Dell is updating its Precision line of mobile workstations with two new models: the Dell Precision 3540 is a 15.6 inch laptop with a 15 watt Intel Core U-series processor paired with AMD Radeon Pro graphics, a starting weight of about 4 pounds, and a starting price of $799. It’s available starting today.
The Dell Precision 3541 is a higher-performance laptop coming in late May. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but a glance at the spec sheet tells me that this 15.6 inch laptop will probably be much more expensive — but it still has a starting weight of just 4.3 pounds.
The Precision 3540 supports up to an Intel Core i7-8665U processor, up to AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 graphics, up to 32GB of 2400 MHz non-ECC RAM, and up to 2TB of solid state storage and/or a 2TB hard drive.
Really, I found myself scratching my head wondering what makes this model a mobile workstation at first, but I guess it’s the graphics card.
Display options range from a 1366 x 768 TN anti-glare screen to a full HD toucshcreen display. And Dell offers 42Wh, 51 Wh, and 68 Wh battery options.
The notebook measures 14.1″ x 9.3″ x 0.8″ and features Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, HDMI, SD card, and Ethernet jacks, along with an optional Smart Card Reader and fingerprint sensor.
The Precision 3541, meanwhile, is available with 35 watt processor options ranging from a Core i5-9300H to a Core i9-9880H or Xeon E-2276M. It features NVIDIA Quadro P620 graphics, supports 51 Wh, 68 Wh, or 97 Wh battery options, and measures 14.1″ x 9.3″ x 0.9″.
Both new Precision laptops are available with a choice of Windows, Ubuntu, or Red Hat Linux operating systems.
haha yes when I saw those specs for 3540 I had exactly the same thought, what sets those apart from any other laptop out there to make it qualify for being called a workstation? But then again, look at ZBook 15u and 14u, the same 15W TDP CPU. yes some models can be configured with a discrete card, but if not, that’s a lot of money to pay extra just to own something that is called workstation.
What would be the benefit of getting a Precision over an XPS 15?
If you do programming that uses CUDA or Xeon cores. Basically these processors and graphics card are for such uses.