Dell Studio

Dell Studio 1535

Dell's Studio brand is a range of laptops and desktops targeted at the mainstream consumer market.[1] The computers sit above Dell's Inspiron and below the XPS consumer lines in price and specifications. They differ from Dell's lower-end Inspiron models by offering slot-loading optical drives, media keys, more cover design options, faster processor options, HDMI and eSATA ports, LED-backlit screens, and backlit keyboards.

At launch, the Studio was offered in three models: the Studio 15 and the Studio 17 named after their respective screen size in inches, and the Studio Hybrid, named for its usage of laptop components in the form of an ultra small form factor desktop. If purchased online, many customizable colors, designs and features are available, including a finger print scanner in some countries.[2]

On July 29, 2008, Dell introduced the desktop counterpart to the Dell Studio Laptops, the Dell Studio Hybrid PC. A compact desktop legacy-free PC using laptop components, it contains the same slot-loading optical drive as the laptops with the range of connectivity (e.g., number of USB ports) expected of a desktop PC.

On September 24, 2009, Dell released Studio laptops with the options for a mobile Core i7 processor, although Pentium Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo options were still available as lower-end options.[3]

At midnight on June 18, 2010, Dell's website stopped selling the Studio Hybrid.

As of May 2011, Dell has discontinued the Studio line of notebooks (XPS and desktops continue on).[4]

Laptops

Studio 14

A 14" laptop.[5]

Studio 14z

A 14" laptop.[6]

Intel Core 2 T9900 (3.06 GHz/1066 MHz FBS/6 MB cache)

Studio 15

Dell Studio 15 (1555) with 15.6 in 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen & backlit keyboard.

The Studio 15 is the mainstream of the Studio laptop line. It has had many options and features that have changed over the years: processors ranging from low end Pentium Dual Core processors up to Quad Core i7 processors. Newly added is the ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 1 GB graphics card. Here is a list of the different models.

Model Chipset Processor type Memory Video Audio codec Network card Display Physical
Architecture Memory module socket Maximum memory Memory clock speed Video type Core Frequency Video controller Video memory Type Maximum resolutions Size Height Width Depth Weight

Studio 17

Dell Studio 17, featuring a full number pad and a backlit keyboard

A 17" laptop.[7]

Studio XPS 13

See also: Dell XPS

A 13.3" laptop that offers a Studio-XPS crossover. Runs on DDR3 memory and uses Intel Core 2 Duo processors.[8] When launched, the Studio XPS 13 was widely acclaimed as the ultimate notebook, offering an irresistible combination of technology, cutting-edge design, performance and luxury style in the increasingly popular market for lighter notebooks. All of its attributes, and its wide success, made it all the more astonishing, if not suspicious, when Dell abruptly discontinued the Studio XPS 13 model, less than a year after its launch, leaving many would-be owners holding their credit cards, and many current owners on guard watching their prized possessions . The wait wasn't long.[9] The latent technical problems, stemming from the notebook's relatively small shell packing a lot of sophisticated hardware, were numerous. Dell's designers simply attempted to pack too much punch into the 13 inch model. In the arena of the lightweight notebooks even one inch can make a difference and sacrifices must be made.[10] Among the widely reported issues is the overheating in the area of the vent and the video card, whereby the heat spreads to the palm rests and the bottom of the screen.[11] The more serious issue is with the slot loading optical drive. The device simply does not fit properly into the 13 inch shell. Yet as a result of the model's abrupt discontinuance, users who were in the market for a light-weight Studio XPS 13 model are left with few alternatives, if any. In fact, the only suitable replacement currently on the market is the Studio XPS 16.

Studio XPS 16

A larger version of the Studio XPS 13 (16"). It offers an optional Blu-ray optical drive, and has an RGBLED 1080p full HD display (1920×1080), which was widely considered the best display on any laptop in the market[12] and comes with a 1 GB Mobility Radeon HD 4670, and is now available with an Intel Core i7 processor or an optional 1 GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730.[13]

Desktops

Studio Hybrid

A miniature desktop similar to the HP Pavilion Slimline series of desktops and Apple's Mac Mini. It is Dell's most energy-efficient desktop. The desktop is named Studio Hybrid because it uses Intel processors made for laptops while offering desktop features.

Studio and Studio Slim

Using the same case style as Dell's Inspiron 530 and 530s desktops but with a black color, the Studio and Studio Slim desktops are targeted towards consumers looking for a multimedia entertainment desktop.

Studio XPS Desktop

Combining the Studio's design with the XPS' performance, the Studio XPS desktop is a full-fledged multimedia center.

Studio One 1909 (Studio One 19)

Released in the USA on April 28, 2009, the Studio One 19 is a 19 inch all-in-one desktop computer. It is a lower-end alternative to Dell's XPS One 20 and 24. The chassis design highly resembles that of Dell's SX2210 21.5 in LCD monitor. The chassis can be customized with five different colors. There is also a touch-screen option.

Specifications

Model Studio Hybrid[14] Studio and Studio Slim[15] Studio XPS Desktop[16] Studio One 19[17]
CPU Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300, Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, T6600, T8100, T9300, or T9500 Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 CPU, can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 (both models) Intel Core i7 920, 940 or 950 Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 or E5400, Intel Core 2 Duo E7400, E7500, E8300, E8400, E8500 or Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, Q8400. With the latest BIOS you can use higher end LGA775 processors, such as Q9550 and Q9650. Because this motherboard has an LGA775 socket, the i3, i5 and i7 processors do not fit because those are different processor sockets, such as LGA1150 and LGA1155.
Memory 2 GB, 3 GB, or 4 GB of shared dual channel DDR2 SDRAM @800 MHz 2 GB dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM, upgradeable up to 8 GB 4 GB or 8 GB of dual channel DDR3 SDRAM @1066 MHz or 3 GB, 6 GB, 12 GB, or 24 GB of tri channel DDR3 SDRAM @1066 MHz 2, 3, or 4 GB of shared dual channel DDR2 SDRAM @667 MHz
Chipset Intel X58 Extreme nVidia MCP 7A
GPU integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics integrated Intel GMA 4500HD graphics (both) – Studio desktop can be customized with up to an ATI Radeon HD 4670 or nVidia GeForce 9800 GT, Studio Slim can be customized with an ATI Radeon HD 4350 ATI Radeon HD 4350, HD 4670, or HD 4850 integrated nVidia GeForce 9200 or 9400
Display 18.5" widescreen with 1,366×768 resolution (optional touchscreen)
Hard drive 160 GB, 250 GB, or 320 GB SATA at 5,400 RPM 500 GB, 640 GB, 750 GB, or 1 TB SATA @ 7200 RPM w/16 MB cache, 640 GB, 1 TB, or 1.28 TB SATA @7200 RPM w/RAID 0 or 500 GB, or 640 GB SATA @7,200 RPM w/RAID 1 320 GB, 500 GB, 640 GB, or 750 GB SATA @7,200 RPM
Optical drive 8× Slot-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive 16 DVD+/-RW (both) – Studio desktop can be customized with up to one Blu-ray Disc burner and one DVD+/-RW drive, Studio Slim desktop can be customized up to a Blu-ray Disc burner 16× tray-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW, 2× tray-load Blu-ray Disc combo drive, or Blu-ray Disc burner (single and dual-drive configurations) 16× slot-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW or 2× slot-load Blu-ray Disc combo drive
Webcam 1.3 MPixel webcam
Wi-Fi Dell Wireless 1505 802.11n mini-card Dell Wireless 1505 802.11n with external antenna internal 802.11b/g wireless networking or internal 802.11n wireless networking
Other external 56K Fax modem Both desktops have integrated 7.1 channel audio, but the Studio desktop can be customized with Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer audio card 8 USB ports, 1 eSATA port, 1 FireWire port, 1 Gbit Ethernet port, 1 audio line output, 1 back L/R surround sound connector, 1 subwoofer connector, 1 S/PDIF connector, 1 19-in-1 memory card reader, 1 headphone jack, and 1 microphone jack 6 USB ports, 1 FireWire port, 1 fast Ethernet port, 1 audio line output, 1 7-in-1 memory card reader, 1 headphone jack, and 1 microphone jack

Issues

The Studio 15 (older 1535–1537 models) and 17 (1735–1737 models) suffer from problems with the touch sensitive controls where either the eject button or start button for Dell MediaDirect would stay lit for a few minutes after the unit was powered on rendering the rest of the buttons useless.[18] However, a firmware update for this media panel posted on the Dell Community forums has been reported to fix this issue. Another solution for this issue is to power down the laptop and remove the battery, then holding the power button for thirty seconds to fully discharge all remaining electrical power in the system, draining any residual flea power.

Some users have reported graphical problems with the Studio 1555 and Studio 1557, later found to be a driver mishap.[19][20] Other issues with these models include overheating due to the hard-to-maintain heatsink and fan design, which is located in such a way that a general computer user is unable to access them for maintenance.

The 1557 and 1558 model are known to have problems with overheating, which is generally linked to 3D video graphics related gaming or other 3D applications. Downloading the latest ATI catalyst drivers and BIOS updates does help reduce the risk of these problems. The 1557 and the 1558 are affected by hard-to-maintain components, which make it hard to clean out blocked heatsink vents or to clean and replace thermal paste due to the combination fan and heatsink design.

There are also several reports of 1557 models freezing up during booting, or having inaccessible hard drives. No clear cause or fix has been put forward by DELL, but it is also likely linked to overheating related to the built in video card, or software-hardware malfunction related to the built in ST Microelectronics Accelerometer, which is supposed to protect the HDD in case the laptop is dropped. One proven method to avoid this problem is to remove the ST Microelectronics drivers, and thus disable the HDD protection function, while keeping the BIOS (currently version 9 as of Sept.2011) up to date is said to also reduce the risk.

There are also complaints on the 17" laptops with keyboard and sound malfunctions as well.

See also

References

  1. Dell Studio Laptop Launched
  2. Dell's New 'Studio' Brand: Designed for the Creative Spark in All of Us
  3. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/core_i7_systems/fs.aspx?refid=core_i7_systems&s=dhs&cs=19
  4. http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cat=prod&cs=19&k=studio+laptop&rpp=12&p=1&rf=all&nk=f&sort=K&ira=False&~srd=False&ipsys=False&advsrch=False&~ck=related
  5. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-1450/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-1450&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn
  6. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-14z/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-14z&cs=19&s=dhs
  7. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop_studio_17/pd.aspx?refid=laptop_studio_17&cs=19&s=dhs
  8. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-xps-13/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-xps-13&cs=19&s=dhs
  9. http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/348918-dell-studio-xps-13-horror-thread.html
  10. http://pcworld.about.com/od/thinandlightnotebooks/ThinandLight_Notebooks.htm
  11. http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-xps-studio-xps/430026-xps16-hard-drive-failure-dell-design-defect-excess-heat-vulnerable-hd-destroy-hard-drive.html
  12. http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3540
  13. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-studio-xps-16/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-studio-xps-16&cs=19&s=dhs
  14. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/desktop-studio-hybrid/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-studio-hybrid&cs=19&s=dhs
  15. http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfh/desktops/desktop-studio-slim/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-studio-slim&cs=22&s=dfh
  16. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/studio-xps-8000/pd.aspx?refid=studio-xps-8000&cs=19&s=dhs
  17. http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/desktop-studio-one-19/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-studio-one-19&cs=19&s=dhs
  18. http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19280349.aspx
  19. http://www.notebookforums.com/thread226138.html
  20. http://www.techenclave.com/laptops/please-help-dell-studio-1555-problem-145509.html

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