Dell Precision 7670 & Dell Precision 7770 owner's thread

[brunooo84]

Just curious... Did you receive your laptop by the date Dell said you would? Mine says it will be delivered by nov 3rd and I'm going overseas on the 22nd... 😟

[Kataphract]

Hi,

I'll write more further, but just quickly to confirm what the youtube review (2 samples!) and everyone else got, my 12850X score on new 7670 (with 128GB CAMM module, thus running only 3600 MT/s memory), is between 14k to 15k on CB23 depending on power profile.
I haven't unfortunately got time to play more with this due to my work but I'll get to this soon.
I received my laptop officially from Intel as sponsored CGI artist, but my opinions are my own, I am neither reviewer nor social media person :- ).

My hunch is that there isn't problematic heatsink, but just usual shoddy paste job and conservative power settings. Yes, Win32asmguy's score improved, but, even by virtue of replacing heatsink, you are also repasting, so I wouldn't put that towards the heatsink alone.
While I am decently confident in repasting, I am not sure I want to do that on brand new 8k Euro laptop. I will investigate more. If it's purely because of power management, that is ok with me since I like my laptop to be configured that way to run silent (and my 7670 is amazingly silent). But if it's indeed due to thermal constraints, that would be regrettable since this is very heavy&thick laptop, so there is no reason why it shouldn't be able to handle much higher thermal headroom.

I have no complaints about anything though, it's very well built. No XPS-like trackpad issues, all sturdy solid, amazing OLED display. 

Best,
Juraj

[brunooo84]

On 9/21/2022 at 2:08 PM, win32asmguy said:

I ordered the pad version. Lenovo does seem to have had success with using it. If anything it seems to have a more consistent result from the factory.

 

Also to rule out the heatsink I ordered a replacement from Dell. It took about 30 minutes of troubleshooting then they sent an overnight parts dispatch. The new heatsink has Sunon fans instead of Delta. The specs are slightly different on the fans (Sunon, 5v, 0.8a, 9.4cfm) vs (Delta, 5v 0.5a, 9.2cfm) and they have a different sound cycling on/off which is quieter. The stock TIM also appears to be better than what was shipped originally from the factory, I will use it this week to see how it performs. This one is already exceeding what was sustainable with the original.

 

How much was the replacement one? 

[Aaron44126]

33 minutes ago, brunooo84 said:

Just curious... Did you receive your laptop by the date Dell said you would? Mine says it will be delivered by nov 3rd and I'm going overseas on the 22nd... 😟

If you are in the U.S., put a “vacation hold” up in FedEx and that should at least keep your laptop from being delivered while you are gone.  Obviously it would be better if it arrives “on time”, but that’s not something that you can count on right now.

[TwistedAndy]

10 hours ago, win32asmguy said:

 

I am not sure about the 7670 capabilities, but for the 7770 my performance issues were fixed with a replacement heatsink. It can now get over 22,000 CBR23 with stock pads and thermal material and no undervolting.

 

The situation with stock performance looks weird, because even with some QC issues with a heatsink or thermal interface, it still should handle at least 55W sustained power and get nearly 14-16,000 CBR23 sustained. 21-22,000 possible only during the first run.

 

From my perspective it looks like some issues with Intel drivers (especially Intel DTT and IPF) or BIOS configuration.

 

Eventually, I had a problem on my XPS 17 with PL1 locked on 20W by default because of compatibility issues between Windows and firmware.

[DoC]

Hey 🙂
I just registered. A little bit disappointed from my 7770, here's the config:

Intel Core i9-12950HX, 30MB Cache, 24 Threads, 16 Core,
2.3GHz to 5.0GHz vPro
NVIDIA RTX A5500 16GB GDDR6
17.3-inch, WLED UHD 3840 x 2160, 120 Hz, Anti-Glare, Non-
Touch, 99% DCIP3, 500 nits, IR Cam/Mic WLAN
32GB, 1x32GB NECC 4800MHz DDR5 CAMM Module
1 TB, M.2 2280, Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, SSD
6-Cell 93WHr Lithium Ion Battery
240W SFF Power Adapter
Intel Wifi 6E (6GHz) AX211 2x2 with Bluetooth Wireless

Cinebench R23 is quite low and it seems I'm not the only one with that problem. I am using it with a dental 3D scanner and I get really low FPS (mid 40s and should be high 60s) when scanning. Furthermore, scanning for a longer period of time really hurts performance, dropping FPS to mid 30s. Shame to pay that much for top tier GPU only to be bottlenecked by thermals on the CPU.
Really frustrating. I hope some BIOS mod or a recall of some sort to change heatsinks will fix the issue. It's performing worse than a gaming laptop half the price.

[serpro69]

 

11 minutes ago, DoC said:

or a recall of some sort to change heatsinks will fix the issue

 

Don't wait for a "recall", you have warranty, open a support case and let them fix it.

 

---

 

@Dell-Mano_G, can you shed some light on these performance issues people are facing? Is there any investigation ongoing on the Dell's side to figure out the problem and fix it?

 

Unless I've missed something, I think there hasn't been a single report so far that didn't mention these performance issues out of the box... Even if it's just re-paste/-pad, how hard is it for Dell to do this properly so that users don't need to do this kind of thing just after receiving the machine?...

[Easa]

Hey guys,

 

Thinking about getting one of these to have it ready for upgrade when the time comes, IMHO these machines should have option like this in configurator, its 2022 FFS, 60Hz should die already. This is basically the best 16" screen available at the moment, if we are talking about IPS:

https://www.panelook.com/NE160QDM-NY3_BOE_16_LCM_overview_51262.html

 

As for this issue regarding CPU performance that basically all of you are experiencing with 7770/7670 laptops, it makes me both sad and angry. If mobile WS laptops will continue to be like this, it will be better to just buy a higher end gaming laptop and trash it out every two years (and saving half the cost in the process). What is the point of paying 5 grand for a machine when it behaves like this. 

 

I just hope that they will eventually manage to iron out all the kinks, so when the next year model 7780/7680 comes, it will be a pleasant facelift of these, with Raptor Lake & Ada Lovelace combo.

 

 

[Aaron44126]

3 hours ago, serpro69 said:

@Dell-Mano_G, can you shed some light on these performance issues people are facing? Is there any investigation ongoing on the Dell's side to figure out the problem and fix it?

 

 

Unless I've missed something, I think there hasn't been a single report so far that didn't mention these performance issues out of the box... Even if it's just re-paste/-pad, how hard is it for Dell to do this properly so that users don't need to do this kind of thing just after receiving the machine?...

 

For Precision 7770, it seems like the initial batch of heatsinks has some issue keeping it from reaching its "potential", with both @win32asmguy and myself reporting the same throttling issues when first receiving the system.  I'll be poking in tomorrow to try to get a new heatsink for myself.

 

See:

18 hours ago, win32asmguy said:

I am not sure about the 7670 capabilities, but for the 7770 my performance issues were fixed with a replacement heatsink. It can now get over 22,000 CBR23 with stock pads and thermal material and no undervolting.

 

[Easa]

Oh guys, and I know that one swallow does not make a summer, but I would say that these are some kind of pioneers to the new 18" class that I have mentioned earlier. Take this with a grain of salt.

 

https://www.panelook.com/N180JME-GAA_Innolux_18_LCM_overview_55484.html

[win32asmguy]

14 hours ago, serpro69 said:

 

Looking at how almost everyone got the same poor results initially, can we assume that they released a bunch of defective heatsinks? And is replacing a heatsink what should be done first if a new unit performs poorly? I wonder if anyone else tried to get a replacement and seen improvements with rest being stock.
While some users reported that re-paste and changing thermal pads helps, I don't see why a top-of-the-line workstation would need re-padding or re-pasting out of the box. This is just nonsense and completely unacceptable...

 

I am not sure if there was a bad batch but I did not mind trying to replace mine as it was easy to order and install myself. I am happy the new replacement heatsink has higher quality thermal compound on the CPU side.

 

Its a sad thing that there are some reported issues but the tolerances are only tighter on this generation of products so its not something easy to get perfect on the first try. There is still not another option out there with 17 inch FHD, 12900HX, Windows 10 support, 3080Ti GPU, and generally professional aesthetics.

[DoC]

11 minutes ago, win32asmguy said:

 

I am not sure if there was a bad batch but I did not mind trying to replace mine as it was easy to order and install myself. I am happy the new replacement heatsink has higher quality thermal compound on the CPU side.

 

Its a sad thing that there are some reported issues but the tolerances are only tighter on this generation of products so its not something easy to get perfect on the first try. There is still not another option out there with 17 inch FHD, 12900HX, Windows 10 support, 3080Ti GPU, and generally professional aesthetics.

Can you post the product number of your replacement sink so I can order the same?

[Aaron44126]

3 minutes ago, DoC said:

Can you post the product number of your replacement sink so I can order the same?

 

This is a "lottery" situation, with (at least) two different versions of the part with the same part number.  Dell won't be able to promise you a certain variant, but hopefully by this point they are only shipping out the "good" one.

 

The "good" one has Sunon fans and the "bad" one has Delta fans.  That's the differentiating factor that we have right now.  (You might have to remove the heatsink and flip it over to see what type of fans you have.)

[win32asmguy]

5 hours ago, DoC said:

Can you post the product number of your replacement sink so I can order the same?

 

The part number is RPD7J from the packing list.

 

If you do order one be sure to also check each thermal pad and ensure they are sitting squarely in place, and try to only do 1-2 turns on each screw in the pattern until they all bottom out.

[serpro69]

17 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

with both @win32asmguy and myself reporting the same throttling issues when first receiving the system

 

Yeah, and pretty much everyone else as well as far as I can see. Hopefully you can resolve your issues with a simple heatsink replacement as well. Keep us updated.

 

  

16 hours ago, win32asmguy said:

I am not sure if there was a bad batch but I did not mind trying to replace mine as it was easy to order and install myself. I am happy the new replacement heatsink has higher quality thermal compound on the CPU side.

Yes, if @Aaron44126 can also confirm that a heatsink replacement is enough to solve throttling issues, then this might still turn out to be a simple fix for most who are facing the same problems. Still, this isn't something that Dell should just let slide and leave up to users to discover and fix... 

[Kataphract]

Looks like the Display is wired to iGPU instead of dedicated? After disabling the iGPU (so that I could run novideo_srgb clamp tool instead of Dell Premier color), I lose control over brightness. Hmm.

[1610ftw]

On 10/2/2022 at 11:35 PM, Easa said:

Oh guys, and I know that one swallow does not make a summer, but I would say that these are some kind of pioneers to the new 18" class that I have mentioned earlier. Take this with a grain of salt.

 

https://www.panelook.com/N180JME-GAA_Innolux_18_LCM_overview_55484.html

 

This is the best DTR related news in a long time! 18" 16:10 in 2560x1600 with 480Hz refresh would appeal to both gamers and for productivity work as a middle ground between the Full HD and UHD and it is a logical step up from the 16" 16:10 screens that seem to be the new normal. I would have preferred bigger but at least we again are back to the screen real estate of those old 18.4" 16:9 screens.

 

I also looked this one up on Ali Express and it says "only" 165Hz and a low 600:1 contrast, hopefully the contrast number is incorrect and also the refresh rate seems to be a bit too with others offering up to 240Hz with QHD:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/18-0-inch-laptop-lcd-screen_1600479779605.html?spm=a2700.shop_plgr.41413.17.130869e6zLx4xw

[Aaron44126]

3 hours ago, Kataphract said:

Looks like the Display is wired to iGPU instead of dedicated? After disabling the iGPU (so that I could run novideo_srgb clamp tool instead of Dell Premier color), I lose control over brightness. Hmm.

You can toggle it in the BIOS. If you turn off “hybrid graphics” then all displays will be wired to the NVIDIA GPU. I didn’t have trouble with brightness control when switching to the NVIDIA GPU on the 7770. You should reinstall the NVIDIA graphics driver after doing the toggle, I think, I’ve had that fix things for me before.

[operator]

Since I was not able to order with WWAN, can I use the slot for a M.2 2230 card or similar?

Are there any limitations to that slot?

 

[serpro69]

I remember reading on that Chinese forum that you can put an M2. 2230 there.

[Aaron44126]

1 hour ago, operator said:

Since I was not able to order with WWAN, can I use the slot for a M.2 2230 card or similar?

Are there any limitations to that slot?

 

Not all M.2 slots are the same.  The WWAN slot is B-key.  Most NVMe SSDs are M-key.  (If they have a cutout for B+M key, then they cannot use four PCIe lanes.)  You'll need an adapter or an unusual card to fit it in the WWAN slot.  (...But, if you can get it to work "physically" then it will "probably" also be detected by the OS for use.  But not by the BIOS for booting.)

 

 

The illustration shows a B+M key SATA M.2 drive which will fit into a B-key slot.  ...This won't work, though, because it requires the slot to be connected to a SATA controller which is not the case in this system.

[operator]

Good to know, thanks.

So there is an option for a 4th drive then for the 7670 owners. 🙂

[Light]

Is there a difference in SSD performance between NVME slots?

[Don]

Hi,

 

I apologize if this question has been asked before.

 

May I ask if anyone with this machine tried to use their TV via HDMI with this using force HDR mode. On my 7760 when I force HDR the laptop doesn't make my TV go to HDR. It only work when I actually play HDR content via MPC or something. I tried to force the laptop to use discrete graphic only but the laptop won't boot after that. I know my TV can do HDR natively on windows because when I use my desktop running RTX 3 series it works.

 

Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you.

[Aaron44126]

10 hours ago, Light said:

Is there a difference in SSD performance between NVME slots?

 

They all run at full PCIe4 speed.  The slot in the middle, under the SSD door, has direct lanes to the CPU.  The other slots are behind the PCH so they might have to share bandwidth in high-load situations.

  

10 hours ago, Don said:

I tried to force the laptop to use discrete graphic only but the laptop won't boot after that.

 

That is odd, you should definitely be able to change that.  Make sure that you are giving it time after switching the video options in the BIOS.  I have noticed that it could stay at a black screen for 20-30 seconds before finally booting up after making a change here.  (Seems to be a one-time thing, subsequent reboots are fine.)

 

—————————————————————

 

Tried to do a Linux install last night, looking to set up a dual(/triple) boot situation with Windows.  Ubuntu really wants me to disable BitLocker before it will install.  Not sure why that would be necessary (I have some empty partition space available).  I didn't end up doing it, I'll fight with it more some other time...

 

[Edit]

Got Ubuntu to install, just had to do the option for manual partition layout.