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Comments on Dell Studio XPS Desktop PC

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Another win for Dell, its Studio XPS is a stylish, compact, powerful and affordable Core i7 desktop that does everything except play Blu-ray discs -- something that can be specified. It even lets you play the latest games with few compromises, though it will occasionally get annoyingly loud when doing so.

Overall

8/10

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Reviewed by Ardjuna Seghers

22 January 2009

Price as reviewed

£879.00

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Ohmz

12:23 AM on 22 January, 2009

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"...it does regularly rev up when under stress. And, though it's only for brief periods, at these times the Studio XPS gets very noisy indeed."

Well there's the deal breaker for me. I was seriously looking at this PC because of the great spec. My current machine (Vaio SZ) is noisy as hell and constantly gives me low memory pop-ups; I'd install more RAM but 2 gigs is all it can take :( .

I think I made the mistake of getting 32 bit as opposed to 64 bit. I'm actually quite amazed, I never thought I'd need a lot of memory, but here I am...

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smc8788

12:32 AM on 22 January, 2009

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I guess they can't offer anything higher than a 4850 (HD4870/GTX260) as that would compete too much with their vastly overpriced 'Gaming' XPS line...

Why not just buy a better card yourself, sit back, and enjoy all that money you just saved not paying for the 965.

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Ardjuna

9:55 AM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Ohmz: Yes, the noise (and poor cooling this implies) is the one thing that prevented this Dell getting a recommended award. As to your Vaio, the memory issue is quite odd, as 2GB should be plenty for Vista to feel fairly happy. What do you use your PC for?

Also, considering Windows 7 can apparently run well enough on a netbook with 1GB of memory, waiting for this OS might solve some of your woes. That, or simply installing WinXP, which runs perfectly on my Desktop PC at home which also has only 2GB of RAM.

@ smc8788: The reasons being that upgrading to a better card (if it would even fit) would also require upgrading the 350W PSU. And since this case barely manages proper heat dissipation under stress 'as is', imagine what would happen if you added another major heat source...

But if you do upgrade the power supply and find a high-end dual-slot card that exhausts its heat out the back, it would be possible.

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smc8788

11:21 AM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Ardjuna

Yeah I guess it wouldn't be such a great idea then I forgot most pre-built systems only use the bare minimum for PSU's. Still, upgrading to a nice PSU over the generic branded one in the Dell wouldn't hurt, and I believe the 4870 is only 0.5cm longer than the 4850, though the GTX 260 is quite a bit longer. But at this point you might as well be building a system yourself if you are upgrading the PSU, and there is still the all-important issue of cooling, which is a problem for quite a few pre-built systems as they just don't seem to have enough fans or ventilation.

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Marek

11:25 AM on 22 January, 2009

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I picked up one of these systems over the weekend. From order to delivery was just 4 days. I used a 15% voucher through the small business site to get a similarly configured machine (no RAID array and only 3gb RAM) with a 23" 1080p monitor for only £688. That's insanely good value.

My first job was to swap out the weedy case fan for a XILENCE Red Wing 92mm Quiet Fan. As this fan is more efficient than the stock fan, it meant that the case temps where brought down significantly, causing the vacuum-like CPU fan to kick in less often. In any case, it's not really that intrusive, but it wouldn't be suitable as a HTPC.

The PSU might hold you back if you're after an all out gaming PC. It's very easy to swap out, but then the case is quite compact and I'd be worried about the heat levels in such a confined space. This is not the machine to buy if you're an enthusiast. The 4850 provides decent performance with everything (bar Crysis) at native 1080p, and it's quite plausible that you could swap it for a more powerful mid/high-end product when the next generation of GPUs appear.

Down sides? The case is on the flimsy side, but something has to give at this price. The monitor is billed as Dell's value option, but the image quality is superb, very rich colours and excellent viewing angles.

I couldn't build a PC like this with much change from £1000.

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Marek

11:29 AM on 22 January, 2009

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One more point to add.

The 4850 has a single slot cooler which vents hot air back into the case. If you were to pick up something more powerful that had a double slot cooler which vented out of the case directly, it might even bring temps down. There is definately space for a longer card with double slot cooling.

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Brian ONeill

12:44 PM on 22 January, 2009

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I got this machine too weeks ago, generally its a good machine, fast and great value for money.

BUT... the noise is very annoying, its not so much the noise when its doing something intensive, but in general use you get a constant whine.

Does anyone know if this whine is caused by the case fan or the heatshink fan? Or what is it?

I would considering replacing whatever is causing this noise, as it is the only downside to this system.

Note lots of xps users are complaining about the noise, see the reviews from the dell site:

http://tinyurl.com/ak2uk6

PS: I installed windows 7 on my machine, and its fantastic, no problems with any drivers or software, everything works a treat. Windows 7 is the dogs.

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Marek

1:37 PM on 22 January, 2009

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Brian,

My case fan was very noisy.

I've replaced mine with this one:

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/92mmfans/x-rw-92r

Not sure if links are allowed, apologies if they're not.

This fan has has kept the noise and the temperatures within the case down, the main CPU cooler does not kick in as often now either. I'm trying to find a silent after-market cooler, but there don't seem to be any around at the moment.

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Ardjuna

1:49 PM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Brian ONeill: I did not notice a constant whine on our sample, so I'd say it's your machine. As to telling which fan it is, that's easy: just disconnect the case fan and turn the machine on for a little while (the minimum time in which you can tell if this causes the whine, as you don't want your system to overheat). Then you'll know.

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smc8788

2:25 PM on 22 January, 2009

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Marek,

There isn't much choice for LGA 1366 coolers at the moment, but if you are considering one, you can't do any better than this one:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Noctua-NH-U12P-SE1366-Exclusive-Dual-Fan-CPU-Cooler-LGA1366-only

It has an excellent CFM rating, 2 very quiet 120mm fans (19.8 dB vs. 19 dB for the case fan you bought) and is generally considered the one of the very best coolers out there. The only downside is it is very expensive for a CPU cooler. The Noctua is only compatible with the LGA 1366 socket but there are others out there which can be used on both 775 and 1366 sockets, but some of these require an additional adapter.

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Ohmz

2:45 PM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Ardjuna, I don't use my PC for anything other than the basics. I don't game or do much multimedia at all. I basically use Firefox, Snarfer and Skype or Digsby. You know, just the typical web surfing and chatting. And God help me if I want to use my Zune software! :(

Funny thing is, our old XP machine had 512MB of Ram and ran pretty smoothly, I thought WOW, 2GBs of Ram this thing will run amazing, but Vista ruined that. I'd install XP but I don't want to bother,

I'm in the market for a new PC anyways. I'm also looking at the iMac, you guys seemed to have fallen in love with it (evidenced by the EC) and I saw one in Futureshop and really liked what I saw.

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Ed

3:58 PM on 22 January, 2009

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smc8788 said

"It has an excellent CFM rating, 2 very quiet 120mm fans"

Strikes me that's an enormous cooler that would struggle to fit in a case like this. Not saying it won't but you'll need to measure carefully before plumping for something like that.

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Ardjuna

4:13 PM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Ohmz: As I said, 2GB should be plenty for Vista, especially with the tasks you're performing. Have you tried formatting and starting over with a fresh install?

Pretty much any modern machine should be able to meet your needs when it comes to buying a new PC. As to Mac, personally I haven't tried it enough to recommend it (I'm too in love with PC games for one thing), but those who have are generally very enthusiastic and impressed.

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smc8788

6:29 PM on 22 January, 2009

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Sorry that's just me being stupid I didn't realise how small the case was. I just had another look and took an approx. measurement and it probably won't fit, I think it's a bit too tall and the PSU is too close to the CPU socket.

It's probably not a good idea fitting a new HSF into a case this size if they have a custom one in there, unless you know it will definitely fit with a bit of room to spare. I'm not sure if you can but I would look at just replacing the fan on the heatsink if it's too loud (that is, if it uses a standard mounting bracket).

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Kris

6:38 PM on 22 January, 2009

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Does anyone know if this machine will be capable of editing HDV (full HD) video?

Will it run software like Adobe Premiere or other video editing software, picture in picture effects and colour filters without any problems and very smoothly?

I am thinking of getting this one with intel i7 2.93Ghz, 8GB RAM and two independent 1TB drives instead of 2 drives in RAID 0 configuration, 512 GB video card.

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Ohmz

7:16 PM on 22 January, 2009

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@ Ardjuna, nope. I'm not too experienced in the whole thing. I'm kind of scared actually, I've never installed or done anything like that with an OS. Maybe I should just wait a bit until I save up for a new PC, it's bearable right now, just barely. I'd wait for Windows 7, but I'm starting school again later this year so that seems out of the equation.

As for the iMac, people seem to love it(although one of my friends is a hard core Apple hater), I really am interested in Leopard, probably wouldn't be if I were running XP, Vista does do that to you I suppose...

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Ardjuna

9:53 AM on 29 January, 2009

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@ Kris: It'll run anything you can throw at it, but might not be the ideal choice for intensive video-editing due to the two-HDD limit and noise issue.

@Omhz: Vista pretty much holds your hand when installing, and there are plenty of illustrated or even video guides to doing a clean install on the net.

Of course you will need the discs, serials and such for all the software you want on your machine, and don't forget to back up important data like contacts/emails etc. You might even do so on a specially created partition.

I used to be a 'Vista hater', but must admit the OS has grown on me despite its flaws.

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DavidParry

11:48 AM on 2 February, 2009

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Could someone please explain why the 8GB RAM option on the UK site is labelled as "Tri-Channel", whilst the 8GB RAM option on the US Dell website is labelled as "Dual-Channel".

I thought that Tri-Channel RAM had to be installed in multiples of 3. Can anyone who chose the 8GB option please confirm whether or not their RAM is running in Tri-Channel mode ?

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abstrait

6:34 AM on 3 February, 2009

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David Parry: "Could someone please explain why the 8GB RAM option on the UK site is labelled as "Tri-Channel", whilst the 8GB RAM option on the US Dell website is labelled as "Dual-Channel".

It's because the UK site is WRONG and the US site is correct. Please don't fall into the quagmire that several other UK Studio XPS 435 buyers have run into, namely thinking they are getting their 8GB of RAM running in Tri-Channel mode. It's running in DUAL CHANNEL. If going with the Dell option in anticipation of Tri-Channel operation, check the 6GB or 12GB option for DDR3 RAM. Or, you can go with the minimum ram they will give and upgrade online with better RAM in the appropriate amount to yield Tri-channel.

But to answer you question succinctly, if it's 8GB and the Dell Studio XPS, it's running in DUAL CHANNEL MODE and you are not getting the full benefits of the tri-channel architecture.

All that being said, how is the Dell Studio XPS 435MT?

To address the noise issues, the 92MM rear case fan is worthless. It's rather noisy, bringing a constant drone or a slight vibration with case interaction. One has to simply unplug the beast from the motherboard and listen to the decibels drop. Ahhhhhhh. That is, if the CPU fan is not whirring into action like it's on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans in a Porsche 956 piloted by Jacky Ickx. This fan is something to behold when it decides i7 CPU cooling is necessary. It starts slow and then builds to a 10 second crescendo, finally subsiding. The machine can work quite a while without this beast coming into play, and suddenly the heat rises, perhaps by a few programs and a tab-loaded FireFox with a few YouTube options going. Next thing you know, it's Mr. Ickx all over.

I will say that my system employs the RADION 4850 512MB as well, a heat producer for sure in this little case. It's the hottest thing by far in there. I'm wondering that if not into games, I see little reason to opt for this card. Save some heat and downgrade here as some of the lessor options actually perform fine for quality graphics. I ran an HP w2408h 24" monitor at 1920x1200 with no issues with a 3450 and 3650 card. I personally would opt for something better than the 3450 but I have to say, my monitor was doing fine with it (again, with zero games).

Im running two Samsung 640GB SATA HD running in RAID 0 with a 500GB WD external. Yep, the power supply is rated at 350-360w, but from what some of the guys say, this supply actually does fine in this machine as equipped, this from taking power usage ratings. So far, I've had no issues with my machine that are PSU related. The drives in RAID 0 have been very fast and quiet. As stated, the only noise is from that sorry case fan (which you HAVE to replace for sanity) and the occasional fire-breathing CPU fan.

The biggest surprise comes with my first exposure to VISTA 64-bit. I had been an XP Professional holdout and this is my first real taste of Vista. I have to say, although it's a resource hog and takes a while to tweak to your liking, I don't see EVER going back to XP. Vista has many qualities that are definite improvements and it runs like a dream with 6BG and up. Indeed, I actually tried to get my machine to use much over 50% of my 6GB of DDR3 Tri-Channel RAM. I ran Dreamweaver MX with six pages, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro 7, PSP Animation, Firefox with 30 tabs, IE 7 with multiple tabs, Safari with tabs, FTP, Winamp, Media player, MS Word 2007, MS Publisher, Access, Adobe Reader, Adobe Illustrator 10, etc etc. I never got over 50% usage. Indeed, I dropped my pagefile and it's running like a speedship, no issues at all.

The computer runs Vista 63 AERO like a dream and you can really customize your desktop to look just as aesthetically and functionally appealing as any MAC. I've been really impressed.

For the money, it's a hard system to beat, especially if you go the outlet route with one of the additional coupons. It's just impossible to match if going DIY. On the other hand, you'll never be able to take advantage of the amazing overclocking ability of the i7 920, which can go far beyond it's 2.66 rating. Simply put Pt 2, the DELL BIOS is an extremely limiting affair with virtually ZERO customization ability. It's one of the most bare bones BIOS options I've seen and will depress the tinkerer. I would assume Dell does not want the support hassles and issues from the many head scratchers that end up doing something of which they know not what.

You'll hear people quibble over things like the hard to reach eject button on the DVD/CD drives. You must gently push the trays back in, no big deal to me. The wired keyboard and mouse stink, nothing like the original Dell "QuietKey" keyboards of old, build like tanks. These are near junk status. So we have the fan noise, something that can be solved, the 350/360w PSU, probably ok as supplied and easy to replace if moving to some advanced configuration. And the limited BIOS options with no overclocking or advanced BIOS features. Aside from this, you have a great system that is a first for DELL. Usually they save the more cutting edge processors for their high end, big ducat machines. I cant remember them bringing this much for this little, even if in a limiting case.

Bottom line is it's a lot of machine for the money and can be made better with some tweaking in the right places. A refurbished Dell Outlet buy can be a wallet saver.

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DavidParry

9:15 AM on 3 February, 2009

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Hi Abstrait,

Thank you for such a comprehensive reply to my post and review of the system.

Firstly, 8GB is the maximum amount of RAM that may be selected for this machine on the Dell U.K. website - I know the Dell U.S. site allows 12GB to be selected and 12 is obviously divisible by three.

Secondly if you select the 8GB option and keep the standard graphics card, a message pops up telling you that you must select the RADION 4850 512MB as the standard graphics card is not compatible with this amount of RAM.

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aprado17

11:08 AM on 3 February, 2009

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Hi abstrait and David,

I just bought the Studio XPS with the 8Gb (Spain's website). I fell for the 8Gb tri-channel RAM... Looking closer it does say "(4x1024 + 2x2048)". I wonder, how easy would it be to go for 12MB (replacing the 4x1024 for 4x2048) in the future. Is RAM replacement a kind of plug and play process (please forgive my ignorance if it isn't)? On the other hand, since Dell's info is misleading, what would be my chances at getting Dell to give me a real trichannel RAM configuration for free? After all, it is Dell's information that's wrong "DDR3 8192 MB (4x1024 + 2x2048) trichannel" they say in my specs)...

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aprado17

11:12 AM on 3 February, 2009

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Another thing,

I just purchased the Studio XPS (i7 940, Vista Home, 8Gb) and will wait and see about the fan noise. If I find the fan noise unbearable, will changing the fan void my warranty? Is it really as simple as removing 4 screws and the pin connector and placing a new 92mm fan in there and replacing the connector?

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DavidParry

12:22 PM on 3 February, 2009

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aprado17,

If Dell's website is indeed incorrect, then surely as a gesture of goodwill they could upgrade you to 12GB RAM.

Changing the fan probably would void the warranty, but if your system developed a problem, you can easily put the original fan back in again.

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abstrait

1:49 PM on 3 February, 2009

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First, my apologies for a plethora of typos above. I think it was 2am here.

Well, I just hopped onto the Dell UK site to see what was up and it is indeed a bit of a mess as far as the Studio XPS is concerned. I had to choose the right initial Studio XPS option, which I believe was the first one without a monitor as standard.

After that, it did indeed allow me to selection the 6GB DDR3 Tri-Channel option as seen below, along with the two 640GB HD in RAID 0 Striping. The only vid cards selection at this point was the ATI 4850 at 512MB. See system I just configured and saved below:

- Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 920 (2.66GHz, 8MB cache, 4.8GT/sec)

- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 64Bit - English

- 1Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support

- Display Not Included

- 6144MB (6x1024) 1067MHz DDR3 Tri Channel

- 1.2 TB (2x 640 GB) Serial ATA (7200 Rpm) Dual HDD Raid 0 Stripe

- 512MB ATI® Radeon® 4850 Graphics card

- 16X DVD+/- RW Optical Drive (DVD & CD read and write)

- Dell Multimedia USB Keyboard Black - UK

- Dell Laser Mouse USB (6 buttons scroll) Black

Unfortunately, the price was not exactly a stellar deal and the UK outlet does not even list the Studio XPS as an option. I imagine some more time will bring better deals.

Looking quickly and going by what I've heard talking to a competent Dell US rep online, they know that the 8GB option is indeed DUAL CHANNEL. Based on this, I would think you could get a free upgrade from Dell if you noticed it right off the bat. They would have ZERO argument potential as it's simply wrongly represented on the site. So if I ordered this option, the first thing I would do is call. Why go through all the hassle of getting a system designed to run the benefits of Tri-Channel and go with only a Dual Channel configuration? The simple fact is, they misrepresented the product, stating a FALSE claim, leading you to a faulty selection. At the least, they would make this ram situation correct as it was their fault. I wouldn't wait on letting them know, however.

Second, buying more DDR3 RAM do equal 12GB is an option, indeed. But at this stage, while the error exists, it almost seems prudent to let them handle the issues. The only supreme hassle here is dealing with that ping-pong ball support to resolve. I wouldn't stop till you found the right person that would do the right thing. Of course, on another level, the Dell supplied 1067MHz RAM is surely not the fastest of options, either. It's about the slowest RAM you can find but it's all you can do if getting DELL ram.

Lastly, in talking to the US Dell guy online, and a pretty sharp one at that, he stated that replacing the 92mm case fan would NOT void the warranty (he actually sent me a link to the aftermarket fan solution). He also offered to replace it from Dell. The only problem I see here is I've read reports of people getting a second case fan, only to find it the same as the first. Meanwhile, one can opt for the Noctura or other quiet options for relatively little expense. Just make sure it moves some air. And another good option includes adding ANOTHER front case fan to bring more cool air in. There appears to be fan mount capability on the lower front. The only issue, and it's usually not a problem, is powering this fan.

In a way, the 8GB as Tri-Channel error on the Dell site, surely a configuration that US Dell knows is impossible, is bargaining power, at least until they figure it out. They actually had the same error on the US site early on in the run.

Lastly, you CAN indeed configure the 6GB if you desire. I have no idea why they don't offer the 12GB Tri-Channel option nor a more open video card configuration.

kh

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abstrait

1:59 PM on 3 February, 2009

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As a postscript to aprado17's fan switch question, it's about as easy as anything, almost akin to changing the proverbial light bulb. It's just four screws (or rubber inserts if wanting even more isolation), and a simple three pin connector on the motherboard. Just take care in inserting the plastic plug in the correct orientation to avoid bending pins. It's very easy and virtually plug and play.

Changing out the ram is just as easy depending on your configuration and cabling.

On another note, the stock i7 920 CPU is the overclock king, and even better deal than the 940. If you decide to upgrade and buy another case and motherboard, and maybe some better ram, using all the rest of the parts, you could fashion quite a system with a BIOS that would allow for much more performance. I don't think Dell is ever going to release a bios upgrade that will allow the end user to reach the configuration potential. We'll see. Obviously, the above option is a bit out there, especially under warranty. Amazingly enough, I've talked to a person that did this, still coming in less than he would buying ALL parts separately.

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abstrait

2:44 PM on 3 February, 2009

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Lastly, here are two shots of my own Dell Studio XPS 435MT interior as configured with the i7 920, 6GB DDR3 Tri-Channel RAM, 1.2TB via 2 Samsung 640GB HD run RAID 0 Striping, and ATI RADEON 4850 512mb video card (you'll also notice a wireless card, an option that came with this refurbished outlet choice along with a DVD/RW and additional CD drive).

See the self explanatory labels, the mediocre fan in full view. Without a doubt, the greatest heat producer is the ATI 4850. The Samsung 640GB SATA drives are extremely quiet and run quite cool in this configuration, cooler than the WD drives I have. The PSU runs rather cool as well. I think it's probably a bit more robust than the specs convey, but still an issue for those wanting to move to more power hungry configurations down the line, though an easy swap out as a few have done already. Copy and past .jpg links below for views.

- Studio XPS Interior - Label1: http://i40.tinypic.com/24o2fie.jpg

- Studio XPS Interior - Side 2: http://i39.tinypic.com/2nujde8.jpg

kh

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aprado17

4:08 PM on 3 February, 2009

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Thank you David and abstrait for your very helpful comments. I'm calling Dell tonigh(I've made the payment and received the acknowledgment of receipt, but the computer is not in production or pre-production yet, i.e. I made the payment but Dell didn't get the money just yet).

When I contact them I will also double check on whether or not the change of fan will void the warraty and give this you guys some feedback on this, a second info source of sorts. And while I'm at it (this is only if I find the noise unbearable) I will probably go ahead and install a second fan in the front to draw air in. Can never have too much cool air, right? And, indeed if I have a problem I can revert back to the original fan (I do not see how they would notice I had been using a different fan...) In any case I've had my current Dell Dimension 8200 for 8 years and have had absolutely not a problem with it, ever. I did reinstall XP once and upgraded from USB 1.0 to USB 2.0 but that was because of the system's limitations due to old age, not an problem because of hardware (and I only cleaned it inside about once every two years).

On the overclocking: I'm not particularly fond of tweaking with out-of-the-factory systems because I figure the engineers at Dell probably know a thing or two more than I do about computers, so I will just let the i7 940 run at its 2.93GHz. In any case this Studio XPS is a HUGE step up from my 8yr-old 2GHz Pentium 4 with 767Mb DDR2 (which I expanded from the original). I don't foresee a need for me to overclock the i7 940 in a really, really long time.

The fan is another story. I think I can manage with a few screws here and there and a pin connection or two. Specially after having seen abstrait's self explanatory pictures. Thanks so much for those.

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abstrait

5:29 PM on 3 February, 2009

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aprado, you know, it might be wise just to hold off until you have the system at home, then write two days after you receive it. Ditto with the fan. I wouldnt even mention it, personally. Why? Because you will get five different answers from five different people.

The chance for the best success here it to wait till the system is in hand for the ram and just see about the fan issue, keeping the old if need be.

kh

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DavidParry

5:45 PM on 3 February, 2009

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The HotUKDeals website (Google it) recently (and probably still has) a voucher for 10% discount on the Studio XPS PCs.

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aprado17

9:39 PM on 3 February, 2009

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well, abstrait, too late. I called the sales rep in Spain (the called gets forwarded to France actually) but they were already closed. So I called the US and a sales rep confirmed the 8Gb dual channel and 6 or 12Gb tri channel issue. Then, I went into the US, UK, France and Spain's website and made myself a PDF of the site offering 8Gb trichannel RAM (except the US, which appears to be the only one with the right type). Then I emailed my sales rep who actually sold me the computer and diplomatically asked for an upgrade to 12gb at no cost pointing out that the website is providing misleading information. She will be calling me first thing tomorrow morning for sure. I will come back here with an update on how that went. Till then. I didn't check with the sales rep on the fan/warranty issue. I think I won't and replace the fan when I get the machine.

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aprado17

10:32 PM on 3 February, 2009

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I almost forget: when I asked the US sales rep about some compensation he said I would need to check with my Spanish sales rep and that they should have some kind of concession package for these cases. So I take it Dell does contemplate the possibility of having to compensate customers for this type of mistakes. I'm not getting my hopes up too much but there is some chance I will get some kind of upgrade or additional discount.

In preparing myself for tomorrow's conversation with the sales rep, is it possible to have 9gb DDR trichannel? I haven't seen 9gb anywhere, but it is a multiple of three although I don't know how Dell would fit 9gb in six slots (3 x 1gb + 3 x 2gb??)...

About discounts: when I initially called the sales rep to do a final reconfiguration (I need my OS in English and they sells Vista in Spanish for this system in Spain if you do it through the website). I told her I had a coupon for 100EUR off on the first purchase (we get this coupon in the office and it is directed at small companies, not valid for personal use). When she typed the code in she said it wasn't valid, then I told her I was ready to close the deal the same day if she could apply the 100EUR off, she checked with her supervisor and came back 20 seconds later with the approval. So I got 100EUR off just for asking.

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DavidParry

11:17 AM on 4 February, 2009

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The Dell UK website is still showing the 8GB RAM option as "Tri-Channel". If it is incorrect and they are aware of the problem, then they've had plenty of time to fix.

I'd be interested to know if they are now fitting quieter fans in the latest models.

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aprado17

4:57 PM on 4 February, 2009

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Success!!

I took some effort and a lot of patience. I believe the best tactic is to remain soft and stubborn throughout the process:

This morning I got a call from my sales rep as I expected. She had read my mail about the 8Gb trichannel problem. I told her I had confirmed the information with a Dell Tech service in the US but she told me I had to obtain the same confirmation from a Dell Tech service guy in Spain. So I called the Spanish technical service and the guy basically ended up saying that I was right. NOTE: it's important to log the name of the person you speak to. Then I called my sales rep again and told her that the Tech guy confirmed my claim. The sales rep. complained saying she had also checked on her end and got the opposite response and so she would get in touch with the tech guy I had spoken earlier to confirm I wasn't lying (this is why it is important to get the name of the technical person you talk to).

In the meantime I did some research. I trust the knowledge you people lay out on this forum, but obviously Dell wasn't going to give me a free upgrade based on comments from some forum. So I went to the source: in INTEL's web site they clearly explain that for the tri-channel to work you need three identical ram on each side (so 6x1gb or 3x1gb + 3x2gb or 6x2gb are valid configurations for tri-channel). Intel also says that if you do not plug in three identical RAM, dual channel mode gets automatically activated. So I printed Intel's website in a PDF file and sent it to my sales rep.

At this time I told her that my sources (these being Intel itself plus two different Dell Technical service guys) all confirmed my view, while her (my sales rep) sources just told her no without an explanation. I then insisted that somebody should explain to me how was I supposed to plug in three identical ram on each side if all I had was 4x1gb plus 2x2gb.. impossible. The last call I had with the sales rep she was trying to make a three way call with the tech guy, her and myself, but the tech guy could not be reached.

Finally, after all this coming and going, Dell buckled and admitted there is a “marketing error” and sent me a revised budget with the 12Gb DDR3 trichannel for the same price I had already paid. I just accepted this last budget a minute ago and I am waiting for the acknowledgment of receipt.

Sorry for the long, maybe not-so-interesting tale. This may hopefully help other people in the same situation.

I don’t know how long it will take Dell to fix this problem, but if you are thinking about purchasing the Studio XPS Intel Core Duo i7 940 with trichannel memory, this is the time, before they change it.

Good luck to all

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DavidParry

5:30 PM on 4 February, 2009

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Hi aprado17,

Thank you very much for letting us know the outcome of your negotiations with Dell, which is very useful to myself and anyone else interested in purchasing this machine.

It would all be so much easier though, if Dell would just correct their website.

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abstrait

5:57 PM on 4 February, 2009

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If Dell corrected their site, you would lose the deal, unfortunately. aprado17 was very lucky to get this to go through BEFORE the order was fulfilled. They would have even less leeway if the computer arrived with the the specified RAM that did not satisfy the specified role. I'm betting that site error is going to be gone toot sweet.

On the fan issue, while the 92mm case fan is an easy fix, the problem with some of these machines winding up to extreme decibel CPU fan mode is still the main troubling issue.

I want to really look into the feasibility to power a fan in the front of the case. Not sure of the motherboard connections for this and Dell's tech help is so circumspect with these kinds of details it's best you figure it out on your own.

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aprado17

6:29 PM on 4 February, 2009

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Since I last wrote the above I have already received the Acknowledgment of Receipt so my order is in progress. Yeeeehaaaa!!!

I sincerely hope this helps people considering this machine. My advice is to insist, be stubborn about it but don't get frustrated with the sales rep (they have families too!) since this could only be counterproductive. Act as if you were actually helping Dell to resolve a problem. Using heavy artillery such as PDFing the website from INTEL's that I mentioned above (http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-011965.htm) can't hurt either. Just keep contacts with Dell's sales rep easy-going and insist that you are correct because half the time they are not even sure themselves. And log the calls and the names of the tech guys that you may come accross in the process

I have a feeling Dell will correct their website to 6Gb trichannel as soon as they can to prevent people like me from getting free upgrades (from what I imagine was supposed to be 6gb to a whopping 12Gb trichannel). Or at least as soon as a large company like this can make such a change. Imagine: the sales rep has to notify his/her boss and the information has to keep going up the ladder until it reaches some Europe-wide manager because this error is present in the French, Spanish and UK's websites (these are the ones I checked, plus USA's which has the correct info). And then I imagine this european-wide manager would have to request a meeting with Marketing, accounting, sales and IT to change the website. I would imagine this is a one month process. Timestamp my comments!

Good night and good luck

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abstrait

7:09 PM on 4 February, 2009

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I just had a thought. Maybe they DO KNOW it's on there and don't mind it being there. That's because 90% of the people that buy it or more would have no idea that 4 and 8GB options would not run in the advertised Tri-Channel mode. I just got on the UK site and they only have ONE true tri-channel option with the 6GB. The 4 and 8 are STILL listed as "tri" and it doesn't seem to be coming down, even though I first saw a UK buyer complain and debate Dell UK WEEKS AGO regarding this issue.

They could change the site in seconds flat, is the irony of it all. On the other hand, maybe it's not so ironic after all.

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aprado17

8:57 PM on 4 February, 2009

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"It would all be so much easier though, if Dell would just correct their website."

They surely will soon. But then they will probably offer the 6gb trichannel instead of 8 for the same price. In any case I have not seen a machine with such 'bang for your buck' value in a long while, maybe ever. And on top of the already unbeatable value, I got the free upgrade to 12GB. This has got to be really the best deal on a computer I've ever made.

I was also impressed with Dell's quick-answering customer service. I don't think I can remember such a good customer service ever in any company, be it a phone company, a computer company, utility company, etc.

Well, that's it for me. Just counting the days till I get this obscenely powerful machine in my hands

Good luck to you all.

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DavidParry

9:55 PM on 4 February, 2009

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Problem is, I've tried telephoning Dell Sales and Customer Services and I get the Indian call centre every time and all of the operators that I've spoken to so far have been useless. They just assure me that everything is perfect without providing any explanation.

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Niceonez

9:55 AM on 5 February, 2009

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I’ve had major issues with dell in the past but if you "remain soft and stubborn throughout the process" like aprado17 stated you can usually get what you want out of them. I previously owned an XPS 700 which had failed so many times that I demanded it to be replaced, they at first tried to offer me an XPS 630. Even though the 630 had better internal spec's than my XPS 700 I felt it was a bit of a downgrade so I refused it & went hard (but polite) on them to replace it with a better machine. I've turned into a bit of a gamer over the month's so I wanted something really tasty from them so was hoping they would come back to me with the mighty XPS 730X but instead they offered me the XPS studio. At first I thought its time to get "hard (but polite)" on them again as I would be giving up such things as SLi connections (two high end graphics cards connected together to give you 2x the performance), a more powerful power supply with more space & fans, the ability to connect 4 x hard drives & the ability to upgrade & expand that the XPS 700 series can offer. But then after debating & researching I came across this website http://www.voidware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=2

After reading this site I contacted my dell sales rep (we are on personal email & first name basis now) & kindly accepted her proposal for an i7 machine with 19 in 1 card reader, 3gb tri channel technology, ati 4850 etc. As I’m an IT engineer I went on ebay & have purchased a 800w EZCool Tornado PSU as its the right size for the case for £35 including delivery (second hand though but looks ok), OCZ 4GB DDR3 1333MHZ gold series memory for £45 inc del & am going to get a better 92mm case fan. Now once I sell My previously owned nvidia 9800gtx+ x 2 cards, the memory, graphics card & power supply from the new studio XPS I should have enough money to buy a really good gamers graphics card & would have had spent a minimum amout of money for a better spec machine.

My question is has anyone else done this upgrade & placed a really good graphics card in to this machine i.e. ATi 4870x2 or Nvidia GTX 295? If so what was the result.

I think dell has purposely put a weaker power supply & fan in to this small case in attempt to deter some consumers like myself to go for a bigger gaming machine but if we just do a few simple tweaks we can probably get the same sort of performance from this machine as we would from dear I say it the XPS 730X for half the price. Another thing is I have seen the engineers that come out to fix dell machines & I wouldn't worry too much about voiding warranty as if something fails then they just replace it (bearing in mind that they only replace what the machine was shipped out with).

Anywayz I have been told that I will receive this machine within the next 10 day's so after I have upgraded it I will post my comments.

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DavidParry

10:44 AM on 5 February, 2009

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Could anyone please advise on the best replacement fan for the Studio XPS ?

I have seen the following recommended, the latter being twice as expensive, so presumably better.

Xilence Red Wing 92mm Quiet Fan

Noctua NF-B9-1600 Vortex-Control 92mm Quiet Case Fan

With regards to PSU and graphics cards. A lot of people are saying that the Dell PSUs are very good quality a capable of a higher output than there rating might suggest.

I suppose that if you put a more powerful PSU and graphics card into this machine, it's going to use a lot more electricity, which is a bit of a concern with utility bills being what they are.

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aprado17

11:40 AM on 5 February, 2009

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@ David Parry

I agree with Niceonez: just keep insisting stubbornly and politely. I suggest do not throw at them all you know about computers or IT at once, only step up a notch (meaning IT and computer knowledge wise) as required. I think what really worked for me is that I went to Intel's website and made a PDF of the site where they explain the tri-channel issue. At this time I had an official (after all, Intel manufactures the thing!) and very reasonable explanation that backed my point of view while they had not explanation whatsoever. Just request (politely) that they explain their argument in a reasonable manner, say you still don'tunderstand how their claim can be valid and that you can't just take no without an explanation. If it comes down to it, you may want to threaten with cancelling your order (if you have one placed, like I had). Given the economic crisis, they'll do practically anything within reason to sell you the machine you want.

Another thing, keep calling the technical service until you get one that is open (I must have been really lucky since I only spoke to two and both agreed with me...). Tell the tech guy you are thinking of buying a machine but you need help in deciding some component. When you get a tech guy that agrees with you, log his/her name and then go back with it to your sales rep. By this time you'll be on a personal basis as Niceonez said. Your personal sales rep will have to check with the tech guy you spoke to. Suggest that it would be a good idea to have a three way call among all of you. In the end, Dell will probably desist and admit their mistake. You can go and PDF the USA website where they offer the 8gb DUAL channel and a PDF of the UK site where they offer the 8Gb TRI channel. This will help in making your sales rep understand you are in the right. This is a logical argument so your sales rep does not need to know about computers, just make them see the logic of it. The sales rep will then have to check with his/her supervisor (by this time s/he will be on your side)...

@ Niceonez. I am not an upgrader so I can't help you with your doubts. My current machine is a Dell Dimension 8200 purchased in 2002 that packs an incredible (irony here) Pentium 4 @ 2GHz, 40GB HD, 64MB graphics card, 767 MB DDR2 Ram (I did upgrade the RAM about 4-5 years ago). I also had to ugrade the USBs from 1.0 to 2.0 because after one of the XP service packs came out, the machine kept telling me that "this device can perform faster". You get the idea.. I upgrade on an as-required basis. This is one of the reasons I got this machine: I won't have to upgrade in a long, long time (I am not a gamer).

The only thing I may actually tinker with is the case fan. If the fan fails and they give me a new one like the original... oh well (that's like the cheapest part of the PC). If the fan fails and causes my, for example, CPU to fail, well then I'll put the original fan back on and call Dell to replace the CPU

Good luck

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DavidParry

3:54 PM on 5 February, 2009

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Have you guys seen this thread about 8GB Tri Channel RAM ?

http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?s=df3a6852c8ee2be68ccef5ced5f2693c&t=118231&page=2

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aprado17

5:48 PM on 6 February, 2009

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@ David Parry. No, I had not seen that thread, but those guys surely need to be reading this one! I for one am proof that (i) the 8Gb TRIchannel is an error (the US site is correct and the other sites, incliding UK's, France's and Spain's, are wrong as of Feb 5th), (ii) Dell knows about it (I am sure that I was not the first to tell them either!), (iii) if you complain convincingly, politely and stubornly enough you can get a free upgrade to 12GB TRIchannel (depending on the timeline from order to shipping -I did it right as my original order was being put into production).

There is an explanation in Intel's website about the memory modes (interweaving, flexible, dual, triple channel, etc). Anyone with this problem who is thinking of contacting Dell about it should go pay a visit to Intel's site (I posted the link above) and get some ammunition there. THEN call Dell and they won't have any possible way to come back at you (other than a free upgrade). They'll have to give up on you and give you what you want (again, this depends on timeline: my PC was in production when I started complaining and it took me almost a whole day (from 9am to 5pm) to convince them) because you will be, as I was, right. Dell would not have given me an upgrade if they were sure they didn't make a mistake. It won't be easy to get them to admit it, but it's clearly a "marketing error" as they indeed admitted to me on the phone.

I actually came back here not to keep the discussion about the RAM but to ask about the graphics card. I am virtually clueless when it comes to these cards. I have no idea about the terminology (I am not a gamer so the specs on graphics cards escape me) so I was guessing and hoping for confirmation on the following:

From the pictures of the back of this computer, I see there are two DVI (I think they are called DVI, the white female plugs with two rows of pins) outputs at the back and a s-video output. Does this mean I can connect either (i) two monitors simultaneoulsy (one in each DVI) AND a TV on the s-video or (ii) one monitor to one DVI and a TV on the other DVI?

It is not terribly important to find out because I will figure it out when the beast is delivered. The reason I am asking is that I am trying to figure out how/where to place the computer when it arrives: in the living room and hooked to the TV and to a monitor, in a separate room with two monitors...

Thanks in advance for the advice, it has been great thus far.

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abstrait

2:08 AM on 7 February, 2009

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http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?s=df3a6852c8ee2be68ccef5ced5f2693c&t=118231&page=2

"David Parry. No, I had not seen that thread, but those guys surely need to be reading this one!"

I have to admit, it's a bit like banging my head on the wall here. Perhaps the "abstrait" there is the same abstrait here that has been saying the same thing about the ram, how it's not tri-channel at 8gb, and how to handle dell. I come back to read as if it's just been discovered. Oh well, it's ye old net forums and par for the course. I'm typing this on my Dell Studio XPS, which is more than likely being returned due to the fact that I just want more control over the variables, including the fan issues, and not just the case fan, but CPU fan as well.

To the reader that is discussing multiple video cards etc, this is the WORST machine for that, and not the right buy. It's wrong on a number of fronts, the very least of which the motherboard does not allow dual cards. It will take five posts for this to sink in, however. oh well.

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abstrait

2:17 AM on 7 February, 2009

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For what it's worth (and perhaps not much), but they are TWO DVI plugs. The ATI 4850 will also come with one DVI to HDMI dongle that will allow you to run an HDMI monitor. That card will control two monitors at once. You can also purchase a TV tuner card with this machine.

Again, to repeat (though doubting the affectiveness of it), this motherboards will NOT HOLD two quality video cards as there are no slots for it. Period. It will perform ok with games utilizing the stock ATI RADEON 4850 option but is surely passed by other dual card options. There is the prospect of the 2 into one card but just throw out the option of the dual cards since there is simply not a slot.

As said, the 92mm case fan is an easy sub and will bring the noise down. Ultimately, the biggest real noise maker is the CPU fan when it comes on in full. Here, perhaps a front case fan will help to cool. There is no cooling setting with this DELL BIOS, a locked Bios that is also a weak point for tinkerers, as stated many a post back.

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abstrait

3:39 PM on 7 February, 2009

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My apologies for the rather acerbic tone in the last two posts. Not a good evening here. heh. I reread Niceonez post and realized he was indeed talking about something like the GeForce 9800X2 card with dual GPUs on one card, which would probably work via the Studio XPS 435 with a new power supply and more cooling, these two essential upgrades, however as the current PSU and cooling is barely adequate for the current configuration. That being said, for a real diehard gamer, I STILL would bypass this system for the lack of control one has on the board, in addition to the lack of space.

Also, I would seriously rethink getting only 3GB of RAM. In my view, anyone considering this system should opt for the minimum of 6GB.

While this system is a great deal, especially combined with any coupon you can source, I would count on some early mods to make it palatable and silent enough for a modern home system. Perhaps Dell will release a BIOS update that will better work the CPU fan, the main noise culprit when it kicks into gear. For sure, the 92mm case fan is an easy and inexpensive solution if need be.

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DavidParry

5:52 PM on 9 February, 2009

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Can you guys explain this one then ?

The following link takes you to a download page for an updated BIOS for the Studio XPS Desktop 435MT.

http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R204142&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=284522

One of the fixes is "Fixed wrong memory speed display for 1333Mhz memory.".

I thought that the memory frequency for this PC was 1067MHz.

Does this suggest that it is capable of taking 1333Mhz RAM, and if so, why isn't it sold with it initially ?

I'd be interested in your thoughts

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abstrait

7:44 PM on 9 February, 2009

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Succinctly put, the Dell Studio XPS 435 will work with both PC3-10600(DDR3 1333-MHz) and PC3-8500(DDR3 1066-MHz) memory. They installed it with the less expensive PC3-8500 memory for obvious reasons. Indeed, if you got the 6GB DDR-3 Tri-Channel option, your system is loaded with a single 1GB 1066Mhz stick in EACH of the six slots so if upgrading, something has to go.

BTW, you CAN run mixed pairs of DDR3 1333-MHz and DDR3 1066-MHz memory, but the modules will function at the speed of the slowest module installed.

Also, in the six slots, you must match the memory modules in the corresponding slots ie the same memory type in the first of each pair and the same in the second of each pair.

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shiftrefresh

10:09 AM on 10 February, 2009

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Quick question, what do you think would result in the best performance for the Studio XPS desktop - 6gb Tri Channel, or 8gb Dual Channel?

I'm about a week away from ordering one from the Dell Australia website - they're having the same issues; advertising the features of Tri channel memory, however every option is in Dual Channel. So I've almost resigned to the fact that I'd end up with Dual Channel, was was thinking as long as I get 8gb, that should make for good results? I'll be using the machine for graphic design - large photoshop comps, occasional video stuff etc.

Ant thoughts would be greatly appreciated. :)

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abstrait

12:52 PM on 10 February, 2009

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shift_refresh, I just now went to the Dell UK and Dell AU sites and there are definite paths to take to achieve the proper Tri-Channel solution for the Studio XPS 435MT.

In your case, it's there for the taking. The only issue is the Dell AU website, once again, mislabeling the option. But in this case, instead of calling the Dual Channel option, Tri-Channel, they give you the Tri-Channel option with the Dual Channel label! Classic. So the answer to your question is an easy one. When ordering from Dell AU, simply select the 6GB (1GBx6) solution and you will be a getting Tri-Channel capable system. The answer to your question is to always buy the RAM configuration that yields the Tri-Channel architecture or you are missing out on some of the benefits. In your case, it's THERE, but not labeled as such. Since most users rarely get over 6GB, I would opt for this solution over the 8GB in Dual Channel mode.

Shift_refresh, there is ONE better solution if you feel comfortable in switching out RAM, a very easy process. Since your Studio XPS in AU ONLY comes with 3GB stock, and you are paying a hefty markup to move to 6GB, I would personally get the 3GB, and upgrade from an online vendor to BETTER Corsair DDR3 1333MHz for a much better deal. You would get BETTER quality memory, better selection (2GBx3), and a better spec memory for even LESS than Dell offers. This would be the most cost effective, performance positive solution. Makes the most sense in my view given your pricing options and selection on the Dell AU site.

As for DELL UK users, please note that only the FIRST THREE Studio XPS selections even give you the option for 6GB. The last "fully loaded" solution, ironically enough, does not even give you the Tri-Channel option, only the 8GB. So customize from the FIRST THREE. This is as of the date of this post. They might change this any day but I noticed this the past week.

-kh

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DavidParry

2:17 PM on 10 February, 2009

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What a riculous situation !!!!

Thanks very much for your valuable contributions abstrait.

Firstly, Dell need to correct their websites.

Secondly, they should offer 1333MHz RAM to those customers wishing to pay the premium to get the best out of this machine instead of having to throw away 3GB RAM and then buy more RAM from a third party.

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Ardjuna

2:20 PM on 10 February, 2009

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@shift_refresh: To be honest, for "occasional video use" 4GB should be enough. But if you do want to go for more, for the price difference I would stick with 6GB Tri.

However, if you are going to be using (64-bit) software that requires boatloads of memory and don't mind spending more, 8GB will usually give you better performance than 6 regardless of dual or tri-channel considerations.

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DavidParry

3:39 PM on 10 February, 2009

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Dell are really not doing themselves any favours are they ?

See http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19257264.aspx

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abstrait

6:35 PM on 10 February, 2009

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Dont agree with ardjuna's advice here. Mainly, because I ran Vista 64bit with 8GB of DDR2 ram for one month, this on a Dell Studio MT, in a RAID 0 config Delll Studio MT machine doing exactly the same work that shift_refresh is doing (I do web and graphic design and use the machine for work with ZERO games installed). There is not that much software that is currently running 64bit but I have to say that Vista 64 ran without a hitch and I was rarely if EVER able to climb over 40% RAM usage running Photoshop, Illustrator 10, Dreamweaver MX, Paintshop Pro 7, PSP Animation, CuteFTP PRO,MS Word, MS Excel, Firefox with 25 tabs, IE7 with over 20 tabs, Safari with a number of tabs, all the while running w/typical Vista 64 folders, and Winamp with oddcast putting out an Indie station.

Moving to Vista 64 and the 6GB of DDR3 Tri-Channel is hardly a handicap. I have only gotten over 50% RAM usage ONE time.

I would surely not buy a new Core i7 system with the big bandwidth difference going with Tri-Channel and run it in dual channel mode. The difference between 6GB and 8GB is just not enough to warrant. And on another level, why would you populate the Dell with their 8GB or 4GB option when you can BUY their 3GB option and SAVE MONEY by moving to 6GB of Corsair 1333MHz leaving three slots open for future move to more ram, still in the Tri-Channel configuration.

The best solution across the board seems to be buying the least amount of RAM that Dell offers and going with an online vendor with higher quality RAM and a high spec, this bringing future upgrades and better performance right off the bat.

And getting 6GB of CORSAIR 1333MHz seems a no brainer, easily taken over the 8GB of DEll RAM at a lower spec and selection that will make tossing ram necessary.

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shiftrefresh

10:44 PM on 10 February, 2009

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Thanks for the information guys.

abstrait, I'm going to go with your advice, I want to maximize performance without spending too much. To be clear, if I go with the 3GB option, I should take out all the Dell memory and replace with the better Corsair 1333MHz DDR3?

Please forgive my ignorance, but being Tri Channel does the total memory need to be divisible by 3, ie 3, 6, 9 or 12 (ie. there's no point getting 4 x 2gb)? I'm thinking of getting 3 x 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 or perhaps even 6 x 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 - would the Studio XPS make use of 12GB of RAM?

Sorry for all the questions, I just get a little edgy when spending big money! Really appreciate everyones advice though!

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DavidParry

9:22 AM on 11 February, 2009

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First of all, Dell have corrected their UK website, but I think the prices are still the same.

If I buy this PC with the minimum RAM (3072MB (3x1024)), then presumably, the machine will be delivered with three of the RAM slots unoccupied. Would I then be o.k. to populate those empty slots with 2GB 1333MHz modules from Crucial ?

The total would add up to 9GB. Presumably the RAM would all then run at the lower 1067MHz frequency, but then I could replace the original 1067MHz modules at a later date, after which the RAM would all run at 1333MHz.

Could you please confirm that my understanding is correct ?

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DavidParry

11:55 AM on 11 February, 2009

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Is there a big performance difference between the 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz Core i7 CPUs ?

The difference is £278.26 (Ex VAT). Presumably the faster processor is also going to generate more heat in a cramped case which will mean more noise from the fans.

Would the 1333 MHz RAM generate more heat than the 1067MHz RAM ?

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abstrait

3:52 AM on 12 February, 2009

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The problem with this system, and I'm typing on the beast right now, is that I've heard and read so many conflicting comments, not only from the masses including reviewers, but from the Dell support team themselves. It's hard to pin anything down.

But I have the manual downloaded and you can see the Studio XPS 435MT motherboard configuration HERE:

LINK - http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435MT/en/SM/techov.htm

And here you can see the RAM configuration for the 435MT here:

Link - http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435MT/en/SM/memory.htm

In both instances it appears as of the motherboard will allow you to populate the board with 1333MHz, even if half are 1066MHz for now. Of course, as stated, you would be running it all at 1066. You might even be better off to run the 6GB of DDR3 1333Mhz (2gbx3) with nothing in the other three slots to keep the better ram at full tilt.

On the i7 920 vs the i7 965, I would not hesitate to take the i7 920, a MUCH better deal and easily overclockable to 4GHz if moved to another motherboard later on. The cost of the upper range Core i7 is just way out of left field right now. The Core i7 920 is the sweet spot.

Im not thinking the 1333MHz ram will present a problem with the 435MT based on the documentation and what other X58 motherboards are doing. I've not heard of any problems with 12GB of ram yet and the latest BIOS from Dell fixes a snafu with the machine reading 1333MHz.

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abstrait

10:27 PM on 12 February, 2009

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UPDATE: After all this time, the entire time that is, I've been insisting that the monster noise culprit is the CPU COOLER FAN, roaring into life sounding like a leaf blower attached to a Porsche 965 plowing down the former Mulsanne Straight (does anyone hear even know what this is?).

Well...it appears as if I was WRONG on this front. After removing the side cover and trying to set off that CPU COOLER into blower mode, I've just about 100% come to the conclusion it's actually that SORRY 92MM CASE FAN that is launching into overload, sounding like six gardeners on a late fall day.

That swine case fan seems to be the main culprit as I could not get the CPU fan to make the racket. When it as full horror blow, I unplugged the case fan and heard the sound diminish. Unplugged, Ive yet to hear it. So this is interesting, indeed.

I'll report back to make sure but interested if anyone that finally have their 435MT can definitely assert that it's the CPU Cooler. I'm really thinking the loudest culprit teh case fan now.

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Methos

7:27 AM on 16 February, 2009

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I just found this review and I wanted to chime in with a few comments and questions. Firstly, I recently purchased this PC from Best Buy (in a recent advertised sale) and I'm kind of amazed. The Dell that Best Buy has available comes with 4 GB of memory; so doesn't this make their advertisement of "tri-channel" memory false? Is it really in my best interests to get the memory replaced to gain the benefits of tri-channel; or are we simply talking minor (technical) performance upgrades? 4GB to 6GB may be required.

People elsewhere have been screaming about the Power Supply. It is listed at 360W (although I read that Dell had responded to a customer query and replied that the PSU is capable up to 425W). Has the PSU been an issue for anyone? The Radeon 4850 system requirements ask for a 450W minimum; wouldn't Dell make sure that the Power Supply would be sufficient to power its own hardware.

Honestly, so far I'm loving this PC. It was such a massive jump in performance for this PC junkie (since 1981); it's just I want the best for it :) The loud fan isn't an issue for me, whenever it kicked on during Crysis (which runs beautifully in 1680x1050 on High no AA) I couldn't hear it over the booming sound system I'm rocking.

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DavidParry

2:13 PM on 16 February, 2009

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Hi Methos

Welcome to the thread.

Not only will your RAM not be running in Tri-Channel mode, but it will be the slower 1067MHz variety, even though the motherboard supports 1333MHz RAM. 1333MHz RAM is avilable for this PC from companies like Crucial.

The Dell UK website now correctly states the following

4096MB (4x1024) 1067MHz DDR3 Dual Channel {add £26.09 or £1/month-1}

If you bought the PC on the understanding that the RAM was Tri-Channel, then it's got to be worth getting onto Dell and asking for an upgrade to 6GB as a goodwill gesture, if they did make a mistake.

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Methos

4:54 PM on 16 February, 2009

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Thanks for replying David. Would sacrificing 1 GB now to get Tri-Channel mode be worth the performance jump? Or is 4 GB of dual channel better then 3 GB tri-channel? I do plan on getting all new memory for this beast sometime in the future; followed by a new Power Supply and whatever the next generation video card winner is (wife willing of course, she let me spend 1000$ on this so I might have to wait until Christmas for these upgrades). Thanks in advance for any tips!

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DavidParry

6:09 PM on 16 February, 2009

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Your RAM will obviously be running quicker in Tri-Channel, but if you find that it is maxing out (Performance Monitor), then there will be a case for putting that 1GB back in again.

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aprado17

2:08 PM on 17 February, 2009

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Methos,

I did complain to Dell about the Dual Vs. Tri Channel RAM and got a free upgrade (see discussion above). I had originally purchased the machine with 8Gb thinking it was TRI channel and after some calls and emails managed to convince my sales rep. they were wrong. They upgraded me to 12Gb at no cost, which I think is a $300 upgrade in Dell's US website.

I can't comment on the RAM performance yet, since the machine is scheduled to be delivered this Thursday Feb 19. I will come back to this thread then to report...

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abstrait

12:12 AM on 18 February, 2009

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It will be tougher to do this via Best Buy but doable in my view. BTW, it's not 1067MHz. That was another misprint from Dell. It's actually 1066MHz. Dell does not even sell 1333MHz at this time but places like Newegg will have fine deals of 1333MHz, the sweet spot in the 1066, 1333, 1600MHz lineup of DDR3 RAM options.

As stated in this thread, Tri-channel will be better performance but not likely something you'll see as much playing games. But I would insist on getting the upgrade to some sort of Tri-channel configuration, in this instance, moving to 6GB.

As for the power supply, as configured with the ATI 4580, it is TOTALLY FINE. I have measured the wattage this system is using along with TWO 640GB SATA drives running in RAID 0 and it's not even hitting 150W. Granted, when playing games in full res mode, it will be pushing it, but the stock supply will be fine until you decide to upgrade to something like a 4870 or a dual card. Otherwise, everything is OK. If you move to a stronger video card, you will need to move to better cooling with a fan up front. Actually, the 4870 has a better cooling "rear exhaust" card.

For those interested in more specifics, the follow thread has way more info and graphics/test results.

http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic118231-3.html

I'm also running a radio station out of my machine with music blaring, I cant hear my fans either, though not sure that's too relevant when discussing the noise of the system.

It is a good system for people not interested in building their own and for those not wanting the ultimate from the i7 920, which can be pushed well beyond its capabilities in the Dell machine. For the money, it's hard to beat it.

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FEChariot

4:32 AM on 19 February, 2009

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Methos,

"Thanks for replying David. Would sacrificing 1 GB now to get Tri-Channel mode be worth the performance jump? Or is 4 GB of dual channel better then 3 GB tri-channel?"

Short answer is no going to 3gb would only sacrifice 1gb of total memory.

Here is the long answer to your 4gb questions. First familiarize yourself with how Dell numbers the dimms here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435MT/en/SM/memory.htm#wp1188716

The take a look at this article especially how to populate the dimms:

http://icrontic.com/articles/what-is-tri-channel-memory

If you buy the 4gb option and make sure Dell has them populated in dimms 1,2,3, and 4 then dimms 1-3 operate tri channel and dimm 4 would be single channel. This would give you the speed of the 3gb option with the added boost of the 4th chip. Plus this give you room for expansion to 6gb without replacing everything if you don't want to buy 1333 ram.

Make sure Dell doesn't send it with dimms 1,2 and 4,5 populated. This would give you dual channel and is a 'tarded' way of setting up the memory.

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Methos

4:53 PM on 19 February, 2009

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Again, thanks to everyone who commented back. You are correct FEChariot, dimms 1,2,3 and 4 are all filled like they should be. I've decided that I'm going to hold off on any upgrading for now as honestly the computer runs very nice as is. Thank you everyone for alleviating my concerns about the PC. The 4870 looks like a real nice card; but I'm going to wait for the next generation of cards before I upgrade it and the PSU. Thanks again mates!

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aprado17

9:24 PM on 20 February, 2009

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Hello,

well, the beast has arrived. It is performing as expected. I just hooked all the periferals and turned it on. It gave me a scare as if not booting at first, so I booted from the DVD and hasn't complained since.

I will run tests with CPU-Z, GPU-Z etc and report back.

On the fan noise... It goes into leaf-blower mode and then back to normal within a couple of seconds. It seems a bit random, but I only felt it after performing some non-intensive tasks and, again, just for a second or two. It then goes back to happily humming along (this is still not as noisy as my old 2002 Pentium 4 2GHz) so I think I can live with it. Then again, it's only been running for a few hours, so time will tell. I will update the forum when I report back on the CPU, GPU, etc. results.

NOTE: It just transferred my entire music collection (47Gb) from an external drive via FireWire in a little over 20 minutes. The fan did not go into leaf blower mode during the process.

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abstrait

8:32 PM on 21 February, 2009

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Good to have another user with this machine to compare.

Be sure to download the other programs, notably the two TEMPERATURE based resources (Real Temp & Core Temp). Please go to the link below for the download locations of these programs:

RESOURCE LINK: http://www.techspot.com/vb/post722044-67.html

This machine is definitely a good deal, a deal that seems to be lost on some of the reviewers, quite frankly. Granted, the noise of the fans can be annoying, but this is not an expensive upgrade. And the power supply worries have really turned into a complete non-factor as the wattage used from this system loaded with that ATI RADEON 4850 and 1.28TB of internal storage via two HD 640GB running in RAID 0 (plus a backup external 500GB Drive)does not get over 150w under normal load. Of course, I have not measured the output under full vid card load as I do not run games, but for the normal user, I dont see this PSU ever having issues unless you move to an even more robust video card solution.

The only thing I will add in his post is if you are capable of building your own system, then I actually do think it worth the extra ducats to source the parts via somewhere like NEWEGG etc., this with a case and motherboard that will allow the i7 920 to achieve its potential.

Looking forward to hearing how the machines do in your situations.

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Fleegman

1:26 PM on 23 February, 2009

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@abstrait

on the 12th of Feb you mentioned that you believed the main fan noise was from the case fan and not the CPU fan. Do you still believe this to be the case? I take delivery of one of these beasts in the next week or two (or anything up to the 18th of March according to Dell) and just want to know if the quiet 92mm fan I have just received will eliminate the noise, or if I'll still get the leaf blower ;o)

All the best,

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shiftrefresh

7:18 AM on 25 February, 2009

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My beast arrived on Monday. I am very happy with it, and have to say I have yet to experiece lea blower mode yet. The fan kicks in briefly when first turning it on, but so far so good. I haven't really pushed it too hard yet though, so time will tell.

One problem though. Has anyone had any issues with the standard DVD/CD drive that comes with it? I am unable to burn/write to CD/DVD's. I have tried with the default Windows Vista buring software, Roxio software iTunes... the disc starts to burn, but always comes up with errors. The drive is a "TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-H653F ATA Device". I have tried to update the driver via Device Manager, but it says it's the latest - but it's from 21/06/2006.

I obviously want to resolve this, but I dont want to have to send the machine away...

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Fleegman

9:44 AM on 25 February, 2009

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As soon as mine arrives, I'll post an update on that DVD/CD question. Don't know when that will be, but hopefully not too long.

Can you give Nero a try? Never had any problems with that software in the past. I wonder if the CDs / DVDs you're trying to burn are of the correct format / speed etc. Ok, I know, stupid question, but sometimes the most frustrating problems have the simplest resolution.

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mikeza

3:57 PM on 26 February, 2009

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hey guys, did anyone upgrade the PSU on the box. I want install a new card ATI4870. which needs atleast a 500W power supply. which one did you use?

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Methos

3:58 AM on 27 February, 2009

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Hey mikeza. I've actually researched this some and I've been told that the Rocketfish 550-Watt ATX PSU (RF-550WPS) or the Corsair CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V both fit nicely in the Studio XPS case. I'm curious to the size of the monitor you plan on using with that (very nice) ATI 4870. I bought this PC primarily for gaming and so far everything I have installed on this PC runs beautifully with all settings maxed at 1680X1050. That even includes Crysis and GTA4. I frakking love this PC. :)

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Ing

5:49 PM on 1 March, 2009

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I was initially thinking of getting this computer , but was put off because of the noise issues. I phoned Dell to asked them about the issues and was told , yes they knew about the noise but it has now been fixed. I was god smack to hear peoples still complaining about the fan noise (since Feb 09). Come On Dell STOP lying to your customer. This is totally unfair. I was glad that I didn't bought it now , and waiting for a better review.

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Mose

10:15 PM on 1 March, 2009

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I got mise and have put a HIS 4850 in no trouble at all. Running really well and fast.

Occasionally the fan ramps up for a couple of sec, I have no idea why as it appears at random.

The biggest problem has been trying to get a PCI X1 wireless card at a reasonable price as there are not too many aroun in the UK

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ctrauer

11:57 PM on 3 March, 2009

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re: dual vs. tri channel.

Interesting review here:

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1665/intel_core_i7_memory_analysis_can_dual_channel_cut_it/index.html

I am not an expert in these things, but this seems to suggest that given current processing power, you are getting no advantage using tri-channel over dual channel. Only the potential of better performance as processing power improves. Given that this kit is not considered "an upgrader's box" would this make the whole discussion moot?

Am I reading this wrong? Just fodder for discussion.

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abstrait

1:59 PM on 12 March, 2009

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I would for sure rather configure this beast in Tri-Channel over dual channel. Why wouldnt you? Processing power is not what's holding it up. They seem to be saying that since the FSB was eliminated and the memory control is now directly on the chip, it's so fast already that you are seeing the most gain with this move. But you DO see a gain with a system that's optimized for Tri-Channel from most accounts and it's definitely worth the move to configure this way if at all possible. It's not a question of upgrading as much as getting the configuration optimized the way it was designed in the first place. The sweetspot RAM configuration seems to be the 1333Mhz DDR3 in Tri-Channel at 6GB. You can really get some good deals here with the OCZ at newegg now below $100. At that price, you can almost splurge and get 12GB and be done with it.

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Niceonez

12:27 PM on 16 March, 2009

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Hey ALL, I wrote a while ago regarding upgrading these systems. well I upgraded the power supply, case fan, installed a high end graphics card (tight fit but done it!), additional pci slot internal heat extracting fan & MEMORY - good news is its now a better machine - Bad news is the MEMORY. DELL (user manual) claims that the system will work at either 1066 or 1333mhz but after seeing my newly upgraded 1333mhz triple pack OCZ 6gb memory operating only at 1066mhz in the bios I decided to investigate. I updated the bios as ver. 1.0.2 claims to have a fix for this issue but doesn't, I have spoke to dell who are asking me to try these new modules in another i7 system. This morning I came across a website that states even though the motherboard supports memory up to 1333 MHz the i7 920 & 940 will only run ALL memory in this system at the default of 1066 MHz. I am furious now as I spent more money for nothing!!! Apparently the i7 965 runs faster so will display these memory correctly but most of us will have purchased 920s & 940 processors & because there isn't an over clocking option for memory in the bios we are screwed!!!. Can anyone else confirm this as if this is the case dell has seriously misinformed us about these systems capability

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abstrait

4:25 AM on 18 March, 2009

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Sadly, this is exactly the case.

If you have the 920/940 CPU in your Dell 435MT "Foxconn" MN, an upgrade to all 1333Mhz RAM will reach no higher than 1066Mhz. Only a move to the uber expensive 965 CPU will bring this ram up to this spec (1333Mhz). Of course, if Dell released a BIO that enabled one to overclock the 920/940 CPU to at least 3.4Mhz, then you could reach 1333Mhz. Unfortunately, this is more than doubtful based on past example and the fact that reserve this for only their top end game machines, if at all.

I do blame Dell for implying that 1333Mhz RAM will work if all sticks were of this speed. At no time, do they say that one must have a 965 CPU to ever reach this ram speed. So while the 920/940 shod Dell 435MT WILL be able to USE 1333Mhz ram, it wont reach that speed unless you throw down big ducats for a 965.

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abstrait

4:35 AM on 18 March, 2009

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BTW, I posted about this early this morning to a Dell rep that's a pretty good guy, this within a Dell thread. Perhaps we'll see some sort of response to this complete as I was fooled as well.

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19263443/19448489.aspx#19448489

Lastly, all Dell 435MT owners need to make sure they download the latest 1.0.12 BIOS UPDATE as it addresses the case fan going into leaf blower mode, totally curing this liability. The case fan is still somewhat more noisy than usual but the ramp-up into leaf blower mode is now totally gone. It appears, one does need a pretty healthy fan here to keep Core Temps down. Most of the quietest models dont move enough air as the stock 70CFM beast. One owner found good results from the 100mm Scythe option.

Lastly, when good X58 motherboards come down in price, you'll be able to finally use your 1333Mhz DDR3 RAM with the OC ability. That, or bug deal for a bios that will AT LEAST allow tweaking to bring 3.4Mhz and 1333Mhz. That, or hope that the 965 drops waaaaaay down. heh...

kh

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Niceonez

12:54 PM on 20 March, 2009

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Hi again, I have just come off the phone to dell who have assured me that they are aware of this issue with the memory reading only at 1066mhz but not at 1333mhz unless you have an I7 965 processor, apparently there will be a bios update next month to corrent it, we shall wait & see...

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abstrait

7:13 PM on 20 March, 2009

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Amazing news if true but so hard to believe as you hear so many different stories and reports from Dell. I do believe if you ever get an email for someone that is sharp in that company, you should hang on to it.

From all that I've heard, the 435MT wont be hardly getting attention with Bios updates that offer something like overclocking, so far, the only way I've heard to get 1333Mhz ram to get to spec via a 920/940 CPU. Regardless, this is better news than no news or a flat no. I might throw this out to my one trusted Dell contact to see what he knows.

kh

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abstrait

1:08 AM on 21 March, 2009

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Ok, that last post was a bit tough to read. According to the Dell forums and one owner I've been trading posts with, it's a "NO GO" regarding BIOS updates that enable the 1333Mhz RAM in the 435MT 920/940 CPU machines.

I quote below, this from his conversation directly with a Dell Tech after a two hour dig into the depths of Dell. This sounds more plausible to me. See below:

"I just got off the phone with a Dell tech supervisor. He had spent the past 2 hours trying to find an answer to this question for me. He said there were presently no plans for a BIOS update to address this issue. In fact, he said 1333mhz would not be supported for both the 435MT and 435T. They realize support is suggested in their documentation and believes that documentation will be updated. He went on to, very politely, say I had 2 options. They were to return to PC for full credit or to just live with 1066mhz. Of course, I'll live with it. I like the xpe 435T very much and this is not a deal breaker for me. It's disappointing, but not a deal breaker. it may be a deal breaker for someone who hasn't ordered yet and expects this capability."

All within the quotes above came from this person. I have to say, this seems the most plausible to me, from what I know of Dell. We'll see...

kh

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DavidParry

12:51 PM on 23 March, 2009

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Hi abstrait,

Did the owner for which you provided a quote have the 435MT or 435T machine ?

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abstrait

1:52 AM on 24 March, 2009

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This particular owner had the 435T.

Since this post, I have now heard from TWO other owners that report that officials from Dell HAVE indeed confirmed that they are working on a bios update for next month that would allow the ability for adjusting the multipliers to achieve 1333Mhz with the RAM So that's two that have said this with another report that it's a no go.

Guess we're going to have to wait and see. In the last 24 hours, I've heard more positive than negative on this subject so there is a bit more hope. As most that have Dell know, however, you can get so many different stories from this company within the tech/sales force.

kh

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Mose

12:20 PM on 30 April, 2009

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Update, I flashed the bios as suggested which did indeed stop the leafblower noise. It was, however still making a lot of noise. I also had a 4850 IceQ4 fitted. I was getting a lot of BSOD and random crashes so; I bought the Corsair VX550 psu and a zalman quiet fan. I fitted both the fan and the psu, powered it on and.......nothing. It was only when the screen flashed up that I realised it was running, it was that quiet. Happy Girlfriend. An excellent use of £80, I didn't realise it would make such a difference.

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abstrait

1:40 PM on 30 April, 2009

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Mose, did you take your core temps with Real Temp? Many found that moving to a quiet fan caused a rise in the Core Temps, which is the main reason why this system employed that 70CFM fan. I would download Real Temp, a free temp monitoring program, and see just where you stand. I'm also a fan of Corsair PSUs, although I would have probably gone with the HX series since it has modular cables, allowing you to clean up the already cramped 435MT case.

On the other hand, I dont think anyone with the stock configuration, even with the Dell version of the ATI 4850 and loaded with drives, needs to worry about taxing their stock 350w PSU. It runs far below its rated output and is not stressed.

- kh

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Mose

2:16 PM on 30 April, 2009

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No I did not, I shall do so and see whats what. I take you point regarding the cables but I only have one drive so tucked them all down between the blu ray and the card reader.

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Mose

2:51 PM on 30 April, 2009

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It seems to be sitting at about 62 on load.

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abstrait

10:21 AM on 1 May, 2009

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"It seems to be sitting at about 62 on load."

Well, my idle temps with the stock fan are in the 44-47 range, a bit less in the winter time. Under normal load, I will occasionally get into the low 50s. Under full heavy load, I've been able to hit 70C briefly with CPU testing programs in a warmish room (I live on a barrier island in NC).

What are your core temps at idle?

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Mose

9:23 PM on 2 May, 2009

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Idle is low to mid 40's

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abstrait

1:06 PM on 3 May, 2009

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Do you have your Power settings left stock or did you customize them? Also, exactly which Zalman fan did you get? So far, you're getting some of the lowest Core temps with the a lower CFM fan than anyone I've seen, and this with an arguably hotter running video card. Either your room is cooler or you have your power settings so Speedstep is coming into play more often. Interested to know exactly which fan model you ended up with.

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abstrait

1:11 PM on 3 May, 2009

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Did you get the Zalman ZM-F2 92mm fan(they also have a Plus version)?

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Mose

2:53 PM on 4 May, 2009

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All power setting are stock.

I have an HIS Iceq 4850: http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=15564

This is the fan I have; Zalman ZM-F2 92mm Silent Case Fan, http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-001-ZA&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=820

HTH.

Mose

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Binky

7:29 AM on 6 May, 2009

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I have bought Studio XPS 435MT a month ago and the PSU has failed now.

If I am looking to buy a good PSU, what are the important things i have to check for?

I have Intel x58 chipset and I have a 24pin connector on my motherboard.

I heard some people say that you need to be careful when replacing PSU's on a Dell computer, any thoughts?

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Mose

6:20 PM on 6 May, 2009

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I got the Corsair VX 550 as suggested already and I am having no problems. However as Abstrait has already mentioned there is the modular solution with the Corsair HX series.

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Pagan

7:38 PM on 29 May, 2009

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On PSU swap out:

I am looking to swap out PSU to upgrade to higher end GPU. Was it simple to swap out the existing PSU with a Corsair or did you have to remove quite a few components, do any case mods first?

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Martin Daler

10:16 PM on 24 August, 2009

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Like abstrait and other above, I chanced upon BIOS 1.1.2 which goes some way to addressing the fan noise. Prior to this, in some despair, I had already taken matters into my own hands. Dell customer support had responded to my plight by sending me a new rear case fan - it made no difference.

I soon discovered that the energetic fan activity was making the case sides resonate - pressing a finger against the case made life much quieter, but was not a long term solution. In the end two things made a difference:

1) I remounted the case fan with double sided cushioned adhesive pads in place of the screws - they haven't melted off yet.

2) I stuck self adhesive vinyl kitchen floor tiles inside the case side panels to add some dead weight and kill (most of) the resonance.

Its much quiter now, and the BIOS upgrade made a marked improvement too. But My wife's quad-core Medion supermarket discount special is still quieter!

Speaking of discount, I found a 10% voucher online and got over £70 off my Dell, they seem to be quite common, so if you're still in the market it's well worth a quick search.

Oh yes, and I also had trouble with the video card (ATI Radeon 3650)- Media Centre in full screen would sometimes (not always) make it hang the whole system giving a pin-stripe screen. Dell were prompt in replacing the card, although I notice the replacement was refurbished rather than brand new. Still, it works. (yeah, the wife's Medion has never given a moment's trouble...)

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