As fans of the cheapest laptops on the market that also press all the right buttons quality-wise, it’s hardly surprising we find ourselves going back to Dell laptops time and time again. One pretty perfect example of the kinds of laptop computers that deliver the whole package when it comes to quality and value alike is the Dell Latitude E5540. It stepped in toward the middle of last year to become the new unofficial workhorse for the brand – all meat, no garnish.

Roughly summed up, in a nutshell, the E5540 is everything you need a quality and reliable laptop to be when it comes to business, education and entertainment alike. It’s not the most powerful or gadget-loaded machine on the market right now, but that’s not what you’re looking for if these are the kinds of laptops you’re interested in. Sizeable yet lightweight, powerful yet quiet-running, portable yet brilliantly capable in the battery life department, it’s an all-around no-frills package that doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not.

Available with up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB solid-state hybrid SSD, there’s little you can throw at the E5540 that it cannot handle. Its six-cell battery offers day-long performance, while the brilliant ExpressCharge convenience allows for ultra-fast partial and full charges when needed. Right up there with laptops for sale at much higher prices, the E5540 serves up plenty of connectivity with two USB 2.0 ports, a pair of USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI out. All topped off with a glorious 15.6-inch 1,920 by 1,080 screen powered by Intel Integrated HD Graphics 4400, it’s a pretty astounding package of genuine value for money.

Is it a high-powered gaming machine? No. Is it the cheapest of all refurbished Dell laptops on the market? No. Instead, the Dell Latitude E5540 is nothing less than the backbone of the Dell range that delivers solidly on all fronts without compromise and without unnecessary frills. In value for money stakes, it’s pretty difficult to do any better.

And yes – it will qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it comes out in the summer of 2015.

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