Dan Baker/Digital Trends
A refresh of Dell XPS laptops is always exciting. They’ve been some of our favorites for years, with the XPS 13 a particular darling. The next-generation version of the XPS 15 will no doubt be an excellent entry in the contemporary XPS lineup, with new processors and features. While it will likely have some form of dedicated GPU option, one component it won’t have is an RTX 2060.
Dell’s XPS 15 has typically been a higher-powered version of the XPS 13. It borrows the design ethos of the smaller model but up-rates the internal hardware with options for dedicated GPUs and more capable processors to help power the larger display. Current edition XPS 15s (9570) come with the option of a GTX 1050 Ti for entry-level gaming performance. With news of new XPS laptops on the horizon, many wondered what GPU Dell would opt for in its next-gen system.
It won’t be the super-powered RTX 2060. The newly announced Nvidia graphics card is certainly capable, with GTX 1070 Ti-like performance, but according to the general manager of Dell’s Alienware division, Frank Azor, it’s just too power hungry a GPU to include in the XPS 15.
RTX2060 isn't coming to XPS 15, it's too high of a power consuming and heat producing chip to fit in. Checkout the new @Alienware m15 thin and light notebook, it will be offered with 2060 and faster and it's not much bigger or heavier than XPS 15, less than 1lb difference.
— Frank Azor (@AzorFrank) January 18, 2019
While that may be disappointing news for those consumers who were hoping for a new-gen XPS 15 that was much more capable at gaming, it’s not all bad news. The XPS 15 will likely sport something a little less power-hungry (perhaps the rumored GTX 1660 Ti) but Alienware laptops will include configuration options for higher-powered RTX graphics chips. Azor confirmed that the new Alienware m15 will have an RTX 2060 option.
For Dell fans who want even more power, NoteBookCheck reports that new Alienware laptops will also include options for the RTX 2070 and 2080 Max-Q designs, as well as a more-entry-level GTX 1050 Ti for those who don’t need quite so much power.
If you’re not quite so brand loyal, we have a list of the best gaming notebooks you can buy today — they come with all the graphical power you could need for just about anything. If the new build XPS 15 without high-powered graphics seems more up your street, check out our list of the best overall laptops of the year so far.
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