Dell quietly fixes charging complications with some XPS 17 9700 laptops

Updated with dialogue board experiences that the fix requires a hardware swap.

Dell confirmed that charging complications with about a of the firm’s original XPS 17 9700 laptops, to boot as about a of its Precision 5750 corporate laptops, were identified and fastened.

The problem came to light when Dell XPS 17 9700 review units examined by Notebookcheck.com (which first reported it) and PCWorld exhibited the uncommon behavior of discharging their battery whereas plugged in, if the notebook computer used to be below heavy load. To abet diagnose the difficulty, PCWorld sent its review unit and charger support to Dell for prognosis.

Dell confirmed what had been seen, and acknowledged it used to be resolving the subject: 

“Dell has identified an argument on a restricted quantity of XPS 17 9700 laptops and Precision 5750 mobile workstations the keep users would per chance understand their battery depleting at a higher than expected rate below sustained heavy workloads and whereas connected to AC vitality,” a Dell spokesman acknowledged. “Dell has rectified the behavior, and up-to-the-minute orders for the merchandise are unaffected. Dell will contact customers with potentially affected programs for option. Prospects would per chance contact Dell Technical Strengthen for aid.” 

IDG

What we don’t know, clearly, is what the fix is yet, and whether or no longer it required hardware or firmware. We are in a position to whine that a most modern firmware update to the XPS 15 9500, which never had the XPS 17 9700’s teach, did appear to update the notebook computer’s USB Energy Birth circuit. The update affected both the “Valuable USB PD Controller 2” and “Valuable USB PD Controller 1.”

Gordon Mah Ung

It’s doubtlessly a hardware fix

Reading between the traces, nonetheless, the fix is probably going no longer as straight forward as firmware. Dell wouldn’t favor to realize out to impacted customers only for that, so it’s entirely that it is seemingly you’ll presumably imagine the solution is hardware-connected. Certainly, several posts in a Dell subreddit perceived to verify that the fix is hardware.

Client HistoGraham used to be among several claimed XPS 17 householders who acknowledged they were told that a substitute notebook computer or motherboard swap used to be the fix.

“Lawful got off the cell phone with encourage. CONFIRMED: the XPS 17 battery drain is a HARDWARE teach and NOT a firmware teach,” HistoGraham wrote. “

“My technician suggested that I return my notebook computer and impart a brand original one. If I understood him precisely, he acknowledged that: ‘Original XPS 17s on the manufacturing line are now being made with the fix for the charging teach. The standalone substitute motherboards received’t be available till August, or presumably later.’”

Others in the Dell subreddit posted identical conversations with buyer encourage. Dell’s suppose that the difficulty is with a “restricted” collection of units additionally looks to be correct, if posts in the identical dialogue board are to be believed. Just a few have acknowledged their XPS 17 units were in a position to reaching the stout 130 watts’ plan from the vitality bricks relatively than stopping at 105 watts.

Even though we are in a position to’t test these posts on Reddit, they indicate that a straightforward fix through firmware or tool isn’t going to be the solution. To Dell’s credit, the firm is acknowledging the difficulty and reaching out to these with affected units.

One of founding fathers of hardcore tech reporting, Gordon has been maintaining PCs and components since 1998.