Dell Dell - 5420 14" Refurbished Laptop - Intel 11th Gen i7-1185G7 with 32GB RAM - Intel Iris Xe Graphics - 512GB SSD - Dark Gray Review
This refurbished Dell packs 32GB RAM for heavy multitasking, but its weak graphics and screen make it a niche pick for business users only.
The 30-Second Version
A refurbished business laptop with a huge 32GB RAM boost but weak graphics and a poor screen. Its CPU is strong, but it's only worth buying if you need max multitasking and find it cheap.
Overview
This refurbished Dell 5420 is a business laptop that's been stuffed with a surprising amount of RAM. It's packing a 11th Gen Intel i7 and 32GB of memory, which is a lot for a 14-inch machine. The spec sheet screams 'office workhorse,' but the integrated graphics and middling screen tell a different story for anything beyond that.
Performance
The i7-1185G7 CPU is solid, landing in the 79th percentile. It'll handle your spreadsheets, video calls, and multitasking without a sweat thanks to that 32GB RAM. But the Intel Iris Xe graphics are a weak spot, sitting in the bottom 20 percent. This thing is not for gaming or serious creative work. The 512GB SSD is about average, and the 1080p screen is frankly underwhelming compared to what's out there now.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A massive 32GB of RAM for heavy multitasking. 99th
- Excellent port selection, including Thunderbolt. 80th
- Windows 11 Pro is included, which is great for business users. 80th
- It's relatively lightweight and portable. 72th
Cons
- Integrated graphics are terrible for gaming or editing. 18th
- The screen quality is disappointing. 18th
- Reliability scores for refurbished units are low. 26th
- Storage is just average at 512GB.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Cores | 4 |
| Frequency | 3.0 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM Type | Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 14" |
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 2 |
| USB Ports | 4 |
| Thunderbolt | 2x Thunderbolt |
| HDMI | 1 x HDMI |
Physical
| Weight | 1.4 kg / 3.0 lbs |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
Value & Pricing
Prices swing wildly from $485 to $844. If you can snag it near the bottom of that range, it's a decent deal for the RAM and CPU combo. At the high end, you're paying too much for old tech and a mediocre screen. The value is entirely tied to the price you actually find.
vs Competition
Against a new budget laptop, you get more RAM here but worse everything else. Compared to the ASUS ProArt or a MacBook Pro, this Dell's screen and graphics are ancient. Even a Lenovo Legion gaming laptop, while heavier, offers far better performance for the money. This Dell is a niche pick: it's for someone who needs max RAM in a small body and doesn't care about graphics or display quality.
| Spec | Dell Dell - 5420 14" Refurbished Laptop - Intel 11th Gen i7-1185G7 with 32GB RAM - Intel Iris Xe Graphics - 512GB SSD - Dark Gray | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M5, Silver) | ASUS ROG Flow ASUS 13.4" Republic of Gamers Flow Z13 2-in-1 | Lenovo Legion Lenovo 16" Legion Pro 7i Gaming Laptop | MSI Stealth MSI Stealth A16 - 16.0" OLED 240 Hz - GeForce RTX | Microsoft Surface Laptop Microsoft 13.8" Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC (7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7 | Apple M5 | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 4096 | 1024 | 2048 | 2048 | 1024 |
| Screen | 14" 1920x1080 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 13.4" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 13.8" 2304x1536 |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | Apple (10-Core) | AMD Radeon 8060 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | Qualcomm X1 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
| Weight (kg) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 72 | 70 | 99 | - | 54 |
Common Questions
Q: Can this laptop run games?
Not really. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics score in the bottom 20 percent, so it's only good for very light, old games.
Q: Is 32GB of RAM overkill?
For most people, yes. But if you're a power user who runs virtual machines, giant data sets, or dozens of apps at once, it's the main reason to consider this machine.
Q: How reliable is a refurbished Dell?
Our data shows refurbished units like this score low on reliability metrics, so there's a higher chance of issues compared to a new laptop.
Who Should Skip This
Skip this if you care about screen quality, want to play modern games, or do any video editing. The graphics and display are its biggest flaws. Also, if you need top reliability, a refurbished model with a 26th percentile score is a risky bet.
Verdict
Buy this only if you're a business user or student who needs to run a ton of programs and browser tabs at once, and you found it for under $600. It's a RAM monster in a portable frame, but that's its only trick.