Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarDell Latitude 3390 (Core i5-8250U, Full HD, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review
Dell aims the Latitude 3390 primarily at professionals who regularly work away from their desks. The convertible design allows the Latitude 3390 to be used as a quasi-tablet or as a presentation device, but it can still get serious work done.
Our review unit represents the top of the line Latitude 3390, with Dell selling cheaper models should you be operating on a budget. Our model has an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD, for reference. This configuration retails for 1,240 Euros (~$1,402), but you can find the device online for as little as 1,000 Euros (~$1,131) at the time of writing.
The cheaper models come with either Pentium 4415U or Core i3 processors. The Core i5-8250U should be the first choice for most people though, as lesser CPUs will struggle in complex tasks or during heavy multitasking. All models come with a 1080p IPS touchscreen though.
Comparing the Latitude 3390 is not straightforward. There are few 1,000-Euro (~$1,131) 13.3-inch business convertibles on the market, so we have chosen to include 14-inch convertibles in our comparison devices. We will primarily compare our review unit against the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14, HP ProBook x360 440 G1, Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga and Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB.
Case
Dell has finished the Latitude 3390 in an understated looking black carbon fibre, which it claims is recycled. Our review unit is well-built, while its soft-touch finish helps make the device feel premium. The carbon fibre is a fingerprint magnet though, so we would recommend carrying a micro-fibre cloth with you if you want to avoid the Latitude 3390 looking quickly like an oily mess.
The Latitude 3390 is sturdy too. Our test device does not creak or bend when we apply pressure to its case, although we can get the keyboard deck to bow slightly by pressing down on it hard. This is not overly pronounced though, and you should not notice it in daily use.
We can twist the display lid slightly, but not disturbingly so. The inclusion of a touchscreen and a protective glass layer adds rigidity that non-touchscreen displays lack. The effect is that we cannot get the panel to temporarily deform regardless of how hard we press it.
Being a 2-in-1 device, Dell has also equipped the Latitude 3390 with 360° hinges, of which there are two. These are stiff and stop the display from teetering about in daily use. It does prevent the display from being opened with one hand though.
Overall, the Latitude 3390 is a well-built device, about which we have few complaints. Its thick display bezels make the device look a bit outdated now with many laptops having increasingly narrower bezels. The Yoga C930-13IKB, for example, looks more modern than the Latitude 3390, underlining that modern design is not exclusive to consumer laptops.
Size Comparison
The Latitude 3390 is a compact 13.3-inch convertible laptop, although it is heavier than most of our comparison devices. Our review unit weighs 1.6 kg, which makes it heavier than all but the ProBook x360 440 G1. Dell also includes a 273 g power supply, bringing the total carry weight up to almost 2 kg.
Likewise, the Latitude 3390 is noticeably thicker than our comparison devices. 20.4 mm is rather thick for compact convertibles these days, with all our comparison devices coming in at under 20 mm. The Latitude 3390 is narrower and shorter than the ProBook x360 440 G1 and ZenBook Flip 14 though, with our two Lenovo comparison devices being only marginally smaller than our review unit.
Connectivity
The Latitude 3390 has a respectable amount of ports for a 1,000-Euro (~$1,131) device, which should be enough for most people’s needs. The device has three USB ports, one of which is Type-C. The others are Type-A, but it is rather cheap of Dell to include a USB 2.0 Type-A port in 2019. Thankfully, the other Type-A port operates at the faster USB 3.1 Gen1 standard.
The Type-C port can also charge the device thanks to support for USB Power Delivery (PD). Likewise, it supports DisplayPort too, but you must purchase a compatible adapter for this functionality. This is not the only video input, as Dell has included an HDMI port should your external monitor not support DisplayPort. There is an SD card reader too, about which we will go into greater detail in the next section.
Dell has distributed the ports well. No cables should clash or get in the way of an external mouse. Rounding off the connectivity is the IR camera, which we will cover in the Security section of this review.
SD Card Reader
We welcome Dell’s decision to include a full-sized SD card reader. However, our tests quickly revealed that the company has cheapened out and equipped the device with a slow USB 2.0 reader, which is disappointing.
Our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card can achieve over 250 MB/s transfer speeds, but it struggled to operate at a tenth of those speeds in the Latitude 3390. Connecting the card via a USB 3.0 adapter would yield faster transfer speeds, like those achieved by the ProBook x360 440 G1 and ThinkPad L390 Yoga. Doing so defeats the purpose of having an SD card reader though.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Convertible (17.7 - 177.7, n=40, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Average of class Convertible (22.6 - 256, n=37, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Communication
Dell has equipped our test device with a Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wi-Fi module, which also handles Bluetooth. The module supports Bluetooth 4.1, for reference.
Theoretically, the QCA61x4 should deliver fast Wi-Fi transfer speeds. However, the 2x2 module did not meet our expectations during our iperf3 Client tests, only averaging 355 Mb/s and 593 Mb/s in the upload and download tests, respectively. These are both well short of the transfer speeds that our comparison devices averaged.
The Latitude 3390 does not support Ethernet out of the box, so you must buy a USB adapter if you need a wired Internet connection. The same applies to LTE connectivity, with Dell not even offering LTE as a configurable option.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Average of class Convertible (138 - 1455, n=10, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Average of class Convertible (263 - 1579, n=10, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
Security
The Latitude 3390 is scant on security features. The device features a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 as all devices that ship with Windows 10 must do. There is also a Windows Hello-certified infrared (IR) camera, which worked well during our tests. The camera recognises our face quickly and can unlock the device upon waking from standby.
Dell does not include any other security devices besides for a lock slot. There is no fingerprint scanner, no privacy glass or webcam cover. Windows Defender is preinstalled for virus protection too, as is the case with all devices running Windows 10.
Accessories
The Latitude 3390 also comes with only one accessory, a 45 W power supply. The device will work with the Dell Dock WD15, which retails for about 250 Euros (~$283). This gives the Latitude 3390 additional USB ports, a Gigabit LAN port and allows it to connect to two 1080p monitors simultaneously.
Maintenance
The Latitude 3390 does not have a maintenance cover like many business devices do, so accessing its internal components requires removing the bottom plate. Dell secures the plate with several screws and retaining clips, the latter of which are easy to break. Hence, we would recommend proceeding with caution when removing the bottom plate. All key components are accessible once the plate has been removed though.
Warranty
The Latitude 3390 comes with a one-year limited warranty, which Dell calls Basic Onsite Service. You can extend the warranty up to five years when configuring the device.
Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Dell has equipped the Latitude 3390 with a six-row chiclet keyboard. Most keys measure 15 x 15 mm, which is about average for a 13.3-inch laptop. Most gaps measure about 3 mm too, which is about as large as the gaps between keys in our comparison devices. There are some exceptions though, like the Function row and the arrow keys, which are all smaller than the other keys.
Dell also includes two-stage backlighting, which makes it easier to read the keys in low light. The white lettering contrasts nicely with the black keycaps, so you should not need to use the backlighting in daily use. The keys also sit flush with the keyboard deck, which should minimise the chance of the keys rubbing against the display when the lid is closed. It should also stop you from feeling them when you are holding the device in tablet mode.
Overall, the keys deliver a decent typing experience. All keys have a noticeable pressure point, while all but the space bar are quiet when pressed. This is common with many devices though and not a Latitude 3390 specific problem.
Trackpad
As with most convertibles, the Latitude 3390 also has a trackpad, which measures 10.5 x 6.5 cm. The trackpad is well-sized for a Windows device, while the one in our review unit is accurate even into its corners. The trackpad has a matte finish like the rest of the top case, but it is still easy to perform gestures quickly.
The trackpad also integrates mouse buttons, which functioned well in our tests. Both buttons produce an audible click when pressed.
Touchscreen
The final input device is the touchscreen, which worked perfectly throughout our tests. The touchscreen reproduces our inputs promptly, while the accelerometer adjusts the orientation of the display quickly when we switch between landscape and portrait mode. Unfortunately, the touchscreen does not support an active pen like other convertibles do.
Display
Dell currently only offers one display for the Latitude 3390, which is unusual for a business device. All models come with a 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen display that operates at 1920x1080. We should mention though that while our review unit has a BOE06A7 panel, Dell and other OEMs frequently partner with multiple display partners. Hence, your Latitude 3390 may have a different display to the one in our review unit.
Hopefully yours has a brighter display, as the one in our review sample only achieved an average maximum brightness of 274 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2. This puts it at the bottom of our comparison table. Worse still, the display is only 82% evenly lit, so some areas of the display are significantly darker than others. We did not notice this in daily use though. Overall, we would expect a 1,000-Euro (~$1,131) device to reach at least 300 cd/m².
Disappointingly, the Latitude 3390 uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate display brightness. Our review unit flickers at 208 Hz when set to 90% brightness and below, which is low enough to cause people health issues like eye strain and headaches. In short, we would recommend trying the Latitude 3390 before you buy it if you are PWM sensitive.
Moreover, our review unit suffers from noticeable backlight bleeding, which makes the upper corners of the display look cloudy. We only noticed this when looking at a homogenous black image in a dark room though.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 276 cd/m²
Contrast: 952:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.84 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 5.15
ΔE Greyscale 3.54 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
61% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.29% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.43
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 BOE06A7, NV13FHM, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE LEN4094, NV133FHM-N5A, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB B139HAN03_0, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90 | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA BOE NV140FHM-N62, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 Chi MEi, CMN14E0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 58% | 56% | 47% | 60% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 40.9 | 69.2 69% | 64.3 57% | 64.4 57% | 65.8 61% |
| sRGB Coverage | 61.3 | 90.6 48% | 94.6 54% | 84.6 38% | 98.2 60% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 42.29 | 66.3 57% | 66.2 57% | 61.8 46% | 67.8 60% |
| Response Times | 115% | 9% | -4% | 4152% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 42 ? | 51.2 ? -22% | 40.8 ? 3% | 44 ? -5% | 34 ? 19% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 32 ? | 36.8 ? -15% | 27.6 ? 14% | 33 ? -3% | 20 ? 37% |
| PWM Frequency | 208 ? | 1000 ? 381% | 200 ? -4% | 26000 ? 12400% | |
| Screen | 17% | 8% | 5% | 50% | |
| Brightness middle | 276 | 313 13% | 316 14% | 302 9% | 408 48% |
| Brightness | 274 | 295 8% | 291 6% | 288 5% | 375 37% |
| Brightness Distribution | 82 | 90 10% | 83 1% | 90 10% | 87 6% |
| Black Level * | 0.29 | 0.22 24% | 0.36 -24% | 0.57 -97% | 0.34 -17% |
| Contrast | 952 | 1423 49% | 878 -8% | 530 -44% | 1200 26% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.84 | 6.2 -6% | 5.9 -1% | 5.17 11% | 1.2 79% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 26.72 | 10.7 60% | 12.9 52% | 7.68 71% | 2.44 91% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 5.15 | 2.5 51% | 1.3 75% | 0.67 87% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.54 | 8 -126% | 8.6 -143% | 3.26 8% | 0.98 72% |
| Gamma | 2.43 91% | 2.38 92% | 2.1 105% | 2.45 90% | 2.32 95% |
| CCT | 6747 96% | 7100 92% | 6854 95% | 7142 91% | 6485 100% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 39 | 59.1 52% | 60.7 56% | 55 41% | 62 59% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 61 | 90.6 49% | 94.5 55% | 85 39% | 98 61% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 63% /
41% | 24% /
17% | 16% /
11% | 1421% /
776% |
* ... smaller is better
The display is reasonably colour accurate out of the box, although not impressively so. The display colour temperature is close to ideal, and we measure a 0.29 cd/m² black value, which is on par with our comparison devices. However, its low maximum brightness results in a 952:1 contrast ratio, which is underwhelmingly low.
Delta E 2000 deviations, except for greyscale, are unacceptably high. We managed to slightly reduce them with additional calibration, but we could not work miracles. We have included the corresponding ICC profile should you wish to use it. You can find it in the box above our comparison table.
The Latitude 3390 also disappoints with its colour-space coverages. We cannot understand why Dell decided to equip a business device with a display that only covers 61% of the sRGB colour space. Our comparison devices all manage at least 85% sRGB coverage and 55% AdobeRGB coverage. By contrast, our review unit covers just 39% of AdobeRGB.
As you may have expected from the preceding sections, the Latitude 3390 is difficult to use outdoors. Its highly reflective and dim display looks washed-out even in the shade, while it is practically unreadable in bright sunlight. In summary, avoid using the Latitude 3390 outside where possible.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 83 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.8 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 22 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 20 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 62 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (34.3 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 208 Hz | ≤ 90 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 208 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 208 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18694 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The Latitude 3390 at least has decent viewing angles though. We noticed some fogginess at acute viewing angles, but you should have no issues with reading the screen from practically any angle.
Performance
Dell has equipped our review unit with the seemingly evergreen Core i5-8250U. The quad-core CPU is complemented with 8 GB of RAM, and both are powerful enough to handle at least basic tasks for several years to come. The same applies to the 256 GB SSD, about which we cover in detail in the Storage Devices section of this review.
Our review unit is currently the top of the line Latitude 3390. Dell sells cheaper models too, with which it equips less-powerful hardware. Less-demanding CPUs will probably consume less power and result in better battery life, though.
Processor
The Core i5-8250U is an economic 15 W ultra-low voltage (ULV) CPU that supports Intel Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies. These allow the processor to execute up to eight threads simultaneously and boost its 1.6 GHz base clock up to 3.4 GHz. However, not all cooling systems are created equal, so the length of time by which a CPU can maintain its peak clock speeds varies from system to system.
Our review unit, for instance, has slightly better single-core performance than the average of Core i5-8250U-powered devices that we have tested, but it falls 10% short of the ThinkPad L390 Yoga. The gap between the two devices grows to 14% in multi-threaded benchmarks like Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit, with the Latitude 3390 finishing 3% below average here. Only the ProBook x360 440 G1 scores less than the Latitude 3390 in CB R15 Multi 64Bit of our comparison devices.
We also subjected our test device to a looped CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark. We left the loop running for about 30 minutes to determine how the Latitude 3390 manages its performance under continuous load. While the device initially scored a respectable 564 points, it plummeted to 500 points by the second run-through before levelling out at 452 points by the third loop. Scores continued to fluctuate after that, with our review unit averaging 456 points overall. Our comparison devices thermal throttle too, but not as heavily as the Latitude 3390 does.
Overall, our review sample finished our CB R15 64Bit loop about 18% down on its initial score. Please see our CPU benchmarks page for more information on the Core i5-8250U and how it fares against other CPUs.
| Cinebench R15 | |
| CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Convertible (68.6 - 287, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (81 - 147, n=97) | |
| CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Convertible (110.1 - 2633, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (320 - 730, n=101) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Cinebench R20 | |
| CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Convertible (116.8 - 727, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (332 - 355, n=5) | |
| CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Convertible (242 - 6417, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (846 - 1325, n=5) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Convertible (9822 - 92146, n=23, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (22772 - 35817, n=54) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (986 - 1532, n=59) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Average of class Convertible (476 - 3989, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Convertible (0.61 - 20.1, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (3.02 - 4.78, n=8) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (813 - 1209, n=8) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Average of class Convertible (199 - 3620, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 | |
| 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Convertible (6598 - 66408, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (11546 - 17405, n=6) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Convertible (2046 - 6417, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U (3641 - 3925, n=6) | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The Latitude 3390 performs comparatively better in system performance benchmarks like PCMark compared to pure synthetic CPU benchmarks. Our review unit closes the gap to comparison devices like the ThinkPad L390 Yoga, but it is still trading blows with the ZenBook Flip 14. Overall, we expected to see better benchmark results from the Latitude 3390.
Subjectively, our review unit handled all tasks that we threw at it with ease. We noticed no lags or slowdowns during our tests.
| PCMark 8 | |
| Home Score Accelerated v2 | |
| Average of class Convertible (4404 - 5830, n=3, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (2986 - 4458, n=69) | |
| Work Score Accelerated v2 | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (2699 - 5106, n=58) | |
| Average of class Convertible (2921 - 6089, n=3, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3797 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4799 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 3541 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
Dell has equipped the Latitude 3390 with a 256 GB SK Hynix SC311 SSD. Unlike several of our NVMe-equipped comparison devices, our review unit has a slower SATA III drive. The SC311 is a competent drive, but it pales in comparison to something like the Samsung PM981 in the ThinkPad L390 Yoga. Only the ZenBook Flip 14 and its SanDisk SSD achieved lower transfer speeds overall out of our comparison devices than the SC311 in our review unit.
The SSD is still much faster than a conventional HDD though. Our review unit boots and loads programs quickly too. In short, you probably would not notice the difference between a SATA and a PCIe drive in practice.
Dell has also included a 2.5-inch drive adapter should you wish to use one. Unfortunately, it is not possible to run two drives simultaneously. Please see our HDD/SSD comparison page for more information on the SK Hynix SC311 and how it fares against other drives.
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 SK hynix SC311 SATA | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G | Average SK hynix SC311 SATA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | 203% | 73% | -4% | 77% | -11% | |
| Seq Read | 479.5 | 1724 260% | 1850 286% | 459.9 -4% | 1255 162% | 499 ? 4% |
| Seq Write | 354.9 | 1123 216% | 661 86% | 388.2 9% | 625 76% | 296 ? -17% |
| 4K Read | 23.88 | 51.8 117% | 38.04 59% | 26.93 13% | 42.09 76% | 23.9 ? 0% |
| 4K Write | 51.3 | 133.8 161% | 95 85% | 50.7 -1% | 96.1 87% | 54.3 ? 6% |
| 4K-64 Read | 294.8 | 745 153% | 434.3 47% | 368.3 25% | 624 112% | 231 ? -22% |
| 4K-64 Write | 217.5 | 1193 449% | 266.3 22% | 146.4 -33% | 298.3 37% | 169.7 ? -22% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.093 | 0.041 56% | 0.069 26% | 0.123 -32% | 0.122 -31% | 0.133 ? -43% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.071 | 0.028 61% | 0.056 21% | 0.086 -21% | 0.224 -215% | 0.07075 ? -0% |
| Score Read | 367 | 969 164% | 657 79% | 441 20% | 791 116% | 305 ? -17% |
| Score Write | 304 | 1440 374% | 427 40% | 236 -22% | 457 50% | 254 ? -16% |
| Score Total | 860 | 2889 236% | 1373 60% | 908 6% | 1634 90% | 713 ? -17% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 294 | 1025 249% | 539 83% | 324.1 10% | 983 234% | 303 ? 3% |
| Copy Program MB/s | 137.4 | 322.1 134% | 209.7 53% | 118.6 -14% | 274.5 100% | 132.6 ? -3% |
| Copy Game MB/s | 202.2 | 637 215% | 340 68% | 186.1 -8% | 572 183% | 195.3 ? -3% |
* ... smaller is better
Graphics Card
Dell has designed the Latitude 3390 primarily for use an office device, so it makes sense for it to dispense with including a dedicated GPU. Instead, the Latitude 3390 relies on the GPU integrated within its CPU. These vary according to the type of processor you go for, but most will come with the Intel UHD Graphics 620, which is also found in our review unit. The UHD Graphics 620 clocks at between 300 and 1,100 MHz, while it offers the usual features of iGPUs including H.265/HEVC and Google VP9 hardware decoding. It decodes the former in the Main10 profile with a 10-bit colour depth, for reference. The ability to decode video codecs relieves resource pressure from the CPU, resulting in better overall performance.
With that said, our review unit still finished bottom in the 3DMark 11 comparison table and 6% below average. Typically, this performance discrepancy can be explained away with a device running in single-channel mode, but that is not the case with the Latitude 3390. Our review unit runs in dual-channel mode thanks to its two SO-DIMM modules, so it just cannot get as much from its CPU and iGPU as our comparison devices can.
Please see our GPU benchmarks page for more information on the UHD Graphics 620 and how it fares against other GPUs.
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
| Average of class Convertible (471 - 28708, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (1144 - 3432, n=244) | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
| Average of class Convertible (2965 - 135871, n=58, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (6205 - 16400, n=225) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
| Average of class Convertible (365 - 21810, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| HP ProBook x360 440 G1 | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (557 - 2608, n=213) | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
| 2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
| Average of class Convertible (94 - 8232, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (299 - 797, n=88) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA | |
| Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1779 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 76683 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 7687 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1016 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 468 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 379 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
As you may have read previously, the UHD Graphics 620 is only powerful enough for simple and older games. Playing complex titles on the Latitude 3390 is simply out of the question. Games like BioShock Infinite, Battlefield 4 and Dota 2 Reborn are playable in 720p at minimum graphics though.
Please see our gaming benchmarks page to see how the UHD Graphics 620 fares in other games and how it compares against other GPUs.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 48 | 28.4 | 25.8 | 8.9 |
| Battlefield 4 (2013) | 44.7 | 31.4 | 22.1 | 7.3 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 62.9 | 40.6 | 17.9 | 16.1 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 19.2 | 11.6 | 6.2 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 24.1 | 15.4 | 13.9 |
Emissions
Fan Noise
The Latitude 3390 has a single fan, although it is often silent, even at low load. The fan reached a maximum of 33.3 dB(A) during our tests, which is comparatively quiet. The ThinkPad L390 Yoga and Yoga C930-13IKB are quieter than our review unit, but the Latitude 3390 should still almost always run silently.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 30.6 / 30.6 / 30.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 33.3 / 33 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 30.6 dB(A) | ||
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 5% | 4% | -1% | -4% | |
| off / environment * | 30.6 | 29.5 4% | 29.3 4% | 30.4 1% | 30.6 -0% |
| Idle Minimum * | 30.6 | 29.5 4% | 29.3 4% | 30.4 1% | 30.6 -0% |
| Idle Average * | 30.6 | 29.5 4% | 29.3 4% | 30.4 1% | 30.6 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 30.6 | 29.5 4% | 29.7 3% | 32 -5% | 32 -5% |
| Load Average * | 33.3 | 30.6 8% | 31.8 5% | 31.7 5% | 36.7 -10% |
| Load Maximum * | 33 | 30.6 7% | 32.7 1% | 35.9 -9% | 36.7 -11% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The Latitude 3390 manages its surface temperatures about as well as our comparison devices. The underside of our review unit peaked at 46.1 °C, which will feel hot to the touch. The ThinkPad L390 Yoga gets about 10% warmer at 50.7 °C though, so the Latitude 3390 is not the hottest of the bunch here.
However, it is a different story internally, where the Latitude 3390 struggles to manage its temperatures. We subjected our review unit to several stress tests to determine how it managed its performance under sustained load. The results are startling. CPU core temperatures quickly reached 99 °C during a Prime95 stress test, which it combats by thermal throttling heavily to prevent it from overheating. Core temperatures averaged around 80 to 81 °C though, and the CPU can maintain its 1.8 GHz base clock speed. The thermal throttling resulted in 18% lower CB R15 64Bit scores, for reference.
Core temperatures do not rise as drastically during a combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test. However, the CPU and iGPU must share the same 15 W TDP, which causes the former to downclock to just 1.0 GHz, with the latter averaging 650 MHz.
Thermal throttling does not cause any prolonged performance loss though. Our review unit achieved equally good results in 3DMark 11 immediately after our stress tests compared to when we ran it from cold. This behaviour does not always occur with compact 13.3-inch convertibles.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.1 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.4 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.6 °C / 81.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+0.5 °C / 0.9 F).
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -5% | 3% | 6% | -2% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 40 | 46.7 -17% | 41.8 -5% | 39 2% | 41.2 -3% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 46.1 | 50.7 -10% | 40.9 11% | 45.6 1% | 42.4 8% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.7 | 23.8 7% | 25.6 -0% | 23.3 9% | 26.9 -5% |
| Idle Bottom * | 26 | 25.6 2% | 24.5 6% | 23.1 11% | 28.4 -9% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The Latitude 3390 has stereo speakers, which are located on the bottom of the device. The location of the speakers is not ideal as they sound muffled when placed on a soft surface. However, the speakers deliver a full-bodied sound when placed on a flat surface like a table. Bass tones are noticeable, although high-pitched frequencies occasionally dominate some audio that is being played. Overall, the Latitude 3390 has decent speakers, but they do not come close to the speakers in the Yoga C930-13IKB.
Dell Latitude 13 3390 audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (66.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 61% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 63% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Power Management
Power Consumption
Only the ZenBook Flip 14 of our comparison devices can keep up with the Latitude 3390 in our power consumption tests. All other devices consume considerably more than our review unit.
The Latitude 3390 consumed a minimum of 3.9 W at idle, which rose to a maximum of 8.6 W and averaged around 6.5 W. Power consumption peaks at 48.1 W under load, but this typically hovers at approximately 25 W.
Dell includes a 45 W power supply in the box, which may look underpowered on the face of it. However, our review unit only briefly consumes more than 45 W before it throttles down to closer to 25 W. Hence, you should never notice the convertible losing battery charge when connected to its power supply.
| Off / Standby | 0.25 / 0.43 Watt |
| Idle | 3.9 / 6.5 / 8.6 Watt |
| Load |
25 / 48.1 Watt |
   
| |
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix SC311 SATA, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90 | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Average of class Convertible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -14% | -16% | -1% | -15% | -9% | -36% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.9 | 4 -3% | 3.3 15% | 3.3 15% | 4.6 -18% | 3.81 ? 2% | 5.27 ? -35% |
| Idle Average * | 6.5 | 7.1 -9% | 6.8 -5% | 6.3 3% | 7.5 -15% | 6.94 ? -7% | 8.22 ? -26% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.6 | 10.7 -24% | 9.5 -10% | 11 -28% | 9.6 -12% | 8.75 ? -2% | 10.2 ? -19% |
| Load Average * | 25 | 33.8 -35% | 40.8 -63% | 30 -20% | 37 -48% | 35 ? -40% | 43.2 ? -73% |
| Load Maximum * | 48.1 | 48.8 -1% | 57 -19% | 35.4 26% | 38.8 19% | 47.5 ? 1% | 60.8 ? -26% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
While our review unit excelled in our power consumption tests, its comparatively small battery causes it to falter in our battery life tests. By contrast, our comparison devices have between 45 Wh and 60 Wh batteries. Unsurprisingly, they all achieved better runtimes overall than our review unit.
The Latitude 3390 lasted an impressive 16:42 hours when idling and needs recharging after just 1:50 hours under sustained load. Our review unit also lasted for a respectable 5:56 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test, during which we run a script that simulates the load required to render websites. We also set the display to approximately 150 cd/m², as we did in our looped H.264 video test, in which the device lasted for 6:42 hours before it needed recharging.
In short, the Latitude 3390 should last about a full day’s use between charges. However, you will need to wait for around 2:30 hours before it is recharged fully. The Yoga C930-13IKB needs only 2:00 hours, in comparison, despite having an 18 Wh larger battery than the Dell.
We should also point out that the Latitude 3390 throttles slightly when operating on battery. Our review unit scored about 10% less in CB R15 Multi 64Bit when on battery compared to when we tested it connected to the mains.
| Dell Latitude 13 3390 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh | Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 57 Wh | HP ProBook x360 440 G1 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 48 Wh | Average of class Convertible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 2% | 43% | 28% | 31% | 39% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1002 | 949 -5% | 1432 43% | 1131 13% | 1038 4% | 1175 ? 17% |
| H.264 | 356 | 444 25% | 632 78% | 513 44% | 496 39% | 657 ? 85% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 402 | 431 7% | 550 37% | 566 41% | 536 33% | 560 ? 39% |
| Load | 110 | 89 -19% | 124 13% | 125 14% | 163 48% | 124 ? 13% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Dell Latitude 3390 is a reasonably priced 13.3-inch business convertible. Our review unit comes with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD, which makes it well equipped for its 999-Euro (~$1,130) retail price. In short, the Latitude 3390 in the configuration that we tested is comparatively cheap for a business device and is a decent alternative to consumer-grade laptops for private buyers too.
Unfortunately, the device lacks important business features like optional LTE connectivity and security features like a fingerprint sensor. Hence, the Latitude 3390 will probably prove an unattractive option for professionals.
The quad-core Core i5-8250U is powerful enough for most demanding tasks though, as is the 8 GB of RAM. However, they are not future-proofed and give the impression that Dell has brought the Latitude 3390 to market a year late. The design compounds this view too. The simple design will look elegant to some people, but the wide display bezels look outdated. Dell could have easily equipped the Latitude 3390 with a 14-inch panel within the same chassis.
While we are on the subject, the display is one of the big let-downs of the Latitude 3390. It is simply too dark, making outdoor use a chore. Likewise, the colour-space coverage is too low for a business device in our opinion.
The Dell Latitude 3390 leaves an ambiguous impression. It has no unique selling point and does not meet expectations of what a business convertible should be.
It is not all bad news though. Dell has built the Latitude 3390 with recycled carbon fibre, which makes our review unit feel sturdy. At the same time, it keeps the overall weight below 1.6 kg. The touchscreen, trackpad and keyboard are decent too, although the latter is not in the same league as its ThinkPad competitors. The Latitude 3390 is impressively energy-efficient too and has full-bodied speakers, but these are likely to be forgotten when people experience its display.
Dell Latitude 13 3390
-
06/11/2019 v6(old)
Sebastian Bade
Pricecompare
