DELL XPS 13-L321X Battery
Review Dell Latitude E6230 Notebook
With their Latitude laptops, Dell wants to score points with business users in terms of performance, durability and scalability. Being 12.5-inches wide, the Dell Latitude E6320 is the smallest and lightest member of the Latitude E-family. Those who find this too small can go for one of the larger sister models. On offer are models from 13.3-inch (E6330 – review will follow shortly) to 14-inch (E6430) and up to 15.6-inch (E6530 – review will follow). DELL Vostro 3360 Battery
As usual with Dell, comprehensive configuration options are available to consumers. Our E6230 review device was equipped with a Core i5-3320M CPU, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4 GB RAM and an SSD. Should some components of your choice not be available in the online configurator, ordering by telephone might help, as then the possible options are often more extensive. DELL Vostro 3460 Battery
In the course of the review, we will not only clarify what strengths and weaknesses our review candidate has, but we will also compare it to its direct competitors, the recently reviewed HP EliteBook 2570p, Fujitsu Lifebook P772, and Lenovo ThinkPad X230.
Dell talks about a tri-metal case. Various metals are used for its production: a magnesium alloy, anodized aluminum at the display lid, and a powder-coated magnesium base. Thanks to this choice of materials, a very good stability can be achieved despite the light and slender design. Both the base unit and the display lid hardly get deformed when exposed to pressure and winding forces. Additionally, Dell had the case tested for resistance against dust, shaking and extreme temperatures, according to MIL-STD-810G. DELL Vostro 3560 Battery
The strong hinges are manufactured from metal. The hinges' tension is so great that opening the laptop with just one hand is not possible. They cannot, however, entirely prevent wobbling after adjusting the opening angle. Being bent upwards, the rear edge also limits the opening angle to c. 125 degrees. DELL Latitude E5430 Battery
Dell talks about a tri-metal case. Various metals are used for its production: a magnesium alloy, anodized aluminum at the display lid, and a powder-coated magnesium base. Thanks to this choice of materials, a very good stability can be achieved despite the light and slender design. Both the base unit and the display lid hardly get deformed when exposed to pressure and winding forces. Additionally, Dell had the case tested for resistance against dust, shaking and extreme temperatures, according to MIL-STD-810G. DELL Latitude E5530 Battery
The strong hinges are manufactured from metal. The hinges' tension is so great that opening the laptop with just one hand is not possible. They cannot, however, entirely prevent wobbling after adjusting the opening angle. Being bent upwards, the rear edge also limits the opening angle to c. 125 degrees.
Processor
In our test candidate, a Core i5-3320M dual core processor with a base clock rate of 2.6 GHz is at work. Thanks to Turbo Boost technology it can - provided appropriate cooling – clock up to 3.1 GHz putting load on both cores, and 3.3 GHz in single core applications. Also, hyperthreading enables processing up to four threads simultaneously. Please take detailed information on the processor from our special page. Our benchmark list of mobile processors enables ratings according to performance. DELL Latitude E6430 Battery
We will see whether the device conforms to our expectations by running a series of CPU-demanding benchmarks. We compare the results with those of three direct competitors of which two, namely Lenovo's ThinkPad X230 and Fujitsu's Lifebook P772, are equipped with the same processor and give almost the same results. HP's EliteBook 2570p is equipped with a slightly faster Core i7-3520M and yields slightly better results. Details can be taken out of the diagram below. DELL Latitude E6430s Battery
System Performance
Our review candidate owes its outstanding results in both PCMark tests mainly to its fast mass storage, an SSD. Again, detailed values can be taken from the diagram below. Unfortunately, we do not have any PCMark7 results for HP's EliteBook 2570p in our database. In the PCMarkVantage, however, it is the only one of the three direct competitors that is even slightly faster than our Latitude E6230 model, as it is also equipped with an SSD. In contrast, Fujitsu's Lifebook P772 and Lenovo's X230 are much slower than our review model, with -36% in PCMarkVantage and -44% and -30% respectively in PCMark 7. However, if one chose a configuration with an SSD for these two, they would catch up. DELL Latitude E6430 ATG Battery
Storage Devices
When it comes to mass storage, the user is confronted with the agony of choice. At choice are currently conventional hard drives with 7200 rpm and 320 or 500 GB capacity or Solid State Drives with 128 GB or 256 GB. Those who appreciate fast access and loading times and can get by with less capacity will prefer an SSD over a hard drive with rotating parts. The former storage option also works silently. A close comparison of SSD and HDD can be found here. DELL Latitude E6430 XFR Battery
Our review model is equipped with a 256 GB SSD named Samsung SSD PM830 FDE 2. With the results it achieved it is roughly on the same level as Intel's SSD 510 Series and OCZ's Vertex 3, whereas one or another achieves better results in CrystalDiskMark depending on the test. Most of the time, the Samsung SSD performs better than the Vertex 3 and the Intel 510 when it comes to writing, except in 4K-writing where the Vertex 3 is the leader. Intel's SSD 520 Series, however, is faster across the board. DELL Latitude E6530 Battery
Graphics card
As is frequent with subnotebooks, the user gets no discrete graphics card but has to get by with a graphics chip integrated into a processor. Here, the main focus is put not on graphics performance, but on mobility, and thus also on a longer battery life. Therefore, as expected, there is not even an optional configuration with a discrete graphics card.
In any case, for the intended application area, namely mobile office and internet applications, the Graphics 4000 is quite sufficient. One should give up on 3D-demanding applications, though. The E6230 is definitely no mobile work station nor a mobile gamer. DELL XPS 13 Battery
In order to compare graphics performance, we use 3DMark tests as usual. Fortunately, the particular results obtained there are fully equal to other laptops with the same graphics chip and processor. Only Fujitsu's Lifebook P772 stands out splendidly - with for instance +28% in 3DMarkVantage - from the other review devices with 3320M CPU and Graphics 4000. An analogue statement can be made about practical gaming usage. In the best case, latest games are smoothly playable in low resolution and with minimal details. DELL XPS 13-L321X Battery
Emissions
Thanks to its silent SSD, our test candidate works silently when under little load. In this scenario we measured a consistent 28 dB(A). This is equal to the background noise of a silent environment. With increased load, the fan spins faster and gets clearly audible with maximally 43.4 dB(A). The noise characteristic is characterized by a rather high frequency, but it remains constant.
When under little load, our review model remains cool. When the inner components are stressed a lot, the device heats up to and above 40 °C. As the intended area of usage is office and internet applications, and at most light 3D tasks, this should be no practical problem. DELL XPS 13-L322X Battery
In the stress test we see how the laptop copes with lasting maximum CPU and GPU load. Then, core temperatures of the CPU and graphics chips rise a lot and reach 100 °C and over. The CPU's clock rate does not drop below the base rate of 2.6 GHz though, and the graphics chip also clocks at a stable 1.2 GHz. The 3DMark06 results obtained immediately after the stress test are equal to the cold run, except some insignificant deviation. DELL XPS L321X Battery
Speakers
The stereo speakers are located at the bottom side of the device's chamfered front edge and their sound hits the table. This has a positive effect on the richness of the sound. The sound thus appears to be surprisingly balanced, as long as the device is located on the table; the maximum volume, which does not distort the sound, is also alright for interiors.
Energy Consumption
The energy consumption is okay for a configuration with Core i5-3320M CPU and Graphics 4000 graphics chip. The idle results here beat every other laptop with the same CPU. The 65 watt power adapter is sufficiently dimensioned for an energy consumption of 53 watt. DELL XPS L322X Battery
Battery Life
Our review model was equipped with a 58 Wh Lithium ion battery which sticks out at the rear side. By contrast, a 65 Wh battery is listed when configuring in Dell's online shop.
The maximum battery life, calculated with the BatteryEater Readers test and minimal brightness, energy saving profile, and disabled wireless modules, is almost 10 hours. The minimum is only almost 2 hours. This result was also recorded with the BatteryEater Tool, however, in the Classic Test at maximum brightness, peak performance profile and enabled Wi-Fi modules. In our practice-oriented WLAN test, every 40 seconds a new page with different contents is accessed. This test was done with the energy saving profile and a brightness of 148 cd/m² (dimmed two levels). Under these circumstances, the user can surf the internet for about 5.75 hours via Wi-Fi hotspot. Dell Precision M4600 Battery
Fujitsu's Lifebook P772 achieves slightly shorter battery run times with its 63 Wh battery, but it also is a bit brighter. Lenovo's X230 reaches a slightly longer battery life with its well-lighted IPS screen. HP's EliteBook 2570p has the lowest screen brightness of all the devices in comparison. In return, it lasts a bit longer despite having the smallest battery with 55 Wh.
Small subnotebooks are designed for mobile use. Consequently, they should be robust and durable, have a long battery life and good system performance and enable outdoor use without restrictions. Dell Precision M6600 Battery
Thanks to the tri-metal chassis, the Latitude E6230 Models fulfill our first criterion. The fast SSD inside provides short boot and loading times and contributes considerably to the laptop's excellent performance. Although one cannot spend a whole workday away from a power outlet due to the battery, the battery life proves to be good in comparison to the direct competition.
Also, one can be very content with the communication features and the input devices. A major weak point remains though: the slightly too dark and dull screen. Its brightness is simply not enough for outside use. DELL Vostro V131 Battery
In the course of the review we have compared the subnotebook to its direct competition. Of them, HP's 2570p provides the best application performance but unfortunately also the lowest screen brightness. Though Fujitsu's Lifebook P772 is a little brighter than out review candidate, only the ThinkPad X230's IPS screen is suitable for use in sunlight; it also features wide viewing angles. Depending on the intended usage scenario one should carefully balance the pros and cons of the individual models. DELL Vostro V131D Battery