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日本Dell Vostro 5640 review – Good for Office, Not Ideal for Heavy Work
The Dell Vostro 5640 looks like a typical daily driver or a standard office machine. It’s powered by Raptor Lake-U / Refresh CPU options which are based on the Alder Lake architecture. The port selection is decent while the upgradability is above the average. Since that’s a 16-incher, there is enough space on the main body for a full-sized keyboard with a NumPad.
When it comes to security, everything looks good thanks to the Lock slot, the dTPM 2.0 chip, the privacy shutter, and the optional fingerprint reader. Given the price tag of this device, we aren’t surprised that Wi-Fi 7 isn’t on board.
The base display is a 1200p 60Hz unit but if you want a crisper image, you can opt for a 1600p panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-vostro-16-5640/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Dell Vostro 16 5640 - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 1000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2230 / 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Linux, Windows 11 Pro, No OS, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 54Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 356.78 x 249.52 x 16.18 – 17.37 mm (14.05" x 9.82" x 0.64")
- Weight
- 1.87 kg (4.1 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD)
- HDMI
- 1.4
- Card reader
- SD (SD, SDHC, SDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- FHD
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Dual Array Microphones
- Speakers
- 2x 2.5W Stereo Speakers
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
- Wedge Lock
All Dell Vostro 16 5640 configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-hk/product-support/product/vostro-16-5640-laptop/overview
What’s in the box?
The package contains the mandatory paperwork and a 65W barrel plug charger.
Design and construction
The design of the Vostro 5640 is clean, with rounded edges and a Dell logo on the center of the lid. The matte surface in Titan Gray color is almost fingerprint-proof. The chassis is made of metal and plastic. Depending on the internals and the display, the max weight can reach 1.93 kg while the more modest machines are 60 grams lighter. The profile is 16.18 – 17.37 mm.
The lid isn’t too flexy but you can’t open it with one hand. The hinges are way too stiff and you can feel a lot of resistance while opening the device. The base is solid for the most part. You can bend the zone below the Space key if you press it down hard but that shouldn’t be a problem during normal work.
The bezels that surround the 16:10 panel are thin which leads to an up-to-date look.
The 1080p Web camera on top boasts a privacy shutter. IR functionality isn’t available even as an option.
When the angle of the opening is a bit wider than 90 degrees, the bottom of the lid with its two tiny rubber feet lifts the back of the base. In this position, more fresh air makes its way to the cooling.
The backlit keyboard has a NumPad section, an AI hotkey, and (sadly) small “Up” and “Down” Arrows. The key travel seems decent while the feedback is definitely good. This makes the keyboard comfortable for typing. The Power button has a built-in fingerprint reader (option).
The touchpad isn’t among the biggest we’ve seen (115 x 80 mm). It’s not that smooth but the accuracy seems good.
The 2-row ventilation grill alongside three rubber feet and a pair of speaker cutouts can be seen on the bottom of the laptop. The hot air is pushed via a vent on the back that points at the lower screen bezel. That’s the reason why some amount of heat makes its way to the display when the CPU is loaded at max.
Ports
On the left, you get a power plug, an HDMI 1.4, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and a 10 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port with 15W Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 capabilities. On the right, we can see a Lock slot, LAN, another 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an Audio combo jack, and an SD Card slot.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
| Dell Vostro 5640 | JFDKM-NV16WUM (BOE0A34) |
| Diagonal | 16.0 inches (40.6 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Pixel Density | 141 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 61 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Dell Vostro 5640 can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
Dell Vostro 5640: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 50% of the sRGB color gamut and 39% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) Dell Vostro 5640 covers 50% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 277 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 266 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 8%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6520K.
The contrast ratio is 1330:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 184 nits (Windows slider = 65%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Dell Vostro 5640. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the Dell Vostro 5640, the Average color accuracy was 5.7 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.3 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) Dell Vostro 5640 in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) Dell Vostro 5640 with our display profile
Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 14.9 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the Dell Vostro 5640 display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.
If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the Dell Vostro 5640’s screen is 52.5 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Dell Vostro 5640 configurations with JFDKM-NV16WUM (BOE0A34), 1920 х 1200, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Sound
The sound of the Dell Vostro 5640 is of relatively good quality. In the subjective listening of a sound file, the low, middle and high frequencies have slight deviations in purity.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Ultra Performance” mode is enabled in the MyDell app.
CPU options
This machine is offered with Intel Core i5-1334U, Core 5 120U, or Core 7 150U,
Our laptop has a 150U chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
There are no dGPU options for this Dell series.
The laptop that we bought relies on Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EU).
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
| Counter-Strike 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 59 FPS | 43 FPS | 15 FPS |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 30 FPS | 20 FPS | 16 FPS | 11 FPS |
Storage performance
The SSD of our device is the 1TB Samsung BM9C1. It’s decently fast for a 2230 model but it also gets hot during benchmarking.
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🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
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💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
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💾 OS Optimization for best performance
Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
| Intel Core 7 150U (15W Base Power) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dell Vostro 5640 | 3.10 GHz @ 2.42 GHz @ 94°C @ 39W | 2.00 GHz @ 1.53 GHz @ 73°C @ 17W | 1.76 GHz @ 1.34 GHz @ 70°C @ 16W |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 16″ Gen 9 | 3.43 GHz @ 2.58 GHz @ 85°C @ 45W | 3.04 GHz @ 2.28 GHz @ 78°C @ 30W | 2.49 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 68°C @ 20W |
| Acer Aspire 16 (A16-51GM) | 3.98 GHz @ 2.90 GHz @ 82°C @ 55W | 3.13 GHz @ 2.32 GHz @ 75°C @ 33W | 2.90 GHz @ 2.17 GHz @ 73°C @ 28W |
The Core 7 150U maintains a high P and E-core clock of 3.10 GHz / 2.42 GHz in short loads at the expense of 94°C CPU temperature. In long stress, the frequencies near the official Intel base values for this chip.
Comfort during full load
The fan is audible even in idle in “Ultra Performance” mode. When the processor is heavenly loaded, the noise is slightly above the average but it doesn’t sound like a vacuum cleaner.
The hotspot on the keyboard is around its center and it reaches 55°C which still doesn’t feel too hot to the touch. The rear exhaust warms up the bottom bezel to 51°C.
The fan is a bit more tamed in “Optimized” mode but the CPU clocks are even lower – 1.45 GHz / 1.10 GHz.
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 54Wh battery lasts for around 8 hours of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Energy Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Optimized” mode applied in the MyDell app.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To open this laptop, you have to undo eight Phillips-head screws. The two in the top corners are captive and they lift up the bottom panel once you unscrew them. Pop the zones behind the hinges with a lever tool. Fully pry the back using a thin plastic tool and then pop the sides and the front.
Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.
This laptop has a 54Wh battery. To remove it, detach the connector from the motherboard by pulling it towards the battery and undo the 5 Phillips-head screws that secure the unit in place. The capacity is enough for around 8 hours of video playback.
The memory slots are covered with a heat shield and you can easily peel it.
According to Dell, the two SODIMMs can handle up to 32GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, since the CPU can support up to 96GB, this laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running a larger amount of memory than the official manufacturer’s specified limit.
The single M.2 slot compatible with Gen 4 SSDs is protected by a metal plate that is held in place with three screws. The cap has a tiny thermal pad from below which cools the small 2230 NVMe of our device.
The replaceable Wi-Fi 6 card can be seen close to the fan connector.
The cooling system seems modest. It has one fan, a long heat pipe, one decently sized heat sink, and a heat spreader. While the latter is securely fastened with four screws, the heat sink isn’t rigidly attached to the base.
Verdict
All in all, the Dell Vostro 5640 is suitable for standard home or office work. The SSD (Samsung BM9C1) of our device is decently snappy and the Core 7 150U P and E cores boost to around 3.10 GHz / 2.42 GHz which is enough for daily tasks. Also, the keyboard is comfortable for typing and the cooling fan isn’t as loud as a Jumbo Jet when the CPU is pushed to its limits.
However, the machine isn’t perfect. The hinges are stiff and you’ll need two hands to open the lid and the clocks during max processor stress are low. Still, we doubt that someone will use this device for 24/7 3D rendering.
The base 1200p display (JFDKM-NV16WUM (BOE0A34)) is appropriate for long hours of work because it’s a PWM-free screen with wide viewing angles. On the flip side, the color coverage is low as well as the max brightness. Still, Dell states that the optional 1600p display covers filly the sRGB gamut (we haven’t tested it) so if money isn’t a problem, you can get the high-res variant.
The Vostro 5640 offers good battery life, high CPU clocks in short loads, a comfortable keyboard, and two SODIMM slots for future upgrades.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-vostro-16-5640/
Pros
- The overall performance seems enough for normal work
- The built quality looks fine for the most part
- Lid with a lever design
- Decent input devices
- No PWM (BOE0A34)
- Wide viewing angles (BOE0A34)
- 3x USB ports + SD Card slot + LAN
- Good battery life (~ 8 hours of videos)
- 1080p Web camera with a privacy shutter
- Fingerprint reader (optional)
- The CPU can sustain 3.10 GHz / 2.42 GHz P and E-core clock in short loads
- 2x SODIMMs + replaceable Wi-Fi 6 card
- The fan isn’t too noisy during max CPU stress
- Decently fast 2230 SSD (Samsung BM9C1)
Cons
- Just one M.2 slot
- Low sRGB coverage and max brightness (BOE0A34)
- Low CPU clocks in long processor stress
- High CPU temperature (94°C) in short loads
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Great review! I appreciate you making the distinction that this laptop is not for heavy work that may require more computing power. When starting a small business it might be optimal to have several laptops for heavy work or lighter tasks – not a consideration I would have thought about a few years ago. And such considerations require upfront investment.