This workstation gets the job done – whatever job that is
Sixteen terabytes of SSD storage? 128 GB of memory? NVIDIA RTX 5000? Intel 13th generation CPU? A 17-inch 4K display? What workstation can give you all of this and let you take it with you on the road? The Precision 7780 delivers performance and features on every count.
Although it is portable, you should opt for a roll-bag in place of a shoulder bag. This workstation weighs in, with the power supply, at well over 3 kg. On the other hand, it delivers head-spinning performance and capacity.
I tested the Precision 7780 with some of the toughest bechmarks including DaVinci Resolve, a video editing and special effects application known for leveraging graphic processors. It includes AI features that are both useful and GPU intensive.
Among the AI features are Speedwarp, which interpolates video frames for smooth slow motion, and Superscaling, which increases the visible resolution. Both are AI-based functions that bring workstation rendering to its knees.
The test system came equipped with an Ada generation NVIDIA RTX 3500. I compare it to previous tests using what was at the time a very fast RTX 3000. In the first, fourth, and fifth tests of DaVinci Resolve, all AI-based features, the Dell Precision 7780 was three to four times faster than the previous workstation.
SpeedWarp and SuperScale are compute-intensive AI features and tend to be used sparingly. The Precision 7780’s fast NVIDIA GPU removes that barrier.
The Specs and the Price
Let’s take a quick look at the most important Precision 7780 specs to see what we can expect from this mobile workstation. Here are the minimum spec, maximum spec, and the spec of the test system.
First, you can forget the minimum spec. It’s a useless configuration for professionals. On the other hand, the maximum configuration is a dream configuration.
| Élément | Minimum | Maximum | Testé |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | Intel® Iris UHD graphics | NVIDIA RTX 5000, Ada Generation | NVIDIA RTX 3500, Ada Generation |
| CPU | Intel® Core™ i5-13600HX 13th Generation | Intel® Core™ i9-13950HX 13th Generation | Intel® Core™ i9-13950HX 13th Generation |
| Memory | 8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR5, 4800 MT/s | 128 GB, 1 x 128 GB, DDR5, 3600 MT/s, non-ECC CAMM module | 32GB, 5200 MHz |
| Storage | M.2 2230, 256GB, PCIe NVMe Gen4 x4, class 35 SSD | 4x 4 TB, M.2 2280, PCIe NVMe Gen4 x4, class 40 SSD | 1x 1 TB, M.2 2280, PCIe NVMe Gen4 x4, class 40 SSD |
| Display | 17,3 inch display., FHD+, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, antireflective non-touch | 17.3 inch, UHD 3840 x 2160, 120 Hz, antireflective, non touch | 17,3 inch, FHD+, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, antireflective, non touch |
| Price USD (without tax) | 13 256 USD
(12,313 EUR) | 4 894 USD
(4 546 EUR) | |
| Price Euros (without TVA) | 9 587 EUR
(10 321 USD) | 3 366 EUR
(3 624 USD) |
Performance and ports
erformance is the point of this Precision 7000 series workstation. It is clear from the specifications that the most likely customer for the Precision 7780 will be a power-hungry user.
The weight? The Precision 7780 we tested weighed in at 3.27 kg for the workstation and 3.95 kg for the workstation and power supply. This reflects back on the most likely customer point. The customer willing to travel with 4 kg of workstation in their rollbag will be a user who requires maximum performance on the road.
The connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, four USB ports, HDMI connector, RJ45, headphones, SmartCard reader, SD-card slot, and a lock-slot.
The Precision 7780 connectivity is extensive. It provides a wealth of connectivity for the road or the office.
Both display options are 16:9 ratio displays. The FHD, non-touch display has a resolution of 1980x1080 and the 4K display with a 3840x2160 resolution. Professionals are going to opt for the 4K version.
Of course the Precision 7780 can drive multiple external monitors which provides a productive work environment for the office or home office. For the ease of connectivity, especially in a home office enviroment, consider a Dell Thunderbolt docking station.
Compared to DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro CC does not leverage the RTX GPU as well. The result is that the Precision 7780 is significantly faster, no where do we see the 3 to 4x performance gains as we do in DaVinci Resolve.
In Premiere Pro, we see performance gains of 50-80%. That’s pretty good.
Looking at SPEC Viewperf, we see the this workstation GPU is not just fast for AI, but also for raw drawing performance. Multiple tests, for example Energy-03, run precisely twice as fast as the older system. That’s a particularly positive result. I would say that a 100% performance gain is an argument for an upgrade.
A Final Perspective
The Precision 7780 delivers on its number one priority which is performance. itis the largest and fastest in Dell’s Precision series. It is thoroughly supplied with conectivity ports.
The display is one of the largest to be found anywhere. This is perfect for mobile professionals as it provides a desktop level of display. The same can be said for the port selection.
The Precision 7780 is definitely not for everyone. It has been designed with power users in mind. If that label doesn’t apply to you, then there are other great options in the Precision family.
The large display and keyboard gives the Precision 7780 a desktop feel in a mobile workstation. The capacity and performance are best in class. There is no doubt that the top-of-the-line configuration can handle the highest workstation demands.
When extreme power overlaps with mobility which in turn overlaps with connectivity, then you will see that the Precision 7780 has been tailor-made for for you. Yoill know that the Precision 7780 could be a merge, the result is the Precision 7780 mobile workstation.
