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Dell XPS 15 L502X

Dell · XPS

XPS 15 L502X

Released 2011

A 2011 Sandy Bridge multimedia notebook with a 15.6-inch display, GeForce graphics, JBL speakers and optional Blu-ray drive.

Size
15.6″
Display
60 Hz
Processor
Intel Core i5
Memory
4 GB
Weight
–
Battery
–

What reviewers say

Both reviews praise the Full HD screen, JBL audio, responsive touchpad and everyday performance. Both criticise the keyboard feel. Notebookcheck finds improved temperatures but conspicuous fan noise under load and distracting reflections. Laptop Mag emphasises the bulky chassis and limited endurance of its quad-core configuration. Their nine-cell battery results differ, so the more favourable dual-core result should not describe every configuration.

From notebookcheck.net and laptopmag.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size
15.6″
Resolution
1920 × 1080
Refresh rate
60 Hz
Touchscreen
No
Display type
15.6-inch TrueLife LCD; main Full HD RGBLED screen. HD WLED and HD multi-touch WLED options also appear in Dell's setup guide; 1366 × 768 HD resolution confirmed by Notebookcheck
Screen finish
Glossy TrueLife surface
Display features
60 Hz refresh and up to 135° opening in the maker guide. Notebookcheck measured 262.2 cd/m² average brightness on the tested Full HD panel; maker brightness is not published

Performance

Processor
Intel Core i5-2410M
CPU cores
2
CPU threads
4
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
Memory
4 GB
Storage
500 GB
CPU
Second-generation Core i3, i5 or i7 options with Intel HM67 chipset. Listed Core i5-2410M, 4 GB, 500 GB and Full HD pairing is the exact April 2011 European Notebookcheck configuration
GPU
Intel HD Graphics with NVIDIA Optimus; GeForce GT 525M with 1 GB DDR3 or GeForce GT 540M with 2 GB DDR3
Memory type
DDR3-1066 or DDR3-1333; two user-accessible SO-DIMM slots, 2 GB minimum and 8 GB maker maximum
Storage type
Listed configuration has a 500 GB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive and Blu-ray combo drive. Hard-drive replacement requires further disassembly than the memory cover, according to Notebookcheck

Battery and size

Thickness
38.2 mm
Width × depth
381 × 265.4 mm
Battery life detail
Six-cell or nine-cell lithium-ion packs, 11.1 V; maker does not publish capacity or a fixed runtime. Notebookcheck identifies its nine-cell pack as 90 Wh. Maker says configurable to less than 2.8 kg with six-cell battery; no exact minimum weight is published. Body height varies from 32.2 to 38.2 mm, and the nine-cell pack raises it further
Charger
90 W or 130 W adapter; 100–240 V AC input
Fast charging
Approximately four hours with the computer switched off
Materials
Aluminium surfaces and silver finish described by Notebookcheck

Connections

Ports
3 × USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD card slot, 2 × headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, depending on installed module
Bluetooth
Optional Bluetooth
Webcam
2 MP, 720p video
Operating system
Windows
Port detail
Two USB 3.0 Type-A and one eSATA/USB combo with PowerShare, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone output, headphone/digital S/PDIF combo and microphone input; nine-format card reader. Optional TV tuner with MCX antenna connector, WWAN, WiMAX and WiDi depend on configuration
Keyboard
QWERTY, AZERTY or Kanji; 87 keys on European layout, optional backlighting
Trackpad
100 × 56 mm active area with separate buttons and multi-touch gestures
Speakers
Two 4 W main speakers and 12 W subwoofer; Realtek ALC665 audio controller

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageGraphics
Intel Core i5-2410M4 GB500 GBNVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Pros and cons

Pros

  • USB 3.0, HDMI and Mini DisplayPort
  • JBL stereo speakers with a dedicated subwoofer
  • Two accessible memory slots

Cons

  • Glossy screen
  • Nine-cell battery increases bulk
  • No VGA or FireWire port

Closest rivals

Model
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
LenovoThinkPad T510
15.6″–Intel Core i52 GB – 4 GB2.57 kg6.2 hJan 2010
LenovoThinkPad T500
15.4″–Intel Core 21 GB – 2 GB2.7 kg6.3 hAug 2008
LenovoThinkPad E16 Gen 3 (AMD)
16″IPS LCD, 60 HzAMD Ryzen 3, 5 or 78 GB – 32 GB1.71 kg15.76 hApr 2025

Sources

  1. dl.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_xps_laptop/xps-l502x_setu…
  2. engadget.com/2011-03-07-dell-ultra-slim-laptop-gets-cougar-point-tease-sandy-br…
  3. itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/spv/1102/23/news052.html
  4. notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-XPS-15-Notebook-i5-2410M-GT-540M.51186.0.html
  5. laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/dell-xps-15-sandy-bridge
  6. expertreviews.co.uk/technology/laptops/dell-xps-l502x-review

Photo: Expert Reviews original exact-model review photograph; on-screen publication branding retained

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