Dell Precision 7670 & Dell Precision 7770 owner's thread

[Melkor]

Excellent, will try it then. Fingers crossed!

[mkolejak]

On 4/23/2024 at 10:15 PM, Aaron44126 said:

 

As a note, even if you disable "capsule updates" in BIOS setup to prevent Windows Update from updating the BIOS (and I definitely recommend having that disabled), installing a BIOS update via the downloadable .exe file from within Windows still works.

Thanks for info, didnt know that, so Dell updater also works then....but anyway, I prefer rather from bios, one can never know 🙂

[Melkor]

I updated the BIOS and all good so far.

[Sid3ways]

So doing the EFI edits in the beginning of this thread no longer work?!? I just did it and updated those values CpuValues (the 4 items) and it isn't working. Originally on the old BIOS, it was working. I wonder if I need to go back to an even further back BIOS to enable those again? Has Dell made this thing pretty much worthless now? It was at least usable in gaming when I could undervolt it, now I'm getting 60-70 frames in my game (used to get 90-100 solid) with frequent dips into the 35 fps range where it almost locks up for a second when throttling. It's an absolute joke! 😡

 

EDIT: I also see they now have a 1.20.1 BIOS which was released on April 16th, does that one have the undervolt unlocked again?

[jorgeregula]

Same question here... Updated to 1.20.1 from 1.14 (I think), lost the undervolting control. Do I need to revert back, and how do I do that ?

[DoC]

Can anyone confirm whether CAMM2 modules (JEDEC certified) are compatible with our 7770s with first revision of CAMM? I found only one thread on Dell support forum and I don't know if it's indeed true that they're not compatible.

[Aaron44126]

5 hours ago, DoC said:

Can anyone confirm whether CAMM2 modules (JEDEC certified) are compatible with our 7770s with first revision of CAMM? I found only one thread on Dell support forum and I don't know if it's indeed true that they're not compatible.

 

I haven't heard for sure, but I do not expect them to work.  It looks like the module shape and connector are a bit different.

 

Precision 7X70 and 7X80 users were "proof of concept" guinea pigs ... a good idea, but maybe put into production too early?

(Dell does sell standalone modules for upgrading these systems on their site, but the price is probably not what most people would like to see.)

[ambeloe]

Can anyone send a dump of their FactoryDefaults UEFI variable? I'm trying to determine if mine has different defaults since it came with wifi disabled from the factory. I made a tool for dumping variables.

[Phantomroams]

23 hours ago, ambeloe said:

Can anyone send a dump of their FactoryDefaults UEFI variable? I'm trying to determine if mine has different defaults since it came with wifi disabled from the factory. I made a tool for dumping variables.

Have you made sure that the wifi chip is still physically soldered onto the motherboard? 

 

[ambeloe]

4 hours ago, Phantomroams said:

Have you made sure that the wifi chip is still physically soldered onto the motherboard? 

 

Yeah its still there, and it is connected since Bluetooth works iirc

[ambeloe]

Really I just want someone to run the tool so I can see if this is actually the solution. I have an easy to use version of the tool that does less if there are any privacy concerns (source is available to compile it yourself if you want).

[DavidQ]

It seems that my problems are also Bios related. Currently updated to 1.21.1 and I cant turn HDR off at all as the screen just flashes on and off nonstop.

Can someone please post the link to the Bios bridge so i can downgrade to 1.16 as the link in this thread no longer works.

See my post here of my problem

 

[Aaron44126]

11 minutes ago, DavidQ said:

It seems that my problems are also Bios related. Currently updated to 1.21.1 and I cant turn HDR off at all as the screen just flashes on and off nonstop.

Can someone please post the link to the Bios bridge so i can downgrade to 1.16 as the link in this thread no longer works.

See my post here of my problem

 

 

I don't have the BIOS bridge file, but you might be able to get around this by ...

• Toggle "switchable graphics" in the BIOS setup.  (Enable it if you have it disabled, or vice versa.)  This will switch which GPU is driving the laptop internal display, should have the internal display show up as a "new" display to Windows, and might change the behavior you are seeing with HDR.
• Get into safe mode, and run DDU, which should reset a bunch of display stuff.  That might help you get past this too.

...I don't know why the HDR implementation in Windows is so shoddy.  When I tried setting the whole desktop to HDR mode, I couldn't stand it, everything looks so washed out.

[DavidQ]

Thanks for the fast reply.

 

It makes this laptop unusable.

And I am not using an external monitor either.

 

Is the latest Bios version 1.21.1 ok or should i go back to 1.20.1.

I cant go back further without the bios bridge

I will toggle the switchable graphics in Bios first before DDU.

Otherwise I have to reinstall the drivers again

[Aaron44126]

9 minutes ago, DavidQ said:

Is the latest Bios version 1.21.1 ok or should i go back to 1.20.1.

 

1.20.1 is the one I think people were complaining about, with poor CPU performance?  The whole reason that bridge BIOS was posted was to get back to an older version to get full performance back, before 1.21.1 was posted.

 

My 7770 has been fine with 1.21.1, or as "fine" as I'd expect it to be anyway given this system's issues, but I have not attempted to enable HDR.  (I only use it remotely now anyway.)

[DavidQ]

Its disabling it that I cant do.

It makes me enable it on both battery and power. I am wanting to disable it.

 

Thanks for the reply appreciate it

[DavidQ]

1 hour ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

I don't have the BIOS bridge file, but you might be able to get around this by ...

• Toggle "switchable graphics" in the BIOS setup.  (Enable it if you have it disabled, or vice versa.)  This will switch which GPU is driving the laptop internal display, should have the internal display show up as a "new" display to Windows, and might change the behavior you are seeing with HDR.
• Get into safe mode, and run DDU, which should reset a bunch of display stuff.  That might help you get past this too.

...I don't know why the HDR implementation in Windows is so shoddy.  When I tried setting the whole desktop to HDR mode, I couldn't stand it, everything looks so washed out.

Ok so I changed the switchable graphics in Bios. ( Hybrid graphics)

 

It was on so I turned it off and tested HDR which all works fine.

Problem is that I am then using the discreet graphics which chews battery.

 

So I went back into Bios and turned hybrid graphics back on, and problem has come straight back, which forces me to use HDR all the time. Either way it effects my battery.

 

Any idea what else I can try

 

[heikkuri]

Please report to Dell you findings.  They are collecting information from customers.

https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/precision-mobile-workstations/precision-7670-and-7770-bios-update-version-1211-discussion/667f02e09135e72a52f93525

There is also separate questionnaire for Dell Precision 7X40 owners.

 

Better ask from Dell support the official Dell BIOS Bridge activation tool.

I have one which was used when I downgraded 1.18.0 to 1.16.0.

Same tool may not work with latest BIOS versions.

 

I haven't seen any problems with 1.21.1 but I don't use HDR. What are the benefits of HDR. Does it really make a difference with Dell Precision native display? I thought I need some good external display which support HDR.

 

How about disable NVIDIA from device manger if you need to save battery for a short period?

 

Why purchase heavy Dell Precision with NVIDIA graphics if you don't need it? I run on battery only when I go to meeting rooms, which happens maybe once a week. 

[Aaron44126]

2 hours ago, DavidQ said:

Any idea what else I can try

 

Yeah, next thing I would do here is:

• Switchable graphics back off
• Run DDU and tell it to whack the Intel graphics driver
• Switchable graphics back on
• Install the current Intel GPU driver from Dell's site

 

1 hour ago, heikkuri said:

I haven't seen any problems with 1.21.1 but I don't use HDR. What are the benefits of HDR. Does it really make a difference with Dell Precision native display? I thought I need some good external display which support HDR.

 

How about disable NVIDIA from device manger if you need to save battery for a short period?

 

HDR does allow for some more vibrant colors, but situations where it is useful are minimal (IMO) — certain videos, and certain games, which should automatically trigger it when running full screen (no need to switch the entire desktop to HDR mode).  I guess, you could also be working with HDR imagery (photos) and maybe then you'd need to switch it on.

 

Please do not disable NVIDIA graphics from Device Manager if the system is running with hybrid graphics disabled.  You'll lose the internal display.

[DavidQ]

14 hours ago, heikkuri said:

Please report to Dell you findings.  They are collecting information from customers.

https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/precision-mobile-workstations/precision-7670-and-7770-bios-update-version-1211-discussion/667f02e09135e72a52f93525

There is also separate questionnaire for Dell Precision 7X40 owners.

 

Better ask from Dell support the official Dell BIOS Bridge activation tool.

I have one which was used when I downgraded 1.18.0 to 1.16.0.

Same tool may not work with latest BIOS versions.

 

I haven't seen any problems with 1.21.1 but I don't use HDR. What are the benefits of HDR. Does it really make a difference with Dell Precision native display? I thought I need some good external display which support HDR.

 

How about disable NVIDIA from device manger if you need to save battery for a short period?

 

Why purchase heavy Dell Precision with NVIDIA graphics if you don't need it? I run on battery only when I go to meeting rooms, which happens maybe once a week. 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

My problem is not that I want to use HDR its that I want to turn it OFF.

 

Problem is that when I turn it OFF that when i Have issues.

 

I would like it off especially on batteruy but it just causes the screen to flash on and off

[DavidQ]

12 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

Yeah, next thing I would do here is:

• Switchable graphics back off
• Run DDU and tell it to whack the Intel graphics driver
• Switchable graphics back on
• Install the current Intel GPU driver from Dell's site

 

 

HDR does allow for some more vibrant colors, but situations where it is useful are minimal (IMO) — certain videos, and certain games, which should automatically trigger it when running full screen (no need to switch the entire desktop to HDR mode).  I guess, you could also be working with HDR imagery (photos) and maybe then you'd need to switch it on.

 

Please do not disable NVIDIA graphics from Device Manager if the system is running with hybrid graphics disabled.  You'll lose the internal display.

Thanks for the advise I will give tis a try this AM.

 

I need to get to the bottom of it.

 

on 1.21.1 PC it very glitchy

[DavidQ]

18 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

 

Yeah, next thing I would do here is:

• Switchable graphics back off
• Run DDU and tell it to whack the Intel graphics driver
• Switchable graphics back on
• Install the current Intel GPU driver from Dell's site

 

 

HDR does allow for some more vibrant colors, but situations where it is useful are minimal (IMO) — certain videos, and certain games, which should automatically trigger it when running full screen (no need to switch the entire desktop to HDR mode).  I guess, you could also be working with HDR imagery (photos) and maybe then you'd need to switch it on.

 

Please do not disable NVIDIA graphics from Device Manager if the system is running with hybrid graphics disabled.  You'll lose the internal display.

Thanks so much for the advise

 

I did exactly as you have mentioned step for step.

• Switchable graphics back off
• Run DDU and tell it to whack the Intel graphics driver
• Switchable graphics back on
• Install the current Intel GPU driver from Dell's site

 

And so far so good. Busy testing still but after an hour it still seems fine.

I downloaded the driver from Dell rebooted. but have not opened the Intel software just in case it starts giving problems.

 

Holding thumbs it keeps working.

 

Thank you so much.

Sending all the thanks in the world