Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Review

Dell Latitude E6420 ATG

Review Summary:

The Dell Latitude E6420 ATG is one of the most well-balanced notebooks we've seen in the semi-rugged class of business notebooks. The system is a bit pricey, however, and suffers in screen resolution options and ease of upgrades.  It is also heavy, weighing in at about seven pounds.

Pros

• Excellent durability
• Good battery life
• Modular drive bay allows for easy storage expansion

Cons

• Expensive
• Heavy like a brick
• Difficult to upgrade (opening the unit requires some time and effort)

Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Full Review

 

If you like the current lineup of Dell business laptops but need something more rugged for use and abuse at work, then Dell's new Latitude E6420 ATG might be the perfect notebook for you. Keep reading to find out more about this semi-rugged laptop.  The system is a bit pricey, however, and screen resolution options are limited.

Our Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Specifications:

• 14.0-inch LED-backlit 1366x768 Anti-Glare Display
• Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
• Intel Core i7-2620M processor (2.70GHz, 4MB cache)
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM
• 128GB mobility solid state drive (Samsung PM810)
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 802.11a/b/g/n Half Mini Card
• Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Module
• 8X DVD+/-RW drive with Roxio and Cyberlink Power DVD
• 9-cell Li-ion battery (97Wh) and 90W AC adapter
• 3-Year Basic Hardware Service with 3-Year NBD Limited Onsite Service After Remote Diagnosis
• Weight: 7.06lbs with 9-cell battery and optical drive (5.95lbs advertised starting weight with 6-cell battery and airbay)
• Dimensions (with 9-cell battery): 14.08 x 10.4 x 1.2-1.5-inches
• MSRP as configured: $3,037.00

Build and Design
The Dell Latitude E6420 ATG represents a fundamental shift in the way that Dell handles its semi-rugged business notebooks. The old ATG models were essentially nothing more than standard Dell Latitude notebooks with a different lid along with a few other bits and MIL SPEC tests. The E6420 ATG on the other hand features a completely unique chassis design made from generous amounts of magnesium alloy, rubber gaskets covering the data ports and a spill-proof backlit keyboard with drain hole. The E6420 ATG is the first Dell ATG model to meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G and IP5x standards for vibration, humidity, altitude, dust, shock, high temperature and low temperature. In short, the E6420 ATG semi-rugged notebook is a serious step up from those older models that were largely just glorified business notebooks.

Opening the lid on the E6420 ATG reveals the matte black and silver metal top plate and durable spill-resistant keyboard with LED backlighting. Dell decided to trim the keyboard with an orange stripe both for asthetics and to help make the keyboard stand out under low light. The keyboard keys are covered in a rubberized paint to help them stand up to more use and abuse in the field. It's also worth mentioning that this is the first ATG-series notebook to feature an optional carrying handle which bolts onto the front edge of the notebook beneath the touchpad. Who needs a laptop bag when you've got a a notebook that looks and feels like a brick of magnesium?

The chassis of the Latitude E6420 ATG feels extremely well built and resists flexing in the usual spots when you apply pressure. I did notice a bit of flex under the right palm rest, but that is expected since the optical drive bay is located directly under this area. With the notebook closed, the screen cover gives above-average protection for the screen and should prevent any keyboard key marks from imprinting on the LCD even if a small child happens to step on the screen lid. To that end, a lightweight adult could probably stand on this notebook without causing any damage (though I do NOT recommend it). With the notebook open I was unable to produce any ripples or distortions on the display even when "punching" the back of the screen. Again, who needs a laptop bag?

Users looking to upgrade parts or IT staff looking to replacing components will find the Latitude E6420 ATG is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of service. The only easily accessible expansion options are the modular drive bay (more on that later) and the hard drive bay. You can remove the hard drive (or SSD) by removing four screws on the bottom of the notebook and pulling the drive out the side. If you want to upgrade the RAM or the wireless cards, you will have to remove the entire base cover from the notebook by removing seven screws along with the port covers which are also secured by six additional screws. My advice is to configure the notebook the way you want it at the time of purchase unless you want to spend a lot of time with a screwdriver.

Ports and Features
The Latitude E6420 ATG offers a somewhat odd array of ports for a current-generation notebook. You get three USB 2.0 ports along with an extra USB 2.0/eSATA port, VGA and HDMI, Ethernet/LAN, ExpressCard expansion slot and even a SmartCard reader for added security. The obvious omission here is USB 3.0 ... and it seems quite strange that Dell didn't include it until you learn more about the modular drive bay. The optical drive in the E6420 ATG can be removed and replaced with your choice of an optional second battery, a second hard drive, or "E-modular" USB 3.0 ports. There is also an "E-Legacy Extender" which adds serial, parallel and PS/2 support for companies that have to connect to older "legacy" hardware. If you don't care about an optical drive or extra ports you can insert the included "Airbay" module to cut down on weight. All descriptions below are listed from left to right.

Front: SDHC-card slot	Rear: HDMI, Kensington lock slot, phone modem (optional), power jack and LAN
Left: USB 2.0, VGA-out, headset jack, SmartCard reader	Right: ExpressCard/54 slot, optical drive/expansion bay, wireless on/off, two USB 2.0 ports and USB 2.0/eSATA port

Screen and Speakers
The Dell offers two display options with the 14.0-inch Latitude E6420 ATG. The base screen is a standard 1366x768 resolution panel with anti-glare finish. The second screen option is a Resistive Touchscreen LED display with the same resolution. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that Dell doesn't offer at least one 1600x900 resolution option, but the majority of enterprise businesses and government agencies that will buy the E6420 ATG would rather have large icons that are easy to read. The standard screen in pour review unit delivered a maximum brightness level of 801 nits and a real-life contrast ratio of 630:1 in our lab using a Gossen GO 4068 Mavo-Monitor light meter.

This level of brightness is substantially better than typical business notebooks that have screens with a maximum brightness around 280-350 nits and it means the "outdoor viewable" screen on the E6420 ATG is indeed viewable outdoors even under direct sunlight. Viewing angles are average for a TN panel, with the vertical viewing range spanning from 15-20 degrees tilted forward or back before color starts to shift. Horizontal viewing angles were better, with colors staying true to 60-75 degrees off-center.

The Latitude E6420 ATG features stereo speakers located on the front edge of the notebook. For business use they were more than adequate, offering plenty of volume for listening to music or a video conference in small to midsize rooms. Audio quality was average, with some midrange, good high notes and little bass. The only potential problem with the speakers is the placement. If you're using the notebook on your desk, the speakers bounce off the table and direct sound toward you. If you're using the E6420 ATG as a "laptop", then the speakers sound muffled against your legs.

Keyboard and Touchpad
In case you missed it earlier in the review, the Dell Latitude E6420 ATG features a LED-backlit keyboard that is also spill resistant. The keyboard has a standard key layout similar to the previous generation of Latitudes and might be a welcome feature for those people who don't like the "Chiclet" style keyboards found on most modern notebooks. The only minor complaint I have with the keyboard on this machine is that the mouse buttons for the built-in pointing stick have a feel and position that makes them easy to mistake for the space bar button when typing quickly. On more than one occasion, I pressed the right or left mouse button when I meant to type a space. Typing pressure is minimal, with each press making a very soft click when the key is fully triggered. The key noise is much quieter compared to a modern HP EliteBook or ProBook business laptop. The keyboard tray also has excellent support and doesn't bend or flex under even the heaviest typing pressure.

Our review unit incorporates an ALPS touchpad which is neither the best nor the worst touchpad we've used on a business notebook. The touchpad only suffers from some moderate lag during Windows startup which quickly resolves itself once Windows is up and running. Sensitivity is good with default settings, although we still had some problems with the accuracy of X- and Y-axis during rapid movement (quickly drawing circles with the touchpad results in a cursor that moves in an oval shape rather than a circle). The touchpad buttons are rubber coated with a deep throw and a quiet click when triggered.

Performance and Benchmarks
System performance was great thanks to the 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 128GB Samsung SSD. Although our review unit only came equipped with standard Intel HD 3000 integrated gaphics, Dell also offers NVIDIA NVS 4200M discrete graphics with Optimus and 512MB of dedicated DDR3 memory. For those of you who aren't familiar with NVIDIA Optimus technology, this is a graphics solution that automatically switches between Intel integrated graphics (for general computing and extended battery life) and the discrete graphics (for high-performance video editing, GPGPU computing or gaming).

In terms of standard day-to-day computing needs, the E6420 ATG worked flawlessly loading up web browsers or office productivity applications. Although our review unit didn't come with discrete graphics the Intel HD 3000 graphics worked just fine for streaming HD movies over the web and was even powerful enough to handle a game or two ... just in case you're a bored road warrior. The 128GB Samsung PM810 SSD in our review unit was probably the single biggest contributor to snappy system performance; Windows startup was quick, applications loaded in a snap and application switching (multi-tasking) was faster than what you might get from a laptop using a standard 7200rpm hard drive.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

PCMark Vantage measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark Vantage measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
The Dell Latitude E6420 ATG handles the heat from internal components pretty well even when the notebook is under considerable stress. The heavy-contact areas like the palm rests, touchpad and bottom of the notebook remain at pretty reasonable temperatures as long as you stay clear of the heat coming from the fan exhaust on the left side of the notebook. Fan noise during our tests stayed at reasonable levels, with the fan staying off or at a very low speed under a low stress, and the fan volume reaching just above a whisper under a heavy system load. The peak external temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit.

Battery Life
Dell supplied us with a 9-cell extended Li-Ion battery with a 97Wh rating. The standard battery for the E6420 ATG is a 60Wh 6-cell battery and, as previously mentioned, you can add an optional 3-cell battery to the "E-modular" bay instead of an optical drive. We were pretty happy with our results, given the higher-end processor configuration. With the screen brightness reduced to 70%, wireless on and refreshing a webpage every 60 seconds, and Windows set to the Balanced profile, the Latitude E6420 ATG stayed on for 9 hours and 54 minutes. Granted, this is with the optional 9-cell battery ... but that is pretty good battery life.

Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):

Conclusion
The Dell Latitude E6420 ATG is one of the most well-balanced notebooks we've seen in the semi-rugged class of business notebooks. This tough 14-inch laptop combines fantastic durability (nearly rivaling fully-rugged notebooks), great battery life and impressive expansions options via its modular drive bay.

Of course, nothing is perfect and the E6420 ATG has some flaws as well. Even if you overlook the $3,000+ price tag on our review unit, this 14-inch laptop tips the scales at around seven pounds as configured! Add to that the fact that you have to disassemble much of the notebook to upgrade the RAM, limited screen resolution options and a less-than-perfect touchpad.

If you can look beyond the cost and the weight, what you'll find is a surprisingly durable semi-rugged notebook that can survive just about anything you throw at it (or anything you throw it into) and has the performance and battery life to do just about anything a mobile professional needs to do in the field.

Pros:

• Excellent durability
• Good battery life
• Fantastic expansion options (modular bay)

Cons:

• Expensive
• Heavy like a magnesium alloy brick
• Difficult to upgrade (lots of screws)

Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 

* Ratings averaged to produce final score