Category: Dell Laptop Reviews

Dell Laptop Review

The Dell laptop brand is rolled out from the stables of Dell Technologies, an American multinational Computer technology company.

Their laptops are churned out in a line of series, with each one designed to meet a specific market segment in the Consumer-oriented end and the Business-oriented end.

From their traditional clamshells to the trendy convertibles and 2-in-1s’, Dell is consistent in delivering impressive build quality and top-grade performance levels for all the price points and hardware configurations on offer.

It is no surprise that their laptop rollouts take front row whenever the laptop roll of honors is given out.

Target Market

Dells’ laptop focus narrows down to two segments of the market, the consumer end, and the business end.

The Business-oriented laptops are offered in a line of series, they feature more extensive base storage and memory, faster connectivity, and more I/O options.

The Latitude series is Dells’ corporate-grade laptop line, it includes a range of clamshells, ultrabooks, 2-in-1, and convertibles that are equipped with all the niceties of a proper office companion, the Dell Latitude 9410 2-in-1 is the top pick for its impressive battery life, generous bandwidth, and responsive touchscreen.

The Vostro series is a cheaper but limited stock alternative to the latitude series, it is an enterprise-grade line of laptops that will appeal to average earners, and people with less processor-intensive workloads.

On the other hand, the Consumer end series come with better-looking designs, eye-catching displays, island-style keyboards, and decent processor configuration options, although their batteries for the most part will leave much to be desired.

The XPS series, short for extreme performance series, is Dells’ high-end consumer-oriented laptop series.

Laptops from this line are equipped with powerful processors, Bezel free displays, and impressive build quality, the XPS 13, XPS 15, and 17 occupy the front row for aesthetics with their sleek build, vivid displays, and good looking keyboard.

Their higher-end processors are tailor-made for the most demanding tasks and even games too.

The Inspiron series has a bit of everything in its stock, from the attractive prices and rich display of the 3000 series to the middle-of-everything Inspiron 15 5000 series lineup, and all the way to the high-end 7000 series with their impressive 2-in-1s’ and 17-inches.

The standout laptop from this series is the Inspiron 13, with its premium-grade design and the top-tier performance levels of its 10th generation Intel core i5-i7 processors.

Other series in the Dell lineup include the Alienware series, the holy grail of gaming laptops, with colorful displays and powerful graphics.

There is also the Precision series with its workstation processors and Impressive RAM capacity. Both series are known for the high prices on offer for most of their laptops.

The G5 series is the joker in the mix, they can serve as gaming powerhouses, but they are very well priced for good measure too.

Design and Build Quality

Dell mostly employs a combination of materials in the construction of its laptops, although recent rollouts seem to opt for a strictly aluminum build.

Materials that most often make the cut include metals, plastic, carbon fiber, glass fiber, polycarbonate fabric, and any other suitable outfit in that order, the end product is usually a sturdy and handy build.

The Inspiron series extensively uses the plastic build in its 3000 line, and gradually phases it out in the 5000 line, while the XPS series engages aluminum for its eye-catching builds.

In its effort to deliver the sleek and stylish, the Alienware series is more experimental with its build materials. On the other hand, the Latitude series-based laptops will not win any beauty contests, but they pack in all the metal gear into a lightweight and compact box.

Dell even serves up a line of Rugged laptops, with looks that are both imposing and enticing, the Latitude 5424 and 7424 are built to withstand the hard times and the rocky places.

Durability and Reliability

Dell has built up an enduring legacy and a reputation for rolling out laptops that stand the test of time.

The laptop maker is not shy to fit their laptops with extra headroom in order to equip them with all the relevant gear, and they lead the chart with hardware upgrades and software updates for new rollouts.

The faulty heat sinks, creaky hinges, and the notoriously vulnerable batteries of older models have given way to more efficient and sophisticated components.

Dell laptops rub shoulders with the very best in the game, many users can point to their 7-10-year-old Inspiron series laptops, although the credit most often goes to the owners.

Pricing

Now, this is the real downer, Dell laptops are mostly priced on the middle to the extremely high side, only Apple Laptops can lay more unenviable claims to having a stronger pull…or yank on the purse strings.

It is not all gloomy though, the Dell brand regularly delivers the bargain buys, and there is a decent choice of configurations on offer for most models, you’ll most likely find the right fit for your pockets in the mix.

Look no further than the Inspiron 3000 or 5000 series for the cheapest deals, while some laptops in the top-choice XPS series can go for mid-range prices.

 If you’re comfortable enough to splash the cash on premium ware, Dell has the perfect workstations and gaming machines for you, its rugged laptops and some laptops in its precision series will cost you a fortune while the Alienware gaming series based laptops will set you back by a yard or two.

Battery Life

This is an area of strength for Dell-at least with the most recent laptops, their laptops give the best performance per watthours levels of any contemporary laptop brand.

A typical Dell laptop will survive multiple charge cycles before they succumb, and they offer some of the best runtimes on a single charge.

To their credit, the Power manager software in their laptops is well-wired to provide the best battery hacks.

The Dell Latitude 9510 sets the standard for battery life, this laptop can go up two days on a single charge, and even when the 10th gen CPU or intel UHD graphics are operating on full steam for executing your Chrome or content-heavy tasks.

This laptop will last for an impressive 14 hours at the least. Its average battery life of 17 hours just edges the Apple Macbook Pro with MI and the LG gram 14 2-in-1, with both laptops posting 16 hours.

Performance

The average Dell Laptop is capable of taking on a middleweight workload without breaking a sweat, the heavy-lifting tasks are matched by heavy-duty processors for a majority of the configurations on offer. 

The mobile workstations like the Precision 7550 and the XPS 17(2020) engage the Intel Xeon CPU and 9th generation intel core processor respectively, each with a massive 8 cores, a whopping turbo speed of 5.3GHz for the former, and 5GHz for the latter.

There is more than enough firepower to blitz through the most demanding tasks with aplomb, this performance is only bested by the M1 chip possessing 13″ Macbook Pro and Air. 

The Alienware laptops are some of the very best in the gaming business, with powerful Nvidia and AMD-based processors providing the boost for a thrilling gaming experience that can only be matched by the Razerblade 15.

The Alienware m15 is the envy of its peers, it can take on the most recent and demanding titles at a canter, without throwing in fits of stuttering or lagging that spoil the fun.

In general, most Dell Laptops give a good account of themselves when they are called in to put in the graft, and they only ever reach the thresholds on sustained usage.

Support and Warranty

Another area where Dell scores top marks is in the support system that they employ, most users acknowledge the easy access and prompt feedback that is enjoyed when contact is made with representatives from their service centers.

And there is a real person-a knowledgeable one too, on the other side, unlike the annoying bots of some other brands that we are all too accustomed to, their online presence is equally laudable, and the communication channels and platforms in use is exhaustive too.

Their warranty policy is equally impressive, it covers the most relevant hardware, although you might have to cough out some more bucks than is usual for an extended warranty which you might not eventually have to use.

The basic one-year warranty will be just fine for most users, and luckily for you, its scope and range of coverage are just the right fit.

Drawbacks

The most common problems associated with Dell laptops include the Issue of overheating, malfunctioning of the trackpads, the incessant display flickering as well as some challenges with booting on.

Of all the series, the Inspiron series are the hardest hit by these problems, most probably because this line of laptops tries too much to deliver a shoe that fits all sizes to the public.

The Alienware series are relatively fragile, while the XPS line seems to sacrifice battery power for aesthetics and processor performance.

In a Nutshell

The Dell laptop brand belongs to the very top rank and file of laptop brands, their reputation precedes them, and their laptops lord over the desks and couches of users all over the world.

Dell offers variety in all forms, the budget laptops and the expensive deals, mobile workstations and gaming monsters, office companions, and rigs for rough terrains.

It has them all in an offering of series and accompanying configurations that are available to choose from.

The Laptops are not flawless, each model comes with its own set of challenges, but they pale in comparison with the many advantages that come with them.

In conclusion, these laptops are well worth the hype and the high prices too.