14 DAY TRIAL // It is quite well known that Dell's precision M6500 is one of if not the most powerful workstation that Dell is offering. Unfortunately, the laptop is rather huge (17 inches) and has a rather solid price, but end-users will be pleased and relieved to know that the PC vendor is expanding its Precision lineup with a model known as the M4500. The device comes in a smaller form factor as compared with its sibling (a screen size of 15.6 inches) and will provide resourceful users with Intel Core i7-level performance.
The new Dell precision M4500 comes with either a Core i5 or Core i7 central processing unit, with the Core i7-920XM quad-core Extreme Edition being the strongest option available. This chip is combined with up to 16GB of 1066MHz or 1333MHz memory and the NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800M or 880M graphics (with 1GB VRAM).
These graphics capabilities are exploited by the display itself, which has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and uses the 16:9 aspect ratio. Advantages of this configuration include support for 100% of the HD+ sRGB color gamut and a 64GB SSD mini card, which enables the setting up of dual drive configurations.
The new workstation is highly customizable, but has, as major advantages for frequent travelers, the Gobi 2.0 wireless chip, which supports multiple carriers, a 3-megapixel webcam and a long-lasting battery life. Specifically, the company claims that its Precision M4500 can last for up to seven hours and 40 minutes with the nine-cell battery, and even longer if the half-inch-thick 12-cell battery is selected.
"The Dell Precision M4500 establishes new heights for performance and mobility for a workstation," Greg Weir, senior manager, Dell Precision workstations, said. "This system provides the freedom to discover, create and imagine on your terms, wherever creativity takes you. Top that off with the assurance that you are backed by our robust 'eco system' of partner certifications and our ability to deliver the application performance you need to be productive...now that's getting it done!"
"It is truly amazing the amount of power that has been packed into the new Dell Precision M4500 mobile workstation," Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, the industry's consulting and market research firm in Tiburon, CA, added. "With a high resolution screen, a super powerful processor and a choice of high-performance GPUs there's not much I can think of that you can't do with this machine."
Dell has chosen not to reveal the exact price, although it is unlikely for it to be under $1,700. The workstation should show up "in the coming weeks."