Dell Updates Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Notebook: GeForce GTX 1060 and Thunderbolt 3
This morning at IFA, Dell is taking the wraps off of their updated Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming notebook. The entry-level gaming laptop is receiving a bump in specifications as well as a mid-generation facelift.
The original model, the 7567, was first presented at CES and proved to be a capable gaming laptop for full HD gaming, said to have an above average battery life and came in with aggressive pricing. Meanwhile the model Dell is introducing today, the late-2017 model 7577, is receiving several updates, including a faster graphics card option in the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, a quick-charge 56 Whr 4-Cell battery, 2×2 802.11ac WiFi, an IPS display in the base configuration, and a Thunderbolt 3 port (USB3.1 Gen2 Type-C port with support for Thunderbolt and DisplayPort). Dell also updated the chassis a bit. The most apparent physical change is the restyled, black, front and rear vents giving the laptop a more high-end aesthetic than the red grills used before.
The GTX 1060 is going to be a welcome addition to the family considering it is supposed to be a gaming laptop. The 1050Ti is a capable card at 1080p, but the GTX 1060 (60W, 10W more than the 1050Ti) will allow for higher framerates and/or higher settings in many titles. The extra performance it provides breathes a bit more life into the mainstream gamer. Though even with the faster GPU, the fact that Dell still offers an optional 4K IPS display on what's pitched as a gaming notebook is a little odd; the GTX 1060 just doesn’t have enough horsepower to drive that many pixels at high quality settings in many titles.
Surprisingly, Dell has moved to a 56 WHr, 4-Cell quick-charge battery in lieu of the 74WHr 6-Cell battery on the previous version. Given that internal volume and battery capacities are closely linked, it's not obvious at this second what Dell has installed in place of the additional battery cells. In any case, the company says that the battery lasts up to 7 hours and 3 minutes when equipped with the high-end configuration (i7, GTX 1060, 16GB Memory, UHD screen, SSD + HDD – tested using Mobile Mark 14 battery life). On the other hand, this is a gaming laptop and is generally plugged in using AC Power. The quick-charge battery will go from 0% to 80% charge in 60 minutes.
Another change to the Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming laptop is the inclusion of multiple radio antennas in the chassis in order to support 2×2 stream WiFi, increasing the laptop's WiFi speed and range versus the 1×1 solution used in the previous model. Dell also added Thunderbolt 3 connectivity via USB3.1 Gen2 Type-C port. It can support a 5K external display, dual 4K externals displays, or other high-bandwidth Thunderbolt peripherals (external GPU perhaps?).
Meanwhile, Dell has done away with the previous model's entry-level 1080p TN panel, and instead the laptop's base configuration now starts with their 1080p IPS Anti-Glare LED-backlit panel. Customization options still include the company's 1080p IPS Truelife LED-backlit Touch Display, along with a 4K UHD panel that is also IPS Anti-Glare LED-backlit.
7567 Revisited
Most everything else remains the same from the 7567 version. Drive configurations are anything from a single 1TB HDD to 512GB PCIe SSD. Mixed configurations of HDD and SSDs are also an option. System RAM capacity remains the same with options from 4-16GB 2400MHz DDR4; Up to 32GB. Connectivity outside of the Thunderbolt/USB Type-C port also is unchanged with an HDMI2.0 port, 3x USB3.1 Type-A (one with PowerShare), a Noble lock slot, 2-in-1 SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5mm headphone/mic port. Even the LED-backlit keyboard has been carried over. Complete Specifications are found in the table below (major changes in bold).
| Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming | ||
| 7567 (Early 2017) | 7577 (Late 2017) | |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7300HQ 4C/4T Up to 3.5 GHz, 6MB Cache, 45W TDP Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4C/8T Up to 3.5 GHz, 6MB Cache, 45W TDP |
|
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5 |
NVIDA GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GTS 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 |
| Memory | 4-16GB 2400MHz DDR4; Up to 32GB | |
| Display | 1920×1080 TN LED Backlit Display | |
| 1920×1080 IPS Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display 1920×1080 IPS Truelife LED Backlit Touch Display 3840×2160 IPS Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display |
||
| Storage | 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD 1 TB 5400 RPM Hybrid HDD (8GB Cache) Dual drive config w/ 128GB SSD + 500GB 5400 RPM HDD Dual drive config w/ 128GB SSD + 1TB 5400 RPM HDD Dual drive config w/ 256GB SSD + 1TB 5400 RPM HDD 256GB SSD 512GB PCIe SSD |
|
| I/O | 3 x USB 3.1 Ports 1 x Kensingtonlock Slot 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x SD Card Slot 1 x Headset/Mic Jack 1 x GbE |
3 x USB 3.1 Ports 1 x Noble lock Slot 1 x 3.1 Gen 2 USB Type-C (w/ Thunderbolt 3 support) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x SD Card Slot 1 x Headset/Mic Jack 1 x GbE |
| Dimensions | 24.5-25.5mm x 384.9mm x 274.7mm 1"-1.01 x 15.15" x 10.82" (HxWxD) |
24.95mm x 389mm x 274.7mm .98" x 15.32" x 10.82" (HxWxD) |
| Weight | Starting @ 2.65 Kg / 5.84 lbs w/Core i7, UHD IPS non-touch Display, 512GB SSD | Starting @ 2.65 Kg / 5.84 lbs w/GTX 1050, 128GB SSD, FHD non-touch Starting @ 2.85 Kg / 6.28 lbs w/GTX 1060, 128GB SSD +1TB HDD, UHD non-touch |
| Battery | 74 Wh, 6-Cell Battery, 130W AC Adapter | Quick-charge 56 Wh 4-Cell Battery, 130W AC Adapter |
| Wireless/Network | 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2, Dual Band 2.4 & 5 GHz, 1×1, Gbe | 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.2, Dual Band 2.4 & 5 GHz, 2×2, Gbe |
| Price | $799+ | $999+ |
Dell tells us that the new model will be available in the US on September 12th, with prices starting at $999.
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