XPS 8940, update or not to update?

@ishmael,

All I can say there IS no RELIABLE answer.

That list though, did you enter your Service Tag to get that list? I ask as should never had been shown the GeForce GT 10xx driver as you do not have that card, only the RTX 20xx driver.

The 'only' one I worry about IS the BIOS. I'm still on V2.13.1 and I am 'exposed' to some more recent Security fixes both Dell and Intel put into the BIOS.

I am NOT having the Lock-up/Freeze problem now, but did have it in the past. Without the Nvidia Control Panel Power change from DEFAULT, I will lock-up/freeze, even with BIOS V2.13.1.

So, I'm unwilling to move up, as there is no guarantee if I should start having problems with the latest BIOS, going back to a 'working one' is not 100% assured of not having the problem and I don't want to take a chance.

It is YOUR decision, but make it knowing the risk/reward.

As far as I'm concerned, the RISK is exposure to some fixed security 'holes'. I am doing system back-ups and 'hope', if I should have a problem, I can restore to an early time I did not have a security problem and take needed actions, even if it meant installing a newer BIOS.

As for Nvidia drivers, I'm using the ones Nvidia puts out, Game Ready, and am on V546.33 which is almost a month old (Nvidia had been dropping those out almost ever week, but not this time, although the Studio is newer, V546.40 for some cards). Dell's drivers that are posted ARE tested, but those are ones you'd need to install if you had a problem and support would ask they be installed. For most it seems the Nvidia ones work fine, but some people that did have lock-ups/freezes had switched back to the Dell's versions and said it did fix the problem.

So, me, I can't offer any guaranteed advice. Others might feel different. I don't think there is a correct answer to you question. Depends on the RISK you are willing to take?

If your system is running well, leave the BIOS update off the list for now.  Make an image back up of your system drive just in case you need to restore.  Check Device Manager (verify drivers version) as most drivers probably were updated by Windows Updates already.

I'd agree with both @Chino de Oro and @ispalten but as always YMMV.  I am running on all the Dell drivers with two notable exceptions, the BIOS, still on 2.13.1 and I also run the latest NVidia Studio Drivers v546.33.  Like @ispalten I had quite frequent lock-ups and adjusted NVidia settings to run in a stable fashion and have been extremely reluctant to update the BIOS.  Have not seen issues with the other Dell supplied drivers to date.

@ispalten. et.al.​ :  I meant to include that I did enter my service tag as part of Dell searching for updates.  Yeah, I found all those NVIDIA recommendations confusing.  Much thanks for your responses.

FYI:

I updated my NVIDIA driver (V546.33 game ready) using GeForce Experience, but needed to reinstalled Realtek Audio afterwards.  Restarted w/ no problems.

I updated Killer Wireless Wife driver using DELL's Drivers & Downloads site.  Restarted w/ no problems.

Not sure about those Intel recommendations.  Maybe the  "Intel Corporation - Extension - 31.0.101.4953" automatically installed on 1/6/2024 covered these.  Don't know.

On the freezing issue, my only solution was to blow away the NVIDIA drivers using DDU, then reinstall using the DELL-issued driver 31.0.15.3619

On BIOS 2.16.  No freezes since.  As stated previous YMMV.

Microsoft is offering an updated driver 31.0.15.4609 but I'm not installing it for now.

@Ron_Tep​ 

I installed the 31.0.15.4609 driver via Windows Update early this morning. So far so good after almost 10 hours.

Larry

I would not update the firmware, you are risking the firmware lotto if you have issues or not have issues. Like one previous person said it can leave you open to firmware attacks. Honestly, though windows are pretty battle-hardened anymore, or Linux if you go that route.   I would keep the stability of the system and allow drivers to be updated which will patch way more things then dell CVS's do.  That is just my opinion. 

Also noting a user that is running nVidia 536.19 with Dell bios 2.13.1 with zero issues so curious if this is a nVidia driver issue or really a bios issue. Maybe it's a certain combination of things.
Element115s4

Honestly it's something for the Dell Engineering team to look into. Because it plagues a lot of the Dell XPS 8940 users.  It has been an issue since the 2.4.0 firmware and comes and goes depending on Dell firmware and Nvidia or AMD drivers.  The only users that are 100% unaffected are Intel Igpu people with no Nvidia or AMD card installed. 

Also noting a user that is running nVidia 536.19 with Dell bios 2.13.1 with zero issues so curious if this is a nVidia driver issue or really a bios issue.

Maybe it's a certain combination of things.

Yes, I am/was doing that, I am STAYING on BIOS V2.13.1, and have been updating Nvidia drivers FROM the Nvidia site as released. I AM NOT locking up, as long as I set the Nvidia Control Panel Power setting to MAX. POWER.

I am NOW on the Nvidia V546.65 released on 1/17/2024. Some Nvidia installs HAVE reset that power setting on me to DEFAULT (Optimum on my card) and when that happens I DO lock up. Can you also explain HOW since BIOS V2.4.0 the problems started? At that time, with NO other change, going back to BIOS V2.3.0 cured the problem? All BIOS versions since then caused the problem by varying degree in length of time between lock-ups? Yes, some users never had the problem, but it is clear something in the BIOS triggered this. Matter of fact, there are reports here of a recent Windows update for V546.09, which was never publicly released by Nvidia working for some user with BIOS V2.16.0 but not for some. There is something 'wrong', but it is unknown where, but the BIOS has to be suspect. Note that those SAME cards are in other XPS's, 8930, 8950, and 8960, and no reports on those systems seem to be posted... only 8940's. On the same system that locks up, if I switched to the Intel HD750 I have never had a lock up. Explain that as well. If you would send me an AMD card, I'd gladly swap it out and be happy, and I bet others would too.

Unless we have all the facts (Dell model, exact MB model, exact nVidia card and vbios version), it's really hard to know where the issue really is.

Then you also have environment variables inside this tiny case as well.

BTW, I always thought that MS distributed nVidia drivers were 'different' than the nVidia supplied versions but maybe that is not the case or at least, not these days. 

@Element115s4​ 

There is a lot more to 'know' if you want to dig into this completely. All h/w attached, port out used, resolution, PSU model, if checked for Event Viewer errors or even on the C: a .DMP file with a very close timestamp on it to the time of lock-up/freeze (easy to tell, the taskbar CLOCK has stopped at or near the failure time), External devices connected, and I would think either what you were doing (trying to come out of sleep, nothing but the PC was idle and you came back and moved the mouse, program in and what you were doing or trying to do? However, probably the majority would say coming out of sleep, just moving the mouse, or in a browser.

MS's Updates are Driver only. Nvidia can load a lot of other stuff with their drivers. Read all about what the Nvidia drivers install and a program to control what IS installed here, https://www.techpowerup.com/nvcleanstall/ which I've used, but gave up, didn't find any real reason to do any restrictions on install. Probably need to run DDU before using that program to clear out everything. However, if you do that, all Nvidia Control Panel info and settings are lost it appears.... and you could have a problem. I would load the program and a driver from Nvidia and let it open the driver and then READ what is included with and make a decision carefully on what it 'could/would' install. No guarantee you'd not have a problem though. However, there is a clear way to install ONLY the driver out of the Nvidia D/L using that program. So if you are stable, want to get the latest Nvidia driver that might be the best way to do it. However, the Control Panel, Sound, PhysX, GeForce, and maybe others might have updates you could need?