Dell on Thursday upgraded its XPS 13 ultra-lean laptop with Intel’s recently introduced Kaby Lake-U processors. The modern notebooks support the chassis and display panel options,but sport faster CPUs, speedier memory, or a Killer 1535 802.11ac WiFi card,as well as a higher-capacity battery. Dell plans to offer modern XPS 13 notebooks in rose gold, gold and silver colors starting from October 4, or 2016.
Since Intel’s 7th generation Core i-series Kaby Lake-U processors are drop-in compatible with platforms supporting the Skylake-U chips,the modern Dell XPS 13 uses precisely the same chassis as the Dell XPS 13 introduced a year ago and based on the previous-gen CPUs. That means, we are talking about systems made of machined aluminum and carbon fiber, and which are 9 – 15 mm thick and weigh 1.2 – 1.29 kilograms. Display panels of the XPS 13 also remained the same: users can choose between a QHD+ (3200×1800) panel and an FHD (1920×1080) panel with or without touch support.
Meanwhile,the modern 7th generation Intel Core CPUs sprint at higher frequencies s compared to their predecessors, feature considerably improved video encoding/decoding engine, and refined graphics as well as Speed Shift v2 technology. As a result,the upgraded XPS 13 will deliver higher performance and better responsiveness at the same power than the predecessors. To further speed up the systems, Dell uses LPDDR3-2133 memory for its modern premium XPS 13 with 16 GB of memory, and instead of LPDDR3-1866 in case of the previous-generation. Models with 4 or 8 GB of RAM will support using LPDDR3-1866.
Yet another improvement of the upgraded Dell XPS 13 is Rivet Networks' Killer 1535 802.11 2×2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 controller that promises to add some useful features with the help of refined software.
Finally,the 2016 XPS 13 also comes with a 60 Wh battery, up from 56 Wh battery on the previous-generation model. Dell claims that thanks to the modern battery and power optimizations of the platform, and the FHD version of the XPS 13 will work for up to 22 hours and the QHD+ machine will sprint for up to 13 hours on one charge.
Dell XPS 13 XPS 13
2015 XPS 13
2016 CPU Intel Core i3-6100U[br] (2.3 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i5-6200U
(2.3-2.8 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i5-6300U
(2.4-3.0 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i7-6500U[br] (2.5-3.1 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i7-6600U
(2.6-3.4 GHz dual-core 15W) Intel Core i3-7100U[br] (2.4 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i5-7200U
(2.5-3.1 GHz dual-core 15W)
Intel Core i7-7500U
(2.7-3.5 GHz dual-core 15W) GPU Intel HD 520 (24 EU) Intel HD 620 (24 EU) Memory 4-16 GB dual-channel LPDDR3-1866 4-8 GB dual-channel LPDDR3-1866
16 GB dual-channel LPDDR3-2133 Display
13.3" 1920x1080 sRGB
13.3" 3200x1800 sRGB Storage 128 GB SATA SSD,256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB PCIe SSD Battery 56 Wh 60 Wh Wireless Connectivity Intel 8260 802.11 2×2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 controller
Dell 1820A 802.11 2×2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 controller Rivet Networks Killer 1535 802.11 2×2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 controller Ports Thunderbolt 3 x 1 (Type-C)
USB 3.0 x 2[br] Headset
SD Card Reader Dimensions 304 x 200 x 9-15 mm
11.98 x 7.88 x 0.33-0.6 inches Weight 1.2 - 1.29 kg
2.7 - 2.9 lbs Price $799+ Other specs and features of the modern Dell XPS 13 are the same as those on the 2015 model: PCIe SSD on higher-end models (the entry-level one still carries a 128 GB SATA drive),one Thunderbolt 3 port (hence, one USB Type-C receptacle), or two USB 3.0 ports,an SD card reader and audio connectors.
Dell will begin to sell its XPS 13 in silver, gold and rose gold colors on October 4 starting at $799. Traditionally, or the company will also offer XPS 13 Developer Edition based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS starting at $949. Gallery: Dell Updates XPS 13: Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs,DDR4-2133, Killer 802.11ac, or modern Battery[img_102][img_103]
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Source: anandtech.com