Dell Latitude E5420 14" LED Notebook - Intel Core i5

Product Information

Dell has redesigned the Dell Latitude E Family of laptops with improvements to durability and a new attention to design that is representative of the end user’s desire for a notebook that doesn’t just get the job done, but looks good to. The Dell Latitude E5420 is a new business class laptop from Dell that is aimed at users who need a budget friendly laptop that can be used at the desk or on the go. Apple Silicon still has it beat, though. The MacBook Pro we recently tested handled 14 hours of our battery life, a full four and a half hours more than the Latitude 5420. The speakers sound powerful Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205; Intel® Centrino® Advanced -N + WiMAX 625013; Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300; Dell Wireless 1501 (802.11 b/g/n 1×1); Dell Wireless 1530 (802.11 a/g/n 2×2)

The Latitude E5420 has a durable Tri-Metal casing that offers a brushed aluminum finish for a nice look and a lighter device. The keyboard is spill resistant and there is now an LCD bumper that helps forma seal when the LCD is closed. Additionally, the hinges are made of steel and the underside of the laptop is powder coated to help prevent scratches. The base unit could only be bent minimally with considerable strength. The hand resting area and the base plate on the compact chassis lie firmly attached. Merely the area under the optical drive is a weak spot as usual, which dents considerably with the application of pressure. The base of the keys of the Latitude E5420 is generally firm, and provides the user with a firm end stop (not hard). The keys are pleasantly grippy. Merely the keys above the optical drive (;, ', [) are a little bouncy when pushing them hard. Modern connectivity is provided by twin Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort mode. These versatile ports can connect to a variety of USB-C or Thunderbolt devices, can charge the laptop, and can power an external monitor. The 3DMark2006 benchmark, as an evaluation of the general gaming performance, reached a score of 3.330 points. The 2010 Intel HD generation (also integrated into the CPU), only scored 1.500 points on average (depending on the CPU +/- 200 points). This speaks for an improved gaming performance. The extent of this is described in detail in the article Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics solution. Also see the data sheet for the HD Graphics 3000.The benchmark PCMark Vantage determined a score of 4.832 points. This level is below that of older systems with the Core i3-380M ( Samsung RV511: 5.432) or the i3-370M ( Samsung SF510). The cause of this is the low HDD Sub-Score (2.582 points), which should actually be higher with a 7200 rpm hard disc (fast turning). Although we have the minimal version in terms of the configuration, the 14 inch notebook isn't exactly cheap at 837 Euros. For the sake of comparison, the Acer alternative, in the form of the Aspire 3750 (13.3 inch) with an identical configuration plus Bluetooth and a bigger hard drive, only costs a mere 599 Euros. The question is whether the more affordable Aspire is actually a real alternative? We aim to find out.

When it comes to the system noise, Dell's 14 inch notebook is definitely acceptable although with some shortcomings. When in an idle state, or when performing simple tasks such as surfing the web, the cooling fan goes off for longer periods of time. We did measure an idle system noise of 32.8 dB(A) though. The noise that was measured by our noise meter comes from a fast turning hard disc (7200 rpm, base noise). The active noise level lies at 33.2 dB(A). performance is even worse. The Core i7-10610U has Intel’s ancient UHD graphics solution. It’s entirely inadequate for modern games or 3D applications. You shouldn’t expect to play any 3D game sold in the last five years, and even big budget titles from a decade ago can struggle at higher detail settings. Nothing about the Latitude 5420 suggests it might be a good laptop for anything unrelated to work, so perhaps it’s no surprise the display fails to hold up. The Dell Latitude 5420 is not entirely hopeless. It has a great keyboard, excellent connectivity, and good battery life.

Office rooms are more mobile than ever, most of the time users only need their data, and these are always available at hand on the small folding computer. What is less important when it comes to use are performance and high-end features, instead 'mobility, productivity, and robustness' are more pertinent. It is precisely these characteristics with which Dell is marketing its newest business spouse; the Latitude E5420.

Estimated valueis Dell’s estimate of product value based on industry data, including the prices at which third-party retailers have offered or valued the same or comparable products, in its most recent survey of major online and/or off-line retailers. Third-party retailer data may not be based on actual sales. All pictures we use are generic manufacturer pictures. We do not supply any restore disks with our laptops. All laptops come with a power supply.. Estimated value is Dell’s estimate of product value based on industry data, including the prices at which third-party retailers have offered or valued the same or comparable products, in its most recent survey of major online and/or off-line retailers. Third-party retailer data may not be based on actual sales.As a real deal business notebook the Latitude E5420 can offer everything that can be wished for when it comes to communication technologies. Since we opted for the Basic-Version, the tested device contains neither Bluetooth or an HSDPA module. The corresponding mini PCIe slots (2x) next to the antenna and the SimCard slot are of course available. That beats other long-lasting Windows laptops we’ve recently tested, such as Lenovo’s Yoga 9i and the Razer Book 13. Most owners can expect the Latitude 5420 to endure a full workday of constant use on the go. These results come with an important caveat. Dell has updated the Latitude 5420 with models that offer new Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics. We haven’t tested the Latitude 5420 in this configuration, but we have tested laptops with similar hardware. We expect the new models to provide a small boost in processor performance and a significant boost in graphics performance. A 63 watt-hour battery powers the Dell Latitude 5420. That’s not massive, but it feels above average in 2021. Most premium and luxury laptops have cut battery size in an effort to reduce weight.