
     
    red_kipper, Jul 28, 2008
    #24
  25. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    Thats my point. You notice the problems early on. First day you boot and it has problems? You get a replacement proto! You did the right thing.

    What I feel sorry for is all the systems with the new A09 bios being shipped because even if their card is defective... rigorous testing might not do much. New owners of the M1530 should flash their bios back to A08 and try sticking a graphics intensive game and play it for a couple of hours.
     
    Forte, Jul 28, 2008
    #25
  26. smd58tx

    smd58tx Notebook Geek

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    The fan seems to come on a few degrees earlier based on GPU temp with A09 than it did with A08.

    I hope this is a 'temporary' fix for these crappy NVIDIA GPUs. If they're going to scale back the GPU or crank up the fan because NVIDIA made a mistake they aren't willing to fix, there should be some sort of refund or something. Or perhaps Dell can ship everyone an extra battery every year. Ramping up the fan doesn't change the rates of thermal expansion inside the chip, replacing the chip does. It would be very nice of nvidia to publish their findings on this issue, and claim responsibility for the problem if it is as truly widespread as it seems to be.
     
    smd58tx, Jul 28, 2008
    #26
  27. thomasshiow

    thomasshiow Notebook Geek

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    My 1530 came with A08 Bios, used it since May, played COD4, AoC, WoW, NWN 2 for hours at a time and temps were always acceptable, staying below 70 degrees. Now with the A09 Bios I hope my GPU won't break down? But really Dell should just recall and replace all affected Notebooks that are still within warranty period instead of issuing a "fix" that will probably just prolong the life of an already defective GPU; I would be really pissed if my GPU breaks down right when my warranty ends!!! :mad:
     
    thomasshiow, Jul 28, 2008
    #27
  28. DFI Fan

    DFI Fan Notebook Evangelist

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    I updated mine, but I'm not sure if it's was a good idea. If you update to A09 your fan will run way more often. It seems like a temporary fix for a longterm problem. Nvidia really has to fix their mistake here.
     
    DFI Fan, Jul 28, 2008
    #28
  29. benbeck08

    benbeck08 CCNA/A+ In Progress

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    Hey guys Ive been using my 1530 a TON the past two days after I upgraded the bios to a09.............no gaming really (fun 2d games) but I've been doing all kinds of multitasking, photoshop, and watching videos. It seems to me that the temps have dropped considerably and to be honest I can't even tell the fan is on more
     
    benbeck08, Jul 28, 2008
    #29
  30. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    I played Assasins Creed many days when I first got my M1530 with the A08 bios and also multitasked, watched videos, photoshop, etc. There was no slowdown, games performed remarkably. The A09 bios does feel a bit cooler, but I've had no problems with the A08 one before, so, A09 just makes it even better.
     
    Forte, Jul 28, 2008
    #30
  31. mark500

    mark500 Notebook Consultant

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    http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/09/nvidia-g84-g86-bad

    The problems are big and going to point to massive problems for both Dell and Nvidia, the Bios released just runs the fans longer which in turns decreases battery life, and in turn will delay the failure of the GPU, hopefully for Dell/Nvidia until after your warranty runs out. Some posters here are glossing over this issue. We need to demand answers from both Dell and Nvidia NOW. Updating to AO9 is NOT a fix, its a delay. Why no real list of affected GPU's? because its ALL of them! Wake up.
     
    mark500, Jul 28, 2008
    #31
  32. Dynamo44

    Dynamo44 Notebook Consultant

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    Quick question, to properly update the BIOS, do I just extract the file to a thumb driver and "install" it unto my laptop? Thanks!
     
    Dynamo44, Jul 28, 2008
    #32
  33. jon_m

    jon_m Notebook Guru

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    do you have an unusual set-up? Under Vista, I just saved the .exe to my desktop, closed all my running programmes, and ran the file.
     
    jon_m, Jul 28, 2008
    #33
  34. DFI Fan

    DFI Fan Notebook Evangelist

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    No you can run it straight off the HDD from within Windows. It is very easy to update BIOS on Dell computers. :)

    No need to make a bootable floppy or boot of a USB drive like on many motherboards.
     
    DFI Fan, Jul 28, 2008
    #34
  35. kanehi

    kanehi Notebook Deity

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    nVidia doesn't even know how many GPUs are affected. I guess Dell will have to deal with it on an individual case by case basis and repair. Why replace something just because. Dell should extend the warranty instead.
     
    kanehi, Jul 29, 2008
    #35
  36. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    fonduekid, Jul 29, 2008
    #36
  37. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    The Inquirer is a HORRIBLE source that makes for only a fun read. Don't take anything they say for granted. They write articles like "The PS3 has half the power of an Xbox 360" by twisting the truth covering only ERAM and not actual ram, though they do not mention ERAM whatsoever and press on saying that the PS3 is half the power of a 360.

    Out of all the articles that cover the Nvidia issue, don't use the Inquirer. Sure they are much more biased and expressive, but they like to make things a lot bigger than they are. Use a different source. Thx. :)
     
    Forte, Jul 29, 2008
    #37
  38. hanime

    hanime Notebook Evangelist

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    Finally an update on the BIOS! Been waiting for this. Just upgraded to A09 and happy so far because it fixed the infamous EJECT button stutter on XPS laptop systems. As far as heat, it's alot cooler and I don't really care about battery life since it is always plugged in.
     
    hanime, Jul 31, 2008
    #38
  39. djtoodles

    djtoodles Notebook Evangelist

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    whats a good game to try rigorous testing on? ive had my laptop since march and yet to play a single game. no MMO crap :) will grid work? or gow anyway gimmie some games to try to make sure my card is ok, id rather not install a09 if i dont have to :).
     
    djtoodles, Aug 1, 2008
    #39
  40. Thund3rball

    Thund3rball I dont know, I'm guessing

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    Oh I better get this already, keep forgettin!
     
    Thund3rball, Aug 1, 2008
    #40
  41. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    Run, thund3r, Run!!!!! ;) ;) ;)
     
    fonduekid, Aug 1, 2008
    #41
  42. MikeyMike01

    MikeyMike01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Finally fixed the eject button thing! I have computer OCD. :p

    My laptop seems a bit cooler.
     
    MikeyMike01, Aug 2, 2008
    #42
  43. artfuldodga

    artfuldodga Notebook Geek

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    did anybodys bios update take away the ability to control LCD brightness via windows mobility center / power options ? for some reason mine has disappeared although the fn / up/down keys work fine...

    it could also be a driver issue, right now i'm using 177.72
     
    artfuldodga, Aug 2, 2008
    #43
  44. fonduekid

    fonduekid JSUTAONHTERBIRCKINTEHWLAL

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    Nope, for me nothing happened after the BIOS update except the fan thingy!!

    But did u try changing the brightness settings from the nVidia control panel to see if it works?
     
    fonduekid, Aug 2, 2008
    #44
  45. Cyberwulf

    Cyberwulf Notebook Enthusiast

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    My laptop has always been flawless right out of the box. I never had any heat issues, but upgraded anyway to the new bios. It does run about 3-4 degrees cooler now, and I still can barely hear the fan. The eject button works great (but then I never noticed a problem before either...). I also upgraded my video driver to 175.97, and framerates improved noticeably. All in all, I couldn't be more happy with my 1530!
     
    Cyberwulf, Aug 2, 2008
    #45
  46. DarkFnh

    DarkFnh Notebook Enthusiast

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    Item : Current : Min : Max
    THM_ : 47 : 43 : 93
    CPU1 : 46 : 42 : 86
    CPU2 : 47 : 45 : 94
    GPU : 54 : 53 : 82
    HDD : 37 : 37 : 41

    would these temperatures be considered as high (I was playing Gears of war when the temperatures maxed). thanks :)
     
    DarkFnh, Aug 2, 2008
    #46
  47. Death Ro

    Death Ro Notebook Guru

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    No, your temperatures are not high at all.
     
    Death Ro, Aug 3, 2008
    #47
  48. DarkFnh

    DarkFnh Notebook Enthusiast

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    oh ok thanks, the CPU got to 94 Celsius and I got scared :p
     
    DarkFnh, Aug 3, 2008
    #48
  49. RedBaronK

    RedBaronK Notebook Consultant

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    this bios update made a big 7c difference across the board for my 1530..... dunno if i had a defective chip or not from the beginning but in either case its good.
     
    RedBaronK, Aug 3, 2008
    #49
  50. zee_cat

    zee_cat Notebook Enthusiast

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    sorry to sound like a noob and all, but how exactly do you check the version of the BIOS driver?
     
    zee_cat, Aug 15, 2008
    #50
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