Dell Latitude 5411 Laptop (Refurb): 14" 1024x768, i5-10400H, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Expired

I've now bought multiple Dell Refurbished systems, including laptops and desktops. These are business systems that are coming off a corporate lease.
1) Business system pros: Aimed at the business market, they're higher build quality than consumer systems. They'll have better keyboards. They'll be built for ruggedness with better drop survivability, and the screens won't flex. The higher end systems are lighter or thinner or have better features. They're designed to be maintained, so you can easily change out memory, battery, or storage. You can also generally get parts like fans, keyboards, replacement screens, and the like. They're good for video conferencing and zoom calls. Reinstalling Windows is easy, because all Dell lease systems are pre-registered with Microsoft for license keys.They have great connectivity - HDMI ports are usually standard. I hook mine to a Thunderbolt dock and have an instant desktop replacement, with multiple large screens, external keyboards and mice, and a sound system. Business laptops also have great power management and long battery life. The BIOS diagnostic tools are also better, and can tell you what kind of condition the battery is in, so you know if it's been conditioned correctly or is on its last legs.
2) Business system cons: These laptops are designed for running spreadsheets, not games. The built-in graphics chip can't run 3D games. The target market was portable business graphics, like construction sites, realtors, executives, salesmen. The built-in screen will have a lower refresh rate, and probably lower resolution than a gamer is looking for.
3) What the model numbers mean: the 7000 and 9000 series are Dell's high end; 5000 is their middle model; 3000 series is their low end. The second number is the screen size: 7400 is a 14 inch screen; 7300 indicates 13 inch screen.
4) These systems are generally 3-4 years old when they come off lease. That means there's a lot of information about them. Google reviews. Get onto the support forums and reddit groups and see what the complaints and problems were for the model you're interested in. Get on Youtube, and search for "How to fix Dell (Model number)" and you'll see what problems people are having with that model. Look for comments from end users as well as from corporate tech support. Get on the Dell site and see what support issues people were asking Dell about.
5) You might get lucky. Dell has to list the minimum specs that they will be providing on the off-lease systems. However, business systems are highly configurable. If the customer customized the system with a better screen, a privacy screen, a bigger (non-standard) drive, a cellular modem, etc. that will be included.

Personally, I have had great experience with Dell Refurbished laptops. I only get cosmetic grade A systems, and therefore they look new (no scratches). I also focus on the latest generation CPU I can get, on the highest model number I can get (I like 7000 or 9000 series.) The cost of going to 32GB RAM and 2T drive was around $100, and a new battery of the largest size offered has run from $40 to $120 (depending on the model I was upgrading.)

It's important to read the warranty details and make sure your system is good immediately. You only have 100 days to deal with problems. The most common problem I've seen from my friend group is that the system was still configured with corporate data. (That's happened 3 times, which seems like a lot.)

For this specific deal, I'd pass (in favor of the high end models.) Be patient, wait for the model that meets your needs. (If you're a gamer, none of these will probably meet your needs.) My first refurb laptop purchase was the similar midrange 5410. It worked twice, then failed to turn on, so I got a refund and bought a higher end model. I didn't want to exchange it - I discovered the 5000 series was too bulky for my taste.

It's very difficult to "refurbish" a laptop that has been used by multiple people carelessly in a large company. It's so different from a desktop that's not moved or touched. My two Dell Refurbished laptops looked very used with scratches, worn trackpads, etc. Laptops also have batteries that have not been conditioned well over the past 3-4 years by corporate users.

You will not receive the laptop that's in the photo. It's a picture of a new laptop. I've enjoyed Dell Refurb desktops. The used laptops that I've received were a major disappointment.

YMMV. Value the "deal" accordingly.

PS - You better search this specific model before you buy one. Look for comments in the Dell Community, Reddit, etc. Serious design issues that cannot be resolved except for adjusting the power settings to stay real slow.

Buyer beware.

I've seen 1024x768 and 1366x768 screens on these fellas. Which are an absolute joke in 2024. Or 2014. Or 2004. I remember using a LCD panel in 2001 that was 1600x1200. Got a laptop with that same resolution in 2007.

There's no excuse for resolutions of what's listed here.