Dell Precision 5470 review: a wolf in sheep's clothing

Small and understated, but there's so much here than meets the eye.

Dell Precision 5470 laptop closed on wooden table
(Image: © Kerrie Hughes)

Our Verdict

Mini but mighty: the Dell Precision 5470 might not look like much, but its compact design, excellent battery life and incredible power make it arguably one of the best mobile workstations around.

For

  • Extremely powerful
  • Highly portable
  • Exceptional battery life
  • Robust, sleek design

Against

  • Limited ports

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I'll be honest, Dell devices don't fill me with excitement. My first laptop was a Dell, and, because I didn't know how to use or look after it properly, the very limited memory quickly became clogged up with all sorts and it often took over 30 minutes just to load the home screen. While this was not exactly Dell's fault, the frustration of this time is etched in my memory, as I swore never to use a Dell laptop again.

Not long after, I moved to Apple and never looked back. Well, until very recently, when I had to move to Windows for work. Having been in the Apple ecosystem for well over a decade, it was like learning a whole new language, to which I was incredibly resistant. But the Lenovo ThinkPad I now use has made it easy and, dare I say it, an enjoyable experience. Newly reacquainted with Windows, when the opportunity came up to review this all-powerful Dell Precision 5470, I jumped at the opportunity to give Dell (and myself) a second chance.

The Verdict
9

out of 10

Dell Precision 5470

Mini but mighty: the Dell Precision 5470 might not look like much, but its compact design, excellent battery life and incredible power make it arguably one of the best mobile workstations around.

Kerrie Hughes
Freelance writer

Kerrie Hughes is a frequent contributor to Creative Bloq, and was once its editor. One of the original CB crew, Kerrie joined the team back in 2013 after moving from her role as staff writer on 3D World. Since then she's written regularly for other creative publications such as ImagineFX, Computer Arts and Digital Camera World. After a stint working for the police, Kerrie is back reviewing creative tech for creative professionals. 

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