Dell Latitude Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop – Review

Let's get this out of the way first: the Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 is not a new laptop. It's rocking an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 from a few years back, and that shows in some areas. But for $300, that changes the conversation entirely. You're not buying bleeding-edge tech here, you're buying a surprisingly capable and flexible machine for a price that's hard to argue with.

So who is this for? Honestly, it's a perfect fit for a student on a tight budget, a remote worker who needs a reliable second screen for emails and calls, or anyone who wants a portable touchscreen laptop for basic tasks without spending a fortune. Its compact score lands in the 94th percentile, which means it's genuinely easy to carry around. Just don't expect to edit 4K video or play modern games on it.

What makes it interesting is the combination of features you get for the money. A 360-degree hinge for tablet mode, a 1080p touchscreen, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD in a well-built business-class chassis. At $300, that's a package you usually only see in much older or far flimsier machines. It's a reminder that 'good enough' specs from a few years ago are still perfectly fine for most daily work.

The Intel Core i7-8665U is the heart of this machine, and its CPU performance sits in the 77th percentile. That's actually pretty solid for general use. In real terms, it means you can have a dozen browser tabs open, stream video, and work on a document without the system feeling sluggish. The 16GB of RAM helps a ton here, preventing slowdowns from multitasking. It's not going to blaze through heavy data analysis, but for Office apps, web browsing, and video calls, it's more than enough.

Now, the weak spots. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics lands in the 42nd percentile, which is exactly what it sounds like: basic. You can watch videos, but gaming is a no-go. The storage speed is in the 34th percentile, so while the 512GB SSD is spacious, it won't be the fastest drive you've ever used. Apps will load fine, but large file transfers might take a moment. Think of it as competent, not cutting-edge. It gets the job done without any flash.

The value proposition here is simple and strong: it's $300. For that price, getting a convertible laptop with these specs from a brand like Dell is unusual. You're trading the latest performance for a complete package. Compared to buying new, a budget $300 laptop today might get you a plastic chassis, 8GB of RAM, a smaller SSD, and no touchscreen. This Latitude gives you more features for the money, but you have to accept that the core components are older. It's a fantastic value if your needs are basic and your budget is fixed.

Looking at the competitors, the trade-offs are stark. The Apple MacBook Pro or ASUS Zenbook Duo are in a different league (and price bracket) with modern chips and brilliant screens. They're not competitors on price. A more relevant comparison might be a newer budget Chromebook or entry-level Windows laptop. Those will have better battery life and maybe a newer CPU, but they'll often skimp on RAM, storage, and build quality.

Compared to something like a used Lenovo ThinkPad from the same era, the Latitude's main advantage is the 2-in-1 touchscreen flexibility. The ThinkPad might have a better keyboard and possibly better reliability, but it likely won't flip into a tablet. It comes down to whether that convertible feature is worth it to you. Against any modern gaming laptop like the MSI Vector, there's no contest for performance, but the Latitude wins on portability, price, and battery life for non-gaming tasks.

If you need a cheap, portable, and flexible laptop for school, basic office work, or as a secondary device, the Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 is an easy recommendation at $300. The touchscreen and 2-in-1 design are genuine bonuses you won't find at this price point elsewhere, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD combo means you won't feel pinched for memory or space.

However, if your work involves anything graphically intensive, if you plan on keeping this laptop for five more years, or if you absolutely need all-day battery life and a gorgeous screen, you should save up for something newer. This is a capable tool for specific, lightweight jobs, not a do-it-all powerhouse. Buy it for what it is: a well-equipped budget workhorse, not a cutting-edge machine.