Dell Dell - Precision 15.6" Refurbished Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel 9th Gen Core i7 with 32GB Memory - NVIDIA Quadro T1000 - 2TB SSD - Silver Review

This is a 2019 workstation in 2024 clothing. Massive RAM and SSD can't hide the old CPU and slow GPU. Only buy it at the absolute lowest price if you need a spreadsheet tank and nothing else.

This refurbished Dell Precision 5540 is a weird, powerful, and deeply specific machine. The one thing you need to know is that it's a professional workstation from 2019, stuffed with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, trying to pass as a modern laptop. It's built like a tank, has ports for days, and will chew through spreadsheets and CAD files. But it's also running on a 5-year-old Intel CPU and a professional-grade Quadro GPU that's not great for modern gaming or creative apps. It's a specialist tool, not a generalist.

The performance story is a tale of two halves. The 32GB of RAM and massive 2TB SSD are fantastic, landing in the 72nd and 89th percentiles respectively. Apps load fast, and you can have a hundred browser tabs open. But the 9th Gen Intel i7 and the Quadro T1000 GPU are the anchors. Our data shows the CPU is in the 66th percentile, which is decent but dated, and the GPU is only in the 69th. That Quadro card is built for stability in professional apps, not speed in games or Adobe software. It's surprisingly nimble for office work, but don't expect it to render a complex 3D model quickly.

At the low end of its price spread ($913), it's a curious value if you need massive storage and RAM above all else. At $1106, it's harder to justify against newer tech. You're paying for specs that look great on paper (32GB/2TB) but are hamstrung by an old core platform. The value entirely depends on finding it at the bottom of that price range.

This Dell is stuck between worlds. Compared to a modern gaming laptop like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, the Dell gets crushed in CPU and GPU performance for the same money. Against a creator-focused machine like the ASUS ProArt PX13 with its OLED screen and RTX 4050, the Dell's screen and GPU look ancient. Even the new Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft and ASUS offer better battery life and AI features. The only real competitor here is your own budget: can you find a newer used business laptop with similar RAM/SSD for less?

If you're a creator, gamer, or just want a fast, modern all-around laptop, this isn't it. Go get an ASUS ProArt, a Lenovo Legion, or even a last-gen consumer laptop instead. You'll get better performance and a better screen for your money.

We can't recommend this for most people. It's a niche buy for someone who needs a ton of RAM and storage for virtual machines or data work, doesn't care about gaming or screen quality, and can snag it for under $950. For anyone else—students, creators, general users—you're better off with a newer, more balanced machine, even if it has less RAM or a smaller SSD. The old core components are too big a handicap.