Hi there! So I've been experiencing random freezes up to now and I don't know what causes them, usually it happens after sleep mode, ibernate mode or just simply starting the machine. The weird thing is, it doesn't happen when I'm gaming or anything that requires a lot of memory. I have run a hardware diagnostic but every test passed. I also experienced this the first day i got it, but i ignored it thinking it was just because of updates. Now the freezes are back and it is much more recurrent. My laptop is only a few months old. I keep updating BIOS everytime i can and it seems that it works but after 1 day or 2 maximum it happens again.  

What i usually do is to hard reset every time this happens. Can anyone please give me a solution for this? 

I have Windows 10 Up to date, when it freezes up all the apps that i was using are closed as it nothing happened, i use my touchpad, and mouse, i dont have aditional hardware, i have Antivirus.

Hi,

I'm planning to buy the Dell Inspiron 5000 Gaming - 5577 from here

I want to know whether the RAM is 8x1 or 4x2. I've checked the service and config manuals, but they only contain information about supported types. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I was inspired to write this post because I see a lot of confusion about USB-C and Thunderbolt in general, in particular about limitations, such as “Why can I get 4K @ 60 Hz out of a USB-C to HDMI/DP adapter but not out of a USB-C dock that has those same outputs?”, so I figured I’d explain how USB-C and Thunderbolt work in the hopes that it would help make sense of it all.

The USB-C connector is a very interesting and capable design. The focus for our purposes here is that it has 4 pairs of pins that can be used for various types of traffic in various combinations. I’m going to call each of these 4 pairs a “lane” from here on. And since one of the possible uses for these lanes is DisplayPort traffic, another key bit of information to clarify upfront is that DisplayPort is also divided into lanes; it has been from the beginning. A full-bandwidth DisplayPort connection has always been defined as 4 lanes (all carried on a single cable), so when people refer to DisplayPort 1.2 being capable of 4K @ 60 Hz, for example, what they technically mean is 4 lanes of DP 1.2 being capable of that type of output.

So, each of these multi-purpose “lanes” in a USB-C connector is capable of carrying any of these types of traffic:
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 transmit (abbreviated Tx from here on)
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 receive (abbreviated Rx from here on)
- DisplayPort 1.2 lane (if wired to the GPU – and again, each lane is 25% of a full-bandwidth output)
- Thunderbolt 3 (if equipped)

Different lanes can be dynamically assigned to different traffic, but those assignments are fixed for the duration of a given device’s connection. Note that USB 2.0 traffic flows over a completely separate set of pins dedicated solely to that purpose, never over these flexible lanes. Where all of this comes together is in understanding the possible combinations of these lane assignments, their respective use cases, and in some cases their tradeoffs, all described below:

#1: 1 lane of USB 3.1 Tx, 1 lane of USB 3.1 Rx, other 2 lanes unused (until USB 3.2….)
This is what would be used if you connected a garden variety USB device to your USB-C port, possibly using a USB-A to USB-C adapter dongle. Since only 2 of these lanes are required to achieve USB 3.1 Gen 2’s 10 Gbps full-duplex throughput, the other pins remain unused in this scenario. However, if you’ve read about the upcoming USB 3.2, which will increase while using the same USB-C connector and existing cables, that will be achieved by allowing 2 lanes each for Transmit and Receive. It’s not yet determined whether that will result in doubling the total bandwidth since factors such as interference may make that impractical, but that’s how it will be achieved. However, don’t expect to see that on USB-C docking stations anytime soon, for reasons that will become clear shortly.

#2: All 4 lanes each carrying a DisplayPort 1.2 lane
This is what USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort dongles/cables would use. Since USB-C has 4 multi-purpose lanes, and a full-bandwidth DisplayPort output is also 4 lanes, this gets you a full DisplayPort 1.2 output, with the necessary bandwidth to drive a 4K @ 60 Hz display. And if you’re using USB-C to DisplayPort (as opposed to HDMI), you can of course take advantage of DisplayPort MST to split that bandwidth across multiple displays, e.g. 2x 2560x1600 displays, 4x 1080p @ 60 Hz displays, etc.

#3: 1 lane of USB 3.1 Tx, 1 lane of USB 3.1 Rx, 2 lanes for DisplayPort 1.2
This is the configuration almost all USB-C docking stations with video outputs use, because they want to support both USB 3.1 and video output simultaneously. They can do this without any penalty to USB (since remember back in #1, that only uses 2 lanes to begin with), but carrying USB 3.1 cuts the available DisplayPort bandwidth in half. This is why USB-C docks can only do 4K @ 30 Hz, or 2x 1080p @ 60 Hz. Note that a small number of USB-C docking stations allow flashing alternate firmware onto them. By default, they operate in the manner I’ve just described, but the alternate firmware causes them to use all 4 available lanes for DisplayPort, thereby gaining support for the display configurations listed in #2 -- with the tradeoff that any USB 3.1 ports on the docking station now only run at USB 2.0 speeds. Remember, USB 2.0 always flows over a separate, dedicated set of pins. Finally, note that this is why you should NOT expect to see USB 3.2 supported on USB-C docking stations that include video output, at least until the standard evolves, since USB 3.2 will require all 4 lanes to be used for USB traffic – unless of course the docking station offers firmware to disable video output in favor of maximizing USB bandwidth. You may however eventually see higher-bandwidth display configurations supported if systems capable of carrying the faster DisplayPort 1.3 standard over USB-C are introduced, since that allows more display bandwidth to be carried over the same number of USB-C lanes.

#4: All 4 lanes carrying Thunderbolt 3 (if equipped)
Thunderbolt can carry USB 3.1 Gen 2, up to 8 lanes of DisplayPort 1.2 lanes (i.e. two full-bandwidth outputs), and up to 4 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Note that the capabilities of a given system’s Thunderbolt 3 interface will depend on how many GPU outputs and how many PCIe lanes are wired to its Thunderbolt 3 controller, although every system should have at least 1 full DisplayPort 1.2 output (4 lanes) and 2 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The way all of those can be carried simultaneously over just 4 USB-C lanes is that the Thunderbolt controller multiplexes all of those signal types into just a “Thunderbolt signal” before sending it out of the USB-C connector, then the device on the other end de-multiplexes it as needed. Those of you doing some quick math here may have realized that Thunderbolt 3’s maximum 40 Gbps rate is not high enough to handle all of the aforementioned traffic types running their respective max bandwidth simultaneously. Dual 4K @ 60 Hz displays would consume ~32 Gbps all on its own, for example, before adding any USB 3.1 Gen 2 traffic (up to 10 Gbps) or PCIe Gen 3 x4 traffic (32 Gbps). Note however that Thunderbolt can carry 40 Gbps in each direction simultaneously– so for example you could theoretically use dual 4K displays (consuming 32 Gbps of only transmit bandwidth) while also receiving data from a PCIe-based capture device at its full 32 Gbps. When there simply isn’t enough bandwidth to meet demand, Thunderbolt 3 gives priority to display traffic, then PCIe, then USB.

Phew! Well for those of you who read this far, I hope you found this illuminating or at least interesting. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer. Enjoy!

I rarely use my laptop and I opened it up after about two weeks of not using it to find clusters of white pixels clustering around the center of the screen along the horizon. Over the past two weeks more white pixels have appeared in a different area of the screen. Is my laptop screen failing? I've only had it for a couple of months.

Hey everyone,

In addition to my “Demystifying USB-C and Thunderbolt 3” thread, I wanted to write one specifically dedicated to cables, primarily focused on USB-C but also touching on Thunderbolt 3 where appropriate, since they use the same physical connector and to some extent, the cables are interchangeable, but even that isn’t simple. The reality is that that both USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 are so capable, so flexible, and can carry so many different types of signals that it’s created a bit of a mess in the cable space. USB-C may well deliver on its promise of a future that only has one connector to do basically everything, but that doesn’t mean that every cable that features that connector will be capable of carrying everything the port can offer. So for people looking for cables, I wanted to call out the key specs in which various cables on the market can differ so that you purchase the appropriate product for your needs. Here goes:

#1: Data Rate
I’ll cover Thunderbolt 3 first because it’s so easy: the only options here are 20 Gbps and 40 Gbps, with the latter currently being achievable only on a 0.5m / 18in cable unless you use an active cable (more on that later).

For USB-C, you may be aware that USB-C can carry up to USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), but did you know that very few USB-C cables on the market will actually do that? There are actually 3 classes of USB-C cables, just looking at data rate, before even getting into anything else. The cheapest USB-C cables actually only carry USB 2.0 data! Yes, you read that right. The reason is that USB-C connectors have dedicated set of pins specifically for USB 2.0, totally separate from the pins that carry USB 3.1, and therefore cables can be made thinner, more flexible, and at lower cost if they only have the necessary wires to connect those USB 2.0 pins. And there is absolutely a market for this cable type, e.g. devices that don’t require high speed data or might require no data at all, such as cables intended solely for charging devices. Additionally, not having to support higher data rates allows the cables to be longer. Note that all USB-C cables are required to have wiring for the USB 2.0 pins, but some cables have only have that wiring (plus power, which is also required, but more details on that later).

Next up from there are cables that can carry up to USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps). All else being equal, these cables will be thicker and less flexible (due to the extra wires), and more expensive. They are also currently limited to 2m / 6ft in length. And then of course there are the cables that can carry USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), but those are currently limited to just 1m / 3ft in length, at least until cable technology improves to support those higher data rates across longer distances. Also note that USB-C cables capable of carrying either generation of USB 3.1 are required to have an “e-Marker” chip embedded in them that advertises this capability to the devices that it will be connecting.

#2: Power Delivery
All USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 cables are required to be able to carry 3A (amps) of current. Since the current USB Power Delivery spec, which TB3 also uses, currently allows for 20V (volts), and volts * amps = watts, every USB-C/TB3 cable on the market is rated to carry 60W of total power. Some USB-C cables are instead rated for 5A, or 100W, which is as high as the formal USB Power Delivery spec goes (currently). These cables currently seem limited to 1m / 6ft lengths, and note that this increased Power Delivery capacity also triggers the requirement for such cables to include the aforementioned “e-Marker” chip to inform connected devices that they can safely send 100W of power across the cable. Finally, note that cable design isn’t affected by the amount of voltage it needs to carry, only by the amount of amperage, with higher amperage requiring thicker wires to carry safely. This is why some manufacturers rate their cables in amps (technically correct) while others just rate the resulting total power under the current spec (to make things easier for consumers). However, if the USB Power Delivery spec were expanded to allow, say, 30V delivery, every 3A-rated cable on the market would technically become rated for 90W, and the 5A cables would technically become 150W cables – barring any additional requirement that cables include updated e-Marker chips to use that higher voltage. But for now, just know that for USB-C/TB3 cables, 3A = 60W and 5A = 100W, and those are the only types today.

#3: Active/Passive (or: “Better cables for Thunderbolt 3 can be WORSE for USB-C”)
Active and passive technically only applies to Thunderbolt 3, but TB3 cables can be used to connect regular USB-C devices and this active/passive distinction has ramifications for that use case. You may have seen “active cables” in the HDMI world, but if not, the designation refers to cables include electronics inside the cable itself in order to compensate for signal degradation along the length of the cable. This design can make more sense than better electronics in the devices themselves because a major point of degradation is actually crossing the connector from device to cable. Having electronics inside the cable allows the signal to “boosted” once as soon as that gap is crossed on the transmitting side (and that penalty incurred) and then again immediately before crossing that gap on the receiving side. This allows higher data rates to be sustained across longer cable lengths. I mentioned earlier that currently, Thunderbolt 3 passive cables can only sustain 40 Gbps across a 0.5m / 18in cable – well, an active cable can sustain 40 Gbps across 2m / 6ft. I also mentioned that this active/passive distinction has ramifications for USB-C, and here it is: the TB3 data signal boosted by these active cables uses the same pins as USB 3.1 traffic in USB-C cables, and the chips used to improve TB3 signaling are not compatible with regular USB 3.1 signaling, so active TB3 cables will only support USB 2.0 data rates when used as USB-C cables. Going back to the passive side, any passive TB3 cable should carry up to USB 3.1 Gen 2 when used as a USB-C cable, but this does not mean that any USB-C cable that supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 will work as a TB3 cable. It may work, but it is definitely not supported, so there are no guarantees.

Phew! Well for those of you who read this far, I hope you found this illuminating or at least interesting. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer. Enjoy!

hi, today i wanted to buy the dell xps 15 with the discount but i was unable to buy it at all. For some reason it says it has a compatibility issue and thus as you can see the buy button is disabled. It would be very unfortunate that i wouldnt be able to buy it with the discount. 

I'm Naveen Kapoor having issues with my wifi, I'm using Dell xps l501x model. Since last few days. I am able to connect wifi through my mobile device. Even though my wifi is enable. It shows error regarding wifi adaptor. Like a physical wifi adaptor is not installed.

We have a laptop here that an intern typo'd the administrator password twice and now we are trying to take steps into resetting the Bios.  We have tried holding the power button down for 25 seconds (doesn't do system or admin password resets) and we have unhooked the CMOS battery from the machine (as well as taking out the regular battery out while powering it on) to try to force reset the bios.

None of this worked.  Is there a special trick to resetting the bios on these particular laptops?

I'm a little confused about the exact SSD I need to install. m.SATA? m.2? 850 EVO? 950 PRO? If 950 PRO, OK to go to 2TB? Please note I have the larger battery, no existing HDD.

Second, can I image my existing SSD onto the new SSD? Do I need to get an external case to use in "cloning"?

Thank you for any comments or pointers.

Hi everyone, so here is the problem I am having.

I have Dell Inspiron 15R 5537 laptop with touch screen windows 10 home,but from last few days my touch screen is disapear and not working in device manager no HID touch input found,

Can anyone back this up? Does anyone have anything else I can try?

My Dell XPS 15 9550 about 1½ years old started to act up a bit with a lot of "Your PC ran into problems and must be restarted" from Windows 10.

I tried to upgrade all drivers and firmwares as it was always hardware related.

Then all of a sudden the laptop didn't wake up after standby and when I pressed the power button it lit up and I could hear a very soft hum of the fans but nothing more happened, nothing on the screen.

I found some tip online to hold the D-button pressed to check if the screen was alright and when doing it the screen toggles over a few colors and then it just sat there again.

I found another tip to connect the charger and let it charge for an hour before trying again but that did no difference.

The next tip I found was to open it up and unplug the battery. Going to the store and bought a Torx T5 screwdriver and then used my credit card to open the lid (it is glued a bit) and remember the two philips screws under the lid on the backside!

Well, unplugging the battery and replugging did nothing, still the same.

The next tip I found which sounded rather odd but I had nothing to lose was to remove as many circuit boards as possible and "uncharge" them. I removed all "easily" accessible boards, HDD, memory and some other two small boards.

The next step according to the post I found was to make sure you are not carrying any static electricity so ground yourself through a grounded appliance, the water faucet or similar and then hold the boards between your hands and hold your hands on the laptops motherboard as well. Yes, I know this sounds silly but according to the article it will discharge any static electrical buildup inside the laptop.

After this I put everything back and the laptop started up normally!

I am not sure if the "discharging" actually place a part but it worked for me so I figured to share as there are many people suffering from the same problem it seems. This might help you getting your laptop running again...

I then ran the longer hardware scan from Dell's support pages and it reported that the built-in web cam and a PCI Bus failed the test. I re-ran the scan and it reported the same so I clearly have some hardware related issues in my laptop and my TPM chip went bust a few months ago so I had to remove Windows BitLocker.

Now I fully understand why Dell only gives 1 year warranty, their laptops simply don't last much longer than one year! >(

I called support and ask and they offered to replace the motherboard (for the PCI bus) and the web cam for about $2200 (more expensive than buying a freaking new laptop)!

After download and install the 3300_A10.EXE the fan start to run fast and keep hours without and other sign . Them restart by hand but continue DEAD !!! PLS ADVICE !!! Thanks Ricardo 

Just acquired a nice E6330 and despite much googling I can find a definitive answer.

A number of third party memory suppliers indicate compatibility....crucial/kingston etc

Dell support document memory matrix indicates DDR3 only.

CPU i5-3320M supports  DDR3L 1.35V.??

So will DDR3L run on this machine or not?

Thanks in advance

What pens are compatible with dell inspiron 13 7000 series???????????????

I have an old Inspiron 1525 that I have been working on updating a little to be able to use for school. I added a larger hard drive now running windows 10, and upgraded to 4Gb ram running on a 64 bit. The only problem I have left is the battery. The one I had was shot so I ordered a new one, aftermarket not Dell branded, and installed it. My laptop will recognize the battery but not charge, looking into the BIOS it is showing that it does not recognize the charger. It is the original Dell charger. Looking into the help files on this site I found that updating the BIOS can resolve this issue. My problem is that since I cant charge my battery I cant install it the normal way. So I tried forcing the update as mentioned in the help files, from both the command prompt and from a boot USB. Both times it also kicked me out because the battery has less than a 10% charge. Is there another way to go about this without having to charge the battery because that doesn't seem like an option? I found external chargers but they are like $50-$70 and I don't want to spend that just to charge for this. Any advice? Thanks in advance for the help. 

So a few days ago, I turn my less than 3 week old Dell Inspiron 15 7567 Gaming on, and notice that there is now what appears to be fan noise coming from just the right side of the laptop. Prior to this, the fan would only kick on when the laptop hit a certain temperature, but now there is fan noise constantly. I'm worried this is the sign of worse to come. Uninstalling Windows updates, updating the BIOS, and reinstalling windows have done nothing to help. The only other piece of hardware on that side of the laptop is the hard drive. 

So I have installed Dell Data Protection onto my laptop however policies are not getting deployed.  I know this as when I go to the Dell Data Protection icon on the task tray and go to advance the current settings option is missing?  how do I get this back? please let me know asap 

My Laptop(Dell Inspiron N5050) has started to blow regular sound (like a trimmer while trimming). Then I came to know that it is sound of fan then I started Diagnostic at startup by pressing F12 and after checking error code shown as

Error code 2000-0511

Validation 30645

Msg: Fan - The processor fan has failed to respond correctly.

Plz tell me what exactly is with my laptop and how to resolve it.

Thankyou

Hi All,

We are still a Windows 7 shop. We use BitLocker for our Latitude and OptiPlex. We have a process in place with SCCM sequence which gives the BIOS a password and activate the TPM chip, install MBAM which kick off the encryption process after uploading the BitLocker key to AD. This has worked perfectly.

We received a new Latitude 7280 and suddenly this process doesn't work. Everything installs fine and MBAM starts the BitLocker process, but after a few seconds it stops. I don't really know what has changed in this model. I see it has now a TPM 2.0 chip. I'm not sure to blame the TPM  chip at all. This is the difference I see between a 7270 and 7280. The 7280 has now a TPM 2.0 chip.

Is it really the TPM chip which prevents BitLocker to start or something else. Must be the BIOS.

Thanks

Edy