Is Dell XPS L502X still good in 2015?

[Afifi Romli]

Hello all,

As a title suggest, i would like to know is this 4 years laptop still good? Currently my friend want to sell it around Ringgit Malaysia(RM) 1250 or USD291.
Laptop spec :
I7 2630QM 2.0ghz
Geforce gt 540m 2gb
4gb ram
500gb hardisk
Screen Full HD
Blue Ray Disc
JBL speaker
Backlit keyboard

So i want to use for work, surfing internet, watching movies, and light gaming (I already have desktop for gaming) when i away from home.So is it worth it to buy this or find new model because Im tight in budget below RM1500 or USD350. Mostly new model around this budget get dual core i3 or dual core i5 with intel HD graphic and HD resolution.

I vey appreciate to hear your opinion. Thanks

 

[CTurbo]

I still use a XPS L702X as my main daily use PC so yeah it's still great. You'll just want to add 4GB more RAM.

 

[Afifi Romli]

Hello, so far you using your laptop,is there any problem yet? Like screen problem, usb port problem or keyboard problem? How is it performance? From your experience, should i pick new model on the market or stay with this model? Base on budget that i said above.

 

[naturesninja]

A new i5 with integrated HD 4600 or HD5500 will be about the same performance as the 540m if you want new and if it falls within your budget. The intel integrated graphics do perform much better running dual channel memory in gaming, so if you see one with 4GB you can throw another 4GB stick in. Most 8GB laptop models will come with a single stick of RAM and not 2x4GB which is something to consider if wanting to add memory.

 

[CTurbo]

No problems. Great performance.

 

[Afifi Romli]

Naturesninja - thanks for information. But my main priority is not gaming because i do have desktop for gaming. This laptop more to do work, movies and light gaming when i away from home. So compare with new model within this budget, it is better take new model with dual core i3 or i5 with HD resolution or get this dell xps laptop?

 

[CTurbo]

If you can get the XPS for cheap, it's probably better than a new laptop at an equal price.

 

[jaguarskx]

For the equivalent of $350 USD I would say it is a pretty decent deal.

- The quad core i7-2630QM is still a decent CPU.
- The nVidia GT 540m is no longer considered a good mainstream GPU. But at least it is a little better than the Intel HD 5500 graphics core that is integrated in current 5th gen Intel CPUs.
- The laptop has FHD resolution screen. I would not consider purchasing a laptop with less than a 1080p screen since I like to see a lot of information on the screen. But if you want to play current games you need to play at 1366x768 resolution to get decent performance.
- The Blu-Ray drive is an added bonus if you have any Blu-Ray discs you want to watch.
- JBL is known for making good stereo speakers. Their built-in laptop speakers are better than your average laptop speakers, but do not expect them to sound "awesome" since they are only 2w speakers. My Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 has JBL speakers and I like them.


I recommend you upgrade to 8GB of RAM when you get the chance if you like having a lot of tabs open when you surf the net or if you plan on doing a little more than "lite gaming". Lastly, you can splurge on a SSD sometime in the future which will make the laptop feel more responsive because a SSD has higher read / write speeds compared to a hard drive.

 

[naturesninja]

CTurbo, good driver support? Windows 10?

 

[CTurbo]

Eh I'm holding onto win7 for now. Never had an issue with drivers. Really never had any issues at all.

 

[velo3100]

I would say that it is a good deal for the price as you are not going to do much with it.

 

[Afifi Romli]

Base from everyone opinion, I decided to bought it yesterday and I really surprised to see how good it screen. Very sharp and beautiful. Although right speaker sound a little crack, but nevermind it is 4 years old laptop, cheap and it sound quality still can beat all the new entry level laptop. Also I already upgraded it to 8gb ram. It is worth for the money. Thank you very much for all the help