 |
|
Battery Life
The DELL Vostro 2520 achieved a runtime of 8:27 h in idle (HP 650: 6:32 h; Asus: 8:55 h). We use Battery Eater's Reader's test to simulate idle mode, i.e. the screen is set to minimum brightness, the energy savings profile is enabled and the Wi-Fi modules (WLAN, Bluetooth) are off. The Vostro managed a runtime of 1:33 h in load (HP 650: 1:17 h; Asus: 1:49 h). Battery Eater's Classic test is used for the load test. For this, we set the screen to maximum brightness, enable the high-performance profile and wireless modules.
Dell's notebook lasted for 5:24 h in the Wi-Fi test (HP 650: 4:44 h; Asus: 4:12 h). Websites are automatically opened every 40 seconds by a script in this test. Energy saving mode is enabled and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². If you are looking for a laptop to regularly watch DVDs, the DELL Vostro 2520 will not disappoint you. One battery charge was enough for playing DVDs for 5:10 h (HP: 4:01; Asus: 4:05 h). The screen is set to maximum brightness, energy savings mode or a higher profile (should the DVD not run smoothly) is used and the wireless modules are off.
Dell has to be praised for the battery runtimes. The company extracts much longer times from the DELL Vostro 2520 in the realistic Wi-Fi and DVD tests than Asus or HP do. Particularly since Asus's laptop sports a higher capacity battery (Asus: 56 Wh, Dell 48 Wh, HP 47 Wh).
Case
The DELL Vostro 2520's casing is mainly made of plastic. Only the base unit's top is metal and gives the laptop a much higher quality look. HP's 650 and Asus P53E do not sport any metal parts. The Vostro 2520's casing features a dark, matte gray color, which Dell has dubbed "London Slate". The silver-gray plastic bezel that surrounds the base unit supplies a color contrast. Regrettably, Dell has decided to not completely rely on matte surfaces. The keyboard's bezel and the gaps between the keys are glossy and downright attract fingerprints.
The base unit makes a robust impression. It only dents marginally under pressure. It yields more intensely when the casing is pressed in the keyboard's lower left area. The casing's stiffness is also acceptable in view of the price. It can only be warped slightly when held at its two front corners and produces a noise in that case. The Vostro 2520 does not have to fear a comparison with the Vostro 3560's casing. Nevertheless, the latter exhibits an overall more stable build.
The lid's back is coated with a ribbed, rubber layer that protects the back from bumps and scratches. The lid is quite easily warped and its back can be dented without much effort. The hinges keep the lid firmly in position. It's not possible to open the lid with only one hand because the hinges are pulled too tight. (DELL 6TM1C adapters)
Connectivity
With two USB 2.0/eSATA port, another USB 2.0 port, an SD card reader, HDMI out, VGA out and gigabit Ethernet, it's well appointed too. Our particular review model was equipped with a Core i3-2328M , 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive and Intel HD Graphics 3000.
Keyboard
Dell installs a chiclet keyboard in the Vostro 2520 which we already know from other laptops, such as the Vostro 3560. The main keys feature a size of approx. 14 x 14 mm. The keys could have been one millimeter wider and deeper; enough room would have been available since Dell did not install a number pad. The keys exhibit a sufficient drop and a clear pressure point. The keyboard recoils a bit while typing. This effect is more intense in the keyboard's center than at the sides. The Vostro 2520's keyboard is defeated by the one in Asus' Pro P53E-SO102X.
Touchpad
The touchpad presents a size of 9.1 x 4.9 cm. The sleek surface allows the finger to glide pleasantly. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures and functions like pinch-to-zoom are available. All gestures can be enabled or disabled in the touchpad's configuration menu. Two mouse buttons are positioned below the pad and feature a medium drop as well as a clear pressure point.
Display
As is common for low-cost 15.6-inch laptops, an LED backlit screen with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels is installed in the Vostro 2520. The matte surface reinforces the laptop's business claim. Both HP's 650 and Asus' Pro P53E-SO102X also sport such a screen. Other screen models are not available for either Dell's laptop or the two contending models. The average brightness of 237.8 cd/m² is within a good range. HP's 650 (167.7 cd/m²) and Asus' Pro P53-SO102X (165.2 cd/m²) lag far behind the Vostro 2520.
The screen's black value of 0.84 cd/m² is in the upper midfield and its contrast ratio of 304:1 is decent. The screen does not cover either the sRGB or AdobeRGB color spectrum.
Attentive readers will notice that the DELL Vostro 2520's black value and contrast ratio are superior to that of HP's 650, although both laptops likely sport the same screen according to the label. We measured the screen in Dell's laptop with another meter than used on HP's 650. Beyond that, possible manufacturing tolerances of identical screens also have to be considered.
The screen's brightness is easily enough for outdoor use. Its matte surface also makes things easier.
The viewing angle of the DELL Vostro 2520 correlates to the price range and is on a par with HP's 650 and Asus' Pro P53E-SO102X. Changing the vertical viewing angle quickly leads to image distortions. In return, the horizontal viewing angles are more generous.
Speakers
Both stereo speakers in the Vostro 2520 are located far above the keyboard. The sound does not stick out of the mass of other laptop speakers and is adequate for an office device. They tend to sound tinny. If the sound does not satisfy you, you can always connect external speakers or headphones to the device.
Verdict
The advantages of Dell's Vostro 2520 are found in the good battery life, decent application performance, 24 month warranty and matte screen. The screen's contrast, black value and brightness are more than acceptable for the laptop's price range. The device can easily cope with routine application scenarios and provides more than enough power for most computer users. Regrettably, Dell has not placed much value on good maintenance. The entire laptop has to be disassembled to exchange the hard drive or clean the fan. The Vostro 2520 could also be a touch less noisy. It is an office laptop and you would want a quiet surrounding here.
Users who put value on low noise development should look closer at HP's 650. It produces less noise over the entire load range. The advantage of Asus' P53E-SO102X over the Vostro 2520 is the superior keyboard including number pad.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
