There’s no denying the convenience of a thinner, lighter laptop. But power users who demand workstation-level performance often sacrifice portability for power. The Dell Precision 7670 and 7770 mobile workstations, announced Tuesday, represent new ways to deliver RAM and chassis options to those who need powerful power, but not necessarily an ultra-powerful machine.
Dell says the Precision 7670 and 7770 will be its most powerful laptops when it launches by the end of July. To achieve a thickness of 0.98 inches for the 16-inch 7670 and 1.13 inches for the 17-inch 7700, the DDR5 memory of the notebooks uses a design that Dell has yet to showcase, Compressed Memory Module (CAMM).
According to a Dell blog post, Dell’s patented non-error-correcting (ECC -free) code module allows for “reducing case thickness without sacrificing performance”, as there is only one module, rather than multiple stacked. The location of the RAM memory connector also purportedly makes the RAM “more accessible for field repair”.
Dell did not elaborate on how CAMM differs from SODIMM, which will also be available in the new laptops. However, the company promised more technical information about the memory module, as well as an “intention to standardize across the industry”in a blog post. Dell also released the below images to the press with some clarification.
Dell will offer both laptops with up to 128GB DDR5-3600 memory in a single CAMM. Speeds can reach up to 4800 MHz if you select a smaller memory capacity (up to 64 GB) either via a single CAMM module or via a single or dual channel SODIMM module. If you choose SODIMM, which can be either non-ECC or ECC, the maximum memory is 64GB DDR5-4800 across two channels.
Various chassis options
The Precision 7670, announced Tuesday, is Dell’s first 16-inch mobile workstation. It’s 14.02 x 10.8 inches and you have two clamshell height options. The “slim chassis,”as Dell calls it, is 0.98 inches tall. Meanwhile, the “performance”chassis is 1.09 inches thick. Specifically, its front height is 0.99 inches, compared to 0.88 inches for the thin body.
Naturally, the thinner version of the Precision 7670 also weighs less than the performance version: 5.75 pounds versus 5.9 pounds.
We’re not looking at extreme differences here, but the variety shows that Dell wants to make the product as thin as possible and with more performance.
In the case of the Precision 7670, a thinner chassis means less impressive graphics options. You are limited to RTX A1000 with 4GB GDDR6 or RTX A2000 (8GB). The extra 0.11 thickness allows the larger Precision 7670 to support an RTX A3000 (12GB), RTX A4500 (16GB), RTX A5500 (16GB) or RTX 3080 Ti (16GB).
As you might guess from the slight size differences, the 7670 uses the same thermal methods regardless of chassis size. This includes user-selectable heat tables, dual intake ventilation, and a pair of liquid polymer bladed fans that should be thicker than the competition and direct air in two different directions for more airflow.
Dell hasn’t specified how CPU options will differ between the two models. But the Precision 7670 will support up to 55W Intel Core i9 processor with vPro.
Dell makes it a little easier to decide between the two 7670 chassis sizes by offering the same selection of ports for each. Regardless of the thickness of the laptop, it will have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, another USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2), an HDMI 2.0a port, an RJ-45 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The laptop also supports up to 12TB of storage (up to 4TB ships) in three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots with RAID 5 support. There’s even the option to access storage without taking apart the case by enabling a flip door on the underside of the laptop.
The 7670 has a 16:10 display with resolutions ranging from 1920×1200 to 3840×2400 for the OLED variant. And the options continue in terms of an adapter (180W or 240W) for a 93Wh battery.
The Precision 7670 and 7770 also include a host of AI features, including ExpressResponse, which analyzes how you use productivity apps. Some features are also present on Dell Latitude business laptops, such as dual network connectivity and automatic screen dimming when someone looks over your shoulder.
Dell hasn’t announced pricing for the Precision 7670 or 7770, but they should be available by the end of July.