Product Notes: Dell Latitude E6420

March 15, 2011

In February 2011, Dell announced the Latitude E6420 14.0-inch widescreen notebook, which is based on Intel's Sandy Bridge notebook platform. The E6420 supplants the Latitude E6410 and is a major update. It is accompanied to market by the updated E6520 15.6-inch widescreen notebook.

Design and Changes

The biggest single internal change for the Latitude E6420 is that this generation of the E-series moves to Intel's Sandy Bridge notebook platform.

The Latitude E6420 is approximately the same size as the Latitude E6410 it replaces (the E6420 is slightly heavier and larger). There are some changes due to the move from a 14.1-inch 16:10 display to a 14.0-inch 16:9 display. As with the rest of the revised E-series, the E6420 has a substantially modified appearance, including a new keyboard and a more rounded look. Despite this, the E6420 uses the same power supplies and docking solutions that the E6410 used.

All models in this generation of the Latitude E-series transition from DisplayPort to HDMI video output while continuing to include VGA. The new digital video output marks a notable change from the last two E-series generations.

The Latitude E6420 is EPEAT Gold-compliant and Energy Star 5.0-certified.

Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering a Latitude E6420 through Dell's Premier Page for the University:

1. Dell's E6420 configurator allows the selection of various models of Intel's current Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processors. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) believes that a Core i5 is appropriate for most users.
2. Display choices include two different HD displays (one with two finger multi-touch) at 112 dpi and an HD+ display at 131 dpi.
3. With and only with Sandy Bridge, ISC has removed the requirement for a discrete video card from the mid-weight notebook recommendation. Some users may still choose a discrete video card for enhanced graphics performance: the optional NVIDIA 512 MB card uses NVIDIA's Optimus power-saving technology.
4. Having at least 4.0 GB RAM is essential for the optimal functionality of a modern mid-weight notebook.
5. An integrated web camera is optional. ISC suggests adding the web camera unless there is a specific local policy or security reason to exclude one.
6. Though 128 GB and 256 GB solid state drives are available, ISC does not believe that they are currently an appropriate choice for most mid-weight notebook users because the cost trade-offs are too great.
7. As with any mid-weight notebook, ISC suggests that LSPs consider purchasing both a high-capacity (9 cell) and a mid-capacity (6 cell) battery along with an extra AC power adapter. Note that Dell is continuing to offer an extra cost 9 cell battery with a three year warranty instead of the normal one year warranty for batteries. Providers also may wish to consider Dell's range of port replicators.
8. Connectivity options include various 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi cards, Gobi multi-vendor WWAN connectivity (though this is not yet orderable), and Bluetooth 3.0. ISC believes that Bluetooth is a relevant protocol for most notebook users and that WWAN connectivity is useful for many "road warriors".

See ISC's Notebook Purchasing Guide for more configuration guidelines. As of March 2011, configuring a Latitude E6420 to the mid-weight notebook specification can be done for approximately $1,150 to $1,450. The University's Computer Connection will have at least one E6420 configuration available to order as soon as possible.

Analysis

ISC sees the Latitude E6420 as being a competitive choice among 14.0-inch mid-weight notebooks available in early 2011. The transition to Sandy Bridge architecture and the new case design make the E6420 among the most significantly updated of the current generation of enterprise class notebooks.

Latitude E6420 graphic courtesy of Dell

--John Mulhern III, Lead for Client Technologies, ISC Technology Support Services (March 15, 2011)