Dell Latitude 14" 14.0" Black Review

The refurbished Dell Latitude 7420 is a capable business laptop for basic office work and multitasking, thanks to its 32GB of RAM. Its older 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 1080p screen are its main drawbacks. At a good refurbished price, it's a practical pick for budget-conscious professionals.

If you're hunting for a refurbished business laptop that won't break the bank, the Dell Latitude 7420 is a solid contender. It's a 14-inch Windows 11 Pro machine built around an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor and a generous 32GB of RAM. That combo is aimed squarely at professionals who need to keep a dozen browser tabs, a spreadsheet, and a video call running without a hitch. While its integrated Iris Xe graphics aren't for gaming, the touchscreen and impressive port selection make it a practical, no-fuss workhorse for under $500 if you shop smart.

Let's talk about that i7-1185G7. In our database, its CPU performance lands in the 21st percentile, which means it's underwhelming compared to modern chips. For context, that's about average for its generation but falls behind newer Intel and Apple Silicon processors. It's perfectly fine for office apps, web browsing, and video calls, but don't expect blazing speeds for heavy data crunching or video editing. The 32GB of RAM, however, is a standout feature in the 77th percentile. That's more than enough to handle heavy multitasking without slowing down, which is this laptop's real strength. The 512GB SSD is middle of the pack for storage, and the integrated Iris Xe graphics are also in the 21st percentile, so gaming or 3D work is off the table.

The value here is all about the price you find. This laptop's cost swings wildly from $489 to $1259 across different vendors. At the low end, around $500, it's a compelling deal for the 32GB of RAM and business-grade build. At over $1200, it's a hard sell against newer laptops with better screens and faster processors. If your budget is tight and your work is mostly in browsers and office software, snagging one at the bottom of that range is a smart move. Just know you're trading some modern performance and screen quality for that upfront savings.

This Latitude faces stiff competition. The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 chip runs circles around it in CPU performance and battery life, but costs much more and locks you into macOS. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14" offers a much nicer screen and similar portability for a premium price. More directly, the ASUS ProArt PX13 or Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 14" both offer sharper 3K displays and often better performance for creative tasks. The Latitude's main advantage is its lower refurbished price and that massive 32GB RAM loadout, which you'd pay a lot more for in a new ultrabook.

Skip this laptop if you're a student or creative professional who needs a great screen for media consumption or design work—the 1080p display is a letdown. Also, skip it if you need long battery life for all-day use away from an outlet, as the battery performance on a refurbished unit is a big question mark. Gamers and video editors should obviously look elsewhere. For those users, a modern ultrabook with a better display or a laptop with a dedicated GPU would be a much better fit.

Should you buy this? It depends entirely on your budget and needs. If you need a reliable Windows machine for general office work, video calls, and heavy multitasking, and you can find it for around $500, it's a yes. The 32GB of RAM future-proofs it nicely for basic tasks. But if your budget stretches further, or you care about screen quality, battery life, or faster processing for applications like photo editing, you should look at newer models. This is a work tool, not a pleasure device.