Dell Inspiron 15R Special edition (7520)

Indeed I missed the information I have understood that is possibile to install a bigger SSD in place of the mSATA 32Gb SSD provided by DELL. But I still have no info about the speed of the mSATA connector of the MB: 3Gbps or 6Gbps?

 

For some people it seems to be a problem to scroll a few posts up.

 

I think you answered your own question, You are running the 7730m at 1080P where as the other GPUs run at 720p. That is big difference in load for the GPUs. Have you done aple to apple comparision with same resolution?
You may be right DDR3 may not be enough for 1080p performance.

Also only 650m/660m uses DDR5 most other GPUs you mentioned I think are on DDR3.

 

Hello Jason, thanks for the reply

Thanks to your picture I know now where my daughter board is and where the mSata is supposed to be

- - - later - -

I just disassembled my laptop again and found the daughterboard.. I flip it over.. and the connector is not there.. but I can see that it should/could be there, and there is a little chip also missing, here's a picture :



it's a little collage, and I put your daughter board picture on it as a comparison to see where the port is supposed to be (hope you don't mind).

I wonder if you can tell me the part/model number of your daughter board, mine is "QCL00/10 LS-8242P rev 1.0" by HannStar.

Maybe I can find the part at ebay (I'll also try DELL, but not much hope there). I actually found my part number on ebay (47$ or 37€ with shipping), but I can see there's no mSata port.
Could you send me or post a clearer picture of your daughter board, so I can see the part number ?

Where you able to use the mSata drive as the boot/main drive for your PC ?

You are proposing to do some benchmarks on your mSata SSD, could you do it with CrystalDiskMark ?

Thanks for everything

-- Dominique

PS : Here is a link from a DELL forum discussion about the mSata : Inspiron 15R SE 7520 mSATA slot - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

 

Got my 15R S.E. today and the backlit keyboard isn't err... backlighting. Just to make sure it's FN +F6 correct? There's no software switches to flip or anything? All the other FN keys work just fine.

 

Go inside the windows mobile center. If you not see any option for changing the backlit (on/off/medium) you dont have any backlit. Otherwise you have one

 

Backlit keyboard is not standard in all countries and only UK/US layout ones are backlited

 

I have the option (off/dim/bright), not working. I'll have to call. Thank you for the info.

EDIT: Checked and the back light wasn't plugged in.... everything works now.

 

Hello, I have passed all my time in the XPS15 thread but I'm interested in buying an Inspiron 15R, not SE because that model is not available in my country, but I could'nt find the specific thread for this Inspiron so If someone could give me a link I'd be very greatful. Meanwhile can someone tell me if the Inspirons (specifically the 15R) have any problem as the l521x, such as throttle, wifi issues, battery life, etc. that I need to know?

 

Was looking for a new laptop and eventually decided to just keep an eye out on the dell outlet, picked up the 15r 7520 with an i5 3210 and 1080p screen, not to fussed on the i7 thought id save the £100 and grab this as its general programming and some gaming, and if i need to do any hardcore work ill use my desktop or the uni labs as they been refurbished .

£460 delivered seems like a good price to me, eagerly awaiting its arrival now as it will be replacing my 4 year old dell latitude e6400 which is a bit of a slow poke now .Hows the battery life with the i5 model? All ive found is the reviews for the i7 and it doesnt really help, also has anyone managed to source a 9 cell battery? Would be lovely but im struggling to find ANYTHING online .

 

I have the same config as yours got it for a good price from dell outlet NEW and liking it.
Battery life is not bad although I have not done any real measurements but if you surf the web it lasts well over 3 hours.
I do not think there is any larger battery option. i5 is the way to go if you are concerned with battery life.
Only beef I have is that it is heavy. I compared to a 3-4 years old Inspirion 15 I had and this is heavier than that old laptop.

 

Yeah mines also new, refurb but we all know that 99.9% of the dell outlet is new . I was convinced after this long thread filled with mostly praise so i ended up jumping at the chance. Yeah this laptop will be alot heavier and bigger than my 14.1" latitude so going to have to get used to that but the larger screen and much higher res so certainly give me a more enjoyable work experience hehe.

Cant wait... still in "processing" atm .

 

expect it to take 3-4 days to leave DELL at least mine did. Seems outlet laptop are being built before they ship or something like that.
No way to explain why it takes 4 days to leave wearhouse...

Yes 1080p screen is nice but I also had it on my last Studio 15

 

I was pretty much dead-set on getting an XPS 15 (mostly because of the hard-body design) but after reading that owner's thread, that laptop seems to have an insane amount of problems. I just recently noticed this Inspiron 15R SE and it looks pretty sleek. I'm looking at the top model (i7, 8 GB RAM, 1TB+32GB SSD, etc.) and was hoping you all could answer some questions. (I have read the last 10 pages in this thread to try and get some of them answered but I wanted clarification).

1) How is the "build" of the computer. I was considering a Lenovo IdeaPad and the lid on that thing was ridiculously flexible - it bent in with me just putting my thumb on the closed lid.

2) Are the only differences between the SE and the regular Inspiron the 1080p screen and graphics card? Those are certainly enough for me to jump on the SE model, I was just curious if I was missing anything else.

3) Are there any Wireless Card/WiFi problems or throttling issues with this model? I know the XPS has major issues.

Thanks everyone. Hope to get the computer within a week or so, so I can join as a contributor and not just question-asker. The DELL kiosk by me only has the XPS models and one Inspiron (not SE), which is why I cannot find these answers out myself. I'm in the US BTW.

 

I have the i5 version of the 15R SE and love it. I cannot think of an issue with it after use of bout 3 weeks.

1. Build I would say is equal to Ideapad but is not as good as XPS series. I do not know if the SE is the same as standard Inspirion. The lid is plastic and firm,not flexible as Ideapad. The keyboard does flex a little but I can like with it.

2. I am going to guess mechanically it may not be too different with some cosmetic exceptions and major upgrades in terms of some components like the wifi card, 1080p screen backlit KB and GPU etc.

3. I do not know of any wireless card issue or throttling issue but others may have experienced. I ran SCII for 2 hours and my GPU temps reached 64C and CPU temps 73C. Not the most demanding game but the laptop keeps fairly cool. Only big issue if have read about is with the GPU where it fails to switch and on other occasions you have BSOD but I think it is a driver issue and if you have it you should know it within a few days.

For the price for performance this is by far the best laptop. I got it from the Dell outlet so got a sweet deal. They are running a 25% off for next 24 hours.

 

15R SE are out of stock in the outlet. Damn!!!

Thanks for your answers.

I'm thinking about getting the fully-loaded model. This seems like the best value for a laptop and I've bought 4 DELLs in a row for me and my family and have yet to have any serious problems.

I actually got my mom the Inspiron N5110 and the keyboard seems very solid to me. Isn't it the same keyboard? Don't see how there is a ton of "flex." Wish I could try it out and see.

Right now the i7, 8GB RAM, 1TB+32GB SSD highest-end model is $1,150. Is that about the cheapest it has been or can I get cheaper if I was to wait? With Windows 8 coming out in two weeks, is it possible that DELL drops the price of these models and/or comes out with new ones that are not just tablets?

I don't necessarily have to have W8 because I only care about using the desktop and not that welcome screen with all the boxes. But just something I'm taking into account when making this decision.

 

The KB does not have too much flex but if you look closely you can notice it. I think N5110 is an older design of Inspirion so not sure about the KB.

If you can get it from outlet you can get the highest config with with 25% coupon for a little over $700(one with i5 for around $600). So it may be worth for you to keep looking for it every few mins maybe one comes your way as long as you are OK with refurbished laptops. Also keep in mind one downside of 15R SE is battery life and if you go with if (I did) you will get slightly better battery life.

Btw, W8 should not make any difference in price as for only $15 you can upgrade to W8 from W7.

 

Question:
How long is taking all to charge the battery?
Mine takes almost 4 hours from 15% to go to 100%. My battery wear shows 1%.

 

iafzal3- I meant laptop price. Meaning, W8 comes out, DELL releases another model, 15R SE price decreases.

I've never bought a refurb laptop and am not totally sure I am comfortable with that. I definitely am going to get the i7 model decked out all the way, so that's about $1,150 right now on the DELL store. I remember when I bought my last laptop from DELL every week I would check back and there'd either be a better speck in one category or $100 cheaper or something like that. THat's why I asked if that price is right for that model or if it has been cheaper.

 

Not sure but I have seen coupon of %age off or $$ off regularly if the price is say above $999 so I would look out for that

 

Hi guys,
I'm a little bit struck with a problem atm, and I'd like your help regarding a linux installation in the 15r se....
About a week ago I decided to take some time to finally put a linux distro on the laptop. Not only for fun, but especially because I'm taking the Operating System class at university this semester. I choose backtrack (mainly to satisfy my long standing curiosity towards this distribution, but also because I'm attending the Computer Networking class) and I found a couple of immediate problems:

1) Fan spins up after half a minute, doesn't spin down. My approach to this problem was to try to detect hw temperatures, to reveal possible overheating, and that's where I'm struck. I obviously used the lm-sensors module to list sensors reading, but there is no output, save a virtual (useless) sensor. I used the standalone sensor-detect script to find out what kind of sensors the laptop is using and the only test returning positive is the one for ipmi sensors. Of course the related module (ipmisensors) is missing and can not be "installed" without recompiling the kernel. I'd lke to avoid that step, even more so because googling the problem has revealed a lot of unsuccessful attempts when dealing with the ipmi interface.
With a bit more googling I've found another possible means of interaction with the ipmi hardware interface, namely the openipmi layer coupled with an high level interface. I've installed it without sensible results (basically the driver is acting like there is no ipmi) and I'm running out of ideas. Is the fan acting normally on your linux systems? if so, could you confirm wether it's ipmi based or entirely something else?
in the meantime, I was able to get a reading of the cpu temps by doing a 'modprobe coretemp' and then using the sensors command, and temps are consistent with my windows readings with the same settings (powersave profile, cpu running @1.2 GHz) wich brings me to the next problem...

2) if the fan is os-indipendant (that would be the case of the ipmi interface) it could be reacting to an increase of temperatures imputable to the ati dedicated card powering on. A bit of research has revealed the same problem in many hybrid laptops, Basically, if there is no hardware mux, the system powers both gpus and then uses only one. I have no use for dedicated graphic when in linux, so I'd prefer to simply deactivate the ati permanently, with the corresponding increase in battery life and temps. I have found 2 widely used methods, one based on a boot-time call to the vgaswitcharoo/switch command (which, again, is not working for me) and another one using a module called acpi_call to shutdown the dedicated gpu. I downloaded, compiled, insomod-ded and run the script, and everything went smoothly. The only problem is, I don't know if the gpu is really off, as there is no change in fan speed ( :'( ). lspci shows both video cards normally, but I can't find the ati in the lshw output (that could be a simple error on my part, as the text is very long and a line is easily missed)

I'd appreciate any help with the issues at hand, or just a confirmation the system is woking correctly on your laptops. Thanks

 

Just got mine from dell outlet reburb i7 model 1080p 750 7200 HD, no bluray or sdd. I love it. $694 tax and ship ect ect. Plays Counter Strike Global perfectly fine, no glitching and Mass Effect3 no problems or BSOD. Its my 3rd reburb product from dell the others being a Studio XPS 16 1645 i7, and a Dell 640 PC with a i5, all of them work fine without a glitch. But you you have to dump MacAfee, worst program I ever seen.

 

rwilson, how is the laptop's construction? In other words...is the screen wobbly, when you press your palms down to type does it flex in at all, does it feel solidly put together?

What do you think of not having the number pad to the right? Does the keyboard feel too big or just right?

 

It feels pretty durable, not like a sherman tank, but it should survive moderate use, it's not as heavy as my Studio XPS 1645, but its not fragile. As for keyboard I did not notice any flex, but the keys feel good and spaced apart just right. As for a number pad I never had a laptop before with a keypad.

 

Thanks for the answer. I guess I keep comparing every laptop to how well-built the new XPS and MacBook Pro are. I've never had either, but they just seem so awesome to own and have. The price though ($600 more for the XPS, even more than that for the MBP) makes it impossible for me to get one of those now.

Also with the huge WiFi problems the XPS is having, the biggest drawback IMO, I feel like this is a safer buy.

My last laptop (which just died) was the XPS M1530, which was also solidly built.

 

I just got the Inspiron 15R SE i7 , 8gb , 1TB HDD , 32GB SSD , Blu-ray Player and HD Screen for 700$ + taxes. Can anyone tell me if the 32GB solid state drive on this thing can be upgraded to a bigger one on our own ?

Also at some places it says 32GB Solid State Drive , others say 32GB mSATA Card and my Order Details say 32GB daughterboard . What is the difference in all the three ?

 

Yes you can upgrade according to a previous post in this thread. I haven't tried it yet. The post said it required pulling apart most of the computer to get at it.

It is definitely a mSATA card. The daughter board is required to use a mSATA card. If the laptop was ordered without a mSATA card it will not have the daughter board.

 

Okay. So whenever i look to upgrade i gotta buy a higher capacity mSATA card and not a Solid State Drive.. I Hope the same daughter board works in this case for a higher capacity mSATA Card .. Gotta wait for someone to do it first

 

Where is the mSATA slot located? How I can I tell if my 7520 has one? Is it a matter of buying one and plopping one in there and setting bios to boot off it? If so, which one can I buy to put in there?

15R SE 7520 i7 8MB RAM 750 WD HD 7200

 

Go back in this thread a bit and you will find a few posts with pictures.

 

If I eventually upgrade to W8, do I still retain the Intel Rapid Start that uses the mSATA SSD? Also, if I ever wanted to reformat CLEAN from a retail copy of W7 and NOT from DELL's bloatware-filled version, is there a way to install Intel Rapid Start that uses the SSD?

 

I just got 2 laptops from dell a 15rse ( i7 / 8gb / 32gb msata card / 1 TB HDD) the other one is a inspiron 14z ultrabook ( i5 / 6gb / 32gb msata card / 500 gb HDD). The problem is the 14z seems to boot up and operate faster than the 15rse even though the specs are less. Anyone has any idea of improving performance on the 15rse? Perhaps get rid of bloatware ?

 

I am not sure about Windows 8 but you can definitely install the Intel Rapid Start with a clean Windows 7 install. I have done it myself. I believe I got the software on a disk with the computer. It is also available from the Dell Drivers site and I think from Intel as well.

 

Check on this page (about half way down and also on the bottom of the page) for info about the daughter board.

The part number is N7JHH ASSY,PWA,DTRBD,W/MSATA,7520

http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...l-inspiron-15r-special-edition-7520-a-16.html

Let us know if you get it installed and working.

 

I'm going to upgrade my mSATA drive also. That video in the Dell forum isn't loading for me. Anyone have a link to a video that shows how to disassemble the 7520 and replace the mSATA?

 

A fresh OS install will help.
Also make sure the OS on the msata card (it should be but just in case).

 

You won't be able to install Windows on a 32GB mSATA. And even if it lets you I highly recommend against anything under 128 GB. If you upgrade the size, than yes, but otherwise you should utilize the Intel RST and SRT. And those won't necessarily help a full restart anyway though.

Is the 1TB drive 5400 rpm and the 500 7200 rpm? That might explain the difference also.

 

Yes, you can reinstall RST clean. If you are using an SSD (with or without mSata also), the Intel SRT is not necessary. Use the following document to walk you through the install and Intel hibernation partition:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...yYC4Bw&usg=AFQjCNEM-Y3Wkhz02F5bWHvjiThq6CvyvA

 

To set the fan speed in Linux you can the i8kutils package.
For ubuntu i did the following and it seems to work most of the time (although I don't think the i8k module is loaded after a resume):
1) install the i8kutils package
2) changed the line in /etc/default/i8kmon to enabled=1
3)added the following line to my /etc/rc.local
i8kmon -a --daemon

You can also just run i8kmon direct from the command line after you have installed the i8kutils package if you want to try it without changing any system files.

hope this helps
Cheers
nick

 

Is this true that I can substitute Vostro 3550/3450/V131 Backlit keyboard for the Inspiron 7520SE?

 

Yes you can. I use the vostro 3750 on my 7720.
Same for you but 15 inch version keyboard. The vostro keyboard has also a bit better build quality and a silver/black nuance. Very very nice

 

Looks like this model now comes preinstalled with Windows 8. Ugh. Not sure I'm going to like it.

Anyone know if the touchpad will support the multitouch gestures that are supposed to work for W8?

 

works like a charm, Thanks!

 

Looks like a new BIOS version is up for 7520 (A07)
Will try updating and checking for any difference!

Can't seem to download the file! get's corrupted every time I try!
Will try later and keep you posted

BTW i bought my 7520 last friday and i'm thrilled about it.
Bought the I7 3612QM, 8 gb ram with backlight kb, bluray, and 32Gb Msata

 

Jumped from A04 to A07, Nice!
seems they have been busy behind the scenes.
As usual no info what it fixes except that it supports W8.

Not gonna try unless get some actual user can validate it works for them. My A04 seems to be working OK.

 

I'm looking at the Inspiron 15R Special edition as a potential buy. My only concerns are the battery life and the weight. The specs look pretty amazing for the price. I currently have a XPS M1530 of four years and three months now and I tried the XPS 15 already and returned it because of the wifi issues and the screen issues. I still need to buy a computer but I want to be completely sure before I do. I've already returned 2 computers due to issues and not living up to my m1530, which includes the xps 15 and the samsung series 7 chronos.

Any thoughts or advice?

 

Comparing this to some other lower specs notebooks, the weight and battery life isn't that great, but compared to the n series asus for example, it's loads better!

 

When I say I'm in the EXACT same situation, I mean that. My M1530 actually just died - motherboard - and I have to get a new computer. I was looking at the DELL XPS 15, IdeaPad (forgot the model), Inspiron 15R SE and I've just started looking at the new Vizio, which looks awesome.

I have not used the XPS personally, but the WiFi problems and screen issues have taken it out of my decision-making. I've seen it in Best Buy and it looks so sharp. Normally I'd spend the extra money for it because of the unibody and gorilla glass but I've decided not to because of those issues. I also eliminated the IdeaPad because the keyboard flex is awful and the top lid is incredibly thin. I don't like the build quality of it and Lenovo's technical support is renowned for being awful.

So I'm down to this SE and the new Vizio Here. It has the same specs as the SE but also has a unibody frame. It does not have a backlit keyboard and the keys are like the old MacBook - wide and flimsy...so not as good. But everything else matches up plus it has the unibody, is 1 lb. less and it's only $100 more.

So that's what I'm stuck with. This SE or the Vizio. There is not much known about that particular model yet because it will be released on the same day as the W8.

I know the weight of this is 6 lbs but once you're over 4.5 lbs. I feel like it doesn't really matter. And as far as the battery life, well, it's not an ultrabook. I usually buy a computer once every four years and I feel like this SE is a great value and fully loaded (as is that Vizio).

 

Also, the two computers I returned had the Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200, the wireless card that is the bane of my existence and would get worse connection while sitting next to my router than my m1530 (which has the wireless wifi link 4965n) all the way upstairs around a wall. Can anyone testify that the wireless card in the 15R SE is not going to give me problems like those?

 

About the wifi, i can't really say anything bad about it... it works at work and at home, not that it is such a challenge, but i works ok, even sometimes going to the full 300mbps my router can handle!

About the bios update, just did it and notice no difference... but maybe i have to give it some time