M6900 - What specs are you hoping for?

I would like to see such a system config as well. It is exactly the same configuration my Dad is looking for his next laptop purchase... multiple VMs running simultaneously. For myself, I do require the Nvidia GPU, but there are alot of software devs like you and my Dad that do not.

So, would DELL offer their top of the line mobile workstation with only the Intel integrated graphics as an option? There would be a drastic void in the case/housing that would require them to design different heat sink/pipe hardware specifically for such a configuration. Otherwise you would probably have to configure the new laptop with whatever the lesser of the GPU options that can be configured. You''d be paying for a laptop with an expensive quadro GPU option that you would not need.

Or get a non "Workstation" (ie. no discrete GPU) laptop. Such a laptop would probably not offer Xeon, 64GB ram, m.2 PCIe SSD, etc.

I'm surprised such a laptop doesn't already exist. A high-end CPU with the most cores/threads, Fast PCIe storage, tons of RAM, and Intel Integrated Graphics only. Is there such a beast?

 

I don’t think there would be significant return on designing such a setup. BTW, while any GPU option in M6x00 may command a premium, I don’t think there is much premium if any on the lowest GPU option in M4x00. I believe that’s why it doesn’t make sense to ship Precisions without any GPU.

 

The current Precision workstations can run with the Intel GPU only (just physically remove the discrete GPU). The M6600 and M6700 were limited to the internal display + VGA only in this configuration, but the M6800 can run both of those plus a single DVI/DisplayPort display as well. Depending on what kind of display setup you need, you could possibly run in this configuration and just sell off the GPU that came with your system. (Note: Although it works, not supported by Dell.)

With a little bit of effort, Dell could support this configuration. (Add a plastic spacer in the spot where the GPU normally goes, make it possible to use more of the external display connectors with only the Intel GPU active, and you're pretty much done.)

I'm not sure what demand for such a system would be. I don't have a need for beefy graphics in my day-to-day work, and I would probably take an Intel GPU only system for my work machine if it could handle two external DisplayPort displays plus the built-in display. (I did get the K5000M in my home system because it was the best option for gaming.)

 

What if it is a MXM solution? Does that mean it is possible to physically remove the discrete GPU? That should work if the integrated GPU is the default output to the display and hdmi, display port etc., am I right ?

Or is the BIOS so designed that without a discrete GPU the system won't boot?

 

All I know is it better have gigabit wifi, I am sick of having to use an e-net cable so I can utilize all of my 300 mbit internet.

 

There are M4800 owners who do run the machine with the GPU card taken out. Apparently, the reports differ somewhat in what display outputs are lost that way. I’d expect the DP to be gone in that setup.

Future Precisions may indeed be wired differently. I just came to understand it so that M6x00 is mostly meant to support a really beefy GPU—the kind that would be too much to accommodate within M4x00.

If you just need an SSD RAID, lots of memory etc., M4x00 should do; it’s just a tad constrained in its other expansion options in comparison to M6x00.

I entertained that idea too that Dell should offer a generic “software-developer edition” of its Precision laptops. Then I realised that something like K1100M hardly adds much to the price of the machine, and that Dell would have to deal with all the extra complexity of designing a separate variant (as they would have to hook all display outputs to the iGPU; which is generally undesirable if you do have a dGPU; only M3800 is wired that way).

You know what? Even something like “Google Earth” works splendidly better on the lowly K1100M than on the integrated graphics (once you trick Chrome into using the dGPU). So why bother with not having any GPU?

 

Thanks M.J.S. Good explanation and reasoning. A next generation entry level quadro GPU (Maxwell m1000m?) might be perfect for software devs needing a powerful mobile workstation to run simultaneous VMs. Better to have one, than to later wish you had one.

 

My reasoning for not having the GPU is to get the chance for 4 hours of battery time on heavy usage and 6 to 8h on medium to low usage scenarios. Currently I get almost 2h on heavy and 4h on low usage.
I assume that even with PowerNow and Optimus the GPU uses some energy which could be saved. Is that assumption correct?

 

With Optimus, in a proper scenario (no background programs trying to use it or causing it to activate), the NVIDIA GPU is completely powered off when not in use.

 

Incorrect. I once met with someone to discuss a possible project and took my M4800 with me to take notes comfortably and to be able to show documents etc. The session took four hours. Most of it was light note taking, but about 20 minutes of it was playing videos.
I came back from the meeting with 51% of remaining battery charge.

Aaron44126 above me is absolutely correct. In those scenarios, the GPU is just dead weight. It’s not going to draw any power if you’re not using it.