Dell :: My Latitude E6400 Video Review
Aug 12, 2009My Dell Latitude E6400 Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cr9X7w_rHU
My Dell Latitude E6400 Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cr9X7w_rHU
It's been over a full week that I use my Latitude E6400 in great depth and here is my review on it. Now, before I start, I would like to apologies for my English, mistakes found are not done by any means of disrespect among you, the reader. Another note, I believe reading several reviews which all says the same thing is kind of useless, so I tried my best to present thing that was not mentioned before. This explains the reason why I don’t show the usual benchmarks, temperature on the machine, etc…
If this is the first review you read, I suggest you to read other reviews on notebookreview.com before reading this one. You can see me as a critical person.
Latitude E6400 Review
I use my laptop to run Office 2007 suit programs to type notes in classes, Steinberg WaveLab 5 to record them. I also use the laptop to do my assignments (Java/C++) at school and anywhere I want to go, as well as my own programming projects (large Flash application). Obviously, I use my machine to check my e-mail with Thunderbird, listen to music, and surf the web, etc... Ah yes, and I do plan to perform some light casual gaming on it on rare occasion.
System selected:Intel Core 2 Duo P8500 (2.26 GHz)Vista SP1 Business edition 64-bitDual Channel (2 stick) 4GB of RAM 800Mhz DDR2 (6-6-6-12) Samsung 1440x900 LED backlit display (LG, I believe)Backlit keyboardIntel Wireless N 5100 cardPanasonic DVD-Burner Dell 9 cell battery (made by: Panasonic)Nvidia Quadro NVS 160MHitachi 160GB HDD 5200RPMSuper detailed system configuration [56K modem warning!]:
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When I received my laptop two weeks ago, it was damaged, there was a dent, passing through the process of asking a new one and compensation was easy. I was never put on hold, service was great and in proper English speaking staff (possible location of service: U.S/Canada). I had fun trying all to call all the provided services offered, and the service was very good, one could say almost excellent. I negotiated the price of my machine when I originally ordered it (this was the only time I talked to someone potentially in India), and the service was fast, again no hold time, and negotiation on the price was easy. The sale representative didn't know his stuff on the laptop and claimed to me that it had Latitude ON. Obviously I don't have it, as it cannot be added to the machine, and I asked compensation for that as well. This was done without issue, and I got an apology from the sale representative and its supervisor and Dell customer service supervisor (note that I also got another apology from Dell customer service when I informed them of the damaged machine).
Returning the machine for a replacement was easy and fast. Dell sent me a UPS label via e-mail, which I had to print and put on the Dell box, and call UPS to come and pick it up.
Packaging
Packaging of the laptop was excellent. The box properly protected the machine, and the size is not excessively big where it wastes uselessly space, and not too small like some laptops that you buy in store, which fells like it was made from paper masher. Moreover, putting everything back in the box was very easy. The packaging could potentially lose a full mark as the accessory box is pretty much empty and could make the box smaller. However, considering that more accessories could be added onto the box, and that the box layout is designed for all or almost all Dell laptops, I can't deduct marks for that.
I gave it a 10/10
Accessories
Not much to say, I did get 4 disks with my laptop:
- Drivers and Utility disk
- Power DVD DX 8.0 disk
- Roxio version 9.0 DE disk
- Microsoft Vista 64-bit disk.
and 90W slim Latitude power adapter which I'll get to that later...........
The grill on the left side of my Latitude E6400 gets extremely warm--especially when video is playing. The bottom side of the case, on the left side, gets very warm, as well. I've been able to confirm that the fan behind the grill on the bottom side *does* run periodically; however, the grill and underside remain very warm.
How warm? Right now, after playing a video for about 15 minutes, SpeedFan reports the following temperatures: GPU (162F), HD0 (109F), Temp1 (145F), Core 0 (140F), Core 1 (142F). All of the items except HD0 have a flame icon--indicating an abnormally-high temperature. Worse, I've seen the temperatures considerably higher than the above.
I've had this laptop for about five years. The latest BIOS and drivers are installed. It's working OK, otherwise. This problem started, suddenly, perhaps a year ago.
Just came across the first english speaking video review of the new Dell XPS 1340 on youtube. The owner seems to have a few other videos up about his machine as well that can be found off his youtube page. Enjoy,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svn1ep11J4U
The price of 2nd user Latitude D630's seems to be holding up quite well in the UK. Does this indicate that it is still a popular machine and favoured over the E6400?
I briefly checked out an E6400 the other day and for a choice between machines of approximately similar spec I would opt for the D630 rather than the newer E6400.
I would be interested in opinions from users who have experience with both models.
Launched at IFA '09. Good looks in true Vaio style!
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I am wondering whether or not the E6400 has the Latitude-On feature or can be configured as such.
View 10 Replies View Relatedi read the manual, but didn't find any way to change the video card. let me know if this is possible, i'd like to change to more powerful video card. right now, mine is setup with nvidia quadro 160m.
View 10 Replies View RelatedI have Dell E6400 with nVidia NVS160M.
This is how E6400 base looks like:
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...l/r-h-atga.jpg
Just a few weeks ago, I received a new DELL E6400 with Intel Graphics Card.
Since day 1, I started to notice a strange behavior when I connect an external monitor to the VGA port of my laptop. No matter the resolution, the monitor shows horizontal and vertical blurry lines just like if it was a refresh rate issue.
I reported the issue to Dell, and they replaced my monitor, but the lines are still there...I checked the refresh rate and updated the video card drivers with no luck...
Have any of you experienced something like this?
I'm not using a docking station and I'm running windows XP with extended desktop...
I'm interesting in buying a Dell E6400 and I would like to know the battery duration time different between using a Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator against using NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M?
Another question regarding performance, is there a visible performance gap between P8600 and P8700 CPU's?
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?.............................
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,
I have a simple question: is the E6400 able to use the 8 GB of RAM fully? I have read some threads here about chipset limitations etc.
Could those of you with the E6400 and 8 GB of RAM quickly check whether your 8 GB are fully usable by the system?
I'll be able to order my new E6400 soon, as follows:
CPU: Intel P9700 2.8GHz
GPU: nVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M / ExpressCard
HDD: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with a Scorpio Black or Blue (see question 5)
MEM: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with 2x2GB of Corsair DDR2-800
WI-FI: (whatever is cheapest) I'll replace with an AR9280 half miniPCIe card
LCD: WXGA+ (1440x900) LED-backlit
- Backlit keyboard, Bluetooth module, 6-cell battery
Keep in mind that I won't be running Windows on this machine, but instead, Linux (Arch Linux x64).
Questions:
1) Is the nVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M enough to run Compiz-Fusion smoothly?
I previously ran Compiz-Fusion with an Intel GMA X3100 integrated GPU and was underwhelmed. Everything worked, but the animations were pretty herky-jerky, most of the time. Aero animations under Windows 7 were similarly not very smooth. I'm hoping for more with the nVIDIA Quadro (I read one report that Aero with an E6400/nVIDIA wasn't very smooth).
2) How bad *really* is the touchpad?
I've heard reports that the touchpad is imprecise and laggy, but I've also heard from people who say they haven't had any issues. Is this a "hit or miss" situation with the hardware, or is it due simply to what people are used to? Or has this been fixed?
3) How durable is the lid/screen?
I've heard reports that "the E6400 is well-built and durable ... except for the display," with no real elaboration. Is there any truth to this? Bending, flexing, etc.? Screen distortions if pressure is applied to the back? Does it seem strong? Feel strong?
4) Does the "brushed-metal" on the back of lid look good in person? Or does it look cheap, fake, tacky, etc ... ?
5) Can I replace the hard-drive?
I heard from one owner that the hard-drives used in the E6400 use a non-standard SATA layout, and thus aftermarket hard-drives cannot be installed. That seemed like it would be a very stupid thing for Dell to do ... but I thought I'd ask.
6) After time (6-12 months), does the display start to wobble when open?
I had an Acer Aspire 4720Z (I know, cheap quality) whose display would wobble when open. At the top of the screen, probably about 1/2" to 3/4" of wobble. The Dell Inspiron 1521 I'm using now does the same thing ... very annoying. Does the E6400 exhibit anything like this even AFTER extended ownership? Say 6 months to a year or more?
7) Is the audio bad?
I've heard from a few people that the audio is simply horrid, even through headphones. I've also heard that disabling PC Spk has fixed it for some people ... is this an outdated issue that has been fixed by Dell?
8) Is there anything else I should know?
If there's anything else that I need to know, I'd love to hear it.
Sorry for so many questions, but this will be a big purchase.
After reading this thread: E Module Bay 2.5" drive.
about the possibility of a second hdd in the Latitude E Series I wonder if it is possible to use Raid0 with E6400 as mentioned in the manual.
Looking after it in the Bios I can't find any Raid Modus for SATA-Operation.
Any ideas???
I have been reading about people getting so many hours out of their E6400. I have the 9 cell battery and running the screen on the lowest setting, Bluetooth off and wifi on im getting close to 6 and a half hours of battery life. Is this normal....
I heard about doing a clean install, what does this do, and what benefits would i be achieving by doing this?..
Is there anything else i can do to get a little more juice out of the battery when i need it? I plan to have wifi on most of the time when it is being used. Basic web-surfing and Microsoft word...
I am trying Windows 7 on my Latitude E6400, and I am having two a little issue for the system.
First issue is despite enabling advance performance for the drive under Device manager, Windows 7 gives me score or 2.0, than in Vista the score is significantly higher in the 5.0 range. My HDD is the Hitachi 5400RPM 160GB.
Second issue is, I don't know what I missed when installing the drivers/software, but I don't have the on-screen volume control. But the ambient light sensor, brightness level and keyboard backlit mode, does appear.
Does anyone know if approx. 75-80 processes normal for the Latitude E6400 with Dell ControlPoint installed?
I can't believe it's that much--if it is the case.
Also, should I install the Vista 64-bit chipset driver? I see Dell doesn't have one for Windows 7 64.
I'm looking for a sleeve that is protective but not particularly bulky.
View 10 Replies View RelatedI am looking for a new notebook and I can't decide wether to buy the XPS 16 or the Latitude E6400.
I will need the notebook for both university (web browsing, office) and leisure purposes (watching movies, tv, listening to music).
I need a solidly built notebook as I travel every few weeks.
I just got a E6400 from outlet (well it will be here around the 17th). It has a Dell 1397 802.11B/G Wireless Mini Card but I want to get a wireless-n card.
Are there 3 antennas in the laptop still that would allow an upgrade to a Intel wifi 5300 card (assuming it can be found outside of the customization page)?
Is there anywhere cheaper than dell to buy the wireless-n part for the E6400? Dell only has the 5100 for $59.99 and haven't seen the 5300 in parts.
I have a Dell Latitude e6400, running MS Vista (latest SP2 + updates).
It is running Bios A14 (recent update).
My issues are:
1. Computer will start up and work normally. However, on shutting down and restart, it will not restart
2. The 'on' button flashes every few seconds as if the notebook is 'trying' to start up and the HDD light flashes every so briefly. This recurs indefinitely.
One video, talk more than millons of words
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I hope its a problem of the LCD inverter, and not all the panel.
I purchased the Dell Latitude E6400 and was supposed to receive the WXGA+ 1400x900 LED screen. Under my device monitor hardware id it displays Cmo1436. Is this the correct LED screen or rather an LCD?
View 3 Replies View RelatedI know that they are two different focused machines, but now that the Studio XPS has been out for a little while, can anyone comment on how the E6400 and 13" SXPS stack up against each other?
Battery life?
Computer performance CPU for CPU?
Keyboard quality?
Quality of build?
Screen quality?
I am looking for a new notebook and after going through countless reviews I have narrowed my final purchase decisions down to two notebooks -
Dell Studio XPS 16 and Dell Latitude E6400. I am basically need a notebook for web browsing, business use and leisure purposes.
I received my Dell E6400 yesterday and need to take screenshots because I am writing training manuals.
My problem is that with my Dell D260 I could press keys on my keyboard ALT PrntScrn and capture the active screen.
With the E6400 there is only one option to capture screens and that is the Fn key with the F11 which is the PrntScreen button
I'm trying to switch out the processor of my E6400. When I put the new processor in and start the computer, the lights blink, sometimes the screen turns on (to black), but the BIOS never loads (or even starts). The computer then turns off, and the caps and scroll lock lights turn on, and the num lock light starts blinking.
Does anyone know what that blinking code means, and more importantly, why the computer isn't starting?
I keep waiting to order my E6400 until all these problems I keep hearing about get resolved. However, it doesn't seem to end. Would I be better off just ordering a D630 and be done with it? These will be discontinued at the end of the year. Right now, it looks like I can save around $300-400 when I configure the D630 similarly. Of course, the D630 doesn't have webcam, maxes out at 4 GB RAM, has a mono speaker, and so forth. But aside from this, isn't it a much more well-tuned machine?
Are the problems I keep hearing about overblown? Will the D630 have its own share of problems?
Is going backwards to the D series a wise choice?