Dell releases new XPS 17 laptop, gaming systems, and data migration services

Dell Technologies released a bevy of new products on Wednesday that include laptops, gaming systems, and consumer services. The announcements were made through a series of recorded webcasts, hosted by Dell executives, from their home offices amid coronavirus-induced social distancing and shelter-in-place conditions. 

SEE: Hiring Kit: Computer Hardware Engineer (TechRepublic Premium)

The impact of the coronavirus has shown the need for technology, which was a driving force for the new product releases, said Sam Burd, president of Dell's Client Solutions Group, during a webcast. 

"We are seeing a renaissance of the PC," Burd said. "People are realizing, around the world, the value of the PC in our world for keeping us connected and collaborating--keeping the world operating." 

Here are the latest products and services from Dell, announced on Tuesday. 

New editions to the XPS family

XPS 15 

"Taking design cues from our award-winning XPS 13, we are redesigning our XPS 15 from the ground up," said Donnie Oliphant, senior director of XPS at Dell Client Solutions, during a webcast.

Its first major redesign since 2015, the new XPS 15 has a larger 16:10 display with edge-to-edge view, at a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio. The laptop also has an up-firing quad speaker design, up to 25 hours of battery life, a 10th generation Intel Core processor, NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti graphics, and is crafted from CNC machined aluminum. The laptop is available on May 13, 2020, starting at $1,299.99. 

"The redesigned XPS 15 strikes a balance between power and portability to fuel content creation, wherever your imagination may take you," Oliphant said. 

XPS 17

The XPS 17 is the smallest 17-inch laptop on the planet," said Oliphant. "Impressively, the virtually borderless, four-sided, infinity edge display makes it smaller than almost half of the 15-inch laptops available on the market today." 

After a 10-year break, the XPS 17 has returned. While the laptop is incredibly thin, at a 19.55mm design, it still has a 45W 10th generation Intel Core processor up to i7, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics, and up to 64GB of memory: A total of 92W of power.  

Holding a battery life of up to 20 hours and including a fan for airflow, the XPS 17 will be available this summer starting at $1,499.99. 

Both XPS devices can also be badged as Creator Editions. This configuration is geared toward graphic designers, photographers, music producers, and creative enthusiasts to cultivate creation skills, according to a press release. The XPS Creator Edition is available on May 13, 2020.

Offerings from Alienware 

Alienware m15/m17 R3

The m15 R3 and m17 R3 are nearly identical, except for the display types: The first features a 15.6" FHD display, while the other has a 17.3" FHD display. 

Both are designed for gamers and focus on mobility and performance. With 300Hz FHD panels and reengineered graphics voltage regulation, games can enjoy their marathon gaming sessions, said Eduardo Goyanes, Alienware's global messaging lead, during a webcast. 

The devices also have Alienware Cryo-Tech cooling to ensure that the Intel 10th generation core H-series processors, graphic options from NVIDIA GeForce RTX, and AMD Radeon GPUs have appropriate airflow and heat dissipation. 

Both laptops are available on May 21, 2020 starting at $1,499.99 and $1549.99, respectively. 

Alienware Area-51m R2

Another laptop receiving an update is the Alienware Area-51m R2, the "world's most powerful gaming laptop," according to a press release. 

The device has Intel's 10th generation core S-series processors, which are the first mobile processors to surpass the 5GHz frequency barrier in laptops. This system also has updated internal cooling technology that allows users to play for hours on end. 

The Area-51m R2 has the NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER graphics card or an AMD Radeon graphics option. The AMD option induces 7-phase graphics voltage regulation and a first-to-market 12-phase HyperEfficient Voltage Regulation. 

With a 4K UHD panel, the laptop will be available June 9, 2020 starting at $3049.99.  

Alienware Aurora R11

The Aurora R11 desktop system is designed for both competitive gamers and esports lovers, according to a press release. 

With brand new contained liquid cooling graphics, the system has improved heat dissipation, while remaining quiet, Goyanes said in the webcast. The device also includes Intel's 10th generation core KF-series processors, increased DDR4 memory, and a 1000Q power supply. 

The system is available on May 13, 2020 starting at $1,129.99, but additional  configurations will be available on May 28., 2020 for as low as $879.99.

Dell G3 and G5 gaming laptops 

Dell G3 15

The Dell G3 15 is powered by the 10th generation Intel Quad and Hex-Core processors, up to i7, and allows for responsive, multi-task performance, according to a press release.

The graphics have been upgraded with NVIDIA GeForce with up to RTX 2060 and up to 6GB GDDR6 dedicated memory. With a wide-viewing angle and an anti-glare IPS FHD display, the system is meant for a more immersive experience. 

Available on May 21, 2020, the Dell G3 15 starts at $779.99

Dell G5 15

With nearly identical specs to the G3 15, Dell's G5 15 has superior graphics and an exciting design. 

The system has NVIDIA GeForce graphics up to RTX 2070 with Max-Q tech and up to 8GB GDDR5 dedicated memory. With an Alienware Command Center, the device also has an optional backlit four zone RGB keyboard, 12-zone chassis lighting, and advanced sound features with nahimic 3D audio for gamers, according to a press release. 

The Dell G5 15 will be available May 21, 2020 starting at $829.99. 

Consumer services 

Dell Migrate

Dell's consumer services announcement focuses on Dell Migrate, a do-it-yourself service that helps customers move their digital lives from any Windows 8 or higher PC to their latest Dell PC, regardless of manufacturer. 

The automated tool allows users to prioritize which files they want to move first, and resume working immediately on files without waiting for the full process to be complete. No additional equipment is required and there is no limit to how much data a customer can migrate.  

Dell Migrate is available May 13, 2020 starting at $39. 

For more, check out Dell: Cost of data loss per organization surpassed $1M in the past year on TechRepublic. 

Also see 

• Raspberry Pi: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
• Technology in education: The latest products and trends (free PDF) (TechRepublic download)
• Computer Equipment Disposal policy (TechRepublic Premium)
• How to securely erase hard drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) (ZDNet)
• Best cell phone trade-in options for iPhones and Android phones (CNET)
• Clean out junk files in Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 (Download.com)
• Raspberry Pi: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)