After Clean install & Tweaks, PCMark score dropped???

Well, I must have done something wrong. I did the clean install as instructed. Everything went smooth. Then I did the majority of the sticky "Top Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide" and then rebooted and ran PCMarks05 & 3DMarks06 and my scores dropped in both compared to when I ran them right after I got the notebook two weeks ago.
That was a LOT of work to do and get a lower score. To say the least, I'm disappointed.

PCMark05 score:
Two weeks ago: 5880 (right out of the box)
Last night: 5099

3DMark06 score:
Two weeks ago: 4380 (right out of the box)
Last night: 4061

Then, today I found that the "updated" drivers for the Video card dated
(11/28/2007) is causing a lower score than the driver that came on the CD which was dated in September?
Why would that be?

That was the ONLY change I made between running PCMARKS to find that out. The positive of that update is my temps cooled down 10 C for the cpu & gpu even though the score was lower.

Also, I gained back my 10GB from the restore partition.

So there were some positives here too. I would rather have a cooler running notebook than a faster one.

Any thoughts on any of this?

 

Try it with drivers from laptopvideo2go.com

 

Yeah the drivers from laptopvideo2go are top notch. I would recommend 169.09 or 169.28.

 

Isn't it wiser to use the drivers from Dell Support?
Would this affect the warranty?

BTW larson, Nice review on your dell.
Click on my review in my sig.

 

No, Dell drivers are crap. Definitely find one on LaptopVideo2Go (I use 169.09, but results vary), and no it will not affect the warranty in any way.

 

Aren't those for Vista 64 bit? The 167.45 is listed for the 32 bit.

Who has used these on the XPS M1530?

 

Did you turn off any services that might be important?

 

I may have, but I've since done the system restore and put it back to before.
However, even though the score went up some, but not close to the original score... I'm suspecting two things. The clean install did something or maybe a performance level setting somewhere is doing it as the temps are now 10C lower in both cpu/gpu temps. I do like that part.

 

You have to pay $29.99 to join laptopvideo2go to get their drivers.
No thanks!

 

No you don't...they are free.

 

try this driver

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=15825

 

Maybe I clicked the wrong page? When I clicked the "Download Driverrs" page, and then clicked the Scan Computer for Driver Updates at the top of that page, it took me to a page showing what drivers I needed and when I clicked on that, they said I had to sign up and pay a fee.

BTW ever since I did that scan, my temps all went up 10C and stayed there?

 

Didn't work?
When I tried to install it, I got this message:

What the HECK? I have Vista Home Premium 32bit!!!

 

Did you insert the modded inf file? This is described in my tweaking thread. If a modded inf file was not found with that driver, find the closest to it, above or below, extract and drag that file into the folder.

 

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=9243

Read the section on installing
I haven't actually tried it yet cause i don't recieve my m1530 till tomorrow

 

Ok, I figured it out, installed the modded inf file and replaced the other one, then tried installing it from there... no go, then following the instructions here:
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11997
after installing... it still reads:


Shouldn't now read:
Driver Version: 169.04
Driver Date: 2007-10-2

Also, if that new driver had installed there should be the roll balck feature, but it is greyed out, so that means the driver never installed...

 

You have 169.04 installed according to your picture.

7.15.11.6904 > drop the 7.15.1 = 169.04

 

Well THAT threw me off! What & why is the 7.15.1 there?

 

I would guess that they all start with the same number, so it is dropped to ease recognition.

 

I tried installing the other drivers, but then I had issues trying to play DVD's in Media Player...something about region codes if I recall correctly...

 

Okay, quite the improvement just installing just one driver!

Before: PCMark05 score: 4528
After: PCMarks05 score: 5892

Before: 3DMarks06 score: 4061
After: 3DMarks06 score: 4273

Flamenko... what tweaks would you recommend to give me the biggest boost? I have yet to try those since I restored back to the beginning.

 

There are no tweaks that will slow your system whatsoever otherwise they really wouldn't be tweaks....or tips.

Go through them all and if there is something your not sure of, just leave it.

Glad to see we are getting somewhere.

 

I finally received my xps m1530 today. And i am glad to say that so far there has been no problems at all.

I just did a clean install of windows (thanks flamenko for the guide - rep+) and it improved my 3dmark06 by about 250 using stock drivers. I reinstalled windows vista and downloaded the graphics driver from the dell site.

I got 4321 with the driver from dell and 4307 with 169.04 so not much difference between the two. Just that 169.04 can cope with overclocking.

Doing a clean install makes your computer so much faster and i recommend it to all!