New Laptop! Why I chose the Dell Precision 15 7000 Series (7510) mobile workstation

Background: I am a webmaster, a photographer, a graphics artist, and a mom. A normal day can have my computer running as a test server, syncing to the cloud, checking things in multiple browsers, running Microsoft Office and Adobe CC programs, skyping, playing music, and watching videos. I also have a strong interest in making 3d characters and layouts.

I have owned about 6 laptops, all Dells. I like that Dell lets me customize and they tend to have a more comfortable mouse and keyboard layout than others I have tried. My favorite was the Dell Studio 1555. Least favorite is the Dell Inspiron 15R SE that I am on right now. (I was in need of next-day shipping when my studio died, so I had to settle for a pre-configured model.)

You often hear about the importance of having enough RAM and a good processor. But my bottleneck is a 1tb 5400rpm harddrive. My requirements will include minimums of 2TB 7200rpm hdd and 16GB RAM.

The Contenders

I started my search by Googling “Best laptop for Adobe CC 2016”. Within a few hours I had my wish-list narrowed down to these 3, all of which include  
3-year warranty – Windows 7 Pro – Your choice of Intel Core or Xeon processor – Configurable – Recommended for running Adobe

Dell Precision 15 7000 Series (7510) Mobile Workstation

Dell is familiar and their precision line is what has been advertised as good for running Adobe. Other options that caught my eye included:

• 15.6″ screen, my favorite size!
• PremierColor 4K Display
• Up to 3TB harddrive (1TB SSD + 2TB 5400RPM = 3TB total)
• Accident Protection

HP ZBook Studio G3 Mobile Workstation

• 15.6″ screen, my favorite size!
• DreamColor3
• Up to 2TB harddrive (2x 1TB SSD)
• Very knowledgeable, American sales reps.

HP ZBook 17 G3 Mobile Workstation

• 17.3″ screen
• DreamColor3
• Up to 64GB RAM
• Up to 3TB harddrive (2x 1TB SSD + 1TB 7200RPM)
• Very knowledgeable, American sales reps.

The Deciding Factor

This was a very difficult decision. Once configured, all three computers were a few hundred dollars above my budget. The dell seemed easiest to bring into my price-range without giving up too many features. But I really wanted to see first-hand the beauty that is HP ZBook’s DreamColor3. How amazing it would be to enjoy crisp, vivid, accurate color instead of having to mentally adjust for my screen’s shortcomings. I was 83% sure I would go with one of the HPs!

Then I got a call from a client whose son dropped his Dell and cracked the motherboard. He told me how nice it was that the technician came to his house and quickly fixed the problem for no extra cost.

A few hours later I returned home to see that our puppy got hold of some makeup samples. Concealer smeared across the couch. Toothpaste and conditioner dripping on the floor. Accident protection is a MUST! This is something that HP refuses to offer with their business-class laptops. Looks like Dell Precision 7510 is the winner!

Final Configuration

Like I said, configuring my wish-list into dream machines put everything above my price limit. I had to give up the super-high-quality screen and a few other features I was looking forward to. But I think I will be happy with what I ended up with:

• I chose the cheapest processor.
• I chose the Windows 7 Pro that comes with Windows 10 Pro license
• No productivity software (So glad they are willing to leave the annoying trials off!)
• Nvidia Quadro M2000M w/4GB GDDR5 video card. HP actually recommended this upgrade
• 15.6″ UltraSharp FHD IPS (1920×1080) wide view anti-glare LED-backlit screen with microphone (no webcam)
• 16GB RAM (2x 8GB should leave 2 free slots for upgrade)
• 1TB SSD + 1TB 7200 rpm hard drive … I plan to put rarely accessed and archived files on the 7200 drive.
• Backlit keyboard
• External keyboard, mouse, and HDMI to VGA adapter
• 3-year warranty with accident coverage and next business day onsite service

I can hardly wait to see my new computer! But I am also eager to hear from anybody else who has a favorite machine for working with Adobe or from anybody who has tried one of the three from my wishlist.

See My Dell Precision 15 7000 Series (7510) Mobile Workstation Review