The Dell XPS 15 would utterly dominate the market if it had 7 nm AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 options

[Redaktion]

How about an AMD-powered XPS 15? It's already one of the most popular and well-known Ultrabooks in the market, but it can be even better and faster with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, Ryzen 9 4900HS, or the Ryzen 5 4600H. Fans would eat up an AMD-Nvidia powered XPS especially if it were priced just right.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-Dell-XPS-15-would-utterly-dominate-the-market-if-it-had-7-nm-AMD-Ryzen-7-or-Ryzen-9-options.469085.0.html

[Ariliquin]

Thank you for posting this. This is exactly what I would buy in a heart beat if it was available. I have been waiting 12 months to buy my new laptop as my 5 year old device needs replacing. I refuse to buy Intel and I want a premium laptop with AMD. Razor won't do it, Dell won't do it, WHY?????????????????????

No I will not buy a rehashed Intel that has poor performance under load and poor multi core performance. I want a device that can perform well under sustained load, unlike the current and previous  Dell XPS Intel's.

[smasri07]

It couldn't actually be done.  Intel still has a significant lead in component integration and PCB size for laptops.  While AMD would be faster, Intel design is what allows the XPS 15 to be so thin and light and switching to AMD would require an entirely different design.   Someone writing this article should know this much.

[Imglidinhere]

It couldn't actually be done.  Intel still has a significant lead in component integration and PCB size for laptops.  While AMD would be faster, Intel design is what allows the XPS 15 to be so thin and light and switching to AMD would require an entirely different design.   Someone writing this article should know this much.

Uh... Intel and AMD don't make the PCBs for laptops. That's not how that works. The PCB is made by the manufacturer of the laptop in question. The fact that you think Intel has anything to do with the design of the laptop chassis shows how little you actually know about laptops in general.

AMD got involved in the design process because they wanted to ensure the products launched with their APUs were made with as much quality as the Intel parts. Basically they worked with ASUS first exclusively to produce a top quality item to showcase what their latest processors could do. The main reason why Dell doesn't go with AMD options is most likely due to what Intel has done in the past, and I have zero reason to assume otherwise.

Switching to AMD would require a new motherboard... that's it. Dell can manage that just fine.

[Poppy]

Well duh, Dell! What a strategic mistake. #RyzenLaptopsMatter

[smasri07]

Uh... Intel and AMD don't make the PCBs for laptops. That's not how that works. The PCB is made by the manufacturer of the laptop in question. The fact that you think Intel has anything to do with the design of the laptop chassis shows how little you actually know about laptops in general.

AMD got involved in the design process because they wanted to ensure the products launched with their APUs were made with as much quality as the Intel parts. Basically they worked with ASUS first exclusively to produce a top quality item to showcase what their latest processors could do. The main reason why Dell doesn't go with AMD options is most likely due to what Intel has done in the past, and I have zero reason to assume otherwise.

Switching to AMD would require a new motherboard... that's it. Dell can manage that just fine.

You're wrong.  Intel designs reference boards that many PC makers use as they are, and many others simply modify.  Also the component integration starts at the CPU, including things like thunderbolt, wifi, and smaller package sizes for the chips than AMD.  All of this design at the processor saves PCB space. 

Have you seen the reference Tigerlake PCB?  It shows something that can't be done with an AMD processor yet.  Expect the next XPS 13 to have a motherboard that looks almost exactly like this.

I'm happy to see that Zen processors are fundamentally better, but it will take more time and money to cover all of Intel's advantages.

[A]

Dell has a strict requirement where their laptops have to get hot enough to bake waffles and AMD's CPUs don't get hot enough for that.

You're wrong.  Intel designs reference boards that many PC makers use as they are, and many others simply modify.  Also the component integration starts at the CPU, including things like thunderbolt, wifi, and smaller package sizes for the chips than AMD.  All of this design at the processor saves PCB space. 

Have you seen the reference Tigerlake PCB?  It shows something that can't be done with an AMD processor yet.  Expect the next XPS 13 to have a motherboard that looks almost exactly like this.

I'm happy to see that Zen processors are fundamentally better, but it will take more time and money to cover all of Intel's advantages.

Other manufacturers do it just fine. why can't dell? Don't speak nonsense.

[jeremy]

I agree, it gets more complicated, too. It's not just the reference platform design, it's BOM, engineers being sent around to help with design, marketing, firmware, etc.

BOM/Engineering Assistance: Ever rely on a datasheet while laying out a larger PCB? There are plenty of gaps and incorrect information for everything that isn't a basic 7400 glue logic IC. This is where accumulated experience or direct assistance can help. Even Intel documents contain enough errata, as do Nvidia datasheets. AMD holds theirs as top secret information, so maybe they are the only company in the world that has perfect documentation the first time around (e.g, for a new platform). Some companies such as the Raspberry Pi foundation, just leave out information and changes, claiming it's not important to know (IMO, to hide their mistakes and to maintain a false visage of industrial readiness and validation).

Marketing: Fancy brochures are fine and all, but how many OEM/ODMs actually know what their customers want? How many just copy Apple, cost cut, and hope it all works out? They keep coming back to Intel control, because the alternative is actually trying to be a leader. Takes courage. I used to laugh at that Apple quote, I now cry at what has happened. Apple was right, it does take courage, and most of the market is teeming with cowards (IMO, of course).

Firmware: How many companies make a mess of basic BIOS updates? Now you expect them to develop the software platform as well? Have you seen AMD's attitude towards software? They had to be screeched at twice to prevent them from dropping 400 series MB support, and they tried to blame OEMs in a childish attempt to shirk their duties (graphics drivers for laptops). Now imagine the OEMs trying to make basic UEFI updates with AMD being their supporting partner. Nevermind the rest of the software platform that drives a laptop.

TL;DR, some silly person is going to read this as being anti-AMD, so I must be literally ______ or some nonsense. :D

Uh... Intel and AMD don't make the PCBs for laptops. That's not how that works. The PCB is made by the manufacturer of the laptop in question. The fact that you think Intel has anything to do with the design of the laptop chassis shows how little you actually know about laptops in general.

AMD got involved in the design process because they wanted to ensure the products launched with their APUs were made with as much quality as the Intel parts. Basically they worked with ASUS first exclusively to produce a top quality item to showcase what their latest processors could do. The main reason why Dell doesn't go with AMD options is most likely due to what Intel has done in the past, and I have zero reason to assume otherwise.

Switching to AMD would require a new motherboard... that's it. Dell can manage that just fine.

You're wrong.  Intel designs reference boards that many PC makers use as they are, and many others simply modify.  Also the component integration starts at the CPU, including things like thunderbolt, wifi, and smaller package sizes for the chips than AMD.  All of this design at the processor saves PCB space. 

Have you seen the reference Tigerlake PCB?  It shows something that can't be done with an AMD processor yet.  Expect the next XPS 13 to have a motherboard that looks almost exactly like this.

I'm happy to see that Zen processors are fundamentally better, but it will take more time and money to cover all of Intel's advantages.

[neodymium]

Why are you comparing latest gen AMD laptops with old Intel laptops? Where are the 10th gen parts? Very dishonest to say the least

[Maverick]

Why are you comparing latest gen AMD laptops with old Intel laptops? Where are the 10th gen parts? Very dishonest to say the least

Are you retarded? The so called intel X-gen laptops are very scarce and not easy to find. If you want a comparison so badly, buy one and ship it to them, they'll happily review it.

[Vajra]

Nice article, congratulations.
All the OEMs should think like this, what the article is about.
Still amd is to small for high end laptops where who are big and have enaugh money dictate the market...

[Surfer]

Why are you comparing latest gen AMD laptops with old Intel laptops? Where are the 10th gen parts? Very dishonest to say the least

This guy be implying i7-10875H isn't "10th Gen".

[kek]

I wonder why AMD fans bitch around blaming OEMS every week just because they don't release a Ryzen device.

Do you really think it's Dell's, HP's or Razer's intention to not release one? Have you actually stop to think how bad their last AMD models actually sold and maybe that's why they are not willing to risk themselves? Perhaps Intel even gives them discounts or helps them with driver support and what not? There is probably more than one reason why they are not offering it, don't go around thinking they do it because "AMD bad".

Seriously, if you look around, HP has like, only one decent model with Ryzen. Dell released an Inspiron, and both models already got price cuts not even 6 months in, which means sales are not going that well.

Yes, Asus, Acer and MSI released devices with Ryzen, but those 3 are more of enthusiastic brands rather than your average available-in-stores brands. It is not the first time Asus comes up with something unique in their product line, and same goes for MSI. And Acer, well, it is nowhere the big brand it was a few years ago.

[Shsvshjans]

I am getting a bit tired of all these clueless people that blame OEMs for not doing AMD work. There aren't many good AMD laptops because AMD doesn't have sufficient engineers and efforts invested into supporting oems. Having good chips, as we can see is not sufficient to win a market. You need to have very good firmware, BOM, documentation for every part of the platform. Intel has that and has WORKED to have that. AMD doesn't so what we see today is the result of a halfway made job by AMD. Also, when these Zen 2 laptop projects were started, and has Zen 1 on laptops which wasn't flying out of shells. So for AMD to get more presence in laptops it needs to invest money, by money I mean million of billions of $ in field engineers, platform design to create great templates and documentation for oems so that the end result for oems will be to make money.
Currently oems need to do AMD work, pay engineers to implement a new platform, validate it and above it all, sell this new expensive to design and make laptop at a lower cost compared to Intel one, just because AMD still wants to be the cheaper alternative.

[Shsvshjans]

As a result, oems don't see and don't get a lot of profit on AMD platforms so they don't have a lot of incentive...
So if you want to blame someone, blame AMD for being stupid. Creating a great product, but not creating the necessary infrastructure for it to become a great seller.