Dell Precision M4500; announced today
Guess what? Dell just announced their new Precision M4500 “mobile workstation”. This latest offering from Dell will come with Core i5 and Core i7 options (all the way till i7 Extreme 920XM), 4 DDR3 RAM slots for up to 16 GB of memory, a full HD 1920 x 1080 sRGB LED-backlit display with a familiar 16:9 aspect ratio, choice of Nvidia Quadro FX880M or FX1800M graphics, 3 megapixel webcam, backlit keyboard (minus numeric keypad, me thinks), Precision On instant-boot and a hard disk bay with support for an optional, additional mini card for SSD only (without sacrificing the optical drive). In terms of port selection, there’s 4 USB ports (one of which is combined with eSATA), mini Display Port, VGA port, dedicated headphone and microphone jacks, FireWire and the usual affair.
In case you haven’t gotten the point yet, this is a direct competitor to HP’s Elitebook 8540w Mobile Workstation!!! In some ways, the Precision M4500 can be considered ‘superior’ to its HP counterpart (yes, I make it a point to provide unbiased news coverage here, and will point out flaws that exist instead of the “fanboy mode” other sites go into when they try to hide the negative aspects of their favorite brand/product). Quad core 2.0 GHz Core i7 Extreme (8540w maxes out with quad core 1.73 GHz Core i7 at the moment), 3 megapixel webcam and ability to add on an SSD in additional to your main hard disk, without sacrificing the optical drive, are three plus points the Dell has over HP’s 15 inch Elitebook.
But guess what else? I STILL want the Elitebook 8540w, and so do a lot of other people. In my opinion, the HP Elitebook 8540w is an overall more versatile notebook and here’s why…
- Unless you really need the extra 0.27 GHz per core and 0.17 GHz when both are Turbo Boosted, the Elitebook 8540w’s 1.73 GHz Core i7 processor should be more than enough for most users. If you need the extra power, however, the Dell Precision M4500 might be for you with its 2.0 GHz Core i7 processor. But would it be worth sacrifici’ng all the other plus points of the Elitebook 8540w (listed below) just for that extra few megahertz? Food for thought. But until HP makes the 920XM available in their Elitebook models, the model with more processing power is obvious here. Winner: Precision
- If you’re shopping for a mobile workstation, I’m sure the number of ‘megapixels’ that its webcam has would be one of the bottom few, if not at the very bottom, of the “things that will influence my decision” list. I don’t know about you, but the 2 MP webcam of the Elitebook 8540w is more than enough for me and my web conversations/business card scanning, thanks. Winner: Precision
- For the record, you can add on a secondary HDD or SSD to all HP Elitebooks if you’re willing to sacrifice the optical drive. That goes the same for the Elitebook 8540w. The Dell Precision M4500 allows you to add on an SSD without removing the optical drive (but SSD only). Winner: Precision
- In terms of visual aesthetics, I think it’s a tie here – some may prefer the Precision for it’s Thinkpad-esque look, some may like the Elitebook better for its cleaner, modern design (and non-ugly lid, IMO). The Precision does have a slightly slimmer profile here. Winner: Precision
- The Dell Precision M4500 has a backlit keyboard, which many would consider the ‘inferior’ solution to illuminating the keyboard versus a dedicated keyboard light or two above the screen (I’m sure both Elitebook and Thinkpad owners would agree here). While a backlit keyboard undeniably does its job to light up the keyboard, an external keyboard light (like the ones on Elitebooks and some business Thinkpads) is far more versatile – you can illuminate documents, paperwork, even things around your notebook, in the dark; in addition to illuminating just your keyboard. Winner: Elitebook
- While the Dell Precision M4500 seems to have a centralized “standard” notebook keyboard from press shots, the Elitebook 8540w makes full use of all that real-estate on its lower deck with a full-size keyboard with numeric pad. If you like number crunching or a nice, spread out alternative to usually-cramped arrow keys, you’ll be especially attracted to the Elitebook 8540w. Even if you’re not some part-accountant, part-CAD designer or mad number puncher, at least you know you’ll have the number pad at your disposal anytime (or maybe even learn to appreciate its usefulness!). Winner: Elitebook
- More ports on the HP Elitebook 8540w: HP’s solution has a total of a whopping five USB ports (that’s even more ports than the upcoming Elitebook 8740w!), two of which are USB 3.0 and the other three being USB 2.0. The Elitebook 8540w also has a dedicated eSata port. Now THAT is a true Mobile Workstation! The Dell Precision M4500, on the other hand, has just three USB ports, plus an additional USB + eSata combo port. Dell has mentioned nothing thus far about USB 3.0 (and manufacturers usually like to boast about ‘new’ features), so we can safely assume the Precision M4500 has only USB 2.0 ports. Double win for the Elitebook 8540w here: Availability USB 3.0 ports and ability to connect up to 6 devices simultaneously (5 USB and 1 eSata) versus 4 devices for the Dell. Winner: Elitebook
- DreamColor 2 color precise RGB LED backlit display is coming to the Elitebook 8540w, ensuring color accurate results and amazing 10-bit color depth (that’s about one billion colors to you!) and more. The DreamColor 2 option isn’t available yet, but rumors say it won’t be soon before long. Well, that beats the Dell Precision M4500′s more conventional sRGB LED backlit display. The DreamColor 2 option may not be available yet, but at least the Elitebook 8540w notebook itself has been available for purchase for more than a month now. On the other hand, the Precision M4500 itself won’t even be appearing for sale for another few weeks. Winner: Elitebook
- The ATI FirePro M5800 workstation-class graphics card will also be making its way into the Elitebook 8540w in the near future. This DX11-supporting card will probably be based off the high-end Mobility Radeon 5850 card, but even if it isn’t, at least we know it’s gonna be just as good, and very likely more affordable, than its Nvidia counterparts. With the HP Elitebook 8540w and Dell Precision M4500 having the same Nvidia graphics card options, the ATI option on the Elitebook gives future buyers an alternative route when configuring their notebook. Winner: Elitebook
- Availability, options and price. Despite currently lacking the above-mentioned DreamColor 2 and ATI FirePro options during the order process, the Elitebook 8540w is available NOW with all other options, while the Dell Precision M4500 won’t be out for sale for another few weeks. HP also makes a more affordable, silver colored version of the Elitebook 8540w called the Elitebook 8540p with Nvidia Quadro NVS graphics (opposed to Quadro FX on the more expensive w-series). So if you want it now and want it bad, you can have an Elitebook now. If you’re strapped for cash and still want a 15.6 inch mobile workstation for whatever your reason, the slightly less pricey (but still over $1000) Elitebook 8540p is also available as an option. Winner: Elitebook
So yes, the HP Elitebook 8540w is overall a more versatile notebook for the reasons above. And that is why I’m closely eying it as my next notebook… Hope you enjoyed the little comparison I made here today, and perhaps you can now make a more informed decision when you shop for a mobile workstation this spring/summer!
Update (thanks, Frank!): I noticed claims that the Precision M4500 can last for just under 8 hours with a 9 cell battery (this is a figure people quote from Dell, so it was probably tested under light load to maximize battery life). While I don’t dispute this claim, and the Elitebook 8540w can do almost 7 hours in ‘typing and surfing’ mode with its 8 cell battery, I think it’s important to point out that the Precision M4500 may be using a 6 cell battery in press photos. I have a friend who has a Dell Precision M4400 (last-gen’s 15 inch mobile workstation from Dell), who says that the ‘flush-fitting’ battery of the M4x00 series, and also shared by a few Latitude notebooks, is a 6 cell battery. He also has a 9 cell battery for his notebook and it sticks out the back of his notebook slightly – same case might apply to the new M4500 launched today (and it’s probably true, because no way a 9 cell battery can be so “short” in length, unless it’s really deep and they’ve changed the battery type from last generation which they have probably not). So if you don’t like protrusions, the Dell Precision M4500′s 9 cell battery will stick out slightly from the notebook, while the 6 cell battery won’t (though you’ll have to sacrifice some power). The HP Elitebook 8540w, however, has a flush-fitting 8 cell battery. More food for thought, eh?
