Engineering:Dell Studio

Short description: Brand of computers

Dell Studio 1535

Dell's Studio brand is a range of laptops and desktops targeted at the mainstream consumer market. The computers sit above Dell's Inspiron and below the XPS consumer lines in terms of 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 were available, including a fingerprint scanner in some countries.

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 contained 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 option for a mobile Core i7 processor, although Pentium Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo options were also available as lower-end options.

On June 18, 2010, Dell's website stopped selling the Studio Hybrid.

As of May 2011, Dell has discontinued the Studio line of notebooks.

Laptops

Studio 14

A 14" laptop.

• Studio 1450: Uses Intel Pentium and Core 2 Duo processors, DDR3 memory and standard Intel GMA X4500MHD integrated graphics.
• Studio 1457: Uses Intel Core i7 quad-core processors, DDR3 memory and standard ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530 graphics.
• Studio 1458: Uses Intel Core i3/i5/i7 quad-core and dual-core processors, DDR3 memory and standard Intel HD Graphics or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530 or 5450.

Studio 14z

A thin-and-light 14" laptop. Lacks an optical drive.

• Intel Pentium T4200 (2.0 GHz/800 MHz FSB/1 MB cache)
• Intel Core 2 T6400 (2.0 GHz/800 MHz FSB/2 MB cache)
• Intel Core 2 P8600 (2.4 GHz/1066 MHz FSB/3 MB cache)
• Intel Core 2 T9550 (2.66 GHz/1066 MHz FSB/6 MB cache)
• Intel Core 2 T9900 (3.06 GHz/1066 MHz FBS/6 MB cache)
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M video card
• Uses DDR3 memory

Studio 15

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

The Studio 15 is the mainstream model 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. The ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 1 GB graphics card had just been added. Some designs, like the Studio 1537, were available in a variety of colors, such as orange, red, pink, lime green, black, and a variety of creative patterns that were incorporated into the computer's top and could not be changed by the user.

• All models except the 1537, 1557, and 1569 shipped standard with Intel integrated graphics.
• 1530 series in general: The 1530 series came standard with touch capacitive media and eject buttons, a slot-loading DVD drive, and an optional fingerprint reader. Both the touch capacitive buttons and the optional fingerprint reader were removed from later series. the fingerprint reader was replaced in later models with a facial recognition webcam, for those with the desire to log on without the need to type a password.
• 1535: Intel Pentium and Core 2 Duo processors, 800 MHz DDR2 RAM and the option of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 256 MB video card.
• 1536: AMD Turion X2 processors, 800 MHz DDR2 RAM and the option of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 video card.
• 1537: Offered various upgrades over the other 1530 models, including up to 4 GB of RAM from the factory(upgradable to 8 GB),a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a backlit keyboard, integrated Bluetooth, a dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 34xx Series 256 MB video card and a 2-megapixel webcam with facial recognition.
• 1555: Newer Core 2 Duo and Pentium processors, 800 MHz DDR2 RAM and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 video card with 256 MB or 512 MB or dedicated memory.
• 1557: Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, 1066 MHz or 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM and standard ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 video card with 512 MB of video memory.
• 1558: Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors; 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM; and either an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 video card with 512 MB of dedicated memory or a 5470 with 1 GB of dedicated memory.
• 1569: Intel Core i5-430M 2.26 GHz processor, 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM and Intel integrated graphics or 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 video card

Studio 17

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

A 17" laptop.

• Studio 1735 (Intel Santa Rosa platform)
• Studio 1736 (AMD Turion 64 processor)
• Studio 1737 (Intel Montevina platform)
• Studio 1745/47/49 (Intel Calpella (2009) platform featuring a Core i7 processor and DDR3 memory plus JBL 2.1 speakers [2 x 1.5 watt and 3 watt subwoofer])
• Studio 17 Touch (featuring Windows 7 multi-touch on a capacitive display)

Studio XPS 13

The Studio Dell XPS was a 13" laptop considered to be at the higher end of the Studio range of products. 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. The more serious issue is with the slot-loading optical drive; the device simply does not fit properly into the 13-inch shell.

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. It was available with an Intel Core i7 CPU with two options for video cards, both having 1 GB of video memory: an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 or a 5730.

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 as well as a laptop motherboard, memory, and a laptop power adapter. The computer itself is enclosed in a plastic interchangeable sleeve which was available in various colors including a $130 premium version made out of bamboo. The machine was based on either a Pentium Dual Core or a Core 2 Duo mobile processor. By default, it came with a slot-loading DVD-RW drive but for around $200 your system could be upgraded to a Blu-Ray drive that could also burn DVDs along with the Broadcom Crystal HD card needed to accelerate the video properly (Using Dell Media Direct Software). The board had an integrated Intel X3100 graphics chipset, so while not able to play serious video games, it could be fine for common tasks. When these computers were released in 2008 they initially came with Windows Vista but users were offered the Windows 7 upgrade at no extra cost from Microsoft. The last units to be sold came with Windows 7, but with the maximum RAM upgrade of 4GB, could easily run Windows 8 or Windows 10 without a problem. The included stand could be configured to stand up the computer either vertically or horizontally. The appropriate "Hybrid" logo would light up depending on how the machine is orientated.

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 performance of the XPS, the Studio XPS desktop is a full-fledged multimedia center.

Studio One 1909 (Studio One 19)

Released on April 28, 2009 in the United States , 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 is highly reminiscent of Dell's SX2210 21.5 inch LCD monitor. The chassis can be customized with five different colors. There is also a touch-screen option.

Specifications

	Studio Hybrid	Studio and Studio Slim	Studio One 19	Studio XPS Desktop
Release			2009	2009
CPU	Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300, Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, T6600, T8100, T9300 or T9500	Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200, can be customized up to an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 (both models)	Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 or E5400, Intel Core 2 Duo E7400, E7500, E8300, E8400, E8500 or Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 or Q8400. With the latest BIOS, higher-end LGA775 CPU can be used, such as the Q9550 and Q9650. Because this motherboard has an LGA775 socket, the i3, i5 and i7 processors do not fit because those use different processor sockets.	Intel Core i7-920, 940 or 950
Memory	2, 3 or 4 GB shared dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800 MHz	2 GB dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM, upgradable up to 8 GB	2 GB, 3 GB or 4 GB of shared dual channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz	4 or 8 GB dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066 MHz; or 3, 6, 12 or 24 GB triple-channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066 MHz
Chipset	Intel GM965	Intel G45	Nvidia MCP 7A	Intel X58 Extreme
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)	Integrated Nvidia GeForce 9200 or 9400	ATI Radeon HD 4350, HD 4670 or HD 4850
Display			18.5" widescreen, 1366×768 resolution (optional touchscreen)
Hard drive	160, 250 or 320 GB SATA (5400 RPM)		320, 500, 640 or 750 GB SATA (7200 RPM)	500, 640, 750 GB or 1 TB SATA (7200 RPM, 16 MB cache); 640 GB, 1 TB or 1.28 TB SATA (7200 RPM in RAID 0); or 500 GB or 640 GB SATA (7200 RPM in RAID 1)
Optical drive	8× slot-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive ($200 Blu-ray drive upgrade with Broadcom Crystal HD card offered)	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× slot-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW or 2× slot-load Blu-ray Disc combo drive	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)
Webcam			1.3 megapixel webcam
Wi-Fi	Dell Wireless 1505 802.11n mini-card (optional)		Internal 802.11b/g or 802.11n wireless networking	Dell Wireless 1505 802.11n with external antenna
Other	External 56K fax modem	Both desktops have integrated 7.1 channel audio, but the Studio desktop can be customized with a Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer audio card	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	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

Issues

The Studio 15 (older 1535, 1536, and 1537 models) and 17 (1735, 1736, and 1737 models) were cited by users on the Dell User Forum as suffering 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.

Some users have reported video card problems with the Studio 1555 and Studio 1557, later found to be a faulty driver. 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 the heatsink and fan for cleaning or other maintenance.

The 1557 and 1558 models were known to have problems with overheating, which was generally linked to 3D gaming or other applications involving 3D graphics. The 1557 and 1558 were affected by hard-to-maintain components, which made it hard to clean out blocked heatsink vents or to clean and replace thermal paste due to the combined 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 hard drive in case the laptop is dropped.

See also

• Mac Mini
• ASUS Eee Box
• Acer Aspire Revolution
• MSI Wind PC
• Splashtop, Nettop

External links

• Studio Laptops at Dell.com
• Studio Hybrid at Dell.com

Media

• Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop, A HotHardware Video Spotlight (HotHardware)
• Dell's Impressive Studio Hybrid PC