New Dell XPS 13: 4K (UHD) InfinityEdge Touch Screen, 8th Gen Intel, Rose Gold
by Joe Shields on January 4, 2018 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Dell
- Intel
- Trade Shows
- 4K
- i7
- UHD
- i5
- Core 8th Gen
- CES 2018
Dell is releasing a few new items at CES 2018 starting with its brand new XPS 13 laptop today. Dell labels the XPS 13 as 'the smallest 13-inch on the planet making it ideal for people on the go'. Along with claiming to be the smallest, Dell is also calling it the most powerful laptop in its class, upgrading to use Intel’s 8th Generation Quad Core processors. Size and performance aside, Dell also tweaked the appearance of the device by shrinking the bezel around the screen allowing for a smaller frame around the screen, known as their InfinityEdge display technology. The XPS 13 debuts an alpine white woven glass palm rest designed specifically for Dell, a departure from the black used previously.
The new 8th Generation Intel Quad Core i5-8250U or i7-8550U processors replace the outgoing 7th generation CPUs. The i5-8250U quad core has a base frequency of 1.6 GHz and a maximum turbo of 3.4 GHz while the optional i7-8550U uses four cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 1.8 GHz boosting to a maximum of 4 GHz. Both processors are designed to fit into a 15W TDP. To help keep things cool with the increased power used by the 8550U, the shell is built with GORE Thermal Insulation which is said to have better than air heat conductivity levels in a more flexible format. The insulation will direct heat out of the device, lowering the temperature. Dell mentioned cooling capacity increased to 27W, up from 15W in its predecessors allowing for more performance headroom from the latest processors.
Also new to the device is a 13.3” UltraSharp 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge touch display. The monitor displays 100% sRGB and due to the size has a high pixel density. Other options include two FHD (1920 x 1080) panels. One is a touch panel and the other is not. The smaller the bezel with the same size screen, the smaller the device can be.
The dimensions are marginally smaller than the 7th Gen version, and it also comes in slightly lighter starting at 2.67/2.78lbs for non-touch/touch systems versus 2.7 and 2.9 pounds on the outgoing models. It isn’t a big difference but is indeed still smaller. Dell added a new color combination with the rose gold color offering the Alpine white crystalline woven fiber internals. The material, Dell says, has a texture to it, and uses an anti-smudge and anti-stain coating. The entire interior is available in this new material including the keyboard, bezel, and touchpad setting it apart from the plain black we are used to seeing in such devices.
We can expect to see these available globally today, January 4th, with a base price of $999.
Dell XPS 13 (Early 2018) | |
Warranty Period | 1 Year Warranty |
Product Page | N/A |
Price ($US) | $999+ |
Type | Ultrabook |
Processor Family | 8th Generation Intel Core i5/i7 |
Processors | i5-8520U / i7-8550U |
Memory | Up to 16GB DDR4 2133 MHz |
Network Connectivity | Wireless Only Killer 1435 802.11ac (2T2R) Intel 8265 802.11ac (2T2R for vPro) |
Internal Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe PCIe) |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Display | 13.3" 3840x2160 touchscreen 13.3" 1920x1080 touchscreen 13.3" 1920x1080 non-touchscreen |
Camera | 720p and IR Camera |
Battery | 52Wh |
Speakers | 2 x 1W |
Ports and Connectors | 2 x Thunderbolt 3 1 x USB Type-C 1 x microSD card reader 1 x Headset jack 1 x Noble lock slot |
Dimensions / Weight | 302(W) x 199(D) x 7.8-11.6mm(H) From 2.67lbs (non-touch) to 2.68lbs w/touchscreen |
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Spede - Thursday, January 4, 2018 - link
Yeah but does it still suffer from COIL WHINE ? That's the single most important question.Tams80 - Friday, January 5, 2018 - link
Worse port selection (an additional USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port would have been welcome, if they didn't remove other ports) and the same crappy webcam and webcam placement.Well done Dell.
oRAirwolf - Friday, January 5, 2018 - link
When will companies stop putting trash Killer WiFi in their laptops? First thing I did when I bought my XPS 15 9560 was go and order an Intel 8265 WiFi card for it. I didn't even boot it up before I swapped out the WiFi chipset. F killer and F companies that put that garbage in their products.etamin - Friday, January 5, 2018 - link
Agreed. The table above says "Intel 8265 802.11ac (2T2R for vPro)" underneath but I don't see that option available anywhere on the Dell website. It was only a few days ago that I stopped a friend from making the purchase because of the Killer NIC, but good call on swapping it out.vdidenko - Sunday, January 7, 2018 - link
Alongside they also seem to share the new small DA300 hub - not yet available for purchase and no information to be found... https://photos.app.goo.gl/AwubuDkXE6UVJ9nv1