Any dell users want to speed up their machines?

[kojack]

So, my system was acting wonky with long stutters, system slow downs etc.  I started doing some reading about it, and monitoring the task manager. I noticed system interrupts were using 1/2 my cpu when the slowdowns would happen.  So, I went and removed all Dell drivers and downloaded intel drivers from their site instead.  It improved but was not perfect. 

 

So I started watching the task manager more while using my system.  I noticed Dell's software package was always at the top of the usage list.  So I removed all of that nonsense too.  Now, my system is much snappier and I have zero slow downs anymore. 

Something to look at if your system is lagging and you are all "stock". 

[raptorddd]

i dont use any dell drivers. i used the ones provided by windows. and i only update some drivers with snappy driver from glenns page.

[kojack]

I used the drivers from intel instead of dells.  Works much better, there is still something causing system interrupts however, not ram or drive.  I am running out of ideas.  But the system is MUCH better after doing all the things I did. 

[kojack]

The only time I get these system interrupts is when I am watching YouTube.  Any ideas people?

[meowpressreturn]

My new(ish) precisions suffered from lots of stutters and lags and sound glitches at regular intervals, and I found that hunting down and killing Dell stuff running in the background makes things a lot better.

 

I also had awful troubles for a long time where my Precision 3551 would completely lag keyboard input for a second or two every 30 seconds or so. It was driving me absolutely nuts. I eventually discovered that this was occurring only when the discrete GPU (Quadro P620) was active. For reasons long forgotten I had Chrome set to always use the nvidia instead of the build-in intel (and would usually have YouTube open in Chrome on the external monitor playing something or other). I switched it to force intel, and with nothing using the nvidia GPU it doesn't seem to do this any more.  That one I don't think showed up as interrupts though. Can't remember how I figured out what was causing it. 

 

I do have interrupt problems with an ancient Latitude 6430, where plugging anything into one of its USB3 ports will cause interrupts to go to about 30% and then stay like that until the machine is restarted or hibernated (the solitary USB2 port is fine).

 

[raptorddd]

@kojack use windows autoruns to disable running services at start up.

[raptorddd]

18 hours ago, meowpressreturn said:

My new(ish) precisions suffered from lots of stutters and lags and sound glitches at regular intervals, and I found that hunting down and killing Dell stuff running in the background makes things a lot better.

 

I also had awful troubles for a long time where my Precision 3551 would completely lag keyboard input for a second or two every 30 seconds or so. It was driving me absolutely nuts. I eventually discovered that this was occurring only when the discrete GPU (Quadro P620) was active. For reasons long forgotten I had Chrome set to always use the nvidia instead of the build-in intel (and would usually have YouTube open in Chrome on the external monitor playing something or other). I switched it to force intel, and with nothing using the nvidia GPU it doesn't seem to do this any more.  That one I don't think showed up as interrupts though. Can't remember how I figured out what was causing it. 

 

I do have interrupt problems with an ancient Latitude 6430, where plugging anything into one of its USB3 ports will cause interrupts to go to about 30% and then stay like that until the machine is restarted or hibernated (the solitary USB2 port is fine).

 

how are temps on this laptop.?

[6730b]

Been very happy with the 5 Dell ever owned, 2 active. Always win clean install + then adding the absolute minimum of drivers, 'Dell original' (network, audio, display, touchpad etc).

Zero of the myriad of Dell special-extra stuff, total available 81 (!!) drivers\apps for the Precision, am probably using 8 or so?. Maybe why there's no lags or strange hiccups here. Memory use after startup 2GB and everything peaceful. Never seen any Dell name appear in task manager.
 

[meowpressreturn]

7 hours ago, raptorddd said:

how are temps on this laptop.?

(this laptop = Precision 3551)

Toasty!

Order of screenshot below is current, min, max, and that current can be considered as idling, though today I'm in the other room and don't have the usual desk clip fan blowing across the keyboard which improves the idle temp by a good 5 degrees and can even get the SSD down near 50. The minimum temps are only seen very shortly after booting. The GPU reports 0 because its inactive, its real temp will be in the 60s too.

Its a cool day here today so room ambient is probably a good 2 or 3 degrees under 30c 🙂 

A while back I had to disable the turbo boost because it caused horrendously annoying coil whine, and this vastly improved temperatures too.

With turbo active Dell lets the CPU go to 99, and it will do that anytime It has to do any kind of work and then idle in the 70s and 80s. With boost off it usually peaks in the 80s.

 

The previous Samsung SSD I had used to idle in the 70s. I switched to SK Hynix P31 Gold which has much better thermals, and it needs them because whoever designed this machine didn't think the SSD was worthy of any airflow. 

[raptorddd]

11 hours ago, meowpressreturn said:

(this laptop = Precision 3551)

Toasty!

Order of screenshot below is current, min, max, and that current can be considered as idling, though today I'm in the other room and don't have the usual desk clip fan blowing across the keyboard which improves the idle temp by a good 5 degrees and can even get the SSD down near 50. The minimum temps are only seen very shortly after booting. The GPU reports 0 because its inactive, its real temp will be in the 60s too.

Its a cool day here today so room ambient is probably a good 2 or 3 degrees under 30c 🙂 

A while back I had to disable the turbo boost because it caused horrendously annoying coil whine, and this vastly improved temperatures too.

With turbo active Dell lets the CPU go to 99, and it will do that anytime It has to do any kind of work and then idle in the 70s and 80s. With boost off it usually peaks in the 80s.

 

The previous Samsung SSD I had used to idle in the 70s. I switched to SK Hynix P31 Gold which has much better thermals, and it needs them because whoever designed this machine didn't think the SSD was worthy of any airflow. 

 thanks.

thats what i have read that it gets a bit hot. have you used honeywell thermal paste.? on my m4600 it lowred by 4'C.

 

[Aaron44126]

I agree, I have found the extra Dell software to be more "unnecessary fluff" than helpful and I always install the minimum that I can get away with. The only things I can think of is Dell Power Manager so that you can change the "thermal mode" without having to go to the BIOS, and Dell Optimizer is unfortunately required to set some settings for the integrated audio Realtek/Maxx setup.