Dell Vostro 13 5390 Review
The Dell Vostro 13 5390's specs are several generations old, and its performance scores show it. For nearly $900, you can do much better.
Overview
The Dell Vostro 13 5390 is a compact business laptop from a few generations back, and its specs tell that story clearly. You're looking at an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU and 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, which puts it in the 11th and 10th percentiles respectively against modern machines. That means it's starting from a performance deficit right out of the gate. It does pack a 256GB NVMe SSD and a 1080p screen, but those land in the 2nd and 16th percentiles, so they're basic even for its time.
Performance
Let's be straight: this isn't a performance machine. The CPU's 4.6GHz turbo boost sounds okay, but being in the 11th percentile means most modern laptops, even budget ones, will run circles around it for multi-core tasks. The NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU is a slight step above integrated graphics, landing in the 47th percentile. It can handle video playback and very light photo editing, but gaming is a non-starter with an 8/100 score. The 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM is soldered and slow by today's standards, so don't plan on having dozens of browser tabs open while working.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Compact and portable design, scoring in the 46th percentile for size.
- Includes a dedicated NVIDIA MX250 GPU, which is better than basic integrated graphics.
- Has a modern 256GB NVMe SSD for faster boot and load times than a hard drive.
- Features a USB Type-C port alongside standard USB 3.1.
- The 1080p non-touch display provides a sharp enough image for office work.
Cons
- CPU performance is in the 11th percentile, making it slow for demanding applications. 5th
- Only 8GB of soldered LPDDR3 RAM, which is in the 10th percentile and not upgradeable. 9th
- Storage capacity is very low at 256GB, placing it in the 2nd percentile. 10th
- Screen quality ranks in the 16th percentile, so expect mediocre color and brightness. 17th
- Overall reliability score is a concerning 27th percentile.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core i7 8565U |
| Cores | 4 |
| Frequency | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | GeForce MX250 |
| VRAM | 2 GB |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 8 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR3 |
Display
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
Value & Pricing
At a current price of $889, the value proposition is tough. You're paying nearly $900 for a laptop with performance that lags significantly behind modern $600-$700 machines. The specs that mattered in 2018—like the 8th Gen CPU and MX250 GPU—are now entry-level at best. You're essentially paying a premium for the 'business laptop' form factor and the Dell name, not for competitive hardware.
vs Competition
Stack this up against its listed competitors and it's not a fair fight. A modern ASUS Zenbook Duo or a base MacBook Pro will demolish it in CPU tasks, have better screens, and offer more RAM. Even compared to other older models, the Vostro's low percentile scores in core areas like storage, RAM, and CPU are glaring. The only potential advantage is its dedicated GPU over some ultraportables, but the MX250 is so weak it's almost not worth mentioning. For the same money, you could find a much newer refurbished business laptop or a new budget model with better specs across the board.
Verdict
I can't recommend buying the Dell Vostro 13 5390 new at this price. Its performance metrics are simply too far behind. It might make sense as a sub-$500 refurbished machine for someone who needs a basic, portable Windows laptop for word processing and email, and nothing more. But for $889, you are getting objectively poor value. Look for a laptop with a modern CPU (11th Gen Intel or newer, or any Ryzen 5000/6000 series), at least 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. You'll get a machine that feels faster today and will remain usable for years longer.