Dell vostro 1520 Review
Saturday, September 19, 2009
, Posted by Fersue at 7:41 AM
Dell Vostro 1520 Laptop Computer (Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 160GB/2GB)
The Dell Vostro 1520 is sold by Dell as a small business targeted laptop. It has a 15.4″ widescreen display, relatively thin design.The Dell Vostro 1520 laptop is packed with some of the latest technologies, connectivity options and comes with exceptional support all at a great price.The Dell Vostro 1520 is available in a wide variety of configurations, with processor configurations ranging from a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo to speedy Core 2 Duo T9550 2.66GHz, optional Nvidia 9300 dedicated graphics, and fast SSD storage or a large 320GB standard hard drive. While the Dell Vostro 1520 is sold through Dell Small Business.Dell Vostro range offers relatively cheap laptops with 12.1 to 17 inch screens for small to mid-sized businesses. At 15 inches, the Dell's Vostro 1520 is still fairly portable but also offers quite a pleasant screen size and Dell Vostro has intel's standard Intel® 45 Express chipset which enables solid performance.The Dell Vostro1520 was a business purchase to replace an Dell Inspiron 6000 which was past its best.
The Dell Vostro 1520 comes in a wide variety of configurations, the one under review is a budget configuration with lower end component choices. Because of this the price was only $529:
PROCESSOR :: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)(Core processor Family)
LCD PANEL :: 15.4 inch WXGA Anti-Glare LED Display
MEMORY :: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 2 DIMM
OPTICAL DRIVE :: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability, Roxio and Cyberlink PowerDVD™ DX 8.1
VIDEO CARD :: Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
HARD DRIVE :: 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with Free Fall Sensor
SECURITY HARDWARE :: No security hardware installed
WI-FI WIRELESS CARDS :: Dell Wireless™ 1397 802.11b/g Mini Card
MOBILE BROADBAND :: No Mobile Broadband
CAMERA AND
DIGITAL MICROPHONE :: Integrated 1.3MP Webcam and Digital Mic with webcam and video chat software
BATTERIES :: 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Here you can see the glossy finish of the Dell Vostro 1520 lid is quite reflective, so you can imagine the problems it has with showing greasy fingerprints . The previous Dell Vostro 1510 also had this glossy finish and it seems to be the favored design style for all laptops of late
The Dell Vostro family does a pretty good job of this, borrowing carefully from both modes of life. The keyboard is flanked by speakers and topped by a strip of back-lit, touch-sensitive buttons for multimedia playback, while the notebook's clean, if somewhat stolid, lines lend a professional air
Performance and Internal Components::
The Dell Vostro 1520’s performance covers straightforward office and light multimedia use. The base model with Intel Celeron 900 processor (2.20 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache) and GMA 4500M HD can only be recommended for less demanding users, since the single core architecture of the CPU quickly reaches the limits of its processing power when multitasking.For those who prefer graphics cards dell offers Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD and 256 MB NVIDIA® GeForce 9300M GS Graphic Card.Most models rely on Intel’s integrated GMA 4500M HD graphics chipset, which is sufficient for simple office and multimedia uses, in line with the target market.However, this is only a starting point in terms of multimedia graphics hardware, and great processing feats should not be expected from it, though it can handle older 3D games with low to mid-range graphics. Fans of computer gaming will be far better served by Dell’s XPS range, or even the Alienware brand, now owned by Dell.
Here i am mentioning the small list of intel processors Dell vostro Offering ::
Intel® Celeron™ 900 (2.2GHz, 1M L2 Cache, 800Mhz FSB) (Celeron Processor Family )
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Memory(Ram) can be Up to 8GB Dual Channel 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM.You would also want to upgrade to a 64-Bit operating system if upgrading is beyond 4GB. 32-Bit operating systems can cope with up to 4GB of memory, but even then peculiarities of the hardware architecture can lead to inefficient memory usage
In Vostro 1520 family You are also spoilt for choice between different speeds and capacities of hard drive(Hard Disc).Dell offers following Hard drive storages ::
Mobility Solid State Drive 128GB
7200 RPM hard drive with Free Fall Sensor up to 250GB
7200 RPM Encrypted hard drive with Free Fall Sensor up to 250GB
5400 RPM hard drive up to 160GB
Screen size ::The mid-sized 1520 makes the best all-rounder while the compact 1320 hits a perfect balance between usable size and go-anywhere portability. They're all solid machines built around a robust magnesium-alloy frame, with the keyboard sealed to guard against dust and spills.Dell gives quite a selection of screens you can configure with the Dell Vostro 1520. You can choose the following resolutions:
15.4" Widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) Anti-Glare LED Display
15.4" Premium WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Anti-Glare Display
15.4" Premium WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Display with TrueLifeTM
The standard resolution of WXGA is the most comfortable for viewing, but if you like to fit more on a screen, which is important for design or computer science students, then a higher resolution is better.The brightness of the Dell Vostro 1520 screen is good, the LED screen is brighter and thinner than that of the previous Dell Vostro 1510 laptop.
Build Quality :: The durability of a laptop is one of its most important aspects, if a laptop is constructed of cheap plastics that easily breaks then you might pay a low price but it will be more prone to breaking. Thankfully, the Dell Vostro 1520 has a case that is extremely rigid with no flex whatsoever. There’s especially good support in the palm rest area and the keyboard is very sturdy. The bottom of the Dell Vostro 1520 is also rigid so putting it in your backpack is safe as it is well protected. Overall I was impressed with the Dell Vostro 1520 feel and build quality
Battery Life :: Dell gives you the option of getting a standard 6-cell battery or an extended life 9-cell battery. The 9-cell of course adds extra weight and will stick out a bit from the back. Under normal usage, wireless on and screen brightness two notches below full I was able to get 4 hours and 50 minutes of life out of the 6-cell battery, which is very impressive. Unless you know you need longer battery life for a marathon lecture the standard battery would seem to be just fine. Dell claims up to 8 hours of battery life with the 9-cell battery.
Weight :: As you can see, over the years the Dell Vostro 15XX series has dropped weight and slimmed down, certainly good news for mobile types.
Here i am comparing the Dell Vostro 1520 weight to its predecessors :
Dell Vostro 1520 (15.4” screen, 6-cell battery) 5.42lbs
Dell Vostro 1510 (15.4″ screen, 6-cell battery) 5.66lbs
Dell Vostro 1500 (15.4″ screen, 6-cell battery) 6.75lbs
Dell Inspiron 1520 (15.4″ screen, 9-cell battery) 7.4lbs
Heat factor:: The Dell Vostro 1520 was disappointing in the respect that the palm rest areas did get more warm. The left palm rest became noticeably warm to the point of annoying after prolonged usage. The fan on the Dell Vostro 1520 was also sporadic in the way it turned on and off. Though it was overly loud, it can be heard quite easily and it will kick in for about 10 seconds, turn off, and then 30 seconds later repeat. Quite annoying.
Audio :: The Dell Vostro 1520 has audio speakers on either side of the keyboard. They’re a bit tinny sounding as many laptop speakers are, but certainly not awful and better than many other business notebooks I have heard. Volume levels are good and the touch sensitive volume controls make it easy to turn volume up or down. As usual, headphones will provide the best listening experience and you of course have a headphone out port on the Dell Vostro 1520
Connectivity ,Ports and Features :: A quick glance around the case shows the ports on offer. The Dell Vostro 1520 has a good basic set up with four USB ports, a VGA connector and a LAN port. Additionally there is an ExpressCard/54 slot on the left-hand side, allowing you to add functionality.The Dell Vostro 1520 has a decent range of ports. Four USB ports is certainly enough, FireWire is good to have and other than that everything is pretty standard as far as what’s included. The web camera and fingerprint reader are optional. For students the web camera would be a nice option to get ($40 upgrade), I’m not so sure the fingerprint reader is necessary unless you like to have that for easier logins. Missing is any type of higher resolution display output such as HDMI, DVI or even S-Video. If you don’t plan on giving presentations or using a large external LCD screen this won’t be a problem. Blu-Ray was an option on the Dell Vostro 1520 at the time of my purchase, but without a method for hi-def output and no hi-def screen option this would be a wasted (and expensive) selection
Important Links ::
Official Dell Website USA :: http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/notebooks/laptop-vostro-1520/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-vostro-1520&cs=04&s=bsd
Intel Core Processor Family :: http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/processors/index.htm?iid=notebook_body+proc
The Dell Vostro 1520 comes in a wide variety of configurations, the one under review is a budget configuration with lower end component choices. Because of this the price was only $529:
PROCESSOR :: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)(Core processor Family)
LCD PANEL :: 15.4 inch WXGA Anti-Glare LED Display
MEMORY :: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 2 DIMM
OPTICAL DRIVE :: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability, Roxio and Cyberlink PowerDVD™ DX 8.1
VIDEO CARD :: Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
HARD DRIVE :: 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with Free Fall Sensor
SECURITY HARDWARE :: No security hardware installed
WI-FI WIRELESS CARDS :: Dell Wireless™ 1397 802.11b/g Mini Card
MOBILE BROADBAND :: No Mobile Broadband
CAMERA AND
DIGITAL MICROPHONE :: Integrated 1.3MP Webcam and Digital Mic with webcam and video chat software
BATTERIES :: 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Here you can see the glossy finish of the Dell Vostro 1520 lid is quite reflective, so you can imagine the problems it has with showing greasy fingerprints . The previous Dell Vostro 1510 also had this glossy finish and it seems to be the favored design style for all laptops of late
The Dell Vostro family does a pretty good job of this, borrowing carefully from both modes of life. The keyboard is flanked by speakers and topped by a strip of back-lit, touch-sensitive buttons for multimedia playback, while the notebook's clean, if somewhat stolid, lines lend a professional air
Performance and Internal Components::
The Dell Vostro 1520’s performance covers straightforward office and light multimedia use. The base model with Intel Celeron 900 processor (2.20 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache) and GMA 4500M HD can only be recommended for less demanding users, since the single core architecture of the CPU quickly reaches the limits of its processing power when multitasking.For those who prefer graphics cards dell offers Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD and 256 MB NVIDIA® GeForce 9300M GS Graphic Card.Most models rely on Intel’s integrated GMA 4500M HD graphics chipset, which is sufficient for simple office and multimedia uses, in line with the target market.However, this is only a starting point in terms of multimedia graphics hardware, and great processing feats should not be expected from it, though it can handle older 3D games with low to mid-range graphics. Fans of computer gaming will be far better served by Dell’s XPS range, or even the Alienware brand, now owned by Dell.
Here i am mentioning the small list of intel processors Dell vostro Offering ::
Intel® Celeron™ 900 (2.2GHz, 1M L2 Cache, 800Mhz FSB) (Celeron Processor Family )
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6670 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
Memory(Ram) can be Up to 8GB Dual Channel 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM.You would also want to upgrade to a 64-Bit operating system if upgrading is beyond 4GB. 32-Bit operating systems can cope with up to 4GB of memory, but even then peculiarities of the hardware architecture can lead to inefficient memory usage
In Vostro 1520 family You are also spoilt for choice between different speeds and capacities of hard drive(Hard Disc).Dell offers following Hard drive storages ::
Mobility Solid State Drive 128GB
7200 RPM hard drive with Free Fall Sensor up to 250GB
7200 RPM Encrypted hard drive with Free Fall Sensor up to 250GB
5400 RPM hard drive up to 160GB
Screen size ::The mid-sized 1520 makes the best all-rounder while the compact 1320 hits a perfect balance between usable size and go-anywhere portability. They're all solid machines built around a robust magnesium-alloy frame, with the keyboard sealed to guard against dust and spills.Dell gives quite a selection of screens you can configure with the Dell Vostro 1520. You can choose the following resolutions:
15.4" Widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) Anti-Glare LED Display
15.4" Premium WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Anti-Glare Display
15.4" Premium WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Display with TrueLifeTM
The standard resolution of WXGA is the most comfortable for viewing, but if you like to fit more on a screen, which is important for design or computer science students, then a higher resolution is better.The brightness of the Dell Vostro 1520 screen is good, the LED screen is brighter and thinner than that of the previous Dell Vostro 1510 laptop.
Build Quality :: The durability of a laptop is one of its most important aspects, if a laptop is constructed of cheap plastics that easily breaks then you might pay a low price but it will be more prone to breaking. Thankfully, the Dell Vostro 1520 has a case that is extremely rigid with no flex whatsoever. There’s especially good support in the palm rest area and the keyboard is very sturdy. The bottom of the Dell Vostro 1520 is also rigid so putting it in your backpack is safe as it is well protected. Overall I was impressed with the Dell Vostro 1520 feel and build quality
Battery Life :: Dell gives you the option of getting a standard 6-cell battery or an extended life 9-cell battery. The 9-cell of course adds extra weight and will stick out a bit from the back. Under normal usage, wireless on and screen brightness two notches below full I was able to get 4 hours and 50 minutes of life out of the 6-cell battery, which is very impressive. Unless you know you need longer battery life for a marathon lecture the standard battery would seem to be just fine. Dell claims up to 8 hours of battery life with the 9-cell battery.
Weight :: As you can see, over the years the Dell Vostro 15XX series has dropped weight and slimmed down, certainly good news for mobile types.
Here i am comparing the Dell Vostro 1520 weight to its predecessors :
Dell Vostro 1520 (15.4” screen, 6-cell battery) 5.42lbs
Dell Vostro 1510 (15.4″ screen, 6-cell battery) 5.66lbs
Dell Vostro 1500 (15.4″ screen, 6-cell battery) 6.75lbs
Dell Inspiron 1520 (15.4″ screen, 9-cell battery) 7.4lbs
Heat factor:: The Dell Vostro 1520 was disappointing in the respect that the palm rest areas did get more warm. The left palm rest became noticeably warm to the point of annoying after prolonged usage. The fan on the Dell Vostro 1520 was also sporadic in the way it turned on and off. Though it was overly loud, it can be heard quite easily and it will kick in for about 10 seconds, turn off, and then 30 seconds later repeat. Quite annoying.
Audio :: The Dell Vostro 1520 has audio speakers on either side of the keyboard. They’re a bit tinny sounding as many laptop speakers are, but certainly not awful and better than many other business notebooks I have heard. Volume levels are good and the touch sensitive volume controls make it easy to turn volume up or down. As usual, headphones will provide the best listening experience and you of course have a headphone out port on the Dell Vostro 1520
Connectivity ,Ports and Features :: A quick glance around the case shows the ports on offer. The Dell Vostro 1520 has a good basic set up with four USB ports, a VGA connector and a LAN port. Additionally there is an ExpressCard/54 slot on the left-hand side, allowing you to add functionality.The Dell Vostro 1520 has a decent range of ports. Four USB ports is certainly enough, FireWire is good to have and other than that everything is pretty standard as far as what’s included. The web camera and fingerprint reader are optional. For students the web camera would be a nice option to get ($40 upgrade), I’m not so sure the fingerprint reader is necessary unless you like to have that for easier logins. Missing is any type of higher resolution display output such as HDMI, DVI or even S-Video. If you don’t plan on giving presentations or using a large external LCD screen this won’t be a problem. Blu-Ray was an option on the Dell Vostro 1520 at the time of my purchase, but without a method for hi-def output and no hi-def screen option this would be a wasted (and expensive) selection
Important Links ::
Official Dell Website USA :: http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/notebooks/laptop-vostro-1520/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-vostro-1520&cs=04&s=bsd
Intel Core Processor Family :: http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/processors/index.htm?iid=notebook_body+proc
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