Dell Precision 15.4" M4700, Core i7-3740QM, 32GB, 1TB SSHD, ATI FirePro M4000, Black

The Dell Precision M4700 is a 2012 workstation with 32GB of RAM and a CPU that ranks in the bottom 7% of our database. It's fine for legacy software or basic office work, but modern laptops crush it in every way. At CAD 678, it's hard to recommend unless you specifically need old workstation hardware.

The i7-3740QM was a solid quad-core chip in its day, but that day was over a decade ago. At the 7th percentile in our database, it's one of the worst CPUs we've tested in a modern laptop. The 32GB of RAM is genuinely impressive for this class, sitting at the 73rd percentile, and it's the main reason this machine can still handle heavy multitasking. The FirePro M4000 with 2GB of VRAM is fine for old CAD projects or light photo editing, but it's a workstation card, not a gaming GPU. The 1TB SSHD helps boot times a bit, but it's still a spinning drive underneath. The 1080p display is a bright spot, though it only ranks at the 21st percentile for screen quality, so don't expect great colors or brightness.

Stacked against something like the Lenovo Legion 5i or ASUS ProArt PX13, the M4700 looks like a museum piece. The Legion 5i has a modern GPU and CPU that will absolutely destroy the FirePro M4000 in any task. The ProArt PX13 is thinner, lighter, and has a far better screen. Even the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, which isn't a workstation at all, will feel faster in daily use thanks to its modern ARM chip. The only area where the M4700 wins is raw RAM capacity and port count. The MacBook Pro M5 and MSI Vector 16 HX are in a completely different universe, both in performance and price.

At CAD 678, this is a tough sell. You're paying for 32GB of RAM and a workstation badge, but the CPU is so old that most modern thin-and-lights will run circles around it. For the same money, you could find a used ThinkPad or Dell Latitude with a newer i5 or i7, an SSD, and better battery life. The only reason to buy this is if you specifically need legacy workstation hardware, like old FirePro drivers or a DVD drive. Otherwise, save your cash.

The Dell Precision M4700 is a workstation laptop from a different era, and it shows. You're getting an i7-3740QM, 32GB of DDR3, and a FirePro M4000 in a chunky 15.4-inch chassis. It was a beast for CAD work back in 2012, but in our database it now sits near the bottom for CPU performance, at the 7th percentile. The 1080p screen and port selection are the only things keeping it from feeling completely obsolete.

This is a refurbished unit, so condition matters more than specs. The 1TB FireCuda SSHD is a nice touch, blending a small SSD cache with a spinning drive. But don't expect modern speed. The FirePro M4000 is a workstation GPU, not a gaming card, and it lands in the middle of the pack at the 42nd percentile. For basic office work or legacy software, it'll chug along. For anything else, you'll feel the age immediately.

Skip this if you need any kind of modern performance. If you want to play games, edit video, or run current software, look elsewhere because the CPU and GPU are both over a decade old. Also skip it if you need portability or battery life, since this is a heavy workstation with unknown battery health. And if you're not comfortable with refurbished gear and potential quirks, buy something new with a warranty.

Buy this only if you need a cheap box to run old software that won't work on modern hardware, or if you just need a ton of RAM for virtual machines and don't care about speed. It's a decent typing machine and the port selection is handy for a desk setup. But for everyday use, gaming, or any kind of creative work, you'll be frustrated within a week.