dell latitude e6420 lcd screen free sample

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a) We are happy to announce that all the LCD Panels and Laptop / Notebook batteries purchased from us comes with 90 days warranty from the date of invoice. Please note that the warranty only covers against defects in material and workmanship and there are other circumstances which limit its cover.

Ever Popular. Although it has practically died out in the consumer notebook sector, the compact 14" format is still one of the most popular styles of business notebooks. The Dell Latitude E6420 has some big shoes to fill in taking the reins from its successful predecessor, the E6410. Is it a credit to the Latitude series or does it bring shame to Dell?

Our teaser article about Dell"s new business line-up from a few weeks ago stirred up an unusually high level of controversy in our forums. Among the subjects of clashing opinions was the completely new case design. While some saw this as putting a friendlier face on the notebook, others argued the notebook design has lost all semblance of professionalism. But whatever your opinion may be, one thing"s for sure: the sharp, rigid design of the previous generation is no more! Now, the E6420 rather resembles the new XPS models.

Taking a look at the competition, Lenovo"s new Thinkpad T420 remains loyal to its predecessor, the T410—the design shows only minor modifications. HP, meanwhile, presents us with the complete opposite of Dell"s design in the form of their new Elitebooks. Its top-model, the HP Elitebook 8460p, brings back the retro,"boxy" style which is likewise sure to evoke some strong feelings one way or the other.

Like the design or not, this laptop is one of the sturdiest looking Latitudes of the series in recent years. The good choice of materials used in constructing the case of the Latitude E6420 are to thank for this. We scanned the surfaces, looking for plastic but found it only around the keyboard and the screen bezel. The other surfaces consist of an aluminum-magnesium alloy.Dell calls this composition Tri-Metal and refers multiple times to its adherence to various—albeit not very convincing—military standards.

The base unit is unbelievably warp-resistant thanks to thesturdy magnesium frame that tightly cradles all the hardware inside. Unlike many of its competitors, Dell proudly displays a bit of this magnesium frame peeking out of the notebook along the side edges. The base plate and case surface around the keyboard are joined to this frame and fastened to it with screws: "Unibody Lite" if you will.

Our attempts to dent the surface had no effect whatsoever. This includes the display lid that won"t budge even a millimeter under pressure. According to Dell, the display lid hinges are composed of tough steel, which is however not visible on the surface—as is the case with Lenovo Thinkpads—but is rather covered up a by a layer of magnesium. The display lid takes a bit of effort to tilt back but barely bobs back and forth after being adjusted. Like HP, Dell is stepping away from the approach of sticking individual rubber pads along the display to soften closing. Instead, they"ve gone with a long rubber strip encompassing the entire screen, which should serve to protect the screen and keyboard from dust particles getting in when the laptop"s closed. A single hook clasps the display shut.

Taking another look at the competition (Lenovo T420, HP 8460p), we see that the other contenders for your money also weigh a similar amount. The standard model of Lenovo"s T420 weighs in at 2.24kg, that is, with a 6-cell battery included. HP"s model with the smallest possible 3-cell battery comes to 2.07kg, the same as the Dell E6420 with a 4-cell battery. The particular configuration we reviewed included a 9-cell battery (97Wh), bringing the grand total up to 2.620 Kg. In terms of case dimensions, E6420 is the widest at 352 mm. The Lenovo T420 is 12 mm less wide and the HP 8640p 14 mm. The same is true for case depth: the front of the E6420 juts out about 10 mm when placed side-by-side with its rivals. The Lenovo T420 is the thinnest of the three at 30mm when closed (E6420 and 8460p both 32mm - all figures based on info from the manufacturers).

Now we get to the selection and placement of ports on the E6420. Particularly the placement of the ports jumps out at you when you first look at the laptop, which are found around the back corners. On the left side toward the front, we find the Smartcard Slot followed by an exhaust vent, a combination headphone/microphone jack, a VGA port and a USB 2.0 Port. Around the corner at the back, we continue with an RJ45 Ethernet port and the power connector.

It"s disappointing that no USB 3.0 port is on board. Of course, the eSATA port offers faster transfer rates than USB 2.0, useful for transferring large files like when backing up data onto an external hard drive. Still, the eSATA port isn"t used for many devices and doesn"t seem to have much of a future to it. Newer external hard drives are USB 3.0 compatible, with eSATA slowly disappearing from the market. The optional USB 3.0 offered in place of the DVD drive doesn"t sound like a great trade-off because one: you"d miss out on the DVD drive and two: you still have to pay more for the USB 3.0 adapter (exact price not available). We see, however, that HP wisely chose to include two USB 3.0 Ports (+eSATA) in its 8460p, while Lenovo—like Dell—has gone down the eSATA route for the T420.

Another important feature would be thechoice of video output—HDMI 1.3 (according to Dell). Hopes of using multi-monitor setups (+2x24“ FHD via DualHead2Go) or high-resolution 30-inch (2560x1600) screens go down the drain, the only option being 180 Euro more for the appropriate docking solution. HP and Lenovo, however have the right idea in this regard, both the 8460p and T420 have a Displayport.

On the other hand, the placement of ports is excellent. Even without a docking station, the Latitude E6420 can be hooked up to numerous devices at once without cluttering up the surrounding workspace with cables. Speaking of docking stations: the E6420 can be hooked up to existing docking stations including: E-Legacy Extender, E-Port and E-Port Plus—if in doubt, speak with someone at Dell.

As is typical of Dell, the Latitude E6420 with a wide array of options for connecting to the internet. At the ground floor there"s, of course, a gigabit Ethernet port (Intel 82578LM). You also have your choice of a Wifi card from Intel (b/g/n) or from Dell bzw. a/g/n).The Latitude E6420 can also be equipped with a UMTS/HSPA module on request. The spot for the SIM card is found in the same slot as the battery, the antenna line for which was already ready-to-use when we got our review model. With the appropriate module, this too can be upgraded later on down the line. Bluetooth 3.0is optional, as is a built-in 56k-modem (V.92), which might come in handy if you"re traveling through rural or otherwise remote areas on a business trip, for instance.

Business professionals know that security cannot be overlooked when choosing a laptop. To limit access to the laptop, the Latitude E6420 comes with a smart card reader (contactless reader also available). You can even request a fingerprint scanner (FIPS standard available).

Since we"re dealing with a premium business laptop here, Dell gives you your money"s worth by throwing in a standard three-year on-site service warranty with next-business-day repair. This minimizes the amount of time the laptop has to be out of commission in case of a defect so that you won"t be delayed much in your work. If this level of service doesn"t cut it, you can always upgrade to Dell ProSupport (+145 Euro) which tacks on around-the-clock technical support over the phone including questions concerning software developed by third parties.

For moving the cursor across the screen, Dell provides us with two options here:trackpoint (aka pointstick) and touchpad. A few things have changed here from the previous model. The color of the keys has changed as well as the fact that the rubber circle of the pointstick is no longer completely black. The trackpoint works incredibly well. The trackpoint on the Thinkpad T420 reacted very similarly in side-by-side testing. Only the shape of the trackpoint on the Thinkpad is (in our opinion) better.

The Dell Latitude E6420 comes with one of three types of 14" displays, that is, the screen measures 36 cm diagonally. On Dell"s website, the starter configuration with an LED screen has an HD resolution of 1366x768 pixels. This model can be upgraded to respond to multi-touch gestures for an extra 70 Euro. For users who"d like to have more windows open at once, there"s also an HD+ screen available with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels (+40 Euro). This was the screen in our test model and is worth the extra price in our opinion

Just by looking at it, you can tell that this display shines very bright. This is confirmed by our measurement of a maximumof320 cd/m² at the center of the screen and is quite high for a laptop of its class. The average screen brightness is somewhat lower at 277 cd/m², the drop being attributable mostly to the dimmer corners of the screen. The brightness distribution comes to an okay 79.7%. Nevertheless, because of the overall very bright screen, differences in illumination cannot be detected with the naked eye.

Soon we"ll also have a review of the lower-resolution HD display version (1366x768) of the E6420. Also coming soon is a review of the less expensive Latitude E5420, also a 14" business notebook with an HD display. Most likely the same display is in place in the E5420 as comes standard for the E6420 series.

So how good does the picture look on this screen? Blacks appear not very saturated and the picture has a sort of cold color tone, that is, more of a blue tone. Measuring the black level, we get an undesirably high 2.52 cd/m². Therefore, despite its high level of brightness, the screen only manages to reach a low contrast ratio of 127:1(max. brightness, center screen).

As far as the color space goes (spectrum of colors that can be displayed), Dell isn"t serving up any delicacy, rather just the usual. neither Adobe RGBnorsRGB are covered. The WXGA+ display from the preceding model, the E6410, is just about on par with this. It"s the same story with the HD+ screen in the Lenovo Thinkpad T420. Compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 13 or the Dell XPS 15, the much narrower variety of colors that can be displayed on this screen is easy to see.

As far as using the Latitude E6420 on the go, the display remains fairly readable regardless of your surroundings. The matte screen surface prevents reflections from overshadowing the picture and combined with the high brightness, it makes for always discernible screen contents, even in direct sunlight.

The last thing we test for regarding the display was the range of viewing angles. The picture remains undistorted at fairly large angles looking from the left or right. There"s much less wiggle room when it comes to tilting the screen back and forth, however. The screen contents remain easily readable for a while when tilting the screen down, but tilting it up past the ideal viewing angle quickly results in an overexposed-looking picture and later like a negative of the actual picture. During the review, we often had to adjust the tilt in order to be able to see the screen clearly.

The reason 14" business notebooks are so popular is probably the balance between portability and performance. Whereas 12" and 13" laptops are normally restricted in their hardware, 14" laptops can usually be equipped with standard processors and even dedicated graphics cards.Which brings us to the configurations available for this notebook: ranging from the weakest and least expensive Intel Core i3-2310M CPU all the way up to the i7-2720QM quad-core CPU, Dell makes the entire Sandy Bridge line of processors available for the Latitude E6420.

There"s also a lot of selection when it comes to the graphics card. With the basic configuration, the CPU comes with an Optimus). Dell"s online shop makes things a bit confusing here: the NVS 4200M supposedly comes in two version, one listed as "35W" and another at the same price listed as "512MB (45W)". Speaking over the phone with a Dell representative, we were told this was a mistake and that only the "35W" NVS is available for the E6420. This was the version of graphics card in the laptop we reviewed, but the Nvidia settings identified it nevertheless as having 512MB DDR3 video memory, which according to Dell"s website is only available in the "45W" version.

According to official Nvidia specifications, the NVS 4200M runs at a clock rate (speed) of up to 810 MHz, while the processor can supposedly reach as high as 1620 MHz. In the system properties menu of the model we reviewed, the clock rates were displayed as 740/1480 MHz. This seems to indicate that a watered-down version of the NVS 4200M was in place in the particular Dell Latitude E6420M model we reviewed. During our hardware stress test, we measured a GPU temperature of up to 99°C, which seems to high for the 45W version of the NVS 4200M running at its maximum clock rate (and this seems to go along with what the Dell representative told us over the phone about there not being a 45W version available for the E6420).

Our Dell Latitude E6420 managed an overall score of 5534 points, tested in the "high performance" profile. This lands the notebook an average spot in our database, placing it on par with the Lenovo T410 (620M/NVS 3100M) and the Acer Travelmate 8472TG (350M/GT330M). When equipped with an i7-CPU, the Latitude E6420"s score shoots up to 8000 points in PCMark Vantage. For a huge boost in application performance,choosing a Solid State Drives (SSD) could be a great decision, which should easily break the 10,000 point barrier in PCMark Vantage. The best example of this is the Thinkpad T410s (580M/NVS 3100M), which boasted an impressive 10926 points when equipped with a solid state drive.

Speaking of performance, we were curious to try out a certain new option in Dell"s Control Point software called "Ultra Performance", which claims to "reduce CPU throttling" while raising the fan speed. We weren"t really able to measure the effect very well, however, considering test results were not significantly different under the "Ultra Performance" profile and since the Intel Core i3-2310M CPU does not have the Turbo Boost function.

For a business notebook like the Latitude E6420, there are naturally lots of options available regarding the hard drive. On Dell"s website, they advertise conventional HDDs with rotational speeds of 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM as well as solid state drives (SSDs) with a capacity of up to 256GB. In terms of performance, there"s no question that an SSD is the best way to go, but these come at a high price. Dell lists the 128GB SSD as costing 330 Euro extra, while the 256GB SSD will run you an additional 650 Euro on top of the starting price in Dell"s online store. The particular model of SSD is not mentioned on the website, which is cause for concern since SSDs can differ quite considerably in their price-to-performance ratios. The fastest SSDs, like the OCZ Vertex 3 (click here for review) and the Intel Elmcrest 510 series cost 500 Euro for a 240GB-250GB model. Keeping this in mind, the price set by Dell seems exorbitant and swapping out the hard drive yourself might be the best choice.

We played three games on the Dell Latitude E6420. We first tried out Anno 1404— which might be getting on in years but is still very nice—and it ran smoothly with low graphics settings, which isn"t the case with the resolution and graphics settings set to high. The verdict is, you have to make a compromise between graphics and performance.

Under light use, like when running simple office programs, the Dell Latitude remains subtly in the background but still always audible. A small portion of the noise is attributable to the 7200 RPM hard disk, the hum of which is easy to hear. That"s not all, though. Each time the hard drive retrieves a piece of data, you hear this clatter, which can be irritating within an otherwise quiet environment. Every now and then, when under light use, we heard the fans start to whir as it picks up speed and drives warm air out of the case.

Even after several hours of light office use, the surfaces of the Dell Latitude E6420 remain comfortable to the touch. Only in the worst case scenario with both the GPU and CPU running at full blast for more than an hour does the temperature reach up to 37°C beside the keyboard and 41°C on the bottom of the case, which isn"t incredibly hot. The hardware within does not stay quite as cool, however.

After an hour of the stress test (100% load on CPU and GPU), we measured 84°C for the CPU and a critical 99°C for the graphics card. The GPU"s cooling potential at this point also doesn"t seem very high. Consider what would happen to a model of the Latitude E6420 equipped with one of the new i7 quad-core processors which have a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 45W—10W more than the dual-core CPUs. On top of that, due to a possible error in the description of the GPU, the online shop offers 45W TDP graphics card, how will the laptop be sufficiently cooled with such powerful hardware in place? Our particular model"s configuration (i3-2310M / NVS 4200M – "35W") had already reached its limit regarding the graphics card. The clock rates of the GPU and CPU remain steady throughout the stress test, however, with no throttling observed. This leads us to the conclusion that the CoreTemp tool must have misread the temperature.

We were pleasantly surprised with the single speaker in this laptop. Despite the Dell Latitude E6420 being equipped with only one speaker (see the picture with the bottom of the case open), we were fairly satisfied with the resulting sound quality. No driver settings were found. There"s still the possibility of a electrical contact problem hiding an elusive second speaker.

The sound quality of the one speaker was decent and could have made for good sound quality with the potential second speaker working when you consider the expectations of a business laptop like the Dell Latitude E6420.

With the Dell Latitude E9240, you have a few choices when it comes to the battery: the smallest is a 4-cell battery with a 40Wh capacity, next a 6-cell battery with a 60Wh capacity, a 9-cell battery with a 87Wh capacity and a 3-year warranty and finally a 9-cell battery with a 97Wh capacity—this was the battery in the model we reviewed. The extra 60 Euro (excl. VAT) for the 6-cell battery might be something you"d like to consider for on-the-go use. Other than that, Dell mentions the option of a spare battery, likewise 97Wh, as well as a second battery (30Wh) in place at the same time as the first and taking the place of the DVD drive. Depending on your needs and the amount of money you have to spend, you"re the boss!

Our model"s97Wh battery was subjected to the BatteryEater Reader Test: minimum screen brightness, deactivated wifi/bluetooth and the "Energy-Saver" profile activated (which is supposed to simulate the user reading a document on the screen). The result was a high 741 minutes, that is, more than 12 hours. The OpenGL computation of the BatteryEater Classic Test simulates heavy use: maximum screen brightness, wifi/bluetooth on and the "high performance" profile activated. Here you can count on 165 minutes, a decent battery life.

While browsing the web (fair screen brightness, "Energy-Saver" profile), the laptop huffed and puffed for about 530 minutes on battery power. This means, you can get an entire workday on battery power out of this laptop if you keep in mind the screen brightness and energy-saving settings.

It"s true that our excitement had already come and gone by the time our forums became the scene of a heated debate about the Latitude"s new design. And even though minds will continue to clash for years to come about which looks better, the new or the old, Dell has crafted a fine case in terms of workmanship, sturdiness and feel. The case design is harmonious (magnesium-aluminum) and has a first-rate feel to it.

The placement of the ports is quite convenient, most ports relegated to the far corners of the case. The variety of ports on the E6420, however, still leaves some things to be desired: the combination headphone/microphone port is not compatible with most existing headsets (separate connectors),a USB 3.0adapter can optionally be built in to replace the DVD drive (or attached via ExpressCard adapter). And for attaching an external monitor there"s only one way to go,HDMI.

To the likely frustration of current Latitude users, the keyboard layout has changed, the keys a bit more bunched together. The feel of typing on the keyboard is excellent and the multi-touch pad works flawlessly.

The display in our test model was the higher-resolution HD+ version, which is useful for keeping multiple windows open on the screen at once. The bright, matte screen makes using the laptop outdoors possible, even in direct sunlight. On the downside, the poor picture contrast and few vertical viewing angles can be frustrating.

In terms of its performance, the 14" office notebook leaves little to be desired. CPUs as powerful as Intel Sandy Bridge quad-core processors and the optional dedicated Nvidia NVS 4200M graphics card allow for a broad spectrum of use. Careful though, the Latitude can"t quite manage tougher CAD projects—the Precision series is better for that.

One of the big strengths of the Dell Latitude E6420 is its potential battery life. With the 9-cell battery, it"s possible to get a whole day"s work done without ever having to charge up the laptop—depending on the applications you"re using.

It all comes down to your individual needs and preferences whether the Latitude E6420 is right for you. The competition, in the form of the Lenovo Thinkpad T420 and HP"s Elitebook 8460p, can give the Latitude a run for its money and their reviews will be up shortly.

The Dell Latitude E6420 is an affordable 14-inch business laptop that is very durable and has a wide range of useful features. Additionally, this laptop features an exceptional keyboard, strong performance, and outstanding battery life. However, it is quite heavy and you may be disappointed by its display.

Are you looking for a laptop that is both affordable and durable? Today is your lucky day because this Dell Latitude E6420 review is just what you’ve been looking for!

In this review, I’ll go through the specifications and features of the Dell Latitude E6420 so you get acquainted with it. Moreover, the design, processor, RAM, graphics, storage, and battery life of the laptop will also be discussed in this review.

Dell’s Latitude line of laptops has long been a favorite for both big and small businesses. This is due to their high performance, reasonable pricing, long battery life, and durability.

Dell has added a hefty dose of affordability and durability to its outstanding Latitude line with the 14-inch Latitude E6420. The Latitude E6420 packs a punch on the inside, thanks to a quad-core Intel core i7 processor.

However, taking the reins from its successful predecessor, the E6410, the Latitude E6420 has a lot to live up to. So, will it be as successful as its predecessor or will it put the Latitude line to shame?

Whether you like the design or not, this laptop is one of the most durable Latitudes in recent years. This is due to the good materials used in the construction of the Latitude E6420‘s chassis.

I looked all around the laptop for plastic but only found it around the keyboard and the screen bezel. Thus, the entire laptop is made of MIL-STD 810G-certified Tri-Metal.

The term “tri-metal” refers to a lid made of anodized aluminum, hinges made of reinforced steel, and a chassis made of magnesium alloy. Furthermore, MIL-STD 810G-certified materials or equipment, such as Dell’s Tri-Metal, are built to endure high temperatures, dust, and vibrations.

Therefore, making the Dell Latitude E6420 one of the most durable laptops not just on the Latitude line but on the market. Moreover, the Latitude E6420’s construction is flex-resistant thanks to all of the metal and attention Dell put into it.

The Dell Latitude E6420 is not only tough but also attractive, with a professional and elegant appearance. It features smooth matte surfaces, and the lid looks pretty attractive, too, featuring Dell’s signature logo in the middle.

Moving on, the Dell Latitude E6420 comes with a 14-inch non-touchscreen display. However, you can get the laptop with a touchscreen display, but for an additional cost.

Moreover, you can get the touch or non-touch displays with either an HD (1366 x 768) or HD+ (1600 x 900) screen resolution. My review laptop came with a 14-inch HD (1366 x 768) touchscreen display.

The content on this touchscreen display was sharp and bright, but not very colorful. Additionally, the touchscreen supports two-finger gestures, allowing you to perform multiple gestures on the screen with two fingers at the same time.

However, the touchscreen display is glossy. Because of the screen’s glossy/reflective nature, it will be more difficult to use under bright conditions.

Furthermore, this touchscreen display, though, does not support pen input and cannot be used as a tablet. So, I don’t think most companies or users would go for a touchscreen over the standard non-touchscreen display.

Moving on, the Dell Latitude E6420’s keyboard is a mixture of a Chiclet and a traditional-styled keyboard. Concave keys are used on the keyboard to make typing easier and faster.

Personally, I think the E6420’s keyboard is one of my favorites. It’s really comfortable to use; the keys provide excellent feedback and produce very little noise when pressed.

For navigation, the Latitude E6420 feature both a touchpad and a pointing stick. The pointing stick is located in the middle of the keyboard, as expected.

The touchpad below the Latitude E6420’s keyboard is quite generous in size, measuring 78.74 x 45 mm. In addition to its generous size, it has a nice matte surface and it navigates the cursor with accuracy.

Due to the fact that the Latitude E6420 feature both a pointing stick and touchpad, it has two sets of dedicated click buttons. One set of click buttons (left, center, and right-click) for the pointing stick is located just above the touchpad.

I’m quite satisfied with the audio on the Latitude E6420. While most business laptops’ audio is frequently disregarded, the IDT high-definition sound on this laptop is very impressive.

Even at the maximum volume of 100%, you won’t notice any sound distortion or muffling. As a result, in a moderately large presentation room, users will be able to use the Latitude E6420 for presentations.

Due to the fact that the Latitude E6420 is marketed to businesses, it has a lot of ports. On the right side, there is a Wi-Fi on/off switch, DVD drive, an ExpressCard /54 slot, and three USB ports.

Embedded into the Latitude E6420 thick upper display bezel is an HD webcam. Even in low-light surroundings, this webcam can provide sharp but slightly washed-out images.

The downside of all the metal used to make the Latitude E6420 is additional weight. Specifically, it measures 352 x 241 x 26.6 mm and weighs 2070 g with its 4-cell Lithium-Ion battery.

With this size and weight, the Latitude E6420 is one of the heaviest 14-inch business laptops out there. Comparatively, the Latitude E6420 weighs more than its predecessor, the Latitude E6410.

However, it is quite heavy compared to its predecessor. Regardless, the Dell Latitude E6420 deserves an eight out of ten ratings in this design review section.

For the processor, the Dell Latitude E6420 comes with an Intel Core i7-2760QM processor. The Intel Core i7-2760QM is a speedy high-performance quad-core CPU for laptops.

With this processor, the Latitude E6420 can handle any computing task you throw at it from video editing to multitasking. Speaking of multitasking, this laptop was able to launch numerous heavy applications including Adobe Photoshop.

On the Cinebench R10 test, the Latitude E6420 recorded an impressive score of 5509 points. Comparatively, the Latitude E6420 performed better than the HP EliteBook 2560p and its predecessor, the Latitude E6410.

Specifically, the HP EliteBook 2560p which uses an Intel Core i5-2410M dual-core processor scored 3927 points. The Latitude E6420’s predecessor, on the other hand, scored 3470 points.

In conclusion, the Latitude E6420 processor is just brilliant. Therefore, for this processor review section, the Latitude E6420 is getting a rating of nine.

For memory, the Latitude E6420 ships with two 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM slots. Each SDRAM slot can take up to a maximum memory capacity of 4 GB, totaling 8 GB all together.

The Dell Latitude E6420 I reviewed came with the maximum memory capacity of 8 GB RAM. 8 GB memory might be limited for most users, but oh boy, it was more than enough for multitasking.

The Dell Latitude E6420 was able to open about 20 Chrome tabs with five of them streaming videos on YouTube. Also, when doing these, I was editing a document on MS Word while streaming a song on Spotify.

That isn’t all, the Latitude E6420 also performed impressively on a PCMark Vantage test. PCMark Vantage is a synthetic benchmark that measures the overall capabilities of a computer.

On this PCMark Vantage benchmark test, the Latitude E6420 scored a whopping 8,242 points. This score is significantly higher than the category average of 5,177 points.

Comparatively, the ASUS B43Jand Lenovo ThinkPad T410 both performed less than the Latitude E6420. The ASUS B43J scored 7,065 points while Lenovo’s ThinkPad T410scored 6,937 points on the PCMark Vantage benchmark test.

Furthermore, when compared to its predecessor (Latitude E6410), the Latitude E6420 came up top, again. Specifically, the Latitude E6410 scored 7492 points on the PCMark Vantage test.

The only laptop that came close to the Latitude E6420 is the Lenovo ThinkPad T420. The ThinkPad T420 scored 8,122 points on the PCMark Vantage benchmark test.

Additionally, the laptop performs better than most of its competitors on the PCMark Vantage test I conducted. As a result, I will rate the Dell Latitude E6420 an eight out of ten in this memory review section.

The Latitude E6420’s HDD storage was able to boot to Windows 7 professional in a decent 66 seconds. This boot time is exactly on par with the category average.

Furthermore, I conducted a file transfer test to further determine the Latitude E6420’s 360 GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD speed. It took the laptop’s HDD 2 minutes and 27 seconds to transfer 4.97 GB of multimedia files.

Furthermore, I also carried out a CrystalDiskMarktest to further assess the performance/speed of the laptop’s HDD. According to the CrystalDiskMark test, the Latitude E6420’s HDD has a sequential read speed of 83.06 MB/s.

Furthermore, when compared to its predecessor, the Latitude E6420 once again have a slower read and write speed. Its predecessor, the Latitude E6410 has both sequential read and write speeds of 86.43 MB/s.

Just like its predecessor (Latitude E6410), the Dell Latitude E6420 offers two graphics options. These graphics options include Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA NVS 4200M.

The NVIDIA NVS 4200M, on the other hand, only runs at a based GPU frequency of 810 MHz. The Latitude E6420 laptop I review came with an NVIDIA NVS 4200M graphics card.

Thanks to the graphics card dedicated VRAM, the Latitude E6420 was able to play most title games smoothly. For instance, the Latitude E6420 delivered a frame rate of 95 fps while playing Dirt 3.

Moving on, I also carried out a 3DMark 06 test to further determine the E6420’s graphics performance with the NVIDIA NVS 4200M. On this test, the Latitude E6420 delivered a score of 4,906 points.

Comparatively, the Latitude E6420 performs better than Lenovo’s ThinkPad T410. The ThinkPad T410 which is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce 3100M graphics card scored 3,712 points on the 3DMark test.

Also, the Latitude E6420 performs better than its predecessor, the Latitude E6410. The Latitude E6410 which uses an NVIDIA NVS 3100M graphics card scored 3,675 points on the 3DMark 06 test.

In conclusion, the Latitude E6420offers multiple graphics card options, which is quite impressive for a non-gaming business laptop. Also, with its NVIDIA NVS 4200M graphic card option, it performed fairly better than its predecessor.

The Dell Latitude E6420 offers three battery options, just like its predecessor. Specifically, you can get the laptop with either a 4-cell, 6-cell, or 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery.

The Dell Latitude E6420 I reviewed ships with a 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery. With this battery, the Latitude E6420 lasted an outstanding 8 hours and 59 minutes on a battery test I conducted.

The battery test involved using a WI-FI network to continuously browse the internet till the laptop run low. Comparatively, the Latitude E6420 has a longer battery life than the ThinkPad T410 and its predecessor, the Latitude E6410.

The ThinkPad T410 lasted only 6 hours and 2 minutes on the battery test. Its predecessor (Latitude E6410), on the other hand, lasted 7 hours and 2 minutes.

In conclusion, I will rate the Dell Latitude E6420 a nine out of ten for its outstanding battery performance. This rating is actually based on the Dell Latitude E6420’s 9-cell Lithium-Ion battery performance.

The Dell Latitude E6420 comes with a lot of features, including a sleek design, a fantastic keyboard, solid performance, and long battery life. On top of that, the laptop is reasonably priced.

However, due to its sturdy Tri-metal construction, it is quite hefty, also, its display is somewhat poor. Nevertheless, the Dell Latitude E6420 has more pros than cons.

In short, the Dell Latitude E6420 is an excellent choice for business users on a budget. Therefore, if you need an affordable top-notch business laptop, the Dell Latitude E6420 is the right way to go!

I hope you found this Dell Latitude E6420 review helpful? If you found the review helpful, kindly spare few minutes to share your thoughts with Itechguides Community Forum.

The Dell Latitude series is a line of laptop computers manufactured and sold by American company Dell. It is a business-oriented line, aimed at corporate enterprises, healthcare, government, and education markets; unlike the Inspiron series, which is aimed at individual customers, and the Vostro series, which is aimed at smaller businesses. The Latitude directly competes with the Lenovo ThinkPad and the EliteBook series by HP. Additionally, the "Rugged (Extreme)", "XFR" and "ATG" models compete primarily with Panasonic"s Toughbook line of "rugged" laptops.

The Dell Latitude series have dropped the initial alphabet in newer model types (as in Latitude 7480 whose predecessor was E7470), and became the successor to the popular Latitude E, D, C, and X series. The Latitudes from the early 1990s up until the C*00 lines weren"t in a set "series", instead of going under the models CP and XP with modifiers at the end, e.g.: XPi, CP M233.

In the past, the high-end line was the 6 series, being the C6x0, D6x0, and E64x0 lines, but as of 2015 this line has been discontinued and replaced by both the 5 series and the 7 series. The 15" "Premium" line was the 8 series, until the E-series merged this line with the 6 series (Model numbers being along the lines of C8x0 or D8x0). The entry-level line was the 5 series, but as of 2015 the 5 series and 7 series Latitude laptops are the primary lines of Latitude laptops. The 3 series has replaced the 5 series as the budget line. Dell has also since dropped the E from the Latitude line (due to switching to a USB C/Thunderbolt dock system, rather than the e-Port analog pin-system docks), and the models are delineated by number now, e.g.: Latitude 5480, 5570. The second number in the model (As in, 5470 or 7280) indicates the size of the screen on the laptop.

Latitude 5xxx series. Mainstream line. Replaces the 6000 series and shares same chassis with Mobile workstation models. available in 11.1"/12.5"/13.3"/14"/15.6" trims.

Latitude computers are also differentiated in their feature sets, due to their business focus. For example, they often include security features such as smartcard and contactless smartcard, and TPM security, vPro and AMD Dash management, DisplayPort (as opposed to HDMI), Docking stations and support for legacy standards are all results of the requirements of the business market.

Some models also have the capability of Latitude ON which can be selected during the configuration of the laptop. Latitude ON is essentially a system within a system. It requires a separate add on module which contains its own microprocessor and Operating system. This allows the laptop to function in the realm of a Netbook.

Dell used the "E-series" name up through the 2016 models, and new 2017 models drop the "E."higher-TDP (45w) processors, discrete graphics and NVMe SSDs. The 6000 series sat above the 5000 series. The 7000 series consists of high-end Ultrabook computers, introduced in 2014 with the Latitude E7440 and E7240 and replaced the existing high end 6000 series. Mobile workstation versions of Latitude used 5000 series instead of 6000 series.

Aside from the 3000, 5000, and 7000 series, Dell also provides an Education and Rugged Series of Latitude computers. The Education series laptops are designed for use in educational institutions and are geared towards office and internet based applications. The Rugged series laptops are similar to the previous Latitude XFR computers. They are designed with extra durability in mind.

The Latitude D-series was introduced in 2003, and discontinued in 2007. The models are the D4x0 (12.1" Ultra Mobile), D5x0 (14.1 or 15.0" standard aspect screen except for D531, plastic case, value model), D6x0 (14.1" Corporate model) and D8x0 (15.4" high-resolution model) most models are based on the Intel Core 2 Duo and the Intel Santa Rosa chipset, with the exception being the D531. Ever since the D420, D620, and D800, the D-series features wide-aspect LCD screens: 12.1", 14.1", and 15.4" respectively.

The Latitude D6x0 series is the 14"/14.1" corporate model. It aims to combine heavy-duty power with reasonable portability, and differs primarily from D8x0 series in screen size. All are two spindle designs, with a "D/bay" modular bay which can interchange optical drives, a second hard drive, a floppy disk, a Zip drive, or a second battery. All models have a smart card socket, PCMCIA socket, 9-pin serial port, a "D-dock" port for a docking station or port replicator, and have an internal socket for an 802.11 wireless card.

The D600 (and simultaneously introduced D800) was released on March 12, 2003. These were Dell"s first laptops in the Latitude D-series, and also Dell"s first business-oriented notebooks based on the Pentium-M (first-generation "Banias" or Dothan) chips and running on a 400 MT/s FSB on DDR memory. It had a PATA hard drive and a D-series modular bay, and used an ATI Radeon 9000 GPU. It had a 14" screen, in regular (non-widescreen) form factor. Unlike later D6x0 series machines, both memory sockets were accessible from a single cover on the bottom of the system.

Most, if not all Latitude models prior to the Latitude Dx20 series had a near-clone Inspiron, in the case of the D600, it was the Inspiron 600M. Differences include that the 600M does not work with the Dell D-Dock, and the case styling is slightly different. The motherboards, screens, and hard drive caddies are all physically interchangeable.

The Latitude D600 used a PA-10/PA-12 charger and came with a DVD drive, 2 x USB, 1 x TV, 1 x network, 1 x parallel, 1 x serial, and 1 monitor output. The hard drive is accessible through a cover on the left-hand front side of the lower case and is secured by 1 screw. After removing the screw, the hard drive can then slide out.

The D610 (released in 2005) was an update of the D600 design; it used a slightly modified D600 chassis and a newer Pentium M chipset ("Sonoma" with 533 MT/s FSB). This chipset was the first Intel mobile chipset to use DDR2 Memory, versus the DDR in the Latitude Dx00 series. For space-saving purposes, instead of having both RAM chips on the bottom of the laptop, one RAM slot was moved to the top of the motherboard which could be accessed by removing the keyboard, whereas the other RAM slot remained in the area it had been located at previously. Unlike the D600 and prior midrange Latitudes (The 6xx series, dating back to the C-series) you had a choice of standard integrated Intel Graphics (GMA 900), or a discrete ATI solution (Radeon X300).

Some Dell Latitude D610 units with a dedicated ATI X300 graphics card seem to have problems with the audio-out jack. Symptoms of this problem include a noise or whine when an audio device is connected to the audio-out jack. Up to this date Dell does not have a clear solution to this problem.

In March 2006, Dell introduced the D620 (and the D820), its first business-oriented notebook with a dual-core processor available. The D620 marked the transition from strictly 32-bit processing to opening-up the potential to run 64-bit operating systems and applications. Initially available with the interim "Yonah" Core Duo (x86 32-bit) processors, it was later sold with the first-generation mobile "Merom" Core 2 (x86-64 64-bit) processor once those became available from Intel in the Fall of 2006; both run on a 667MT/s bus. So depending on the installed processor, a D620 can run x86-64 64-bit software. The D620 used a Socket-M for its motherboard and its CPU is possible to be upgraded. It was initially sold with Intel integrated graphics, but an option to upgrade to a discrete Nvidia GPU became available after a few months. It replaced the raised pointing stick with a "low profile" model and introduced the option of 4-cell and 9-cell batteries in addition to the standard 6-cell model. It uses DDR2 memory and is compatible with both PC2-4200 (533 MHz) and PC2-5300 (667 MHz) memory.

All early D620 models were known for faulty LCD screens. The early models suffered from light bleeding, where a black screen would show light bleeding in from the bottom of the screen. This wasn"t fixed until almost a year into production.

They also have overheating issues: the D620/D630 and D820/D830 were available with an Intel integrated GMA or Nvidia graphics chip. The optional Nvidia graphics on this series of laptops are prone to overheating issues where the GPU would develop cracks in the solder. This was mostly due to temperature fluctuation but the graphics chips also ran much hotter than they were meant to. The failure manifests itself by stripes or "artifacts" on the LCD and also an external screen or by the total absence of an image. Even the D830 series, despite having more room for cooling the chip, suffered from the same issue. Some Nvidia models will eventually suffer from failure of the graphics chip due to the switch to lead-free solder and "underfill" of the BGA. The computer industry at the time had just switched to lead-free solders without redesigning cooling systems. This in turn led to undesirable heating cycles of the more brittle solder causing micro fractures to quickly form. Dell tried to prolong the lifetime of the Nvidia chips in these models with a BIOS update which causes the fan to run more often and thus reduce the strain from repeated heating/cooling cycles on the graphics chip. NVIDIA was found liable for these failures, causing a multi-million-unit recall, not only of some Dell notebooks, but also some HP, Compaq, and Apple products.

Unlike the D630, the D630c model laptop could not be ordered with Intel graphics; it shipped only with the Nvidia graphics chip. As a result, all of the Latitude D630c laptops eventually fail.

It also could only be ordered with the Intel 4965AGN wireless card; it couldn"t be configured with Dell"s wireless options or lower end Intel wireless cards.

The Latitude D631 (released in 2007), similar to the D531, was a variant of the Latitude Dx30 series that had AMD processors instead of Intel. However, the D631 is very rare inside the United States due to it not being an option to order on Dell"s website. You can find some that originated in the United States, but those were special ordered over the phone. They were sold alongside the D630 as standard equipment in select international countries, but while not being that rare internationally, they didn"t sell as many units as the D630 series (and even the D630c series) laptops did. As a result, not much information about specific chipsets, graphics chip options (If there were any), or any other features can be found online for specifying details.

The Latitude D8x0 series is the 15.4" corporate model; unlike the D600 and D610, all feature a widescreen form factor. All are two spindle designs, with a "D-bay" modular bay which can interchange optical drives, a floppy module, a second hard drive, or a second battery. All models have a smart card socket, PCMCIA socket, and 9-pin serial port, a "D-dock" port for docking station or port replicator, and have an internal socket for an 802.11 wireless card.

The D8x0 series models roughly parallel the technology in the D6x0 models other than for screen size; they do not share a battery form factor with the D6x0 series. The D820 and D830 add an ExpressCard socket, not available in the D6x0 series. The D830 is capable of accepting 8 GB of physical memory with updated firmware.

The near-clone Inspirons for the D800 and D810 were the Inspiron 8500 and 8600; the D820 and D830 share hardware with Precision models M65 and M4300 respectively. There are even known cases of "mixed-mode" samples of the latter, where the Dell-recorded type according to the service tag and markings differs from the BIOS-reported type with an identical service tag.

The Latitude D500 series is a set of "entry-level" business models; they are built on a 15" non-widescreen form factor, although models before the D530 were sold with both 14.1" and 15" screens (the 14.1" having a wider bezel.) They are 2-spindle devices (removable optical drive interchangeable with D6xx/D8xx machines), and roughly follow the technical generations (chipset and processor-wise) of the D6x0 and D8x0 series. The D530 was Dell"s last non-widescreen Latitude model.

The Latitude D531 was also available, being the cheapest Latitude available at the time due to using AMD processors and cutting back on a few features. It was essentially a D830 with, no TrackPoint, no smartcard reader, an option for a 14" screen (If this was chosen it would have a similar wider bezel as on the earlier D5xx series machines), and an AMD-based motherboard. It does keep some premium features from the D830, such as a magnesium chassis, support for a 2nd battery, and a SATA based interface for the hard drive, allowing people to upgrade to a much faster SSD for cheap. DVD Drives, Screen Assemblies (If the laptop was ordered with the 15" screen), RAM, and Hard Drives/Caddies were interchangeable.

The Dell Latitude D4x0 series of ultraportable laptops were first released in 2003 with the D400 and discontinued in 2007 with the D430. In order to make the laptops small and lightweight, some changes were made, such as ultra low voltage (ULV) CPU"s, removal of the modular bay, no dedicated graphics, and in later models, 1.8 inch hard drives instead of the industry standard 2.5 inch. While the D8x0, D6x0, and D5x0 models were all introduced simultaneously with each generation, the D4x0 series were generally introduced a couple of months after their counterparts. Also, since they use ULV (ultra-low-voltage) processors and chipsets, and are generally less powerful, the technology does not correspond as closely as it does between other models in each generation — for example, the D420/D430 uses parallel ATA hard drives (1.8") rather than the SATA (2.5") interface in the D520/620/820. In 2008, the D4x0 series was replaced by E4200 and E4300 models.

The D400 was released in 2003 with a ULV Banias Pentium M, Intel 855GM chipset, 128MB of RAM (up to a max of 2GB) and a choice of 20, 30, and 40GB 4,200 RPM hard drives, The D400 had a design that was similar to the D600, including a 4:3 non widescreen 1,024x768 12" display. The computer could be configured with Windows XP Home or Professional, or Windows 2000 Professional.

The Dell Latitude D410 was released in 2005. It introduced a new design, newer ULV Dothan Pentium M"s, and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). It shares the rest of its hardware with the D400.

The Dell Latitude D420 was released in 2006 and introduced many new features. Some of them include support for Intel"s new Core architecture, 12.1 inch widescreen displays, options for 3G cellular connectivity and a 64GB SSD option.Apple iPod Classic.

The Dell Latitude D-series laptops support swapping out the optical drive with select modules available from Dell. Available were a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM/CD-RW and a DVD+-RW optical disk drives, along with a 2nd hard drive, 2nd battery, floppy drive and Iomega Zip 250 drive. An external enclosure branded as the D/Bay was available, allowing users to use modules on Latitudes that didn"t have internal bays, such as the Latitude D4xx series of ultraportable laptops. The enclosure uses a special type of USB port only available on certain Latitudes(D4x0 series)

The Iomega Zip 250 module was released as the successor to the similar module for the Latitude C-series. When the modules came out in 2003, at the start of the D-series lifespan, Iomega was discontinuing the Zip format. As such, this module is very rare, and was only on sale for a few months after it came out. Newer Latitude laptops detect it as a CD-ROM drive within the BIOS, but within an operating system, the zip disks are detected as standard removable drives.

Many D620/D630 and D820/D830 models (and related Precision models) with NVidia mobile GPUs may experience graphics failure. A Class Action Lawsuit settlement by NVidia was reached where certain Dell models were provided with replacement motherboards at no expense.

Dell posted notices to many of their laptop customers on August 14, 2006, saying that the Sony batteries on the D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600/D610, D620, and D800/D810 models were prone to bursting into flames, or even exploding.

The Latitude C-series notebooks covered the range of processors from the Pentium 166 MHz to the Pentium 4-M. Models in this series included the CP (Pentium processors), CPi (Pentium II processors), CPx, CSx, C600 and C800 (Mobile Pentium III processors), CPt, C500 and C510 (Celeron processors), C400, C610 and C810 (Pentium 3-M processors) and C640 and C840 (Mobile Pentium 4-M).

An interesting note on the C840 is that it was the last Dell notebook (along with its sister models the Inspiron 8200 and Precision M50) to have both a "fixed" optical drive as well as a modular bay, making it a "three-spindle" notebook. The modular bay could also be used for a second battery identical to the primary battery rather than a special modular bay battery. It used a Pentium 4-M processor and DDR SDRAM.

The Latitude ATG was a semi-rugged version of the D620, and was Dell"s only semi-rugged offering, while their fully rugged offering originally consisted of the Augmentix XTG630, a D630 in a fully rugged case, and later the D630 XFR. The ATG as well as the XFR have a protective glass glued on top of the screen that often has glue leaking onto the display causing air bubbles to form.

In July 2008, Dell released multi-touch touch-screen drivers for the Latitude XT Tablet, claiming the "industry"s first convertible tablet with multi-touch capabilities."[11] Dell has partnered with N-trig, providers of DuoSense technology, combining pen, capacitive touch and multi-touch in a single device. N-trig"s DuoSense dual-mode digitizer uses both pen and zero-pressure capacitive touch to provide a true hands-on computing experience for mobile computers and other digital input products over a single device.

These problems have been reported both with XP and Vista, 32 and 64 bit. In addition, Dell sells a MediaBase with an internal DVD drive. The drive also interfaces by way of a USB connection inside the MediaBase. Most, but not all, users of the MediaBase report that it prevents the drivers from loading.

Qualcomm QCA9377 + Bluetooth 4.1, Qualcomm QCA61x4A + Bluetooth 4.2, Intel Dual-Band Wireless-AC 9560 + (optional) Bluetooth 5.0, Intel WiFi 6 AX200 + Bluetooth 5.0, or Dell DW5820e Intel 7360 LTE-A

Dell Latitude LM, manufactured in late 1996. It is equipped with a 133mhz Pentium processor, trackpad, CDROM drive, 12.1 inch TFT display, and is upgraded to the maximum of 40 megabytes of RAM.

1996: Latitude XPi P133ST (NeoMagic NM2070 video chipset, 24MB of memory (8MB soldered), 1.2 GB hard disk, PCMCIA modem card, 10.2" SVGA (800x600) TFT display, Windows 95 with possibility to partition and install Linux, Desktop Survival Guide)

The Dell Latitude E5270 (2017) scored a perfect 10 on iFixit. It is unclear whether other Latitude laptops have a similar form factor and are equivalently modular.

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Dell"s Latitude line has long been a favorite of businesses large and small because of its strong performance, good pricing, and long battery life. With the new 14-inch Latitude E6420, Dell has added a strong dose of style and durability to this tried and true formula, using a new Tri-Metal design with a durable magnesium frame that"s built to stand up to abuse. Inside, the E6420 packs a punch, thanks to a second-generation Core i5 processor. Still, the $1,361 price tag for our configuration is a bit steep--even when you factor in the touchscreen. Is this Latitude worth it?

The Dell Latitude E6420"s aesthetic screams "space age" while still looking right at home in the most conservative corporate boardroom. The gunmetal-gray brushed metal aluminum lid, matte chrome sides, and angular shape combine to make the notebook look like some kind of executive space cruiser. Meanwhile, the soft-touch, rubberized deck is as comfy as the inside of a corporate limousine. Add in a matte chrome accent on the bezel, matte chrome hinges, a zinc latch, and a bold orange stripe around the keyboard, and you have a truly unique design.

But the E6420"s Tri-Metal chassis is more than just eye candy. A magnesium alloy internal frame and reinforced steel hinges combine with the matte chrome bumper and protective LCD seal to provide a business-rugged system that"s MIL-STD 810G-tested and designed to protect against extreme temperatures, dust, and vibrations. A spill-resistant keyboard guards against your clumsiness (or someone else"s).

The trade-off for all this durability is added heft. At 13.9 x 10.3 x 1.3 inches and 6.2 pounds with the nine-cell battery, the Dell Latitude E6420 is quite a bit heavier and larger than other 14-inch business notebooks. For example, the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 measures 13.1 x 9.4 x 1.3 inches and weighs 5.6 pounds with its nine-cell battery.

The Dell Latitude E6420"s spill-resistant keyboard offers an excellent typing experience by combining strong tactile feedback with concave keys that grip your fingers and a comfy soft-touch palm rest that"s easy on your wrists. We were able to achieve a rate of 86 words per minute with a 1-percent error rate on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, higher than our typical 80 wpm score. The keyboard even has an adjustable backlight to help you see it in the dark.

The generous 3.1 x 1.8-inch touchpad on the Latitude E6420 has a pleasant matte surface that made it easy for us to navigate around the desktop with great accuracy. After enabling gestures in Dell"s easy-to-configure touchpad control panel, we were able to pinch-to-zoom with ease and conduct three-finger gestures such as Flick, which lets you hit the back button in your web browser. The two discrete mouse buttons offered solid feedback.

The Dell Latitude E6420 stayed pleasantly cool throughout our testing. After we streamed a video for 15 minutes, the keyboard measured 87 degrees Fahrenheit, the touchpad 85 degrees, and the bottom center a reasonable 95 degrees. We consider temperatures 95 degrees and lower acceptable and those below 90 degrees quite comfortable.

The Latitude E6420"s 14-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy touchscreen provided images that were sharp and bright, though not overly rich in color. When we played both a 1080p QuickTime Trailer of Cowboys & Aliens and a 720p streaming Flash episode of Fringe, images were crisp and free from visual noise. However, colors washed out significantly at even 45 degrees to the left or right.

The optional touchscreen digitizer on our unit ($100) allowed us to tap even small widgets and icons on the screen with great accuracy. It also supports two-finger gestures, so we were able to pinch-to-zoom on web pages or draw in two different directions at once in Windows Paint. However, considering that the Dell"s screen does not rotate into tablet mode or support pen input, we don"t think many businesses would choose the touchscreen over the standard one. Dell doesn"t even include any touch-friendly software.

The Latitude E6420"s speakers are adequate for listening to music or video in a small room. When we played both the bass heavy "Forget Me Nots" and the percussion-centric hip-hop song "Like a G6," we heard accurate, loud audio that wasn"t tinny but wasn"t particularly impressive.

The 2-megapixel webcam on the Latitude E6420 was able to provide sharp but slightly washed out images even in our dimly lit living room. However, whether we were shooting photos locally with the Dell Webcam central software or conducting a call on Skype, we noticed a fair amount of visual noise in these low-light images. Still, were impressed with the cam"s ability to capture clear images in an environment where most cams show our head as nothing more than shadow.

Click to enlargeWith its second-generation 2.6-GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 320GB 7,200-rpm hard drive, the Dell Latitude E6420 offers strong performance that"s good enough for any business task you throw at it. On PCMark Vantage, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall performance, the E6420 scored a whopping 8,242. That showing is well above the mainstream notebook category average of 5,177 and much higher than the 2.6-GHz Core i5-powered ASUS B43J(7065)) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 (6,937). However, the Core i5-powered Lenovo ThinkPad T410s with SSD and discrete graphics managed an even more impressive 11,264.

The 320GB 7,200-rpm hard drive on the E6420 booted Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) in a reasonable 66 seconds, exactly on a par with the category average. The drive took just 2 minutes and 27 seconds to complete the LAPTOP File Transfer test, which involves copying 4.97GB of mixed media files. That"s a rate of 34.6 MBps, much faster than the 26 MBps category average and the 28.3 MBps offered by the ASUS B43J, though Lenovo"s ThinkPad T410s with SSD got an amazing 71.7 MBps on the same test.

The Latitude E6420 can also transcode video with great skill, as it successfully converted a 114MB MP4 file to AVI format using Oxelon Media Encoder in just 40 seconds, much faster than the 1:15 category average. It took just 26 seconds to transcode an HD video with Cyberlink Media Espresso, light years ahead of the 3:13 second category average.

When it comes to graphics, the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 chip allowed the Latitude E6420 to play 1080p video smoothly and to achieve a score of 5,060 on 3DMark06, a synthetic benchmark that measures overall graphics prowess. That"s well above the 3,583 category average and faster even than the AMD Radeon 5470-powered ASUS B43J"s score of 4,414.

In World of Warcraft, the Latitude E6420 got a playable 41 frames per second at native resolution. But we turned up the special effects, that number dropped to an unplayable 20 fps. On the more demanding Far Cry 2, the Latitude got just 23 fps at 1024 x 768 res, so you"ll want to stick to less demanding titles between meetings.

With its nine-cell battery, the Dell Latitude E6420 lasted an epic 8 hours and 59 minutes on the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi. That"s more than double the category average of 4:14 minutes and about 3 hours longer than the ThinkPad T410 with a nine-cell battery (6:02 ).

The Latitude E6420"s Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 Wi-Fi radio managed modest transfer rates of 26.9 and 15.4 Mbps at distances of 15 and 50 feet from our router, respectively. Those numbers are a little weaker than the 35.5/21.9 Mbps category averages.

Click to enlargeThough our review unit had an MSRP of $1361, the Dell Latitude E6420 starts at just $699. For that price, you get a 2.1-GHz Core i3 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB 5,400-rpm hard drive, a six-cell battery, no touchscreen, no webcam, and no keyboard backlight.

However, you can configure the system with a choice of Core i3, i5, or i7 CPUs. You can also get anywhere from 2 to 8GB of RAM. Storage options include 5,400- and 7,200-rpm drives of various sizes, as well as SSDs. You can also choose between the standard 1366 x 768 screen, a 1600 x 900 version ($79), and a touchscreen 1366 x 768 display ($99).

Here"s what we"d get: You can easily order the E6420 with