Dell’s near-perfect XPS 13 laptop is in for quite the upgrade this fall.
The 2019 model has already launched, but according to a statement from Dell, the first six-core XPS 13 has finally got an official release date for October 1. This six-core processor offering is made possible via the use of Intel’s top-tier 10th-gen Comet Lake Core i7 processor.
Intel’s 10th generation Comet Lake Core processors were first introduced by the manufacturer on August 21. This particular Comet Lake Core i7 processor is the first six-core processor in the U-series. The Intel Core i7-10710U features six cores, 12 threads, a 12MB cache, 4.7 GHz of Max Single Core Turbo frequency, and 1.15 GHz Graphics Max frequency. The Comet Lake processors also feature integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 and support for Thunderbolt 3 controllers to enable up to four Thunderbolt 3 ports.
This high-level Core i7 is the standout feature of the Comet Lake chips, especially compared to the 10nm 10th-gen chips, known as Ice Lake. The Ice Lake chips are limited to the four cores, and those are the processors you’ll find in the XPS 13 2-in-1. With Comet Lake, you miss out on the option for better Iris Plus graphics, but the two extra cores should have a significant impact on performance in tasks like photo and video editing. The XPS 13 is the first major laptop announce support for the Core i7-10710U, though we’d expect more to be announced in the near future.
We’ve already gotten some hands-on time with the new Dell XPS 13, and we especially loved its sleek design, webcam position, and speedy performance. It’s the best laptop you can currently buy, and the availability of this new six-core model will provide even more performance gains.
No word yet on which display options will be available with the Core i7-10710U — nor what the starting cost will be. We’d expect a significant upcharge for it, though Dell hasn’t yet announced pricing details.
Dell also announced that the new Developer Edition of the XPS 13, which will come with Ubuntu 18.04 installed and have the option for the six-core Core i7.
Both versions of the XPS 13 are ready to be sold on October 1.