Dell Latitude D420 Review (pics, specs)

I expect you would search before asking for help....

Here's your answer: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=1520750&postcount=2

Sysmark04, MobileMark05 and WebMark benchmarks results will come later on...

 

I'm really having a tough time deciding between the U1300 and the U2500. I'm not sure that I'll see the difference in a faster processor, given the slow HDDs in the D420. Ultimately, I think I'll probably go for the Core Solo because of the markedly longer battery life.

 

I don't recall encountering any slowdowns and I can no longer go back to U1300 as I have already upgraded to U2500.

As for battery mode, it normally hovers around 800 MHz. If you feel this is too slow for your taste (actually, it annoys the hell out of me), you can always use Notebook Hardware Control to push the CPU to use maximum speed.

Come to think of it, I used to have Office 2003 Pro SR2 on my older Dell Latitude C600 running at P3-850 MHz and it runs quite smoothly, let alone running on a Core Solo 1.06 GHz...

 

Our business has decided to go U2500 despite the battery drains [moderately] faster. This is taking into consideration of future application's multi-threading capabilities and that this system must last at least 3 years. Multi-threading is not a big deal to us but it could nonetheless benefits to some degree if not a lot. Of course, our remedy to the battery drainage issue is to provide D420 users both 4-cell and 9-cell batteries. This of course we plan to "bully" Dell to provide all without extra cost...

 

I saw that diagram before, but perhaps you misunderstood my post. I'm talking about real world benchmarks and not synthetic base benchmarks like PC Mark 2005. Synethic benchmarks have no real meaning to me as I don't want to know the theoretical performance of the processor.

 

How did the 800mhz speed in battery mode annoyed you? I wish I could get the U1400 1.2ghz version, but it's not available. I'm not planning to watch any movies or play any games. This is strictly a Microsoft office machine and maybe watch a DVD streamed here and then. As long as there isn't any slowdown, like none whatsoever then I'll be happy.

I'm just wondering if you have tried running the Office 2007 beta on a U1300?

I'm not looking to futureproof my machine right now. This is more of a interim notebook. I plan on getting a Santa Rosa base platform when it does come out.

 

Heh, psychologically, I feel I wasn't getting my money's worth for buying a 1.2 GHz but can only use 800 MHz. Maybe it's the slow 1.2 GHz speed that already irritates me...

No I haven't. Office 2003 Pro is the only one I ran..and am currently using.

 

Thanks for your input. You're swaying me towards going with the Core Duo.

I asked in another thread if anyone knows whether the the optional 80GB hard drive is one of the new perpendicular drives and, if so, whether that might improve the performance of these otherwise slow 1.8" drives. Do you know what they're shipping with?

 

Yes, the hard disk of 80 GB is the perpendicular tech. (TOSHIBA MK8009GAH) I just received my system yesterday with a U2500, Samsung LCD, 80 GB Hard. The 80 GB hard has better transfer speed than the 30 GB or 60 GB. I ran HD Tune 2.52, and starts with max speed of 25.4MB/s in the beginning. The average transfer rate is 20.0 MB/s. I think this is very good compared to the 60 GB models which were around 15 MB/s. Access time is slow 19.8 ms. I will miss the regular 2.5 inch hitachi 7k100 100 GB models which showed 40 MB/s average.

 

Excellent, thanks. I'm about to place my order.

 

Does anyone know the difference to the advertised MK8007GAH which can be found on Toshibas Homepage (8009 is not listed yet...)?

 

I replaced my X300 with a D420. Still having mixed feelings. I'm getting used to the slower HD speed, but the hardware feels much sturdier and well put together than the X300 which would twist and bend like nothing else.

I have the core solo in it now, with a 60 gig HD. Kind of disspointed with the lack of speed increase with the core duo compared to the solo, as I was considering trying to get an upgraded CPU. (one poster did this - how?)

Alternatively/Additionally, upgrading the HD to 80 gig might increase speed as the HD is ALWAYS blinking on this thing. Or maybe just wait till the 1.8'' HDs get better......

Any thoughts/comments on how I might pump some more power into this thing?

 

http://sdd.toshiba.com/main.aspx?Pa...00002c38/818200000cfc000000010000659c00002e88

8009 is 3 gramms lighter, has up to 5% higher data transfer rate and 8MB buffer (vs 2/8 MB of 8007). Looks like a slightly better version of 8007.

 

For those interested in the Dell D420 with the U2500, these numbers are as follows:

Idle, Lowest Brightness, Wi-Fi On: around 8.5w
Idle, Medium Brightness, Wi-Fi On: around 10w
Idle, Max Brightness, Wi-Fi On: around 11.5w

I think it's funny that the U2500 eventually hits 50 degrees even if idling. But even if the fan goes on, it's still a very quite notbook.

 

There are two more reviews of D420:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=3362

http://www.vnunet.com/personal-computer-world/hardware/2163509/dell-latitude-d420

 

Hi all, I've been using this laptop over a month.

Good things:

I love the build quality, zero heat comming from the palmrest, perfect screen size, screen quality (I have a samsung) with no grainy looks, light weight.


Now for the disappointing things:

1. Extreme heat comming from the bottom-back-right near the CPU. Not as hot as the apple cheap books, but it is hot. The small heatspread aluminium plate and the tiny fan doesn't seem to do a good job. This makes some noise enabeling the fan on most times. It gets especially hot during AC plugged mode. I think some kind of problem in the BIOS energy saving mode. It seems like it is running the CPU in full performance mode (even though no tasks are actually running, CPU 0%-1%) when plugged.

2. The speaker and the integrated mic are placed too close with eachother. When I talk using skype voice call, the opponent complains that they can hear their own voice comming back like an echo.

3. The battery life is bad. It doesn't get so hot as when the power is plugged, but it gets somewhat hot near the CPU. I think the battery power is getting wasted in form of all that heat. I have a 6 cell battery, and it only lasts around 3.5 hours. Wireless on, almost no activity, screen brightness in the below medium) This is an Ultra low voltage, not a regular CoreDuo! A regular CoreDuo T2300 (inspiron e1405) lasts 4 hours. The e1405 also has the same integrated same graphics, with bigger screen which should consume more electricity, uses a regular T2300, uses 2.5 inch hards, I mean, whats wrong with our D420? (or maybe just mine?) I know that the battery itself even if it is a 6 cell, it has smaller capacity, but still, with all those power saving components, I think it should last longer than this.


My system configuration: U2500, 1.5GB RAM, 80GB HDD.

By the way, I ran HDTune on the 80 GB hard disk, Average 19.9 MB/sec, Access time 19.2 ms, Burst 54.8 MB/sec. I guess it's not that bad for a 1.8 inch hdd.

 

This thread over on thinkpads.com has some of my notes on the D420...

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=30382

 

Can somebody tell me what will be the difference between 65W and the 90W A/C adapters - chargers. Do I need the 90W one to be able to use the “quick charge mode”.
Thanks in advance!

 

Yes, you will want the 90 watt for quick charging. There are really big difference in charge speed between these two. I usually carry a 65W in my back pack, and have 90W at home. I come home during lunch time, and get a quick charge.

 

This is odd--the Order Details for my D420 list an 80Wh 9-cell battery....(Module,Battery,Primary,80WH 9C,Sony)

 

Thank you for all the comments and reviews. This is a truly wonderful forum.

In my case, I have a particular question. I have a Dell D410 and I am trying to decide whether it is an upgrade to get the D420 duo core. I create a lot of presentations and do web page editing. So, while not a hard number cruncher, i do a lot of photo editing and document manipulation for this work.

I find the D410 to be a marginal performer with 1GB RAM. I often wait for the system to catch up with what I want it to do. So, I would like something that would keep up with me.

The D420 worries me. The clock speed on the Duo is slower than the clock speed on the D410 processor. The slow rotation on the disk drive scares the heck out of me. And. I can only put in 1.5 GB RAM.

So, assuming that money was not an objection here, would I have a faster system if I get more RAM for the D410? (I wonder if I can upgrade the CPU) Or, should I get the 1.5GB RAM, 80MB disk, Duo Core 420? Between the two, which is faster? (Please do not propose other systems. My company has standardized on Dell and I won't go bigger than the D410 that I have now.)

Thank you.

 

Stick with your D410. Wait for the next series instead. Hopefully it won't be as bad as the D420.

No, you cannot upgrade the CPU because Dell no longer sells the D410. You stuck at where you are!

Check out these benchmarks I made a while back:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=76390&highlight=sysmark

btw, what's worst is the fact that the D420 costs more than the D410.

 

Quick question....when you close your D420, does it close snug or is there a little play between the lid and base?

 

Some of our D420's are like that. I guess its normal. We are corporate; most of our users don't care much

heh...keep in mind it is a Dell, so it's normal. Afterall, you're buying the build of a Yugo at the price of a Mercedes.

 

elleirdad,

it seems that you need other performance level than ULV processor and 1,8" HDD of D420 can provide. Dell XPS M1210 (without graphic card) or other subnotebook with core duo (not core duo ULV) and faster 2,5" HDD is what you need.

D420 is a successor of Latitude X1 rather than D410, so it is designed for other needs than yours (high battery life, low weight, high mobility, typical office applications).

Please check which hard disk do you have in your D410. Upgrading it to a faster one (like 7200 rpm) and adding more RAM could be helpful to make it faster for your applications. I don't think that processor is your bottleneck, unless you're running many processor intense applications simultaneously (in this case core duo would help).

 

Dang, I was hoping for near-Thinkpad build quality! My D420 from the Outlet has suffered from a bent battery latch and the lid not closing snug.... I've though about returning it, but I picked it up for a grand maxed out w/ a 3 year warranty--I don't think I could come close to that for a Thinkpad or anything else comparable

 

Will the disk controller on the D410 take a 7200RPM disk? I always wondered if the rotational speed might confuse things.

 

The controller doesn't have anything to do with the rotation speed of the hard disk. Just make sure you get the correct interface hard disk for your laptop. D410 uses a parallel ATA (PATA) while lots of these days laptops use serial ATA (SATA). About the PATA and SATA, there isn't any really noticeable difference in performance. But there is a big performance difference between 4200 rpm and 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm. Get a 7200 rpm. I used to have a D410 with 7200 rpm hitachi 7k60 on it. Runs fast. Now I'm using a D420, with a 1.8 inch hard disk, and I can feel it is slow. I wish the Thinkpad x60 series had a higher resolution screen, then I would have went for a Thinkpad.

 

ITwins-

One more question about the D420...have you heard a high pitched 'processing' sound coming from the bottom vent next to the wifi catcher? The sound is constant but stops when scrolling down a web page?????

 

How do I turn off bluetooth?
The light is always on and it might conserve battery if I turn it off.
Does Dell come with any software that allow me to do that?


Thanks in advance,
soda

 

The Dell "QuickSet" software included should do it...I don't have bluetooth but there are options to control bluetooth in the QuickSet software.

 

Thanks, Quickset does manage both WiFi and bluetooth.
However, it only has the option to turn on/off both or just one to the hardware switch.
I wish I could turn on/off instantly with hot keys or through software.


Regards,
soda

 

I have recently bought myself a D420. After using it for a few weeks, and playing with considerable options, I cannot seem to get it down to the discharge rates mentioned on Page 7 of this thread. Here are the specs of my machine:

• U2500 - 1.2Ghz Core Duo
• 1.5GB RAM
• 80GB HDD
• Clean install of XP Pro
• Disabled whole bunch of services in XP
• Software such as Nod32 and Outpost Firewall

So after playing around, here are the discharge rates that I can achieve.

• Playing MP3s with screen off - 10.3W
• Idle min brightness - 12.0W
• Idle max brightness - 14.3W

What is greatly disappointing about this laptop is the power draw. The laptop does everything I want it to do, is sturdy and the screen looks good. However, it does not last anywhere near the rated battery life. There is no way I can get the rated battery life out of my laptop given the discharge rates. I am lucky to squeeze 5 hours out of the laptop with the screen at min brightness all the time and the CPU locked at 6x multiplier (800Mhz) all the time.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I should start to see if I can lower the discharge rate? I would particularly be interested if one of the people who listed their power consumption would tell me if they did anything special to get it that low. Thanks.

 

After a little bit more research, I found out my extra 1GB memory stick (in addition to the 512MB that is soldered on) contributes about 1.5W of power draw. Even with this factored into the equation, I still can't figure out why the discharge rate is so high.

Anyone care to comment?

 

Asus Z33Ae for the win I get 2:15 on my 3-cell (3.4 lbs) and 6:30 on my 9-cell (4.3lbs) at medium brightness. It's a little bit heavier then the X60 or the D420 because it has an optical drive, and a full sized 2.5" HD.

But that kind of battery life in that package with a 2.0 GHz P-M.... I'm not complaining.

Too bad it's a discontinued model, and the Z35 is a 13.3" instead of a 12.1" widescreen. They went bigger going from 12" regular ratio to 13.3" instead of going smaller..

 

I dont have discharge rates but I am averaging more about 3.7hours on the 6 cell battery and just under 6 hours on the 9 cell with the laptop alone.

I use the light sensor indoors and max outdoors. With the brightness on max and heavy business use I get 3 hours and 5 horus between the two batteries.

Watching movies or playing games at max brightness its about 4 hours and 20 minutes.

I dont have anything disabled. Its a spec'ed out machine with the intel wifi card. Wifi, bluetooth, IR controller, and USB/PCcard controllers are all on.

Have you cycled your batteries down yet? I always charge, drain to 0%, and charge 100% again to help windows PM learn the battery.

 

Not sure if anyone is still keeping track of the D420, but the BIOS was updated to A05 recently...

 

I know that this is kinda "old" thread, but didn't want to start a knew one ..

i just "upgraded" from dell X1, which is wonderful machine, however lacked any kind of docking port .. which became quite essential to me .. so I bought D420.. but with dual core U2500 1,2 GHz...

the problem is, that when docked the CPU gets very fast over 50° . even if idling@ 800MHz .. which triggers the fan ...

since this noise drives me crazy .. and after I got accustomed to the total silence of my X1, I'm considering downgrade to core solo U1300 ..

technically speaking TDP of U2500 is 9W wheres TDP of U1300 is just 5,5 W, so it should not emit that much heat that could eventually trigger the fan ..

the question for those of you having D420 with core sole is, whether the fan goes on under regular working conditions that often ?

 

Its piezoelectricity. Its something that has plagued intel processors of late. There are a few fixes. Enabling bus mastering devices like bluetooth or the wifi controller helps reduce this by drawing a little more power. You can disable windows power management for these devices.

The problem is when the processor goes into low power mode. Apple actually disabled this very low power mode. I chose to deal with it and, surprisingly, it went away. Id rather have the 20 minutes of battery life.

 

Hello, My 60 GB disk feels very slow on the d420. It is a Toshiba MK6008GAH
HDtune averages 1.4MB/sec 20.6 access time 1.4MB/sec burst. throughput is 10x+ less than the 80GB below. Are all 60GB's this bad?
With SQLIO from microsoft I get
CUMULATIVE DATA:
throughput metrics:
IOs/sec: 158.13
MBs/sec: 0.30
Which is orders of magnitude away from a desktop I compared.

 

My 60gb was terrible, but not that terrible. You need to check in System if the drive reverted to PIO mode from DMA. See here:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/IDE-DMA.mspx