Dell's award-winning XPS laptop gets 6-core Intel Comet Lake chip ahead of IFA 2019
The PC maker's Inspiron line, including the new ultralightweight Inspiron 14 7000, will also get Intel's latest mobile processors.
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Although IFA 2019, Europe's largest consumer tech show, doesn't start until Sept. 6, Dell is already getting its big news out. The company's top ultraportable laptop, the XPS 13, will be updated with Intel's 10th-gen 14nm processors, including a six-core Intel Core i7-10710U. In fact, most of Dell's Inspiron lineup will be flipped to the new chips as well.
To be clear, these are not the 10th-generation 10nm Ice Lake Core processors that you'll find in Dell's XPS 13 two-in-one, the world's first Project Athena-verified laptop. Instead, these are 14nm Comet Lake CPUs that include the aforementioned six-core i7 and a speed bump in supported memory up to LP4x-2933, LPDDR3-2133 and DDR4-2666 (the XPS 13 uses up to 16GB DDR3 2,133MHz). Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3 are in the supporting chipset, unlike Ice Lake, which incorporates those into the CPU die.
The current XPS 13 earned a CNET Editors' Choice award earlier this year due to its overall design, features, performance and lengthy 12-hour battery life. The new six-core processor should help it retain its title as "the most powerful 13-inch laptop in its class" by boosting its speed while still letting us work through a flight or binge-watch shows from morning to night.
The updated Dell XPS 13 will be available Aug. 27.
Dell's new Inspiron 14 7000 weighs less than 2.5 pounds.
Several of Dell's Inspiron laptops will be updated with the new 10th-gen Comet Lake processors and joined by a new Inspiron 14 7000. Though the Inspiron models don't typically have the premium touches of the XPS line, the 14 7000 is build from lightweight magnesium alloy to keep its weight under 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg). An updated hinge design lets you open it one-handed and there's a new lid sensor, so the laptop will boot the instant you lift the lid.
Other upscale touches include a fingerprint reader, narrow bezels around its 14-inch FHD display -- available with or without touch -- and a 100% sRGB color gamut. It'll be available with an optional Nvidia GeForce MX250 discrete GPU, too.
The new Inspiron 14 7000 is currently expected to be available in October.
