Dell has announced the release of the 'world's most powerful mobile workstation'

The Dell Precision M6500 has exceptional specifications, but is it the world's most powerful?

Precision M6500

Dell has just announced the release of its new mobile workstation, the Dell Precision M6500. It was shown publicly for the first time on the 1^st of December, at Autodesk University, Las Vegas. The M6500 has been dubbed by Dell as the 'world's most powerful mobile workstation'. Dell bases its claim partly on the fact that the mobile workstation is the first to offer Intel's Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA's Quadro FX 3800M GPU.

The workstation also features a significantly high level of hardware certification on applications from over 35 'key' independent software vendors. Users who work in 3D design and animation, engineering, oil and gas exploration, scientific visualisation and defense, will benefit from more than 95 different applications, for which the M6500's hardware has been certified.

Whilst Dell has managed to source some praiseworthy quotes in its press release, let's take a look at the machine ourselves. The M6500 has an impressive set of specifications, and starting at $2749, one would expect some exceptional components from a workstation that costs so much. One also expects the very best in CPUs and GPUs in workstations, due to the demands placed upon such machines by industry professionals.

CPU

Does the M6500's CPU live up to the machine's reputation? Dell couldn't have chosen a better CPU as it happens, as they have fitted the M6500 with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i7 720QM Quad-core processor, which is in position 4 on our mobile CPU benchmark list. This CPU can be upgraded to a 1.73GHz i7-820QM for an extra $200 or to the leading mobile CPU: a 2GHz i7-920XM Extreme Edition for $690, which is in first place on our mobile CPU benchmark list.

GPU

In terms of graphical performance, which is often a primary consideration for workstation users, the M6500 offers an impressive set of GPUs. Dell provides customers with a 1GB ATI FirePro M7740 GPU at the entry level price, which is in position 17 in our mobile GPU benchmark list. This can be upgraded to a 1GB NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M for an extra $270 or a 1GB NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M for an additional $740. NVIDIA's 3800M offers virtually the best graphical performance on a notebook, using just one card, and it is in position 6 in our mobile GPU benchmark list. It is just beaten by ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 5870, and of course, the various GPUs running in SLI mode listed above it.

RAM

It seems that Dell has cut back a little in terms of system memory and storage, offering only 2GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM and a 160GB 5400rpm hard drive. This rather small amount of RAM can be upgraded to 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM (2 DIMMS) for an extra $160. The M6500 can also be fitted with an impressive 16GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM (4 DIMMS) for $2700.

Storage

Dell also offers a wide range of storage options, including RAID configuration at no extra cost for two hard drives. An interesting, yet expensive storage option, is the 256GB encrypted SSD which Dell offers for $620 each. Adding a second drive to the M6500 is relatively cheap, however, with 7200rpm drives starting at $170; although one could always by one of these from a third party and fit it oneself.

Other components

All M6500 models come with a 9 cell battery, which should offer relatively long battery life. A 3 year warranty is included with the entry level system, which is a nice surprise, and certainly reassuring for any customer investing so much in a machine as expensive as this. A useful and aesthetically pleasing addition to the entry level system, is the backlit keyboard, which is included in the price.

Dell installs multiple operating systems as standard, with Windows 7 Professional being the default choice, and bundled with it is a Windows XP Professional downgrade, should users need to switch back to the older OS.

The Dell Precision M6500 'Covet'

If money is no object, then Dell offers a better configured M6500, called the Precision M6500 Covet, which comes with an impressive edge-to-edge 17” display. The Covet has an orange anodized aluminium chassis, and starts at $4219. Is it better to get the Covet or an equivalently configured M6500? I was intrigued by this question so I decided to find out: a standard M6500 with the same specifications as a Covet, costs $3489, whereas a Covet costs $4219. I think the edge-to-edge screen and attractive orange finish aren't worth an extra $730, but they are very tempting features.

As with all Dell systems, the M6500 can be purchased directly from Dell's online store, and shipping (3 to 5 days) is included in the price for a limited time only. Here are the full specifications of the M6500, the Covet, and a fully upgraded M6500, as displayed on Dell's website:-

Have Dell created the world's most powerful workstation? It seems likely, and if there is a better workstation out there it could only beat the M6500 on price, because the M6500's components are truly exceptional.