xps m1330 motherboard again

zynaps

BostonB wrote: »

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

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

I think most/all onboard graphics chipsets share your 'general' RAM which probably has much lower bandwidth and a bit higher latency (although at least I don't think it's visible to the operating system/user code so it's not in danger of being swapped out which would be awful).
Generally the upshot is that you 'lose' 16 megs or so of RAM, which isn't so bad on modern systems.
The real problem is that as your CPU/memory bus get very busy, video performance decreases; so if you're playing a game or watching a film and, say, a virus scanner starts running in the background, the effects might be noticeable.
For example, the visual effects when switching desktops/etc on my Macbook get really jittery and jerky when the system is under load - because it's using an integrated graphics controller.

BostonB

GG66 wrote: »

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

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

No theres two models....

XPS M1330 with the Intel x3100 integrated graphics

vs

XPS M1330 with the Nvidia 8400GS (which has the problem) Weak 3D anyway so I don't see the point tbh. If you need decent graphics get a laptop with a better gfx card.

BostonB

zynaps wrote: »

...
The real problem is that as your CPU/memory bus get very busy, video performance decreases; so if you're playing a game or watching a film and, say, a virus scanner starts running in the background, the effects might be noticeable.

Who in their right mind runs a virus check in the middle of doing photoshop or watching a movie? The virus check itself will have much great bigger hit on performance than because you've an integrated chipset.

zynaps wrote: »

For example, the visual effects when switching desktops/etc on my Macbook get really jittery and jerky when the system is under load - because it's using an integrated graphics controller.

Alternatively maybe its because you're trying to do too much at he same time. Theres limits to every system.

Though from a quick scout of google it appears that the X3100 is less well supported in OS X than in Windows. It also seems the older GMA950 runs OS X faster which it shouldn't. So this is a OS X issue not an issue with integrated graphics. IMO.

Soundman

BostonB wrote: »

Who in their right mind runs a virus check in the middle of doing photoshop or watching a movie?

Scheduled scan beginning unbeknownst to the user as they have the movie/programme full screen?

Overheal

Soundman wrote: »

Scheduled scan beginning unbeknownst to the user as they have the movie/programme full screen?

Indeed. I wish Norton would wise up and ask "Is this a bad time?"

BostonB

Soundman wrote: »

Scheduled scan beginning unbeknownst to the user as they have the movie/programme full screen?

Thats a simple alt tab and cancel. It would be a huge performance hit on any machine integrated or not. Its not a reason for getting the 8400 over the X3100 on this machine. One things got nothing to do with the other.

Overheal wrote: »

Indeed. I wish Norton would wise up and ask "Is this a bad time?"

Norton, do people still use this? Its probably worst for your machine than any virus. I've never seen computers run as slow as when they've that installed.

GG66

BostonB wrote: »

No theres two models....

XPS M1330 with the Intel x3100 integrated graphics

vs

XPS M1330 with the Nvidia 8400GS (which has the problem) Weak 3D anyway so I don't see the point tbh. If you need decent graphics get a laptop with a better gfx card.

Thanks Boston, I picked you up wrong....

From what you're saying the 1XPS M1330 would be suitable for my needs with integrated graphics...

I expect I would disable any virus scan if I was watching a movie (which is not the main purpose anyway.

I want an ultraportable that can do the tasks I mentioned with ease.

Is it possible to add a graphics card at a later date if I go with integrated now? or are these built into the laptop?

machalla

GG66 wrote: »

Is it possible to add a graphics card at a later date if I go with integrated now? or are these built into the laptop?

No thats not really possible with laptops. Or at least not an easy task. Whatever gfx card you get with it is what you are stuck with.

Does anyone know if the latest Dell M1330s are still prone to the nvidia problem? I don't think it happened to all machines with that graphics chip, just some of them were not manufactured correctly. I may have picked that up wrong though.

BostonB

machalla wrote: »

No thats not really possible with laptops. Or at least not an easy task. Whatever gfx card you get with it is what you are stuck with.

Does anyone know if the latest Dell M1330s are still prone to the nvidia problem? I don't think it happened to all machines with that graphics chip, just some of them were not manufactured correctly. I may have picked that up wrong though.

AFAIK its all of them with those chips. The 8600GT aswell etc which is in other models like the 1530 etc.

BostonB

GG66 wrote: »

Thanks Boston, I picked you up wrong....

From what you're saying the 1XPS M1330 would be suitable for my needs with integrated graphics...

I expect I would disable any virus scan if I was watching a movie (which is not the main purpose anyway.

I want an ultraportable that can do the tasks I mentioned with ease.

Is it possible to add a graphics card at a later date if I go with integrated now? or are these built into the laptop?

You can't add a graphix card.

The M1330 isn't really an ultra portable IMO the battery life isn't brilliant. If thats what you want, I'd go for something with better battery life.

When I'm doing graphics work, photoshop etc, I want the biggest screen I can. I use a 17" laptop for that. 13" would be a bit cramped for me.

GG66

BostonB wrote: »

You can't add a graphix card.

The M1330 isn't really an ultra portable IMO the battery life isn't brilliant. If thats what you want, I'd go for something with better battery life.

When I'm doing graphics work, photoshop etc, I want the biggest screen I can. I use a 17" laptop for that. 13" would be a bit cramped for me.

I have a 17" laptop already but it's breaking my back.. I use desktop for work.

This one is mainly for working on the move and presentations.. Photoshop work would be for web work so no large files for print. May be away for a few days occassionally and would need photoshop...Would probably get a 9 cell battery and live with extra weight

Overheal

BostonB wrote: »

Norton, do people still use this? Its probably worst for your machine than any virus. I've never seen computers run as slow as when they've that installed.

Because AVG didnt rip my hair out with its ****ing link scanner, or McAfee with its ****ing intrusive splash screens and login requests, and Avasts stupid ****ing popups. "VIRUS DATABASE HAS BEEN UPDATED!!! - Oh sorry did I wake you from a dead sleep?"

Norton has yet to anger me, which says something. Easy enough to reschedule or pause a scan.

BostonB

Sounds like its only a matter of time. LOL.

Silenceisbliss

righty....

after all this talk of m1330 imploding and ****ting themselves silly....mine had a serious enough panic attack yesterday... I literally spent the whole day trying to fix it and this morning it seems fine, but...we'll see

It first lost internet connectivity completely....then I got lots of floating pixels and lines all over the screen. So I restart. Same story still. Update nvidia driver and restart. Computer won’t start up at all. Try again rampantly a few times. I get colourdy lines vertically across the screen….then a big colourdy static frozen screen.

Roll back driver in safe mode.

Same problem

Hit f11, do a diagnostic…no problems found

Still wont start properly

Safe mode. uninstall the 14 microsoft updates I had installed the day before, and run a virus scan. All uninstalls fine. And virus scanner picks up rootkit.

Bollox

Remove rootkit (with quite some difficulty)

Restart.

Still fückered.

Double bollox

Roll back to restore point, WOOT…it works!! SO DOES INTERNETS!

Install the microsft updates again, and update AVG

Must restart

…….triple bollox……

wont turn on again….

Safe mode…roll back to restore point

Update nvidia driver, restart. Works.

Update microsft updates…..works

Went to bed without havin a clue what happened….or whether its over….

Im scared to update avg now….

I know there isn’t much logic in my procedure as I was enveloped in a game on xbox while fixing…but, there is no logic as to what happened with the bloomin yoke either.

I havn’t a clue whether it was: rootkit, graphics driver, MS update, avg update, the lines all over the screen had me convinced my grfx card had become botched….

Oh god

Silenceisbliss

goes to show: I build my own PC, never a problem at all. only ever blue screend when overclocking the yoke.

I buy a laptop and I get problems....may just wipe and reinstall the bugger altogether.... i can see that giving me problems though