Dell XPS vs Precision laptops for Photoshop, etc.

[ZodiacPhoto]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Thank you!

--
flickr.com/photos/zodiacphoto1
"The function of art is to hold the mirror up to nature" - Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

 

[Austinian]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Thank you!

To the best of my knowledge, the main reason for the workstation-class graphics cards in the Precisions is for use with specialized, professional graphics software.

For photo use I'd not be concerned, but for something like Fusion 360 I'd suggest checking its compatibility with the specific graphics cards before buying the hardware, as I'm not sure about its requirements.

 

[David Lal]

To the best of my knowledge, the main reason for the workstation-class graphics cards in the Precisions is for use with specialized, professional graphics software.

Which graphics software falls into this rubric? I am not challenging you but just thinking that Photoshop is certainly used professionally, as is for example, Adobe Illustrator.

 

[Austinian]

To the best of my knowledge, the main reason for the workstation-class graphics cards in the Precisions is for use with specialized, professional graphics software.

Which graphics software falls into this rubric? I am not challenging you but just thinking that Photoshop is certainly used professionally, as is for example, Adobe Illustrator.

Lots of common software is used "professionally". What I mean is like this:

Workstation GPU Vs Gaming GPU: What's The Difference?

Workstation or gaming PC? Choosing the right GPU is crucial. We compare Workstation vs. Gaming GPUs - performance, memory, drivers & more! Find the perfect graphics card to fuel your projects or power your games!

www.electronicshub.org

 

[David Lal]

That link was useful. Thanks.

 

[BobKnDP]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Thank you!

To the best of my knowledge, the main reason for the workstation-class graphics cards in the Precisions is for use with specialized, professional graphics software.

For photo use I'd not be concerned, but for something like Fusion 360 I'd suggest checking its compatibility with the specific graphics cards before buying the hardware, as I'm not sure about its requirements.

I know nothing about Fusion 360, but its listed hardware requirements are not extreme.

Fusion 360 Help | System requirements for Autodesk Fusion | Autodesk

In the past, nVidia "workstation" GPUs included support for some OpenGL instructions that were not offered in the consumer GPUs. Some of the workstation cards had more VRAM as well. My understanding is badly out-of-date, though, and I never paid much attention to laptops.

At a guess, if you don't know that you need a workstation GPU, you probably don't need one. ;-)

 

[Austinian]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Thank you!

To the best of my knowledge, the main reason for the workstation-class graphics cards in the Precisions is for use with specialized, professional graphics software.

For photo use I'd not be concerned, but for something like Fusion 360 I'd suggest checking its compatibility with the specific graphics cards before buying the hardware, as I'm not sure about its requirements.

I know nothing about Fusion 360, but its listed hardware requirements are not extreme.

Fusion 360 Help | System requirements for Autodesk Fusion | Autodesk

That sounds pretty relaxed; I'd expect an 'ordinary' XPS to support that. In Ye Olden Days CAD/CAM software could be quite demanding. The very high-class stuff may still be, IDK.

In the past, nVidia "workstation" GPUs included support for some OpenGL instructions that were not offered in the consumer GPUs. Some of the workstation cards had more VRAM as well. My understanding is badly out-of-date, though, and I never paid much attention to laptops.

At a guess, if you don't know that you need a workstation GPU, you probably don't need one. ;-)

I think that's a good guess in this case.

"Workstation-grade chipsets like Nvidia Quadro, AMD Radeon/Ryzen Pro, Intel Xeon series are often certified that they work flawlessly with industry standard modelling and rendering software, such as Inventor, Maya, and Revit, and the higher price point reflects the level of validation and support required for mission-critical business operations. This is not to say that gaming-grade or uncertified hardware won't work for CAD, merely that it hasn't been tested or targeted for optimization with CAD operations.

For many users, Fusion 360 is their first CAD software experience. They've got MacBooks, ultrabooks, home-built gaming machines, and everything in between. Consumer hardware configurations vary significantly more than those in professional settings, so it can be difficult to guarantee every single configuration will work in the way "workstation parts" will. That said, many users run Fusion 360 on Intel UHD, Nvidia GeForce, and AMD Radeon hardware on the latest drivers without issue."

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/2gxq6MRd4lCIMn1jeH9U8z.html

 

[CAcreeks]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Precision "mobile workstations" last longer on average, and have numeric keypad. It might last so long you will hope it fails! We had one that ran XP until the end. The so-called professional GPUs cost more, and as you've seen, nobody can say why.

Does your company buy Alienware? They are not ridiculously overpriced for what you get. If I had to buy Dell, I'd probably get an m18 R1, which is very high rated here:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Alien...heavier-than-the-MSI-Titan-GT77.703874.0.html

(At this time I'd try to avoid Intel, but Dell doesn't sell many AMD machines. See Henry's thread about Ryzen 7840U, which hits the sweet spot between speed and heat.)

P.S. Just noticed, Dell sells m18 with Ryzen.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gaming-laptops/alienware-m18-gaming-laptop/spd/alienware-m18-r1-amd-laptop/useahctom18r1amd01

 

[ZodiacPhoto]

Thanks for all the replies!

Our IT decided to get this one: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...on/spd/precision-16-5680-laptop/s005p5680usvp

I think it is a good choice for my tasks.

 

[BobKnDP]

Thanks for all the replies!

Our IT decided to get this one: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/del...on/spd/precision-16-5680-laptop/s005p5680usvp

I think it is a good choice for my tasks.

The RTX 2000 Ada is supposed to have about the same performance as an RTX 3060. (While using less power.) Speaking as an amateur, looks pretty good.

 

[Austinian]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Precision "mobile workstations" last longer on average, and have numeric keypad. It might last so long you will hope it fails! We had one that ran XP until the end. The so-called professional GPUs cost more, and as you've seen, nobody can say why.

Does your company buy Alienware? They are not ridiculously overpriced for what you get. If I had to buy Dell, I'd probably get an m18 R1, which is very high rated here:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Alien...heavier-than-the-MSI-Titan-GT77.703874.0.html

(At this time I'd try to avoid Intel, but Dell doesn't sell many AMD machines. See Henry's thread about Ryzen 7840U, which hits the sweet spot between speed and heat.)

P.S. Just noticed, Dell sells m18 with Ryzen.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gam...lienware-m18-r1-amd-laptop/useahctom18r1amd01

The Alienware line may not come with remote management, etc. features that the Precision workstations can have, if that matters to the OP's company.

Intel vPro® Platform Is Built for Business

The forward-looking features of the Intel vPro® Platform help businesses manage their PC fleet and navigate security threats to keep business moving.

www.intel.com

 

[BobKnDP]

Am I correct in assuming that XPS and Precision are essentially the same, except the video card - XPS uses GeForce RTX, while Precision uses RTX cards?

My usage is Photoshop, Lightroom, Topas apps, Visual Studio, and Fusion 360, besides the usual office applications. No gaming.

Since XPS is about $1,000 less with the same screen, processor, memory, and storage, does the video card make a difference for my applications?

I am looking for a work laptop, and our company buys Dell only, so please don't suggest other OEMs, they are not available to me.

Precision "mobile workstations" last longer on average, and have numeric keypad. It might last so long you will hope it fails! We had one that ran XP until the end. The so-called professional GPUs cost more, and as you've seen, nobody can say why.

Does your company buy Alienware? They are not ridiculously overpriced for what you get. If I had to buy Dell, I'd probably get an m18 R1, which is very high rated here:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Alien...heavier-than-the-MSI-Titan-GT77.703874.0.html

(At this time I'd try to avoid Intel, but Dell doesn't sell many AMD machines. See Henry's thread about Ryzen 7840U, which hits the sweet spot between speed and heat.)

P.S. Just noticed, Dell sells m18 with Ryzen.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gam...lienware-m18-r1-amd-laptop/useahctom18r1amd01

The Alienware line may not come with remote management, etc. features that the Precision workstations can have, if that matters to the OP's company.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/vpro/overview.html

If memory serves, there was some Alienware product placement in Live Free or Die Hard (2007, according to IMDB). I don't know whether supervillains have the same IT management requirements as legal businesses. ;-)