Dell Latitude E7240 review

Where the Latitude E7240 stands

The Dell Latitude E7240 is a 2013 business-class laptop priced around $160 — well below the $297 category median. Configured with a Core i5-4300U and 16 GB of RAM, it is an ultra-budget office machine whose graphics score reads surprisingly well, though the practical takeaway is modest casual-gaming capability rather than real GPU power. The constant caveat, as with all such old Latitudes, is reliability age.

Graphics: adequate for casual and older titles

The E7240's graphics score of 45.85 places it in the top quarter of its business class against a median of 3.84. In practice, that translates into capable minimum-settings performance on older and casual titles — it clears the bar for Overwatch, Grand Theft Auto V, and Rainbow Six Siege. This is not a gaming credential but a confirmation that the machine handles light, undemanding games and GPU-accelerated media playback without strain, which is more than most pure-office peers of its vintage can claim.

Reliability and memory: the trade-offs

The genuine weakness is reliability: a score of 17 against a 42.5 median reflects a twelve-year-old chassis nearer the end of its dependable window than the start, so buyers should plan for possible maintenance rather than years of trouble-free service. Memory at 16 GB is 60% below the 40 GB class median — adequate for everyday office work but tight for heavy multitasking. The E7240 is a machine to value for its price and casual capability, not for longevity.

Price trajectory

From a $1,300 launch price in 2013, the E7240 has settled to about $160, declining roughly 6.23% per year. The projected price two years out is near $140 — a further 12.07% drop. After twelve years the depreciation curve is essentially flat; nearly all value loss has occurred, and resale risk from this price level is minimal.

How it compares

At $160 the E7240 sits in the middle of a crowded peer band. Above it, the HP EliteBook 850 G1 ($174) and Dell Vostro 3560 ($174) cost a little more for comparable vintage. Below, the Dell Latitude E7440 ($147) and Dell Latitude E5440 ($147) are cheaper near-twins within the same family. The E7240's case is thin at this price — it differentiates mainly on adequate casual graphics and the familiar Latitude build, not on any clear superiority over cheaper siblings.

Bottom line

The Latitude E7240 is a $160, 2013 business laptop that handles older and casual games at minimum settings, which most office peers of its era cannot. The honest caveats are reliability age and modest memory. For buyers who want the cheapest capable-enough secondary machine and accept the longevity limits, it is worth the asking price; for dependability-first or demanding use, the age rules it out.