With the debut of the Dell XPS 17, the corporate will carry its in style XPS model to a 17-inch laptop computer this summer season, with a bezel-less design, H-class 10th-gen CPU, and as much as RTX 2060 graphics. There’s an up to date XPS 15, too.
While the laptops have been formally introduced Wednesday, we really obtained a sneak peek at prototypes of the XPS 17 in late 2019. We’ll stroll you thru all the things we find out about it.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Price and Availability
Dell stated the XPS 17 9700 will go on sale this summer season with a beginning worth of $1,499. Starting clearly means a model that doesn’t embrace the top-end parts.
Dell’s XPS 17 9700 is smaller in bodily dimensions than some 15-inch laptops, however its show is a 17-inch, 16:10 facet ratio, 4K UHD+ display screen.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Screen Options
The XPS 17 9700’s most distinctive function is its 17-inch display screen, and never simply due to the dimensions. While most 17.3-inch shows have a large, 16:9 facet ratio finest suited to video, Dell’s is a customized panel with a 16:10 facet ratio, far taller and extra nice for individuals who have to get work carried out.
Two show choices can be found. The first is a 1920×1200 decision FHD+ display screen that may hit 100 % of sRGB shade area. Although not precisely high-resolution, it’s a lot shiny at 500 nits. The display screen comes with an anti-glare end.
DellDell’s two show choices share sure options, together with 178-degree viewing angles and help for Dolby Vision and Eyesafe.
Those who worth pixel density will probably favor the touch-enabled 4K UHD+ display screen with a decision of 3840×2400. It’s rated to hit 100 % of the Adobe RGB shade gamut and higher than 94 % of the DCI-P3 shade gamut. It additionally complies with the HDR 400 spec for luminance and shade depth, and may hit 500 nits of brightness. The panel options anti-smudge and anti-reflective options.
Anti-reflective isn’t the identical as anti-glare, which is often a matte end. Anti-reflective screens are designed to be shiny or shiny to take care of picture crispness, however they usually have inner coatings to attenuate reflections.
Both screens provide 178-degree viewing angles and help each the Dolby Vision HDR 4K video format and the Eyesafe customary for lowering blue emissions from the display screen—with out that horrible brown tint that makes it appear like you’re carrying As Seen On TV Blue Blocker sunglasses. Eyesafe screens basically look “normal,” however with out the blue emissions that disturb your sleep and harm your eyes.
DellThe XPS 17 is about an inch narrower than many different 17-inch energy home laptops.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Size and Weight
Dell likes to say the XPS 17 9700 is smaller than “half the 15-inch” laptops obtainable. Measuring 14.7 x 9.8 x 0.77 inches. It’s undoubtedly smaller than Gigabyte’s Aero 17 HDR at 15.6 x 10.6 x 0.84 inches, or Razer’s Blade Pro 17 at 16.7 x 11 x 0.88 inches, or MSI’s GS75 at 15.6 x 10.2 x 0.7 inches All three of these laptops are gaming laptops or function pretty beefy GPUs, however the XPS 17 has a hefty spec record too (see under). The weight of the laptop computer is nice, beginning at 4.65 kilos however growing to 5.53 kilos relying on the choices.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Specs
Dell spares little expense with its top-tier XPS line. The XPS 17 9700’s specs are predictably premium:
CPU: The new XPS 17 is predicated on Intel’s newest 10th-gen Comet Lake H CPUs. Options embrace the quad-core Core i5-10300H, six-core Core i7-10750H, or the eight-core Core i7-10875H or Core i9-10885H.
A Ryzen CPU choice would have been good, however our preliminary recommendation is to suggest the Core i7-10750H or Core i7-10875 in skinny laptops. While the Core i9-10885H provides larger enhance efficiency, it’s higher suited to a lot bigger and heavier designs.
RAM: All configurations are primarily based on customary DDR4/2933 modules in dual-channel mode with capacities of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. All designs use customary SO-DIMM modules so you’ll be able to enhance capability at a later level. Obviously select the RAM primarily based in your wants, however we’d suggest 16GB except you’re on a good funds. Choose 32GB or 64GB provided that they want that a lot RAM, or since you’re locked into it by a construct.
GPU: Graphics choices vary from utilizing the CPU’s UHD graphics to a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti or a GeForce RTX 2060. While neither of the GeForce playing cards is designated as Max-Q, usually that’s implied because of the thinness of the laptop computer. Both are good GPUs, however the RTX 2060 provides {hardware} ray tracing help and tensor cores for machine studying masses. It’s an enormous step up from the GTX 1650 Ti in gaming. If you’re selecting between the discrete GPUs for video modifying, each are primarily based on Nvidia’s Turing chip and provide the identical NVDEC efficiency, however the RTX 2060 has a slightly more advanced NVENC engine.
You is likely to be questioning why anybody would purchase a big-screen laptop computer just like the XPS 17 and skip the extra highly effective graphics chips? Dell probably desires to have a mannequin to hit decrease costs and make it extra interesting—and there’s a crowd that simply desires a big-screen laptop computer even when it’s not for gaming.
DellA rendering of the Del XPS 17 9700’s inside signifies how a lot area there’s to work with in a 17-inch laptop computer.
Battery: Dell provides two totally different battery configurations: 56 Watt-hour and 97 Watt-hour. On earlier XPS laptops, Dell has supplied two battery sizes, however that was usually carried out to accommodate {hardware} reminiscent of a tough drive. This time it’s to supply a alternative between weight and battery life. Ditch the large battery, 4K touchscreen, and discrete graphics, and you may get the XPS 17 right down to 4.65 kilos. With full equipment, it’s a beefy 5.53 kilos.
SSD: For storage Dell provides 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB SSDs in one of many laptop computer’s two M.2 slots. All of the choices are PCIe-based, which is nice as a result of some laptop computer makers nonetheless use SATA-based M.2 playing cards in low-capacity builds to maintain the worth low. Dell stated it’s additionally taking a look at presumably populating each M.2 slots down the highway.
Networking: For networking, there’s no ethernet, however it’s the newest Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi constructed on an Intel chipset.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Serviceability
As you learn earlier, the XPS 17 9700 options two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots and two M.2 slots. That’s a plus provided that you may get to these slots with out having to take away the motherboard (which many inverted designs use).
While we didn’t get an image of the within backside of the XPS 17 9700, Dell officers stated it’s not an inverted design. Removing the underside will enable pretty quick access to the M.2 and SO-DIMM slots.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Ports
DellThe left aspect of the brand new XPS 17 9700 options two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a wedge-style lock.
The left aspect of the XPS 17 9700 options two Thunderbolt 3 ports which help x4 connections. There’s additionally a “wedge-style” lock, which we expect is a generic identify for Noble’s wedge lock, not Kensington’s previous Security Slot nor Kensington’s newer Mini Lock.
The proper aspect of the XPS 17 9700 provides you two extra Thunderbolt 3 ports, an analog headset jack, and an SD card reader that Dell stated is UHS-III criticism. That final bit means the cardboard reader can theoretically hit 624MBps switch speeds, vs. the 312MBps of UHS-II slots when used with a quick SD card.
DellThe proper aspect of the XPS 17 9700 options two extra Thunderbolt 3 slots, a UHS-III card reader, and analog headset jack.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Cooling
One method Dell used to shrink the general dimension of the XPS 17 9700 was to construct vapor chambers for warmth dispersion, as an alternative of conventional warmth pipes. Heat pipes use pipe-shaped conduits to wick warmth from the CPU to the warmth sink and followers. Such designs are cheap, however additionally they are usually thicker and fewer environment friendly.
Vapor chambers are flat chambers that assist unfold the warmth. Vapor chambers might be present in graphics playing cards and have been even used for a Razer laptop computer.
Dell stated the brand new system provides about 90 watts of cooling, which the corporate claims is spectacular for a 19.5mm-thick laptop computer. Dell once more makes use of Gore insulation materials to maintain the keyboard deck cooler and channel warmth away out of your fingertips.
DellDell’s XPS 17 options vapor chambers and a “Dual Opposite” fan design, which is meant to extend airflow by 30 %.
Dell XPS 17 9700 AC adapter
We hardly ever spend quite a lot of phrases on a laptop computer’s charging system, however Dell stated two choices are supplied with the brand new XPS 17. A 90-watt brick is offered for individuals who purchase the laptop computer with out discrete graphics. Laptops with GPUs get a Dell 130-watt USB-C charger. Technically, energy supply over USB-C tops out at 100 watts, so Dell’s charger checks first to verify the laptop computer is a Dell and may deal with it earlier than earlier than breaking the 100-watt rule.
Even with Dell’s neat trick, we do wonder if the 130-watt PSU is a inform on simply how far the XPS 17 will push it in efficiency. Most laptops we’ve seen with H-class CPUs and GeForce RTX 2060 GPUs (each Max-Q and non-Max-Q) usually have 180-watt energy bricks. We’ll have to attend for overview items to examine this out.
DellDell makes use of top-firing audio system, a 1.3mm journey keyboard, and a extremely massive trackpad on the XPS 17 9700.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Keyboard, Mouse and Webcam
Dell doesn’t say a lot concerning the keyboard, however these fearful it might need a low-travel MagLev 2 keyboard shall be glad to understand it’s a typical rubber-dome keyboard with 1.3mm of journey. The trackpad is large and helps Microsoft’s Precision Touch drivers.
The laptop computer options an built-in fingerprint reader within the energy button in addition to a biometric login IR digital camera. That digital camera, in addition to the microphones, are mounted on the top-bezel. As with the overwhelming majority of laptop computer webcams, the decision is 720p.
Dell XPS 17 9700 Speakers
We’ll have to attend to to listen to the audio system to render judgment, however Dell stated they function Waves Nx 3D audio tuned by Grammy-award-winning producer Jack Joseph Puig. Dell additionally takes benefit of the dimensions of the laptop computer, firing the sound by means of 7,622 holes drilled on the left and proper sides of the keyboard. Many laptop computer makers have resorted to firing the sound from the aspect or the underside of the laptop computer to save lots of area. Dell