Dell :: E6400 Durability
Sep 17, 2009
I'm looking for a new notebook since my €2000 Acer broke its hinges TWICE after little more than 3 years of use.
How does the E6400 compare to the T400?
I had a T400 in my hand, and despite their assurances I find its build quality not so good. The battery seems to wiggle a lot...
My main interest in a new laptop is:
- build quality and durability
- customer support (in Europe)
- sunlight readable LED screen
- must be whisper quiet
Specifically, how are the hinges on the E6400?
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Mar 30, 2009
I am currently trying to figure out which new laptop to buy for myself. My main choices are now lenovo T400 and Dell E6400. I've had good experiences with thinkpad's durability, but what makes me apprehensive to buy one right now is the dubious panel quality that lenovo uses. Dell on the other hand seems to use much better LED panels, but I am worried about durability of the computer. I've used Latitude D820 (work laptop) and a 15" Inspiron (my wife's) and both have literally fallen appart in year and a half.
By fallen appart i mean extremely loose monitor hinges, keys falling off and chipped plastic parts. The Latitude developed a discolored streak on the bottom of the panel. IBM T42 and Asus (G1) I am currently using have held up very well to abuse that I throw at them. Both are still extremely solid with hinges and other parts having barely any wear or deterioration. I dont baby my laptops at all, and need them to be able to hold up being carried everywhere with me all the time, bumpy bicycle commutes in my backpack (vibrations) and ability to haldle a possible drop once a in while.
Are the new latitudes any better build quality wise and will stand up to a very abusive user like myself? Has anybody used one heavily since the time they first came out and can comment on their general durability?
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Jul 13, 2009
How you would you rate ( 1% to 100% ) the Dell XPS M1330 in terms of the following:
1-Durability
2-Workmanship
3-Looks
4-Performance
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Dec 21, 2009
I lost a hard drive a few months into ownership, but no big deal - it happens. Later, the wireless went out.
Then, the microphone. Then about a third of the keyboard. And now it looks like the hard drive is going again.
I'm not particularly hard on laptops and have owned several. The M1530 is incredibly well designed and I'm delighted with the T8300/LED screen/etc. and particularly the packaging, but the number of component failures is getting rather scary .....
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Dec 4, 2009
The Vostro 1320 looks almost ideal for what I need (a pc easy to move around but can still serve as desktop replacement for most tasks). The matte screen is a big plus, as is the integrated optical drive. The price is also quite reasonable.
I however question his long term durability. I'd like to keep this laptop for around 4 years. Is the 5400 more susceptible to last that long ? It's a bit bigger but I'm ok with that, as long as there is a real quality difference. It's still smaller than my current 15"
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Nov 18, 2009
Has anyone here been using their FW notebook's keyboard intensively and could share their experience?
Pretty much every review I've read praises the keyboard - but does the keyboard hold well over time?
I spend most of the work day typing, and would like to know if FW is an option for me.
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Jul 22, 2009
I was curious about the durability of the HP imprint finish. I did a search and didn't run across anything.
Anyway, I recently ordered an HP HDX16t (which shipped today!). This is my first HP computer. I'm concerned with the high gloss case scratching over time. The last laptop I had was an ASUS G1S which was also glossy. Even with my constant attention, and careful placement into a neoprene sleeve every time it was not in use, still became scratched and looked very dull in the 2 years of it's service.
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Mar 20, 2009
I guess I'm rough on laptops because this one is starting to wear out and I haven't had it a year. How does the aluminum unibody hold up to heavy usage? I'm specifically looking at keyboard(I type fast and hard), mouse, and cd drive. Well, I guess I might be a little rough in handling too. I really like the construction if the new macbook pros and would love to get the new 17".
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Apr 27, 2009
I have noticed on various Vaio Z series laptops (mine included) that the screen, hinges and body don't necessarily always line up perfectly.
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Apr 7, 2009
someone said it was better to use 64 bit vs 32 bit for vista and was wondering if this is real? and wat are the benefits of using 64 bit over 32 bit and vise versa? except to utilize all of my 4 gigs of ram.
also the dell rep said their driver support for the 64 bit was not as good as the 32 bit and was wondering if this is true?
and will some games not work on 64 bit or does that not matter?
oh and someone said when you reformat you should reformat in ahci mode, and was wondering how you do that
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Jun 8, 2009
I have a choice between 2 specific E6400's. What I really want is a backlit keyboard and the integrated graphics (battery life is important to me).
The problem is, from the two models available to me, one doesn't have the backlit, while the other has the NVIDIA.
The one with the NVIDIA is $100 more expensive. So the question is, is it possible to either upgrade manually to the backlit keyboard, or downgrade manually to the Intell 4500? How difficult and expensive would either option be?
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Aug 12, 2009
I installed XP and everything seems ok but the computer doesnt want to suspend. When I click the power button (which is setup for suspend) or try to suspend any other way (like shutting the lid) the system will shut down but will come back online after about a minute or so. It doesnt want to go to sleep! Bad Boy. I have noticed that if I take off the power cord, it will go into suspend and stay there properly. I have tried two different power adapters, so I dont think its adapter-related. Its really annoying to have to totally shut down every time. I've tried disabling settings and hardware in the bios to no avail. I have DCP installed.I want to upgrade my WiFi link card to a wireless-n version. I guess this is the wifi link 5300 card. I actually bought one but its full height (533AN_MMW), so now I have to go an get the half height version (model 5333AN_HMW, right?!). One issue though, I dont know if my laptop has a third antenna cord in there for the third leg of the antennas. Can I add one? I am using a wireless N Dlink router.
Will this one work in my e6400?[url] I'm a little nervous about it because of the "G2" at the end of the model #, and the website says its for the centrino and I have a latitude.
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May 16, 2009
I bought a new Dell E6400 laptop with Intel P8400 CPU. I tried installed Windows Vista, but the CPU experience index was only 3.0. I tried RMClock utility and it shows only 0.85 Ghz. I think I installed all needed drivers (Chipset driver, System Software etc.) and I set High Performance mode. But still 0.85 GHz. Any ideas how to force it to 2.26Ghz?
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Sep 19, 2009
I went through around 100 pages of the long thread on e6400 but could not find much real information on the e6400. Can someone who knows post the following:
1. Good and Bad LCD manufacturers for the WXGA+ LED display.
2. Keyboard - specifically compared to a thinkpad keyboards.
3. Any Heat related issues the laptop has.
4. Other trouble spots to watch out for.
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Oct 18, 2008
I'm pretty new to Dell notebook world. I was always told that Dell has a stinky customer service and their image wasn't that good around spot but care sharing whats good and bad about dell in general?
1- In the LCD option, it says touchscreen. Does that mean I can somewhat use this laptop like a tablet? ( Without the ability to twist the screen of course..)
2-Never knew whtas the different between 1dimms and 2dimms in RAM....
3-Compare Geforce 9400gs with the Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD With PC-Card. Plus, what do they mean by "PC-Card" or "EXpress card" ?
4-Does Dell notebook actually give us 64bits windows or they're all 32bits unless they mention the option of 64bits?
5-Whats the difference between the normal e6400 model and the ATG model? Simply more durability +weight?
6- Whats an encrypted HDD or a ruggedized HDD?
7- I'll be using the notebook for design purpose. Such as photoshop, flash, illustrator or such. I'll be using 2-3 program at once with several picture/projet +internet + music. If my specs are 2.26ghz or 2.4ghz + 4gb ram + intel HD4500HD, will this notebook handle it?.............................
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May 15, 2010
I wanted to do this for a while. My dell e6400 has 1280x800 display. I want to upgrade to 1440x900.
I found this one New SCREEN 14.1" WXGA LCD for DELL E6400 B141PW04 on eBay (end time 14-Jun-10 15:54:13 BST)
on ebay.
Does anyone have experience of dealing with ebay screens, i mean are they what they say they are(working properly and stuff)?
Is there anything special I need to be looking for then buying new screen?
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Jul 3, 2009
i got my e6400 with 1280x800 resolution screen. I notice that this screen have greyness comparing to other laptops and right colour are really important to me.
Is it possible to replace my screen to high resolution one(1440x800)?
Can i replace processor as well if i decide to do so in the future?...
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May 3, 2010
I have a new spare keyboard for my e6400. I need to sell it and was wondering what other models would it fit. e6500 and e4300 maybe?..
what would be an honest price?
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Feb 12, 2009
well i currently have a studio 1537 but i want to return as there are some problems with it and i still need a laptop for school.
so i was wondering how is the e6400? i hear some peoples e6400's are freezing up. so i was wondering is there any major problems with them? or do u reccomenend any other laptop?
i was going to buy from the outlet because they do seem to be pretty cheap and i am on a budget...
and how are the e6500's? any major difference except the size?...
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May 15, 2009
Im getting my E6400 configured with just 2GB in one slot and buying an extra 2GB module aftermarket.
In the past Ive had trouble with compatability issues between two different RAM modules.
Please recommend a specific module and source that has proven to work without problems on the E6400.
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Apr 12, 2009
this list may be of some use to you. As of 12/April, the following downloads are available for Vista 64-bit (similar downloads for other Windows versions), essential downloads are highlighted in green..........................
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Mar 19, 2009
I'm in the process of trying to decide between getting an E6400 or E4300 to replace my aging Toshiba A105-4074. I'm somewhat surprised by the lack of discussion here about the E4300 compared with the huge number of threads about the E6400.
I have an E4300 here at work that I have been impressed with, so I have hands-on experience with it. I haven't had any hands-on experience with the E6400, and have only seen one briefly. While I've read lots of good things about it, I wish I could use one for a couple of days in order to get a feel for it .....
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Sep 10, 2009
I need to order a couple Dell E6400's for my company. We want to do 4 monitors on each one through a docking station, that is the part that is giving me some trouble.
Does the E-Plus docking station have a built in video card that supports multiple monitors .....
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May 1, 2009
Just got my E6400 from Dell Outlet today and i noticed it's running noticeably hot.
I've read some of the posts on the nvidia overheating problem so I decided to run the same tests other people did. The screenshot is after running 3DMark2006 on Balanced power setting.
Are those temps ok? I talked to a rep who acknowledged the potential problem with the nvidia chipset and said if i send this to the depot now they can take a look at the mobo, cpu and gpu and have it back to me in less than 10 regular days.
Since I have finals coming up, I'd much rather not send it in unless they offer me onsite or some potential freebies, which the rep refused to. So any suggestion would be much appreciated. Should I run some more tests?
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Nov 2, 2009
for the E6400 media bay (I hope that's what it's called, I'm referring to the location where the optical disk is). I'd like to add a SSD before my trip to overseas and I have a few questions about this:
1) what kind of SSD should I get? I'd like to get a 128GB or 256GB SSD. Is it any 128/256GB SSD or do I need to get a specific kind?
2) If I want the SSD to be the primary drive and a 500GB HD to be the data drive, do I need to put the SSD in where the HD is and then put the 500GB HD in the optical disk caddy tray? (I bought the newmodeus caddy tray)
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Aug 12, 2009
Up until this week I was doing this with my Dell D620 using the PD01X D/Dock which has a PCI slot for a video card.
Well, it's PC refresh time at work and I received a Dell E6400. Turns out the docks for the E6400 and the D-series are different (not compatible) and there is no D/Dock for the E6400, so now I'm looking for a solution that will allow me to do 3 displays with the E6400.
I purchased StarTech's USB2DVIE external USB to DVI video card, but it's only got 16MB of RAM and whenever I scroll or move windows around in the display that is being driven by the USB2DVIE, it's a little choppy, even at 16-bit color.
There are other external USB video cards on the market, but this was one of the most expensive, and I can find no indication on any of the other cards of how much RAM they have. I'm thinking I need at least 64MB, which is what the PCI card had that I was using in the D/Dock with the D620.
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Feb 17, 2009
Its a certified refurb; it has everything i want at a great price:
-- Latitude E6400 Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 (2.53GHz, 6M L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
-- 14.1 inch UltraSharp WXGA+ (1440x900) LED Display
-- Back-lit Keyboard
-- Genuine Windows Vista Business
-- Brushed Metal Black
-- 24X CD RW/DVD Combo Drive
-- 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (1 DIMMs)
-- 90W AC Adapter
-- 9 Cell Primary Battery
-- 125V Power Cord
-- Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD With Express Card
-- 250 GB Free Fall Sensor Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
-- Dell Wireless 1510 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
-- Integrated Webcam with digital microphone
Im upgrading the RAM to 4gb, and maybe the hard drive if its too loud. I got the integrated GPU on purpose so it runs cooler and quieter and has better battery life (I don't play games). Ill try for a new version of vista too. Im happy i got the p9500, that was probably the only one left that was a decent price,
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Mar 10, 2010
I have been reading through the forums and haven't found a certain answer... I have a OCZ SSD 2.5 inch installed in the laptop. Picked up a adapter to convert my cdrom slot into a 2.5 inch HD.
Just added a second OCZ SSD 2.5 same size same model all the same.
When I go into the intel storage bios I do not see an option to have a RAID0 (stripped) raid. I can only create a mirrored raid... Even though intel clearly states all over the place that the chipset in the e6400 can handle RAID0.
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Jan 29, 2009
I am wondering how big the box is and what's the total weight.
I am trying to do a prepaid FedEx thing, so she just has to print it and stick on the box.
or if you already shipped it how much does it cost with USPS vs FedEx.
I wanna spend the least amount possible.
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Aug 28, 2009
I found a E6400 in my local store that's $1500 (which is way too much) with a NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M, does that graphics card is the reason why it's so expensive, other than being a C2D P9500 with 4gb ram?
I really don't care about dedicated graphics card, as my current x3100 suffices. And I don't game, expect rarely BF2, which is fine with the x3100
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