Dell Studio 15 1558 Thread

Note; The i5 also limits the speed of the memory. Max speed with an i5 is 1066Mhz for the ram, my ram runs at 1333Mhz which is awesome; that's with an i7 though.

 

There are trade offs with an I7-720 to an I5-520.

720 has a lower clock speed when using all cores - 1.6 GHz. With turbo mode it is 2.8 GHz.

520 has a higher clock speed when using all cores - 2.4 GHz. With turbo mode it is 2.9 Ghz.

If you really don't stress your system, that is an average user, an I5 may seem zippier ...

 

an i5 limits ram speed to 1066mhz and the i7 to 1333mhz? i never knew this. i knew in the P/T series the FSB will be a bottleneck before the ram frequencies, hence ppl try to match 800 with 800 and 1066 with 1066.

so what about the ppl with 1600mhz ram? its wasted?

 

Wasted is a harsh word ... but yes.

Your engine may be rated for 1333 "miles per hour" ... but if the "highway" speed limit is 1066 "miles per hour" ... that is as fast as things are going to run and hence your memory will only run as fast as it is "allowed" to, even though it may be capable of going faster.

Unlike people who may speed ... CPUs and memory are very law abiding

 

1557 is now no longer available. It was having 512 MB graphics card. Now its only 1558 and you can choose the i7 or i5.

 

In real world use 99% of people will never notice the difference between the two, only in benchmarks.

Unless you do a ton of video encoding or other tasks that are going to keep all four cores loaded 100% you are going to be better off with an i5. The higher clockspeeds will give you a faster overall system. Quads certainly have their place but for your average consumer the i5 is the better option.

 

Beautiful :smile:

 

I'm thinking the average person won't notice a difference between 1066 and 1333 RAM. Synthetic benchmarks are one thing, but real world performance is another. I guess if you want the most bang for the buck than 1333 is what you want, but I wouldn't stress over one or the other. Those few milliseconds saved won't be noticed IMO.

edit: hehe Just realized I just rehashed Boomhower's post... hehe, well then that means I second what he said! LOL

 

Finally ordered my i5 based Studio 15 from the Employee Purchase Program. Ended up saving $509 from retail! The downside of all this is it is not scheduled to ship until 04/22/2010!! I really hope they are just being conservative.

Here is my build:

COLORS Midnight Blue
PROCESSORS NEW 2010 Intel® Core™ i5-520M 2.40GHz (2.93Ghz Turbo Mode, 3M cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
MEMORY 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
HARD DRIVE 320GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1 Year Basic Service Plan
VIDEO CARD ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570, 512MB
HD DISPLAY 15.6” Full High Definition (1080p) High Brightness LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera
WIRELESS CARDS Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6200
KEYBOARD Back-lit Keyboard
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal (2.1)
OPTICAL DRIVE 8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
SOUND OPTIONS Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled

On the EPP program, there weren't many choices. I was able to choose colors (any for $0), and between 512 and 1024 video, backlit keyboard or no, Bluetooth or no, 320GB or 500GB HDD, and different warranties. All else was chosen for me, but at least they are good specs. I had to stay under $1000 as well for my budget. It is $459 off plus I found a $50 coupon code for EPP over $499 which brought my savings to $509 off and $19 3 day shipping...
Now the hard part is waiting!!!

 

Congrates for new purchase. Very nice system.

Well I was ok till the day it was schedule to deliverd. The day it was arriving, I was literally sitting on window just to make sure I can see the delivery person coming out of his van ... longest 4 hour wait i can remember of

 

But what you paid you did not tell us
I have NEVER seen any lower price in EPP program than usual deals for home Its just a marketing trick

 

I have to agree with this. Prices tend to be inflated so a massive 20% computes to diddly squat. The HP site is a prime example.

The thing is, EPP is shoved in your face as a perk, but when you look into it with any great detail, you can often get a better deal as a normal punter.

 

Ah... true. Sorry. It was $949 plus the $19 shipping.

 

Got some performance results using Cinebench v11.5 ..

OpenGL : 9.84
CPU: 2.74
CPU (Single Core): 0.92
MP Ratio: 2.99

Not sure are these good for my configuration?

Also checked the turbo boost using intel turbo boost monitor (got maximum 2.79 GHz). Working fine

 

Right now however, if I configure the same system from Dell.com it comes to $1109 and the i7 is even higher. Unless there are some codes out there that I have missed...

 

So I ended up with a Core i5.

i5-520M
4GB Ram
500 GB HD
1GB Ati 5470
1080p LED LCD
Backlit Keyboard

1130 CDN + Tax.

 

Even I do not understand, why Dell charges more $ for i5-430M than i7-720QM in a SXPS 1647 for exactly same other configuration. But in Studio 1558 i5-430M is lesser than i7-720QM

 

I know... makes me wonder too. Maybe it has to do with suppliers and where the system is built more than the actual parts in the system...?

 

Well I got:
OpenGL 10.09 fps
CPU 2.61 pts

During the OpenGL test, the intel monitor maxed out at 2.26GHz. During the CPU test, it just stayed on 1.73GHz.

Either way, I don't know if that is any good or not.

To amuse myself, I ran it on my desktop which has a rather old Geforce 8800GTS card and got 24.69 fps. The animation is visibly smoother. I didn't buy the Dell for the graphics tho! The CPU for my Q6600 was 2.52 pts.

The dell has 4.9 windows experience index points - let down by the graphics card! Next one would have been 5.9.

 

Checked temperatures using SpeedFan. Laptop was running for around 15 hrs but nothing stressful and temperature stayed around 45 C. Later to stress the CPU I did CAD simulations and temperature than raised to 65 C. Still not very hot.

 

I got my new 1558 yesterday, mine has a single bright white pixel in the middle of the screen, phoned Dell straight away and they're coming out today to change the screen!

Laptop seems pretty good so far, however the total lack of HDD/wi-fi/num+caps lock lights is a bit of an annoyance

 

Our Cinebench scores are nearly same. I also got WEI of 4.9. I also bought it to do EM/CAD simulations not for gaming so I am happy with its performance.

How much max. frequency you are able to achieve by turbo boost? I got 2.79 GHz so 2.8 GHz specification is valid with me.

 

Is the turbo boost supposed to kick in by itself? I didn't do anything when the cinebench thing was running. Never went above 2.29 GHz but it may be lying?!

 

Have to agree. The lack of lights on the ethernet port is also amiss.

 

Yes. Until its not disabled from bios its automatic. since you are getting 2.29 GHz means yours is enabled too. You should get 2.79-2.8 GHz in some stress test. Check if yours is boosting to its full range. You can see the pic from my previous post its showing 2.79 GHz and I have read that this intel tool is pretty accurate.. I might be wrong though ..

 

Ok, just checked my intel widget and there is no mention of "with intel turbo boost technology"!

I just ran 3dmark and got CPU score of 10077 and graphics 955.

Just running superpi to 8m decimal places and highest rate is 2.26 Ghz. Me thinks I need to go and spend some time in the bios.

 

Ok, panic over.

Speedstep was enabled in the bios. The intel widget doesn't display the full range utilised when it is a small widget. You have to enlarge it and it has hit now hit 2.79 at least once!

 

well this is good. atleast we now know that our processor is overclocking as it supossed to be.

I will do the PC vantage test today .. will post the scores soon.

Have you checked the temperatures? I've posted the speedfan results in my earlier post, interesting to see the comparisions.

 

I would have to disagree. The configuration I am looking at is $809 at EPP and $959 at Dell home. That doesn't include any coupons(there really hasn't been any for quite a while now), just configuring on the respective sites.

Configuration: Ruby Red, i3-350m, integrated graphics. 4GB's memory, 500GB HD, 6200 wireless, 9 cell battery, bluetooth.

 

During the Days of Deals you would have gotten a similar deal is not better......

I paid 1026 (including tax and shipping) for the following
i5-520
4GB RAM
500MB HD
Integrated Graphics
Intel 6200
1080p screen
Backlit Keyboard
9 Cell Battery
3 year Accidental Protection

I did have a coupon, but would have come out to a similar price to yours if not lower if I didnt include the I5 (it was a 215 option at the time).

 

I had pictorial proof of it that Dell EPP is more costlier than normal deals which I had posted here at NBR. Now I can not see any deals TAB on Dell home section, rather seeing only 48 hrs delivery deals.

Anyway if you are getting what you are looking for go for it. For me EPP is just a marketing trick from Dell at least for my configuration for SXPS 1647 series.

 

Not checked the temperatures. Will give it a blast later on tonight.

 

I don't doubt it at all. I just happened to hit a time when EPP was better. I think, when coupon codes are out and about, the deals are typically better once you tack on a coupon code. I just happened to also find a code for $50 to $75 off EPP that is good until 03/31(today) I think ===>
$50 off 499-999, 75 off over 999 ===> 5SS03VL4P32HFD

 

What was the typical wait time for everyone? As of ordering two days ago, the target date was a whopping 04/22/2010 for me!

 

2 weeks for me ..

Orderd on: 10/03/10
EDD: 25/03/10
Deliverd: 23/03/10

 

I've checked my temperatures and they max out at 65C so it's all good (I hope). The temps do tend to fluctuate alot tho. I only tested the temps while running superpi to 8m digits.

 

Is there a dim display mode in power options? Looks like some people have it and some don't. I have checked on dell windows and on retail windows and it is not available on my studio. I think it's bios related.

 

Thats good. i also got 65 C max. still have to run pc vantage. will do some detailed benchmarking during easter weekends ...

 

How is the fan noise on the 1558's? I tried out the xps 1645 with an i7, but didn't like how often the fan came on or how loud it was.

I'm Thinking about getting a 1558 with an i5 and intel HD graphics. I want to use it with a usb audio interface to record guitar. None of the new dells have DPC latency do they?

Thanks.

 

Quick questions: is it worth upgrading the card from 4570 to 5470?

and how is the battery life?

 

I would say yes if you want to game at all. Otherwise, it may be negligible in my opinion. It definitely offers newer technology though.

Edit: The 5470 can also transmit advanced HD audio streams over HDMI and has the newer, improved video decoder. The power rating is the same as the 4570 though. I think the Dell is only using GDDR3 memory too. The 5470 is capable of GDDR5 but not many are using it.

 

The new 5XXX cards from ATI also support DirectX 11. The 4XXX series support DirectX 10. As noted above, you probably won't notice anything ... but if the OS ever starts including DirectX 11 features ... you may miss out on some features.

If you go with the graphics on the CPU ... it is only DirectX10 ... but ... you will more than likely get better battery life.

 

True, true! I forgot the most obvious DX11 support!
Also, almost assuredly, the battery life is better with onboard video, but the line is getting slimmer as ATI improves their GPU's. The 5470 is noted as having the same TDP range as the 4570.

 

Thanks for the tips. Well I bit the the 40 bucks and upgraded to 5470, was it worth it I dont know. I also got suckered for the black lit keys.... he he

Apparently its going to be a 3+ week wait for me, pissed but what can I do. This is the only laptop that had everything I wanted within the price range.

 

I hear ya. I would have opted for the $40 upgrade too but my budget was maxed already. I did get the backlit keyboard though. Mine is a 3 week wait as well. I am hoping they are just being cautious...

 

7 days from order to receiving. I was impressed at the speed at which it arrived.

 

The fan noise is there but low unless you are seriously stressing the system. Playing games sounds like a weed wacker is next to my laptop

Yes. And battery life isn't too shabby. On the 6-cell, I was averaging about 3 hours with WiFi turned off and on. On the 9-cell it seems to be about 4 1/2 to 5 hours. This is just web surfing, working in Word, listening to music. Nothing to strenuous.

 

nice, happy about this

 

Finally got to reunbox my system after a busy week. Looking at a box labelled Studio for an extra 9 days after delivery hurts!

Anyway, I was running some apps and a seeing how I could stress the system with some real usage scenarios (I don't game, so sorry gamers).

Some cool stats..

I simultaneously ran 16 videos of 24 (TV series) flawlessly. Ok, thats not a real scenario, but it means I can watch a few streams of sports on BBC without sound + a movie at the same time easily.

I opened 68 PDF's (before I ran out of PDF's).. average size was about 60mb/pdf (it was The Economist if anyone's wondering). Could flick through them easily, no lag, and they all opened within seconds.

Laptop takes 21 seconds to boot up from the Dell screen to the login screen (the point at which you see the cursor).. takes 2 or 3 more seconds to show the login screen itself.

I highly recommend people to format their systems with the Dell W7 CD upon delivery. My system was running 81 processes out the box, following a clean reinstallation of W7 it was 30. After loading drivers, AV and some basic software it stays under 50. I have 44 at the moment when typing this post but I'm only running Opera, Spotify, and AV software.

Did a brief stress test which yielded some worryingly high results. The fan hasn't pissed me off much at all, but the temperature of the touchpad has a little. It gets warm, not too hot to touch, but ust a little too warm for comfort. I find myself actively moving my hand away from the touchpad when I don't need to be near it.

Have a look at the following image.. this one is for people running the i7 or who just wanna see some figures. Bit of commentary about the image. I ran a stress test, at the beginning you'll see its resonably ok, within the mid-60's and creeping towards the 70's. This was the point where I had the laptop lilted 45 degrees (pivoting on the back) so I could aim a desk fan in it to see how low I could get the temps. I then put the laptop on the desk fully as it would be in normal conditions. As you can see the temperature quickly rose. When I started seeing the number 88 on the screen I decided to call it quits. I don't REALLY want to break this thing finding it's limits, but yeh..

Anyway, I think it's high. My room isn't particularly warm or cold, probably around 20 degrees at the moment.

COOLGUY20K6 - if you see this post can you tell me how you're getting along with yoru system? We got a similar spec so I'd like to compare some info with you.. and anyone else who has a similar spec system please do compare.

Also, if anyone wants me to do some tests or find out stuff about the laptop just ask.. I'll also be happy to do a review if enough people ask / tell me what they want to know about it.

 

dimodi, great review of your experiences. That everest software looks good to stress out the laptop.

It is great to learn that the laptop can handle so many concurrent avi's.

I've not formatted mine as I think it runs really well. I will have to get rid of that damn Dell online backup thing as it's plain annoying!