Dell Creates Portable Workstation That Meets Evo Consumer Laptop Spec

Dell has refreshed its business laptops, predictably enough adding 12th-gen Intel silicon while also trying to make its offerings in a very well established product category stand out.

The new Precision 5470 might be the best illustration of Dell's efforts. The 14-incher is designated as a workstation, but still meets the Evo specification Intel mostly uses to designate thin and light laptops for consumer use.

That's less incongruous than it sounds because Intel recently extended Evo so it overlaps the vPro spec Intel offers for business PCs. The 5470 uses H-Series 12th-gen core silicon, packs 64GB of RAM, can handle 4TB of storage and includes WiFi 6.

Nvidia RTX A1000 graphics are aboard, as are all manner of thermal management tricks to keep it from singeing your lap. Dell says it even designed a new hinge to dissipate heat from the 1.5kg machine.

The machine marks a return to 14-inch workstations for Dell, a category that has never been huge because workstation-class workloads tend to benefit from larger screens. The Precision range has also added new 15- and 17-inch models for those who want the extra screen real estate.

The new Latitude 7330 is a 13.3-inch form machine with a 16:9 ratio screen squeezed into a 0.967kg package. Sub-1kg laptops remain relatively rare, and Dell’s now in the game. The company hasn't released specs but promises all the ports you could want are aboard. The rugged version of the 7330 includes USB-C, a pair of USB-A, and HDMI connectors. If Dell has matched that at under 1kg, the new machine may delight those who detest dongles.

Another newbie is the Latitude 9430, billed as an ultra-premium laptop or 2-in-1. Dell claims this one is the world’s smallest 14-inch 16:10 business PC and boasts the best screen-to-body ratio on a 14-inch business lappie.

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If you fancy any of the above, Dell has expanded its Connected Provisioning service into 37 more nations across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Australia. The service sees Dell load PCs with customers' desired unified endpoint management tools and applications, in the expectation that IT departments have less configuration work to do when delivering new machines.

If that doesn't work out, Dell has other goodies with which to delight end-users. A new "Dual Charge Dock" can prop up a pair of monitors and offer wireless charging. Dell also added a soundbar, a speakerphone, and new monitors to its range, with product to dribble onto shelves and websites over the next few weeks.

The company did not provide detailed specs, or images, for the new kit, despite noting the Latitude 9430 is being offered in "metallic graphite colour." ®