For discussion around thermals/tweaks/performance from This Deal
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Dell XPS 8940 10700K RTX 3070 16GB Owners Discussion Thread
LBushwickBill on 03/01/2021 - 13:07
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Links are all bad.
Goddamnit. Cant edit after reply. My bad…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85742/11e7998a-…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85743/086ac6a2-…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85747/a627c743-…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85745/67f8467d-…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85746/7a24ba0f-…Found the original links.
Legend.
why buy an overpriced prebuilt and then do such serious modding, surely that void the warranty
Do you think it’s overpriced? Could you get the same configuration with the same price? (RTX3070)
At the time of writing yes, 3070 was less than $900, plenty of deals on cpu too
By User @Invidicus around undervolting the GPU for cool runnings.
Undervolting the 3070 right now to reduce temps and fan noise, which will coincide with the power-supply quite nicely.
Prevented the CPU Boost, to mitigate heat. I'm genuinely trying not to install an additional cooler. (it would be wiser)
Been stuck on a 60hz monitor until my new dell one arrives, at which point i'll decide between 144/165hz + gysnc.
It's handling everything very well. Cyberpunk included, at 1440p upscaled from 1080p, and everything on highest. Runs louder than a jet on Flight Simulator however.
Had to stuff around with the Realtek drivers and Waves nonsense. Basically, you have to live with Waves. Just turn everything off.
Looking forward to winter with this guy! - Absolutely no heater required!
https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/jn878f/small_beginn…
Have had one BSOD so far. Haven't changed any of the components. Not installing Windows 10 2H at the moment as it killed my last computer.
I'm running 2H and it is fine. Have had BSOD which seemed to revolve around the SD card reader and setting up an SD card for my MT32-Pi. Ended up using an external reader.
Just curious, how did Windows 2H it kill it? Was going to install when I read this
It was my really really old computer. After installing it, kept getting BSOD
I've done the cpu cooler upgrade and have got 3 fans going but im still seeing 90 degrees when running games. the only time it's under is when i have a fan blowing directly at the tower. Not sure what else can be done
Damn. What games/settings/resolution?
Cyberpunk on medium ray tracing and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Makes the room hot as
Hmm. Got an intake fan? Maybe try the undervolt. Hows the ambient temp where you live?
undervolt everything
have the case in a well ventilated area
remove the front panel
if you don't like those methods or if it doesn't work, can always complain and get your money back
Remove the front panel?
yeah give it more air
What resolution are you running? Undervolt the GPU and you'll have massive results. I haven't done any mods and it'll sit 60 - 70 degrees with Max settings 1440p and Ray tracing above ultra. But it's a shade under consistent 60fps so I'll have to tweak it down
What steps did you take for undervolting? I see the linked reddit, but that mentions a few different approaches and of course not using the 3070 card in the XPS.
The same steps, our 3070 seems like it may be an FE :) 1800mhz on the clock and + 1000 memory worked for me and is totally stable. I haven't optimised it yet but just those changes helped immensely
@[Deactivated]: Thanks for reply. I applied the 1800 and didn’t change memory, and turned off cpu turbo boost. Much quieter and better temps. Previously even less demanding games would result in loud noise and 85+ cpu temps.
@Usernames: Oh i hear that!…. Literally, it's like a jet. Awesome. Maybe down the track we can post our more thorough undervolting settings
Hmm! I'm running 1440p too. But I am based in Brisbane so maybe the warmer temps are the cause of it.
I am usually in 24/25 degrees air conditioned room though.
oh the plastic bit?
Anyone able to get MSI afterburner to scan/oc properly? My scans always fail with a code 3 error…
I don't have this PC, but if you're using the latest version of afterburner, you sometimes need to downgrade to the previous version. Had this problem with my 1080ti, hopefully this fix works for you.
Shall I make this intaking or exhausting?
Not great, probably due to CPU throttling from heat. GPU doesn't seem to be firing on all cylinders either Tbh…
Results look ok to me with performance of the card as expected. My system for comparison below:
Hmm, thanks.
What are you using to run higher frequencies on the GPU?
MSI Afterburner.
Anyone able to get the front 3.5mm audio socket to work with a mic/heaphone duo 3.5mm jack?
It seems to only take either a mic or an audio output.
No, I bought a $8 USB converter thing from Amazon. Works well.
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00NMXY2MO?ref_=pe_2361882_2972…I worked it out.
Click on "Headset" when the irritating pop up comes up!
I was a bit put of by the overheating when I was gaming.
I have an existing build:
Existing Build specs:
AMD Ryzen 3600X
ASUS X470 Prime Pro
Scythe Mugen 5
16GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3733 B-Die
ASUS RX5700 8GB
ASUS Strix Raid Pro
500GB Samsung 970 Evo M.2
250GB Intel 600P M.2
Silverstone SFX-G 650WHow do you guys think this XPS 8940 compares to the existing build I have?
I'd prefer yours for a number of reasons. Would be pretty bloody capable at 2k.
Cheers!
Bit short on storage but upgrade friendly. Decent PSU. Nice soundcard.
@BushwickBill: I don't play anything too intense -mainly casual Overwatch and then I hate myself for playing it sometiems lol..
I just want to game on a 38" and my current GPU doesn't allow for that as smoothly as the 3070.
I'm going to stick with my current build and upgrade to either the 3070 or another card, then potentially upgrade other components
Hey,
I added some Ram to this setup and need some help if possible. I did read that Dell is pretty picky when it comes to Ram choices. I decided to have a go with something and see if it would work:
I was able to add a further 16gb ram which is all good, but the DRAM frequency has now dropped.
So with stock 16gb we get 3200 mhz ram
I added what i believed to be identical spec ram and now in my bios it show collectively that the ram is 2400mhz for all 4 slots and my dram frequency is running at roughly 1196.4 mhz.
Description of additional RAM: ValueRAM's KVR32N22S8/8 is a 1G x 64-bit (8GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), 1Rx8, memory module, based on eight 1G x 8-bit FBGA components. The SPD is programmed to JEDEC standard latency DDR4-3200 timing of 22-22-22 at 1.2V. Each 288-pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers.
https://www.umart.com.au/Kingston-8GB-3200MHz-DDR4-Non-ECC-C…
Has anyone added Ram and what did you use?
Whats it run at on those sticks alone? Internet reckons any non-OEM will default to lower speeds than the included Hynix.
This is the Ram I've added to mine.
https://www.mwave.com.au/product/crucial-16gb-1x-16gb-ddr4-3…
The stick supplied by Dell is also a 16GB DDR4 3200 1.2V module.
Can you do 4 X 8GB? Just that it's not listed as supported on the manual. I been looking to add another 16GB as well but didn't want to get 2 X 16GB
Memory configurations supported
8 GB, 2 x 4 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channel
8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM
16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channel
16 GB, 1 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM
32 GB, 1 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM
32 GB, 2 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channel
64 GB, 2 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channel
64 GB, 4 x 16 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channel
128 GB, 4 x 32 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz/2933 MHz, UDIMM, dual-channelAnyone successfully installed 8G x 4?
So by the looks of that list buying and extra x2 8Gb is not supported? well it works, but you don't get to 2933
So at the moment with adding the 2x8gb ram that is not compatible with the XPS 8940 my Ram MHZ is 2400. So my I/O bus clock sits at roughly 1200. (1,200x2 = 2400mhz)
- If i was to swap out the incompatible ram with ram that will give me 2933MHZ (I/O bus speed of 1466.67) would i exponentially notice a benefit of the additional 267mhz.
or if i do this and there is a benefit, in what scenario in the above table would it only runt at 2666 and not 2933?
If you have an intel i3 / i5 it will only run 2666
It has happened twice now since I got the computer. The screen would suddenly go blank, then about 10 seconds later, it would come back up.
In the Windows Event Viewer, the message is: Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered.
Anyone else had that problem?
What fixes have you tried?
Haven't tried. Hasn't annoyed me enough yet.
Have read a few threads and the recommendation is to update directly with nvidia drivers.
Hi All, not sure if this is very good idea but I am learning about crypto and so far has been a fun journey.
I have started to use the desktop to mine some crypto using nicehash.com, it is very simple to use but not sure how well they pay, but good place to start with.
I am doing in averga 4-5 aud per day, so I can get to 1400 per year.. I need to discount electricity costs but I got a good deal and I am paying only 18 cents per kW so the cost per day should be 1.2-1.5 aud per day.
I also got the rtx3070 runining below 70° and limited to 70% power and CPU clock - 250mhz so the gpu seems to be a bit relax without impact to mining.. DaggerHashimoto: ~51 MH/s.
So the questions:
1- do you know if the Motherboard would allow us to add a second gpu just for mining. I believe there are cable extensions that can be used. Not sure if we have those ports and or the psu will be able to manage it.
2- if I consider mining as an investment activity. I belive I could have the following benefits
- All investments costs (desktop, electricity, transaction fees, etc) could be discounted from the capital gains made out of the mining.Fun facts (if you overlook the fact you are using a lot of energy)
- I can pay the electricity bill of the whole house and have some cash (not much) by having this pc running.
Would those cash benefits be mitigated by degradation of the pc? Serious Q, I've always wondered about that world. Fascinating post. Thank you
I read a bit and the gpu at 70% power should be able to last a couple of years without major issues. We also have the founders edition that are good quality. The rest of the components are not really stress out at all (just heat from the gpu) so they should not be much compromised.
In my case I have to have it running anyways as I have a VM server, so it not bad at all as the CPU is not used to mine so performance is good.
If I would have known that I would be using it for mining I would have bought the extended warranty (3 years) :(
Give it a shot, for a few days.. To be able to transfer the bitcoins outside of nicehash.com you will need to have it running for at least 7-10 days.. As there is a minimum required.
Thank you for the grouse info! Cheers!
How goes your mining? Thank you again for your post so many months ago. It remained in my mind and was the reason i started mining today!
Hi guys, my XPS 8940 recently just shut down randomly, now everytime I start it up the power button flashes, it’ll flash a pattern of 3 amber then 2 white, which looking at the Dell support guide is - PCI of video card/ chip failure. Any idea on how to resolve this? Will wait till Monday to contact Dell Support. Loving the PC until now
If you're at all confident, try removing and re-seating the gpu.
Been reading a few reviews online that also state this, I’m not at all confident but I can give it a shot! Thanks for replying
It's nowhere near as hard as it sounds. Plenty of vids out there.
Sorry wrong thread
I believe the motherboard has 2 available pci ports 1x and 4x. Do we know what version?
The pci 4x also seems to be almost fully blocked by the gpu so would hard to use it.
Looking to add an old gpu for mining (second gpu) , I believe the psu might still be good assuming I use a mining os and not Windows.
Looking to add an old gpu for mining .
Powered externally?
I received it a few days ago, just tried to play LOL on it, was not great, worse than my laptop…. it gets really hot and gaming wasn't smooth. Is there anything I could do to improve its performance?
Doesn't seem right.
Explain Gaming wasn't smooth.I have updated all the drivers including NVIDIA, seems better. The heating problem is real, not just near the outlet but also at the top… Thought LOL is a very basic game to run with
Have you undervolted as recommended earlier in this discussion? Is the ambient temperature cool and well-ventilated?
@Usernames: I didn't do the cooler upgrade but will do a front slimline fan and change the rear to a 92mm Noctua. Will report.
@BushwickBill: Please let me know if this method works, my friend recommended but I need his help to put them together.
Has anyone got the down-low on the new Vbios/Driver/Bios update regarding the 3070 and resizable BAR?
Updated the bios, used the nvidia BAR firmware tool, but it says the 3070 is unsupported. The tool is designed for Founders edition 3070. Isnt that what we have?
Thought we'd lose it in a non-compatible motherboard anyway.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou!
How do you update the vbios?
Has anyone found more readily available ram that is compatible with this Rig?
@invidicus - are you saying that the mobo actually has resizable bar capability? Is it compatible with the 10700k CPU?
Sorry about the late reply, nah i feared our proprietary mobo would prevent us but after a fair bit of googling, we'll be sweet when dell/alienware release a new bios eventually.
Without flashing the card and taking a risk, no vbios updater worked on the 3070, not even alienware's one for 3000 series cards released in Feb
So just a waiting game
Does Dell 3070 OEM support fan stop aka 0rpm at idle mode? I can't get it to work seems locked at 30% fan speed even at idle, but even the 3070 founders edition apparently supports fan stop. I wonder if its bios locked out with Dell. Can others hear their 3070 fan at idle?
Nah, only the CPU cooler fan.
Are you saying you can only hear tbe cpu cooler fan at idle? Ive been trying to find out whats the loudest noise at idle and I think it is the cpu cooler fan. Is the noise still audible at idle with the noctua setup?
Open it up? See whats spinning :)
How many brackets (the blue clip on plastic thing) did you get for 2.5" Sata SSD? I only got one but the service manual says it should come with two and has space for 2 drives.
Anyone put additional RAM in 4x8GB configuration? Does it work?Have a look at official dell forums for this model.
I ran PowerMax from CPUZ to stress test. CPU cores reached 100C and GPU 72C. But it didn't crash.
After some time with the 8940 would people recommend it? Currently have the 3060-Ti / i7 11700 model on order but the heating issues / proprietary parts are making me second-guess the purchase.
Would anyone recommend sticking with this (I paid ~$1700) or spending ~$2200 on a machine with a similar GPU but slightly worse CPU?
6 months in Nil issues.
Removed the front hard drive cage for better airflow the other day and still super clean inside.
To be fair I reckon you'll be fine with the 3060.
I might chuck some Noctua fans front and rear with a y splitter but I've found everything runs fine on Ultra.Thanks, good to hear from someone with first-hand experience!
No sweat. Pretty sure you could lash out for extended warranty. It gets hot but all that can be mitigated with ease. Do whatever you can to ensure it has 2 sticks of ram not 1x 16
Exactly what BushwickBill has said….100% my experience too. I was also scared and subject of many funny remarks by peers. Couldn't blame them!
But they shut up after failing to obtain a 3000 series card due to the price-hike/availability!
I've found it great for gaming but only after undervolting the GPU with the 3070. I have it driving two of the typical sdgf 27" dell monitors.
Sometimes I'm spending time dealing with Dell/Killer/Realtek software, but there's usually always PC Admin I suppose, and boy do i have some OCD and go down rabbit-holes.
Now at the point of looking to upgrade the CPU Fan but not in a rush. It will be a good move though, but it is winter!
Absolutely no regrets. I think you've done really well with the 3060-Ti. That's going to be a fantastic setup. Perfect card for this build. If I was in your position, I'd buy what you bought.
- Reformed Dell Skeptic
The massive CPU cooler refresh thread on Dell's website has come up with many easy-swap coolers that bolt straight in to the existing brackets without fuss.
That's grouse to know, thanks heaps! I just watched a video the other day where they highlighted how Dell's motherboard brackets were painful for that very reason. Brilliant.
If anyone is interested, I have a Dell G5 5000 PC, same basic design as the XPS 8940.
I just replaced the CPU cooler with the Arctic Freezer i13 x, it’s readily available at PCCG and Amazon for less than $50.
It bolts straight in, no issues whatsoever. I got the idea from this thread.
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8940-Better-…
You don’t need the backing plate supplied with the cooler as the Dell mobo has the same mount built in standard.
Adding one or two front case fans is pretty simple too if you remove the front drive cage. The G5 is better in this regard, more airflow from the front panel.
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Will kick off with a few usefuls found on the deal thread.
By user @ngcl around his cooler replacement -
CPU Cooler replacement done. Stock cooler replaced with Noctua NH-U9S plus an additional fan (2 in total) combined with the NF-A9 case fan. I will add a 120mm Slim Noctua NF-A12x15 to the front of the case eventually but will wait until the Boxing Day madness is over.
The only additional purchase I needed was M3 screws and M3 washers from Bunnings. Ideally, M3 x 20mm screws would be ideal but Bunnings only had 15mm and 25mm. As I couldn't have been bothered getting the grinder out, I simply added 5 washers to each screw and used the 25mm ones. It worked a treat.
The included splitter is what I used to connect both fans to the cpu fan header. Case fan to the same system fan header. No issues booting. Will do benchmarks soon. Quieter so far.
As you can see from the pics, installing a fan at the front near the graphics card will be a tight fit. Shall see if there is a need.
Gaming sits in the 70's, CPU benchmarking hits about 87, 13 degrees down from before. I will get another front case fan and see how that goes. Then again, today is actually a warm day, which I hadn't had in past benchmarking. Overall, happy with the drop in temps.
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/378415/85742/11e7998a-…
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