New XPS 17 "L702X" with faulty B2 chipset stepping?!?

Since Intel has only recently begun making the fixed chips  -- and since it publicly announced it would continue using the "defective" ones in applications where the defect does not matter (it only manifests itself with more than two SATA hard drives - which no Dell and none of most other notebook supports -- this isn't that surprising.

For a desktop system with multiple SATA ports, it matters.  For a notebook, it doesn't - the flaw will never show up.  That's why Intel is still shipping "defective" chipsets for notebook use.

of course, it matters.

as you can see above, there ist one SATA II Port in use.

This would propably be the optical drive. and if the "sandy-bridge-bug" occours, this drive would stop working, or slow extremly in performance.

Dell has definately announced, that they use boards without this issue. so using the B2 boards is an epic fail to their customers.

Many German customers asked Dell via chat or phone before they placed their XPS 17 order,
if they get B2 or B3 stepping, and many customers was told, they get the new, revised B3
stepping. And now, understandably, all these customers feel lied and fooled.

@ejn63 don´t know how such practics are handled in your country, in Germany law calls this
"deceit".

@ejn63 - The XPS 17 has 2 hard drive bays, an optical drive and esata. So with 4 sata connections the B2 issue does matter!

I thought the whole point of the delay was because they were waiting for the fixed chipsets? So why have Dell used the faulty ones.

I'm so disappointed after waiting almost a month.. especially for the amount of money I paid.

Men,  I have xps 17 l702x (spanish version) and I foun that doing the following my machine detect B3 not B2:

1. update windows 7 to sp1

2. update bios to a05 (from dell, at least for me [xps 17 spanish configuration])

3. shutdown pc

4. start pc and press F2 to enter bios setup

5. go the last tab (I think was the last tab, not sure)

6. load default settings, save changes, exist saving changes (This step is the one that made the changes).

7. Now windows 7 detect new hardware and start install drivers

8. restart pc after windows finish installationg (it will alert you when its done and need restart)

Now I check and I have B3 not B2 (Before this CPU-Z detect B2)

Regards

@carlso

thankyou we are going to try the bios update too here in Italy to see if we have the same issue :)

wow, a new chipset stepping by upgrading the BIOS? Amazing... :emotion-7:
I guess all this B2<>B3-gambling could be ended before it has begun squarely,
if only one responsible person from Dell would post one official statement to this
case... ?

I wanted to order the new XPS17 on Monday but if Dell wont make any clear statement for germany until then about the B2 problem I need to switch to a competitor.

So please dell give us the right information!

I wanted to order the new XPS17 on Monday but if Dell wont make any clear statement for germany until then about the B2 problem I need to switch to a competitor.   So please dell give us the right information!

I'm doing the same, waiting for a clear statement for Italy too

update: today I ordered a new xps 17 confident that this can be a bios masquerading problem or Dell will replace the motherboard

Don't know why, exactly, but my post was deleted by moderator for "violating the Terms of Service"... Err... lol ?

I did no more than specify some hardware details... Maybe without the "Dell" word, it won't beep on the modo-radar...

@ejn63 - The XPS 17 has 2 hard drive bays, an optical drive and esata. So with 4 sata connections the B2 issue does matter!

That's totally false, since esata is always handled by a third-party chip (often Jmicron), no matter B2 or B3 chipset is used. Furthermore it's more likely than possible, if B2 is really used, that a third-party chip with 2 ports is used, linked to the optical drive. So 2 ports on the B2, 2 ports on the third-party chip, everything good.

Anyway, if sellers assured that XPS 17 brings B3 revision chipset, no matter if there might have consequences, and there is evidence it brings B2 chipset, well...