Dell Precision Laptops – New Mobile Workstations Announced

News

by Jakub HanMay 19^th, 2020

New Dell Precision mobile workstations were just announced. All the laptops feature improved performance with a smaller footprint and redesigned cooling systems when compared to the previous generation. Precision 7000 series offers a more traditional approach while the 5000 series, similar to XPS series, offers thin chassis with almost no bezels. The Precision laptops support up to Intel Xeon CPU, up to NVIDIA Quadro 5000 GPU, 128GB DDR4 RAM, up to four M.2 SATA slots, and UHD+ screens.

New Precision Mobile Workstations. Source: Dell

One of the options for Windows users looking for a capable mobile workstation, for editing on the go, might be Dell. The company recently announced its new XPS series 15″ and 17″ laptops. Now, Dell is announcing the new Precision mobile workstations. As opposed to the XPS line, these models are geared towards professional users and applications. An example is the use of NVIDIA Quadro graphic cards in these Precision models.

The Precision 7000 series is Dell’s most powerful laptop line which takes a bit more conservative approach  – no extra thin chassis with ultra-thin bezels, no touchscreen, generally more ports with the inclusion of USB-A ports. The Precision 5000 series, in my opinion, is more or less an XPS series with a professional Quadro GPU instead of a gaming RTX GPU. Let’s take a look at the new Precision laptops.

Dell Precision 7000 Series

Dell Precision 7000 series (7550 for 15″ version and 7750 for 17″ version) are, according to Dell, around 20% smaller and 6% lighter than previous generations. The laptops support the latest Intel Core i9 and i7, vPro, and Xeon CPUs combined with up to NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 professional graphics with 16GB RAM, these devices are designed for VR/AR, AI, complex 3D CAD, or post-production work. Maximum RAM is 128GB DDR4 (4 slots). The 15″ version supports up to three M.2 PCIe solid-state drives for storage, while the 17″ version supports up to four M.2 PCIe SSDs.

New Precision 7000 Series. Source: Dell

In terms of connectivity, both laptops have one RJ-45 1-Gbps port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (15″ only has one), one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port with PowerShare, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI 2.0 port, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, Universal Audio Jack, SD card slot, Smart card reader slot, Micro SIM card slot.

Available displays for both 15″ and 17″ models all have traditional 16:9 aspect ratio and they range from a couple of options in FHD 1080p up to 15.6” UHD HDR 600 (3840 x 2160) Anti-Glare Nontouch display with 100% Adobe RGB, 800 Nits, or 17.3″ IPS UHD (3840 x 2160) 60 Hz Anti-Glare Non-Touchscreen with 100% Adobe RGB, 500 Nits, and HDR400.

New Precision 7000 Series. Source: Dell

Dell developed new thermal design solutions to improve heat management. Examples include the adoption of dual opposite outlet fans alongside thinner vapor chambers in the place of some heat pipes, Gore technology insulation layers, plus graphite spreaders and copper materials.

Dell Precision 5000 Series

Dell Precision 5000 series (5550 for the 15″ version and 5750 for the 17″ version) is quite near in design to the recently announced Dell XPS laptops. As with the XPS series, the 17″ model is brand new for the Precision 5000 series. The laptops come with ultra-thin bezels and 16:10 “InfinityEdge” screens (92% & 94% display/body ratio respectively) and they feature thin and lightweight aluminum chassis.

The displays are available either as a non-touch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 100% sRGB version or touch UHD+ (3840 x 2400) 100% Adobe RGB version in either 15.6″ or 17″. All displays are 60 Hz, Anti-Glare, 500 nits, and with wide viewing angles.

New Precision 5000 Series. Source: Dell

The Precision 5750 supports CPUs up to 8-core Intel Xeon W-10885M (2.40 GHz to 5.30 GHz, 45 W, vPro) or the Core i9 -10885H and the 15″ Precision 5550 supports up to 6-core Intel Xeon W-10855M (2.80 GHz to 5.10 GHz, 45 W, vPro) or the same 10th Generation Intel Core i9 10885H (16 MB Cache, 8 Cores, 2.40 GHz to 5.30 GHz, 45 W, vPro).

Both laptops only have two RAM slots with up to 64GB DDR4 RAM (2x32GB). The 17″ model can have the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 graphics chip whereas the 15″ model tops up at NVIDIA Quadro T2000 chip. Both models have two slots for M.2 SSDs for storage (maximum capacity is currently 2TB per drive).

New Precision 5000 Series. Source: Dell

Just like the Dell XPS series, the Precision 5000 series also don’t have any USB-A ports anymore. There are only USB-C ports some of which are Thunderbolt 3 capable. The weight of the laptops starting at 4 lbs (1.84 kg) for the 15″ model and 4.7 lbs (2.13 kg) for the 17″ model.

Dimensions of the 15″ model are 13.56” (344.4mm) x 9.07” (230.3mm) with front height of 0.30” (7.7mm) and rear height of 0.46” (11.6mm) and for the 17″ model – 14.74″ (374.48 mm) x 9.77″ (248.08 mm) with front height of 0.34″ (8.67 mm) and rear height of 0.52″ (13.15 mm). The battery choice is the same for both models – either 56 Whr 3-cell or 97 Whr 6-cell Li-ion polymer battery pack.

Dell Precision 3000 Series and Desktop Workstations

Dell also announced two models in the affordable entry-level 3000 series – the new Dell Precision 3550 and 3551. Depending on the configuration, these models can also get quite powerful though. The 3550 supports up to Intel Core i7-10810U 6 Core CPU (12M
cache, 1.1 GHz up to 4.9 GHz Turbo, 15W, vPro) and the 3551 even supports the i9 or the Intel Xeon W-10855M.

New Precision 3000 Series. Source: Dell

The laptops can have up to 64GB (or up to 32GB with the 3550) RAM, NVIDIA Quadro P620 GPU, and 15.6″ 16:9 FHD (1920 x 1200) display. There is either one or two M.2 SATA slots for SSD. Generally, the design is more conservative, and more affordable materials were used.

Dell also announced new desktop workstations including a brand-new ultra-small form factor (USFF) Dell Precision 3240 Compact, and Dell Precision 3440 small form factor (SFF) workstation.

Precision 3240 Desktop. Source: Dell

Price and Availability

Dell Precision 7000 series laptops will be available from May 28 and the price will start at $1,709 for the 15″ 7550 model and at $1,999 for the 17″ 7750 model. The Precision 5550 15″ model will also be available from May 28, 2020 for the starting price of $1,999. The new Precision 5750 17″ model will be available from June 9, 2020 for the starting price of $2,399.

The more affordable 3000 series 15″ models are available today. The price starts at $1,049 for the 3550 and at $939 for the 3551 model. The final price will, of course, depend on the final configuration.

What do you think about the new Dell Precision laptops? Are you a Windows user looking for a new mobile workstation now? Let us know in the comments below the article.