XPS 17 9720, randomly freezes

What do you mean after being idle for a day or two? Are you saying the laptop does not respond after being open and untouched for a day or two?

This occurs while working on the laptop randomly for any amount of time, It simply locks for no apparent reason. I can be doing something as simple as surfing the web or using Adobe Photoshop. I can be moving the cursor or the laptop can be in the middle of processing something.
I do only reboot my laptop maybe once a day, but mostly just close the lid and allow it to go into sleep mode.

Interesting, I wonder if you could measure the time between crashes? Have you ran BIOS and/or SupportAssist diagnostics? Have you ran Windows and/or SupportAssist updates?

If the laptop is still within the return period, I would try to get a return. If not, see if Dell can arrange something. But to run BIOS diagnostics, restart the computer. While it is coming on repeatedly tap the F12 key which should take you to a one time boot menu. There should be a diagnostics option there, run the full extended diagnostics and report back. 

Thanks, I was hoping to avoid returning it (time constraints and all). I wondered if this was a common issue with this laptop and if Dell knew about it. I guess not.

Better just to return it if you can, you do not want to be the one finding out whether it is a common issue or not 

I have precisely the same issue.

I am having the same issue. I can't resolve it. Freezing is completely random, issue cannot be replicated under any conditions. Restart required to regain user control and function.

I have had the laptop 29 days and it has crashed every single day multiple times. I think I might need to initiate a return before I slip past 30. 

Here's what worked for me:

You'll need to follow these instructions to disable Intel VMD:

https://scottiestech.info/2022/08/16/how-to-remove-intel-vmd-without-reinstalling-windows/

Note: The instructions are for a different BIOS, so to find this in the Dell BIOS, go to Storage and ensure that instead of Intel VMD, you select standard AHCI/NVMe

Be aware that you need to follow the instructions in the link precisely in order for Windows to boot again after disabling this.

Apparently, Intel VMD is still relatively new for non-Xeon processors and if I had to guess, the implementation on this particular laptop is rather buggy. It is enabled by default (at least in my case).

I sincerely hope that this works for others, as I was considering returning this otherwise lovely laptop. And for those that don't happen to find this, or if this doesn't work for folks, I sincerely hope that Dell puts a little more effort into testing beyond making sure the system just POSTs.

Update: froze again. It seems like it took longer to experience a freeze after taking the actions described in my last post, but clearly it's not a real fix.

Hi, I ended up doing a complete Windows install. It's been two weeks so far with no freezing.

Neither reinstalling Dell's image nor fresh installation of the latest 'clear' Windows 11 doesn't work for me.
The longest time without freezes is 3 days. Usually, it happens 1 or 2 times a day. It's really weird. Dell's support proposed me the on-site motherboard replacement, but they can't do it in Thailand where I live now. I already filled out the warranty/ownership transfer form but it requires up to 15 business days for finishing. Twice weird. Actually, I can't use the notebook for work: it's totally unpredicted.

I probably have the same issue. XPS 17 9720 with a Dell WD19TBS docking station and 2 Dell S2721HS monitors connected to the docking station.

Funnily enough what seems to happen when it freezes, is that the screens flicker before freezing. And also that the external monitors freeze and show garbled images, while the laptop screen looks fine (but frozen).

As per above, nothing moves, no way out apart from a hard restart. And as per the above, it seems to happen every other day or so. Maybe once a day maximum. Never twice on the same day, while i spend about 11 hours on it. 

I have worked out that this freezing of death only happens when the laptop screen is on (on top of the 2 external monitors). When the laptop is closed, it never freezes.

Also when it freezes and the strange pixelated images appear on the external monitors, the laptop monitor shows the image without any distortion.