Precision 7670 & 7770 pre-release discussion (Alder Lake)

[西木404]

The Chinese interface for Precision 7670&7770 is online, and interestingly, the Geforce 3080Ti option appears on the web page.
https://www.dell.com/zh-cn/shop/工作站/dell-mobile-precision-7670/spd/precision-16-7670-laptop/awm7670_vp
(My rep told me that due to the small demand for mobile workstations, Dell Chinese website usually does not show the latest machines in a timely manner, but it can still be purchased through the sales rep)
Please forget about the quotes on the web page, the prices given on the web page are usually very high, but buying through a sales rep will give you a big discount, as is usually the case in China

Now I have some doubts about 7670

1. I don't need SmartCard reader(just because I don't want SC slot apper), but wish to have NFC and Non-FIPS fingerprint reader,is this requirement achievable? What should I choose to ensure that there is no SC slot?
2. .Also how do I choose to make sure the SSD door doesn't appear?
3. 136W total when CPU and GPU are fully loaded,then how to allocate power between CPU and GPU?

[Aaron44126]

1 hour ago, 西木404 said:

 

1. I don't need SmartCard reader(just because I don't want SC slot apper), but wish to have NFC and Non-FIPS fingerprint reader,is this requirement achievable? What should I choose to ensure that there is no SC slot?
2. .Also how do I choose to make sure the SSD door doesn't appear?
3. 136W total when CPU and GPU are fully loaded,then how to allocate power between CPU and GPU?

1. No, if you get the fingerprint reader, you will get a smartcard reader too, I don’t think there is any way to avoid this.

2. Pick the chassis option for “smartcard only” and not “smartcard and SSD door”.

3. NVIDIA Dynamic Boost will shuffle the power allocation between CPU and GPU depending on current load conditions.

 

Interesting that GeForce is showing as an option on the China site.

[serpro69]

Is non-FIPS better than FIPS? I remember reading previously that FIPS is usually "laggy". Is this still the case?

[Aaron44126]

1 hour ago, serpro69 said:

Is non-FIPS better than FIPS? I remember reading previously that FIPS is usually "laggy". Is this still the case?

Last time I tried FIPS was with Precision 7530.  It was definitely slow to read, you have to hold your finger on it for 2-3 seconds.  It looks like they are still using the same sensor.  Non-FIPS in Precision 7560 is very quick, less than a second.

 

Also not a fan of the placement of the FIPS sensor in Precision 7770.  Instead of on the very right side of the palmrest, it is moved in a bit towards the middle.

 

(FIPS would presumably be more secure / harder to trick.)

[西木404]

8 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

(FIPS would presumably be more secure / harder to trick.)

I value speed more than security, which is why I want Non-FIPS fingerprint reader
Security measures such as fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, and passwords are based on the operating system to protect data security, and do not encrypt the data itself. I think these measures are just to prevent some boring and harmless people from using your computer casually.
There is a Chinese proverb: 防君子不防小人, which means that you cannot stop someone who is determined to steal your data through the above measures, because they can access your data by directly removing SSD (so it seems that the SSD door can indeed make it easier for these people), if you are really worried about data leakage, you might as well use the Bitlocker feature.

[operator]

21 hours ago, 西木404 said:

Please forget about the quotes on the web page, the prices given on the web page are usually very high

 

Maybe a stupid question..... I clicked around on your link and configured a 7670 system there. I ended up with ¥58500. According to google this is about 430 USD. Is that true?

 

 

20 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

2. Pick the chassis option for “smartcard only” and not “smartcard and SSD door”.

 

Seems like in the configurator, SSD door is selected as soon as you get the bigger performance chassis. If you have the thin chassis, no SSD door is selected.

I did not see an option there to choose if you want an SSD door or not.

[Aaron44126]

40 minutes ago, operator said:

Maybe a stupid question..... I clicked around on your link and configured a 7670 system there. I ended up with ¥58500. According to google this is about 430 USD. Is that true?

 

Seems like in the configurator, SSD door is selected as soon as you get the bigger performance chassis. If you have the thin chassis, no SSD door is selected.

I did not see an option there to choose if you want an SSD door or not.

 

Google:

"58500 cny to usd" -> $8,737.60

(I think maybe you tried to convert "yen" which is the Japanese currency.)

 

You are right, it looks like if you select a GPU that gets you the performance chassis for Precision 7670 and a security option (smartcard/fingerprint reader), the SSD door is added automatically and you can't get rid of it.  They must not have made a "performance chassis + smartcard reader + no SSD door" part; I guess with eight possible variations of the bottom cover for the Precision 7670, it makes sense that maybe they didn't choose to produce all of them.  For Precision 7670 (thin chassis) and Precision 7770, you do have the option to get rid of the SSD door.

 

You could try to get the "performance chassis + no smartcard reader + no SSD door" part separately (Taobao might have it available) and swap it out.  I think it would be physically compatible, it would just partially cover up the smartcard reader slot.

[Aaron44126]

My 7770 order is now showing “in production”.  (Precision 7560 order last year, placed a day or two after launch, took about two weeks to show this status…)

[Conan11]

FYI, I got a quote for 7670 with performance chassis, no smart card reader and no SSD door.

[Aaron44126]

5 minutes ago, Conan11 said:

FYI, I got a quote for 7670 with performance chassis, no smart card reader and no SSD door.

 

Yes, the issue seems to be if you add a fingerprint reader, it forces you to add a smartcard reader, and that forces you to add the SSD door.

[operator]

26 minutes ago, Conan11 said:

FYI, I got a quote for 7670 with performance chassis, no smart card reader and no SSD door.

But with fingerprint reader?

[operator]

2 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

My 7770 order is now showing “in production”.  (Precision 7560 order last year, placed a day or two after launch, took about two weeks to show this status…)

Mine not..... Seems like they are faster with 7770 models 🤔

[Aaron44126]

20 minutes ago, operator said:

Mine not..... Seems like they are faster with 7770 models 🤔

There was the situation where it looked like 7770 would launch before 7670, a couple of weeks ago.  They might have been more ready to go with that one.

[Conan11]

7 hours ago, operator said:

But with fingerprint reader?

Nope, I don't care about it either.

[Aaron44126]

Seems like web prices have been updated, at least on the U.S. site.  The system that I configured last week on launch day for $7,100 is now showing around $6,200.  (i9/128GB RAM/A4500/512GB SSD/5 year ProSupport Plus/extras; same as the one that I bought through a rep, except with RTX A4500 instead of GeForce RTX 3080Ti.)

 

If you buy a system and end up finding a better deal shortly afterwards, you can go to customer service and they should credit you the difference.

[operator]

Prices in Europe still the same .

How can it happen that sb. finds a better deal when prices are so unrealistic expensive compared to the real prices from the reps?

I guess you have to get new quotes from the reps afterwards to really find out, if there is a better deal. But that usually does not happen, right?

[Aaron44126]

21 hours ago, operator said:

How can it happen that sb. finds a better deal...?

 

Well an easy one is, you could order through the web (not through a rep), and then come back next week and find the price has been lowered.  Another one could be that Dell puts a new deal in place shortly after you order (i.e. "five years ProSupport for the price of four years" like they had in June) and you want to take advantage of that.

[David55]

18 hours ago, Aaron44126 said:

GeForce RTX 3080Ti.

Can you say here the part number for the 3080 Ti?

Did you order with Win 10 or 11?

Did you order with or without SSD door?

Anyone know whether Dell changed/improved thermal materials for the SSD drive opposite the location of the SSD door?

Thanks for the planned incoming review.

[Aaron44126]

20 minutes ago, David55 said:

Can you say here the part number for the 3080 Ti?

Did you order with Win 10 or 11?

Did you order with or without SSD door?

Anyone know whether Dell changed/improved thermal materials for the SSD drive opposite the location of the SSD door?

Thanks for the planned incoming review.

 

Not sure where to find the GeForce part number.  On the quote, it says 490-BHOM; I think that is an order/item SKU code and not the actual part number.  Maybe I'll be able to find the part number after the service tag is issued.  I can say that I've had multiple engagements with sales reps and they've never had an issue "finding" the option to add to a quote.  If you want to use the part number to order the GPU card separately from the system, you can try, but Dell doesn't allow that in most territories.

 

I ordered with Windows 11.  I'm planning to use the stock Windows 11 install only for review benchmarks.  I will use my own Windows 10 LTSC license/install for general use.  (I have some major issues with Windows 11 that I have discussed before, in this thread and others.  There's a link in my signature.)  I'm planning a triple-boot setup with those two, plus Linux, but I will be spending almost all of my time in Windows 10 after getting the review out.

 

No SSD door for me.  I don't see any practical need for it, I prefer the "look" of the system without it (...though you're not looking at the bottom of the system that often...), and I don't necessarily want it to be easier for someone to yank the drive from my system.

 

From pictures in the service manual, I don't think that Dell has done much to improve the SSD thermals.  But, they did add DOO fans which should get some air circulating around inside of the chassis, and that could help reduce SSD temperatures a bit.

[Dell-Mano_G]

I remember some folks had questions regarding the 12th gen CPU's with performance cores and efficiency cores and the OS ability to control/route work to them.  

In the BIOS, there is an area where you can go and adjust how many P cores and/or E cores are available to the OS.  

I hope this addresses the concerns some folks have with Win 10's ability to manages all these cores.  

[SvenC]

@Dell-Mano_G do you have information how likely a standardization of CAMM is? Is Dell actively working that way?

[Aaron44126]

14 minutes ago, SvenC said:

@Dell-Mano_G do you have information how likely a standardization of CAMM is? Is Dell actively working that way?

 

See the PC World article if you haven't looked at it yet.  The author was able to interview Tom Schnell, who is one of the key players at Dell in creating the CAMM "standard", and it seems that there was also at least some exchange with @Dell-Mano_G (Mano Gialusis).

https://www.pcworld.com/article/693366/dell-defends-its-controversial-new-laptop-memory.html

 

It is noted that Dell is working to get the CAMM "standard" in front of JEDEC for blessing.  If JEDEC approves it then Dell would have to offer it to other laptop/memory makers under "reasonable and non-discretionary" licensing terms.

 

It seems like something has to be done about SODIMM which will become more and more difficult to work with as DDR5 matures and speeds ramp up.  There's also always a chance that what becomes the final standard is tweaked a bit from what we are seeing in the Precision 7X70 systems, so these modules and future modules might not be cross-compatible (assuming that CAMM becomes a JEDEC standard at all).

[SvenC]

Yes, saw that article. I hope for an update, how things are going.

[Hank]

On 7/9/2022 at 2:30 PM, Aaron44126 said:

(FIPS would presumably be more secure / harder to trick.)

 

FIPS have proven ability to resist hacking and protection of the biometric data.  It's required by US Government and Military, other countries, and many companies.  As a work-from-home cybersecurity consultant, I don't need this level of security.

[microdou]

On 7/7/2022 at 12:34 PM, Aaron44126 said:

I saved around $1,400

Hi Aaron44126, nice to find you back here!!! I previously followed your instructions (overclock & liquid metal stuff) on the prior forum to squeeze the maximum power out of M6700 😉

 

I'm now also on the boat of deciding to replace the 9 year old M6700 to 7770. I haven't placed order yet. Current web price with 40% off seems a good deal. But I may want to try order through a rep, since it's always said here the rep may give a better price.

 

My question is, how can I find the phone of a sales rep? Dell website provides a list of phone numbers... Have no idea which one to call.