Dell E5540 Core i3 4th Gen

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Review Dell Latitude E5540 Notebook

Moonlighter. The new generation of Dell’s office workhorse, the Latitude E5540, is clad in a black, 15.6-inch suit and with a power-efficient Intel Core i5 processor. Is it a must for the office?
Florian Wimmer, ✓ Stefanie Voigt (translated by Liala Stieglitz), 05/07/2014 
In review: Dell Latitude E5540. Review sample courtesy of Dell Germany.

For the original German review, see here.

Dell has a foot or perhaps even two in the door of many companies. That is very likely because the Texan manufacturer willingly listens to the feedback of its customers and improves its laptops accordingly. A 15.6-inch laptop that is not too heavy and that features a docking port, which is easy to manage and also offers enough performance for office routine, is standard equipment on many desks.

At first glance, Dell’s E5540 (or Dell’s Latitude 15 5000 Series) meets all these criteria. However, the competition for the favor of big businesses that not only buy one, but hundreds or even thousands of laptops is fast-paced. Thus, particularly Lenovo and its ThinkPads are popular: The ThinkPad L440 or L540 would be comparable laptops. Asus is a newcomer with its AsusPro P56CB, whereas Toshiba’s Satellite U50t has an easier time. Fujitsu offers the LifeBook A544, and the ProBook 655 G1 or ProBook 650 G1 from HP are apt comparison devices.

 

Case

The hinges are stable, but the casing is too pliable otherwise.
The hinges are stable, but the casing is too pliable otherwise.

It quickly becomes obvious that the redeveloped casing is not an ultra-cheap model – Dell has now relocated those in its Latitude 3000 Series. The high-quality chassis of the Latitude 6000 and 7000 laptops remain unmatched though. The material used contributes to that: Plastic no matter where the fingers are placed, though with a high-quality and pleasant feel. Gorilla Glass protects the screen, and the lid is reinforced with fiberglass, but it can be warped to quite an extent. The casing’s lower part is fairly rigid, but the wrist rest’s right side is a bit too pliable, for example.

Black, rounded corners, basic yet stylish – these few words could be used to summarize the Latitude E5540’s design. It will certainly make a good impression everywhere due to its restrained looks; buyers who want something extraordinary will have to look somewhere else. The build is acceptable, but we found slightly irregular gaps on the casing’s right.

All in all, it is a functional, well-designed chassis that could benefit, in a few places, from a stiffer casing.

 

Connectivity

We discovered the expected business laptop interfaces, distributed around the casing, except for on the front. For example, Dell’s Latitude E5540 sports four USB ports, two of which are USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0. Finding the right port for peripherals should not be a problem.

The laptop reads both SD cards and ExpressCards alike. The docking port on the device’s underside allows expanding the interface diversity, and the laptop can be connected to stationary devices on the desk quickly.

Left: Power socket, Wi-Fi switch, vent, HDMI, USB 3.0, ExpressCard, SD
Left: Power socket, Wi-Fi switch, vent, HDMI, USB 3.0, ExpressCard, SD
Right: DVD burner, headset jack, USB 2.0 VGA, Kensington lock
Right: DVD burner, headset jack, USB 2.0 VGA, Kensington lock
Rear: USB 3.0, LAN, USB 2.0
Rear: USB 3.0, LAN, USB 2.0
Front: No interfaces
Front: No interfaces

Communication

Dell sets an example with the installed Wi-Fi module that even supports the latest 802.11 ac standard besides 802.11 a/b/g/n. Bluetooth 4.0 LE complements that. A WWAN card cannot be inserted by default, but is available for major customers upon request.

The Wi-Fi module’s reception is good. The signal strength fluctuated between full and 3/4 reception even at a distance of 10 meters (~33 feet) and through three walls. An additional wall reduces the level to between 3/4 and 1/2.

Security

The fingerprint reader is the most striking security feature. It is located under the wrist rest’s right area in Dell’s Latitude E5540. It effectively allows limiting the laptop’s accessibility. A Trusted Platform Module is installed, and SmartCard support is optionally available. Besides that, a protected environment can be created via the Protected Workspace software, in which the browser can be opened and potentially malicious scripts and attackers cannot access the rest of the system. Dell’s Data Protection additionally offers extended login options and protection against threats from the Internet.

Accessories

Since the end user in the office will not see the original box, it does not include much more than the power supply and laptop. The port replicator is likely the most frequently ordered accessory; otherwise, Dell has standard accessories such as monitors, keyboards, and bags available.

Many parts can be accessed after removing only a few screws.
Many parts can be accessed after removing only a few screws.

Maintenance

It is commendable that Dell now supplies many models with detailed disassembly instructions. The Latitude E5540’s underside can be lifted off by removing only a few screws. The user can then access the hard drive, memory, fan, Wi-Fi module, and BIOS battery. The guide also provides instructions on how to take apart the camera, screen, and almost all other components. However, only pros should really do this. Laypeople will be able to replace the hard drive without issues.

Warranty

base warranty of 1 year is included free, and options for other warranties are very extensive. The base support can be upgraded up to 5 years for a maximum of 139.10 Euros (~$192). The ProSupport costs almost exactly twice as much, but it includes a single point of contact and 24-hour phone support. Accidental damage, theft protection, battery warranty: the options are diverse and, depending on the use, they make sense and are priced reasonably.

 

Input Devices

Keyboard

Like the rest of the casing, the keyboard is a bit too pliable and features a rather hard stroke that will not appeal to everyone. The full-size number pad and square letter keys with an edge length of 15 mm make up for that. That enables accurate and fast typing because the keys’ drop is neither too short nor too long. The keyboard has a backlight that can be set to four different levels.

Dell also installs a few special keys; for example, a hardware switch for Wi-Fi is on the casing’s right, and a control panel for volume is above the keyboard. A key above the number pad opens the calculator, and a set of multimedia keys is also available.

Touchpad

The ThinkPad was first, and now many are copying it: In addition to the touchpad, Dell’s Latitude E5540 also has a TrackPoint between the G, H and B keys, and has its own set of mouse buttons. When familiarized with the rubber nub, working with it is fast and accurate, particularly since it features a third mouse button. As usual, if worn out, the rubber cap can be removed and replaced.

Navigating with the touchpad also works well. The touch-sensitive surface is quite far left in the casing, and is sufficiently sized with a diagonal of 90 millimeters (~3.5 inches). The surface allows the finger to glide easily, and offers two dedicated and pleasant to use keys with a clear pressure point.

Dell is naturally aware that the input devices are a very important criterion for a business laptop, and has done a very good job with them. However, the keyboard could be inserted a bit more firmly in the casing in the next model.

Keyboard
Keyboard
Touchpad
Touchpad
TrackPoint
TrackPoint

 

Display

The screen in our review sample is a matte, 15.6-inch display based on TN LED technology. It has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, which is thus relatively high for this price range. Dell optionally offers screens with 1366×768 pixels and glossy touchscreens in both resolutions.

Dell’s Latitude E5540 will likely spend most of the time in the office. Consequently, the brightness is not that important, but it is quite good compared with the comparison field. Only Lenovo’s ThinkPad L540 slightly surpasses the average of 272.9 cd/m². Besides that, the illumination of 87% is fairly homogeneous.

257
cd/m²
270
cd/m²
259
cd/m²
260
cd/m²
297
cd/m²
269
cd/m²
287
cd/m²
268
cd/m²
289
cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

AU Optronics B156HW02
X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 297 cd/m² Average: 272.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 297 cd/m²
Contrast: 503:1 (Black: 0.59 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.98 | 0.6-29.43 Ø5.9
ΔE Greyscale 10.26 | 0.64-98 Ø6.1
50% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.49

Dell Latitude E5540
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Toshiba Satellite U50t-A-100
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541075A9E680
Lenovo ThinkPad L540 20AV002YGE
HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630
Fujitsu LifeBook A544
HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
Screen
-9%
-11%
-22%
Brightness middle
297

191

-36%

303

2%

211

-29%
Brightness
273

177

-35%

290

6%

197

-28%
Brightness Distribution
87

76

-13%

85

-2%

85

-2%
Black Level *
0.59

0.66

-12%

0.7

-19%

1.06

-80%
Contrast
503

289

-43%

433

-14%

199

-60%
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 *
8.98

5.66

37%

11.58

-29%

6.77

25%
Greyscale DeltaE2000 *
10.26

6.33

38%

13.65

-33%

6.82

34%
Gamma
2.49 88%
2.5 88%
2.59 85%
2.66 83%
CCT
12696 51%
9102 71%
13248 49%
9452 69%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
50

51.12

2%

33.9

-32%

* … smaller is better

Adobe RGB 50%
Adobe RGB 50%
sRGB 67%
sRGB 67%

The middling brightness leads to a middling contrast: 503:1 is acceptable though not outstanding. The same is true for the black level of 0.57 cd/m², which lets dark areas on the screen look fairly dark and deep.

A precise analysis using CalMAN and the colorimeter immediately reveals a very intense bluish cast that cannot be eliminated via calibration. The grayscales and color look much bluer than they should according to the reference color space. The saturation in the blue hues is also greatly overemphasized. Although this remains similar after calibration, the colors at least come closer to the reference values due to an increased red part. Calibration particularly improves the grayscale’s very high shift to a very low shift from the reference values.

CalMAN Color Checker
CalMAN Color Checker
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Color Checker (calibrated)
CalMAN Color Checker (calibrated)
CalMAN Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)

The matte screen is of course a first good step for outdoor use. Additionally, the screen’s decent brightness enables recognizing content fairly well even in brighter surroundings. It is naturally nevertheless difficult to work with the device in direct sunlight, but glare-free working with Dell’s Latitude is possible in normal daylight.

The viewing angle stability is good from all sides, but not as perfect as, for example, an IPS screen owing to the underlying TN LED technology. Color shifts and contrast losses are seen in very acute angles. However, that is not inevitably a drawback in business laptops; after all, you do not necessarily want the person sitting next to you on the train to read everything.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoors
Outdoors

 

Performance

Dell equips its Latitude E5540 models with processors from Intel’s Core-i range. However, the manufacturer does not use standard voltage CPUs, but energy-efficient models like the ones used in ultrabooks. They provide enough power for office routine, and save energy and battery capacity at the same time.

Only Intel’s Core i5-4300U can be installed directly on the website, but Intel’s Core i3-4010U is possible via personal contact when desired. Dell installed 8 GB of working memory in our review sample. Both banks are filled, but when a model with 4 GB is selected only one memory bank is occupied, and can easily be upgraded to 8 GB afterward.

CPU Z
CPU Z
CPU Z
CPU Z
GPU Z
GPU Z
HD Tune
HD Tune
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark
System information: Dell Latitude E5540

Processor

Intel’s Core i5-4300U has two cores with a base clock of 1.9 GHz, and which can run with a maximum of 2.9 GHz via Turbo. The processor is a member of Intel’s current Haswell generation, and has a TDP of 15 Watts.

In our experience, the processor is not only strong enough for office applications, but also has performance reserves for demanding programs. The Cinebench comparison confirms this, where Dell’s Latitude E5540 is only defeated by the ThinkPad L540. It sports Intel’s standard voltage Core i5-4200M, which has a higher clock rate. In return, the difference of 6% in the multi-core comparison is marginal.

Additional information

Processor

CPUIntel Core i5 (4th Gen) 4200U / 1.6 GHz Max Turbo Speed-2.6 GHz Number of Cores-Dual-Core Cache-3 MB 64-bit Computing-Yes Features-Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0

Ram

Memory Speed-1600 MHz Configuration Features-1 x 4 GB Technology-DDR3L SDRAM Installed Size-4 GB

Hard Disk

Capacity-500 GB 7200 RPM

Display

LCD Backlight Technology-LED backlight Widescreen Display-Yes Monitor Features-BFR/PVC-free, Corning Gorilla glass NBT, anti-glare Type-LED Diagonal Size (metric)39.6 cm Display Resolution Abbreviation-Full HD

Graphics

Graphics Processor-Intel HD Graphics 4400 Memory Allocation Technology-Dynamic Video Memory Technology Integrated Webcam-Yes Sound-Stereo speakers, microphone Audio Codec-Realtek ALC3226

Optical Drive

Yes

Ports

Headphone/microphone combo jack Dock VGA HDMI 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.0 LAN

Sales Package

Laptop Charger Laptop Bag

Warranty

6 Months Warranty Warranty Can Be Extended

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රු59,900.00

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