M3800

Dell Precision same CPU and GPU. This is quite unusual for a laptop and partly down to the M3800 mobile strict thermal limits dictated by the com pact chassis. workstation Rated at 37W and 45W respectively the Intel Core i7-4702HQ CPU and Nvidia cally designed to deliver workstation-class components in a lightweight package. This has been attempted before but has often been at the Quadro K1100M GPU are pretty easy on Dell’s latest 15.6-inch mobile worksta- power consumption and together they tion comes in at an incredible 2kg but offer a good balance of performance, still packs a punch. ideally suited to entry-level to mid-range The problem with most mobile worksta- help minimise throttling when the tions is that they’re not particularly processors really start to heat up. mobile. The majority of 15-inch models The Intel Core i7-4702HQ is not weigh in at just under 3kg; 17-inch models the fastest ‘Haswell’ CPU out even more. While this might not sound there — the Intel Core like a lot, try carrying half a dozen tins of i7-4900MQ, available in the baked beans around for the day and you’ll Dell Precision M4800, is a soon get the idea. full 0.6GHz faster — but

Dell’s new Precision M3800 is specifi- with a base clock speed 3D CAD. Both have dedicated fans to expense of screen size and graphics per- of 2.2GHz (3.2GHz Turbo) it’s still a good formance (remember the 14-inch Dell spec for mainstream CAD. With four cores Precision M2400?). and eight threads there’s also power in

With Dell’s latest offering there are no reserve for rendering and simulation — such compromises: the Precision M3800 though with a maximum of 16GB RAM is an entirely new class of mobile worksta- datasets can’t get too big. tion. It sports an expansive 15.6-inch For graphics the Quadro K1100M is at screen but it still feels incredibly light in the lower end of Nvidia’s Kepler family of the hand and there’s enough mobile GPUs. Our tests show grunt in the GPU to handle that this 2GB GPU should be decent sized BIM models. Product spec sufficient for working with

Starting at 1.88kg it weighs small to medium BIM models less than a 13-inch MacBook ■ Intel Core i7 4702HQ CPU but will probably start to Pro, from which it arguably (2.20 - 3.20GHz) show its limitations as models takes many of its styling cues. (4 cores, 8 threads) get larger. And while its aluminium ■ 16GB (2x8GB) 1,600MHz DDR3 The choice of core specs may frame and lightweight carbon memory be limited, but the M3800 cerfibre base is not quite in the ■ Nvidia Quadro tainly makes up for this when same league as the unibody K1100M (2GB) GPU it comes to storage. Users have aluminium chassis of the ■ 256GB mSATA SSD + 500MB 5,400rpm a number of options for the MacBook Pro, it does feel Solid State Hybrid main 2.5-inch drive including refined and well built. But, for Hard Drive a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) (up want of a better analogy, this is ■ 15.6” QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) UltraSharp, to 1TB); Solid State Hybrid a bit like comparing apples 5 finger multi-touch, LED-backlit screent Hard Drive (SSHD) (500GB with pears. The MacBook Pro ■ Mobile Intel with 8GB SSD); or Solid State may be a great all-round lap- HM87 Express chipset Drive (SSD) (256GB or 512GB). top, but the Dell Precision ■ 8mm-18mm x There’s also room for Solid M3800 is an entirely different 372mm x 254mm State Mini-Card storage device beast; a proper 3D CAD mobile ■ 1.88kg (mSATA) (up to 512GB), which workstation, certified for a ■ Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) gives users a cost effective way wide range of applications ■ 1 year basic warranty to get performance and capaciincluding Autodesk AutoCAD - NBD included ty in the one machine. Our test and Revit. ■ £1,499 machine achives this with a

Inside, Dell is very prescripCA001PM38009MUMWS (E-value code) 256GB mini-card for operating tive with the core specifica- dell.co.uk system and apps and a 512GB tions and all models share the SSHD for data.

The Precision M3800 comes with a choice of two Gorilla Glass FHD or QHD+ UltraSharp displays. Detailed CAD models on our test machine’s QHD+ display (3,200 x 1,800) certainly looked stunning with crisp lines and vibrant colours. However, with such a high pixel density we did find some of the icons were too small, even with the Windows settings ramped up. With nearly three times as many pixels as the standard FHD display (1,920 x 1,080) we would also expect the QHD+ screen to have a small but significant impact on 3D performance in some applications. Choosing a display needs careful consideration. Both displays feature 5-finger multitouch as standard, which will have the greatest appeal to users of Windows 8. For more traditional input the gesture enabled multi-touch touchpad is of a good size, which makes it useful for CAD. Of course, for detailed work there’s no substitute for an external mouse, which can plug into one of the four USB ports (3 x USB 3.0 and 1 x USB 2.0). All four ports feature PowerShare, which is great for charging SmartPhones and other devices as the power remains on even when the machine is switched off.

There are some downsides of the sleek chassis: to keep size and weight to a minimum there’s no optical drive, but this can be easily remedied with a USB DVD drive or mapping to another drive on the network.

In conclusion, the Precision M3800 is an impressive machine for those seeking workstation-class performance and true portability without compromising on screen size. Some may find the specs restrictive — and if you want to beef up the CPU, GPU and memory then look at the Precision M4800 — but if you’re after a highly mobile laptop for 3D CAD then the Precision M3800 is in a class of its own.

Greg Corke

3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Wirelesss

3Dconnexion cuts the cord for its latest 3D input device for CAD & BIM software

When we heard that 3Dconnexion was to release a new 3D input device we did wonder how it could improve on what is already a slick family of products.

The company has pretty much nailed the design of its 3D mice which, when used in conjunction with a standard computer mouse, provide exact control over 3D CAD models — simply push, pull, twist or tilt the 3Dconnexion controller cap to pan, zoom and rotate your model while the 2D mouse is held in the other hand to work directly with the CAD geometry on screen.

The SpaceMouse Wireless is a new addition to the entrylevel end of the product range and does exactly what the name implies. With the help of a small 2.4GHz micro receiver that pops into a spare USB port it does away with the untidy cable that trails Product spec larger and more accessible. When pressed, each opens its from your workstation. ■ 78 x 78 x 54mm own on-screen radial menu,

The device is powered by a ■ 424g providing convenient mouseLithium-Ion battery that charg- ■ 2-year warranty click access to four application es in around two hours via a ■ Supported AEC commands. The good news is micro-USB cable. It should give software Rhinoceros that if you’ve already got a you a month of use between Autodesk Revit 3Dconnexion 3D mouse, you’ll charges, based on 8 hours use Autodesk AutoCAD SketchUp get this feature for free simply per day, 5 days per week. ArchiCAD through a driver update.

A warning light shows up red Allplan VectorWorks The latest driver also helps when it’s running low, but if ■ £109 ensure the products are comthat happens in the middle of 3dconnexion.co.uk patible with the latest and the day, the device will also greatest versions of a big range work with the cable plugged in. of CAD tools (Rhinoceros,

There’s more to the SpaceMouse Wireless Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, than just cutting the cord. The subtle form Trimble SketchUp, Graphisoft ArchiCAD, of the SpaceMouse has been updated giv- Nemetschek Allplan and VectorWorks). ing it a more squared off profile. This cures In terms of build quality, it’s the same as one of the problems with the existing prod- the other products in the family — these ucts — that it’s things are built like tanks and German easy to get orienta- ones at that. tion wrong and The addition of the battery and the base send your model redesign makes it more intuitive and stable skidding off the on your desk. The larger buttons make it screen. more usable and the radial menus are There has also excellent. They may be a simple addition, been some rede- but they give you quick access to a larger sign work on the number of commonly used operations. two fully customis- All in all, considering this device will able buttons that only set you back £109, if you don’t own sit on either side of one of the family, the SpaceMouse Wireless the device, in that is well worth a closer look. they are now much Al Dean

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The FUTURe oF CAD AnD pRoFessionAl 3D pRinTing 15 APRIL 2014 WARWiCk ARTs CenTRe ClAiM YoUR FRee TiCkeT DEVELOP3DLIVE.COM

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