While other changes have taken place, the big story with Dell’s 2012 Latitude refresh is the inclusion of Ivy Bridge CPU options. Less pricey Sandy Bridge models are still available, and neither choice will result in a slow PC by any judgment. It’s worth noting that Dell also lists Intel Celeron Bxxx CPUs as an option, but as of this writing such a configuration isn’t selectable. Beyond that, the choices range from a Core i3-2328M Sandy Bridge CPU all the way to a 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520M, the latter of which is currently the fastest dual-core Ivy Bridge CPU around. Our review model features a 2.8 GHz Core i5-3360M, which is only slightly slower than the top-end Core i7-3520M. Intel SME Study Disclaimer: Based on a 2018 survey of small business owners in five countries. Details here intel.com.au/smestudy The closest notebooks in terms of specifications in comparison with the Latitude E5430 are perhaps the Dell Latitude E5530 (which we’ve already referenced heavily throughout this review) and the Lenovo ThinkPad L530 model we recently reviewed. Both of these competing models are 15-inch notebooks, but it’s safe to assume that their 14-inch counterparts with identical specifications should post similar performance scores. As it happens, the E5430 matches (or comes in negligibly below) its E5530 bigger brother in most every benchmark. In turn, it thus also bests the ThinkPad L530 in every Cinebench test. These are impressive results coming from a 14-inch business notebook with a “mid-range” CPU.

Two weeks ago, we brought you our full reviewof the newest member of the Latitude E5XXX family, the E5530. In it, we praised its impressive performance, stable construction, great battery life, and largely unmatched input devices. We were pleased by the inclusion of two USB 3.0 ports, an upgrade which the E5430 also boasts over its predecessor (the E5420). Meanwhile, we had our reservations about the E5530’s hefty weight, noise level, and subpar fit and finish. The distinction between the Latitude 6XXX series and the lower-grade 5XXX series is certainly evident in a side-by-side comparison, with such luxury MIL-STD 810G-tested amenities as magnesium alloy wrapped corners and heavy-duty hinges surrendered in exchange for a lower price tag. But how much do such omissions really affect the Latitude E5430’s overall appeal? And how well does it fare in the wake of its last-gen predecessor, the E5420? Estimated delivery times are provided to us by the respective delivery companies. We pass this information onto you, the customer. Two Nanya 2 GB DDR3-1600 RAM modules (4 GB total) came installed in our review unit, which is more than enough for most users. But with the extremely low prices of DDR3 RAM and the considerable ease of upgrading components in the Latitude E5430, it’s easy to justify a higher amount. Fortunately, up to 16 GB of RAM is supported (8 GB per slot), so there should be no trouble reaching a sufficient number. There are two different 14-inch display options to choose from on the Latitude E5430, both of which graciously feature a matte finish. The first is a standard HD (1366x768) display, and the second is an HD+ (1600x900) display with Premium Panel Guarantee. Our review model came equipped with the latter, and, as in typical fashion with most Dell models, the higher-resolution display is also quite a bit nicer than the standard one. Though we weren’t exactly wowed by the contrast ratio (more on that in a moment), the picture quality was nevertheless subjectively good and the panel is bright. Colors were a bit flat, however.

The Core i5-3360M CPU’s performance rivals even the fastest dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs. In our synthetic benchmarks, we witnessed scores comparable to the Core i7-2640M in most categories, and consistently higher than the Core i7-2620M. Cinebench R10/R11.5 both tested the i5-3360M in our unit higher than the similar second-generation i7 CPUs, and the 3DMark 06 CPU benchmark agrees. wPrime places the i5-3360M squarely between the i7-2620M and i7-2640M, but the results are so similar (around 2.5% difference) that comparisons really don’t mean much. The bottom line is that the Core i5-3360M should provide more than enough power for just about any business user who’s looking to accomplish the essentials with their notebook, but it also shows no signs of weakness in terms of heavier tasks such as photo and video editing. The same applies to the Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU, but perhaps to an even greater extent. This GPU has consistently proven itself to be faster than even the highest recorded scores of its HD 3000 counterpart in nearly every situation. This leaves little doubt that the notebook should be able handle most any low- to mid-range graphical task with no trouble. When it comes to memory, the base model features 8GB of DDR4 3200 MHz ram though there are options for 16GB of RAM and all the way up to 64GB. As for storage, the base model of the Latitude 5430 has a 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Class 35) though the top of the line configuration features a 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD (Class 40). There’s also an option for a 512GB SSD (Class 40) that is self-encrypting. Embracing our obstinate addiction, we tested Diablo III’s performance on the Latitude E5430 to see how it compared to our previous tests and those performed just weeks prior on the E5530. While admirable, the results didn’t vary materially from our E5530 venture—just a couple of frames per second here and there, which is an insignificant difference that could be attributed to any variety of factors. In terms of hard numbers, this translated to an average of 28 frames per second on high and 36 frames per second on medium settings, both certainly palatable values for a business notebook.

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. The first thing to note is that the casing, while again, not as heavy-duty or high-quality as the front-running E6XXX models, is still predominantly solid. The first clue the E5430 offers in this regard is its considerable weight. At 2.51 kg, this is a far cry from a featherweight ultraportable. Nevertheless, in conjunction with its reasonably-designed form factor, it is hardly restrictive in its size. It feels comfortable on the lapand is easier to use than many smaller notebooks in such a position thanks to an adequately-sized, flat palm rest—and this is in spite of the weight and size of the extended battery we received to boot. Very little flexis detectable anywhere apart from just above the optical drive, which is a typical and forgivable weakness of nearly every notebook. While our E5530 review unit was afflicted by some notable gaps between casing components, we are pleased to report that no such problems apply to the E5430 we received. ProSupport Plus includes Keep Your Hard Drive & Accidental Damage Protection to cover everyday accidents like drops, spills or electrical surges.Terms Apply. Promotion ends 3 December 2023. Items are subject to availability. Max 5 units per customer. The anti-glare screen is a mixed bag. Yes, it will prevent screen reflections from fatiguing your users' eyes, but the screen is also a little dull looking next to newer ultrabooks. See the Dell knowledge base article How to Troubleshoot Dell Laptop Battery Issues to troubleshoot the battery issue.

Hard drive retention: Hard drive retention is not available on models with a soldered hard drive, including XPS 9315 2in1, Chromebooks or Venue tablets, except the Venue 11 Pro.Intel classifications are for general, educational and planning purposes only and consist of Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers. Any use made of Intel classifications are without recourse to Intel and shall not be construed as a representation or warranty regarding the proper ECCN or HTS. Your company as an importer and/or exporter is responsible for determining the correct classification of your transaction. Amazingly, with a few exceptions, the Latitude E5430 actually manages to stay cooler than the larger E5530, even with the same CPU and other basic components. Following an hour of simultaneous CPU and GPU stressing for a full hour using Furmark and Prime95, the underside of the notebook reached an average temperature of just 35. 6°C, which is nearly a full degree lower than the E5530’s temperature under the same conditions. This renders the notebook comfortable for use on the lap even when under load in most situations. Intel processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families. See http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html for details. IDC Whitepaper “Optimizing Performance with Frequent Server Replacements for Enterprises” commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel, March 2021. Results are based on interviews with 18 IT practitioners and decision makers at midsize and large enterprises and a web survey of 707 IT practitioners and decision makers at midsize and larger enterprises using Dell Technologies server solutions across 7 industries. See full whitepaper: https://www.delltechnologies.com/resources/en-us/asset/white-papers/products/servers/server-infrastructure-resiliency-enterprise-whitepaper.pdf The Latitude E5430 can be outfitted with either a 320 GB (encrypted or non-encrypted) or 500 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, or for a little higher cost, a 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD). Our review unit came equipped with a Seagate Momentus Thin ST320LT007-9ZV142 7200 RPM 320 GB drive. Like the drive we received in our E5530 review model, this is a smaller, single-platter 7 mm-height hard drive that normally is meant for situations where drive size is a prohibitive design factor (such as in many ultraportables). The E5430 actually features a fully-sized 9.5 mm-height drive bay, so any traditional SATA laptop drive will also fit.

The Latitude E5430 carries the torch forward with another round of impressive graphical benchmark results for a machine restricted to an integrated GPU. Though these machines certainly aren’t built for gaming, our tests prove that the HD 4000 is no slouch should some low-end gaming still find itself on the agenda.Dell’s Latitude models always put practicality first. With a perpetually no-nonsense design and solidity that rivals even the fiercest opponents, it’s one of the first places many businesspeople look when considering a primary machine. And rightfully so; not many notebooks exist which hail from such a glistening lineage of enterprise-grade dependability. So, what does all this buy you? Plenty of runtime in this case. To reiterate, our review unit received a standard 9-cell battery, and we were impressed with the results. One of the first items we tested was minimal system usage under nearly-idle conditions via the Reader’s Test in Battery Eater. Before testing, as always, we fully charged the unit and disabled sleep, hibernation, screen and hard drive timeouts, and all wireless radios. Under these conditions and set to the “Power Saver” power profile, the notebook stayed alive for an exceptional 11 hours and 2 minutes. Regardless, there are a few areas where the E5430 still falls short. The first is display quality; while our upgraded 1600x900 HD+ panel is certainly adequately bright for even outdoor use, the contrast ratio and color spectrum leave much to be desired. It’s also still quite a loud machine, reaching disturbing decibel levels under moderate levels of stress (though this behavior can be adjusted at the expense of some performance using Dell’s built-in power plans). And finally, the weight—while partially a factor of the heavier-than-usual build quality—is more prohibitive than that of many competing 14” notebooks.