Dell XPS Studio Desktop 8GB Tri-channel DDR3 Question

this thing is absolutely AWESOME!!!!!!!!! it is like th emore you do the faster this puppy gets......5 1080i videos running at the same time along with my broadcaster software and while cruzing the net...no stutter no hiccups...plain smooth and fast...CPU usage a whopping 25 percent!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO glad i purchased one...now i have to upgrade to tri channel and i am sure it will get better...took me a few hours to upgrade with driver updates and bois updates....

got mine at Best Buy with a 24 inch Samsung HD monitor with all the bells and whistles... for $1198.00 simply awsome!


can i purchase 2 of the newegg 6gb packs and make this a 12gb system????

I want to thank everyone that helped me decide on what to purchase...

Sounds like it's a smashing success. Glad it worked out for you. while the new 435T and some other options from Gateway and HP (among others) might offer more for the future with better upgrade potential, the original Dell 435MT, perhaps the first of the Core i7 options to hit the streets, still is an amazing bank for the buck, and the perfect wolf in sheep's clothing option around. When heavily discounted, it's a winner with the knowledge of its limitations for upgrade.

To answer your question, YES, it can run 12GB. But to be honest, unless you are doing work that REALLY needs 12GB, I see the single 6GB DDR 1333Mhz kit below as the best option. 12GB is rarely used and will actually slow bootup and shutdown times. Personally, I think 6GB is fine for most. While you might even be totally fine with your 4GB, the below kit at only $75 is a cant lose option. And you'll have 9GB if you use your other 3x1GB sticks in the other three slots. Make sure you configure it as stated in the manual.

Also, the kit below has a $20 rebate that will only be applicable if ordered by tomorrow.

OCZ 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Model#: OCZ3X1333LV6GK | 1.5v ~ 7-7-7-20

I have been running the XPS Studio 435MT since Feb 1st and it has been running great. The new bios update has completely eliminated the "leaf-blower" fan revvup, and I rather enjoy the quiet drone this machine puts out (it sounds powerful!).

I have decided to get my hands dirty and do some upgrading to this PC. First up will be our forum champion abstriat's suggestion of the OCZ 6GB of memory, giving me a total of 9 GB. When (or if) Dell updates the bios to allow full use of the 1333 memory; the pack-in Dell memory will go. As with our new poster, I picked this computer off the shelf at Best Buy the day they shipped. Dell was claiming a 3-4 week wait at that time, no way was I sitting on my tax refund that long. Purchasing from my local Best Buy with my credit card was one reason why I didn't build one from scratch.

Next will be the power supply. Rocketfish makes a 550 watt ATX PSU that has perfect dimensions and compatibility with this Dell. That will allow me to pick up either the ATI 4870 or the new 4890. Maybe even a GTX 280 or 285. Or I may just wait for the next line of video cards from ATI 5000 or GTX 300. Every game I have loaded up on this computer runs very nice at max detail, 4xAA at 1680x1050. Love it.

Good post! Nice to see someone else enjoying the Dell 435MT, too. Although I think one of the greatest attributes of the 435MT is the great cost to performance ratio, perhaps compromised a bit when moving to more upgrades, I totally get your desire to keep on moving with this beast.

Still, I dont think you need to touch the PSU unless you REALLY move up in the vid card category. I dont think this PC even taxes this pedestrian PSU.

That being said, if I were you, I would really consider moving to a really quality PSU. If going to the trouble, why not go one step up? I would personally go with the Corsair HX520W Modular PSU. This PSU, made by Seasonic, has gotten nothing but great reviews and is one of the most silent and efficient out there. It's also able to handle anything including voltage fluctuations. It's got a really nice 120mm fan this is super quiet but does the job.

I love the modular cables which means you only have to use the cables you NEED, removing the cables you dont, for a much cleaner interior with less clutter in an already small case.

CORSAIR HX520W PSU

Hi Guys,

I have been using my Dell Studio XPS 435MT since the beginning of March and I am loving it more and more.

It came with 6GB of Dell RAM and despite using the PC for some fairly intensive tasks (e.g compiling large Dot Net projects, SQL Server databases and graphics work etc), the little Windows Vista gadget never shows the RAM exceeding 30% usage.

My PC never had the original "leaf blower" problem, but I still installed the latest BIOS update. The 92mm fan does emit a slight drone and I even purchased an Acousti Silicone Fan Gasket and Acousti Fan Mounts which I was going to install over the weekend just to try to reduce the fan noise by a dB or so. I'm getting so used to the PC now that I'm noticing the fan noise less and less and may not even bother to install the Acousti products at all.

I particularly love the small form factor, piano black tower case, which I know has it's limitations, but I find very pleasing to look at.

On the whole, I'm very pleased with my purchase, especially as I used a 10% voucher code at the time of purchase, and have no regrets or desire to have the Studio 435T instead.

By the way, I would also like to thank Abstrait very much for all the help that you have given to all of the contributors of all of the various forms about this PC. You really have helped me a lot and thanks again for sharing your knoweledge.

No Problem, EnigmaMan. Glad I could help and thank you for the appreciation.

I have to admit, I share you excitement with this system although sometimes wish the board had a few more slots and the case could handle some more drives. But what a deal for the ducats and with the external drive capability it's not really any liability. It's the fastest, most capable system I've seen for the money even if some of the reviews tended to miss the point on its goal.

Unfortunately, Dell is suffering through some huge delays for people ordering the Studio XPS 435MT (now Studio XPS) and 435T. Some have had to wait quite a bit and the typical customer today is not the most patient, nor particularly understanding beast. It does not help when Dell's sales and tech have troubles getting on the same page. But this has been a great system so far.

Thanks KH for all the info

Greetings All,

I ordered the Studio XPS 435MT two days ago during Dell's spring sale. Unfortunately, I hadn't read any of the forum posts regarding memory so I ordered it with the full 12GB of RAM. Still, it was half off for the upgrade so I can't complain too much even though it doesn't seem like 12GB will be utilized that much, if at all.

My current rig is a Dell Dimension 8250 (vintage 2002) with a whopping 768MB of PC1066 RDRAM. It's not worth upgrading and though it still works fine with XP, newer apps like CS4 have been a different story. I feel like I got a great deal on the 435MT and fortunately there are 64 bit drivers for all the old peripherals I'm still using.

I'd like to ask those of you who ordered your 435MT's from Dell if they came with the Vista OS discs? I sent an email to Dell Support and spoke to someone on the phone who assured me that the OS discs and driver discs would ship with the system. I have to take that with a grain of salt since the Dell folks never seem to really know what's up for real.

I'm relieved to hear that the fan issue seems to have been resolved somewhat with the BIOS update. Since my system is coming with the ATI 4670 instead of the 4850 then perhaps heat will be less of an issue.

I've read before that memory frequency doesn't seem to make much difference in actual usage and this review seems to confirm that philosophy:

article/131-intel-corei7-memory-performance/page15 (can't post links yet?)

Quote:
" While Core i7 processors will logically perform its best when using triple-channel memory, we were amazed by how little the performance was affected when using two or even just one memory module. The same remained true for memory frequency, generally the difference between DDR3-1066 and DDR3-1600 memory was kept to a minimum."

"At this point those looking to build a Core i7 system should consider buying low-latency DDR3-1066 memory, or at most 1333MHz memory.

The only other choice you need to make is whether you want to buy a 3GB of 6GB kit, and honestly, if you are a gamer buying the latter is probably a waste of money, especially with current DDR3 prices that will only drop in time. But if you are thinking fancy for your new Core i7 setup, 6GB definitely sounds way better on paper."

I wish I had read that before I upgraded to 12GB of memory. Might have made more sense to put that $150 bucks into a better video card or monitor.

BTW, those Swart amps look sweet.

Hi Hoku and welcome to the long and meandering, yet informative, Dell 435MT thread. Always great to have some additional perspective. And thank you for the appreciation as well. It's worth the effort if anyone finds the info useful.

You made some good points above, too. I will say, I do believe you can change your order at Dell since it's so early. They had been running behind on 435MT build and shipping. Still, I think the 2GB modules that will come with your Dell have a chance of being 1333Mhz as I've heard this reported by a few owners. On the other hand, their aftermarket 2GB 1333Mhz option was out of stock. If you could save at least $200, it makes some sound sense to opt for only 3GB of Dell ram and move to the OCZ 1333Mhz DDR3 7-7-7-20 RAM. Or you could just leave as is.

Unlike the quoted article, I really do think 1333Mhz should be emphasized a bit more for your ultimate choice considering future upgrades via Dell's bios on to the potential to move the components to another system if interested in more room and upgrade upside. Looking at various tests of RAM in X58 boards, this is the perfect cost vs performance ledge.

As for what comes with the Dell Studio XPS 435MT, besides the software you ordered and the typical warranty pamphlet etc, you'll get the three items below which include the small "setup" manual, the Drivers and Utilities disk, and the Dell burn of your OS, in my case, the Vista 64 SP1 disk. As usual with Dell these days, it's a "re installation DVD" and not the official MS Vista 64 disk. See all below.





I think your ATI 4670 will be perfectly fine for your uses and might even bring the benefit of a bit less heat. I actually got to try a few of Dell's ATI cards before buying and even the lowly 3450 was fine for my 24" at 1920x1200. If not into gaming, the 4670 should produce a very nice image depending on your monitor.

Bottom line is your will notice a staggering upgrade over your Dell Dimension 8250. You'll be amazed how fast programs snap open as well as the amount of multi-tasking you can achieve with this amount of RAM. Vista 64 runs like the proverbial top when partnered with a great system with plenty of ram. Yes, it's a resource hog but when GIVEN these resources, it makes XP a distant memory. Once optimized, it has allowed me to increase production, get more done, and all with better aesthetics, this coming from an XP diehard.

Lastly, you'll want to update to all the latest drivers and bios. Hopefully, they will have moved to 1.0.12 by now.

Here is a page you should bookmark as it's the drivers, full manual, upgrades, downloads page for the Dell Studio XPS.

Have fun with your new machine and drop back in with your impressions. Thanks for the Swart Amps props, too. They are even more amazing to play. Vintage and Rare Guitars in London just signed on as a dealer several months back. IF a player, check them out although ole Joe has trouble keeping the beasts in stock.

- kh

Thanks for the reply KH

Wow, even photos!

I'd like to say a big "Thank You" for taking the time and effort to post all the info not only on this thread, but on the Dell forums as well. You have been much more informative than both Dell Support and Dell's online resources concerning the Studio XPS. I truly appreciate all the research you've done.

I agree with you about the 1333MHz memory. Everything I've read shows that memory frequency to be the sweet spot regarding price vs performance. OCZ has a good rep and DDR3 is finally coming down in price. Hopefully the DDR3 prices will continue to decline as the Core i7 becomes more widely adopted. However, I think quite a few folks are waiting for Win 7 to release before upgrading their systems so I imagine there will be a spike in purchasing when that occurs. It's also possible that DDR3 prices will spike then as well, at least for awhile, due to demand outstripping supply until the memory makers catch up. It's hard to predict what will happen in this economic climate and from what I've read memory manufacturers are cutting output while struggling to stay afloat.

I was considering waiting until Win 7 released before upgrading my system but with the release of Vista SP2 coming soon, and with more 64 bit drivers available, I decided to take the plunge now. My current rig can't handle having Ps4, Ai4, and Bridge open simultaneously. Also, I am in my last semester at the local community college and I've been sitting on a bunch of free software from MS that I'm unable to use so it made sense for me to upgrade before the semester ends. I just hope Dell ships my 435MT in the timeline they've given me. I think I'll stick with the 12GB of memory I ordered just to play it safe. Supposedly my system is already in production.

Microsoft has some incredible deals for students now with both the DreamSpark program and their Ultimate Steal discounts. Check out dreamspark dot com to see the list of free (full version) software available for higher ed and high school students. I was able to get MS Office 2007 Ultimate for $60 through the Ultimate Steal program. (Sorry, can't do links until I make 5 posts)

The reason I asked about the OS disc shipped with Dell systems is because I can get the Vista Ultimate upgrade through the MS Ultimate Steal discount for $65. I think it's worth it at that price. In the past some MS upgrade discs wouldn't work without an official MS OS disc. Not sure if that's the case with Vista. I might be able to get the real Vista Home Premium 64 bit disc from MS but I'll have to investigate that further. (Wish they'd drop all the "Ultimate" marketing stuff)

Like most things in life, ordering the Studio XPS involved a whole slew of compromises. I really wanted to build my own system but couldn't swing it financially. I was able to put the 435MT on my Dell account with zero interest, if I pay it off within a year. My customization options were limited by my credit cap so I chose what made the most sense. At the time I ordered I was able to get $150 off the upgrade from 6GB to 12GB of memory. That may not make much difference for the Vista Home Premium x64 (16GB max) but it may be beneficial with Vista Ultimate (128GB +). The only other option I selected was to go with the ATI HD4670 since it was discounted $30. With free shipping, and my student discount, the total came in barely under my available credit cap. Now I just have to wait 4 weeks and hope my shipping date isn't delayed. In the meantime I'm taking notes on Vista optimization etc.

I am certainly glad I waited for the Core i7 processor. I'm amazed it outperforms Intel's previous Duo and Quad Extreme series while costing over a grand less. The i7 is a big leap and is certain to be a game changer in the PC arena.

Once again, thanks for all your efforts KH. At the moment I'm not a player but I do like the Swart Amps retro look. I'll pass the link on to my musically inclined friends. hh

Oh to be a student again. You lucky swine! I'd recommend staying for as long as you can. heh... I grew up in a town centered around a University (UNC-Chapel Hill ~ Go Heels, we're in the NCAA Championship game tomorrow night) and loved it. You can get some insanely great deals through the school system, too. I know the UNC system still runs excellent discounts on Apple and PC. Great idea to take advantage of that.

Yeah, you sound as if you're making all the right moves on every front. I agree with your decisions and it's probably wise to just let the ram thing go since you got a bit of deal on that as well. And you can always try it with 6GB vs 12 to see what you think. It's nice to know you have that ram if you need it. And the real issue only comes with slower boot-up and shutdown times as it accounts for the ram.

Yeah, I considered loading Ultimate, too. I have the disk, actually. I also considered messing around with Windows 7 but decided I would not move to it till SP1 as that seems to always be when they get everything straightened out on the first run of any major Windows upgrade. I have been really surprised how well Vista 64 has done on this system.

btw, I updated that faulty link above to the actual page. Be sure to trace back through the thread to download CPU-Z, GPU-Z, Real Temp, and also Speedfan, another help with your fan. You're fan is still going to have slightly more drone than some of the modern alternatives. But it's not that bad and soft mounts do help. You can always move to a aftermarket 50CFM option as linked earlier.

I have really considered moving the entire mess over to a Lian Li case just because. But as I got this beast for a whopping $900, I'm going to make the money count for more. Really, you don't need to upgrade anything to be honest. The whole PSU thing is overblown as this thing usually loafs along in the 140w range. With a great monitor, you'll be extremely happy.

- kh

non traditional student

Without the academic discount I would not have been able to get CS4 Web Premium. Of course, if I wasn't a student I wouldn't really need to upgrade my system just yet either.

I don't do much gaming so I went with the stock monitor Dell offered. Originally I configured the Studio XPS with a bigger monitor and the 6GB memory option. Then I changed my mind and went with the stock UltraSharp 20" (2009WFP) and 12GB of memory. I'm currently using an old 19" UltraSharp (1905FP) and I've been happy with that in a dual setup with a CRT (16" viewable), even though the disparate resolutions are a PITA. I really like dual monitors and the 20" and 19" together should be good enough for my needs. I'd rather code than play games anyway.

It does seem that to do any real upgrades to the Studio XPS will require a different case due to the cooling issues and limited expandibility. My space requirements and budget dictated the 435MT over the 435T. The only upgrade options I'm considering at the moment are swapping HDD's. I'd like to run a WD Velociraptor as a system drive with a 1 or 1.5 TB storage drive internally. My 435MT is shipping with just a single 500GB drive installed but I do have a 1 TB WD MyHome external drive that has a triple interface: USB 2.0, FW400, and eSATA. I'll probably use the FireWire option until I can afford an eSata cable. After that I may try a quieter fan and maybe a Rosewill RC-216 or RC-219 eSata port multiplier PCIe card from Newegg. (still can't post links)

At the moment the waterpump on my 93 "K" car is leaking like a sieve and I'm trying to nurse it along until the semester ends and the weather warms up. It snowed here Fri afternoon, and got down to 12 F last night, so Spring is not quite here yet. Yes, this is Arizona but I live at 7K feet in the mountains. Replacing the waterpump on the Mitsu designed 3.0L V6 is a chore as it runs off the timing belt and requires removing the AC compressor, power steering pump, and engine mount. That's not something I want to do until it gets warmer since I'll be working outside.

My goal this summer is to teach myself ASP.NET, AJAX, and maybe a couple of others to get up to speed on RIA and web design. I won a toolset from Intersoft that plugs in to Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 which I haven't been able to use yet. It's WebUI Studio.NET which runs about $1600 for a one year subscription (intersoftpt dot com). I think that rich internet apps and cloud computing are the next big thing and I'm trying to prepare accordingly.

Thanks for the links to CPU-Z, GPU-Z, Real Temp, and Speedfan. I'll definitely give those a try.

Cheers, hh

As I mentioned before, I'm absolutely thrilled with my Studio XPS 435MT and one of the things that I like best about it is the small piano black tower case.

This machine replaced my aging Dell Dimension 8300 P4 machine, which was a much bigger case and I couldn't believe how much heavier it was when I came to carry it upstairs to store it away.

I can honestly say that I hardly notice the fan noise now and in a geeky kinda way, I really love the noises that it makes for the first two or three seconds after switching it on - it really sounds like something powerful.

I've still got my Acousti Fan Gasket and Acousti soft silicone fan mounts sitting on my desk, because I am just in no hurry to try them out as the fan noise just isn't bothering me. I'd be interested to see what happens in the height of summer when the ambient temperature is much higher and I'm compiling large Dot Net projects.

The mini-tower size is one of the reasons I chose the 435MT. My 8250 is probably the same case size as your 8300 at 16.5" tall. While it's fairly quiet it does produce a high pitched whine at times that is annoying. I think a low pitched rumble might be better in that regard.

I've also been looking at silentpcreview dot com and frozencpu dot com. (Only one post left to go and I can include links).

Silentpcreview is a little dated but still has some fan reviews as well as explaining the designs of various fans. Frozencpu is located in NY and has a good selection of quiet and ultra-quiet fans as well as sound absorbing materials. They also list a 100mm x 25mm fan with 92mm mounting holes (Scythe at various rpms for $9 - see post #103 by abstrait-kh) as well as an adapter that will allow mounting a 120mm fan on 92mm mounting holes. Additionally they list y-cables of various types for fan Mobo connections as well as 1 molex to 2 and SATA to molex. They have other fan power options as well including AC 110v and 5v DC. I suppose you could run another fan from the USB bus on 5v.

This will be much easier when I can post links!

I just moved property and my Studio XPS 435MT is now sat on the floor next to my HDTV. I have it plugged straight in with HDMI and its just brilliant - an excellently priced powerful mediacentre with Blueray that streams online video in widescreen while doing any other tasks I throw at it without a twitch.

More Core i7 stuff

HP has competitive pricing on Core i7 desktops. Newegg specials on DDR3 6GB (3x2GB 1600 MHz kits) and Core i7 Intel X58 mobo/processor bundles:

HP Pavilion Elite m9600t series with Core i7 processor base price $950 without monitor. Memory selections are all 1066 MHz.

DDR3 6GB 1600 MHz kit from Newegg with free shipping for $98 (marginal heatsinks)

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 1.65V

Core i7 mobo/processor bundles from Newegg

Now I can finally post the freakin links!

HP Pavilion Elite m9600t series with Core i7 processor base price $950 without monitor. Memory selections are all 1066 MHz.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...=Processor&v2=Intel&series_name=m9600t_series


DDR3 6GB 1600 MHz kit from Newegg with free shipping for $98 (marginal heatsinks)

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 1.65V

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...145222&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-20-145-222-_-Product


Core i7 mobo/processor bundles from Newegg

http://promotions.newegg.com/Intel/...romotions.newegg.com/Intel/040109/270x120.gif

Only 20 days until my 435MT ships (hopefully, I need it now!)

Hi guys.

This post as ever is very imformative for new and current owners of the Studio XPS system and it is good to see!

I have had further thoughts as to whether I could get the refund from Dell for the extra 2gb of RAM to take my system for 8gb to 9gb (-1gb and add 2gb to enable DDR3 Tri Channel).

Due to the way my system was ordered through my dads college I am pretty sure that I will not be able to get the refund but I was wondering if anyone knows how I can get one 2gb stick of DDR3 that would work in conjunction with the current RAM, which I think I read here is Samsung?

I thought for the time being this would improve things and would hopefully only cost around £30.

On another note has anyone noticed the annoying noise the onboard sound card makes when turned up? when there is no music playing it seems to make a high pitched sort of distant beeping noise when things load etc? Another reason I think for new MB/sound card.

Well, I would download CPU-Z and head to the RAM section, which will report exactly what ram you have. Although I have 1066Mhz Samsung, I've seen other types of ram reported in early Dells so you need to know what you have. In all probability, you'll need to order a matching stick from Dell as it's important to have matching ram. You'll have two banks with it imperative to match within the bank of three. So if looking for ONE 2GB stick, Dell is probably the best bet.

What is your ram config right now exactly?

thanks for prompt reply.

I have yet to open up my case even though I have had experience with PC hardware before more than anything I am jsut concerned over breaking/disturbing anything. Although I could do with checking before I go any further with this 'adding a 2gig stick' in!!! From what I have read I guess my setup is 2x2gb +1x1gb in one bank and then 3x1gb in second bank. If this is true it seems like lunacy being only 1gb away from being a true TRI channel setup, hmmm? I will open up my case if needs be to check and will download CPU-Z to check details.

When I received my refund from Dell for the price of a replacement 2Gb stick of DDR3, they refered me to contact sales or follow this link:-

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&category_id=4325&mfgpid=1649284&chassisid=-1

The ram was not the same manufacturer as the sticks already in my Studio XPS. I have not received any incompatability issues.

This is for the European Site - I do not know the equivalent site for the US. Hope that helps.

By the way, if it is anything like my setup, the ram was put in completely randomly. I had a 2GB stick in each bank but not necessarily in the first slot on both.