Dell announces new XPS tower desktop and Inspiron devices for your living room
Dell has announced a new XPS tower desktop and updates to its Inspiron devices. Designed as entertainment powerhouses and multimedia machines, the new systems represent a reinvigorated play on the part of Dell in the home entertainment space.
Dell has updated its portfolio of devices with new designs and the latest hardware.
Dell has announced a new XPS tower desktop and Inspiron devices, in addition to updates to its excellent XPS 13 laptop and Alienware gaming systems. Designed as entertainment powerhouses and multimedia machines, the new systems represent a reinvigorated play on the part of Dell in the home entertainment space.
XPS Tower
The XPS Tower's strongest selling point is probably the fact that it is user upgradeable.
Despite its name, the new XPS Tower doesn’t quite tower over anything. It’s no small form factor PC, but it’s compact enough that most desks should be able to accommodate it. This is a versatile machine designed for everything from gaming to video editing, and if you get the top-end model, you'll find that it even, meets the new minimum requirement for the Oculus Rift.
However, because Kaby Lake desktops haven’t dropped yet, you’ll have to settle for the older sixth-generation parts for now. The XPS Tower can be equipped with up to an Intel Core i7-6700 processor (3.4GHz, 8MB cache), 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD and 2TB hard drive. But for those who don’t require that much computing power or storage, there’s always the base configuration which comes with an Intel Core i5-6400 processor (2.7GHz, 6MB cache), 8GB of RAM, and a more modest 1TB hard drive.
The top specced model can also be equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which should be good for casual gaming at 1080p.
The final trick up its sleeve is the fact that it's actually upgradeable, a rarity in a desktop not overtly designed for gaming. The side panel can be easily removed to let you upgrade the graphics and memory, and there's even space for up to four storage drives. Dell says that it can accommodate up to a 225 watt full-sized graphics card, which technically includes 180 watt cards like the GeForce GTX 1080.
The XPS Tower is available now starting at S$1,049. It can cost you as much as S$2,199 if you max out the specifications.
Inspiron 15 5000 and 7000
The Inspiron 15 5000 is a budget-oriented notebook for the family.
Dell also redesigned its Inspiron 15 5000 and 7000 laptops, outfitting them with things like a slimmer chassis and better cooling systems.
The 15.6-inch Inspiron 5000 is shaping up to be an affordable laptop for casual users or as a shared PC for the family. For starters, it sports a thinner design – 23.3mm thick to be exact – in an array of colors with names like Sparkling White, Black and Fog Gray.
You can outfit it with up to a seventh-generation Intel Core i7-7500U processor (2.7GHz, 4MB cache), 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive, which if you discount the lack of an SSD, is actually a fairly robust configuration. In addition, all models except the base model also come with an AMD Radeon R7 M445 graphics card for additional graphics horsepower.
But because this is a budget notebook, you don’t get things like a touchscreen 4K display or ultra-thin bezels. The display has a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels, so Dell is really working on keeping costs down here.
The Inspiron 15 5000 starts at S$749 with a seventh-generation Intel Core i3 processor, and the top-specced model with the Core i7 chip will cost you up to S$1,199.
Then there’s the Inspiron 15 7000. This is a gaming laptop, but it’s targeted at those looking to get as much bang for their buck as well. The refreshed design includes a newly aggressive look, with dedicated front and rear exhaust vents and oversized heatpipes to keep things running cool.
The Inspiron 15 7000 features a newly aggressive design and a robust cooling system.
No Kaby Lake chips on this one though, and it features a sixth-generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor (2.6GHz, 6MB cache), 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB SSD and 1TB hard drive. The graphics option is a modest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M card – it’s slightly disappointing that it’s not a Pascal card, but it probably makes sense given the Inspiron’s budget product positioning and the fact that Dell has its Alienware notebooks to cater to more demanding consumers.
That said, it comes with a 3,840 x 2,160-pixel IPS display, but you’re probably not going to be able to game at this resolution with just a GeForce GTX 960M.
The Inspiron 15 7000 is available now starting at S$1,899.
Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1
The Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 is targeted mainly at students who require a portable, versatile device.
We’re also not surprised that Dell has thrown in a 2-in-1 device into the mix as well. The 13.3-inch Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 is targeted mainly at students who require a portable, versatile device for their various needs, but it’ll pretty much work for anyone who needs an affordable convertible notebook.
It features up to a seventh-generation Intel Core i7-7500U processor (2.7GHz, 4MB cache), 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen display sports a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution. This may not be the crispest screen out there, but you benefit in terms of cost savings and improved battery life.
There are still certain caveats however. This isn’t a premium device, so it isn’t really pushing the envelope in terms of dimensions and weight. For one, it weighs 1.62kg and is 20.4mm at its thickest, so don’t be expecting some ultra-sleek device.
The Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 starts at S$1,199 and is available to buy now.
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