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Is the lid of the M6400 made out of metal ?

Discussion in 'Dell Latitude, Vostro, and Precision' started by wearetheborg, Feb 26, 2009.

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  1. weirdo81622

    weirdo81622 Notebook Evangelist

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    The E series latitudes and the smaller precisions are all made out of magnesium alloy (in the chassis, which is the frame of the base). The lid is part magnesium alloy, finished with plastic. The palmrest is plastic.

    On the M6400, I'm pretty sure the majority (chassis, lid) are an aluminum alloy. I'm not sure about the palmrest, though. Probably plastic.
     
    weirdo81622, Feb 27, 2009
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  2. yellowlt4

    yellowlt4 Notebook Consultant

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    The LCD cover on the E6500 is magnesium alloy on the back with a small strip across the top being made out of plastic for the antenna's and the trim ring around the LCD front is also plastic. The E6500 has alot magnesium alloy in its chassis and LCD cover. Very solid, well built system.
     
    yellowlt4, Feb 27, 2009
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  3. afhstingray

    afhstingray Notebook Prophet

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    yes, this has already been confirmed on this forum several times, most notably one poster disassembled his unit and scratched the inside with a pin, it was all shiny, confirming without any doubt that it is indeed, metal.

    also, on the inside of the panels for the M4400 and latitudes, you can see the magnesium recycle logo.

    palmrest and screen bezel are plastic, they dont need to be metal as plastic saves weight and when the unit is being transported the rigid metal base,. frame, and lcd back panel provide ample protection.

    i stood on my m4400 and noticed very little flex, even when shifting my weight
     
    afhstingray, Feb 27, 2009
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  4. wearetheborg

    wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso

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    Was the entire basecover also metal ? On the M6400, it seems like the cover plate above the sodimm slots and fan intakes is plastic.
     
    wearetheborg, Feb 27, 2009
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  5. afhstingray

    afhstingray Notebook Prophet

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    im not 100% sure about the M6400, but the literature leads me to believe so. why dont you try removing it?

    the slot covers on my inspiron 8600 which i thought were plastic actually turned out to be aluminium, i realised this only after the paint started peeling off 3 years after i bought it lol. i expected it to be plastic since the base of that particular model was plastic. difficult to tell unless u open it up, because of the finish/coatings that are applied.
     
    afhstingray, Feb 27, 2009
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  6. wearetheborg

    wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso

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    I will one day when I upgrade the RAM.

    I havent read the service manual, the plate in question does not seem to have any screws, so I'm afraid of scratching up a new system :D

    I'm actually quite sure about it being plastic. It does not conduct heat well, as compared to the lid, and the metal chassis.
     
    wearetheborg, Feb 27, 2009
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  7. Dell-Mano_G

    Dell-Mano_G Company Representative

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    The big door on the bottom is magnesium.
     
    Dell-Mano_G, Feb 28, 2009
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  8. wearetheborg

    wearetheborg Notebook Virtuoso

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    Confirmed, the big door on the bottom is also metal :)

    It really is a very sturdy laptop :)
     
    wearetheborg, Mar 9, 2009
    #18
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