xps m1330 motherboard again

Alanstrainor · 30-08-2008 10:45PM

Cool it Dartz. Consider yourself warned for all the bad language.

BostonB · 30-08-2008 11:27PM

yhwh wrote: »

I think the simple solution is not to buy Dell. I have had plenty of experience with many computer companies and I can honestly say that Dell have quite possibly the worst customer service of all of them.

There are plenty of perfectly adequate alternatives to Dell out there.

As for any of you who still have problems with yours, I wish you the best of luck and hope you get them sorted quickly although seeing as it is Dell my advice to you is that patience is a virtue and you will need lots of it.

I haven't had any major issues with Dell support myself, and I've used them a fair bit, but I think it has to suffer with the low skill level of the people you get in their support (consumer).

Buying an alternative isn't doing to help, if they also use Nvidia. Apple etc. Probably with the numbers Dell shift they reckon the number of returns is low enough to make it worth keep selling them rather than stop selling 50% of their products.

LolaDub · 01-09-2008 05:21PM

I don't want to start a new thread on this xps breakage so i'll put it in here and see what you guys think. After the disasterous failure of my previous xps m1330 the replacment i received a week and a half ago has already starting showing dodgey signs. Every now and then the mouse won't move and the screen freezes, it won't respond to ctrl alt delete and i just have to power off and on again. When the lap top isn't plugged in the screen brightness will only be at the half level. It doesn't respond at all to fn and the up arrow or fn and down arrow. Also when i had it plugged in it just switched itself off for no reason while i was typing. I turned it back on and as soon as i touched it it went off again, this happened three times in a row... any ideas of whats going on???????

Dartz · 01-09-2008 06:24PM

Some of that sounds like a software issue to me. Especially the mouse freezing, and the screen freezing. The whole thing locks up so hard it wont respond to ctrl-alt-delete? I was going to say that's strange, but Windows Vista has done that to me too...

Oddly enough, using Xubuntu, X crashes quite a bit. Traceback usually points to the graphics driver.

When the Laptop isnt plugged in, the screen brightness will be at half level. Mine is like that to, and didn't respond to the FN-keys until I changed a setting in Bios. It's a method of power saving. I'm not on my XPS atm, so I dont know the exact menu path. Poking around in the bios options wont void your warranty, and you might find that some setting in there has been misset for whatever reason.

The problem with the turning off on plugin though... that is serious. It could be something loose inside the motherboard somewhere. Does it do that often, or only the once? What exactky did you touch? This might be related to the above problem, if something on the keyboard is shorted, or isnt connected.

How in the hell could somebody get two dud laptops in a row anyway? Unless they dropped one that had been gathering dust in the outlet store on you... which seems likely.

What I dont understand is why people with problems, always seem to get more problems? Why do these things bunch up. I get the same thing in work... hardware/software problems come in threes.

I had my PC replaced to in work recently... and the very next one decided it would die too just when I finished getting it working right. Why?

LolaDub · 01-09-2008 09:20PM

I know dartz i can't believe this one is fcuked too! Less than two weeks old and its breaking. Just ridiculous, the other one only starting breaking at 2 months. I can't believe i think that heap of crap was better than this! I had a compaq desktop which still works and it 6 years old, another compaq laptop lasted nearly 5 years without trouble. I'm so disappointed in dell, they never even tried to help me until conor pope contacted them and even though the story has been on a radio station they still can't manage to give me a lap top that works!

For the power off thing i was typing didn't touch anything except the key pad and it went off itself. I turned it back on adn when i tried to type again it went again etc about 4 times all together and then it seemed ok. I have no idea what it could be

Dartz · 01-09-2008 10:33PM

Laptops shouldnt fail after two weeks though. I'm normally pretty hard on gear... my XPS has a few whacks anddents in it already and has been clonked off a fair few things stomping to and from work. It doesnt rattle, and it hasnt buckled anywhere.

I honestly dont know what's going on with yours. It boggles the mind.

Sounds like it might be a loose wire, or something shorting against somewhere. It's strange.

APM · 01-09-2008 10:51PM

hey guys,

thought i'd add my experience here too.

Bought an M1330 from the outlet store last October/November.

Mid jan the gpu failed and started producing vertical lines, explained the whole scenario to dell on the phone, first time they sent out a technician to replace the screen, even though by connecting an external monitor and reading forums I knew it was the gpu. On the second visit the motherboard was replaced.

All was well until last Saturday, same problem (vertical lines) has resurfaced.

As this is the second replacement motherboard due, would there be any chance of getting a totally different system or am I wasting my time asking?

great nbd service but its such a pain losing your livelyhood at a moments notice and 1000 miles from home!

LolaDub · 01-09-2008 11:01PM

APM wrote: »

hey guys,

thought i'd add my experience here too.

Bought an M1330 from the outlet store last October/November.

Mid jan the gpu failed and started producing vertical lines, explained the whole scenario to dell on the phone, first time they sent out a technician to replace the screen, even though by connecting an external monitor and reading forums I knew it was the gpu. On the second visit the motherboard was replaced.

All was well until last Saturday, same problem (vertical lines) has resurfaced.

As this is the second replacement motherboard due, would there be any chance of getting a totally different system or am I wasting my time asking?

great nbd service but its such a pain losing your livelyhood at a moments notice and 1000 miles from home!

my nbd 'service' took a week.

once they repair it and it fails again you're entitled to a replacment, thats your statutory rights and don't let them tell you different. My story is below http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/pricewatch/2008/08/20/dell-boys-fail-to-deliver/ after all this my replacement has failed after a week and a half! I don't know if they'd be willing to give you credit for a different system instead

zynaps · 01-09-2008 11:57PM

Dartz wrote: »

Laptops shouldnt fail after two weeks though. I'm normally pretty hard on gear...

They shouldn't fail after three or four years either - I'd personally prefer for my new laptop to break within two weeks than two or three years down the line when a) the warranty has probably expired and b) my hard drive is full of stuff I've never backed up.
You're better off running a couple of soak tests and going overtime on some 3D gaming to find out whether it's up to the job, sooner rather than later.

LolaDub · 02-09-2008 12:42AM

Thanks zynaps. I don't game and never have. Both of these are failing under internet and work use with the occasional photos loaded. Thats all its used for. I feel very sorry for anybody trying to game with these!

20 Times 20 Times · 02-09-2008 09:33PM

LolaDub wrote: »

Thanks zynaps. I don't game and never have. Both of these are failing under internet and work use with the occasional photos loaded. Thats all its used for. I feel very sorry for anybody trying to game with these!

I still havent received mine yet , I ordered through the outlet store. I really hope to get it tomorrow. I hope i dont have the same experience as you i really do . Just yesterday I bought a external usb hard drive (incase i have trouble) . really hope that my laptop arrives tomorrow

KStaford · 02-09-2008 10:57PM

Just cancelled my order from the outlet store. I am reading too many threads about problems with Dell, not just on boards but elsewhere. I've decided to keep my existing laptop for home and go for a devent netbook for school.

zynaps · 02-09-2008 11:23PM

Me too!

Dartz · 03-09-2008 11:09AM

Well, you cant send 'em back after 2 months... MY harddisk is starting to make an odd 'tink-tink' noise every now and then. It's not the head parking... It sounds like the beginnings of a headcrash... but it's been doing it for weeks.. fsck doesnt find any bad sectors... or chkdsk for the Windows side. Except, when I'm typing, I hear it go.. tink-tink...

It sounds like a lightweight metal arm skipping off a high speed disk alright. But the disk itself seem fine.

Until I booted it up this morning... got about halway through when it just sat down, halfway through booting. Tried to recover, but the filesystem was in read only mode for whatever reasons... It just sat there. Wouldnt shutdown, it just gave the same error. Wouldnt boot recovery... same error. Forced power downs dragged the head across the disk. If there's debris on it, that's the HDD dead for sure then

Typing login into terminal... "Tink-tink" and I'm thinking you better not be dead...

Power of.. power on... power of.. power on... five times in a row. Zzzzzzzzing goes the head across the slowing disk platter.

Windows booted...eventually... so the corruption must be limited. Maybe a reformat? I found a rescue CD.. a wonderful little thing, and opened the script that was causing the problems. It seemed fine... no corruption to the file at all. What the hell?

Hmm... a setting was wrong.

Changed it. Booted first time.

Tink-tink it goes still though as I log in. Tink-tink it teases me with imminent failure. I know theres a hotspot down there... it's where it gets it's hottest. If the head was warping under heat-stress? I type some work... I get on with backing the files I want to save up.. JIC.

Tink-tink... while I'm typing.

It never does it when I'm not typing. Could I be leaning too hard on the palmrest and buckling the HDD somehow... (somehow)? What the hell? Tink-tink again... I look at my arm, at the stainless steel watch around my left wrist... and scratchmarks on the Palmrest.

...I am such a goddamned idiot.

I'd like to thank all of you here for turning me into a paranoid loony, wary of the slightest noise... the slightest flicker... If it goes it will go... I try to repeat. A zen mantra to force the worries from my mind. But still they are there, like Titus' flea... gnawing.

And for that, I thank you.

20 Times 20 Times · 03-09-2008 01:19PM

Mine arrived today , i have to say its a gorgeous laptop guys. So far so good. Fingers crossed for me anyway.

zynaps · 03-09-2008 01:34PM

Dartz wrote: »

It never does it when I'm not typing. Could I be leaning too hard on the palmrest and buckling the HDD somehow... (somehow)? What the hell? Tink-tink again...

Classic! That has to be post of the year

LolaDub · 03-09-2008 01:57PM

Dartz if you're worried about your xps we can swap.

also if anyone wants to buy a 2 week old xps with 3 years extended warranty, 3 years accidental damage and 3 years of norton pm me with your offers!

Dartz · 03-09-2008 02:45PM

Nah... I'll just fit a decent SSD if the Harddisk goes. Always planned to anyway, when they started getting cheaper. Until then, I just fitted an ID10T adapter to the palmrest.

LolaDub · 07-09-2008 02:32PM

I'll never be able to get rid of this!

Hope the tick tick noise is better now dartz

Spipov · 07-09-2008 03:12PM

lola, how much you looking for?which configuration does it have?ideally you should stick it on adverts.ie, but it never hurts to ask!

AlmightyCushion · 07-09-2008 08:03PM

Ditto on sticking it on adverts.

Dartz · 07-09-2008 10:27PM

LolaDub wrote: »

Hope the tick tick noise is better now dartz

It isnt.... And it's not my watch. It only happens while I'm typing, and while Ihave my left hand on the palmrest. I can fell the thing hitting sometimes, it hits so hard...

Just a metallic..tuk-tuk...

There's no sign of anything wrong with the HDD... it's still behaving itself. It still checks out. but this noise is coming right from the HDD itself, right beneath the palmrest. I thought it was my watch.. I really did... but now I 'm not so sure.

It still only happens when I'm typing. Left to it's own devices it happily whir and crickle away to itself like all HDDs...

zynaps · 08-09-2008 06:55AM

Dartz wrote: »

It still only happens when I'm typing. Left to it's own devices it happily whir and crickle away to itself like all HDDs...

Does it happen when you apply pressure on the keyboard but don't type?
What about typing without resting your hands on the keyboard (not a good idea in general since it'd cause RSI quickly, of course)?

That might establish whether it's caused by something under the keyboard coming under strain, or the act of typing actually causing some component to emit noise electrically (weird, but conceivable - my Tungsten T3 PDA makes a soft buzzing noise when I'm writing on its screen with the stylus).
If it's due to pressure, and you can find a way to make it happen reliably (i.e. applying local pressure in different points and listening, using a stethoscope if need be

), find the source, mark it with a sticker or something, then flip the laptop over and open the case to find the culprit.

LolaDub · 08-09-2008 01:58PM

Thanks for the adverts.ie idea.

Here are specs
XPS M1330 CORE 2 DUO T9500 2.60GHz 800FSB
13.3" UltraSharpTM WLED WXGA display (1280x800, 300 nits) with TrueLifeTM and 0.3MP webcam
128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M 65
Biometric Fingerprint Reader
UK/ROI Power Cord & 90W AC
Memory Dual-Channel 2048MB (2x1024) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
250GB Hard Drive 7200rpm
8xDVD+/-RW Drive
9 cell Li-Ion Battery
Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N
Bluetooth
English Windows Vista SP1 Ultimate including media
Anti Virus Software Norton Internet Security 2008 3 Years
3Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support
3Yr Accidental Damage Support
** Accidental Damage Module (3 Year)

Not sure how much i'll ask for it. It arrived Thurs two weeks ago so i'll check what its worth and see how much what i want to buy is.

Dartz · 08-09-2008 04:41PM

It's worth whatever you want it to be worth.... J ust be sure to whipe the HDD before you sell it off. Include system restor disks and all cabling... and maybe tweak the system a little bit. Add juicy (but free) software like Firefox or OpenOffice.... Make it more attractive...

zynaps · 08-09-2008 04:54PM

What's the story with the warranty when you sell the machine? I assume they can't say "warranty is non-transferrable", but it's worth checking. It'd be ridiculous if they did, considering you paid extra for the 3 year warranty including accidental damage.
But bear in mind you're selling a machine you know is going to break sooner or later

I'd want to shift it too, but I'd feel a bit guilty selling it - better to force Dell to take it back and refund you in full, since they're aware of the defects in what they're selling.

LolaDub · 08-09-2008 11:26PM

This is my replacment not my old one so its a brand new computer. I don't want to own anything dell hear or see dell ever again. So whether i pack this off to dell or someone else its going. I don't think i'd get a refund from dell as its a replacement but i'll give them an e mail. I'd probably get more from a dell refund then selling it anyhow.

I bought a dell in guarantee from someone else before, once i did the change of user form it was fine. Its a good idea though i'll make sure the warranty can be changed.

GG66 · 27-10-2008 11:19PM

I almost bought one of these from the outlet store earlier this evening but it didn't have the LED screen. Thank god I held off :eek:

I can configure it without the nvidia graphics card by going through the small business section of the dell site http://tinyurl.com/5fckcd

Would this avoid the problems people are experiencing with the XPS 1330?

Anyone know what the different in performance is likely to be with the Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100?

I don't intend gaming on it but may use photoshop for work or watch videos while travelling ..

BostonB · 27-10-2008 11:57PM

I don't think the X3100 one has the issue at all. We've one about a year with no issues. Only gets light use.

Photoshop or watch videos doesn't need a 3D card. Most onboard graphics with a bit of ram (as most do these days) will be fine. Unless you're doing something huge in photoshop.

GG66 · 28-10-2008 12:06AM

BostonB wrote: »

I don't think the X3100 one has the issue at all. We've one about a year with no issues. Only gets light use.

Photoshop or watch videos doesn't need a 3D card. Most onboard graphics with a bit of ram (as most do these days) will be fine. Unless you're doing something huge in photoshop.

It's an XPS M1330 I was looking at, perhaps your x3100 is a typo...

I plan on sticking 4GB of RAM into it....

xps m1330 motherboard again

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