Sorry to hear about your misfortune, my notebook didn't suffer from any physical defects or scratches.
With 7200rpm hard disk, there's definitely a more responsive feel to it; not sure how much performance does the DDR3 contributes.
There's no remote control and TV Tuner option for Dell Studio XPS 16 if I'm not mistaken.

Ah I see, my bad. Should've check through Dell's website.

Hmm, is Dell trying to rush their production? Shouldn't QC weed out all the problems before they send it to the customers?

Depending on your configuration, the notebook does heat up quite rapidly; notebook cooler is highly recommended for this XPS. The fan always spins constantly, goes loud when you play games. It doesn't burn your palms or fingers but it's consider hot for the average joe.

From where you get this info from? In other words which application tells you that.

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Added on February 26, 2009, 10:36 amThat's one of the things that you have to rely on reviews to answer some of your queries; I have tons of questions before I got myself the Dell Studio XPS 16, trouble is you have to use that said product for some duration before realizing any flaws or shortcomings etc. So, in the mean time you can ask around (though I suspect only owners of the Studio XPS 13 notebook can give you a solid feedback) or check out some of the review links for the Studio XPS 13 I posted up at the first post. Good luck.

This post has been edited by Onyx_black: Feb 26 2009, 10:36 AM

The Studio XPS series notebooks are not exactly tailored towards hardcore gaming crowds; Dell blurred the lines between the original XPS (gaming) and the Studio line (towards professional users).

By the way, owners of Dell Studio XPS 16 take note; the IDT driver update on Dell's website will offer a slight upgrade on the sound capabilities of your sound card (though I suspect it's on the software level). SRS Premium Sound capabilities is added to your IDT control panel once you installed the driver.

This post has been edited by Onyx_black: Feb 26 2009, 06:58 PM

If gaming is your top priority then by all means avoid Dell because of two reasons: the original Dell XPS systems passed its golden age, it used to be a great portable gaming system; the Studio XPS on the other hand caters to those who crave a little luxury (backlit keyboard/leather clad screen etc) and professional/home users as well.

There are limited options for you if gaming is on the top of your agenda; might as well get a PC.

Try here.

1.) Double click on "R208557.exe".
2.) Click "Continue".
3.) Select the folder directory which you want to extract your files to.
4.) Select "OK".
5.) The installer will prompt you whether you want to create the folder (if you haven't already extract the files).
6.) After the extraction, the Dell installer will tell you that the files have successfully extracted.
7.) InstallShield for the IDT Audio Driver will launch automatically.
8.) Follow the on-screen instructions.

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Added on February 28, 2009, 8:42 amStudio XPS 16 isn't that huge; it's slightly longer than a typical 15.4" notebook but the width is shorter. In some cases even lighter than the 15.4" notebook, depending on the 15.4" notebook. My Dell Inspiron 6400 is one fine example.

This post has been edited by Onyx_black: Feb 28 2009, 08:42 AM

Well, I guess Dell engineers have their own reasons as to why they resort to such measures for ventilation. At first I was a little skeptical too but when I think about it there's only one reason I can think off:

Sometimes we tend to obstruct the exhaust ventilation, e.g. the notebook is too close to the wall, books are behind the notebook, space constraint, notebook on the bed etc. So in order to maintain airflow to disperse the heat (because this notebook is so capable of producing huge tons of it), Dell engineers design it in such a way that the screen is in the way of the ventilation outlet when the screen is propped open. Although it sounds contradictory or absurd, the hot air from the system still manage to escape. It's just the LCD panel is reflecting/redirecting the hot air to the top. In essence no matter how constraint your workspace is or no matter where you placed your notebook, there's nothing in the way of the exhaust vent, except the LCD screen, even then it helps redirecting the hot air to the surroundings. However, placing the notebook on the bed is still potentially dangerous.

This is just my wild guess, I'm no engineering here.

Thanks, comes with a premium though.
RM 6k+
No, I didn't upgrade it yet as my warranty is still on; I bought the Dell Care Premium (3 Years).

Since the amount of users/owners are growing, I might add an owner's list at the first post if need be.
What do you guys think?

It's on the Dell Studio XPS customization page; I'm using Cooler Master Notepal W2. It fits the notebook perfectly. I have the Notepal Infinite as well, but I reckon it's more suitable for 15.4" notebooks like my old Inspiron 6400.
The bad thing about Notepal W2: no adjustable speed for the fans, I hardly bother to adjust the speed of the fan honestly.
Another reason why I prefer Notepal W2 over Notepal Infinite, it's a pain in the butt to clean the Infinite.
Cleaning 'manual' here, just to give you a rough idea.

Well, if you have some photos, post them.
Did you just say they replaced the notebook for you twice? Wow, that's some serious mistake on Dell's part.

Added review link for the Studio XPS 16 from PC Pro.com, check that out at the first post.
As for the owner's list, I 'll find time to do that later, be patient guys.

With just 5 cumulative posts, I wouldn't take his/her claims too seriously; but then again he might be right.

Ok guys, the user list is up at the first post; it's in Alpha stage (lol), any mistakes or typos please let me know and if you alias is there but no specs please post it here and I'll add your specs into the list.
Thanks.

Thanks for formatting it the same way I did, I appreciate that guys!
Micdy, please check your RAM configuration again, is it 3 or 4GB?

Around January 7th, 2009.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/07/dells-s...onto-the-scene/

Enjoy the RGB LED screen, one of the best there is.