Dell Latitude E6400 First Look

<!--[if !mso]> <style> v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->by John Ratsey

Dell whetted our appetites for the new E-series Latitudes through some &quot;leaks&quot; at Engadget in March 2008. Among the features which caught my attention were the 14.1&quot; WXGA+ LED backlit display, a target entry weight of 2kg (4.25lb), an eSATA port and a backlit keyboard. Last year I ordered an M1330 a couple of weeks after launch but got bored by the wait and cancelled it, so this year I moved quickly and placed my order for an E6400 within a few hours of the launch.

The new E-series Latitudes use the Intel Montivena platform which includes power saving refinements to improve battery life. This first look at a production model of the E6400 gives a quick evaluation with particular attention to some aspects that have generated much discussion in our forums. The basic specifications of my Latitude E6400 are:

• Screen: 14-inch 1440 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit (matte finish)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB cache)
• Memory: 1GB DDR2-800 RAM
• Storage: 160GB 5400rpm HDD (Samsung HM160HI)
• Optical Drive: 9.5mm thick PLDS 8A2SDVD+/-RW
• Wireless: Intel 5100 802.11a/b/g/n
• Graphics: Intel X4500HD
• Backlit keyboard
• Express Card
• Built-in web camera and microphone
• Battery: 56Wh 6-cell
• Standard E series 90W PSU and optional slim 65W Auto/Air/AC adapter
• Dimensions: 335 x 244 x 33mm (including feet about 2mm long) or 13.2&quot; x 9.6&quot; x 1.3&quot;
• Weight: Actual weight 2.31kg 5.1 lbs (w/ 6 cell battery)
• WindowsVista Business with XP Pro downgrade

Configuration Selection

Deciding on the configuration is part of the fun with buying a Dell. I decided the P8600 processor was at the right point of the performance/value curve. I'm not into 3D games so the lower power consumption of the Intel GPU is my preference. The LED backlit WXGA+ screen was a must while the backlit keyboard will most likely come useful when I'm working somewhere when there's a power failure. The 160GB HDD was the best option on Dell's capacity/performance/value curve (I've already got a 320GB HDD which I'll move over). 1GB RAM looked the best pricing choice since I could get 2GB elsewhere for the cost of Dell's 1GB upgrade. I opted for the Express Card slot since I could, if necessary, get an adaptor to be able to use my old PC cards. I wanted a microphone and on the UK configuration the microphone and webcam come together. I wanted an internal 56k modem but this was not available as an option so I ordered a USB modem instead. Similarly Bluetooth was not available and I ordered a USB Bluetooth device from elsewhere (fine for me since I only use it occasionally). One option I did select was the 3-year extended warranty for the battery. In my experience a battery loses about half its capacity in about 18 months.

(view large image)

(By the way, the display brightness in the above picture was no brighter than 70%.)

Build and Design

My last Dell was a big and heavy Inspiron 8000. Dell focused more on the style of the new models and the E6400 has more charisma than its predecessor. I would have preferred a red one, but they currently aren't available. My initial impression on picking up the E6400 is that it feels solid. The paint finish is neither matte nor glossy but somewhere in between. The display back has a brushed metal finish to add a little style.

My E6400 on the scales (kg on left, lbs on right)
(view large image)

There has been considerable discussion about the weight of the E6400. My E6400 with its 6-cell battery, HDD and optical drive weighed in at 2.31kg (5lb 1.5oz) which is somewhat more than would be expected from the headline weight of 1.95kg with a 4-cell battery, SSD and weight saver module but somewhat less than a 2.55kg weight (albeit with 9-cell battery) reported elsewhere. Dell's datasheet for the D630 gives the weight as &quot;Starting at 4.47lbs (2.0kg) with 4-cell battery and Travel Lite module, Starting at 5.1 lbs (2.3kg) with 6-cell battery and CD-ROM drive&quot;. Therefore the E6400 shows little, if any improvement, in the weight compared to its predecessor. More investigation is needed into the obesity problem.

If hinge stiffness is an indicator of quality then this laptop is near the top of the list. Opening and adjusting the display is a two-handed job. The display back is metal alloy. I've tried pushing and twisting but I can't get any ripples on the display. The base is a single sheet of metal that is held in place by one screw, which vastly simplifies access. The chassis itself also appears to be metal.

(view large image)

The hard disk is held in by two screws. There is no caddy for the HDD. It just has a simple bezel on the end and it sits snugly in the chassis. So far I've observed no sign of any shock-protecting mountings. Perhaps Dell no longer considers this necessary since users have the option of SSDs or drives with free fall sensors.

(view large image)

The optical drive is easily removable. It is a &quot;super slim&quot; 9.5mm (3/8&quot unit with an SATA connector (but with a different configuration to the SATA on a HDD, so I can't just push another HDD into the slot). This thinner drive and therefore thinner media bay may explain why a bay battery is no longer an easy option.

Display

Device Manager shows the display as LPL0140 (LG-Philips - is this the same panel as in the T400?). At full brightness it is dazzling (the outside view above was with the backlight at about 70% brightness) and my first impression is that this display is well worth the extra cost. My first impressions are that contrast, colour and viewing angles are also good. I used to think the CMO panel in my Zepto 604W was good but the new display in the E6400 is far superior. The E6400 includes an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the brightness. My first impression is that this causes some flickering of the backlight so I have temporarily turned it off.

(view large image)

Keyboard and Touchpad

My first impression of the keyboard is that it is good. There is some flex in the middle right area but the overall key action is pleasant. I don't have a Thinkpad or another Dell series sitting in my house with which to make comparisons. My main complaint is with the layout. I would have preferred a bigger left shift key and smaller right shift key (one of these gets cut down to make space for the extra key on European keyboards). I would also liked to see the PgUp and PgDn in the two empty spaces just in front of the right shift key. I see that Dell has done that on the smaller E-series.

(view large image)

The touchpad is a medium-sized 66mm x 39mm. There is no space for a larger one because of the buttons for the trackpoint. However, the touchpad is very smooth to use and the buttons have excellent action, with long travel but reasonably low force needed.

One of the options for the E6400 is the backlit keyboard. It definitely helps when there is poor lighting. It also means that the lettering will never wear off the keys since the lighting comes up through the white plastic embedded in the keys.

(view large image)

A Tour of the Sides

Front:

(view large image)

There's not a lot at the front: The SD / MMC card slot and the display release latch.

Left:

(view large image)

Left side view with my Zepto 6024W on top and CD cases at the side to provide some scale. Left to right: Security slot, monitor port, powershare USB port above USB / eSATA combo port, fan exhaust and smart care slot above the HDD

Rear:

(view large image)

Back side, left to right: Modem port (blanked off on my model), network port, DisplayPort connector and power socket.

Right:

(view large image)

Right side, left to right: Express Card slot over Firewire port, optical drive in media bay, wideless switch and WiFi detector above audio ports, two USB ports.

Performance

The 2.4GHz Intel P8600 Core 2 Duo processor in my E6400 configuration sits in the middle of the range these days. I've had no issues with the performance of the 2GHz T7300 in my Zepto but a small boost in speed is always welcome, particularly if it comes with reduced power consumption. Initial tests give:

(view large image)

SuperPi 2M: 49 seconds

(view large image)

wPime 32M: 32.53 seconds

(view large image)

PCMark05: 4,230 PCMarks

(view large image)

3DMark05: 1,295 3DMarks

Heat and Fan Noise

In my experience, the E6400 raises the bar on the heat and noise management. I initially though the fan wasn't working because it was so quiet. In fact, the metal chassis absorbs a lot of heat so the fan has little work to do when the computer is under light load. The lowest fan speed is almost silent but it does get audible when the CPU is stressed for a few minutes. My configuration probably benefits by having one of the lower power rated CPUs and the integrated graphics combined with a cooling system designed for more powerful configurations (see that big thermal system in one of the photos further up).

Battery Life

Dell has heavily advertised the 19 hour operation capability of the E6400. OK, that is with a 9-cell main battery and the 12-cell battery slice, but the inference is that 6-cells on the battery should be good for 6 hours.

So far, I haven't been disappointed. See the image below for 89% = 6 hours 68 minutes remaining.Dell also provides a useful power management utility to help with the fine tuning of power consumption.

(view large image)

Some spot observations of the power drain show 8W to 11W under light usage with wireless on, DVD playback of 15W to 17W and power drain during a CPU stress test of 33W to 35W. An average 9W power drain would be needed for 6 hours operation off the 6-cell battery. One final observation is that Dell advertises the 6-cell battery as 56WHr. RMClock sees a 57.72WHr battery with actual capacity of 56.122WHr. So I'm getting at least what I expected and maybe a little more. A refreshing change from the batteries which don't have their claimed capacity even when new.

(view large image)

More follows in the full review ...

 

Beautiful looking laptop, excellent review on the battery life, I like how u broke it down to the estimated watts consumed. This laptop looks like a winner to me!

 

Nice first look!

made me grin

 

This is "only" First Look? Wow, can't wait til the full review comes out. But I think the picture of the backlit keyboard is not good...it just looks like a usual keyboard to me.

 

Thank you for your review, John!

What is the "thing" that appears on the right of the touchpad?

 

I believe that is the contact-less SmartCard reader. Essentially, an RFID type scheme where you place a card right over that spot to "prove" who you are.

 

Thank you for the review. Great idea with the CDs as a reference .

 

excellent, but no HDMI/Displayport?
Wasn't that one touted as a big Centrino 2 thingy?

 

It does come with Displayport... what review are you reading?

 

Looks like a nice laptop. I'll be interested to know how much battery life it will actually have with the 6-cell battery. And the power management utility seems similar to the ones on the thinkpads where you can control charge threshold and other nifty stuff.

 

Thank you for the review.

Could you please compare the Dell Latitude E6400 to the Lenovo Thinkpad T400.

 

Still the same weight as the D630. Shoot.

I think I am going for the 13".

 

what's with all the thick bezels? Can't find a laptop that looks as decent as my z61t.

 

My impression is that the E6400 is going to be a better built machine as a whole. We have a review of the T400 up I believe, and John will soon be posting a full review of the E6400 so you can compare directly.

Well, if you look at the pictures there is a good amount of solid material for thermal cooling, structural solidity, etc, etc.

You can't have everything .

 

I've read your review and I believe is quite interesting. However, the SuperPI and wPrime32 results caught my attention, although I never use these programs to benchmark. I have a Dell M2300 T8300 (2.4ghz, 3mb cache, 800 MHZ FSB, 4GB DDR2 667MHZ, nVidia FX360M), and I got equal results for SuperPi (exact same results) and slighly better results running wPrime (31.247 sec), and this with several programs running in the background (Word, Skype, Explorer, Firefox). Since your CPU has exactly the same clock speed and cache but higher FSB, and your RAM is also working at a higher frequency, I was expecting better results from your system in these benchmarks when compared with mine... Did you have the CPU running in High Performance mode when running the benchmarks?

Anyway, battery life is fantastic, and it seems the build quality is also great! Probably my next purchase!

 

just because the ram is faster doesnt mean it will result in faster benchies. It is probably faster but with higher timings meaning latency goes through the roof. Pi is very timing sensitive.

 

Yes. However, I don't know whether there is some hardware under there or the reader is an optional extra.

Something I try to remember to do. Three CD cases thick is a better measure for most people than millimetres or inches.

Yes, it's on the back near the power jack.

From what I've seen so far, the power management options could form their own mini-review.

Maybe once they had decided to put the speakers each side of the keyboard then the width got fixed while the display height is controlled by battery + keyboard + touchpad + buttons. The webcam goes above the display and the ambient light sensor below it. However, I agree there's enough space for a size bigger panel but, until someone decides to make one, there's nothing between 14.1" and 15.4".

I just had the CPU running in the standard Portable / Laptop power profile. One factor which may affect performance slightly is that these tests used a single 1GB RAM module. I will be rerunning the tests with 2 x 1GB. Having the GPU share the system RAM may also slightly reduce the system performance.

John

 

John, thanks so much for getting this first look out in such a short time frame and congrats. What's the usage pattern going to be for you with this, will it be your permanent work laptop and what kind of battery life will you need for that since you often work in the field?

 

Yeah, that's my biggest gripe with the big bezels. Seems like wasted space with which you could put in a bigger screen. Although this doesn't seem as bad as the gigantic bezels of the new Thinkpads.

Any chance you could take a picture with the track point off? I'd be very to interested to know if I could fit a thinkpad track point onto the dell (I love the soft rip type tip). Personally, I think the most significant new features are the middle mouse button (!!!!!!!!!!) and redesigned track point.

 

Good review John

It appears that this laptop lives up to your expectations which is good.

Dell look like they have done a good job with this laptop.

 

Cong John!and a great review,thx!i m waiting for rest

 

To those who tripped over my comment about the 'missing' displayport: Sorry guys, I got mixed up with the E4300/E4200.
I got up at 5.00 am. Please forgive me

 

This should be my main work machine. I don't regularly use a computer far from a power socket but the battery performance comes in useful during the power cuts or while sitting in places such as airports. Six hours potential run time covers a big part of a working day.

I'll look into this. It looks like a bit of plastic with lumps on top and rubber ring round the edge (no spares provided).

It is a little (~0.1kg) heavier than I would have expected from Dell's weights. But the good display and battery time tick two of the other boxes on my list.

Forgiven.

John

 

Wowsa! Nice review and pics John! (as always)

 

Great first look review John!

Now, the clouds are driving away for me. Is clear Dell has a winner here, their new Latitude line is pretty good.

I think I'll go for Dell.

 

Thanks for sharing your insight, John! I had been looking at the T400 (because of the good deals), but your review of the E6400 is tipping the tide. I see that your system comes with 1GB DDR2-800 RAM. Is it possible/easy to replace that, after-market, with DDR3 RAM? Other than this, it looks like the E6400 has everything I would have wanted in a configured T400 (other than the lower price, of course)....

 

Please let us know about 3dmark06 scores when you have a chance. Thanks!

 

Thanks for the first look John!

Can you tell me if the bottom of it gets warm/hot? Can it easily be used a LAPtop?

 

DDR3 RAM is, at this point, not going to work in the E6400. They require different RAM slots.

In the future, Dell might switch the E6400 over to DDR3.

However, DDR3 seems to only provide a marginal improvement. John has been doing some research and he can explain what he has. But I think it came out to less than 4% difference.

That should all be in the full review, but perhaps he'll share .

 

Why do you review Dell systems with only 1GB of memory?

A Dell E6400 with 2 GB (2 SODIMM) costs $40 more than 1 GB for the lowest priced E6400 here in the US. Crucial wants ~$24 for a 1GB. It seems foolish to me to save only $16 when you can get the 2GB from Dell and not have future warranty hassles with Dell if a memory problem develops.

 

Will the display port be able to carry sound?

 

Thanks for the review!

I hesitate between this E6400, Lenovo T400 and HP 6930p.

6930p doesn't seem to have a really good battery life and this is really important for me.

T400 is pretty nice but I hate the fact that the CTRL button is not situated at the left end of the keyboard! It's a little detail but I'm sure I wouldn't be confortable with it.

I may well go for the E6400! The backlit keyboard is a must.

 

I wonder why the newer Latitudes come default with chunky 90W power adapters? My D630 came with a more or less carryable 65W one and I really can't imagine myself hauling that huge chunk of a 90W adapter with me if I buy a E6400, especially since the 65W one will feed a Quadro-equipped E6400 just fine. Or are the E-series 90W adapters much smaller than the ones known from D series and other older Dells?

Another gripe are the decorative grooves in the palm rest, they will most probably build up fouling from sweaty hands. Although I could be wrong...

 

I imagine that you'd want to push 90W in order to charge a battery faster. They do advertise that quick charge thing...

 

As usual, great first look/mini review John. Congrat on the purchase.

 

For some reason 3DMark06 is not playing ball at the moment. The on-line results viewer says it doesn't like my registration number, but I'm running the basic, unregistered version.

Warm, not hot.

UK pricing is different. It would cost me £31.75 (~$58) to go from 1GB to 2GB. For that price I can buy 2GB elsewhere. However, I have been quite impressed by performance with only 1GB on board (I'm running XP). BTW, I've just put in a second 1GB module (DDR2-667MHz) and it has boosted 3DMark05 to 1421.

Yes, according to the announcement here.

I completely agree.

I paid the extra for the slim auto / air / AC adaptor which is impressively small (ther's a photo in another thread). I'm sure the E series info included a new slim 90W adapter but that hasn't worked it's way through the chain. Dell should give purchasers of the integrated graphics version the option of buying the 65W PSU instead of the 90W. So far, the highest power drain I have seen from the mains socket (during a 3DMark05 run) is about 38W, which still leaves about 30W available to charge the battery. And under light load the power drain is more like 15W.

John

 

I would say they are equal. However I like the E6400 better, this is the first time I feel Latitude is cooler than Thinkpad
Thanks for the first look John, also, can you measure the temp too? So that we can compare with other machine.

 

I have read that the 65W adaptor struggles to fully power the Dell external expansion docking station. And as Greg said it charges the battery faster.

 

I am on board with this - many of us are deciding between these two machines. Any comparison information and user experiences are appreciated!
Thank you reviewers and users!

 

Sure looks cool! Not sure about the X4500 though. Nice review.

 

Thanks for the first look, it's almost a full review, IMO!

Now, I'm really more sure I made the right choice to go for the E6400.

waiting for the full review...

Big thanks again, very much appreciated.

 

Good job on the first look.

Although I'm not totally convinced by dell on the weight.

My D630 is actually 2.4kg with the 6cell. My XPS 1330 is 2.1kg with the 9 cell.

Perhaps the E4300 might yield better weight savings, perhaps something similar of not less than the M1330

 

Congratz on the purchase John, that system looks really nice.
The battery life on that thing is amazing.
The best battery life I have ever seen on any of my laptops, was my dell inspiron 8500. It got just over 6 hours and 20 minutes of actual run time on battery. Well it had a 9 cell primary battery and a 6 cell optical drive battery.
its amazing how power efficient technology is getting, and how much batteru life can be had from a 6-9 cell battery these days.
Good luck with the system,

K-TRON

 

I was comparing this laptop with the T400 and I realize now that the T400 offers best bang for the buck, although the Dell looks soooooo good...

Anybody knows if the Dell E5400 is similar to the E6400 regarding to the build construction, the chassis and stuff? The first one ins intended for the consumer on a "budget" but the price is almost the same when compared with a loaded T400...

 

Wait, so does this laptop SERIOUSLY get over 6 hours with a 6/SIX/SEIS/SECHS Cell battery? Not a typo of 9 cell? How much would 9 cell get?

Hot diggity

Anyone wanna tell me how this would compare to the Sony VAIO SR?

And when will Red be available as customization?

How is the webcam image quality?

How is the speaker quality?

----------------
Now playing: The Killers - Mr. Brightside
via FoxyTunes

 

Great First Look!
It's actually a far more better articles then CNet and Laptop Mag's product reviews!

I Got a question here:
Is E6000 embedded with sim card slot and signal cable (same as Latitude D630), so that I can go ahead to purchase a Sierra MC8780/8781 mini express card to install on the machine?

 

I was thinking the same thing. This is much more interesting to read.

 

Lets assume that the user is not going to use any such external accessories
The 65W charges my 56Wh 6cell in 1-2hrs, at a rate of ~27W.

 

Thanks for this info. It looks as if Dell have managed to reduce the weight a little.

Better power efficiency was one of the Montevina design objectives and Intel seem to have got it right this time. The P series CPU and a Samsung HM160HI HDD probably help.

My assumption would be that the E5400 would use more plastic and is thicker in order to achieve the required strength.

You can probably work out the answer from the Service Manual. There are two parked leads near the space marked "WWAN/FCM" in the bottom left corner of the inside picture.

John

 

I think you meant 3DMark0 6 here?