8700, windows 8.1, on but won't wake from sleep

I experienced the exact same thing with my XPS 8500.  I set it to never sleep. Having said that, I just completed and exchange with the Dell XPS 8500 and was sent a XPS 8700.  I jut got it on Thursday and I hope it don't have ALL the problems I had with the XPS 8500. 

Over the last few days when I press a keyboard key or mouse, the system does not resume and display the desktop. Instead, I have to shut down the system with the power button, that is lit normally, to get control of the system. I was used the Dell balanced power plan and chose a high performance plan that does not let the hard disk power down and I'll see if that helps. Any thoughts?

I did as you suggested and when I checked the yellow light was on the power button. Clicking the left mouse button woke the system up (white power light) but nothing to the monitor. The only software update recently that went oddly was with the GeForce Experience that would not upgrade to v 1.8. I finally got it to install but after had the problem that no video output to the monitor.  Background tasks light the backup were working so the system was fine but there was no way to see anything without rebooting the system.

I did reinstall the nividia software but did not install the v 1.8 of GeForce Experience.

I did as you suggested and when I checked the yellow light was on the power button. Clicking the left mouse button woke the system up (white power light) but nothing to the monitor. The only software update recently that went oddly was with the GeForce Experience that would not upgrade to v 1.8. I finally got it to install but after had the problem that no video output to the monitor.  Background tasks light the backup were working so the system was fine but there was no way to see anything without rebooting the system.

Now you may have to adjust the sleep state settings in BIOS setup...

Which settings in BIOS?

I had a remote session with Dell this afternoon that involved quite a lot of checking and running registry cleaners with the result that nothing is better.

DeepSx Power Policies

I daresay this is a well known issue with XPS 8*00 models. My XPS 8500 doesn't resume/wake properly either, and there are numerous threads across the community site about the problem.

That said, have you tried disabling hybrid sleep in the advanced power options?

I did that and though the system seemed a little more interested in resuming it would not display anything on the monitor. I just have the power setting to not sleep.

The answer to this problem is to download the WIndows 8.1 64-bit Nvidia driver (5th one down on support.dell.com under VIdeo drivers) and update the display driver.  Restart your computer and make sure that the "Turn off your display after" and "Put computer to sleep" time limits are NOT the same.  They must be different for the sleep to work.  This will fix your problem.  Thanks.

I'm telling you, I just figured out this fix last night with Windows 8.1 on my 8700.  Did you try what I posted to fix your 8300s and 8500s?  At least I can verify for the new 8700 it resolved my issue.

I daresay this is a well known issue with XPS 8*00 models. My XPS 8500 doesn't resume/wake properly either, and there are numerous threads across the community site about the problem.

Agreed, well known issue with the XPS 8*00 models.  

I had the same issue with my XPS 8300 before it died.  Pulling out the power from the back was the only way to fix it.  Fiddling with USB settings/connections/checking for driver/BIOS updates blah blah blah did nothing. Hope you can fix it - there didn't seem to be a surefire way to fix it for everyone.  Seems totally random.

I'm telling you, I just figured out this fix last night with Windows 8.1 on my 8700.  Did you try what I posted to fix your 8300s and 8500s?  At least I can verify for the new 8700 it resolved my issue.

My 8300 ran Windows 7 and an AMD card, so not the same set up as you.