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Dell Latitude 3390 (Core i5-8250U, Full HD, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review

Solid convertible! The Dell Latitude 3390 is a compact 13.3-inch convertible laptop that offers decent performance but poor battery life. Read on to find out how the Latitude 3390 shapes up elsewhere in this detailed 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.

Dell Latitude 13 3390 (Latitude 13 3300 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8250U 4 x 1.6 - 3.4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, 22.20.16.4836
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR-2400, 2 of 2 SO-DIMM slots occupied
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, 10-finger multi-touch, BOE06A7, NV13FHM, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U + iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
SK hynix SC311 SATA, 256 GB 
, M.2 2280 SATA SSD, 256 GB, Class 20, 200 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek Audio
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: SD card reader, Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope
Networking
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 (a/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20.4 x 324 x 224.8 ( = 0.8 x 12.76 x 8.85 in)
Battery
42 Wh, 3500 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Secondary Camera: IR
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: 6-row chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Power supply, Microsoft Office 30-day trial, 12 Months Warranty, Noble security lock slot
Weight
1.616 kg ( = 57 oz / 3.56 pounds), Power Supply: 273 g ( = 9.63 oz / 0.6 pounds)
Price
999 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390

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.

Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390
Dell Latitude 3390

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.

330 mm / 13 inch 232 mm / 9.13 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.7 kg3.84 lbs324 mm / 12.8 inch 224.8 mm / 8.85 inch 20.4 mm / 0.803 inch 1.6 kg3.56 lbs327 mm / 12.9 inch 226 mm / 8.9 inch 13.9 mm / 0.547 inch 1.4 kg3.09 lbs321.8 mm / 12.7 inch 224.2 mm / 8.83 inch 18.8 mm / 0.74 inch 1.5 kg3.35 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.1 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

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.

Left-hand side: power connector, USB Type-C, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5 mm jack
Left-hand side: power connector, USB Type-C, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5 mm jack
Right-hand side: power button, volume rocker, SD card reader, USB 2.0 Type-A, Noble lock slot
Right-hand side: power button, volume rocker, SD card reader, USB 2.0 Type-A, Noble lock slot
Front: No connections
Front: No connections
Rear: No connections
Rear: No connections

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)
81 MB/s +231%
Average of class Convertible
  (17.7 - 177.7, n=36, last 2 years)
73.8 MB/s +201%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
72.3 MB/s +195%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
33.2 MB/s +36%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.5 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Convertible
  (22.6 - 263, n=34, last 2 years)
95.1 MB/s +243%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
81.2 MB/s +193%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
74.9 MB/s +170%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
36.5 MB/s +32%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.7 MB/s

Communication

A look at the Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wi-Fi module in our review unit
A look at the Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wi-Fi module in our review unit

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
  (1003 - 1395, n=2, last 2 years)
1199 MBit/s +102%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s +15%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
668 MBit/s +13%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
657 (602min - 709max) MBit/s +11%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
624 MBit/s +5%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
593 (555min - 612max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Convertible
  (1178 - 1578, n=2, last 2 years)
1378 MBit/s +288%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
649 MBit/s +83%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
638 (401min - 679max) MBit/s +80%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
504 MBit/s +42%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
491 MBit/s +38%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
355 (165min - 564max) MBit/s
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Dell Latitude 13 3390; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø354 (165-564)
Dell Latitude 13 3390; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø593 (555-612)

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

Dell Dock WD 15 (Source: Dell)
Dell Dock WD 15 (Source: Dell)

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

A look at the Samsung RAM in our review unit
A look at the Samsung RAM in our review unit

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.

A view of the Latitude 3390 with its bottom plate removed
A view of the Latitude 3390 with its bottom plate removed

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

A look at the Latitude 3390’s German keyboard layout…
A look at the Latitude 3390’s German keyboard layout…
and with its backlight enabled
and with its backlight enabled

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

A closer look at the Latitude 3390’s trackpad
A closer look at the Latitude 3390’s 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 Latitude 3390 in tent mode
The Latitude 3390 in tent mode

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

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array
Our review unit suffers from noticeable backlight bleeding
Our review unit suffers from noticeable backlight bleeding

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.

289
cd/m²
296
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
276
cd/m²
276
cd/m²
256
cd/m²
267
cd/m²
274
cd/m²
243
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE06A7, NV13FHM tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 296 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 273.6 cd/m² Minimum: 12.9 cd/m²
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, 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 ?(22, 20)
51.2 ?(26.8, 24.4)
-22%
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
3%
44 ?(24, 20)
-5%
34 ?(16, 18)
19%
Response Time Black / White *
32 ?(18, 14)
36.8 ?(19.2, 17.6)
-15%
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
14%
33 ?(19, 14)
-3%
20 ?(11, 9)
37%
PWM Frequency
208 ?(90)
1000 ?(99)
381%
200 ?(90)
-4%
26000 ?(50)
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

68% sRGB colour-space coverage
68% sRGB colour-space coverage
39% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
39% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage

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.

CalMAN: Grayscale - uncalibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale - uncalibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker - uncalibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker - uncalibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - uncalibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - uncalibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale - calibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale - calibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker - calibrated
CalMAN: ColorChecker - calibrated
CalMAN: Saturation - calibrated
CalMAN: Saturation - calibrated

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.

Using the Dell Latitude 3390 outside in the sunshine
Using the Dell Latitude 3390 outside in the sunshine
Using the Dell Latitude 3390 outside in the shade
Using the Dell Latitude 3390 outside in the shade

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast 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. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 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. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 208 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 208 Hz (worst case, e.g., 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 18110 (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.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
DPC-Latenzen
Intel Extreme Utility
Intel Extreme Utility (Benchmark)

Processor

A look at the heatsink on the Core i5-8250U
A look at the heatsink on the Core i5-8250U

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.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Dell Latitude 13 3390 Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø456 (443.4-564.5)
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø537 (459.65-563.59)
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø484 (468.03-611.66)
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø514 (499.85-558.16)
HP ProBook x360 440 G1 Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø508 (496.57-547.14)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Convertible
  (68.6 - 287, n=64, last 2 years)
229 Points +60%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
157 Points +10%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points +1%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (81 - 147, n=97)
141.1 Points -1%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Convertible
  (110.1 - 2889, n=66, last 2 years)
1554 Points +176%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
634 Points +12%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
613 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (320 - 730, n=101)
570 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
564 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Core i5-8250U
558 Points -1%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Core i5-8250U
547 Points -3%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Convertible
  (116.8 - 755, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +72%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
351 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (332 - 355, n=5)
349 Points -1%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Convertible
  (242 - 6954, n=65, last 2 years)
3478 Points +211%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (846 - 1325, n=5)
1148 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1117 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Convertible
  (23395 - 92146, n=16, last 2 years)
75639 Points +170%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
31901 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (22772 - 35817, n=54)
30123 Points +7%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Core i5-8250U
30111 Points +7%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
28198 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
28052 Points
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Core i5-8250U
27032 Points -4%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1348 ms *
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel Core i5-8250U
1340 ms * +1%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
1321 ms * +2%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel Core i5-8250U
1238 ms * +8%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (986 - 1532, n=59)
1221 ms * +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
1198 ms * +11%
Average of class Convertible
  (472 - 3989, n=65, last 2 years)
721 ms * +47%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Convertible
  (0.61 - 20.1, n=64, last 2 years)
10.3 fps +165%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
4.2 fps +8%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (3.02 - 4.78, n=8)
4.17 fps +7%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
3.89 fps
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (813 - 1209, n=8)
948 Seconds * -1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
942 Seconds *
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
861 Seconds * +9%
Average of class Convertible
  (193 - 3620, n=60, last 2 years)
464 Seconds * +51%
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4
Average of class Convertible
  (7703 - 72400, n=63, last 2 years)
39319 MIPS +162%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
16245 MIPS +8%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (11546 - 17405, n=6)
15262 MIPS +2%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
15003 MIPS
7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Convertible
  (2046 - 6417, n=62, last 2 years)
5156 MIPS +38%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel Core i5-8265U
4133 MIPS +11%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
3726 MIPS
Average Intel Core i5-8250U
  (3641 - 3925, n=6)
3726 MIPS 0%

* ... smaller is better

 
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 32Bit
1.43 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 32Bit
5.5 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 32Bit
43 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.63 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
5.56 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
43.95 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
143 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
564 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
45.94 fps
Help

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 10
Score
Average of class Convertible
  (1486 - 7963, n=59, last 2 years)
5616 Points +59%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3840 Points +8%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
3541 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
3473 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3358 - 4081, n=67)
3296 Points -7%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
2688 Points -24%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2603 Points -26%
Essentials
Average of class Convertible
  (3975 - 12059, n=59, last 2 years)
10504 Points +40%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
8355 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8201 Points +9%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
7966 Points +6%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
7526 Points
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5855 - 9289, n=67)
7398 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
7124 Points -5%
Productivity
Average of class Convertible
  (2764 - 10800, n=59, last 2 years)
7383 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6288 Points +7%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
5970 Points +2%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
5867 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
5830 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3851 - 6653, n=67)
5725 Points -2%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
5715 Points -3%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Convertible
  (811 - 12360, n=59, last 2 years)
6335 Points +132%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3008 Points +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2982 Points +9%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2795 Points +2%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
2739 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2613 - 3082, n=67)
2733 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
2731 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Convertible
  (4404 - 5830, n=3, last 2 years)
4890 Points +29%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3919 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
3797 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3780 Points 0%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3774 Points -1%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
3660 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2986 - 4458, n=69)
3584 Points -6%
Work Score Accelerated v2
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
4875 Points +2%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4854 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4843 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix SC311 SATA
4799 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
4700 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2699 - 5106, n=58)
4646 Points -3%
Average of class Convertible
  (2921 - 6089, n=3, last 2 years)
4045 Points -16%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3797 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4799 points
PCMark 10 Score
3541 points
Help

Storage Devices

The 256 GB SK Hynix SC311 SATA SSD in our review unit
The 256 GB SK Hynix SC311 SATA SSD in our review unit
The 256 GB SK Hynix SC311 SATA SSD in our review unit

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.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 3
CDM 3
CDM 5
CDM 5
CDM 6
CDM 6
CDI
CDI
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 ?(480 - 511, n=4)
4%
Seq Write
354.9
1123
216%
661
86%
388.2
9%
625
76%
296 ?(220 - 356, n=4)
-17%
4K Read
23.88
51.8
117%
38.04
59%
26.93
13%
42.09
76%
23.9 ?(23.7 - 24.2, n=4)
0%
4K Write
51.3
133.8
161%
95
85%
50.7
-1%
96.1
87%
54.3 ?(47.6 - 59.8, n=4)
6%
4K-64 Read
294.8
745
153%
434.3
47%
368.3
25%
624
112%
231 ?(158.8 - 310, n=4)
-22%
4K-64 Write
217.5
1193
449%
266.3
22%
146.4
-33%
298.3
37%
169.7 ?(99.6 - 247, n=4)
-22%
Access Time Read *
0.093
0.041
56%
0.069
26%
0.123
-32%
0.122
-31%
0.133 ?(0.093 - 0.161, n=4)
-43%
Access Time Write *
0.071
0.028
61%
0.056
21%
0.086
-21%
0.224
-215%
0.07075 ?(0.068 - 0.075, n=4)
-0%
Score Read
367
969
164%
657
79%
441
20%
791
116%
305 ?(233 - 383, n=4)
-17%
Score Write
304
1440
374%
427
40%
236
-22%
457
50%
254 ?(181 - 330, n=4)
-16%
Score Total
860
2889
236%
1373
60%
908
6%
1634
90%
713 ?(528 - 910, n=4)
-17%
Copy ISO MB/s
294
1025
249%
539
83%
324.1
10%
983
234%
303 ?(154.9 - 461, n=4)
3%
Copy Program MB/s
137.4
322.1
134%
209.7
53%
118.6
-14%
274.5
100%
132.6 ?(99.8 - 166.4, n=4)
-3%
Copy Game MB/s
202.2
637
215%
340
68%
186.1
-8%
572
183%
195.3 ?(124.2 - 232, n=4)
-3%

* ... smaller is better

SK hynix SC311 SATA
Sequential Read: 493.4 MB/s
Sequential Write: 464 MB/s
512K Read: 374.6 MB/s
512K Write: 340.6 MB/s
4K Read: 22.87 MB/s
4K Write: 46.72 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 231.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 280.7 MB/s

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 - 40768, n=64, last 2 years)
7541 Points +372%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1854 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1764 Points +10%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +10%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1734 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1721 Points +8%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1597 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Convertible
  (2965 - 154219, n=50, last 2 years)
31444 Points +251%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
10331 Points +15%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
10003 Points +12%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +4%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
9214 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
8947 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
8677 Points -3%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Convertible
  (365 - 29684, n=64, last 2 years)
5690 Points +412%
HP ProBook x360 440 G1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1298 Points +17%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1216 Points +9%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1180 Points +6%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1111 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1083 Points -3%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Convertible
  (94 - 11749, n=63, last 2 years)
1943 Points +489%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points +18%
Asus ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
364 Points +10%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
349 Points +6%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
330 Points
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

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

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.

A close-up of the cooling unit in the Latitude 3390
A close-up of the cooling unit in the Latitude 3390
A look at the whole cooling system in the Latitude 3390
A look at the whole cooling system in the Latitude 3390

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.6 / 30.6 dB(A)
Load
33.3 / 33 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   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

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.733.334.133.833.72532.332.134.434.332.33133.234.137.937.333.24030.532.135.433.430.55030.830.631.433.230.86330.429.929.229.830.48027.227.427.427.727.210026.826.826.725.726.812525.827.32625.525.816024.324.125.224.924.320024.324.123.624.224.325023.623.523.823.323.631522.623.723.622.222.640021.322.222.921.221.350020.421.221.52020.463020.12120.419.520.180019.723.821.218.719.7100021.723.82318.321.712502122.623.71821160019.12221.717.419.1200019.222.421.817.619.2250018.322.521.517.618.331501819.219.317.91840001818.418.317.918500018.218.418.218.218.2630018.318.418.118.218.3800018.218.418.218.118.21000018.318.418.218.218.31250018.318.518.318.218.31600018.318.218.118.218.3SPL31.633.43330.631.6N1.41.71.71.31.4median 19.7median 22.2median 21.5median 18.2median 19.7Delta1.82.62.72.11.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseDell Latitude 13 3390

Temperature

3DMark 11 results after running our combined stress test
3DMark 11 results after running our combined stress test

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.

System information during a Prime95 stress test
System information during a Prime95 stress test
System information during a FurMark stress test
System information during a FurMark stress test
System information during a FurMark and Prime95 combined stress test
System information during a FurMark and Prime95 combined stress test
Max. Load
 37 °C
99 F
39.2 °C
103 F
40 °C
104 F
 
 35 °C
95 F
37.3 °C
99 F
30.7 °C
87 F
 
 26.1 °C
79 F
25.9 °C
79 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 40 °C = 104 F
Average: 33.2 °C = 92 F
46.1 °C
115 F
45.8 °C
114 F
33.1 °C
92 F
27.1 °C
81 F
33.9 °C
93 F
33 °C
91 F
26.8 °C
80 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 46.1 °C = 115 F
Average: 33.2 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.6 °C = 82 F | Room Temperature 23.8 °C = 75 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(±) 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

Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load

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.

A look at the speaker grille on the Latitude 3390
A look at the speaker grille on the Latitude 3390
A close-up of the speaker with the bottom plate removed
A close-up of the speaker with the bottom plate removed
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.533.833.52529.234.329.23132.637.332.6403133.4315031.833.231.86331.629.831.68027.927.727.910027.125.727.112531.325.531.316033.724.933.720039.524.239.525051.723.351.731553.722.253.740054.621.254.650053205363052.819.552.880056.718.756.7100053.418.353.4125060.31860.3160062.317.462.3200066.717.666.7250064.317.664.3315062.517.962.5400061.417.961.4500058.418.258.4630055.118.255.1800058.718.158.71000055.818.255.81250049.518.249.51600056.718.256.7SPL73.230.673.2N28.21.328.2median 55.1median 18.2median 55.1Delta5.72.15.728.530.42826.128.628.224.725.725.225.322.225.422.924.524.225.822.526.523.334.222.342.822.45021.154.920.856.920.456.92054.21956.318.360.917.762.517.160.116.856.416.459.316.267.115.870.715.667.215.664.115.56315.559.915.459.815.451.929.576.31.335median 17.7median 56.92.55.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Latitude 13 3390Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
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
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% 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, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, 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
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 29% 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, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, 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.

A look at the included 45 W power supply
A look at the included 45 W power supply
A look at the included 45 W power supply
A look at the included 45 W power supply
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.25 / 0.43 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 6.5 / 8.6 Watt
Load midlight 25 / 48.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
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%
-42%
Idle Minimum *
3.9
4
-3%
3.3
15%
3.3
15%
4.6
-18%
3.81 ?(1 - 12.4, n=259)
2%
5.48 ?(1.6 - 16.6, n=60, last 2 years)
-41%
Idle Average *
6.5
7.1
-9%
6.8
-5%
6.3
3%
7.5
-15%
6.94 ?(2.8 - 15.7, n=261)
-7%
8.27 ?(3.8 - 20.7, n=60, last 2 years)
-27%
Idle Maximum *
8.6
10.7
-24%
9.5
-10%
11
-28%
9.6
-12%
8.75 ?(3.8 - 30, n=259)
-2%
10.5 ?(4.7 - 29.9, n=60, last 2 years)
-22%
Load Average *
25
33.8
-35%
40.8
-63%
30
-20%
37
-48%
35 ?(8.1 - 51.6, n=259)
-40%
46 ?(7.6 - 101.3, n=60, last 2 years)
-84%
Load Maximum *
48.1
48.8
-1%
57
-19%
35.4
26%
38.8
19%
47.5 ?(22 - 96.3, n=261)
1%
65 ?(10.5 - 155.7, n=60, last 2 years)
-35%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

3DMark 11 results on battery
3DMark 11 results on battery
Cinebench R15 results on battery
Cinebench R15 results on battery

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.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 42min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge: 44.17763.1.0)
6h 42min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
5h 56min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 50min
Battery life at idle
Battery life at idle
Battery life under load
Battery life under load
Battery life during our practical Wi-Fi test
Battery life during our practical Wi-Fi test
Battery life during our looped H.264 video test
Battery life during our looped H.264 video test
Charging time
Charging time
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%
42%
Reader / Idle
1002
949
-5%
1432
43%
1131
13%
1038
4%
1138 ?(680 - 1667, n=25, last 2 years)
14%
H.264
356
444
25%
632
78%
513
44%
496
39%
731 ?(542 - 999, n=15, last 2 years)
105%
WiFi v1.3
402
431
7%
550
37%
566
41%
536
33%
557 ?(329 - 876, n=63, last 2 years)
39%
Load
110
89
-19%
124
13%
125
14%
163
48%
121.2 ?(53 - 219, n=46, last 2 years)
10%

Pros

+ stable viewing angles
+ Windows Hello-certified IR camera
+ comparatively low power consumption
+ backlit keyboard
+ quiet fans under load
+ decent speakers
+ well-built
+ USB Type-C PD and DisplayPort

Cons

- PWM
- low colour-space coverages
- high Delta E 2000 deviations
- dim display
- cooling system overwhelmed quickly under load
- slow SD card reader
- no optional LTE

Verdict

The Dell Latitude 3390 convertible review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.
The Dell Latitude 3390 convertible review. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.

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

Chassis
77 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
55 / 80 → 69%
Weight
68 / 35-78 → 76%
Battery
87%
Display
79%
Games Performance
57 / 68 → 84%
Application Performance
84 / 87 → 97%
Temperature
92%
Noise
98%
Audio
60 / 91 → 66%
Camera
41 / 85 → 48%
Average
75%
83%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Latitude 3390 (Core i5-8250U, Full HD, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review
Sebastian Bade, 2019-06-12 (Update: 2019-06-13)