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MagyarComputex 2019 | The Dell XPS 15 7590 is a relatively minor refresh but finally offers a 4K OLED screen and proper webcam placement
Update: While the specifications list support for Dolby Vision, the XPS 15 7590's internal display is not HDR-capable. However, external Dolby Vision displays are supported when connected via HDMI as confirmed by Dell Customer Care. The article has been edited accordingly.
Thanks to reader Ibrahim Azumeen for bringing this to our notice.
Despite all its flaws, the Dell XPS 15 lineup continues to be a professional's favorite Windows laptop. This year, at Computex 2019, Dell finally unveiled the successor to the XPS 15 9570. No, it is not the 9580 as we'd been expecting but Dell has christened the new iteration as the XPS 15 7590 signalling an impending change in the way the company perceives the XPS lineup since inception. Specs-wise, the XPS 15 7590 is a relatively minor upgrade but before getting into that, let's have a look at what the new numbering scheme means for Dell and consumers alike.
What's in a name?
According to Dell, the 7590 moniker indicates the following:
- 7 - Dell's premium lineup
- 5 - Screen size (3 indicates 13-inch and 5, 15-inch)
- 90 - Model number
Dell said that it is aligning the numbering scheme with other notebook series such as Inspiron, Vostro, Precision, and Latitude. There won't be a 9xxx SKU henceforth so 7xxx implies a high-end model, a 5xxx implies mid-range, and 3xxx indicates a budget variant.
Specifications — Expected Intel and NVIDIA upgrades
We weren't expecting this year's XPS 15 to be radically different and the 7590's spec sheet proves the same. There aren't too many differences in the specifications per se compared to last year's XPS 15 9570 aside from the obvious upgrade to the new Intel Coffee Lake-H 45W CPUs and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics. CPU options range from the Core i5-9300H to the Core i9-9980HK. The XPS 15 7590 now comes with a 64 GB DDR4-2666 RAM factory configuration option unlike last year's maximum option of 32 GB RAM (after sales upgrade to 64 GB was still possible).
The display is what primarily differentiates the XPS 15 7590 from earlier models. The 7590 now offers the same OLED panel in the Alienware m15 series with InfinityEdge bezels, 4K UHD resolution, and 400-nits brightness. Dell said that the non-touch OLED panel can cover 100% DCI-P3 color gamut with a 100,000:1 contrast ratio. Dell also offers the standard 4K and FHD IPS panels with the 4K panel being a touch display. All display options support a wide 178-degree viewing angle and the laptop supports external Dolby Vision HDR displays as well via HDMI.
The other major change we see in this generation is with the webcam. Users of previous XPS 15 notebooks can testify the near uselessness of the 'nose-cam' placed in the bottom bezel. Looks like Dell has finally heard the prayers and has moved the webcam back to its rightful position in the top bezel. Due to the thin bezels of the InfinityEdge display, Dell had to miniaturize the webcam components and it now uses a 4-element lens assembled with precise alignment. The 720p camera also performs hardware-based temporal noise reduction for better quality in low light.
Dell is also promising the longest battery life in a 15-inch laptop — up to 20.5 hours runtime on a FHD 9th gen Core i7 97Wh configuration. Of course, battery runtime depends on a lot of factors but we do see the values dropping to about 9.5 hours when using any of the 4K display options.
Connectivity — Same I/O but with Wi-Fi 6 support
Connectivity options, including the port layout, are carried on from last year. Towards the left, we have the power port, USB 3.1 Gen1, HDMI 2.0-out, Thunderbolt 3 (4-lane), and a combo audio jack. On the right, we have an SD card slot, another USB 3.1 Gen1, battery gauge indicator, and a Noble lock slot. No big changes here.
The XPS 15 7590 now features a Killer AX1650 wireless LAN based on the Intel Wi-Fi 6 chipset. The new WLAN offers higher throughput, better network traffic prioritization, and support for Bluetooth 5.0.
The chiclet backlit keyboard and the precision touchpad remain standard as is the black carbon fiber palm rest. The power button can be equipped with an optional fingerprint reader for Windows Hello.
While the specifications do not promise an overhauled XPS 15 this year, we look forward to testing out the laptop to really see if Dell has addressed some of the issues that plagued the previous generation. We look forward to seeing whether throttling issues have been addressed to avoid a paste-job and whether issues pertaining to DPC latency, battery drain during standby, and S3 sleep among others have had at least some redressal.
The Dell XPS 15 7590 will be available soon around the world with prices starting from US$999.99 for the non-OLED variants and US$1899.99 for the OLED option.
What do you think of the new Dell XPS 15 7590? Let us know in the comments below.
Source(s)
Dell Press Release
