A mid-range workstation laptop that is best used for demanding tasks.
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Pros
Pro Good Linux support
Dell offers Ubuntu 14.04 as one of the preinstalled operating systems. It works right out-of-the-box and has no apparent problems.
Pro Quality Ultra HD screen
The Ultra HD screen is attractive. On it you can experience precise color reproduction with 100% of sRGB covered color space. It is an anti-glare matte display which allows the laptop to be used outdoors during daylight, even though it has a rather low brightness of 270 nits. Thus it can be an adequate display for digital artists who need to make various adjustments on-the-fly.
Pro Performs the best in specialized tasks
Workstation computers are made to run specific intensive tasks which require powerful hardware. To achieve the best results they are equipped with components that are powerful and are specifically optimized for certain applications, like AutoCAD or 3D Max. Along with its potent processing units, it also has a very large RAM with 64GBs to allow for very large projects to be run.
This laptop spans the middle range of workstations in terms of performance. On the SPECviewperf 12 benchmark application it showed a score of 42 frames per second during its 3D Max testing.
Pro Viable for gaming
The hardware is able to run modern games. Even though it’s a workstation type laptop, it can still run games like Rainbow Six Siege above 60 frames per second as long as you’re fine with sacrificing some image quality.
Cons
Con Several things missing from the base model
The base model is quite cheap but is also missing numerous components. Each additional component requires an extra cost which, when summed, can raise the price considerably. The additional features range from something as basic as a webcam, a Thunderbolt 3 port, and a backlit keyboard to something more advanced, like a Smartcard reader or a fingertip reader.
Con Short battery life
It has a very short battery life. It runs for only 4.5 hours while idling, which is exceptionally short, even for an Ultra HD screen. It's worth noting that it’s only slightly worse with general usage - around 4 hours of use.
Con Can be really expensive
The base model is not that costly but if you’re looking for more powerful hardware, the price tends to skyrocket.
Con Low brightness with the Full HD screen
The screen’s low brightness output prevents it from being comfortably used during broad daylight. The brightness is measured at just 220 nits.