Dell Revs Up Workstations

Dell is updating its mobile workstations, bringing the latest Intel processors and advanced graphics to its Precision line of high-powered professional laptops. The two new models, the Dell Precision M4600 and M6600, bring sturdy construction, improved displays, and a slew of new features and hardware.

The new Dell Precision line comes in two flavors, the 15.6-inch M4600, and the 17.3-inch M6600. Both offer rugged anodized aluminum and aluminum magnesium alloy cases built to withstand temperature extremes, altitude, dust, and vibration. Four DIMM slots allow up to 32GB of memory, and display options include Dell's billion-color PremierColor IPS RGB LED display, which offers true-to-life color accuracy and color calibration software. Displays with four-finger touch capability will also be available. Security features such as FIPS certified hard drive encryption, integrated fingerprint scanner, and Dell's ControlVault software are standard.

The systems each boast five USB ports, including two USB 3.0 ports and a combined USB/eSATA connection for connecting external hard drives and peripheral devices. Video outputs are also available, with DisplayPort, VGA, and now HDMI connections. Certification from independent software vendors such as Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, PTC and Siemens PLM Software ensure broad compatibility with the most demanding professional programs.

The Dell Precision M4600 packs Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 second-generation processors into a lightweight 15.6-inch form factor, weighing as little as six pounds. The mobile workstation offers portability without sacrificing usability, including a full-sized keyboard and numeric pad. Graphics options include ATI FirePro 5950, Nvidia Quadro 1000M or 2000M, with 1 and 2GB of graphics memory available, and support for two to five monitors depending on the configuration. Hard drives offer up to 750GB of storage, with RAID 0/1 support. The Dell Precision M4600 will be available May 10 for a starting price of $1,678.

The 17.6-inch Dell Precision M6600 shares many features with the smaller M4600, but adds a larger display, higher scaling graphics options, such as Nvidia Quadro 5010M or ATI FirePro 5010M, and up to 4GB of graphics memory. The M6600 also boasts support for Intel's Core i7 Extreme 2920XM processor, and up to two 750GB hard drives in RAID 0,1, or 5 configurations. The M6600 will also be available world-wide on May 10, for a starting price of $2,158.