Studio 1557 freezes, can't control+alt+delete to gain control

swow...can you explain what driver genius professional edition does and how it may "work" for those of us experiencing problems?  Thanks...

Todd...I appreciate the position you are in, and that for the most part you are the messenger getting the brunt of the frustration from those of us here.  However, it is pretty obvious that there are compatibility issues going on...DELL has pretty much admitted as much, just look at the picture of the screenshot that shows the i7 processor is not compatible with the HD 4570 (page 26 of this thread).  What other reason would there be for that? 

Please read the #5 post by johnny_kim it works and is so simple.

Todd...I appreciate the position you are in, and that for the most part you are the messenger getting the brunt of the frustration from those of us here.  However, it is pretty obvious that there are compatibility issues going on...DELL has pretty much admitted as much, just look at the picture of the screenshot that shows the i7 processor is not compatible with the HD 4570 (page 26 of this thread).  What other reason would there be for that?

They may have pulled the video card because they are concerned about this issue and the card's compatibility.   A couple of posts up there is a statement that we shouldn't be selling the model at all.  (whats the saying, darned if you do, darned if you don't?)   So if, and that's not a proven fact yet, there is the possibility of a compatibility issue wouldn't it be prudent to pull it just in case?   There could also be other reasons as well.   I'm not sure if they're selling that card at all right now, although in all likelihood they are.   Maybe there is a shortage of the cards and they moved it to only be available to a slower selling model so demand matches supply? Maybe someone in purchasing decided we had a better price margin with a different hardware configuration?   Or maybe they had planned all along to phase out that card and only sell it at a certain point with a different video option?   The point is, I don't know for a fact and I don't think anyone else on here does either.   Everyone has opinions and that doesn't make them fact although its easy to go on the internet and claim that it is. 

No one here is trying to hide that there are issues.   We have a lot of threads on these boards and a lot of internal discussion about what is going on.  We've never hidden that, nor have we hidden the fact that it is taking time to find the root cause.  

I truly do wish that we find the root cause and a fix for these issues ASAP.  I don't own one of the systems myself so I can't claim to want it as much as people who have paid money, but I totally get where you're coming from and we're trying to find out what is going on.

Todd, dell has no defense here, the fact is that the systems has severe issues, issues that should be taken care of before even starting to sell the product, it would be easy to understand if this failures are not detected i they are triggered by something not very common, but flash video, hd video? o right, who is going to use a hd capable computer to watch video?

Todd...totally agree with you there could be other reason's for pulling the card, and I should have stated that in my previous post.  I try real hard not to be judgemental about people or "issues" that don't concern/involve me...problem that I am having this time is that it does involve me...:emotion-2:  It just seems strange to me that the card was pulled right after the compatibility issue became a "hot topic"... 

 My issue, along with alot of others, is that I purchased this laptop because I wanted something "state of the art"...at least until the next "state of the art" machine would come out the following day, as it usually is with computers.  I needed a new laptop for my job (I am self-employed) and had to make a hard decision, since it was my money purchasing it and not a "company" getting it for me.  Since I received it in late December, I have had a love/hate relationship with it...I love the specs, possibilities, etc...when it works right.  However, 4 times now it has frozen on me while doing presentations that were important for my job...it has also frozen on me many times just doing mundane things like checking email, working on word documents and also posting on this forum. 

I have given up calling DELL customer service or tech support because that phrase is an oxymoron...there is no support when trying to get it over the phone.  It is just standard "stuff" from a script...and there is usually a language barrier issue also which makes things more difficult.  I just wish that DELL would be more customer "friendly" with this issue and acknowledge that "something is wrong" here...and provide us with some options (ie, refund or replace it with a different/comparable model), instead of just being patient and waiting for a fix.  I can't afford to keep waiting for a fix when I don't know if I can depend on my laptop working correctly one day to the next...or one presentation to the next. 

The problem is, Dell shouldn't have to take 5 months to *try* to fix the problem (who knows when they will actually figure it out and fix it).  We paid top dollar for a top of the line machine and it doesn't work properly.  It is Dell's responsibility to do something about their defective computers NOW.  NOT tell us to just sit tight and wait for them to come out with a fix.  I have had my computer for months now and I bought it because I needed a computer.  The act of buying a computer means you want/need something at that point in time.  If I knew I didn't need a computer now, then I would have waited.  Everyone knows newer, better, faster hardware comes out every few months.  By the time we get a fully working computer, our hardware is already outdated.  We might as well waited to buy our computers and spend the same amount of money for something better... and (gasp!) WORKS!

Todd,

It's very simple for me. Everyone with a 1557 has the right for a full refund. The problem is clear and there is no fix for it.

So Todd, if somebody has problems with the local Dell support -> help those people. Call local support and explain it. It's clear that Dell is not communicating because the only thing they do is replacing parts or systems.

People have the right for a full refund; they have a system which is not working correctly.

I called Dell more than 25 times and today I got my money. For me it's over but I want that all those people get help and will get the possibility to return the system and got their money back.

My message to you all, don't give up and keep calling. If you want your money back you will get it. I'm sure. Otherwise get some help to get your money back.

It's crazy that Dell is not communication to all the local support departments and that it's so difficult to get your money back.

Give those people the possibility for a full refund.

Maybe a big article on a famous website will help.

Grt.

Well...how ironic.  I was typing in a reply to hwam's post and lo and behold....my laptop froze on me!!!  Doing nothing more than looking at posts on this thread and typing in a reply.  I guess it must have overworked the system too much...unreal!

This is what's unacceptable...if it can't be depended on to work as it should when doing a menial task such as typing in a reply on the DELL website, then how am I supposed to feel confident that I can use it for something more in depth, like powerpoint presentations or video work.

All we want (I want) is an acceptable resolution...either Dell acknowledges something is wrong and timelines a fix, a complete refund, or a new comparable system.  Nothing more...nothing less. 

Have had my dell 1557 I7 64bit fully loaded since the first of the year and reading through all of these post scares me...... But I have yet to have any of the posted problems, I checked my drivers and my HD 4570 driver is at ver 8.692.1.0 drver date of 1/22/2010 ati tecnologies provider... this driver seems to be later than any of the ones mentioned so far also the BIOS is up to A04 not A03 which I did update.... mine was at A02 dell calls this a "urgent" update which says it will improve video. The thing that bothers me about this is that I found this on my owen dell sould contact people of these sort of things.

I also agree with the way dell is going with there service and quality:emotion-7:..... I am a long time dell customer and have noticed how bad they are getting about takeing care of us, they used to be the best thats why I keep buying dell and also recomending dell to others to buy, I don't know what the other companies service is like because I have always bought dell... maybe there just as bad I don't know,.. I keep playing with the idea of going to apple but pc's are the industry standard for it seems all companies

Dell seems to go by "nothing more, a whole lot less"

driver genius updates all the drivers, but I don't know how or why it works, but I haven't have any freezing problem since a week ago, I don't know if is fixed but I'm very optimist about it. 

Tried any application that puts gpu under heavy load?

tested with dragon age origins, 3d studio max, vray, autocad, and left 4 dead, zero freezing.

johnny_kim

The HD 1080p videos work without taking the battery off my 1557, only had to Disable "hardware acceleration" in flash player.  Thanks again.