Dell Latitude Dell Latitude 5520 15.6" Laptop, i5 1145G7 2.6Ghz, Review
The Dell Latitude 5520 packs 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for under $500, but its aging processor makes it a tough sell. It's only for the most basic tasks.
Overview
The Dell Latitude 5520 is a solid, no-frills workhorse. It's got a 15.6-inch touchscreen, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, which is a ton of storage for the price. This is a laptop built for getting things done, not for turning heads. But you need to know what you're getting into. The 11th Gen Intel i5 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics are a few generations old now. It's fine for office work and web browsing, but don't expect it to handle anything demanding.
Performance
Performance is exactly what the specs suggest. The i5-1145G7 lands in the 23rd percentile for CPU power, so it's on the slower side for modern chips. It'll handle your spreadsheets and video calls just fine. The 32GB of RAM is a huge plus for keeping dozens of browser tabs open. But the integrated Iris Xe graphics are weak, sitting in the 18th percentile. Gaming is basically a no-go, and even light photo editing will feel sluggish.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Huge 32GB of RAM for multitasking. 85th
- Lots of ports including Thunderbolt and HDMI. 78th
- 1TB SSD is generous for the price. 70th
- Touchscreen adds some versatility.
Cons
- CPU and GPU performance are well below average. 14th
- Screen quality is poor (16th percentile). 17th
- Reliability score is concerningly low. 18th
- It's bulky for a modern laptop. 24th
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core i5 11th Gen |
Graphics
| GPU | Iris Xe Graphics |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM Type | Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Storage Type | NVMe SSD |
Display
| Size | 15.6" |
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
Connectivity
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 3 |
| HDMI | 1 x HDMI |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 |
Physical
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
Value & Pricing
At around $449, the value proposition is simple. You're trading raw performance for a massive amount of RAM and storage. If your main need is having 50 tabs open while running Office apps, this is a steal. But if you need speed, a good screen, or any graphics power, your money goes further elsewhere.
vs Competition
Compared to a modern ultrabook like the ASUS Zenbook Duo, this Dell feels ancient and heavy. The Zenbook is faster, has a far better screen, and is more portable. Against a gaming laptop like the MSI Vector 16, there's no contest for performance. Even Apple's base MacBook Air with an M1 chip would run circles around this CPU. The Latitude's only real advantage is its sheer amount of RAM for the price, which the others don't match at this cost.
| Spec | Dell Latitude Dell Latitude 5520 15.6" Laptop, i5 1145G7 2.6Ghz, | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M4 Max, Silver) | ASUS Zenbook ASUS 14" Zenbook Duo UX8406CA Multi-Touch Laptop | Lenovo Legion Pro Series Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (16″ Intel) 83F3000HUS | MSI Vector MSI 16" Vector 16 HX AI Gaming Laptop | Microsoft Surface Laptop Microsoft 15" Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC (7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5 11th Gen | Apple M4 Max | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 128 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 64 |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 4096 | 1024 | 1024 | 2048 | 1024 |
| Screen | 15.6" 1920x1080 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 14" 2880x1800 | 16" 2560x1600 | 16" 2560x1600 | 15" 2496x1664 |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | Apple (40-Core) | Intel Arc Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 | Qualcomm X1 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight (kg) | — | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 1.7 |
| Battery (Wh) | — | 72 | 75 | 80 | 90 | 66 |
Verdict
Buy this only if you're on a very tight budget and your workload is 100% basic office and web tasks. The 32GB RAM is a trap for anyone who thinks it means power. It doesn't. Students or remote workers who just need a cheap machine for documents and Zoom could make it work. For literally anyone else, save up a bit more for a modern chip.