Dell Precision 3520 Laptop

Dell Precision 3520 Laptop

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Dell Precision 3520 with battery such as DELL MR90Y Battery, DELL XCMRD Battery, DELL Inspiron 3421 Battery, DELL Inspiron 5421 Battery, DELL Inspiron 5521 Battery, DELL Inspiron 5721 Battery, DELL Latitude 5437 Battery, DELL Latitude 5537 Battery, DELL Latitude 2521 Battery, DELL Vostro 3445 Battery, DELL Vostro 2521 Battery, DELL Vostro 3546 Battery is Dell's introductory mobile workstation—one affordable enough for those just getting started ($2,386 in our test configuration) or those who needs might not require a mighty Xeon processor and Nvidia Quadro P5000 graphics. This includes people such as illustrators, graphic artists, Web developers, video creators, and podcasters, as well as some 3D modeling and CAD workers. Those doing high-end filmmaking, challenging 3D animation projects and VR development will want to look up the line, but must be willing to pay the price.

Design-wise, the Precision 3520 has a no-nonsense look that will fit into any business setting. If flamboyance is your thing, you won’t find it on this machine. It’s a simple slab of black plastic with not much more than a silver Dell logo emblazoned on top. However, I’m not complaining, I find the design understated and to the point. Think efficiency and getting the job done.

At just under five pounds with dimensions of 1 by 14.6 by 9.9 inches, the machine is small and light enough to take pretty much anywhere and just about what one might expect for a machine like this. However, there are other systems that weigh less (such as the four-pound Apple MacBook Pro), so if you’re dead set on finding the thinnest and lightest 15-inch mobile workstation, the Dell 3520 is not it.

The Precision has ports on the left, right and rear of the machine. On the left, you’ll find a USB Type-C port with optional Thunderbolt 3, important for those who work in media production or with massive amounts of data since Thunderbolt 3 allows you to connect things like large hard drive arrays and multiple external displays. There is also a USB 3.0 port, an SD card slot for easy transfer of photos and videos from cameras and other recorders, and a Smart Card reader (for those who actually still use those things). As is the case with most mobile workstations these days, there is no internal optical drive.

The Precision 3520 offers up to 2TB of storage via a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or 1TB via a SATA or PCIe M.2 solid-state drive. Oddly, Dell's configuration Web page won't let you specify both an SSD and a hard drive. Our test unit had a speedy 512GB NVMe M.2 drive. Those seeking additional storage can attach external drives via USB or the optional Thunderbolt 3 connection.

After fully recharging the laptop, we set up the machine in power-save mode (as opposed to balanced or high-performance mode) and make a few other battery-conserving tweaks in preparation for our unplugged video rundown test. In this test, we loop a video—a locally stored MP4 file containing the full The Lord of the Rings trilogy—with screen brightness set at 50 percent and volume at 100 percent until the system conks out.

While the Precision 3520 may not win first prize in the CPU and GPU tests, it’s a whole different story when it comes to battery stamina. Not only does the Dell win first place here, but it does so by a healthy margin. To be sure, the other machines contain more power-hungry components such as 4K displays and potent graphics cards. Still, if the Precision fits your requirements and you find yourself on the road a lot, you can expect very long battery life, and that’s a very good thing.

Overall, we're happy to give the Dell Precision 3520 a thumbs-up as a robust machine aimed at the lower part of the mobile workstation audience. Some will seek 4K displays, two or more Thunderbolt 3 ports, or faster graphics, but those needing a best-in-class machine can open their wallets for a higher-end solution. However, if your needs are more modest, the 3520 lets you save some money while still getting a true mobile workstation.