Dell Latitude D620 With Core Duo 2.0GHz Processor Review (pics, specs)

by Chris Jenkins

Overview and Introduction:

The Dell D620 setup (view large image)

Following is a review of the Dell Latitude D620 laptop, a 14.1" widescreen business model notebook released earlier this year by Dell. The D620 being reviewed here has the following configuration as customized online via Dell.com:

• Processor: Intel Core Duo T2500, 2.00Ghz
• Screen: 14.1" WXGA+ Wide Screen
• Memory: 1.0GB, DDR2-667, 1 DIMM
• Graphics: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• HD: 100GB Hard Drive 9.5mm SATA 7200RPM
• Input: Touchpad with UPEK fingerprint reader
• OS: Windows XP Pro, SP2
• 65W AC Adapter
• 8x DVD+/-RW
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1490 Dual Band WLAN (a/g) Mini Card, Dell Wireless 350 Bluetooth
• Battery: 9-cell (85WHr) Primary Battery
• Warranty: Next Business Day Parts and Labor with Complete Care Accidental Damage 3 years 6 cell (48WHr) Modular Bay Battery
• Accessories also purchased: D/Dock Docking Station, D/Port Replicator Docking Station,Dell UltraSharp 2007FPW 20.1-inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD Monitor
• Price: $2617.20 with all above mentioned items (Approximately $1,748.20 for the laptop, minus docking stations and LCD)

D620 in its docking station (view large image)

Reasons for Buying:

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Several circumstances drove my need to purchase this laptop. To begin with, my XP 1700+ custom built desktop was aging into the 6-year range and was not quite keeping up with everything I was throwing at it. I was also thinking a few months down the road to when I would be leaving for a four year university and needing something more portable than a desktop system.

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In my evaluation of laptops, the Dell D620 was actually not even a thought. I was originally evaluating the newLenovo ThinkPadZ60 series as well as the Asus W3V. Being the unrelenting person I am, I had several criteria for my new laptop:

It absolutely, positively, had to:

• Have a modular bay battery option (or a primary battery that would last six hours)
• Have a widescreen in ~ 14"
• Have a modular optical option
• Be less than 6 lbs
• Be of sturdy build

In the exhaustive searching I did for a laptop that met these requirements, only the IBM Z series and Asus W3V stuck out. Both of these laptops were attractive, but expensive. That was, at least, until the Dell D620 came out. It instantly caught my eye because of it meeting (and beating) all of my requirements with a price tag of several hundred dollars less than theLenovo or Asus. Also, my employer committed to purchasing the expansion station so I could use my new wonder machine at work with dual screens. This essentially gave me a business workstation with two screens while docked, a home system with one wide screen while docked, and a nice portable computing solution while away from home or work.

Where and How Purchased:

When I was 13, I began to sell, build, and service computers (both custom builds and Dell manufactured). As a result, I used my corporate "Premier" account to get a steep discount. This allowed me to add a docking station for home as well as the 20.1" Wide Screen LCD I had been coveting for some time. All in all, a steal of a deal ($2,617).

Build & Design:

My first impression on opening this up was the sturdy build and sleek professional appearance. This laptop is definitely built to last. The screen does not flex near as much as other similar laptops nor does it feel cheap. It has a strong "solid" feel to it. Professionalism is the name of the game and this plays with a new tenacity. It has a dark but not too dark look that can speak either "businessman" or "relaxed but confident"

Additional upsides are the StrikeZone hard drive technology used by Dell to secure the hard drive, the magnesium-alloy casing, and steel hinges. All of these options contribute to real life stability and ruggedness that I was looking for. I'm absolutely thrilled with both the build and design of this laptop.

Top view of D620 with extended life 9-cell battery in the front (view large image)

Screen:

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Being a particularly picky person, I originally wished I could have ordered the "TruLife" screen. You know, that super glossy, great for DVD watching screen that everyone's been talking about. I'm now actually glad I didn't have the option because of glare and the constant reflection of your face. The D620 has a great screen that's fabulous as long as you aren't an avid graphics or DVD connoisseur. I'm a hard working person that likes to watch the occasional movie, and this works great for me. However, if you're a high school drop out watching movies all day, look to a multimedia crazed laptop for cool screens.

Speakers:

Sound is pretty darned good considering this is a business laptop with one small speaker in the rear left hand corner. It's not fabulous, but it works. You'll definitely need to use a good set of headphones for those movies or music.

The sound card features of the computer are actually exceptionally good. I dock the laptop at home as well as at work and the 2.1 speaker systems I have both sounds very good when plugged into the headphone jack on the left side of the computer. A little word of advice: the sound is "tinny" and very "small" when using the jack on any of Dell's docking stations. Obviously not a D620 issue, but worth mentioning. It took me a few minutes to figure that out.

Processor and Performance:

This new Intel Core Duo is my new best friend. At 2.0Ghz this EASILY outperforms any similar desktop system well into the 3.0 GHz level. I'm constantly running AutoCAD and AutoCAD like programs for work and this crunches through these tasks with ease. I also use Adobe Acrobat 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 Pro to view, edit, and print large files (60MB or larger) and it handles them exceptionally well.

Besides raw speed, the dual core option boosts performance when using two programs simultaneously. There is a slight but noticeable performance boost when you try to do two things at once.

Benchmarks:

Super Pi Results

Notebook	Time
Dell Latitude D620 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 13s
Compaq Presario V3000z (1.6GHz Turion64 X2)	1m 57s
Gateway M255 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 15s
Lenovo Z61m (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 16s
IBM ThinkPad T43 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s
IBM ThinkPad Z60m (2.0 GHz Pentium M)	1m 36s
Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)	1m 48s
Dell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	1m 52s
Dell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M)	2m 10s
HP Pavilion dv4000 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 39s
Asus V6Va (Pentium M 1.86 GHz)	1m 46s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s

HDTune Results

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PCMark05 Results

Futuremark PCMark05 Scores
	Dell Latitude D620 (2.0GHz, Intel Integrated Graphics)
Multithreaded Test 1 / File Compression	4.562 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 1 / File Encryption	24.237 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Text Edit	106.307 page/s
Multithreaded Test 2 / Image Decompression	23.875 MPixels/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Virus Scanning	34.672 MB/s
Multithreaded Test 3 / Memory Latency 16MB	7.647 MAccesses/s
File Decryption	49.947 MB/s
HDD (XP Startup)	6.547 MB/s
Web Page Rendering	2.755 pages/s
Physics and 3D	74.777 fps
2D Transparent Windows	190.279 windows/s
HDD (General Useage)	4.311 MB/s

Heat and Noise:

To be quite honest, I anticipated a significant heat and noise problem mostly as a result of the speedy Core Duo Processor and 100GB 7200rpm SATA hard drive. The heat starts to get noticeable after the computer has been running average tasks for about four to five hours. Fortunately the heat never seems to reach the palm rest or any other "top" area of the laptop. Over the past month of using this laptop, I never recall an instance in which heat was an issue or concern.

This computer sits on my desk in a docking station for 14 hours per day and I can barely hear it. What a world of difference over my Dell desktop unit that sounded like a 747 Jumbo Jetin comparison. A little sidenote on the hard drive: I noticed in the BIOS that there is an option to use a quiet hard drive mode as opposed to normal. The normal mode boosts performance while the quiet mode decreases the noticeable noise produced by the hard drive. The normal mode is not loud at all, so that's what I selected. The quiet mode makes the hard drive virtually undetectable.

Keyboard and Touchpad:

If I could add one input device on this laptop, it would be the vertical and horizontal scroll on the touchpad similar to those featured on the Inspiron 6000 and E1505. Other than that one complaint the touchpad is great. You can use software in the control panel to adjust and fine tune the speed and sensitivity of the touchpad to your needs.

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Every laptop should, in my opinion, have both a touchpad and an eraser head. But the D620 took the eraser head to a whole new level. Instead of having a hard "eraser" type of head, Dell installed a soft rubbery feeling head. What a novel idea! While I prefer the touchpad, the occasional use of the eraser head is a pleasurable experience thanks to this new innovation.

Input and Output Ports:

Nothing really significant here, just a listing of normal ports:

PC Card: One Type I or Type II

I/O Ports: Serial, docking connector, 4 USB, VGA, headphone/speaker out, infrared port, RJ-11, RJ-45, AC power, integrated microphone , infrared

Back view of Latitude D620 (view large image)

Left side view of D620 (view large image)

Right side of D620 (view large image)

Don't expect an S-Video connection or DVI as they are no where to be found. The DVI is no big surprise, but I'm unsure as to why the S-Video was chopped at the drawing phase. Make sure that projector has VGA support and you have an extra VGA cable on hand for those last minute presentations.

Wireless:

Dell has added some features in the wireless arena that previously only IBM has given consumers. Now with the D620 you have the capability of having either the Verizon (EVDO) or Cingular (HSDPA) data networks built into the laptop; no additional cards needed. That's great for you road warrior salesman that need internet everywhere.

Standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work exceptionally well. Wi-Fi reception is average, but very strong. No seemingly odd disconnects or slow downs to speak of. I've used the Bluetooth to connect to my Microsoft wireless mouse with relative ease. No complaints here!

Battery:

I've heard rumors of users complaining of the "extended" profile of the 9-cell primary battery. In my experience, this 9 cell extension on the front of the computer is actually welcome over the 6 cell. The extension offers a 0.9" palm rest when using the touchpad for extended periods of time. Frankly, I won't be trading out my 9 cell any time soon.

I can get around 3hr 30min markwith Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, and screen on level 3 or 4 using the 9 cell. Reports from other users that have the 6 cell put similar usage at 2hrs 30min. If I use both the 9 cell primary and 6 cell modular batteries I can get 6-7 hrs doing normal tasks. On a full charge Windows XP reports I can get 9 hrs 40 minutes. When university classes start this fall I'm going to be able to use my laptop all day without a recharge. That's a huge bonus!

Word of wisdom: when ordering, get the 90W AC Adapter in order to take advantage of the Express Charge feature. Express Charge allows you to recharge a 4 or 6 cell battery to 80% in about an hour and to 100% in just two hours if the computer is off. I learned this the hard way by ordering the 65W adapter and then finding out. However, if you're trying to save space and weight, the 90W adapter is a tad bigger.

Operating System and Software:

Dell is kind enough to offer up the Pro version of Windows XP meaning I don't have to get a license for it somewhere else.

However, big strike on the Wave EMBASSY Trust Suite by Wave Systems. This software is slow, buggy, and I could hardly get it to work. When I initially got the computer, I was very interested in the bio metric features so it was the first thing I tested out. I "enrolled" all of my fingers in the software, enabled the bio metrics only for Windows login, and rebooted. And guess what, it locked me out of Windows because it couldn't recognize the print of any of my fingers. Needless to say, after a system format and a few minutes of frustration, I wasn't about to try that again.

Kudos to Dell for finally cutting all the adware installs that forces everyone to format or spend hours cleaning their factory windows installation. I believe this is something Dell has started to implement on all orders for business type equipment and not just corporate orders.

Customer Support:

Dell's customer support has always pulled through for me, which is part of the reason I got the CompleteCare warranty this time around. My employer's wife had a Dell D600 (older model) with CompleteCare. Time went on and she had an issue which I can't seem to recall, but after one quick support call Dell sent out a replacement D610. The new D610 had more features, a new nylon bag, a 90W AC Adapter, and a USB mouse. The D610 has had several claims on it as a result of several accidental damaging and both times Dell has fixed it no questions asked.

I have 100% confidence in Dell's warranty and that's really what sold me. I know that if my laptop heads south for the winter Dell will have a new one on my doorstep the next business day. And best of all, I won't have to fight them for it.

Conclusion:

I can honestly say without hesitation that I highly recommend this laptop to just about anyone seeking a light, powerful, business laptop. The D620 has been a great machine for me so far, and I am counting on it to continue to serve me well into the next four years.

My only regret is spending more money on docking stations and the new LCD when I could have just saved that money and got, say, one docking station. After it was all said and done, that was bad planning on my part and had nothing to do with the laptop. I am very pleased with this purchase.

 

Excellent review.

How did you toggle the BIOS on the hard drive?

You can actually configure your touchpad for vertical and horizontal scrolling.

Battery life is excellent with the Intel VRAM; there is a price to pay for using the NVIDIA.

What was the manufacturer of your screen? Notice any light leakage or limited vertical viewing angle? I had that issue with the LG, personally.

 

Nice review.

I've been using a D620 since the model was launched. I love it. My D620 (second unit I got about a month ago) specs are T2400 1.83 CPU, 1GB RAM, 80GB 7200RPM HD, Intel 3945 wifi, WXGA+ 1440x900 screen, Nvidia Quadro NVS 110M video, Bluetooth, CDROM (have a DVDRW from my D820 to share with). I paid $1120 WITH tax for this config. I think you paid way too much at $2600+ even with a 20" LCD and your docking station. I paid $45 on eBay for a D/Dock expansion unit with the matching monitor stand.

 

Nice review.

I was actually considering a D620 before I got my Thinkpad Z61t. The one thing that I notice is alot of new laptops dont have s-video. Like the T60 or the D620...but the z61t does.

I was hoping for a 3DMark 2005 score, but I understand since it has a GMA950 chip and not made for highend gaming. The construction of the D620 sounds great as well. They only thing I dont like about the Dell is the extended battery in the front, looks out of place. But other than that, looks nice.

 

It doubles as a wrist rest, and I prefer its configuration over the protrusion from the back (no use at all from that location).

 

Just a quick question:

In the screen section there, I have a similar problem with really bad back light leaking. That Pic seems to show a huge amount there, almost a 3rd of the screen....is that glare? Or is it really bad back light uniformity? Doesnt it bother you?

 

Well, not to be arguementative, but having a long life battery extend from the back of the laptop raises the laptop, giving better air flow and raising the screen, which gives a slightly better view. Also, keyboards are easier to type on when they're angeled.

Good review, by the way... thanks!

 

Eraserhead. Will be nice if I can pull it off and use it on the next test where I forget an eraser.

Anyway I really dislike the Latitude look. Everything is nice except the look of it blah.

 

thanks for the review sir.

 

When did you get your D620 BA? I had some problems with light leakage with a pre-production review model I got but Dell indicated to me they've fixed this issue via some tweaks to the LCD settings in recent production units.

 

Very good review! I think the notebook was a bit overpriced though.

 

I'm not sure when you bought the laptop but the Asus w3j currently costs $1800 which isn't much more than what you paid for the D620 but at the same time the w3j comes with an ati x1600 which could allow it to play games or even use vista in the future. Just wondering why you ended up choosing the dell even though the d620 and the w3j(v?) pretty much cost the same.

 

You got that with discount? It is WAY over priced. I got mine, spec below, for $1468.

 

I think some of you are missing the part where he upgraded to 3-years of CompleteCare and next day service not return to depot. He also bought the modular bay battery from Dell, which is overpriced though as you can get one for less than $50US on ebay.

The W3J is great for gamers who need the X1600, but a complete waste for more casual gamers since it lowers battery life pretty significantly from integrated or low-end graphics. The notebook itself is also heavier, no pointing stick, no high res screen option, no docking station. Even with the modular bay battery the W3J wouldn't last over 6 hours on battery, 5 hours would be pushing it.

About the Dell pointing stick, it's a welcome change but it's not anything innovative. Both HP and IBM/Lenovo have been using the rubbery dimpled cap for a while now, and for Thinkpads they actually give you 3 different caps (Classic Dome, Soft Dome, and Soft Rim). Dell is still behind by not offering a three button pointing stick, the middle button doubles as a scroll button and is really useful.

 

I got a new D620 too and it is 3 days old.

I got it for $1029 with 3 yr warranty. Plus 5% rebate from Discover knock it down $50 less.

I have to tell you the screen is not as good as my Inspiron 6000. Light leakage at the bottom and also there is a band of whiteness in the middle and just a little dimmer at the top and bottom.

Luckly, I didnt get the integrated graphic and I got mo option to pump up the brightness and hopefully not so wash out.

I like the design and feel of the D620, the USB and power cord are at the back. Dont like power cord on the side. It is good enough for me to carry around.

 

It looks like a great business notebook, and your config seemed fast! I love the "eraser head" I had one on an old notebook and I used it a lot! It's so fun to play with, and was eassier for me to use then the touchpad. Great review!
~Arman

 

I wonder if you didn't benchmark using 3DMark05. I understand you're not into gaming but I am curious about the effect of having a single stick of 1GB RAM as opposed to most people which use matched pairs for dual-channel. I guess FutureMark05 might say something about it, but I haven't been able to locate a similar machine (same CPU and using 950 integrated graphics) which has that benchmark.

 

Hey, for those of you who have this laptop, could you tell me if the keyboard is quiet? I may buy one for college and I have to make sure I can type with it in college w/o being loud and annoying people. That means the keyboard has to be near silent! Thanks

 

I also got 3 year CompleteCare and next day service. I maxed out on everything except cpu and smaller 6 cell battery. I didn't get the modular bay battery though.

 

Keyboard could be better in terms of noise. Maybe it's just the way I type, but you'll definately get some clickly clacks, but it's not as loud as a normal keyboard and shouldn't really be too big of a problem. I haven't been getting any dirty looks-- yet. Also regarding the keyboard, to me it feels like the most fragile part of the machine.

 

Good review. I will add my observations and affirmations.

I am an IT Manager at a mid-sized software company. Recently I picked up 4 D620's for image development and other testing (ie, new notebook for me). 2 of them were the 2.16GHz Duo, 60GB 7200rpm, 1GB, Intel video, without bluetooth, 9-cell battery with media-bay battery. The other 2 had 80GB 7200rpm drives, bluetooth, nVidia and the regular battery. I did not get the fingerprint reader on any of them.

The reviewer is correct about battery life. With the intel video, the 9-cell+media battery provides a solid 8.5+ hours of battery life. I sat in a meeting for 2 days just after receiving the machine and never even got concerned about battery life. I just charged it overnight. A few days ago I swapped my 9-cell battery and HDD into one of the nVidia machines, hoping to enjoy better graphics and bluetooth, but I had to plug in after about 3.5 hours, even with the extended battery and media battery. That's poor. I swapped everything back the next day and now I am happy again. The nVidia absolutely eats power. I can't stress this enough. If battery life is important, get the Intel video card.

I felt the screen on my D610 was superior. Both are definitely "business" screens, though.

I very much dislike the both pointing devices. The rubber eraser head is too slick, so I had to switch it with the fuzzy one from my D610. The touchpad is lousy compared to that of my Mac Powerbook G4 or even my old HP N610C.

It does not fit into my old 1998 LL Bean notebook bag, but that is to be expected. I have to slide it in sideways, but the strap does not lock it in there. I ordered an Ogio Metroid today to resolve the problem. I needed a new bag anyway. I have yet to travel with it.

I could do without the smart card reader. The D420 and XPS have SD card slots. I would MUCH rather have SD (camera, treo...)

It was tough to give up my D610. I had one of those at my old company and a contract job prior to my current job. I was 3/3 with great machines, but I think the 620 is a worthy successor.

BTW, I have a premier account, but got an additional couple hundred off because of an end-of-month deal in July.

 

this is the last computer i am buying from dell ever, after 7 years of over 10 machines bought and dozens purchased for others I am throwing this machine (d620) to the trash can. It makes very loud noise, stop errors daily, a few of the ports don't work and it is the slowest machine I ever had, dell already replaced the motherboard 3 times. can you imagine that? replace your motherboard so many times for a brand new laptop? Dell customer support refuses to refund or exchange, and during the last few years went from so so to unbearable and the past year using this machine was a total nightmare, this morning phone call was the straw, after mocking my last name and doing nothing to help but suggesting I have bad luck and maybe it was an act of god that this model sucks so bad I was refused help. this review is going everywhere possible, please stay away if you want to be productive get something else unfortunately I cant recommend anything else either.