XPS 8940, locking up/freezing since 2.15 BIOS update

I know this is a community forum and I cannot get help here, but I am so frustrated and this is the only place I have found to even state what my problem with my 8940 xps and this company is. My cpu died soon after the dell support sub expired. Due to all the hard resets I had to do because of all the freezing and locking up, my cpu got fried. I purchased my dell in summer/fall 2022. I now own an $1800 dollar paperweight. I tried to contact dell support which is virtually impossible. The only help I got was to renew my dell support subscription or to send it in to dell to get an estimate on how much it would cost for them to fix it. I tried leaving a review, but you have a very small window before the time you're allowed to review your product expires. I would like my money back, but apparently that's out of the question unless I pay even more money to dell to fix it.

@RoHe​ Left power as the default just noticed there's a new driver from dell recently too, that seems to be solid as well and on the default power settings

Check your BIOS C-State and sleep states. All need to be unenabled on the XPS 8940. BIOS updates can enable them. 

I had the same thing blue screen from nowhere, annoying issue right from the start! Dell even sent somebody to replace the graphics card and motherboard and did the supposed update fix.  It improved 2 blue screen lockup events per month instead of 2 per week. After multiple communications and finding evidence that there was inadequate power to the graphics card (sent by a linux user) - Dell just quit responding.  I took the graphics card out and use the UDM motherboard graphics and it hasn't happend since!!  I may just build my own from now on...

@GotstaKnow​ 

Of course using the HD750 will not fail, but it is quite 'handicapped' in terms of performance and features.

There have been all sorts of theories and suggestions to fix the lock up problem. Nvidia cards only (although some AMD card owners have hit is as well but Dell releases new BIOS which fixes it).

The Nvidia cards are NOT under powered IF you use the SAME model that Dell sold with the 8940's usually and I say usually as the cards Dell sells are mostly made by MSI for them. However, physically Dell cards may not look like the MSI Retail cards. I have an RTX2060 6Gb card and it is visually different, in that I have one large fan and the MSI retail cards have 2 smaller ones. I assume this is done to all Dell to put them into the PC and stay within the power/heat ranges.

If you got your Nvidia card with the 8940, power would not be an issue. I suspect that if you added one later, especially with one created after the 8940 first went on sale, you might have a power issue.

Linux it seems does post and error sometimes I've been told, that the card has 'fallen off the bus', but in Windows, never get a DMP. for the lock up.

Might I suggest you put back the Nvidia card (you never mentioned the model) back in and in the Nvidia Control Panel program, under the 3D settings change the Power from DEFAULT to MAX. POWER. That works for me and completely stopped the lock ups.

Has anyone tested the latest 2.20.0 bios dated July 3 2024?

I have a site with 7 of these, 100% of them had the problem and we've had them locked on an old bios for a couple of years now. 

Has Dell ever even acknowledged this problem? 

@CptCrackers​

Has anyone tested the latest 2.20.0 bios dated July 3 2024?

I have a site with 7 of these, 100% of them had the problem and we've had them locked on an old bios for a couple of years now. 

I am on it... no problem, but I have the Nvidia Control Panel 3D power setting set to MAX. POWER. That alone, for me, solved the issue. I was sitting on V2.15.0 for a LONG time, but did try V2.19.0 and with the power setting did not have an issue, and going to V2.20.0 still no issue.

Has Dell ever even acknowledged this problem? 

You are kidding, right? No, NOT in direct words or a posting here. Threw out some stuff like only use the Dell Posted driver, etc., but never to my knowledge did they capture a failing system OR recreate the problem? Since almost any Nvidia card owner (I say 'almost' as some have reported no issue, and some have 2 8940's similarly equipped with Nvidia cards and only one had the issue) can recreate the problem. Of course, they may no longer have that model in the System test lab?

@ispalten​ Thanks, I will test this on a couple of PC's. The old BIOS prevents memory integrity from being on in 11, so not ideal.  

@CptCrackers

​I updated to the 2.20.0 BIOS on July 13, and my 8940 has been running 24/7 with no freezes since then.

I've never changed the NVIDIA 3D Power Management mode from its default Normal setting, since in the case of my PC that has never made any difference in terms of the freezes.

Larry

@larryc​

@CptCrackers

​I updated to the 2.20.0 BIOS on July 13, and my 8940 has been running 24/7 with no freezes since then.

I've never changed the NVIDIA 3D Power Management mode from its default Normal setting, since in the case of my PC that has never made any difference in terms of the freezes.

Larry

Unusual, may I ask what model of Nvidia card and RAM on it? What Nvidia Driver are you using? What is the CP Power setting? Just curious.

@larryc​ 

Never mind my questions... I saw your answer in May:

================

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 12GB of video RAM.

What is the setting you are calling normal? That is the 'Default' setting?

Under "Manage 3D Settings" Power management mode is set to Normal. I've never changed that setting (never felt the need), and therefore I have to assume that's the default setting:

==============

There could be a model specific 'answer' and the amount of RAM on the card. I've got an RTX2060 with 6GB's of RAM and I also am not using the Studio driver.

As for the Default, different cards have different defaults, for instance, mine is Optimum.

Between the amount of RAM, the different default value, and even the driver version, any of those might come into play with the issue.

So, it am not sure anyone's experience would relate to someone with different variables? It is anecdotal though why some have the problem and others do not?

@ispalten​ 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060

12288 MB GDDR6

Driver version 552.41

I'm not sure what you mean by "CP Power setting". In the "Manage 3D Settings" section, Power management mode is set to Normal. That's the way it came when I purchased the PC, and I've never needed to change it.

Larry

@larryc​ 

CP = Control Panel

I'm on Game Ready Driver 560.70, from July 15th, the most recent. Newer than the release you are using. Up until late June, it seemed Nvidia was releasing new drivers almost weekly, but that has stopped now. By the way, Studio driver has the same version number as the GRD does now as well.

As far as CP settings, this is a nice web page to look at, https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-nvdia-control-panel-settings/

Nvidia even 'suggests' setting the Power to Max. Power, https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3130/~/setting-power-management-mode-from-normal-to-maximum-performance, but I'd think it is more meaningful when using games.

However, the bottom line is that what works for some doesn't for others.

@ispalten​ 

I'm a serious amateur photography who isn't at all interested in gaming, so I've always used the Studio drivers. I use a combination of several GPU-intensive programs (Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz Photo AI, Topaz Gigapixel AI, and others) to process photographic (still) images, and the Studio drivers have provided me with excellent performance where I need it.

I have no interest in GPU "maximum performance settings" since as far as I can determine they're geared toward gaming and video work, and I've never bothered to learn more about those features. I was ready to change the power management mode if necessary to stop the PC from freezing, but that turned out not to be necessary in my case.

Some combination of BIOS and NVIDIA driver updates stopped the freezing months ago. Looking at my notes, the last time this PC froze inexplicably was in early March, and I'm not at all sure that had anything to do with either the BIOS or the NVIDIA driver.

Since then, I've applied any and all BIOS and NVIDIA updates that were recommended by Dell, and none have caused me any problems.

Larry

@larryc​ 

Understand. Each user has different experiences.

History goes all the way back to BIOS V2.4.0. That BIOS, installed with NO other changes started the issue. So it was clear a BIOS change did it. At that time, you could go back to BIOS V2.3.0 and the issue went away. After that, new BIOS versions never fixed the problem nor the Nvidia drivers.

Many of 'us' tried a variety of things, turning off the CPU speed up/Turbo, stopping Sleep, you name it. Nothing worked for everyone.

Changing Nvidia GRD to Studio, and Studio to GRD, worked for some and for some a short time.

Dell's drivers are usually older than Nvidia release. However, they are ONLY TESTED, same version if one got it from Nvidia at the same release level. Some have even failed with the Dell posted ones.

I think there are many reasons here for this, the card model, if Dell supplied or you bought it retail. The PSU one has, SE XPS's have a larger one.

Dell supplied Nvidia cards were made by more than one vendor. Mine was made by MSI for Dell. However, physically it looks different from the MSI Retail card. I have one LARGE fan on the card, MSI's has 2 smaller fans. The reason why some thought it was so Dell's card would require less power (I don't see that though). MSI even on its support page for the card directs one to the Nvidia site for drivers.

Like I said, nothing works for everyone. Glad you are OK. I am too, but I have to use the Power setting.