Dell Latitude 11 3150 Notebook Review

A frugal Intel Pentium 3540 at a base speed of 2.16 GHz calculates inside our Latitude. The installed CPU is based on Intel's Silvermont architecture and features Turbo mode that enables clock rates of up to 2.66 GHz. The 20-Euro (~$22) cheaper model sports an Intel Celeron N2840. Intel specifies a maximum power dissipation of a low 7.5 watts in its spec sheet.

A look at the benchmarks reveals that the Latitude scores better than its rival from Acer. The difference to the TravelMate in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test is 15%. The advantage increases to 26% in the R11 version. The contending laptop is based on an Intel Celeron N2930 and clocks at 1.83 to 2.16 GHz, which is significantly lower than the review sample.

The Turbo clock rate remained stable during the Cinebench R15 benchmarks. We could not undercut the clock rate even after some repetitions. There is no performance loss in battery mode, either. The same results are achieved here according to Cinebench R15.

The combination of an SSD and a CPU predestined for office and Internet applications ensure a pleasant and responsive workflow. The system runs smoothly in total - as long as we restrict ourselves to the named fields of use. PCMark 7 confirms this sooner subjective impression. Acer's TravelMate B115-MP-C23C, with a marginally higher performance than our contender owing to the Intel Celeron N2940 and with an identical configuration otherwise, reaps in a 42% worse score than the Latitude from the Education lineup. The SSD storage plays an important role for this outcome; our reviewed Acer only had an HDD.

An SSD from Samsung's SM851 lineup is installed in our present review sample. The 2.5-inch non-volatile storage has a capacity of 128 GB and is not included in the basic configuration. A 250 GB HDD is in the Latitude's basic configuration. The extra charge for the swifter storage is 42 Euros (~$46). CrystalDiskMark shows us that the SSD storage achieves faster write / read speeds and response times than an HDD, but also that it does not score very well.

A processor-integrated graphics card takes care of video output. Intel's HD Graphics (Bay Trail) has a core clock of 860 MHz. Due to the fact that the Latitude has one working memory module maximum, the review sample does not support dual-channel memory. Acer's TravelMate features the same graphics unit and thus both laptops achieve identical scores in 3DMark 11.

Using the laptop without its charger is often the case particularly in schools during classes. Like under the Processor chapter, there is no need to fear performance losses. 3DMark 11 achieved the same score in battery mode.

The combination of a frugal CPU and integrated GPU prevent the Latitude from entering the gaming world. Even BioShock: Infinite released in 2013 did not manage smooth frame rates. The gaming faction that limit themselves to classic games will likely be happy with some older games. Which games might possibly function can be found in our article "Gaming Performance of recent laptop graphic cards."

System Noise

Rather than a monotonous sounding fan in computer class, the user will not hear anything at all from Dell's Latitude 3150 thanks to its passive cooling strategy.

Small dogs bark loudest. That could be the motto that describes the volume of both stereo speakers. Although a real sound spectrum is not audible and songs sometimes sound a bit randomized, the volume is convincing especially in video calls or occasional YouTube videos.

Power Consumption

As to be expected from the installed components, the review sample was never exceedingly guzzling. The idle consumption ranged from 2.8 to 5 watts. Acer's laptop demands 3 watts more here. However, this behavior changes in load where peak rates of 15.8 watts were reached. The power consumption varied between 10.4 and 15.8 watts in our stress test, which can be explained with the CPU's fluctuating clock rate. Acer's device consumes a bit less here with rates ranging from 10 to 13.7 watts.

Dell equips the Latitude 3150 from the Education lineup with a 3-cell battery. The manufacturer specifies a capacity of 38 Wh (40.3 Wh read out).

We simulated Internet browsing in our real-life scenario using the balanced Windows plan and a brightness of 144 cd/m². The Latitude first shut down to standby after almost 10 hours. Acer's TravelMate had to give up three hours sooner. That not only makes the little Latitude interesting for everyday school life but also as a portable office device. It will easily last a whole workday.

Dell's Latitude 3150 is to be durable according to scholastic demands. However, some interesting features for the "normal" user were discovered in our test. Although the casing is exclusively made of plastic, the rubber rim defies some rougher bumps. Furthermore, the keyboard and trackpad are sealed against penetrating fluids. The Latitude does not have a maintenance cover, but the base tray can be easily removed, making it possible to access the largest part of the hardware. We only ascertained minor shortcomings in build regarding the display lid's stiffness and the gaps. The input devices are particularly important for office laptops. The review sample also convinced with its good keyboard here, although the trackpad could be a bit more accurate in use. After that, we looked at the screen which is ideally matte. The TN screen is very viewing-angle dependent even for its model type. In sum, the display is sufficient for office work. The high color shifts, the low contrast and the bluish cast prevent using it for professional graphics editing.

However, the review sample's system performance is good. The combination of a frugal processor and SSD ensures smooth workflow. We cannot say how well the other configurations without an SSD and a weaker CPU would score at this point. The selected components allow the manufacturer to use a fan-less design. The involved temperature development also remains within limits. The Latitude achieves a real-life battery runtime of up to 10 hours thanks to its energy-efficient components. Consequently, Dell's little 11.5-inch device will manage even longer school and office days.

Overall, Dell's combination of input devices, screen model, system performance and battery life is balanced. Thus, the Latitude 3150 is a decent workhorse for school, university and the workplace.