Being one of Intel’s key partners, Dell is usually among the first PC makers to start selling computers based on the latest processors from the developer. On Thursday the company began to take orders for its new XPS 13 2-in-1 model 7390 convertible laptop, which is powered by Intel’s "Ice Lake" 10th Generation Core processors. With shipping dates listed for early September, it looks like Intel and its OEM partners will not only meet their "holiday 2019" commitment for Ice Lake, but will be able to get machines into consumers' hands before the summer is even out.

Re-engineered both inside and outside, the latest XPS 13 7390-series 2-in-1 convertibles come in a CNC-machined silver or black aluminum body that features either a fiber composite arctic white woven glass fiber palm rest. The notebooks are equipped with a custom 13.4-inch display panel with InfinityEdge bezels that is 7% larger than on the previous-generation model. The LCD panels feature a 1920×1200 or 3840×2400 resolution, 500 nits brightness, a 1500:1 or 1800:1 contrast ratio, a 16:10 aspect ratio, wide viewing angles as well as Dolby Vision on the FHD+ or 90% DCI-P3 on the UHD+ SKU.

At the heart of the new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 7390-series convertible notebook are Intel’s Ice Lake-based 10th Gen Core i3/i5/i7 processors. Interestingly, Dell is only offering a single CPU with a better than UHD Graphics (32 EUs) configuration, with that being the Iris Plus (64 EU) i7-1065G7. The only i5 Dell offers is the i5-1035G1, which is the lowest-end i5, and the only way to get better graphics on XPS models that don't ship with the i7 by default is to pay a further $250 premium to upgrade to an i7.

Moving on, in terms of construction, these new Ice Lake processors are installed onto a more compact motherboard that allowed Dell to make the laptop 7% thinner while making the keyboard and the screen larger. The CPUs are cooled down using a brand-new cooling system that is comprised of two fans, an ultra-thin vapor chamber, and GORE thermal insulation to guarantee consistent performance even under high loads.

The Ice Lake processors inside the XPS 13 2-in-1 7390-series hybrid notebooks are paired with up to 32 GB of soldered-down LPDDR4X-3733 memory as well as a PCIe SSD of up to 1 TB capacity. As for connectivity, the XPS 13 2-in-1 7390-series features a Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth controller, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a microSD card reader, a 3.5-mm jack for headsets, and other options. When it comes to multimedia capabilities, the new convertible has speakers, a microphone array, and a webcam (which is now located on top of the LCD).

Being very portable, the new laptop features a 7 – 13 mm z-height and weight starting at 1.32 kilograms (2.9 pounds). Meanwhile, the 2019 Dell XPS 13 7390-series 2-in-1 hybrid notebook comes with a 51 Wh battery that promises to last for up to 16 hours (real-world battery life will depend on the usage model, of course).

Dell’s XPS 7390-series 2-in-1 convertible notebooks are available starting at $999.99 for an entry-level SKU and going up for higher-end models.

Specifications of the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 7390
  General Specifications
LCD Diagonal 13.4-inch
Resolution 1920×1200 3840×2400
Brightness 500 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio 1800:1 1500:1
Color Gamut ? 100% sRGB
90% DCI-P3
Features Dolby Vision HDR HDR400
Touch Support Yes
Protective Glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU  Intel’s 10th Gen Core i3-1005G1
 Intel’s 10th Gen Core i5-1035G1
 Intel’s 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7
Graphics Intel's UHD Graphics (G1) or Iris Plus (G7) GPU
RAM 4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM at 3733 MT/s
8 GB LPDDR4x SDRAM at 3733 MT/s
16 GB LPDDR4x SDRAM at 3733 MT/s
32 GB LPDDR4x SDRAM at 3733 MT/s
Storage 256 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD (onboard)
512 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD (onboard)
1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD (onboard)
Wireless Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0 (based on Intel's silicon)
USB 3.1 2 × TB 3/USB Gen 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
3.0 -
Thunderbolt 2 × TB 3 (for data, charging, DP displays)
Cameras Front 720p HD webcam
Other I/O Microphone, 2 stereo speakers, audio jack
Battery 51 Wh
Dimensions Width 29.7 cm | 11.69 inches
  Depth 20.7 cm | 8.15 inches
  Thickness 7 - 13 mm | 0.28 - 0.51 inches
Weight 1.32 kilograms | 2.9 pounds
Launch Price Starting at $999

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Source: Dell

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  • Alistair - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    This is a 2 core laptop for $1000 USD with 4GB memory. Nice.
  • Ironchef3500 - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    +1
  • nevcairiel - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    Blaming Intel for Dells choices in how they assemble their systems. Classy.
  • ingwe - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    Yeah they don't do 4 GB of RAM, but both the Air and the Macbook Pro start with 128 GB of storage. I fail to see how that is significantly different in terms of gimping a premium system.
  • diehardmacfan - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    For a lot of users who are almost exclusively using web based applications now, 128GB of storage might be fine. 4GB of RAM though... yikes.
  • skavi - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    128 is fine if you store media externally.
  • shompa - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    Unix can handle memory way better than the NT kernel can + macOS uses compressed memory for many years. Apple can do it since all macs last 5 years were shipped with PCI express SSD. Large numbers are just for consumers and have nothing to do with usability.
  • Jorgp2 - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    Umm, no.

    Just no.
  • JanW1 - Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - link

    I don't know about other Unix variants, but Linux sucks under memory pressure:
    https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&a...
  • sorten - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    Very unfortunate. I guess they weren't all-in on the Project Athena idea from Intel.

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