Dell Precision 3530 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P600) Workstation Review

[Redaktion]

Can't take the heat. The Precision 3530 is the latest entry-level workstation from Dell. Powered by an Nvidia Quadro P600 and a new Xeon CPU from Intel, the Precision 3530 is a capable machine. Heat management and fan noise leave quite a bit to be desired, however.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-Precision-3530-Xeon-E-2176M-Quadro-P600-Workstation-Review.320164.0.html

[undervolter0x0309]

What's the point of all this processing power when it's being choked? ~950 cinebench r15 score :/

[MysteryMan]

@undervolter0x0309 -  Xeon CPUs look good on paper

[Leonardo Visentin]

Ok, workstations would not be made to be undervolted, but I think this would change things a bit, when I will receive my 3530 with i7-8850H I will try and compare before and after. Undoubtedly Dell should have provided a better cooling solution for his lower-tier high-end machines, though.

I would have ordered a 7530 but it seems like they are very scarce here in Italy, and they talk about after Christmas for delivery of new orders... And considering it's Christmas, I think about 2019... So I went with the latest available 3530, I need a reliable and sturdy machine, after 2 years of trouble with XPS 9550...

[Leonardo Visentin]

I refresh my previous post with fresh benchmarks with Cinebench R15.

My specs are:
- i7-8850H (downvolted 150mV)
- 16GB DDR4-2666 CL19 in a single bank
- SSD 256GB NVMe Samsung PM981 (I dind't expect this...)
- Full HD 72% gamut non touch display


I ran a 50-iterations loop of multi bench, Cinebench R15.038 64-bit. Unexpectedly it stopped after 47 and stuck waiting for Godot... But I think it's quite representative all the same.

EDIT: can't add images...
Score: max 1093.25 min 978.59 average 1028.81

I got high temperatures but little throttling, only on 1 or max 2 cores at a time, every 3-4 cycles at max, so quite nice.

I previously ran two 13-iterations loops, without undervolt (as it came), and with 125mV undervolt, but with only 5 minutes break from previous cycle (so scores were lower than with no undervolt at all):

Scores: max 1097.51 min 895.07 average 930.64
Very heavy throttling, on at least 4 cores at a time, with more than 95°C

I have to say that I hoped for a bit more, but I have not repasted it and I have not used a laptop cooling stand, so maybe it would get a bit better.

[Leonardo Visentin]

I refresh my previous post with fresh benchmarks with Cinebench R15.

My specs are:
- i7-8850H (downvolted 150mV)
- 16GB DDR4-2666 CL19 in a single bank
- SSD 256GB NVMe Samsung PM981 (I dind't expect this...)
- Full HD 72% gamut non touch display


I ran a 50-iterations loop of multi bench, Cinebench R15.038 64-bit. Unexpectedly it stopped after 47 and stuck waiting for Godot... But I think it's quite representative all the same.

(http://tinyimg.io/i/k86Eb8p.png)
Scores: (http://tinyimg.io/i/UlPujJt.png)
I got high temperatures but little throttling, only on 1 or max 2 cores at a time, every 3-4 cycles at max, so quite nice.

I previously ran two 13-iterations loops, without undervolt (as it came), and with 125mV undervolt, but with only 5 minutes break from previous cycle (so scores were lower than with no undervolt at all):

(http://tinyimg.io/i/evwNDAB.png)
Scores: (http://tinyimg.io/i/tSLpsoV.png)
Very heavy throttling, on at least 4 cores at a time, with more than 95°C

I have to say that I hoped for a bit more, but I have not repasted it and I have not used a laptop cooling stand, so maybe it would get a bit better.

[rad]

Your review references the 2-year-old review of the 3510 for the keyboard and input devices, and gives the keyboard an "88%" score.

This score is misleading.  The keyboard of this laptop has significant ergonomic problems which your review should have picked up.  Here are some of them:

• Key covers have a sharp edge to them (an "arris") so that off-center finger positioning or accidental touches, for example with unused fingers, are uncomfortable/unpleasant
  
• Keys need a significant actuation force (approx 65-70g) but offer little resistance after actuated.  This means that when a key is pressed hard enough to actuate, the key is then too easily depressed fully and hits the base ("bottoming out").  This is an uncomfortable feeling for any typist and a cause of fatigue and, potentially, long-term physical symptoms.
  
• Left side Shift and Ctrl keys are too small
  
• Space bar is not wide enough
  
• Enter and Backspace key are too small
  
• The small size of Enter and Backspace keys combined with no gap between main keyboard and numeric pad, means it is too easy to hit numeric pad keys by mistake - for example, hitting Num Lock when aiming for the Backspace key
  
• Cursor keys are too small
  
• PageUp and PageDown keys are too small, and in a strange position like an afterthought
  
• The small keys have a different physical feel - a different stiffness or actuation force
  
• Numeric pad has 6mm of wasted space below it, this could have been used instead to give the top row of the numeric pad full-sized keys
  
• Premium keyboard real estate - the top right corner - normally used for navigation keys like Home End PageUp PageDown - has useless Calc and media keys
  
• F1-F12 function keys are too small, too narrow and much too closely spaced
  
• Bizarre gap between Insert and Delete keys in top row
  
• No 'Break' key (note that Windows+Break is a useful shortcut)
  
• A 15 inch notebook is too small to have a full size keyboard and numeric pad, the compromise is that the main keyboard is positioned too far to the left on this notebook.  This creates a serious ergonomic problem: the typist with hands centered on the keyboard (centered on the G and H keys) has the hands below the left side of the screen, so must either twist the body, or move the notebook so the typist's head is not directly facing the screen center.  Either way creates ergonomic strain.  For now, my solution is to move documents and configure app layouts so that text is on the left side of the screen with menus and toolbars on the right, but that cannot be done for all apps.

[NikoB]

Very shameful performance for a 6-core processor in the absence of powerful discrete graphics.
In gaming laptops 800 for CBR15 are a low result for i5 8300H, and not like not for i7 with 6 cores, there should be at least 1000-1050, surely, without any volt-mods and the replacement of thermal paste.

It looks like Dell engineers lost their qualifications, the company's absence in the stock market has had a long effect..