The Dell Vostro 1520 is sold by Dell as a small business targeted laptop. It has a 15.4″ widescreen display, relatively thin design, and has a black glossy finish.  The Vostro 1520 is an update to the Vostro 1510 laptop released last year by Dell.  Though not a whole lot has changed in terms of design with the refresh of the Vostro 1520, the newer model is slightly thinner and lighter while still maintaining a sturdy build, and it does offer more powerful processor and graphics options.

To start as a reference, here’s a link to the Vostro 1520 being reviewed on Dell.com:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bqcwc1z&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&kc=productdetails~laptop-vostro-1520 (opens in new window)

The 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 Vostro 1520 is sold through Dell Small Business, it is a laptop that could suit students or indeed anyone looking for a durable well appointed machine that also comes at a very reasonable price and backed by good support.

Pictured below is the Dell Vostro 1520:

Specifications of Vostro 1520 Review Laptop

The 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 $619:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 (2.0GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• Hard Drive Storage: 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Memory: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, 2 DIMM
• Screen: 15.4 inch WXGA Anti-Glare LED Display
• Media: 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
• Battery: 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g Mini Card
• Ports: 4 USB 2.0, VGA out connector, Ethernet, Modem, 8-in-1 media card reader, 54mm ExpressCard slot, FireWire (IEEE 1394)
• Weight: 5.42lbs
• OS: Windows Vista Home Basic

Below is a table comparing the Vostro 1520 weight to its predecessors:

As you can see, over the years the Vostro 15XX series has dropped weight and slimmed down, certainly good news for mobile types.

Older Vostro 1510 top view	New Vostro 1520 top view

Above you can see the glossy finish of the Vostro 1520 lid is quite reflective, so you can imagine the problems it has with showing greasy fingerprints (some of which you can see on the lid). The previous Vostro 1510 also had this glossy finish and it seems to be the favored design style for all laptops of late.

The Vostro 1520 has a typical optical drive tray that pops out, in the previous Vostro 1510 the optical drive was slot loading.  I personally like the slot loading drive, though it can be prone to more issues such as disks getting jammed inside.

Older Vostro 1510 has a slot loading drive	Newer Vostro 1520 has a more typical tray drive

With the lid open you can see there are touch sensitive button controls along the top of the keyboard and the interior thankfully has a matte finish so it’s easy to keep looking clean. Speakers are aligned along the left and right side of the keyboard.

The look of the Vostro 1520 is very “standard issue” business notebook like, it’s by no means stunning and won’t win any awards.  But for business users you’ll appreciate the thinner and lighter style, it’s much better for on the go. Students will appreciate the fresh glossy look and the extra mobility will be great for ease of carrying around campus.

Vostro 1520 size comparison to textbook

Vostro 1520 underside view

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 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 Vostro 1520 is also rigid so putting it in your backpack is safe as it is well protected.  Overall I was impressed with the Vostro 1520 feel and build quality.

Ports and Features

The 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 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.

Front view of Vostro 1520: Headphone and Mic jacks, 8-in-1 media card reader slot

Left view of Vostro 1520: Two USB ports, ExpressCard 54mm slot, Wi-Fi switch

Right view of Vostro 1520: FireWire port, Two USB Ports, optical drive

Back view of Vostro 1520: Battery, Monitor out port, Ethernet jack, power jack

There is no dedicated docking solution for the Vostro lineup, though you can get a USB based port replicator if you want to add more ports (just as you can with any laptop).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is of course full sized on the Vostro 1520. For a budget business notebook the keyboard is surprisingly good, it’s very firm with good tactile feedback from keys.  I could not find any area of flex on the keyboard, even when trying. The touch sensitive buttons for media control look nice at the top, they’re some of the more responsive touch sensitive buttons that I have used – I never had a problem with a touch not registering.

Worth mentioning is the fact the palm rests are also very firm, you can lean heavily on the palm rest areas and still not cause any sinking in the case.  This is thanks to the rigid case structure which should help the Vostro 1520 to last you a long while.

The only minor complaint I can find regarding the keyboard is the fact the Page Up and Page Down keys seem flipped to me, intuitively the PgUp should be on the right and PgDn on the left.

The touchpad works well, it could be a little bigger though. The mouse buttons actually have a nice tactile feel providing good feedback. You can get an optional fingerprint reader for an extra $25. This can be used to login to both Windows and save logins for websites that you access, so saves on time.

Performance and Internal Components

Performance of course varies depending on the configuration you select at Dell.com. If you don’t have demanding needs then the cheapest Core 2 Duo option will be enough power and offer the most power efficiency.  The “slowest” current processor, the Intel T6570, is already 2.1GHz, so for most that will be the option to take.  At the time of my purchase the Intel T5870 was the base model processor.

The Vostro lineup offers up to a 320GB hard drive, you know what you’re storage needs are, so get what you need to store all the files you need when on the go.  If you’re more concerned about the speed of your system and money is no concern, the smaller capacity 128GB SSD will give you the fastest performance at the cost of an additional $400.  The $50 upgrade to a 7200RPM is certainly a much more cost effective way to get better performance.

If you plan on playing games the Vostro 1520 might suit for some light gaming with older 3D based games, but neither the Intel 4500 or Nvidia 9300 will provide enough power to play the latest graphic demanding such as Grand Theft Auto 4. If gaming or graphics performance is of no concern, then go with the cheaper Intel integrated graphics option.

With the specifications for the Vostro 1520 under review I got a score of 4,442 PCMarks on PCMark05:

Compare this score to the Vostro 1510 with a Core 2 Duo T5870 2.10GHz, Intel X3100, 5400RPM HD of 3,783 and you’ll see it’s a significant improvement with the new Intel chipset, even though I had the exact same processor in the Vostro 1520 as was in the Vostro 1510.

In terms of 3D performance, the 3DMark results of 737 should give you the idea that with the Intel 4500 integrated graphics you’re not exactly going to be tearing things up in PhotoShop or GTA 4.

Running PCWizard gave a global performance score of 2,768.80:

Obviously the more you pay for better internal components the better performance you will get, but for most tasks except gaming your average student will have ample power with this configuration. If you’re an engineering student and need a computer for CAD design you will also need to consider getting a laptop with a more powerful graphics options.

Screen

Dell gives quite a selection of screens you can configure with the Vostro 1520. You can choose the following resolutions:

• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) LED matte Display
• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LED matte Display
• 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LED Display with TrueLife

“TrueLife” means a glossy screen finish, some might prefer this as it does make colors look brighter, if you’re in an office setting with bright lights it’s not so great though because glossy screen equates to a lot of reflection of lights. Since most students aren’t working in an office and will also use a laptop to double as an entertainment machine, glossy might be the way to go.  If you work in a brightly lit office environment then go with the standard matte screen.

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 Vostro 1520 screen is good, the LED screen is brighter and thinner than that of the previous Vostro 1510 laptop.

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.

Heat

The Vostro 1520 was disappointing in the respect that the palm rest areas did get more warm than I would like.  The left palm rest became noticeably warm to the point of annoying after prolonged usage.  The fan on the 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 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 Vostro 1520.

Buying Advice

When buying through Dell Small Business there is no student discount such as is offered on the Inspiron and XPS line. Recently Dell has been offering more coupon codes on the Vosto lineup, so it’s worth searching around for coupon codes before buying.

If you configure the Vostro 1520 to be over $1,200 it’s probably worth considering an extended warranty to protect such a large investment. If you get a budget configuration skip the expense of an extended warranty. Also keep in mind that if you use an American Express card to make your purchase then American Express will automatically double your warranty with a max of one extra year coverage, effectively making your 1-year warranty a 2-year warranty or turning a 2-year warranty into a 3-year warranty — it certainly makes getting an Amex card worth it.

Conclusion

There’s nothing particularly fancy about the Vostro 1520, but the price and features are in line with what many people look for when purchasing a laptop computer.  It might indeed be an exactly middle of the road offering – not too big and not too small in size, not to powerful but not to weak with performance, not too flashy yet not too dull, and not too cheap yet not too expensive.  For a student on a budget the Vostro 1520 is a great choice as it shoud last you 3 – 4 years yet not break the bank.  There’s not too much to complain about with the Vostro 1520, the heat issue on the palm rest and slightly warm temperatures in that same area is the most I can think of as being a problem.  The features, performance and price make the Vostro 1520 easy to recommend.