Dell Latitude E6400 User Review

by John Ratsey

Dell whetted our appetites for the new E-series Latitudes through some "leaks" at Engadget in March 2008. Among the features which caught my attention were the 14.1" 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 basic specifications of my Latitude E6400 are:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB cache)
• Screen: 14-inch 1440 x 900 WXGA+ LED Backlit (matte finish)
• Memory: 1GB DDR2-800 PC-6400 RAM (Nanya, 5-6-6-18)
• Storage: 160GB 5400rpm HDD (Samsung HM160HI)
• Optical Drive: 9.5mm thick SATA PLDS (Philips Liteon) 8A2SDVD+/-RW
• Wireless: Intel 5100 802.11a/b/g/n
• Graphics: Intel X4500HD
• UK Backlit keyboard
• ExpressCard slot
• Creative 0.3MP 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" x 9.6" x 1.3"
• Advertised weight: The Quick Reference Guide states "2.15 kg (4.75 lb) with UMA graphics, 6-cell battery, solid-state drive"
• Actual weight: 2.31kg / 5.1 lbs (with UMA graphics, 6-cell battery, HDD)
• Travel weight: 2.87kg / 6.33lbs (with standard 90W PSU); 2.68kg / 5.91lbs (with slim 65W PSU)
• Windows Vista Business with XP Pro downgrade

Configuration

Deciding on the configuration is part of the fun with buying a Dell. I decided the P8600 was at the right point of the performance-value curve. I'm not into 3D games so I preferred the lower power consumption of the Intel GPU. The LED backlit WXGA+ screen was a must while the backlit keyboard will most likely come useful when I'm working somewhere where there's a power cut. 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 at the time I placed my order 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.

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The E6400 between 15.4" Samsung X60plus and 12.1" Toshiba R500

Supplied Software and Documentation

I ordered my E6400 with Windows Vista Business plus the Windows XP downgrade plus media. The XP downgrade was pre-installed (surprisingly, only SP2, not SP3) with a reinstallation DVD for Vista Business SP1. Other discs included Roxio Creator 9.0 DE; PowerDVD DX 8.0 and the Dell Webcam Central software. There was no drivers / utilities disc (maybe I have to blame the sales agent for this).

The only paper documentation provided is a brochure of Safety, Environmental and Regulatory Information. There was no quick start or user guide in paper form. Some information is built into the help system but I had to download the main guides from the Dell support site.

Build and Design

Dell have given more attention to the style of the new models and the E6400 has more charisma than its predecessor. The initial impression on picking up the E6400 is that it not just feels solid but is solid. Dell has not opted for the popular wedge shape and the thickness is almost constant. The paint finish is neither matte nor gloss but somewhere in between. The display back has a brushed metal finish to add a little style. I would have preferred a red one, but they currently aren't available.

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

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 (5.1lbs) 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. Therefore the E6400 shows little improvement in the weight compared to its predecessor and is only 20 grams lighter than my Zepto 6024W.

If hinge stiffness is an indicator of quality then this is near the top of the list. Opening 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. The battery latches in snugly with no wiggle. There is an accessible power gauge on the battery.

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The bottom of the E6400 is very smooth. This, combined with the small rubber pads, makes it vulnerable to sliding off any surface where the feet can't grip. The bottom of the battery is also quite smooth and thee are no convenient finger grips for carrying the computer in one hand.

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Inside the bottom: Note the generous cooling system.

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Under the keyboard

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. 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.

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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 except that colours start to invert once the display is pushed back from the perpendicular. The white is very white. My camera can detect some bleeding along the bottom of the screen but it is not noticeable in normal use. So far, I have not noticed any dead or stuck pixels. I used to think the CMO panel in my Zepto 604W was good but it is far behind this new display.

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This photo of the screen shows the rich colours

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Very good horizontal viewing angles but limited vertical viewing angles

The E6400 includes an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the brightness. However, at the moment I have turned it off since it was giving a darker display than I would like (perhaps because the sensor is at the bottom of the screen it sees dark clothes).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The UK keyboard has 84 keys, two fewer than most similar notebooks. There is some flex in the middle right area which is not noticeable in normal use and the overall key action is pleasant. It is a big improvement on my Zepto's keyboard. I don't have a Thinkpad or older Dell series sitting in my house with which to make comparisons. My main complaint is with the layout. I would have liked to see the PgUp and PgDn more accessible and use the two empty spaces just in front of the right shift key (which Dell has done on the smaller E series). If Dell had done that then they wouldn't have needed to make the Num Lock and Scroll Lock Fn+F4 and Fn+F5.

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Note that this is a UK keyboard layout. The US keyboard will be different

The touchpad is a medium-sized 66mm x 39mm Dell branded Alps touchpad. 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. I'm not a trackpoint user but its action seems to be smooth. There is good software for fine tuning the touchpad and trackpoint options.

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. However, the illumination system isn't perfect with an area of lower brightness in the top middle of the keyboard. Also, if you sit back from the computer then the lighting can be seen under the keys, which is a visual distraction. The ambient light sensor can be used to control the backlight or the Fn keys can be used for manual control.

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Sit too far back and light can be seen beneath the keys.

The status indicator lights are above the keyboard and are easier to monitor than lights on the edge of the palm rest. The status lights are not visible when the computer is closed so Dell has provide two more lights on the outside. The power light shines blue when the computer is on or flashes when it is sleeping. The battery light indicates if the battery is charging.

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A Tour of the Sides

The E6400 has an adequate selection of ports including four USB ports (one has the Power Share function for powering peripherals when the computer is off and one is a USB/eSATA combo port); mini Firewire; gigabit Ethernet, VGA port; a Display Port and, optionally, a modem port). Something I have noticed is that the very short feet mean that the lower ports are very close to the table top. The USB ports are stacked as two pairs so any fat devices could block two ports. There's an SD/MMC card slot which supports SDHC and purchasers can select to have either an Express Card or a PC Card slot.

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

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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, Power Share USB port above USB/eSATA combo port, fan exhaust and smart card slot above the HDD

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

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

Also, hidden behind the battery, is a SIM card slot.

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Hard Disk Drive

The supplied 160GB HDD is a Samsung HM160HI. This has 160GB on one platter and therefore has performance similar to a 320GB 5400rpm HDD.

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HDTune and HDTach reports for the HM160HI

Optical Drive

The optical drive is a super-slim 9.5mm (3/8&quot thick unit with an SATA connector. I opted for the DVD burner and the supplied drive was a SATA PLDS (Philips Liteon) DU-8A2S. It has the full set of DVD burning facilities. The only missing feature I would like is LightScribe. The optical drive is easily removable. This thinner drive and therefore thinner media bay may explain why a bay battery is no longer an easy option to make.

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Nero InfoTool's report for the optical drive

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The SATA connector for the optical drive with a USB plug for scale. The only connector in the media bay is for this, so another storage device will need an adaptor.

I have encountered several problems with this burner. It would not read one of my software installation discs. Out of four DVDs I tried burning, one failed during the burn and another failed during verification (but read fine on another computer), so it appears to have both burning and reading problems.

Audio

The two big grilles each side of the keyboard suggest a generous loudspeaker provision. However, closer inspection reveals that the surface finish is largely decorative with one small (about 12mm or 0.5&quot speaker on each side having to do all the work. There is a distinct lack of bass and far too much treble although the maximum volume is reasonably good. The sound driver is IDT Audio and no sound manager software with equalisation options, such as Realtek provides. Therefore although the speakers each side of the keyboard provide reasonable volume, there's no way to cut back on the treble and boost the bass. So, on the audio front, the E6400 is a step back from my Zepto.

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The right side speaker with USB plug for scale.

Webcam and Microphone

I selected the option webcam and microphone (on the Dell UK site these two options come together). I used Skype to get an indication of the quality of these components. The webcam (only 640 x 480 resolution) is good for chatting and no more. There is the Webcam Central software which can adjust various features such as zoom. I was more impressed by the microphone. Usually notebook microphones pick up too much noise from the chassis. This microphone is located at the top of the screen as is acceptably noise free.

The BIOS

The BIOS provides extensive options. This photo gives an idea of the range of options available.

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Continued in Part Two

 

Wow, another excellent review.

Its quite a pity the E6400 ended up being almost a full pound more than it was originally thought to be....I think 4.2lbs is too light to expect a 14" notebook at - most 13" notebooks are around there in terms of weight.

And GMA X4500 performs about on par with the 8400M GS in the Dell M1330, which is pretty amazing.

 

now, I definetly can't wait to get my E6500!
Thanks for the great review, John!

 

Thanks for the great review, though now I'm slightly regretting that I chose the NVS160M.. and perhaps I should have chosen the 9-cell battery as well.

 

However, I am annoyed that the BIOS detects it and then reduces the computer's performance. See Annex 2 for more details.

Thanks for the great review. Is there an option to disable this feature in BIOS? (I'm not sure what you mean by Annex 2)

 

is there a possibility to get more pictures of this great new BIOS?

 

The draft review had a couple of annexes which don't seem to have been carried through (perhaps the editor wanted a break, or maybe he will link them in). Annex 1 was a more detailed analysis of the weight issue and Annex 2 contained more discussion about the 65W PSU (which, IMO, should be the default option for purchasers with the Intel GPU).

An exploration of the BIOS could fill a review by itself.

John

PS: Make sure you found the link to part 2 of the review which contains the performance results.

 

Excellent review John. You mentioned "overweight" twice in the cons; do you think this is really that big a knock on the machine considering that most mainstream 14" inch machines weigh about the same, if not more?

Still waiting for performance numbers from someone with the NVS160M too

 

I just have one question. What's the difference between the E6400 and the E5400?

 

Thanks!
I have been going back and forth between the E6400 and the Thinkpad T400.
This review didnt help with my decission

Anyone out there plan on comparing both together?

-Sean

 

The E5400 is kinda like a hybrid of a Vostro and an E6400. It uses internals from the older Santa Rosa platform (a 965 chipset, Memrom and 800MHz FSB Penryn processors), though the externals bear more resemblance to the new E series machines. It does have the same docking abilities as the E series, but is significantly heavier and a bit thicker.

 

I was expecting and hoping that it would be a little lighter than it has turned out to be. With a headline weight of 1.95kg it was promising more than it delivered. Perhaps I should have also given the WXGA+ display two mentions in the pros since that is one of the best aspects of the package.

And for those who ask about how the keyboard compared with a Thinkpad, see this thread.

I can also add that the E6400 stay pleasantly cool in the hot climates. I fear that I won't be able to use the palmrests to thaw out my fingers in the winter time.

John

 

No it doesn't. It uses montevina.
Linky.

 

Mmm, you're right. I saw T7250 the first (and admittedly only) time I went there and assumed "old chipset for the lose". At least we know now that the older processors will work with the new chipset XD

 

Yeap, they use the same Socket P. I am still wondering if the P8400/8600 will work in the old Santa Rosa boards. The power savings would be nice....But it probably won't work due to the faster FSB on the new ones.

 

Hi John,
thank you for the review.

Did you ask Dell to get an E-series power brick? Probably this is the price to be an very early adopter Other users got the new smaller adapter (e.g. first picture here)

I think, keyboard layout is very subjective, I absolutely prefer PgUp/PgDown like in the upper right corner as it is done by Dell (and like Thinkpads and Desktop keyboard).

I cannot agree the valuation that it is overweight - the weight is fair for a 14" notebook with so much features and with this sturdiness. Do you want less features or thinner material?

 

If it's just the FSB, it should work.

 

Thanks for the review!

 

How long does the battery last??

 

"Made in Ireland"? That's kinda different, considering you usually see "China" as the country of manufacture. Ireland isn't too common from my experiences.

Interesting that you mention the speakers. My HP Compaq nw8440 is the same way: Big grilles, but the actual cone itself covers maybe 1/4 of the grill area, if that. And they sound similar, too. Very clear with lots of volume and treble, but little midrange and no bass whatsoever.

It's nice that Dell is still using physical volume controls (as opposed to the quirky touch-sensitive ones that HP uses now), but why are there still no programmable quick launch buttons?!

I'm definitely impressed with the build quality, though. I've noticed my HP's case tends to warp slightly sometimes, especially when it's on the dock and you try to pick it up. The touchpad is loose on one end, probably due to the case warping, and the lid gaps are a bit uneven now. I guess that's what happens when your notebook gets used and traveled almost every day for 2 years straight

My only 'issues' with this notebook consist of the 14.1" screen size (that's what the E6500 is for), the Integrated Graphics, the thickness, and the lack of programmable buttons. Other than that, this notebook looks like a serious contender in the business market!

 

E6400 didn't impress me as much as the brochures did. I was weighing between E6400 and the T400. Clearly now I'm getting the T400. What really bummed me out about the E6400 is the weight, lack of switchable graphics, performance scores, and the price. Sure T400 doesn't have a fancy blacklit keyboard and a new design, but it's hundreds of dollars cheaper for a similar configuration.

 

We've had a couple E6400 come in last week. Our slim PS is 90W FWIW

 

Overweight?

Now my only hope is the 13.3". 12.1" is too under power.

 

It isn't overweight for a 14 inch machine, it's overweight for what Dell claimed it weighed.

 

Would you mind posting the information from Annex 2. I would like to know more about this 65W slim adapter power reduction issue and if there is a possible way to avoid it. Thanks.

 

Essentially. Its about on average, maybe a bit on the lower end in terms of weight for a 14", but it was supposed to weigh nearly a pound less.

 

Excellent and very informative review! You evidently put much work for this review and we appreciate it very much.

Can't wait to have E6400, maybe two more weeks max...

 

Interesting review John ... I like the details about performance on different RAM installed in the machine in particular.

This will help me in some of my upcoming decision some!

 

Just one more question.
The XP Pro downgrade, how does that work? Do they supply both Vista and XP reinstall discs?

 

I though that was in part 2. Perhaps you missed the link which is just under the picture of the BIOS screen.

I thought it was worth sharing this info.

I received XP on the HDD and only a Vista reinstallation disk. I believe others are getting the same.

John

 

I was thinking of getting the T400 too, but as it turns out even without the LED backlight display and only 2GB of ram it would cost me about 500$ more than the E6400 with basically the same config. I could order a LED backlight model, but that would mean an extra expense of upto 1000$ and even at that price it sales person said it wouldn`t have a warranty (because of the LED)

 

Where do you live?

I'd get mine with: T9400, 200 gb @7200 HDD, 4 gb ram, led, dvd brner, bluetooth, 64 bit windows for 1336$ via cpp.

Also, you can use the 20% that is now with every thinpad. I'm pretty sure a T400 is cheaper than a E6400

 

I live in Estonia, laptops in general are more expensive here. So basically I can only buy pre-config laptops here. Except for dell, which provides an option for users to configure the laptop themselves. Sucks to live here, but whatcha gonna do.

As the T400 seems to be a no-go for now, I´ll wait for the release of the E4200/E4300 and then decide.

 

I had a cousin in US. I live in southamerica and here is wooooorse to buy a laptop. Is at least 50% more expensive. If th E6400 is cheaper there, then buy it, is a good laptop.

I bought a T400 because went cheaper and better for me

 

How come the performance is better with 2 GB RAM than 3 GB RAM?

 

Is it just me or does the E6400 look like some Hardware put in a box of metal and unergonimic looking plastic?
The ground is held by 2 screws, *** is that? The sides, look like glued together... No shock-protected hdd mountings... The notebook doesnt even look rugged.

I also would be interested in the temperatures...

Whose cooling system does look from engineering point superior?

T400?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_i0XHOlv0L...AAGE/pIYbJ11xhCU/s1600-h/DSC02675-(nobox).jpg

How is the WiFi link quality? Hm.

 

I like the way the E6400 looks, but Thinkpads have always done well by me. It's also $500+ for the Dell since I don't seem to be able to find coupons for the Latitudes.

 

Had a chance to use the E6400 today. Some remarks:

* Non-LED 14,1" WXGA screen is nothing special.
* There are now 16 brightness levels instead of 8.
* When Quadro-equipped its much cooler on the underside than the D630.
* Hinges are solid like the ones on Thinkpads. Unlike the D630, there is no by-default see-saw.
Now the weaknesses...
* Volume adjustment buttons feel shallow, didn't leave the best impression.
* The palm rest area beneath the arrow buttons flexes.

 

well, how about the video card?

is it work fine? run 3Dmark06

 

Not an E6400, but close.

I just receive my new E6500 yesterday.

The fingerprint reader was DOA.

I ordered it with the built in webcam, but for some reason, the webcam software was not installed. After downloading and installing it, it still refused to work.

Finally, I ordered it with a modem, but it was not installed.

This was just built last week, and already almost all of the drivers and software on Dell's site have been updated. It's good they are updating the software, but it seems like they may have rushed it to market without thorough testing.

I'm not real impressed with the build quality. For example, the bottom is held on with just one screw, and it reminds me of just a thin, flat piece of tin.

The right side of the keyboard seems to flex much more than the left side.

I don't think the E6500 was ready for prime time.

Bottom line, I don't have a good feeling about this laptop. And I really, really, really wanted to like it.

This one is going back.

I may order another one later, hopefully after the bugs have been worked out.

 

Quick question, does Dell provide a version of Vista Business 64-bit? While I could install it myself, it would mean precious time wasted in getting the laptop up to the point of useability in all the software I intend to load on it.

Another quick question on the case aesthetics. The pictures make it appear as if its a black hole, sucking all light into it. Does it show fingerprints easily?

 

Might be because 2GB is dual channel.

 

Dual Channel support kicks in when there are identical pairs of memory sticks installed. With a 2 GB setup, there are 2 x 1 GB sticks. With a 3 GB setup, there are 1 x 1 GB stick + 1 x 2 GB stick. I want to say that both sticks have to have the same memory timings to achieve maximum performance boosts, but not entirely sure on that.

 

Thanks for the review.

It's unfortunate that manufacturers for whatever reason refuse to provide specifications relating to screen brightness and contrast.... unless they have a screen worth bragging about (such as Dell's ATG version of the e6400, with its 750-nit LED screen). And it's particularly unfortunate in the case of Dell, since few potential buyers will have the opportunity to actually see the machines in order to make an informed purchasing decision.

I do a lot of my work outdoors, sometimes in direct sunlight, and I've yet to find a screen which is up to the task. I use a MacBook Pro (supplied by my employer) with an LED display which I've heard is about 300 nits (and non-glossy) and it comes close to meeting my needs. For my personal use I recently bought a 13.3" LG p300 with a screen which seems to be about the same brightness as the MBP, but is glossy. (Not as much of a problem as I had expected, as I find that I can tune out the reflections most of the time).

In any case, the fact that Dell is not bragging about the qualities of the LED suggests to me that it is not significantly better than the MBP (or the P300).

Any thoughts?

(The ATG is an option but it's even weightier... although it will lighten the wallet by about $1,000 more than the E6400... and the display is only WXGA).

Speaking of weight, would you care to swap the overweight E6400 for my 3.6 lb P300? Of course, it's only 3.6 lbs if you leave the power brick and the external optical drive at home. Unfortunately, battery life is not terrific (less than 3 hours) and I've gotten to the bottom of the battery enough times that I now carry the power brick most of the time, and I expect that I will need to buy a spare battery so that I can keep working when I can't find an outlet (which is most of the time). In this context, I expect that a E6400 with a 9-cell would meet my requirements without the need to carry the PSU or spare batteries and wouldn't weigh much more than the P300 with all of the required extras.

In any case, in addition to the P300 and its power brick and optical drive we need to take into account the weight of the carrying case or backpack, the USB mouse, the USB modem, the pocket HDD, etc.... In other words, while you might notice the difference between a 3.6lb and a 5.6lb notebook you might not notice a significant difference once you've added an extra 5 lbs of carrying case, accessories and/or lunch

One more thing to consider if you are working outdoors on a windy day... A 3.6 lb notebook can take flight

(Fortunately I caught it)

 

I also ordered an E6500, but I don't have the concerns you do. I didn't order it witha modem, fingerprint reader, or webcam, so I can't speak about those. If they failed to install your options properly that sounds more like a problem with Dell than the laptop. Not that it's acceptable, though.

I don't get your concern about the bottom piece. It slides into position, so one screw is all that's really needed. It's not as if that one screw is keeping the bottom from falling off - it's keeping the bottom from sliding forward, which would then cause it to fall off. I don't know why that would take more than one screw. It seems thick enough to me I guess.

I didn't notice anything about the keyboard flexing - mine seems pretty solid all the way.

 

Hi John,

thanks for the closeup of the optical sata connector, I found a bit more info...

Its called a slimline sata connector and is specifically for sata optical drives. It fits the form-factor from the old IDE connector on optical drives (JAE or something) so no re-tooling necessary for manufacturers.

A normal SATA data cable should fit. You would need an extension cable to use with the connector inside the bay obviously rather than a standard cable.

The power connector is missing 12v power and the pins/pads are at a 1mm pitch instead of the standard 1.27mm pitch. There are no cables/adapters available with this connector...yet...except Dell's very expensive 2nd hdd option ($600AUD)

Not sure if anyone is interested but thought I'd mention it so the info is out there....

Peter

 

Great Review! Thanks a lot for taking the time!

 

Excellent Review. Thank you. Quick Question - Is the keyboard better than earlier Latitudes. I am asking this since you weren't able to get hold of a thinkpad to compare and I have always been a thinkpad fan...now thinking to switch to dell..

 

Compared to my (old) D430 and my (new) E6400...the keyboard on the E series is definitely improved compared to the D series.

 

Is there maybe someone here who already got his E6400 and has by chance also a XPS M1330 around? I would love to see a few photos of them both standing side by side (open and closed and so on) to see how the two compare in size (and how thick the display lid of the E6400 is compared to the other model when both have LED screens inside).
I recently saw a 1330 in person and I was stunned by how thin the lid is and how lightweight that whole thingy is...