Hi I bought a studio hyrid for $299 a few weeks ago and had 5 or 6 beep codes and returned it. The second one worked ok. (are they out returns as new, I know dell has done it before) I had a dell wifi card I bought on ebay, swapped the ram with 4 gb from an old laptop and installed a 320 gb hdd.3 screws to take apart was easy to upgrade and is a nice little desktop. A few months ago I bought a Zino HD 400 w/ 4330 graphics for $349. It is a way better computer but I like both.
Yes, I got it connected - but the first unit Dell sent me would give me a BSOD and crash every time it tried to boot from HDMI. The second unit Dell sent me worked OK in that regard if memory serves...but that was almost a year ago. It had a bunch of wonky DVD playback issues. Dell really butchered the software install on the Hybrids a year ago; I assume it's all smoothed out now.
I downloaded the program and it worked fine, thanks.
But im wondering something, so I thought I would ask you since you have a great deal of experience of computers and electronic stuff.
I bought an Acer 7738G ( a laptop ) with 4GB of DDR3 RAM. And in the spec it says they should run at 1066 MHz. But where can I find the clock speed for the RAM in the CPU-Z program?
You can't change the RAM clock speed on a laptop, so I wouldn't worry about it - it is what it is. But CPUz should report RAM speeds on the Memory tab. Double the number you see and it should be the speed your RAM is running at.
Yes, when you double 533, you get 1066, which is the max bandwidth of your RAM. I'd urge you to check out the Wikipedia entry on RAM to understand more about RAM clock speeds if you really want to know more. :-) - Jason
slight note there, technically, if it is dual channel than it is 1066 for each stick, but the thing is, since they are rated for 533, that actually means that even WITH the dual channel, its still only 533, so a single channel is running at 266.5... and ram is accessed like a serial connection, only one stick is accessible at a time, so even though there are two sticks, it doesn't exactly run at 1066 either because both sticks are not being accessed simultaneously.
I was wondering what alternatives are out there in the feild of space saving desktops. In the same price range. This looks ideal for what im wanting but not really sure what else is out there, other than the mac mini which deosnt have an HDMI output the last time i checked up on it.
There aren't many that are this size - at least, not from major manufacturers. Acer has some similarly small units, though I think they're based on the Atom CPU, so it won't have as much grunt.
I like this Dell but according to your previous comments, you said that the GPU isn't up to par with some of the other systems. However, I won't be playing games on this thing. Just some Word, PowerPoint etc and maybe some videos.
You mean for Flash games and the link? Should be just fine. Or do you mean for World of Warcraft, etc.? Should be OK, though you'll have to drop your resolution down.
As well as basic use im looking at the hybrid for some occasional and basic home recording and editing of music. Do you think 2GB of RAM will cope with these sorts of programmes, or should i look at something more powerfull? Thanks.
Audio editing doesn't take much horsepower, so yes, it should be fine. You might want to up the RAM though...depends on how many plugins you're using, etc.
Wow jason, i seen a lot of reviews before of different products. And I have to say that your reviews are the best, so clear and understanding. I wish every review would be done by you. Btw did you keep the computer? I'm thinking of getting one of these, but im having a hard time to make up my mind. The decision are between this computer and a laptop
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate them. I do my best to make great reviews for you guys. :-) I returned the computer because the GPU performance wasn't quite good enough for my needs. I'll shoot a video this week or next showing what I picked, and the "digital wall" that I built.
Love the videos... Do you think the hybrid is suitable for common home office functionality with occasional blueray/dvd/hulu playback on a plasma? If not, what would the best option be? I prefer the small footprint of the Dell.
I think it would be ideal for a home office - it has more than enough oomph for pretty much everything except gaming. Blu-ray playback worked just fine, and Hulu playback will work just fine.
Actually I meant your experience with the slimline. I was wondering if the slim was quiet and ran okay. If the fan is too loud on the slimline why would you replace the gpu? Wouldn't you add a cooling unit or extra fan or something?
Well, I said the fan on the GPU is too loud. As in, the fan on the graphics card makes too much noise. So by taking it out and putting in a passively-cooled card, it will make the computer much quieter. I need to remove the TV tuner in it though, because there's not enough space for the big heat-sink on the GPU otherwise. Mind you, I haven't done this yet - I'm waiting for the GPU to show up...
Awesome video. Right now I'm torn between getting a hp slimline 5000series computer or the Dell studio hybrid. Could you describe your experiences with it. I'm kinda leaning towards the studio only because it could be laid horizontally and is ultraquiet? Thanks in advance.
Well, I did four different videos about the Dell Studio Hybird, more than I've done for any other product, so those ARE my experiences with it. :-) I ended up returning it because of the poor graphics performance I mention in the videos. I bought an HP Slimline computer instead, but am having to replace the graphics card because the fan on it is so damn loud. If you don't need GPU performance, go for the Dell computer.
I find it strange that yours made Media Center look "choppy". like I said, mine runs really smooth. I thought it was your CPU but you said your 2nd one had a more powerful one than mine even...
The only thing I can think of is that I bought mine in February 2009 I believe so they must have fixed/updated it from when you had yours... i dont know...??? thats got to be it.
It's certainly possible that a driver update fixed the problem - which is great, but it doesn't change what I saw in my video. If Dell wants to release a product with problems and fix them months after release, they're going to have some unhappy early adopters. On my netbooks with the even weaker GMA945 GPU, running Windows 7 I've seen some amazingly fluid graphics - so often this is all about drivers.
Thank you for the great video. What are your thoughts regarding Boxee as the application/interface for the media center experience on (1) The Dell Studio Hybrid and (2) your HP Slimline ?
Sure, but not this small/quiet - you pay the premium for the size and design...but if Dell had even a moderately decent GPU in there, it would have been perfect for my needs. It's still a nice little computer...it would be cool if it had dual DVI out for two monitors.
Liquid cooling is totally silent. Plus you can get soe pretty small LAN cases now that cna fit a full powered computer inside the :) some come with special carrying handles ^^
In your other video when you mentioned your computer being very quiet, did you mean that it was literally very quiet, or it was very quiet when compared to a washer machine? My Hybrid can be clearly heard from about 10-15 feet away with the door beside it open (facing a somewhat bustling neighborhood). Do you think that this whiny and noisy Hybrid has something wrong with the fan or the hard drive?
I have a hybrid (On it right now) and the only time I can ever hear it is when it's burning a DVD disc..
other than that, i could literally be 2 feet away from it with complete silence in the room and I coulnt hear it. It has got to be the most silent computer i've personally ever heard... or not heard
Hi, Jason. very informative. For a HPTC, would you think a DELL STUDIO HYBRID DESKTOP,2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor,4GB,320GB HD, Slot Load Blu-ray Disc Combo would be a good choice for $599? I'll really only use it as a DVR and to watch blu-ray.
Sure, that should work pretty good - though it really depends on what kind of DVR software you're going to use. I presume you're going to get an external TV tuner/capture device? Should work OK...
Depends on what kind of video editing we're talking about here. SD video? Yes, easily. HD video? A harder question - the answer is yes, as long as you get the higher-end CPU and a decent amount of RAM. Editing HD video doesn't feel fast enough on my overclocked quad-core system, so it's all a matter of perspective... :-)
Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, haha good music, classic rock
Best full review for a PC I have seen, I would have really liked you to maybe try out a game unless you are going to be trying that out soon! Like not too hardcore but at some extent
I like all sorts of music, and with 13,000 or so songs, I have a bit of everything. ;-) In terms of games, I guess the problem is picking which game to test - everyone has different games they play. WoW seems to be the most popular in terms of questions that I get, but I don't play WoW, and am not going to sign up for an account just for testing. I'm open to suggestions. :-)
Well, I don't play WoW either, but i DID try out the week trial, or whatever it is, you can do that, no money paying after that or anything and just delete it right after. You can also maybe download some demos online and try them out or something, unless you don't feel like it's necessary to test for video games of course haha
I can do the WoW trial, I think, once. So that's not a solution that really works across all the systems I review in a year. :-) Maybe when Diablo 3 comes out... :-D
You think that the reason Windows Media Centre is slow is the hard drive? Nah. Once you go through the menus they'll be cached to RAM, so the hard drive isn't involved. I've used Windows Media Center on plenty of laptops with 5400 RPM hard drives, but better GPUs, and it works great.
hey, your info has something wrong.. This is part two of a three-part deep dive video series on the Dell Studio Hybrid. isnt this part 3? oh one more thing i wanna ask cause i'm not that good in com stuff. can this com play portal? and if i get like a external power supply, can this be used like a laptop since the power plug looks like a laptops one
Thanks, I've corrected the side-bar info. As for whether or not it can play Portal, you'd have the check the system requirements for Portal and compare that to the specs of the Studio Hybrid you want to order. It's not rocket science, do the research and you'll find your answer. :-)
I think if you disable hardware acceleration in any media player it will off-load the rendering work to the main processor/s which is fine and dandy in dual-core systems, and better than the integrated 'X3100' chip. 3D-graphic-intensive games are another kettle of fish, and need dedicated GPUs (which are insanely faster.) Personally I don't know why they make boring FPS games ever more demanding - where did game-play go??
I wish that were the case, but it's not. When I returned this unit to Dell, I re-ordered another one with the T9300 CPU (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/6MB cache) and it had exactly the same problem. It's not the CPU, it's the GPU. Or, possibly, the GPU at the time had a poor driver that made it herky-jerky for me. Or maybe I'm just more sensitive to this problem than you are. :-) Regardless, I returned the second unit to Dell. I'm glad you like yours!
I want to use a computer thats small for storage space but gets the job done for doing my Home Work, recording my video game videos and editing them and ect. But I want alot of storage space around 500gigs. If its not 500gigs can i switch the hard drive?
If you go to Dell's Web site and check for yourself, the biggest hard drive is 320 GB. The hard drive might be replaceable if you don't mind making a mess - it's not very easy to get at if I recall. You can always go external...
"Stay smooth"? I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but if you mean general performance online, Flash video, etc....yeah, you bet, it's great for that.
Thank you very much for this in-depth review of the hybrid - very helpful. Just wondering could you please give me the specs of yours - it seems good enough for my needs, it would be greatly appreciated. Again, thanks for the vid, great work, you put a lot of effort =)
I'm glad you liked the videos. You'll always find the specs in the sidebar, but here they are again:
Configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo T2390 (1.86 Ghz) CPU, 3 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive, an 8x slot-loading DVD burner, and an Intel X3100 GPU.
Just out of interest I've just downloaded a couple of HD videos from that Microsoft site on to my 6 year old Dell Inspiron laptop (1.6Ghz P4, Geforce4, 1600x1200 screen). It has no problem playing 720p but processor at 90%. 1080p sound choppy but video ok. So I'd have been concerned if the Dell Hybrid couldn't play 720p videos!
I doubt that's the problem - I did a fair bit of testing and left the system alone to do the Vista housekeeping tasks...I'm convinced it's simply the crappy Intel GPU.
The only thing that's holding me back from buying one of those systems is the terrible GPU. Thanks for the in depth review on it all. It was just what I needed to see what this system can actually do. Now I'm looking into a Zotac for my HTPC needs.
You solved it, but I'll answer for others who may have the same problem: you need to go START > CONTROL PANEL > SOUND then set the HDMI output as the default output. There are some tests you can do in there to make sure it's working.
I'll try, but with CES coming up, I don't have much spare time. Read the comments here (or maybe it was my other videos) and I go into detail about why I picked the HP. Basically I got much better hardware, and the Media Center performance I wanted, for only $100 more. The Slimline is bigger and a bit louder, but not by much.
Since you sent this unit back, any suggestions on a similar unit? I am also looking to use it as a media center PC and don't want to spend much more than $500. Thanks.
I replaced it with an HP Slimline. I keep meaning to shoot a video about that to explain why I did it, but in short I got way more value for the dollar.
You can't really compare the two - the Studio Desktop Hybrid is based on laptop parts, and the Desktop Studio computers are based on desktop parts - they'll outperform the Studio Hybrid in pretty much every way.
You mean audio recording? Yes, probably - audio recording isn't too demanding. I'd say to make sure you get lots of RAM and one of the faster CPUs (the 800mhz bus ones).
i bought this, mainly to have internet, write papers for school, add music to my zune, the only game id be playing is starcraft 2, whenever the hell thats coming out, ha, will this be any problem,
Hi Jason. Thanks for this very useful review. I was just wondering if it would handle XBMC media center better than Vista's. Have you thought of using it? The new MediaStream skin makes XBMC worth installing, IMHO.
I thinking about getting a new desk top and have been looking at the dell studio hybrid, I'm looking for some thing not to big that will work with my 32" samsung TV and and be a good media center and a good all round computer for around £400 so that around $600 i was just wondering what you would recommend.
It's possible that through driver updates the performance might improve, but there's only so much they can do - Dell simply made a bad choice by only offering the Intel GPU.
I think that's the kind you get with HP laptops, but in general you get them with Windows Media Center remotes that are sold from NewEgg and other places online.
is there any way with which we can upgrade the graphics card of this system with any mobile GPU.. sorry if its a noobish question. Also i mainly wanna buy it for my home theater setup like u did. so are the graphics enough for full hd, i saw in ur video that they were but did u experience any problem at all so far with full hd videos ? n last question how much graphic mb do u get from the graphic card
I won't say it's impossible to upgrade the GPU, but you'd have to be a hard-core hacker to do it. And size matters too - if the GPU was even a few MM bigger, it might not fit. Yes, it can handle HD video - there's an optional Blu-ray drive, so the X3100 can handle HD video. What it can't handle, however, is the Media Center UI - it was jerky and chunky, so for me that was a deal-breaking. The X3100 uses mostly system RAM, I think it has maybe 8 MB on-board.
True, but it looks like a great *NIX machine given that Xorg supports the X3100 without any problems. I guess it depends on what you want to do but if your main thing is video watching, using office etc. X3100 is more than enough for the vast majority of people.
The Dell Hybrid is smaller, quieter, and nicer looking. The HP Slimline is bigger, a bit louder, and looks less slick...but has more hardware, better performance (especially the GPU), and is cheaper for the same type of hardware (like the Blu-ray drive for instance).
Wow i just got the computer last night and it did not work out the box flawless. It worked fine til i tried to mess with the resolution. The desktop didnt fit the screen so i tried to put the resolution to 1080 and i got the blue screen and would restart everytime i got to the desktop. After a hour, i gave up and just rebooted the computer out the box. Now i have a problem with the wireless N card. It would be at 56mbps then would drop to 36mbps. My router is a G. Any tips?
Yeah, I had some funky issues with the resolution as well - it would bluescreen Vista when I booted from the HDMI. WiFi speed fluctuating is quite normal though, I wouldn't worry about it - unless it falls to 10 mbps and stays there...
Your Video was a GREAT help and very detailed. Answer all almost all my questions. Alot better then other videos i seen bc all they talk about was stuff u can read on the box. I just called Dell trying to return it and they offered me 65$ to keep it. So 385$ for a decent Media center that looks great.
I just order the Hybrid Studio and i am regretting. It didnt even come in yet. I got it for 450 shipped and tax with intel 2 core 2.0 / 3gig ram. It was a perfect price when i was looking for a media computer. But now looking at the Slimline it looks alot better. For 750 shipped i get Blu-Ray+double HDD. Was the Hybrid i got a good price or should i just spend the xtra 200 and get a better system. When u returned your hybrid did they charge u the 15% Restocking fee, if not what did u tell them?
I know how you feel - when I bought the higher-end Studio Hybrid, for only $100 more I could get the HP Slimline and get double the hard drive, a Blu-ray/HD-DVD drive, a better video card, and a quad-core CPU. The Slimline is bigger, and a bit louder, but the benefits outweigh the negatives. Dell doesn't charge a 15% restocking fee for home products - I didn't have to say anything special. On the other hand, the price you got on the Hybrid is really quite excellent. :-)
Very nice review, and quite a lot of detail. I heard so many rumors from nay sayers telling me that a device like this would have so many heating problems, but according to you, it's find, even after hours of usage.
Glad to see dell finally put some effort into a new product (still a very old dell ideal, I think it was called the dellcube)
Since this review, and subsequent long term usage, have you notice any overheating issues leading to slow down????
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the videos. I don't have the Dell Hybrid any longer - I returned it because the video sluggishness was just too frustrating for me in Windows Media Center. I tested the hell out of it though, and found no heating issues. I don't understand why people think there would be: it's using laptop parts, with superior ventilation to any laptop.
Hi... I have quite a long and drawn out question for you regarding the Studio Hybrid crash that you encountered... I believe that I am encountering the same issue and would like your input... Could you accept my friend req so that I can send the email? Thank you so much!
With the faster processor, what is the wattage @ idle? Curious though, will it run 1080p on your 50" TV? How about something very compressed like h.264?
You've answered most of my questions on this, as I've been considering it for a htpc, just wish they were able to put the x4500hd GMA in it.
PS - I will put XP on it if that's what it takes for good performance.
I don't now what the wattage is with the faster processor - I didn't test it when I had it. I didn't test it with any HD h.264 content - sorry - but I suspect it will handle it just fine. It will certainly use more of the CPU though than WMV.
Didn't keep it? Hmmmm, have you found the perfect htpc yet? I'm also looking at the studio slim. I would buy it without the blu-ray, and add one later... when they get a little better. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will take an updated optical drive very nicely.
ps - WTF is with the "Audio Preview" in the comments?!
I ended up getting an HP Slimline PC. It was $100 more, but for that extra $100 I get a Blu-ray + HD-DVD drive, double the RAM, double the hard drive space, and a quad-core AMD CPU. It's a bit bigger, but still small enough for where I want to fit it, and it's very quiet. So for me, it works great - oh, also a MUCH better video card solution. :-)
Audio Preview seems to be a YouTube thing, pretty irritating where they've put the button...!?
I really enjoyed watching your videos about the Dell Studio Hybrid. I fell in love with the looks of that computer, but as a consumer, I am looking for performance too. I use a lot designing programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and music programs such as FL Studio and Cubase.
By any chance, are computation arts well supported by the Studio Hybrid ? Also, is there a way to go back to windows XP ?
Well, it's made up of laptop parts, so have you run those programs on a laptop? If not, it will be hard for you to gauge the performance. I'd say with 64-bit Windows Vista, 4 GB of RAM, and one of the 45nm processors (one of the higher end ones), it should perform quite nicely. Installing XP isn't an option - those days are behind us now.
I wish you all the best with the faster cpu'd Hybrid. These reviews are extremely informative and I think ppl clearly appreciate the detail you go into. I actually felt a touch sad when I saw the performance, it can be disheartening when something you invest in dosen't *quite* come up to scratch. I would be interested to see how it handles MKV HD videos. (best with CoreAVC installed). My advice, look into XBMC (xbox media center) for Vista, slickest interface I ever witnessed (and may run ok)!
DId you get your new device? Is ist smoother within the media center? I am very intrested in buying this device because of the low energy consumption. Some other media center devices uses the same graphic chips (shuttle for example) can ist be as bad? There is a BIOS and driverupdate (Direct X 10 Support is announced) for the studio hybrid, anyone testet this already?
My new Studio Hybrid showed up this week - I've been testing it and the CPU and overall system responsiveness is much better. Windows Media Center is about the same - the initial menu system is much faster with Aero Glass turned off, but when you're moving through album thumbnails for instance, it's still not nearly as smooth as it should be. I'm trying to decide if I can live with it. The 1.0.4 BIOS is the current BIOS, there's no new update. The video driver is still from July 29th.
I wanted to add that Dell *seriously* screwed up with the software on this unit. On both of my units, Windows Media Center would not play DVDs properly. All sorts of screwy errors, from "wrong region" to black screens with nothing showing to garbled/screwy menus. All the same DVDs played just fine in the Dell Media software. I reformatted the drive, installed Vista and the basic drivers, and all the same DVDs play perfectly. Dell really didn't test these systems enough. :-(
No, not any computer can play 1080p videos - and it's not just about the CPU either. The MSI Wind with its 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom CPU can't play 1080p, but it can play 720p. It really depends on whether or not the GPU is off-loading the HD video playback, or if there's enough CPU muscle to not need the GPU assistance. The X3100 GPU does seem to offload the HD video, but there was a lot of confusion about that before I did the test - people seemed to have different opinions on it.
Is it worth buying a dell hybrid if I'm kinda gamer? Is it good enough for 3D games like sims 2 or anything? cause i don#t need a pc without games you know, so if i ask my parents to get it on chrsitmas, i have to know if it's good enough for me
The Studio Hybrid really shouldn't be considered a computer for games in any way. It *might* be able to play something like the Sims 2 - I haven't played that game so I don't know how GPU intensive it is...but I really wouldn't tell anyone that this computer is a "gaming computer" - except maybe for browser-based Flash games, 2D casual games, etc. No "real" games...
Well, if you get the 2.5 Ghz CPU version, go 64-bit OS, and get 4 GB of RAM...sure, it would probably be OK. Although the hard drive isn't very fast, so if you're talking about running a Web server with a lot of traffic - nope, it wouldn't be good for that. But you also mentioned computer programmers - so are you talking about using it as a development box? I know lots of developers that use laptops, and this is made up of laptop components...
Yeah, this is definitely not a dual-monitor computer. The HDMI port will only function when the DVI port is not connected, meaning that the HDMI port (and conversely the DVI port) doesn't show up to Windows as a secondary monitor. You'll have to use an external, USB-based solution for a secondary monitor.
The recycled aspect is a bit over-hyped, and doesn't really play into the cost of the computer: my understanding is that the box it ships in is made from 95% recycled materials, the paperwork/manuals are less heavy, and the Hybrid uses a lot less power than an average PC. That's it for the "green" aspect - nothing much to impact the cost of the computer.
The video memory is shared, yes. But in the BIOS it's locked to 8 MB and I could find no way to change that - once inside Windows Vista I'm certain it's using up more than 8 MB though.
I dig your reviews man. Keep up the good work. That is kind of a bummer that WMP is sluggish. Overall though, the Hybrid seems pretty cool.
BTW, I'm curious to know what kind of video cam you are using that is giving you the auto focus trouble. I was going to buy a Sony HD camcorder (SR11), but have heard it has similar problems. Take care.
The camera I'm using is a Canon GL2. Most cameras would have a hard time focusing on a flat, featureless surface. I'm waiting for a Canon HF100 to arrive to replace it - then I'll start shooting in HD. Now if only YouTube would start offering wide-format video playback!
The Canon HF100 was the other cam I was considering. When you get it, are you going to review it? I do hope so. I'd like to hear what you have to say about it.
great review... the most complete i have seen so far... why dont you try linuxmce on that machine? there are some great videos about linuxmce here on youtube... it looks like a wonderful home media center solution.
I hadn't heard of Linux MCE before, so I spent five minutes watching a video on it. It looks like they spent a lot of time adding "gee whiz" type features, but hardly any time on the user interface. To my eyes, it's horrendously ugly and dysfunctional. I need something that's easy for anyone to pick up and use, and Windows Media Center is exactly that. So for my needs, Linux MCE isn't a good fit.
2 people have a mac miniXD
hellfigter12345 10 months ago
If you still had it i would tell you to put windows 7 on it it takes up less ram witch would make it run smother mabey
ThePokemon530 1 year ago
Thank for the review :)
xar3on 1 year ago
Hi I bought a studio hyrid for $299 a few weeks ago and had 5 or 6 beep codes and returned it. The second one worked ok. (are they out returns as new, I know dell has done it before) I had a dell wifi card I bought on ebay, swapped the ram with 4 gb from an old laptop and installed a 320 gb hdd.3 screws to take apart was easy to upgrade and is a nice little desktop. A few months ago I bought a Zino HD 400 w/ 4330 graphics for $349. It is a way better computer but I like both.
spittenkittens 1 year ago
im sorry i know you said it is not a gaming comuter but i want to know if it will play oblivion
shadowg246 1 year ago
Did you ever get the Hybrid connected to your 50" plasma? If so were there any display related problems?
Thanks
SilentFright666 2 years ago
Yes, I got it connected - but the first unit Dell sent me would give me a BSOD and crash every time it tried to boot from HDMI. The second unit Dell sent me worked OK in that regard if memory serves...but that was almost a year ago. It had a bunch of wonky DVD playback issues. Dell really butchered the software install on the Hybrids a year ago; I assume it's all smoothed out now.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
did it come with an hdmi cable to connect to a HDTV?
evexxxxx 2 years ago
Nope. If it did, I would have shown in that in the unboxing video. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
haha, sorry, i posted too fast...
thanx a lot for the answer though, and great vids, i m gonna keep checking it out!
evexxxxx 2 years ago
Whoa. The built in Intel graphics accelerator on this machine is really poor seeing how it lags with the windows media software.
Note taken.
toonygamer2004 2 years ago
Indeed. And that's why I returned it - it was a great unit otherwise. :-(
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Unfortunate.
--buy it did seem very impressive.
You did a great job covering the Hybrid.
Watched the unboxing, and
the three parts.
Very detailed. I'll subscribe. :)
toonygamer2004 2 years ago
What is the name of that program you used to check CPU use etc? Thanks in advance
w8t2009 2 years ago
That's the Windows Task Manager. Press CONTROL+ALT+DELETE then select START TASK MANAGER.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
@ThoughtsMedia
No, not that one. I meant the program you showed in the beginging of the video. Core speed and stuff like that.
w8t2009 2 years ago
Oh, that's CPUz. It doesn't show CPU use, but it does show a lot of other neat info. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
@ThoughtsMedia
My bad :)
I downloaded the program and it worked fine, thanks.
But im wondering something, so I thought I would ask you since you have a great deal of experience of computers and electronic stuff.
I bought an Acer 7738G ( a laptop ) with 4GB of DDR3 RAM. And in the spec it says they should run at 1066 MHz. But where can I find the clock speed for the RAM in the CPU-Z program?
Thank you once again.
w8t2009 2 years ago
You can't change the RAM clock speed on a laptop, so I wouldn't worry about it - it is what it is. But CPUz should report RAM speeds on the Memory tab. Double the number you see and it should be the speed your RAM is running at.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
@ThoughtsMedia
I just checked that. It says 399MHz on DRAM frequency. And 533MHz on "Max bandwidth"
Dont know if some of those has anything to do with the RAM clock speed?
w8t2009 2 years ago
Yes, when you double 533, you get 1066, which is the max bandwidth of your RAM. I'd urge you to check out the Wikipedia entry on RAM to understand more about RAM clock speeds if you really want to know more. :-) - Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
@ThoughtsMedia
Oh I see, It's 2x 2048mb running at 533MHz each. So together they will run at 1066MHz? Is that how it should be calculated?
w8t2009 2 years ago
slight note there, technically, if it is dual channel than it is 1066 for each stick, but the thing is, since they are rated for 533, that actually means that even WITH the dual channel, its still only 533, so a single channel is running at 266.5... and ram is accessed like a serial connection, only one stick is accessible at a time, so even though there are two sticks, it doesn't exactly run at 1066 either because both sticks are not being accessed simultaneously.
sexmebre 1 year ago
Hey, Great vids.
I was wondering what alternatives are out there in the feild of space saving desktops. In the same price range. This looks ideal for what im wanting but not really sure what else is out there, other than the mac mini which deosnt have an HDMI output the last time i checked up on it.
Cheers
Jordee73 2 years ago
There aren't many that are this size - at least, not from major manufacturers. Acer has some similarly small units, though I think they're based on the Atom CPU, so it won't have as much grunt.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I like this Dell but according to your previous comments, you said that the GPU isn't up to par with some of the other systems. However, I won't be playing games on this thing. Just some Word, PowerPoint etc and maybe some videos.
xXxmidgexXx 2 years ago
It's just fine for Word, PowerPoint, and general video watching.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
how is it for online gaming
skatinjosh 2 years ago
You mean for Flash games and the link? Should be just fine. Or do you mean for World of Warcraft, etc.? Should be OK, though you'll have to drop your resolution down.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
you shouldn't test with wmv videos, they use hardware acceleration, try .mkv 1080p
GTherion 2 years ago
As well as basic use im looking at the hybrid for some occasional and basic home recording and editing of music. Do you think 2GB of RAM will cope with these sorts of programmes, or should i look at something more powerfull? Thanks.
heyheyheyjosh 2 years ago
Audio editing doesn't take much horsepower, so yes, it should be fine. You might want to up the RAM though...depends on how many plugins you're using, etc.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Wow jason, i seen a lot of reviews before of different products. And I have to say that your reviews are the best, so clear and understanding. I wish every review would be done by you. Btw did you keep the computer? I'm thinking of getting one of these, but im having a hard time to make up my mind. The decision are between this computer and a laptop
w8t2009 2 years ago
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate them. I do my best to make great reviews for you guys. :-) I returned the computer because the GPU performance wasn't quite good enough for my needs. I'll shoot a video this week or next showing what I picked, and the "digital wall" that I built.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I'm looking at one of these to use with Boxee and SageTV.. I'm wondering how those will work with this GPU.
One of the reasons I don't use the Vista media center is because of the graphical overhead.
Maybe I'll make a video based on that solution as a comparison, it'll be interesting to see the results. :)
showson1 2 years ago
Sure, that's something I'd be interested in seeing!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Love the videos... Do you think the hybrid is suitable for common home office functionality with occasional blueray/dvd/hulu playback on a plasma? If not, what would the best option be? I prefer the small footprint of the Dell.
mooniac70 2 years ago
I think it would be ideal for a home office - it has more than enough oomph for pretty much everything except gaming. Blu-ray playback worked just fine, and Hulu playback will work just fine.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
THE VERY BEST...KEEP UP THE TESTING
RLT1941 2 years ago 3
Very good videos man. Was a bit curious about this little Dell guy from time to time and you literally knocked out all my wonders.
Have fun with it. Yeah I do agree with ya on the graphics option...intel graphics just are so early 2000s lol.
Silent157 2 years ago 3
Actually I meant your experience with the slimline. I was wondering if the slim was quiet and ran okay. If the fan is too loud on the slimline why would you replace the gpu? Wouldn't you add a cooling unit or extra fan or something?
rotiart 2 years ago
Well, I said the fan on the GPU is too loud. As in, the fan on the graphics card makes too much noise. So by taking it out and putting in a passively-cooled card, it will make the computer much quieter. I need to remove the TV tuner in it though, because there's not enough space for the big heat-sink on the GPU otherwise. Mind you, I haven't done this yet - I'm waiting for the GPU to show up...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Awesome video. Right now I'm torn between getting a hp slimline 5000series computer or the Dell studio hybrid. Could you describe your experiences with it. I'm kinda leaning towards the studio only because it could be laid horizontally and is ultraquiet? Thanks in advance.
rotiart 2 years ago
Well, I did four different videos about the Dell Studio Hybird, more than I've done for any other product, so those ARE my experiences with it. :-) I ended up returning it because of the poor graphics performance I mention in the videos. I bought an HP Slimline computer instead, but am having to replace the graphics card because the fan on it is so damn loud. If you don't need GPU performance, go for the Dell computer.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I find it strange that yours made Media Center look "choppy". like I said, mine runs really smooth. I thought it was your CPU but you said your 2nd one had a more powerful one than mine even...
The only thing I can think of is that I bought mine in February 2009 I believe so they must have fixed/updated it from when you had yours... i dont know...??? thats got to be it.
kevin8se7en 2 years ago
It's certainly possible that a driver update fixed the problem - which is great, but it doesn't change what I saw in my video. If Dell wants to release a product with problems and fix them months after release, they're going to have some unhappy early adopters. On my netbooks with the even weaker GMA945 GPU, running Windows 7 I've seen some amazingly fluid graphics - so often this is all about drivers.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Hi Jason,
Thank you for the great video. What are your thoughts regarding Boxee as the application/interface for the media center experience on (1) The Dell Studio Hybrid and (2) your HP Slimline ?
Thanks
Z
trinispy001 2 years ago
I've never used Boxee, so I have no thoughts on it - sorry. There are lots of reviews of it around the Web though...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
$744 could get you a pretty good quad core/dual core gaming coputer with a 4800 series graphics card. lol Dell have F***ed you over again!
liamcollister 2 years ago
Sure, but not this small/quiet - you pay the premium for the size and design...but if Dell had even a moderately decent GPU in there, it would have been perfect for my needs. It's still a nice little computer...it would be cool if it had dual DVI out for two monitors.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Liquid cooling is totally silent. Plus you can get soe pretty small LAN cases now that cna fit a full powered computer inside the :) some come with special carrying handles ^^
liamcollister 2 years ago
Heh heh...well, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but a liquid-cooled, custom-built home theatre computer wasn't something I was interested in doing.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
In your other video when you mentioned your computer being very quiet, did you mean that it was literally very quiet, or it was very quiet when compared to a washer machine? My Hybrid can be clearly heard from about 10-15 feet away with the door beside it open (facing a somewhat bustling neighborhood). Do you think that this whiny and noisy Hybrid has something wrong with the fan or the hard drive?
MisterJDove 2 years ago
There's something VERY wrong with your Studio Hybrid...call Dell. The one that I was was literally silent - I had to put my ear up to it to hear it.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I have a hybrid (On it right now) and the only time I can ever hear it is when it's burning a DVD disc..
other than that, i could literally be 2 feet away from it with complete silence in the room and I coulnt hear it. It has got to be the most silent computer i've personally ever heard... or not heard
kevin8se7en 2 years ago
The choppyness of the media center is strange...
My CPU is the 2.0ghz and it's smooth and I only have 2gb RAM...
I think you would have been better off upgrading the CPU for $50 as I did and sticking with the 2gb or RAM...
I suggest upgrading the CPU to the 2.0ghz core 2 duo...
I've played Sims 2 on it and it worked fine
kevin8se7en 2 years ago
I ordered a second Studio Hybrid, and the newer one had a much faster CPU - same problem. Having the faster CPU didn't change the problem.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Hi, Jason. very informative. For a HPTC, would you think a DELL STUDIO HYBRID DESKTOP,2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor,4GB,320GB HD, Slot Load Blu-ray Disc Combo would be a good choice for $599? I'll really only use it as a DVR and to watch blu-ray.
Thanks.
all1word 2 years ago
Sure, that should work pretty good - though it really depends on what kind of DVR software you're going to use. I presume you're going to get an external TV tuner/capture device? Should work OK...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
you should get a mac mini then!
Running at Intel Core 2 duo at 2GHZ....and Geforce 9400 m with shared memory 256 MB... and stylish outlook...CHeaper than your Dell "router"!!
candyee88 2 years ago
Are you going to post raving fanboy comments on all my videos? Sheesh. I responded to your other comment and won't repeat myself here again.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
fab review! - can it do video editing without strain? (pardon my pc ignorance)
gnativerson 2 years ago
Depends on what kind of video editing we're talking about here. SD video? Yes, easily. HD video? A harder question - the answer is yes, as long as you get the higher-end CPU and a decent amount of RAM. Editing HD video doesn't feel fast enough on my overclocked quad-core system, so it's all a matter of perspective... :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Very nice review. Thorough and professional!
gprime 2 years ago 4
Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses, haha good music, classic rock
Best full review for a PC I have seen, I would have really liked you to maybe try out a game unless you are going to be trying that out soon! Like not too hardcore but at some extent
Awesome job!
noobhuntercss 2 years ago 4
I like all sorts of music, and with 13,000 or so songs, I have a bit of everything. ;-) In terms of games, I guess the problem is picking which game to test - everyone has different games they play. WoW seems to be the most popular in terms of questions that I get, but I don't play WoW, and am not going to sign up for an account just for testing. I'm open to suggestions. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Well, I don't play WoW either, but i DID try out the week trial, or whatever it is, you can do that, no money paying after that or anything and just delete it right after. You can also maybe download some demos online and try them out or something, unless you don't feel like it's necessary to test for video games of course haha
noobhuntercss 2 years ago
I can do the WoW trial, I think, once. So that's not a solution that really works across all the systems I review in a year. :-) Maybe when Diablo 3 comes out... :-D
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
its not the graphics but rather a 2.5" hard drive at the mere 5400rpm if you try a ssd it will be way faster ; )
to6ko19 2 years ago
You think that the reason Windows Media Centre is slow is the hard drive? Nah. Once you go through the menus they'll be cached to RAM, so the hard drive isn't involved. I've used Windows Media Center on plenty of laptops with 5400 RPM hard drives, but better GPUs, and it works great.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
hey, your info has something wrong.. This is part two of a three-part deep dive video series on the Dell Studio Hybrid. isnt this part 3? oh one more thing i wanna ask cause i'm not that good in com stuff. can this com play portal? and if i get like a external power supply, can this be used like a laptop since the power plug looks like a laptops one
illuminarias 2 years ago
Thanks, I've corrected the side-bar info. As for whether or not it can play Portal, you'd have the check the system requirements for Portal and compare that to the specs of the Studio Hybrid you want to order. It's not rocket science, do the research and you'll find your answer. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
okay. thanks
illuminarias 2 years ago
I think if you disable hardware acceleration in any media player it will off-load the rendering work to the main processor/s which is fine and dandy in dual-core systems, and better than the integrated 'X3100' chip. 3D-graphic-intensive games are another kettle of fish, and need dedicated GPUs (which are insanely faster.) Personally I don't know why they make boring FPS games ever more demanding - where did game-play go??
EzraGhast 2 years ago
The reason media center is lagging/slow is because of the CPU..
I have the 2.0ghz T5800 and it's a smooth as can be.
I use the computer for the same reasons you use this one for and it's perfect for me.
The only thing I found is that the DVD burning is super slow when using windows DVD burner (burning 700mb avi file on to dvd+ disc)
I do wish it came with a wireless keyboard/mouse but i went with the long range iogear pair dell has and it works great.
5/5 for what I use it for.
kevin8se7en 2 years ago
I wish that were the case, but it's not. When I returned this unit to Dell, I re-ordered another one with the T9300 CPU (2.5GHz/800Mhz FSB/6MB cache) and it had exactly the same problem. It's not the CPU, it's the GPU. Or, possibly, the GPU at the time had a poor driver that made it herky-jerky for me. Or maybe I'm just more sensitive to this problem than you are. :-) Regardless, I returned the second unit to Dell. I'm glad you like yours!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I want to use a computer thats small for storage space but gets the job done for doing my Home Work, recording my video game videos and editing them and ect. But I want alot of storage space around 500gigs. If its not 500gigs can i switch the hard drive?
Jamcontroller123 2 years ago
If you go to Dell's Web site and check for yourself, the biggest hard drive is 320 GB. The hard drive might be replaceable if you don't mind making a mess - it's not very easy to get at if I recall. You can always go external...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
I'm considering on buying the studio hybrid. I can see that the whole Media is ok, but does the computer stay smooth on the internet?
Paintballpistols999 2 years ago
"Stay smooth"? I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but if you mean general performance online, Flash video, etc....yeah, you bet, it's great for that.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
Thank you very much for this in-depth review of the hybrid - very helpful. Just wondering could you please give me the specs of yours - it seems good enough for my needs, it would be greatly appreciated. Again, thanks for the vid, great work, you put a lot of effort =)
CentrifugalEffect 2 years ago
I'm glad you liked the videos. You'll always find the specs in the sidebar, but here they are again:
Configured with an Intel Core 2 Duo T2390 (1.86 Ghz) CPU, 3 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250 GB 5400 RPM hard drive, an 8x slot-loading DVD burner, and an Intel X3100 GPU.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 2 years ago
if u want a multimedia comeputer that is not so slow then u sould get the Sony VAIO LT19U have a look at it and i have it and its Asome
niyaz59 2 years ago
Just out of interest I've just downloaded a couple of HD videos from that Microsoft site on to my 6 year old Dell Inspiron laptop (1.6Ghz P4, Geforce4, 1600x1200 screen). It has no problem playing 720p but processor at 90%. 1080p sound choppy but video ok. So I'd have been concerned if the Dell Hybrid couldn't play 720p videos!
parry109 3 years ago
The Hybrid plays 720p quite nicely, offloaded to the GPU - the CPU didn't get hit that hard.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I've been told that Vista does a lot of prefetching. Perhaps that is what caused a lot of the jerkiness in the media center interface.
dcolli11 3 years ago
I doubt that's the problem - I did a fair bit of testing and left the system alone to do the Vista housekeeping tasks...I'm convinced it's simply the crappy Intel GPU.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
The only thing that's holding me back from buying one of those systems is the terrible GPU. Thanks for the in depth review on it all. It was just what I needed to see what this system can actually do. Now I'm looking into a Zotac for my HTPC needs.
dcolli11 3 years ago
Hey Jason,
I just received my hybrid... I was wondering if you had any incite as to why there is no audio coming through while connected HDMI.
Thanks in advanced.
ceng816 3 years ago
Solved my own mystery... thanks anyway.
ceng816 3 years ago
You solved it, but I'll answer for others who may have the same problem: you need to go START > CONTROL PANEL > SOUND then set the HDMI output as the default output. There are some tests you can do in there to make sure it's working.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Would love to see a follow up video on the slimline you purchased (and why you changed from the dell). Great reviews by the way.
rivervalleyranch 3 years ago
I'll try, but with CES coming up, I don't have much spare time. Read the comments here (or maybe it was my other videos) and I go into detail about why I picked the HP. Basically I got much better hardware, and the Media Center performance I wanted, for only $100 more. The Slimline is bigger and a bit louder, but not by much.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Since you sent this unit back, any suggestions on a similar unit? I am also looking to use it as a media center PC and don't want to spend much more than $500. Thanks.
rivervalleyranch 3 years ago
I replaced it with an HP Slimline. I keep meaning to shoot a video about that to explain why I did it, but in short I got way more value for the dollar.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
hi Jason do u kno if the hybrid can run 720p video but compressed with h264 into an mkv file?
albusfr 3 years ago
I sent my Studio Hybrid back to Dell, so I can't test that - sorry.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
how does it compare to the desktop studio?
jfaux155 3 years ago
You can't really compare the two - the Studio Desktop Hybrid is based on laptop parts, and the Desktop Studio computers are based on desktop parts - they'll outperform the Studio Hybrid in pretty much every way.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
would this computer work well for recording?
jfaux155 3 years ago
You mean audio recording? Yes, probably - audio recording isn't too demanding. I'd say to make sure you get lots of RAM and one of the faster CPUs (the 800mhz bus ones).
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
i bought this, mainly to have internet, write papers for school, add music to my zune, the only game id be playing is starcraft 2, whenever the hell thats coming out, ha, will this be any problem,
JHUGO20 3 years ago
I seriously doubt that the Intel X3100 will be able to handle Starcraft 2, unless you want to play it at 640 x 480. ;-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Hello I am a student, I want fast performance, I am a occasional gamer, I want to spend under $700. Is this a good computer for my needs?
CrzyCuber 3 years ago
As long as you're not expecting to play GPU-hungry games like Crysis, yes, this might be a good computer for you.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Hi Jason. Thanks for this very useful review. I was just wondering if it would handle XBMC media center better than Vista's. Have you thought of using it? The new MediaStream skin makes XBMC worth installing, IMHO.
grodot 3 years ago
It might, but I never tested that, so I can't weigh in on that point.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I thinking about getting a new desk top and have been looking at the dell studio hybrid, I'm looking for some thing not to big that will work with my 32" samsung TV and and be a good media center and a good all round computer for around £400 so that around $600 i was just wondering what you would recommend.
many thanks Callum
theenglishbahamas 3 years ago
is the RAM user upgradeable?
tipoomaster 3 years ago
YEP
RAMPAGE2597 3 years ago
I been messing around with the hybrid for a few weeks now. I cant understand why the VMC is so jerky. Do u think dell would beable to fix it?
xxjoker30xx 3 years ago
It's possible that through driver updates the performance might improve, but there's only so much they can do - Dell simply made a bad choice by only offering the Intel GPU.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
In this video u use an IR to USB receiver. What is the make and model? It sounds like we would like to use the S H for the same application
darrenantonysmith197 3 years ago
I think that's the kind you get with HP laptops, but in general you get them with Windows Media Center remotes that are sold from NewEgg and other places online.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
cool tv.....man i can play my runescape and gta games with much fun
iskandar660 3 years ago
ok thanks for the info bro :)
Ragzzzzzz 3 years ago 2
is there any way with which we can upgrade the graphics card of this system with any mobile GPU.. sorry if its a noobish question. Also i mainly wanna buy it for my home theater setup like u did. so are the graphics enough for full hd, i saw in ur video that they were but did u experience any problem at all so far with full hd videos ? n last question how much graphic mb do u get from the graphic card
Ragzzzzzz 3 years ago
I won't say it's impossible to upgrade the GPU, but you'd have to be a hard-core hacker to do it. And size matters too - if the GPU was even a few MM bigger, it might not fit. Yes, it can handle HD video - there's an optional Blu-ray drive, so the X3100 can handle HD video. What it can't handle, however, is the Media Center UI - it was jerky and chunky, so for me that was a deal-breaking. The X3100 uses mostly system RAM, I think it has maybe 8 MB on-board.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
i saw on dell you could upgrade to a HD2400
but hey can you show us a Video of the Inside parts of the Dell???
HFFT 3 years ago
fantastic review m8 keep it up.. cnet guys guys should learn from u. :)
Ragzzzzzz 3 years ago
Thanks for the very nice compliment!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Intel has released some improved drivers, so half the problem might be the quality of the drivers (check out the intel site).
kaiwaig 3 years ago
what about playing game. does the graphic card can handle hardcore graphic video game
ulujm 3 years ago
No, not at all. It uses an Intel X3100, which is a bottom-end graphics solution. Only low-end, low-resolution, casual gaming will work on this thing.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
thanks too bad. actually I just check on Dell and there no options for graphic card.
I hope they will come with a better options.
I am tire of big desktop
ulujm 3 years ago
True, but it looks like a great *NIX machine given that Xorg supports the X3100 without any problems. I guess it depends on what you want to do but if your main thing is video watching, using office etc. X3100 is more than enough for the vast majority of people.
kaiwaig 3 years ago
How would u compare the Hybrid to the slimline?
lasianlgary 3 years ago
The Dell Hybrid is smaller, quieter, and nicer looking. The HP Slimline is bigger, a bit louder, and looks less slick...but has more hardware, better performance (especially the GPU), and is cheaper for the same type of hardware (like the Blu-ray drive for instance).
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Wow i just got the computer last night and it did not work out the box flawless. It worked fine til i tried to mess with the resolution. The desktop didnt fit the screen so i tried to put the resolution to 1080 and i got the blue screen and would restart everytime i got to the desktop. After a hour, i gave up and just rebooted the computer out the box. Now i have a problem with the wireless N card. It would be at 56mbps then would drop to 36mbps. My router is a G. Any tips?
lasianlgary 3 years ago
Yeah, I had some funky issues with the resolution as well - it would bluescreen Vista when I booted from the HDMI. WiFi speed fluctuating is quite normal though, I wouldn't worry about it - unless it falls to 10 mbps and stays there...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Your Video was a GREAT help and very detailed. Answer all almost all my questions. Alot better then other videos i seen bc all they talk about was stuff u can read on the box. I just called Dell trying to return it and they offered me 65$ to keep it. So 385$ for a decent Media center that looks great.
lasianlgary 3 years ago
Glad I could help. :-) And yes, for $385, that's one nice little computer! Enjoy it.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I just order the Hybrid Studio and i am regretting. It didnt even come in yet. I got it for 450 shipped and tax with intel 2 core 2.0 / 3gig ram. It was a perfect price when i was looking for a media computer. But now looking at the Slimline it looks alot better. For 750 shipped i get Blu-Ray+double HDD. Was the Hybrid i got a good price or should i just spend the xtra 200 and get a better system. When u returned your hybrid did they charge u the 15% Restocking fee, if not what did u tell them?
lasianlgary 3 years ago
I know how you feel - when I bought the higher-end Studio Hybrid, for only $100 more I could get the HP Slimline and get double the hard drive, a Blu-ray/HD-DVD drive, a better video card, and a quad-core CPU. The Slimline is bigger, and a bit louder, but the benefits outweigh the negatives. Dell doesn't charge a 15% restocking fee for home products - I didn't have to say anything special. On the other hand, the price you got on the Hybrid is really quite excellent. :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Very nice review, and quite a lot of detail. I heard so many rumors from nay sayers telling me that a device like this would have so many heating problems, but according to you, it's find, even after hours of usage.
Glad to see dell finally put some effort into a new product (still a very old dell ideal, I think it was called the dellcube)
Since this review, and subsequent long term usage, have you notice any overheating issues leading to slow down????
Thanks a lot for the great vid.
hhubble 3 years ago
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the videos. I don't have the Dell Hybrid any longer - I returned it because the video sluggishness was just too frustrating for me in Windows Media Center. I tested the hell out of it though, and found no heating issues. I don't understand why people think there would be: it's using laptop parts, with superior ventilation to any laptop.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Hi... I have quite a long and drawn out question for you regarding the Studio Hybrid crash that you encountered... I believe that I am encountering the same issue and would like your input... Could you accept my friend req so that I can send the email? Thank you so much!
bonniejeanster 3 years ago
YouTube isn't exactly the best place for long, drawn-out questions, but ok... :-)
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Very nice review. 5 stars.
With the faster processor, what is the wattage @ idle? Curious though, will it run 1080p on your 50" TV? How about something very compressed like h.264?
You've answered most of my questions on this, as I've been considering it for a htpc, just wish they were able to put the x4500hd GMA in it.
PS - I will put XP on it if that's what it takes for good performance.
EdwardsNH 3 years ago
I don't now what the wattage is with the faster processor - I didn't test it when I had it. I didn't test it with any HD h.264 content - sorry - but I suspect it will handle it just fine. It will certainly use more of the CPU though than WMV.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Didn't keep it? Hmmmm, have you found the perfect htpc yet? I'm also looking at the studio slim. I would buy it without the blu-ray, and add one later... when they get a little better. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will take an updated optical drive very nicely.
ps - WTF is with the "Audio Preview" in the comments?!
EdwardsNH 3 years ago
I ended up getting an HP Slimline PC. It was $100 more, but for that extra $100 I get a Blu-ray + HD-DVD drive, double the RAM, double the hard drive space, and a quad-core AMD CPU. It's a bit bigger, but still small enough for where I want to fit it, and it's very quiet. So for me, it works great - oh, also a MUCH better video card solution. :-)
Audio Preview seems to be a YouTube thing, pretty irritating where they've put the button...!?
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I've always wondered this, with the stand how do u set it up for horizontal way? can u please explain?
DUDEMANGUY5 3 years ago
If you want to run the Dell in horizontal mode, you don't use the stand...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Thanks for the review :)
Thomasmc79 3 years ago
Hello Jason,
I really enjoyed watching your videos about the Dell Studio Hybrid. I fell in love with the looks of that computer, but as a consumer, I am looking for performance too. I use a lot designing programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and music programs such as FL Studio and Cubase.
By any chance, are computation arts well supported by the Studio Hybrid ? Also, is there a way to go back to windows XP ?
Thanks ! :)
KamalMic 3 years ago
Well, it's made up of laptop parts, so have you run those programs on a laptop? If not, it will be hard for you to gauge the performance. I'd say with 64-bit Windows Vista, 4 GB of RAM, and one of the 45nm processors (one of the higher end ones), it should perform quite nicely. Installing XP isn't an option - those days are behind us now.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I sucribed!
ingtiy 3 years ago
Thanks for subscribing!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I wish you all the best with the faster cpu'd Hybrid. These reviews are extremely informative and I think ppl clearly appreciate the detail you go into. I actually felt a touch sad when I saw the performance, it can be disheartening when something you invest in dosen't *quite* come up to scratch. I would be interested to see how it handles MKV HD videos. (best with CoreAVC installed). My advice, look into XBMC (xbox media center) for Vista, slickest interface I ever witnessed (and may run ok)!
SkillipEvolver 3 years ago
DId you get your new device? Is ist smoother within the media center? I am very intrested in buying this device because of the low energy consumption. Some other media center devices uses the same graphic chips (shuttle for example) can ist be as bad? There is a BIOS and driverupdate (Direct X 10 Support is announced) for the studio hybrid, anyone testet this already?
krystov33 3 years ago
My new Studio Hybrid showed up this week - I've been testing it and the CPU and overall system responsiveness is much better. Windows Media Center is about the same - the initial menu system is much faster with Aero Glass turned off, but when you're moving through album thumbnails for instance, it's still not nearly as smooth as it should be. I'm trying to decide if I can live with it. The 1.0.4 BIOS is the current BIOS, there's no new update. The video driver is still from July 29th.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I wanted to add that Dell *seriously* screwed up with the software on this unit. On both of my units, Windows Media Center would not play DVDs properly. All sorts of screwy errors, from "wrong region" to black screens with nothing showing to garbled/screwy menus. All the same DVDs played just fine in the Dell Media software. I reformatted the drive, installed Vista and the basic drivers, and all the same DVDs play perfectly. Dell really didn't test these systems enough. :-(
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
any comp can play 1080p hd vids but if they got like 800mhz cpu then no they cant they just need a very decent video card
rysliv 3 years ago
No, not any computer can play 1080p videos - and it's not just about the CPU either. The MSI Wind with its 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom CPU can't play 1080p, but it can play 720p. It really depends on whether or not the GPU is off-loading the HD video playback, or if there's enough CPU muscle to not need the GPU assistance. The X3100 GPU does seem to offload the HD video, but there was a lot of confusion about that before I did the test - people seemed to have different opinions on it.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
I've got a question:
Is it worth buying a dell hybrid if I'm kinda gamer? Is it good enough for 3D games like sims 2 or anything? cause i don#t need a pc without games you know, so if i ask my parents to get it on chrsitmas, i have to know if it's good enough for me
Riinoe 3 years ago
The Studio Hybrid really shouldn't be considered a computer for games in any way. It *might* be able to play something like the Sims 2 - I haven't played that game so I don't know how GPU intensive it is...but I really wouldn't tell anyone that this computer is a "gaming computer" - except maybe for browser-based Flash games, 2D casual games, etc. No "real" games...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
How good would you say this system is for computer programmers ? Running a tomcat server and huge memory hogging IDE's etc. etc.
NikPnchl7 3 years ago
Well, if you get the 2.5 Ghz CPU version, go 64-bit OS, and get 4 GB of RAM...sure, it would probably be OK. Although the hard drive isn't very fast, so if you're talking about running a Web server with a lot of traffic - nope, it wouldn't be good for that. But you also mentioned computer programmers - so are you talking about using it as a development box? I know lots of developers that use laptops, and this is made up of laptop components...
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
What really holds me back from buying one of this right now is a missing second DVI or VGA out.
I just want to use my 2" TFTs with this box and don't want to buy a new one with HDMI.
I hope there will be a solution in the Future.
raix0r 3 years ago
Yeah, this is definitely not a dual-monitor computer. The HDMI port will only function when the DVI port is not connected, meaning that the HDMI port (and conversely the DVI port) doesn't show up to Windows as a secondary monitor. You'll have to use an external, USB-based solution for a secondary monitor.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Nice video, how do you get so clear video on a computer moniter with hand held camera
CAGEDTF2 3 years ago
I used a tri-pod. :-) The lens on the Canon GL2 is also extremely high quality, even though the camera itself isn't HD.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
alice in chains rocks! btw, it sucks the sluggish thing in the media center
andrewwk6 3 years ago
and being made from recycle materials, it shouldn't be pricey, or cost a lot to produce.
Crimson9008 3 years ago
The recycled aspect is a bit over-hyped, and doesn't really play into the cost of the computer: my understanding is that the box it ships in is made from 95% recycled materials, the paperwork/manuals are less heavy, and the Hybrid uses a lot less power than an average PC. That's it for the "green" aspect - nothing much to impact the cost of the computer.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
i totally agreed. Dell next revision should upgrade the graphic card, just basic game like Counter Strike 1.6, Sim 2 , and/or Counter Strike Source.
Also i like this to be a sub-$450 (US) desktop.
Im impress by the desktop design on the monitor, remind me of Apple
great insight review, 5 stars, very informative
Crimson9008 3 years ago 2
Is the video memory shared?
If so, have you tried increasing the shared memory from the BIOS?
johncar11 3 years ago
The video memory is shared, yes. But in the BIOS it's locked to 8 MB and I could find no way to change that - once inside Windows Vista I'm certain it's using up more than 8 MB though.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
Ah, okay then.
johncar11 3 years ago
I dig your reviews man. Keep up the good work. That is kind of a bummer that WMP is sluggish. Overall though, the Hybrid seems pretty cool.
BTW, I'm curious to know what kind of video cam you are using that is giving you the auto focus trouble. I was going to buy a Sony HD camcorder (SR11), but have heard it has similar problems. Take care.
AllUrUtubeRbelong2me 3 years ago
The camera I'm using is a Canon GL2. Most cameras would have a hard time focusing on a flat, featureless surface. I'm waiting for a Canon HF100 to arrive to replace it - then I'll start shooting in HD. Now if only YouTube would start offering wide-format video playback!
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
The Canon HF100 was the other cam I was considering. When you get it, are you going to review it? I do hope so. I'd like to hear what you have to say about it.
AllUrUtubeRbelong2me 3 years ago
great review... the most complete i have seen so far... why dont you try linuxmce on that machine? there are some great videos about linuxmce here on youtube... it looks like a wonderful home media center solution.
librano 3 years ago
I hadn't heard of Linux MCE before, so I spent five minutes watching a video on it. It looks like they spent a lot of time adding "gee whiz" type features, but hardly any time on the user interface. To my eyes, it's horrendously ugly and dysfunctional. I need something that's easy for anyone to pick up and use, and Windows Media Center is exactly that. So for my needs, Linux MCE isn't a good fit.
- Jason
ThoughtsMedia 3 years ago
"horrendously ugly and dysfunctional"??? we have to be talking about different things... hehe
librano 3 years ago