Dell Studio 15 1558 Thread

I'll probably contact them using the online chat. I can understand them better (and they me) through chat than over the phone.

 

Bcr: I didn't get a remote with my studio laptop.

Chevy: My power plug connects firmly to the 1558 laptop, if it wiggles my guess is that the connection is loose. If these are like the Inspirons, the connection inside the laptop is actually attached to the motherboard and it's a big deal if it breaks because you have to replace the motherboard (had this happen with every Inspiron we've owned). If this is still under warranty I would call Dell; if it's not, stop wiggling it and I would limit unplugging it at the laptop and be careful when you do.

 

Thanks Skibbie. I think it is loose on the inside. I used a plastic pen cap and softly poked the connector... it did in fact move. I will contact Dell tomorrow about this.

 

Thanks Thomas.

It's great yours came so fast. I can say for sure mine won't be here today (after 1 week) since it's still in production. From reading all 71 pages of this forum, it looks like the usual time is 12-13 days, but from time to time things jump much more quickly.

I'll let you know when my status changes.

I'm just curious though, if there are major price drops during the time a customer waits for delivery, does Dell ever offer any compensation?

 

I just received a refurbished 1558 as a replacement for my 1557 on the 14th, since then I've experienced atleast 10 system crashes. Its not happening while I'm doing anything specific, the pc will freeze at random and the only thing you can do is manually rest it, has anyone else experienced this???

 

I had a refurbished one and it came with the A04 BIOS. That update was released to fix what you are describing. So double check what version you have. Make sure you hear the fan working too.

 

That could be any number thing... graphics, mobo, dust in the vent.

I had a laptop do that once and it was the hard drive. As soon as it was switched out, the crashes stopped. Contact Dell.

 

Thanks both for your replies, as far as the bios, the pc came with version A04 already installed, and I hear the fan working, kinda hard not to, lol. I just kinda feed up with Dell . First its the problems with the 3 different 1557's, and now this bs, And then the customer service is crap, they be acting like I'm lying or something, and they be wasting my daytime mins, took me 3hrs to get them to send me the 1558, lol. Well I guess its time waste more of my precious time talking to Dell Support

 

Still can't decide if I should call Dell about the spinning noise. It's a bit annoying, but I hate to go through them switching out the HD if that won't fix it or if they end up bringing a refurb.

Has anyone else had trouble with a sort of soft buzzing, spinning, start-and-stop sound from their hard drive? And what did you do about it? I could learn to ignore the sound in time if I had to as it's very low, but I also would just love it to be quiet. Also, the laptop seems to be working fine otherwise and I'd hate them to "fix" the noise and end up causing other problems, lol!

 

Guys, new A05 bios available. Who is going to be the first to try it?!

Drivers and Downloads

 

Horray,
What does it fix??? it says it supports the new CPUs
Wht new CPUs? Is it I7?

I will wait for a few days before giving it a go.

 

"New CPU Update"

This is very vague ...

I was hoping for "Switchable Graphics"

 

Installed it a few minutes ago, so far no problems on my 1558 Core i7-720.

 

please keep us updated,
Now we just need to find a volunteer with an i5.

btw, anychange in fan on/off pattern?

 

Just loaded A05, i5-520 w/ ati 5470. Dont notice any difference.

 

Same - just flashed A05 on my 1558 with i5 540M and ATI 4570. No difference seen here either - but it hasn't broken anything yet

 

same here 1558 with i5 540 and ati 5470 ,possibly fan not running as fast when it comes in ,but comming in more often ?? cant be 100% sure only ran it for an hour last night

 

I'll update to A05 tonight and hope it will fix audio hiss problem

 

Have updated mine. Only thing I've noticed is that I need to go into the bios to change the media buttons around as it must clear out the settings.

So far so good.

 

Hi all,
I was planning to order a Studio 15 today and then just figured I would check first to see if there were any known problems with it. Then I found this site with all the problems you all have mentioned and now I am nervous to order!

Does anyone have any advice for me as to what components might help avoid this problems or should I skip it all together? I'm not great with computers but I need a new one (my son shattered my screen on my laptop last night and rather than spend the money to replace it I figured I would just upgrade and get a new one even though my computer is just over a year old).

I was going to get the i3 as I think it would work for what I need it for but after reading maybe an upgrade would be better? I just don't know!

If you have any advice of a newbie to the studio 15 I'd appreciate it.

 

A05 BIOS seems to have fixed my freezing problems, I was able to play through a couple hours of Hulu backlog without freezing up. Keeping my fingers crossed that I stay problem free!

I'd say the bulk of the issues have been addressed through BIOS updates, so any machine you get now will not likely have the issues noted throughout this thread. An i3 is probably sufficient for most people's needs, but if you want to be certain, you should go to the "Which notebook should I buy" subforum and make a post with the standard information to get more feedback. i5 and i7 tend to be overkill unless you have a cpu-reliant application that would benefit from higher frequency or more cores.

*edit*
However, if you're going to jump from i3 to i5, might as well go to i7 unless you're specifically avoiding a discrete gpu (whether it's for cost, battery life, or heat)

 

I normally just run google chrome and/or firefox with LOTS of tabs open (I prefer Chrome but some of the sites I need to use don't work well with it so I use both), outlook express (i know its horrible, but i like it!), and once a day or so i run paint shop pro or photo shop, mostly for simple graphics or photo editing, but it is for work, so I do have to do it pretty often.
I'm pretty impatient, so something fast is helpful.

The one I currently have selected is the i3-350

Thanks so much for your help!

Off to check out the other subforum you mentioned.

 

My 1558 just gave up the ghost.
It all started with my bluetooth shutting off spontaneously. My only recourse was to reboot to get BT back. I didn't think much of it and attributed it to poor Windows 7 drivers. Then, I started receiving multiple bluescreens; about 9 in 8 days.
I used the Dell restore DVD and re-setup the entire system.
Now, the bluetooth shows up but has an exclamation on it. Nothing I try results in success.
Today, I did an uninstall of the Widcomm Bluetooth drivers (version 6.2.0.9600) and now the system starts to a lovely error message:

"Failed to start.
Status: 0xc000000f
The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible."

I cannot enter safe mode either and the Pre-Boot tests (Power + FN) all pass with flying colors.
Calling Dell now. Man, this is frustrating!

 

I updated the bios on my 1558 yesterday, and I'm still having the random freeze. Cant tell whats causing it, but i know for sure that it dose it now while I'm using Remote Desktop to connect to other pcs. Anyone else still having the random freeze issue after the 05 bios update???

 

Didn't happen to me last night, but I don't use Remote Desktop anymore.

 

I use CITRIX and then Remote Desktop ... that is not the same thing though ... I used to VPN and then Remote Desktop a lot. VPN introduced other issues though so I had to go the CITRIX route ...

 

OK, after three phone calls, the latest of which was 49 minutes, I have finally convinced Dell to send me a new BT module. They are sending an onsite tech to swap it out.
This is what makes Dell look bad... Hours of time, plus two system wipes, just to get a $20 module. Their tech support is really bad. I knew the problem and had to walk THEM through my steps. So aggravating!

 

Did you try re-applying the BIOS? Sounds crazy, but sometimes that works. I have not yet gone to A05 (didn't even know it was out there). I haven't had issues beyond my broken BT, so I may not update.

 

I just recently ordered a studio 15 system nearly identicle to your specs in your sig (I even have an e1705, ha). I'm curious what type of issues you were having with using VPNs. I don't have my studio yet, but I will need to be able to run ATT Global Network VPN to connect to my clients.

Thanks,

Ben

 

The 1558 I ordered comes with 7 Home premium. I already have a license for 7 Pro so I did not want to spend the $130 to upgrade. I plan to wipe the machine and install Win 7 Pro.

Will Dell support give me any problems if I do this?
Are there any driver issues I need to be concerned about?

Thanks,
Elie.

(Still waiting for Studio 1558 to ship. Ordered on 5/11. Dell Studio 15 Midnight Blue* i5-520M * 4GB DDR3 1066 * ATI 4570 512MB * Backlit Keyboard * Centrino Advanced-N 6200 * 9 Cell battery * Bluetooth* SoundBlaster X-Fi HD * Windows 7 Home)

 

I called Dell about the odd little spinning/hissing/static-sounding noise that stops and starts constantly (I think it is the hard drive or perhaps the fan). They are sending someone out to replace the fan and hard drive tomorrow. I'm a little scared because you never know if you'll get something with more problems or the same. I could live with the noise if I had to, so I'm really hoping the change won't result in a part with a more serious problem. Here's hoping for the best!

Those thinking of buying a Dell, please don't be frightened by my prob. It's a minor noise prob, it doesn't interfere with how it operates and the laptop is otherwise really wonderful. Also, it doesn't seem like lots of other people are experiencing this same little problem (at least they haven't said so if they are), so perhaps it's not widespread at all. Or perhaps everyone else has it, but they aren't a noise-sensitive person working in a silent room and so they tend not to even notice it, lol. Sure hope that's not the case, because then the swap will do nada and I'll have to re-do all my setting/passwords/software installation for nothing.

 

skibbie, good luck with that. I hope it resolves your problem. You can test the new one before the tech leaves with your old one. If that doesn't resolve it, it can be popped back in.

 

That's a good idea. I'm a bit nervous but hopeful that all will go well.

BTW, I also asked for new parts as this is a costly, brand new computer and should have new parts. They said the parts are classified refurbished because they are taking them out of another brand new computer, and thus they can't be classed new even though they technically are. I'm hoping I'm not trading down here.

 

skibbie, when the technician comes rounds, can you find out about the WWAN antennas. Apparently they are connected but hidden. It will be interesting to learn why Dell have done this.

 

Yes, Dell will fully support your system after a fresh install. No problems there. As for the drivers, download them from the dell's support site. Install them in the order that dell recommends here in this document...

How to Download and Install Drivers in the Correct Order | Dell

I'm going to ask Dell if they will send me an OS install disc so that I can do a fresh install (without the bloatware, etc). Otherwise I'll go out and buy a win7 Pro 64 bit copy to do the fresh install. **edit: see post below this one

Ben

 

I didn't see this until just now...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/mic...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

that link gives instructions on how you can download a legal copy of Windows 7 (the edition you download must match what was preinstalled on your laptop... so if you ordered win7 home premium then you'd download win7 home previum).

FYI, I've not tried this but I'm going to begin this on the weekend to prepare the ISO image. I'll let you know how that goes. My laptop should arrive by Tuesday next week which is when I'll test it out.

Thanks,

Ben

* Update: I successfully made myself a bootable USB flash drive with Win7 64bit on it. I followed the ISO METHOD in the link above. Worked perfectly. Now when my new laptop arrives on Tuesday I will be able to perform a fresh install. yay

 

Ben-

Thanks for the great info. I will have to try similar though I don't have a big enough USB drive right now. I wonder if it's possible to do it off a memory stick? I will have to check into it.

It's curious that you ordered your Studio 3 days after I did but it appears you will receive it before me! I'm not scheduled for delivery until 5/28! Our specs are nearly identical. Mine has now been "In Production" for 10 days.

-Elie

 

Edit: Ok, called Dell and they seemed to have fixed all the problems left by the tech who came today, though it took a long time to get it sorted. For some reason, the guy who came out didn't install all the needed drivers, which should've been obvious to him when he looked at the screen and heard the fan going full speed non-stop. I feel really drained at the moment, hopefully I can forget it all by tomorrow and finally enjoy this laptop.

 

Batt life: You're looking at a max of around 3hr 30m. You'll like the power this system delivers, and the GPU should be more than powerful enough to run Starcraft II.

I have. The drive does it mainly when it's idle, as it moves and reparks the heads every now and then. There's a fix from Seagate that you can download from their site that fixes these issues and the 'clicking' noise most of us probably hear.

I agree, i7 provides so much more power and flexibility in terms of power and speed. It's there when you need it and it isn't when you don't, plus lets not forget 1333mhz memory vs 1066 found with the i3 and i5.

 

Just loaded A05 - anyone know what I should be looking out for. New CPU Support means nothing to me, given I have an i7 it might apply to me though?

 

New CPU's that may come later in Studio

i5-450M, i5-530M, i5-550M, i5-580M, i7-740QM, i7-840QM

 

Ah. I see. What a load of wank. So it's a pointless bios update unless im planning to upgrade my cpu (from the perspective of me, upgrading [and not Dell]).

 

I don't know about Dell, but usually there are little things they fix or tweak with a new BIOS.

 

I have an older driver (1184, downloaded end of April) and just noticed this new driver which says 1179 version released on 5/12. Is 1179 new because it seemed to be released later?
Which one do you have?


Here is the link
Drivers and Downloads

 

Not overly new to the site, but haven't posted much.

Anyways, I am looking at possibly getting a Dell Studio 1558, but I am torn between the 2 configurations I have chosen.

I plan on using this as an all purpose laptop: work (spreadsheets), web browsing, movie watching, and some light gaming such as World of Warcraft and possibly Diablo 3, etc.

Both are identical with the following, except for the processors.

Win7 Home Premium x64
4GB DDR3 1066MHz
500GB 7200RPM
ATI HD 5470 1GB
15.6" 1080P (1920x1080)
Intel Advanced-N 6200
365 Bluetooth Internal
8x Slot Load CD/DVD Burner
Back-lit Keyboard
9 Cell Battery

--#1: i7-720QM
--#2: i5-520M

My question is, which processor would benefit me best as the configurations I did only make the price difference at "$5" between the two processors.

Also, with the configuration of the i7-720QM it still states 1066MHz memory and did not give the choice for 1333Mhz.

Any information and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

First off, I've been looking for a few weeks about how to get a more in depth order status. I remembered from the last time I ordered a laptop that you could find out the kit, build, test and boxing stages. After nearly 2 weeks I found the answer. Dial 1-800-283-2210, then options 4 2 1 1, you will then have a 5 second delay with dead air. DO NOT SELECT OPTION 2 OFF THE FIRST LEVEL MENU. Make sure to go option 4 first!

(This number usually goes to Dell Financial services, though today it has on occasion gone to the main Dell number where I hear them playing lolly pop, lolly pop...)

Here is the strange order status. My EDD has moved to 5/27 from 5/28, great! However, ship date was delayed from 5/24 to 5/25. According to the phone order status line, it's still in the build stage! Given that the boxing stage usually takes 2-4 days, I don't see how it will ship tomorrow?

I guess if Dell is doing more frequent flights from the production center this would be an indication that biz is fairly strong right now. Even without a lot of marketing hype!

5/11 order placed
5/12 in production
5/24 Build stage

Regards,
Elie.

 

Get the i7. Its a much better processor all round and has the benefit of being rather future-proof. Also, the ram will automatically work at 1333Mhz I believe. They won't ship an i7-720 with 1066Mhz ram.

 

They can and will ship pc3-8500

 

As per your use ... my recommendation would be the I5.

You will get longer batter life; hence, less time spent in charging.

Also, less heat due to smaller power requirements.

It will be as fast if not faster in single and dual core applications thanks to turbo boost (2.93GHz vs 2.8GHz and 2.4GHz vs 2.4GHz).

Unless you are doing some serious "crunching" with applications that can use many threads ... the I5 is the way to go for your usage ...

It is kind of like buying a car ... I need a 4 wheel drive for when it snows ... if it only snows 3 days out of the year though ... you would be better off with a smaller more efficient version for the other 362 days ...

My thoughts ...

EDIT:

The I5 also has on die graphics ... giving the potential for switchable graphics ...

 

Thank you for the comparisons.

Would you still stick with the i5, even if given the opportunity to go with the i7 for only $5 more?