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Dell Precision 5530 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000) Workstation Review

Refinement. The Precision 5530 is, in many ways, what the Precision 5520 should have been. While the updated machine still struggles with thermal throttling, CPU stability and performance are improved. The GPU has also been upgraded without much sacrifice to heat output. The overall experience is much better.

Last year, Dell's Precision 5520 brought high expectations that were ultimately left unfulfilled. While the machine aimed to realize the dream of a thin-and-light workstation, performance hiccups and CPU instability poisoned the well and left a bad taste in our mouth. With that in mind, we approach the Precision 5530 with some trepidation. After all, the Precision 5530 is externally indistinguishable from the 5520. Has Dell made the internal changes needed to pack workstation performance into a highly portable chassis? We shall see.

The Precision 5530 is a carbon-copy of the Precision 5520, which is itself a copy of the Precision 5510. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it; the design language remains elegant and striking three years on, leaving little room for improvement. While we would like to see more ports, the Thunderbolt 3 connection opens up a world of peripheral options. Since the case has remained unchanged, we will skip discussion of the build quality, port selection, and input devices. For details on these pieces, please refer to our Precision 5520 review here.

The Dell Precision 5530 sits in a unique space in the laptop world. While it uses similar components to mid-range workstations, it fits them into a case similar to ultrabooks. As such, we will compare the Precision 5530 to a variety of other workstations. Some manufacturers have picked up the "thin-and-light" design language and translated it to their workstation lines with varying success. These include the Lenovo ThinkPad P52s and the MSI WS63VR. We will also compare staples in the workstation world, including Lenovo's ThinkPad P51, the HP ZBook 15 G4, and Dell's Precision 3530. Let's dive in.

Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M (Precision 5000 Series)
Processor
Intel Xeon E-2176M 6 x 2.7 - 4.4 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1215 MHz, Memory: 2002 MHz, GDDR5, Optimus
Memory
32 GB 
, PC4-21300 / DDR4-2666
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 282 PPI, 10-point multitouch, Sharp SHP148D / LQ156D1, IGZO, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel CM246
Storage
SK hynix PC400 512 GB, 475 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headset (combo mic/audio), Card Reader: Half-sized SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16.82 x 357 x 235.3 ( = 0.66 x 14.06 x 9.26 in)
Battery
97 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, USB-C to Ethernet, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.98 kg ( = 69.84 oz / 4.37 pounds), Power Supply: 428 g ( = 15.1 oz / 0.94 pounds)
Price
3500 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

386 mm / 15.2 inch 264 mm / 10.4 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.6 kg5.83 lbs377.4 mm / 14.9 inch 252.3 mm / 9.93 inch 29.4 mm / 1.157 inch 2.6 kg5.81 lbs376 mm / 14.8 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 24.3 mm / 0.957 inch 2.3 kg5.14 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 249 mm / 9.8 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.23 lbs366 mm / 14.4 inch 253 mm / 9.96 inch 20.2 mm / 0.795 inch 2 kg4.43 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 253 mm / 9.96 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235.3 mm / 9.26 inch 16.82 mm / 0.662 inch 2 kg4.37 lbs349.3 mm / 13.8 inch 240.7 mm / 9.48 inch 15.5 mm / 0.61 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
186 MB/s +12%
Dell Precision 3530
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
179 MB/s +8%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
166.2 MB/s
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
157.5 MB/s -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
155 MB/s -7%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
 
151.3 MB/s -9%
Average of class Workstation
  (54.8 - 200, n=17, last 2 years)
95.8 MB/s -42%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.4 MB/s -51%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
254.5 MB/s +33%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
215 MB/s +13%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
 
211.7 MB/s +11%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
209.8 MB/s +10%
Dell Precision 3530
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
201 MB/s +5%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
190.7 MB/s
Average of class Workstation
  (78.6 - 262, n=17, last 2 years)
133.6 MB/s -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.8 MB/s -54%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
1421 MBit/s +119%
Dell Precision 3530
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
690 MBit/s +6%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
648 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
508 MBit/s -22%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
506 (622min) MBit/s -22%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
475 MBit/s -27%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
472 MBit/s -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
158 MBit/s -76%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
1385 MBit/s +109%
Dell Precision 3530
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
672 MBit/s +1%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
663 MBit/s
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
655 MBit/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
643 MBit/s -3%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
622 MBit/s -6%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
559 MBit/s -16%

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The 4K IGZO panel is bright, vibrant, and crisp. Response times are a bit on the slow side, and the presence of PWM is a downside. However, these factors are unlikely to be noticed by users. The screen is otherwise excellent. The Sharp panel is one of the brightest we've reviewed (440 nits on average), and the backlight is very even (90% distribution). Apple's MacBook Pro has a brighter screen, but it is one of the few notebooks that outshines the 5530. The 5530's panel can get relatively dim (23 nits minimum), making it suitable for use either in bright rooms or low light. Contrast is good as well, making colors, text, and images pop off the screen. All said, the Precision 5530's display leaves little room for improvement.

428.3
cd/m²
458.1
cd/m²
449.3
cd/m²
424.8
cd/m²
451.7
cd/m²
454.7
cd/m²
413.7
cd/m²
433.5
cd/m²
446.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Sharp SHP148D / LQ156D1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 458.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 440 cd/m² Minimum: 23.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 451.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 1129:1 (Black: 0.4 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.11 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.07
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
76.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
76.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.11
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Sharp SHP148D / LQ156D1, IGZO, 15.60, 3840x2160
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
SHP1476, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Lenovo LEN40BD, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Dell Precision 3530
BOE BOE06F1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
LG Philips LGD057E, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
LEN40BD, B156ZAN02.1, IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
SAMSUNG LƒFL156FL02-101 , IPS, 15.60, 3840x2160
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
APPA040, IPS, 15.40, 2880x1800
Display
-7%
-12%
-6%
-18%
15%
-34%
15%
Display P3 Coverage
76.5
67.4
-12%
67.3
-12%
72.8
-5%
64
-16%
86.3
13%
47.43
-38%
98.7
29%
sRGB Coverage
98.4
98.5
0%
89.4
-9%
94.6
-4%
82.7
-16%
99.5
1%
71.4
-27%
99.9
2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
76.4
68.9
-10%
65.4
-14%
69.3
-9%
60.4
-21%
99.3
30%
49
-36%
86.6
13%
Response Times
-24%
18%
6%
675%
20%
24%
3872%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
48 ?(24.4, 23.6)
59.2 ?(27.6, 31.6)
-23%
43.2 ?(24.4, 18.8)
10%
40.4 ?(22, 18.4)
16%
39.2 ?(20.4, 18.8)
18%
40.8 ?(20.8, 20)
15%
36.8 ?(21.2, 15.6)
23%
43.2 ?(20.4, 22.8)
10%
Response Time Black / White *
33.6 ?(19.6, 14)
41.6 ?(26.8, 14.8)
-24%
18 ?(13.2, 14.8)
46%
34.8 ?(20.8, 14)
-4%
25.6 ?(14.8, 10.8)
24%
25.2 ?(14, 11.2)
25%
28.4 ?(19.6, 8.8)
15%
31.2 ?(16.4, 14.8)
7%
PWM Frequency
1000
980
-2%
1053 ?(98)
5%
20830 ?(80)
1983%
1351 ?(30)
35%
117000 ?(75, 150)
11600%
Screen
-4%
-6%
-23%
-10%
4%
-33%
31%
Brightness middle
451.7
372.4
-18%
305.5
-32%
285.7
-37%
321
-29%
317
-30%
259.4
-43%
520
15%
Brightness
440
368
-16%
282
-36%
275
-37%
320
-27%
309
-30%
247
-44%
492
12%
Brightness Distribution
90
90
0%
78
-13%
85
-6%
89
-1%
89
-1%
85
-6%
88
-2%
Black Level *
0.4
0.48
-20%
0.24
40%
0.31
22%
0.29
27%
0.36
10%
0.43
-8%
0.39
2%
Contrast
1129
776
-31%
1273
13%
922
-18%
1107
-2%
881
-22%
603
-47%
1333
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.11
2.6
16%
3.51
-13%
5.84
-88%
4.5
-45%
2.7
13%
5.5
-77%
1.2
61%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.62
5.6
35%
7.28
16%
8.76
-2%
9.5
-10%
4.1
52%
12.7
-47%
2.3
73%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.07
3.15
-3%
3.14
-2%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.7
3.7
-0%
4
-8%
6.5
-76%
2.9
22%
3
19%
3.6
3%
1.3
65%
Gamma
2.11 104%
2.14 103%
2.18 101%
2.383 92%
2.27 97%
2.27 97%
2.24 98%
2.18 101%
CCT
6492 100%
7096 92%
7291 89%
7176 91%
6519 100%
6077 107%
7163 91%
6738 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
69
63
-9%
58
-16%
62
-10%
54.2
-21%
87.6
27%
45
-35%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98
99
1%
89
-9%
94
-4%
82.6
-16%
99.5
2%
71
-28%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-12% / -7%
0% / -2%
-8% / -15%
216% / 117%
13% / 8%
-14% / -23%
1306% / 850%

* ... smaller is better

The Precision 5530's display covers almost the entire sRGB gamut and about 70% of the AdobeRGB gamut, placing it above most other workstations. The sRGB gamut should provide more than enough colors for most professionals, but those that work with color (such as photographers and graphic designers) may need a bit more selection. Those users should look at ThinkPad P51, which covers the sRGB gamut and 88% of the AdobeRGB gamut. For all others, the Precision 5530 is more than adequate.

vs. sRGB: 98%
vs. sRGB: 98%
vs. AdobeRGB: 69%
vs. AdobeRGB: 69%

The IGZO display flirts with professional-grade color accuracy. The DeltaE2000 score for color sits at 3.11 out of the box. This is just outside the range of what is generally considered acceptable for professional color work (DeltaE2000 of 3 or less). Calibration improves this number slightly, which could mean that Dell tunes the display prior to shipping the device. Either way, the color accuracy positions the Precision 5530 as a machine suitable for amateur or semi-professional photography and videography jobs. The ThinkPad P51 and 2018 MacBook Pro 15 are better options for color work.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
ColorChecker (calibrated)
ColorChecker (calibrated)
Grayscale
Grayscale
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
33.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.4 ms rise
↘ 23.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1000 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Due to its bright backlight, the Precision 5530 can be used outdoors under most conditions. If there is some cloud cover or a bit of shade, the screen remains completely visible. In direct sunlight, however, the reflective glass does the screen no favors.

Backlight bleed is minimal and is only seen in the bottom corners. This isn't distracting during normal use. Viewing angles are excellent; the screen remains sharp and vibrant when viewed from almost any angle.

Under direct sunlight
Under direct sunlight
Under shade
Under shade
Backlight bleed along bottom edge
Backlight bleed along bottom edge

Performance

We are particularly interested in the Precision's 5530 performance. Last year's Precision 5520 put up decent numbers, but inconsistency and thermal throttling plagued the CPU. Can the Precision 5530, with its new six-core Xeon CPU and more powerful Quadro GPU, improve performance without succumbing to the same throttling issues? Let's take a look.

The Precision 5530 can be configured with a variety of CPU options ranging from the Core i5-8300H up to the Core i9-8950HK. GPU options include integrated Intel HD Graphics, the Nvidia Quadro P1000, or the Nvidia Quadro P2000. ECC RAM is not available from Dell. Our model is powered by the Intel Core Xeon E-2176M (2.7 - 4.4 GHz) and Nvidia Quadro P2000.

(Note: the Xeon E-2176M CPU and Quadro P2000 GPU are so new that HWiNFO and GPU-Z were not able to recognize them. However, the software was able to accurately measure clock speeds and temperatures for both chips.)

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: SPD
CPU-Z: SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64
 

Processor

The Xeon E-2176M is a new workstation-grade CPU from Intel. With six hyperthreaded cores rather than four, we can expect some significant improvement over the Xeon E3-1505M used in the Precision 5520. This is indeed what we see; in Cinebench R15's multi-core test, the Precision 5530 outperforms its older brother by 67%. The Xeon E-2176M is about as powerful as the Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H used in many new gaming laptops. Users should therefore expect similar performance in multi-threaded workloads.

Perhaps the best change brought by the Precision 5530 is improved CPU stability. While the Precision 5520 showed wild and erratic behavior in our Cinebench R15 loop, the 5530 remains fairly stable. There is a slight drop in performance after the first run (about 9%), but the CPU settles in with little variance over the next 49 iterations. On battery, the Precision 5530 is able to maintain 85-90% of its plugged-in performance.

For more information about the Intel Xeon E-2176M, please see our dedicated CPU page here.

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
010203040506070809010011012013014015016017018019020021022023024025026027028029030031032033034035036037038039040041042043044045046047048049050051052053054055056057058059060061062063064065066067068069070071072073074075076077078079080081082083084085086087088089090091092093094095096097098099010001010102010301040105010601070108010901100111011201130Tooltip
Precision 5530 Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720Tooltip
Precision 5520 Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
03060901201501802102402703003303603904204504805105405706006306606907207507808108408709009309609901020105010801110114011701200Tooltip
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB: Ø1024 (1006.14-1126.25)
Dell Precision 5520 UHD Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e: Ø575 (458.82-712.59)
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04: Ø1015 (972-1114)
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00 Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø1034 (1019-1128)
Alienware 17 R5 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG: Ø922 (893.28-993)
HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø981 (957.01-1046.68)
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP: Ø995 (976.78-1132)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; Undervolting: Ø1168 (1123.47-1219.85)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G: Ø1012 (980.27-1215.12)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (166.2 - 301, n=27, last 2 years)
254 Points +34%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
189 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (169 - 189, n=3)
181.7 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
177 Points -6%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points -7%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
170 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
168 Points -11%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
168 Points -11%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5
163 Points -14%
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points -23%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
144 Points -24%
HP EliteBook 755 G5 3UN79EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
134 Points -29%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (706 - 3625, n=27, last 2 years)
2343 Points +114%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1408 Points +29%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
1132 Points +3%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
1095 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (987 - 1118, n=3)
1067 Points -3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
1064 Points -3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
1057 Points -3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
971 Points -11%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
953 Points -13%
Dell G3 15 3579
Intel Core i5-8300H
831 Points -24%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5
815 Points -26%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
654 Points -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
647 Points -41%
HP EliteBook 755 G5 3UN79EA
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
626 Points -43%
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
Intel Core i5-8250U
505 Points -54%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
2.97 Points +49%
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (1.99 - 2.12, n=3)
2.05 Points +3%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
1.99 Points
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.98 Points -1%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
1.92 Points -4%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5
1.92 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
1.92 Points -4%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1.63 Points -18%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
21.6 Points +74%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
15.76 Points +27%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
12.4 Points
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.33 Points -1%
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (9.32 - 12.4, n=3)
11.3 Points -9%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5
8.91 Points -28%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
7.89 Points -36%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
7.01 Points -43%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
39399 Points +23%
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (31923 - 43681, n=3)
35912 Points +12%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
32132 Points
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
29330 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
16227 Points -49%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (6928 - 9142, n=3)
7681 Points +10%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
6973 Points
Average of class Workstation
  (last 2 years)
6888 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Intel Core i7-8650U
6782 Points -3%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
4286 Points -39%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
319 s * -117%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5
299 s * -103%
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M
  (147 - 179.6, n=2)
163.3 s * -11%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Intel Xeon E-2176M
147 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6782
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
32132
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6973
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
133.3 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
12.4 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.99 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
196.2 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1095 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
189 Points
Help

System Performance

System performance is about average for a workstation. The Xeon E-2176M and Quadro P2000 are well-paired and make short work of any basic task thrown their way. Heavier workloads, such as drafting or modelling, should be manageable.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Workstation
  (5488 - 8587, n=27, last 2 years)
6843 Points +35%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
5072 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M, NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
5072 Points 0%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
4834 Points -5%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
4817 Points -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4805 Points -5%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
4751 Points -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3281 Points -35%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
4375 Points +14%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
4233 Points +10%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
3831 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M, NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
3831 Points 0%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
3739 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
3735 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Quadro M2200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3641 Points -5%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
3504 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3178 Points -17%
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
5423 Points +16%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
5295 Points +13%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
4666 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M, NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
4666 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4575 Points -2%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
4390 Points -6%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
4291 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Quadro M2200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4256 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4196 Points -10%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Quadro M2200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
6301 Points +18%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
5663 Points +6%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
5351 Points
Average Intel Xeon E-2176M, NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
5351 Points 0%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5328 Points 0%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
5126 Points -4%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
5086 Points -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
3836 Points -28%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3831 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5351 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4666 points
PCMark 10 Score
5072 points
Help

Storage Devices

The SK Hynix PCIe SSD is quick but falls short of Samsung's NVMe drives. Still, most users will find little complaint with the included SSD. In typical Dell fashion, there are several storage options available to the end user, up to a 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD and a 2 TB 2.5" SATA drive. However, the 2.5" drives are only available in models with a smaller 56 Wh battery. Our model, which has a 97 Wh battery, can only accept one M.2 SSD. The drive is replaceable by end users.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
SK hynix PC400 512 GB
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Dell Precision 3530
SK hynix PC400 512 GB
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Apple SSD AP0512
Average SK hynix PC400 512 GB
 
AS SSD
38%
25%
0%
48%
29%
-17%
-48%
-2%
Copy Game MB/s
921
1050
982
1140
1050
Copy Program MB/s
372.8
346.1
325.4
425.6
346
Copy ISO MB/s
1659
1701
1486
1607
1701
Score Total
2922
3681
26%
4038
38%
3013
3%
4303
47%
3424
17%
1979
-32%
2119
-27%
2905 ?(2781 - 3013, n=3)
-1%
Score Write
1121
1379
23%
1468
31%
1138
2%
1472
31%
917
-18%
557
-50%
347
-69%
1102 ?(1048 - 1138, n=3)
-2%
Score Read
1226
1554
27%
1703
39%
1288
5%
1902
55%
1690
38%
962
-22%
1199
-2%
1228 ?(1170 - 1288, n=3)
0%
Access Time Write *
0.053
0.023
57%
0.04
25%
0.053
-0%
0.023
57%
0.025
53%
0.033
38%
0.053 ?(0.053 - 0.053, n=3)
-0%
Access Time Read *
0.073
0.038
48%
0.04
45%
0.099
-36%
0.034
53%
0.032
56%
0.128
-75%
0.225
-208%
0.082 ?(0.073 - 0.099, n=3)
-12%
4K-64 Write
926
1055
14%
1245
34%
908
-2%
1136
23%
623
-33%
314
-66%
163.5
-82%
899 ?(863 - 926, n=3)
-3%
4K-64 Read
970
1223
26%
1524
57%
994
2%
1578
63%
1372
41%
710
-27%
965
-1%
973 ?(956 - 994, n=3)
0%
4K Write
92.8
155.3
67%
100.5
8%
102.8
11%
158
70%
143.1
54%
114.6
23%
18.78
-80%
95.9 ?(92.1 - 102.8, n=3)
3%
4K Read
38.43
51.5
34%
44.33
15%
25.98
-32%
51.7
35%
55.6
45%
40.2
5%
9.46
-75%
34.5 ?(26 - 39.1, n=3)
-10%
Seq Write
1022
1694
66%
1220
19%
1272
24%
1777
74%
1506
47%
1287
26%
1644
61%
1075 ?(930 - 1272, n=3)
5%
Seq Read
2169
2799
29%
1351
-38%
2682
24%
2719
25%
2624
21%
2133
-2%
2239
3%
2198 ?(1743 - 2682, n=3)
1%

* ... smaller is better

SK hynix PC400 512 GB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2948 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1385 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 327.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 449.5 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1667 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1312 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 41.21 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 97.8 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Nvidia Quadro P2000 is the latest GPU in Nvidia's Quadro line. Designed to replace the Quadro M2200, the P2000 features 1024 CUDA cores and 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM on a 128-bit bus. It sits comfortably between the older M2200 and the Quadro P3000. The closest consumer equivalent is the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. Of course, the Quadro P2000 has the added benefit of certified drivers tuned for professional applications.

The Precision 5530 is the P2000's Notebookcheck debut, and it comes out swinging. Compared to the Quadro M2200 it's replacing, the Quadro P2000 scores 15-20% better in 3DMark's Fire Strike. More importantly, the Precision 5530 is about 60% better than the Precision 5520 in Fire Strike. Like the CPU, the GPU is a major improvement over the older machine. The story is similar in Specviewperf 12, which tests the GPU in more professional applications. Graphically, the Precision 5530 is significantly more powerful than the 5520.

For more information about the Nvidia Quadro P2000, please see our dedicated GPU page here.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
SPECviewperf 12
1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03)
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
166.2 fps +60%
Average of class Workstation
  (88.8 - 225, n=10, last 2 years)
162.2 fps +56%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
119.9 fps +16%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
117.1 fps +13%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (103.8 - 104, n=2)
103.9 fps 0%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
103.8 fps
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
102.9 fps -1%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6
99.5 fps -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
86.6 fps -17%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
78.4 fps -24%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
69 fps -34%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
69 fps -34%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
62.5 fps -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
NVIDIA Quadro P500, i7-8650U
15.63 fps -85%
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
Average of class Workstation
  (29.5 - 136.7, n=9, last 2 years)
84.5 fps +270%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
71.5 fps +213%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
41.8 fps +83%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
39.4 fps +73%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
29.82 fps +31%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6
24.64 fps +8%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (22.8 - 23.1, n=2)
23 fps +1%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
22.84 fps
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
17.77 fps -22%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
17.49 fps -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
15.41 fps -33%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
12.78 fps -44%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
11.6 fps -49%
1900x1060 Maya (maya-04)
Average of class Workstation
  (62.9 - 232, n=10, last 2 years)
144.2 fps +144%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
102.1 fps +72%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
77.9 fps +32%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
73 fps +23%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
67.7 fps +14%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (59.2 - 60.3, n=2)
59.8 fps +1%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
59.2 fps
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6
48.34 fps -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
42.26 fps -29%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
37.66 fps -36%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
37.29 fps -37%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
32.07 fps -46%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
25.1 fps -58%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
NVIDIA Quadro P500, i7-8650U
6.73 fps -89%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
102368 Points +140%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
74933 Points +76%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
65089 Points +53%
Average of class Workstation
  (32743 - 133204, n=15, last 2 years)
62922 Points +48%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
53834 Points +26%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (42598 - 44533, n=2)
43566 Points +2%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
42598 Points
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6
37796 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
31396 Points -26%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
29178 Points -32%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
28254 Points -34%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
26860 Points -37%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
20980 Points -51%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
NVIDIA Quadro P500, i7-8650U
12868 Points -70%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Workstation
  (4816 - 35868, n=28, last 2 years)
16313 Points +142%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
14990 Points +122%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
12312 Points +83%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
12259 Points +82%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
9489 Points +41%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (6741 - 6953, n=2)
6847 Points +2%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
6741 Points
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6
5786 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
4843 Points -28%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
4165 Points -38%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
4127 Points -39%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
4118 Points -39%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
2867 Points -57%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
NVIDIA Quadro P500, i7-8650U
2239 Points -67%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
310648 Points +312%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
121766 Points +61%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
75457 Points
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
75457 Points 0%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
42129 Points -44%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Workstation
  (7432 - 54334, n=27, last 2 years)
23544 Points +187%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
20623 Points +151%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
15837 Points +93%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
15433 Points +88%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
12105 Points +48%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (8201 - 8573, n=2)
8387 Points +2%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
8201 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
6115 Points -25%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
5515 Points -33%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
5105 Points -38%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
4702 Points -43%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
3805 Points -54%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Workstation
  (6413 - 22153, n=27, last 2 years)
15709 Points +95%
Eurocom Tornado F5W
NVIDIA Quadro P5000, E3-1280 v5
10428 Points +29%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ
9296 Points +15%
MSI WS63 7RF-290US
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, i7-7700HQ
9063 Points +12%
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, E-2176M
8059 Points
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (7968 - 8059, n=2)
8014 Points -1%
Fujitsu Celsius H970
NVIDIA Quadro P4000, E3-1535M v6
7662 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52 20MAS03N00
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H
6375 Points -21%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
5312 Points -34%
HP ZBook Studio G4-Y6K17EA
NVIDIA Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6
5166 Points -36%
Dell Precision 3530
NVIDIA Quadro P600, E-2176M
4936 Points -39%
HP ZBook x2 G4-2ZC12EA
NVIDIA Quadro M620, i7-8650U
3985 Points -51%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
33795 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
32964 points
3DMark 11 Performance
8660 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
53148 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25038 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6116 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3093 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
2259 points
Help

Gaming Performance

While the Precision 5530 is not designed for gaming, its powerful components can handle most modern titles at Full HD and Medium settings. Gaming performance is about on par with the Quadro M2200 and just behind the GTX 1050 Ti. Unfortunately, gaming at the display's native resolution of 3840x2160 is out of reach. Some competitive and casual titles (e.g., Rocket League) can hit playable framerates at 4K as long as settings are dialed back.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) (sort by value)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
33 fps
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
29 fps -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
13 fps -61%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
25 fps -24%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
30.3 fps -8%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
79 fps +139%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
34 (29min - 38max) fps +3%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
91.6 fps +178%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
  (33 - 43.2, n=2)
38.1 fps +15%
Average of class Workstation
  (34.9 - 298, n=27, last 2 years)
113.4 fps +244%
Rise of the Tomb Raider
1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
38 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
12 fps -68%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
23 fps -39%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
37.4 fps -2%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
77 fps +103%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
30.5 (28min - 33max) fps -20%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
38 fps 0%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
32 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
11 fps -66%
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
20 fps -37%
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
33 fps +3%
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
65 fps +103%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
24.3 (21min - 27max) fps -24%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
32 fps 0%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
1920x1080 Standard Quality (sort by value)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
35 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
23.6 (18min - 30max) fps -33%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
35 fps 0%
Average of class Workstation
  (27.5 - 179.9, n=27, last 2 years)
81.3 fps +132%
1920x1080 High Quality (sort by value)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
26 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
14.3 (6min - 20max) fps -45%
MSI GS73 Stealth 8RF-011
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
47.8 fps +84%
Average NVIDIA Quadro P2000
 
26 fps 0%
Average of class Workstation
  (21.2 - 149.1, n=28, last 2 years)
63.6 fps +145%
low med. high ultraQHD4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 317 213 184 68
Thief (2014) 133 99 85 47
The Witcher 3 (2015) 103 71 33 26 13
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 109 95 52 36 17
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60 60 60 60 25
Fallout 4 (2015) 98 88 51 38 13
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 82 62 38 32 15
Hitman 2016 (2016) 88 78 37 36 16
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 70 41 36 16
Doom (2016) 112 101 60 54 17
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 87 63 34 17 11
Civilization VI (2016) 116 89 51 46 30
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 350 288 162 114 62
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 244 119 60 25 17
Prey (2017) 125 89 78 62 20
Rocket League (2017) 249 164 110 39
Dirt 4 (2017) 201 105 59 40 19
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 101 53 41 29 7
F1 2017 (2017) 169 89 63 38 11
Ark Survival Evolved (2017) 85 30 19 12 3
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 115 61 41 28 9
The Evil Within 2 (2017) 59 32 29 28 3
Fortnite (2018) 201 144 60 45 24 10
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 59 35 26 10
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 104 42 33 26 14 7
Far Cry 5 (2018) 89 47 41 35 21 9
F1 2018 (2018) 139 77 61 32 22 12

Stress Test

Stress management was a sore point with the Precision 5520. Not only did the CPU heavily throttle under load, its performance was erratic and inconsistent. While the Precision 5530 does throttle under heavy work, the problem isn't nearly as prevalent as it is in the Precision 5520. For example, after running Prime95 for an hour, the Precision 5530 manages to stay above its base clock at 2.9 GHz, though CPU temperatures get warm at about 92° C. An hour-long playthrough of The Witcher 3, which gives a better idea of real-world use, sees the CPU shine. The Xeon silicon boosts intermittently to 4.2 GHz and averages about 3.8 GHz. Temperatures spike just shy of 100° C before pulling back to the 70-80° C range.

The GPU is rock solid throughout. No matter the load (FurMark, The Witcher 3), the GPU settles in quickly and doesn't move much during stress tests. Temperatures across the GPU die are well-managed and steady.

Running Prime95 and FurMark together produces a curious result. The CPU follows a tidal pattern. After hitting 2.5 GHz, temperatures (which hit 99° C) force the CPU to throttle back down to 800 MHz. The chip then steadily climbs up to 2.5 GHz before dropping again. This pattern is reflected in the CPU's power usage, which confirms throttling. It is interesting to see the 5530 continually fight for better performance until it is forced to retreat, beginning the climb once again.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536Tooltip
The Witcher 3 high
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.9 - 92 -
FurMark Stress 2.5 (erratic) 1113 60 62
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 0.8-2.5 (oscillating) 1400 72-99 (oscillating) 73
Witcher 3 Stress 3.8 1518 75 71

Emissions

System Noise

Since it uses the same cooling system, the Precision 5530's fan noise is almost verbatim of the 5520's. That said, the 5530's fans will either be off or will run full blast. When idle, the 5530 is completely silent, save for a slight bit of coil whine that can only be heard directly above the keyboard. However, under a moderate amount of load, the fans will ramp up aggressively to about 46.5 dB(A). While thicker machines (like the ThinkPad P51) have much quieter fan noise, the 5530 is in line with other thin workstations.

Precision 5530 fan noise
Precision 5530 fan noise
Precision 5520 fan noise
Precision 5520 fan noise

Noise Level

Idle
28.4 / 28.4 / 28.4 dB(A)
Load
46.5 / 46.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.4 dB(A)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
Quadro P2000, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Quadro M1200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
Quadro P500, i7-8650U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Dell Precision 3530
Quadro P600, E-2176M, SK hynix PC400 512 GB
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
Quadro M2200, E3-1535M v6, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Quadro M2200, E3-1505M v6, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
Quadro P4000 Max-Q, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
Noise
-2%
5%
-1%
5%
6%
-2%
-0%
off / environment *
28.4
28.7
-1%
28.3
-0%
28.1
1%
29.5
-4%
29.6
-4%
28
1%
29.6
-4%
Idle Minimum *
28.4
28.7
-1%
28.3
-0%
28.3
-0%
29.5
-4%
29.6
-4%
33.2
-17%
30.1
-6%
Idle Average *
28.4
32.1
-13%
28.3
-0%
28.3
-0%
29.5
-4%
29.6
-4%
33.2
-17%
30.1
-6%
Idle Maximum *
28.4
32.1
-13%
29.8
-5%
28.4
-0%
30
-6%
29.6
-4%
33.2
-17%
30.1
-6%
Load Average *
46.5
41.3
11%
40.6
13%
46.2
1%
39.5
15%
32.2
31%
41.4
11%
46.8
-1%
Witcher 3 ultra *
46.5
45.5
2%
40.6
13%
39.5
15%
38.4
17%
36
23%
Load Maximum *
46.5
45.5
2%
40.6
13%
48.6
-5%
36
23%
36.6
21%
43.5
6%
46.8
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Exhaust stream
Exhaust stream

Despite the high internal temperatures seen under stress, heat across the case is fairly well-managed. The Precision 5530 unsurprisingly has hot spots in the same places as the Precision 5520, notably in the top middle of the keyboard (between the 6 and 7 keys). This is the only hot spot on the keyboard, though; the rest of the deck gets moderately warm but never uncomfortable. Heat is exhausted underneath the screen hinge and tends to flow directly above and directly below the bottom of the display. As such, laps will feel toasty after about 10 minutes of heavy use, but the heat is not unbearable.

Max. Load
 38.2 °C
101 F
50 °C
122 F
33 °C
91 F
 
 37.4 °C
99 F
37.8 °C
100 F
31 °C
88 F
 
 29.2 °C
85 F
29.4 °C
85 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 50 °C = 122 F
Average: 34.9 °C = 95 F
36.2 °C
97 F
46.2 °C
115 F
37.2 °C
99 F
34.2 °C
94 F
38.2 °C
101 F
37.4 °C
99 F
32.4 °C
90 F
34.8 °C
95 F
35 °C
95 F
Maximum: 46.2 °C = 115 F
Average: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  51 °C = 124 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.9 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 32 °C / 90 F for the devices in the class Workstation.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 50 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 38.1 °C / 101 F, ranging from 22.2 to 69.8 °C for the class Workstation.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.2 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 41.3 °C / 106 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.7 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the device average of 32 °C / 90 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.4 °C / 84.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-1.6 °C / -2.9 F).
Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom, load
Bottom, load
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3

Speakers

Speaker profile
Speaker profile

The speakers are surprisingly good considering the small chassis. Bass is weak, but the sound profile is otherwise excellent. Mids and highs are well balanced, and the speakers remain crisp and clear at any volume. While not quite up to the level of Apple's MacBook Pro, the speakers are close and should be adequate for an enjoyable media experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.736.62536.436.53136.735.54033.132.35033.534.96335.335.48032.433.710028.836.912528.538.516027.844.320027.346.125026.451.131527.154.940026.160.150025.463.263024.971.480024.374.9100024.370.5125024.468.816002472.8200023.671.2250023.568.8315023.569.3400023.563.7500023.360.4630023.661.9800023.369.81000023.268.11250023.162.11600023.160.3SPL36.181.4N2.650.6median 24.3median 63.2Delta0.97.833.933.532.632.430.130.831.129.830.627.537.52846.425.557.525.664.625.267.523.966.822.871.521.970.521.872.820.874.320.474.519.771.218.870.318.570.91874.717.471.817.475.317.173.417.570.317.172.917.376.517.269.117.369.117.365.317.264.417.38583.430.270.561.21.4median 70.9median 18.5median 15.82.46.614.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176MApple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 79% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 18%, worst was 35%
Compared to all devices tested
» 63% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X) audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (6.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 97% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Prime95. Note the drop in power consumption one minute into the test.
Prime95. Note the drop in power consumption one minute into the test.

Power consumption is about average for a mid-range workstation. Under lighter workloads, the Precision 5530 pulls more power than similarly-specced machines, partially because of the bright 4K panel. Under full load, the 5530 draws about 115 Watts, which is a 10% drop from the 5520. The included 130 W power adapter provides more than enough juice.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.34 / 4.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.8 / 16.8 / 16.9 Watt
Load midlight 102.3 / 114.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
E-2176M, Quadro P2000, SK hynix PC400 512 GB, IGZO, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M1200, Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
i7-8650U, Quadro P500, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell Precision 3530
E-2176M, Quadro P600, SK hynix PC400 512 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
E3-1535M v6, Quadro M2200, Samsung SSD SM961 1TB M.2 MZVKW1T0HMLH, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M2200, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
i7-7700HQ, Quadro P4000 Max-Q, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, Apple SSD AP0512, IPS, 2880x1800, 15.40
Power Consumption
1%
33%
23%
12%
-2%
-10%
31%
Idle Minimum *
9.8
8.9
9%
5.9
40%
5.3
46%
5.9
40%
8.6
12%
13.3
-36%
3.4
65%
Idle Average *
16.8
13.6
19%
11.7
30%
10.7
36%
8.9
47%
15.9
5%
17.2
-2%
11
35%
Idle Maximum *
16.9
14.1
17%
15.6
8%
14.1
17%
12.7
25%
22.1
-31%
17.9
-6%
14.9
12%
Load Average *
102.3
100.3
2%
63
38%
85.4
17%
95.2
7%
84.4
17%
83.7
18%
78.9
23%
Witcher 3 ultra *
76.5
100.2
-31%
48.4
37%
75.5
1%
87.7
-15%
101.9
-33%
Load Maximum *
114.5
126.3
-10%
63.1
45%
91.9
20%
154
-34%
130.6
-14%
114.3
-0%
91.2
20%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

One of the biggest improvements over last year's model is battery life. The Precision 5530 hit 8 hours 21 minutes in our WiFi v1.3 batter test; as such, it should last close to a full workday of standard office tasks. Heavier work will have the machine begging for the power adapter before long; the 5530 died in less than two hours under load. Both of these runtimes are double those of the Precision 5520 despite the same battery capacity. Dell offers a model of the Precision 5530 with a 56 Wh battery that leaves room for a second storage drive, but we highly recommend the 97 Wh battery.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 31min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 21min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 50min
Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M
E-2176M, Quadro P2000, 97 Wh
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M1200, 97 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad P52S-20LB001FUS
i7-8650U, Quadro P500, 80 Wh
Dell Precision 3530
E-2176M, Quadro P600, 92 Wh
HP ZBook 15 G4-Y4E80AV
E3-1535M v6, Quadro M2200, 90 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
E3-1505M v6, Quadro M2200, 90 Wh
MSI WS63VR 7RL-023US
i7-7700HQ, Quadro P4000 Max-Q, 48 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
i7-8850H, Radeon Pro 560X, 83 Wh
Battery Runtime
-40%
23%
4%
8%
-11%
-64%
23%
Reader / Idle
991
724
-27%
1031
4%
1128
14%
1096
11%
981
-1%
235
-76%
WiFi v1.3
501
254
-49%
665
33%
559
12%
547
9%
413
-18%
175
-65%
614
23%
Load
110
61
-45%
146
33%
96
-13%
115
5%
95
-14%
54
-51%
Witcher 3 ultra
88

Pros

+ portable size
+ excellent build quality
+ striking case design and color
+ good workstation performance
+ CPU is much more stable than Precision 5520
+ GPU is rock solid
+ fast storage
+ trackpad is accurate
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ very fast SD card reader
+ bright, beautiful 4K display
+ fans have an even pitch
+ external temperatures are well-managed
+ good battery life (for 97 Wh version)

Cons

- keyboard key caps may be too small for some users
- mediocre port selection
- despite even pitch, fans can get loud
- CPU get very hot under load
- oscillating CPU performance during long workloads
- some throttling under heavy loads
- no ECC RAM options from Dell
- very expensive

Verdict

In review: Dell Precision 5530. Review unit courtesy of Dell.
In review: Dell Precision 5530. Review unit courtesy of Dell.

This is more like it. Dell has tried for three years to perfect the thin-and-light workstation, and the Precision 5530 is their best effort yet. This is the machine we were hoping the Precision 5520 was going to be, and it is good to see such refinement in such a small package.

The Precision 5530 is not without its faults, though. Thermal throttling is still a problem, although not to the degree we saw in the 5520 (or other thin-and-light workstations, for that matter). Demanding synthetic workloads bring the device to its knees, but not without a valiant fight. Still, considering workstations are normally designed to run full-tilt for extended periods, the restricted CPU performance under load and the high temperatures across the package are a definite chink in the Precision 5530's armor.

It should be noted that the Precision 5530 fills a very specific niche. Due to its form factor, it is missing quite a few features available in thicker workstations like the ThinkPad P series or HP's ZBook line. Maintenance options are limited, port selection is thin, and the lack of ECC RAM options may be a dealbreaker for some. Those that need the full workstation experience should look at Dell's Precision 7000 series or the aforementioned ThinkPad and ZBook machines.

The rest of the machine is so good that it almost overshadows the CPU throttling. The display is absolutely gorgeous and one of the best we've seen outside of Apple's MacBook Pro line. The screen is bright, crisp, and vivid; images pop and everything looks beautiful. The chassis continues to be a strong point. Build quality is excellent and the design is striking (especially in the "Brushed Onyx" color of our unit). There are few notebooks that can match the Precision 5530 in terms of design and even fewer workstations that are this beautiful.

The Precision 5530 is undoubtedly one of the best ultraportable workstations. Some manufacturers focus on power while ignoring design and portability. Others focus on making the body as thin as possible, forgoing professional-grade components. The Precision 5530 is the best balance of these two ideas that we've seen, and if Dell can work out the thermal throttling issues, next year's Precision 5540 may be the perfect ultraportable workstation. However, at over USD $3500, the Precision 5530 is not for the faint of heart (or pocketbook). Well done, Dell.

Dell Precision 5530 Xeon E-2176M - 09/02/2018 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
96 / 98 → 98%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
94%
Connectivity
68 / 81 → 84%
Weight
66 / 10-66 → 99%
Battery
91%
Display
86%
Games Performance
88%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
87 / 95 → 92%
Noise
84 / 90 → 93%
Audio
75%
Camera
56 / 85 → 66%
Average
83%
89%
Workstation - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Precision 5530 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000) Workstation Review
Sam Medley, 2018-09- 3 (Update: 2018-09- 4)