If you're in the market for a Dell notebook, your choice of configuration options have deepened as the Round Rock, Texas-based manufacturer has announced that its Studio 15, Studio 17 and Studio XPS 16 notebooks can now be configured with a choice of Intel's new mobile Core i7 processors.
Dell's above-mentioned trio of notebooks can be equipped with either a quad-core 1.60GHz Intel Core i7 720QM, or a quad-core 1.73GHz Intel Core i7 820QM. Both parts are built on a 45nm process with 6MB and 8MB of L3 cache, respectively.
It looks as though Dell's UK website is in the process of rolling out the new configuration options, but Dell US is already up and running - adding that the below system specs are now available to order.
| Studio 15 | Studio 17 | Studio XPS 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (1333 FSB/6MB L3 Cache) |
Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (1333 FSB/6MB L3 Cache) |
Intel Core i7 720QM 1.6GHz (1333 FSB/6MB L3 Cache) |
| Operating system | Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) - eligible for Windows 7 upgrade | Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) - eligible for Windows 7 upgrade | Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) - eligible for Windows 7 upgrade |
| GPU | 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 | 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 | 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 |
| Memory | 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 1066MHz | 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz | 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1067MHz |
| Storage | 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive | 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive | 250GB 7200RPM Hard Drive |
| Optical drive | Slot load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW) | Slot load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW) | Slot load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW) |
| Display | 15.6-inch HD (1366x768) WLED display with built-in 2.0MP webcam | 17.3-inch HD+ (1600x900) WLED display with built-in 2.0MP webcam | 15.6-inch HD+ (1600x900) edge-to-edge WLED display |
| Battery | 6-cell Battery | 9-cell Battery | 9-cell Battery |
| Finish | Black Chainlink exterior color | Black Chainlink exterior color | Obsidian Black high gloss finish exterior |
| Other features | JBL-branded 2.1 audio solution with subwoofer. Full-size keyboard with separate keypad . |
7W audio solution with subwoofer. |
|
| Price | $999 | $1,099 | $1,249 |
Not sure if a mobile Core i7 processor is worth the upgrade? According to Dell's internal benchmarks, Intel's Core i7 720QM performs up to 151 per cent faster than an Intel Pentium Dual Core T4300 processor, and 74 per cent faster than the Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor.
No real surprises there, but we wonder how long those 6/9-cell batteries last whilst powering a 45W processor?
