How long are Dells supposed to last (built after 2010)

How long are Dells supposed to last (built after 2010) . I am interested in built quality - if bough after leasing from corporation - so at least 3 years old - how long would it work on average? I know sometimes capacitors on mobo dies. Hdd of course. But generally electronics with stiff casing (business laptops) should last at least 6 years ?

Any suggestions what model of refurbished Dells should I look for (which i5/i7 generation is the most durable?

 

It really depends which line you are talking about - consumer machines, or the business lines (Latitude, Precision, etc.).

 

I would look into the latitude 5000 and up series. The latitude 5000 series is the mid level and pretty sturdy, they also seem to be pretty easy to swap out parts need be.

You should be able to get 6 years out of one.

 

We have several thousands Dell laptops in service. Many of the D630/D830 series from the 2007 to 2008 time frame are all working fine with the exception of their batteries. Dell batteries tend to lose about 40 to 50% of their capacity after about 18 months of use. The machines themselves work fine when plugged into AC power and only last a few minutes on their old batteries.
Most of the first generation E series latitudes (E4200, E4300, E6400 E6500) are still in use and also work fine. For most office tasks, the speed of those 7 or 8 year old machines are fine, especially the ones that got SSD upgrades in the last couple of years.

I personally have 4 E4200's bought in late 2009 that the wife and kids use and abuse. They still work fine and are perfectly suitable for web browsing, homework, netflix etc type of use. I've replaced batteries on them may times though.

Latitude and Precision series are built with high quality components and will last a long time. The consumer line doesn't as long though. I know several friends/relatives that bought Dell consumer laptops that have died after 2 to 3 years of use.

 

I need no PWM display or any good for eyes. I need cpu and GPU for Matlab and similiar calculations but on amateur level. Also I d like to connect to my 3x 3,5 jack creative 5.1 audio.
I do not play games. Just mutlimedia + work.
I need desktop replacement i do not move laptop around to much - it sits on a desk 90% of time.

 

A refurbished Precision workstation would give you the best performance. Otherwise, look at the Latitudes but avoid ones from around 2008 with the nVidia 8600 series GPU. They had manufacturing problems and are prone to an early death.

One benefit of the Dell business notebooks is that the service manuals are available on line and there are plenty of parts in circulation often at good prices. So, if something does go wrong then it's fixable.

John

 

Do all precision models have NO-PWM displays?