Kaby Lake Precision pre-release discussion (5520 / 7520 / 7720)

do we have any indication when the 7730 maybe released?

 

Don't expect to hear anything until 2018.

 

Thanks - do we expect any large changes or just similar tweaks to the 6700->6800 style

Whereas 7720 is a massive change from 6800

 

No way to know at this point. I sort of expect that it will be another machine that looks like the 7710/7720 but we'll have to wait and find out, Dell hasn't offered any clues.

 

Agreed, maybe at CES? Typical to roll out red carpet for many devices there

 

We did see the 7720 for the first time at CES 2017. Usually, the Precision is on more of a 15-month release cycle, so it might be later than that. It mostly depends on if Intel has high-end mobile CPUs for the new generation ready.

 

Just tried colleague's 7520. Pretty high spec CTO unit. They picked TN panel. I don't even understand why.

 

Did whoever chose the spec realise there's a difference in overall quality? The only possible justification for picking a TN panel is if the notebook is going to be connected to external displays for at least 99% of the time. And if that's the reason then why not buy a desktop? (Although there's the scenario of the user moving between more than one desktop setup). For the rest of us the small saving on getting a TN panel isn't worth the extra pain on the eyes.

John

 

Looking at the 7720 but (as always) the config options are quite confusing.

What would you guys recommend in terms of CPU? Before we just had to choose between i5 and i7 and then decide the price level we wanted, but now with the new Xeon processors there are all those options too. Is the E3-1505M v6 better than the i7-7920HQ? What difference will it make? The price between the two is very similar, although that is the entry level Xeon. And if you go with the Xeon you mist get Windows 10 Pro for Workstation.

This would replace my M6600 and I mainly do HD video editing and high res pictures etc. Will most likely move into 4K and perhaps even beyond so I need the power, and this laptop will last me for 5 years or so, just as my M6600 has lasted me over the years.

Would most likely go for the Nvidia P3000 or P4000 and of course the UHD IGZO (3840 x 2160) would be best too, although I may have to take 1920x1080 if I spend too much on other components.

I will be choosing the cheapest RAM option and then putting my own externally bought RAM in to save money.

Also do you have any recommendation re the HD options? I can't afford all SSDs and will go for just one with two 2X 2TB SSHDs for storage etc.

All comments are very welcome please.

Thank you.

 

Not true, Xeon works fine with regular Windows 10. "Pro for Workstations" is unnecessary for most workloads; aside from ReFS, the extra features won't even be used without special hardware that the Precision laptops do not have. The main reason to get it is if you want to run big compute jobs on server-class hardware (with more than two physical CPUs or a large amount of RAM), and you want to save on the cost of buying Windows Server, which was previously the only version of Windows that would run on such hardware.

The main difference between the mobile Xeon and the Core i7 is, the Xeon is a little bit faster, and it supports ECC memory. If you do not use ECC memory (which just prevents certain types of memory errors), then you are just paying extra for a tiny speed boost. They have the same architecture so you can compare the speed just by comparing the GHz.

Based on what you said, you work with media, I would suggest getting the 4K screen over getting a slightly faster CPU.

You can totally get by with an SSD for the OS and programs, and a regular HDD for your bulk data. A M.2 NVMe SSD can be purchased a bit cheaper aftermarket and it is easy to install (you'll have to move the OS over yourself though).