Today, Dell announced a new lineup of OptiPlex and Precision workstations; two OptiPlex, and nine Precision, all outfitted with 10th Gen Intel Core Processors, and most are available with NVIDIA Quadro graphics. They also all have excellent security features and the option to install your own system image straight from the factory for quick deployment of new devices.
Today, Dell announced a new lineup of OptiPlex and Precision workstations; two OptiPlex, and nine Precision, all outfitted with 10th Gen Intel Core Processors, and most are available with NVIDIA Quadro graphics. They also all have excellent security features and the option to install your own system image straight from the factory for quick deployment of new devices.
Let’s start with the OptiPlex: one is the OptiPlex 7080 Micro, a USFF unit, and the other is the OptiPlex 7780, a 27-inch AiO. The 7080 Micro is a very compact machine, offering a myriad of mounting solutions from the back of monitors, on walls and desks, to a dual-VESA mount option, allowing both the computer and the monitor to be mounted on any VESA compatible arm or stand. Despite its diminutive size, it packs a serious punch, offering up to a Core i9-10900 processor, with 10 cores/20 threads and a 5.2GHz boost clock. It also offers up to 64GBs of 2933MHz DDR4 in a 2x32GB configuration with i7 and i9 configurations. It even has an option for discrete graphics in the form of an AMD Radeon RX 640. Storage options include up to a 2TB Gen 3 NVMe boot drive and a 32GB Intel Optane memory module, as well as space for a single 2.5” SATA drive. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and a single Gigabit port. The lack of Thunderbolt 3 is a bit disappointing, but it does have 7 USB 3.2 ports, 3 of which are Gen2, and 1 of which is Type-C. It comes with the usual arsenal of Dell security features, including SafeBIOS, and can be configured with your company’s system image from the factory, allowing for quick deployment of new machines. Availability begins May 28, 2020 with a starting price of $1,284.29.
The OptiPlex 7780 is an AiO with a 27-inch 1080p IPS display with optional touchscreen support, and a Full HD webcam. Specs are nearly identical to the 7080 Micro (Core i9-10900, 64GBs of RAM, etc), but the 7780 has an optional NVIDIA GTX 1650 in place of the AMD card in the 7080 Micro. A 1440p resolution at 27 inches is a nice-to-have, but the IPS display should still offer good colors and excellent viewing angles, especially as the 7780’s stand can go as low as 60-degrees, allowing for easy touchscreen use with a passive stylus. Availability begins May 28, 2020 with a starting price of $2,070.
The Precision lineup is the big show here, with nine new models (8 mobile, 1 desktop), including new 17-inch models. Starting at the bottom (but only in size) is the Precision 3440 SFF workstation. This little guy offers up to a Core i9-10900 or Xeon W-1290 (both 10c/20t, 5.2GHz boost), 128GB of non-ECC or ECC DDR4, and a healthy picking of professional discrete graphics from both team green and team red (NVIDIA Quadro P1000 and AMD Radeon Pro WX3200, respectively).
Storage in this little guy is also impressive, with up to two 2TB Gen 3 M.2 NVMe drives, a single 3.5” SATA HDD or two 2.5” SATA drives, and an option PCIe 8x storage expansion card. There’s also RAID 0/1 options via the Intel Rapid Storage Controller for the SATA drives. Connectivity is really nice as well, with a single gigabit ethernet port standard and you can option either a second Intel gigabit NIC or an Aquantia 5/2.5Gbe NIC. There are also options, depending on your needs, for a Thunderbolt 3 expansion card, a serial port, a parallel port, a Smart Card reader, or an additional Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 port via PCIe. Overall this workstation has a plethora of IO and options to fill a lot of different use cases. Availability begins around June 2020 with a starting price of $749.
The mobile Precision workstations came out swinging, too. We’ll gloss over the 3000-series Precision mobile workstations a bit, but it’s worth mentioning that these are 15-inch class laptops that are modestly spec’d, intended for budget minded use cases with all models starting under or around $1,000. They are all well-equipped though, with dedicated NVIDIA Quadro P520 (3550) or P620 (3551) graphics, and Full HD IPS touchscreens (optional). It’s also nice to see even the budget-minded offerings come standard with a Thunderbolt 3 port.
The Precision 5550 is a stunning looking 15.6-inch laptop, taking it’s styling cues from the new XPS 15 and taking notes from Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro (this is a good thing). Offering 10th Gen Intel Core i9 and Xeon options, 64GB of ECC RAM, and up to an NVIDIA Quadro T2000 discrete graphics card, it’s not just nice to look at, but also performs well. The screen is an impressive, nearly bezel-less affair, sporting a 16:10 UHD+ resolution on its touchscreen, with a bright 500-nit backlight, and 100% AdobeRGB coverage. All configurations offer 2×2 Wi-Fi 6, and two Thunderbolt 3 ports (one is for charging). Storage options include up to dual 2TB M.2 Gen 3 NVMe boot drives, which can be RAIDed. The most appealing feature is it’s very large touchpad, rivaling the unanimously renowned MacBook Pro trackpad in size. This should facilitate really good operation away from the desk and forgo the need for a separate mouse. Availability begins May 28, 2020 with a starting price of $1,999.
The Precision 5750 is the 17-inch variant, offering very similar specs, but ups the ante with an optional NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 for graphics. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for this seemingly paradoxical thin and light (seriously, it’s only 4.7lbs/2.13kg) 17-inch model with availability beginning June 9, 2020 with a starting price of $2,399.
If you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of “premium”-ness for more raw power, the Precision 7000 series is for you. The 15.6-inch Precision 7550 offers up to an 8-core Intel Xeon W or Core i9, both with an impressive 5.3GHz boost clock. You can pair that with up to 128GB of DDR4, ECC or non-ECC, depending on your processor. You even have the option of up to 32GB of high speed 3200MHz RAM to really pull out every ounce of performance you can. You can even cram an NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 in there and get a healthy 16GB of GDDR6. Display-wise, you can outfit the 16:9 panel with up to a UHD, HDR 600, non-touch display, putting out a bright 800 nits and 100% AdobeRGB coverage. If touch is more your speed, you have the option to put a Full HD touchscreen with 100% DCI-P3 support. Storage options are great, with 3 M.2 slots, supporting a theoretical max of 6TB of Gen 3 NVMe storage (3x2TB). Connectivity is also great, with a 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 radio with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.1, and an optional Qualcomm LTE modem. There’s also a single gigabit ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a Smart Card reader. Availability begins May 28, 2020 with a starting price of $1,709.
The Precision 7750 offers identical specifications in a 17.3-inch package, with the only main difference being space for a fourth M.2 SSD, allowing for up to 8TB of NVMe Gen 3 storage (4x2TB). Availability begins May 28, 2020 with a starting price of $1,999.
Overall, the new Dell OptiPlex and Precision really impressive machines, and I’m happy to see Dell take a page out of Apple’s book with the absolutely enormous touchpad and 16:10 displays in the mobile workstations. If I find myself in need of a laptop to replace my aging MacBook Pro, these are definitely contenders.
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