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Dell sneaks quad-core Ivy Bridge CPUs into a couple of Vostro, XPS, and Inspiron systems

Intel's new high-end chips get picked up by Dell's multimedia line.

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials
  • Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Dan Ackerman
2 min read
Dell

Theonly laptops available right now with Intel's new third-generation Core i-series CPUs (also known as Ivy Bridge) are those that use high-end quad-core Core i7 processors. That means the vast majority of mainstream laptops won't get updated CPUs until the dual-core versions of Ivy Bridgeare released, probably sometime in June.

Dell already has a few Ivy Bridge laptops in the Alienware M14x, M15x, and M17x gaming systems, and now the company is adding a couple of Inspiron models as well. The Dell Inspiron 14R and 15R Special Edition are higher-end machines available with quad-core processors, so they can take advantage of the currently available third-gen Core i7.

Of the refreshed systems, Dell says:

The Inspiron R Special Edition laptops are geared towards families and feature a sleek and durable anodized aluminum exterior, up to 3rd generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, powerful discrete graphics options ideal for photo and video editing and immersive gaming, optional high-resolution displays, backlit keyboards and mSATA SSD devices with Intel Rapid Start and Smart Response technology for fast boot and sleep resume times.

Also getting Ivy Bridge processors in the Dell lineup are a couple of desktops, the small-business Vostro 470 Desktop and the high-end XPS 8500, and the company says the popular Alienware X51 small form factor desktop is getting upgraded very soon as well.

The XPS and Vostro desktops are available starting today, and the Inspiron 14R and 15R Special Editions are available in "select countries in Asia," and getting a wider release in the coming weeks.