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Dell Latitude 5491 (8850H, MX130, Touchscreen) Laptop Review

Hexa-core for business. Dell's mid-range Latitude 5000 series gets the Coffee Lake-H treatment and dedicated graphics as well. The new 14-inch model with 45 W processor and GeForce graphics outperforms the sibling with ULV processor, but the additional power draw creates more heat and shortens battery life. The display remains less than impressive.

Billed by Dell as the “ultimate 14-inch productivity tool”, the Latitude 5491 is the Coffee Lake-H update of Dell’s venerable mid-range Latitude 5490 series designed for business professionals. Our test unit this time is equipped with a hexa-core i7-8850H CPU, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD and features - unlike the two 5490 models we've reviewed in the last few months - an entry-level dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX130 instead of integrated graphics.

The new model isn't really a replacement and at the time of writing, Dell sells the 5490 with dual and quad-core 15 W processors alongside the Latitude 5491 with eight-generation hexa-core 45 W CPUs. The starting price $1070 for the latter model is deceptively low and skyrockets quickly: as configured, our touch-enabled notebook sells for about $2100. Other competing notebooks in this segment include Lenovo's ThinkPad T480 / T480s siblings, the HP EliteBook 840 G5 and Toshiba's Tecra X40, to just name a few.

Since the review notebook is indistinguishable from the 5490 as far as the chassis and construction is concerned, we will drop some of our usual sections and focus primarily on the hardware and performance differences of the new addition to the lineup. For a more in-depth discussion of the case and the input devices, please refer to our reviews of the Latitude 5490 (i5-8350U, FHD) and Latitude 5490 (Core i7-8650U, Touchscreen).

Dell Latitude 5491 (Latitude 14 5400 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8850H 6 x 2.6 - 4.3 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX130 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1242 MHz, Memory: 1253 MHz, 398.36, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, PC4-2300 DDR4
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Embedded touch, AU Optronics AUO133D B140HAK, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel CM246
Storage
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: Headset/mic combo jack, Card Reader: SD 4.0, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Sensors: Acceleration
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-LM (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20.3 x 333.4 x 228.9 ( = 0.8 x 13.13 x 9.01 in)
Battery
68 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 36 Months Warranty
Weight
1.788 kg ( = 63.07 oz / 3.94 pounds), Power Supply: 564 g ( = 19.89 oz / 1.24 pounds)
Price
2100 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Neither the footprint nor the thickness have changed, but the new notebook is slightly heavier and now tips the scales at 1790 g / 3.95 lbs. While the difference of 90 g / 3 oz might not seem large enough to worry about, the more capable CPU in addition to dedicated graphics has prompted Dell to include their much beefier 130 W power adapter. The combined weight difference between the previous review unit and our current Latitude now amounts to over 340 g / 11 oz.  The HP EliteBook 840 G5 features a similar footprint, is slightly thicker, but weighs over 15 percent less.

337 mm / 13.3 inch 233 mm / 9.17 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.8 kg3.92 lbs333.4 mm / 13.1 inch 228.9 mm / 9.01 inch 20.3 mm / 0.799 inch 1.8 kg3.94 lbs328.7 mm / 12.9 inch 235.5 mm / 9.27 inch 21.2 mm / 0.835 inch 1.7 kg3.75 lbs331 mm / 13 inch 226.8 mm / 8.93 inch 18.45 mm / 0.726 inch 1.3 kg2.97 lbs332 mm / 13.1 inch 228.9 mm / 9.01 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs326 mm / 12.8 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Unlike our previous test unit, which featured an USB Type-C port with DisplayPort support, our particular version of the 5491 comes with the optional Thunderbolt 3 port instead and thus supports connected accessories at speeds of up to 40 Gbit/s. As far as the remaining physical ports are concerned, the two laptops are identical.

SD Card Reader

SD card performance is top notch: AS SSD attests transfer speeds of 213 MB/s and copying 1 GB of jpeg files to the desktop takes just six seconds. As always, we use a Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card for our tests.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 5491
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
171.4 MB/s
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.8 MB/s -55%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
77.8 MB/s -55%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
75.2 MB/s -56%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
62 MB/s -64%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 196.8, n=50, last 2 years)
55.6 MB/s -68%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 5491
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
213 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.4 MB/s -59%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.3 MB/s -59%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
86.5 MB/s -59%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.4 MB/s -59%
Average of class Office
  (26.4 - 173.2, n=44, last 2 years)
65.2 MB/s -69%

Communication

The updated Intel Dual Band Wireless AC 9560 module features a theoretical throughput of 1.73 Gbps. Transmit and receive rates one meter away from our Linksys EA8500 test router are good at about 644 and 669 MBit/s, respectively. Wdidn't experience any dropouts or other connectivity issues during the review period. As an added bonus, the WLAN module also supports the newer Bluetooth 5.0 standard with up to quadruple the range. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Office
  (280 - 1332, n=6, last 2 years)
810 MBit/s +26%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
663 MBit/s +3%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
644 MBit/s
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
620 MBit/s -4%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
524 MBit/s -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
515 MBit/s -20%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
509 MBit/s -21%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Office
  (348 - 1690, n=6, last 2 years)
852 MBit/s +27%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
688 MBit/s +3%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
669 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
653 MBit/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
623 MBit/s -7%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
529 MBit/s -21%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
524 MBit/s -22%

Warranty

Our Latitude comes with a 3 Year Hardware Warranty with Onsite/In-Home Service after Remote Diagnosis. An upgrade to 3 Years of ProSupport with Next Business Day Onsite Service cost $70; Accidental Damage Service for the same period can be purchased for $83, which seems very reasonable. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Display

The Latitude 5491 is equipped with the same glossy touchscreen IPS display from AU Optronics (type AUO133D) as the Latitude 5490 we reviewed a couple months ago. At an average of under 200 nits, the panel is very dim - many notebooks like the ThinkPad T480 / T480s are roughly 100 nits brighter. The HP 840 G5 trounces all competitors in this regard, as its panel exceeds 600 nits. At 82 percent, the brightness distribution is rather poor as well and the right side of the panel gets brighter than the left, although that isn't a problem during normal use. 

Our high-end model comes with the FHD (1920 x 1080) embedded touch display, but Dell also offers an anti-glare regular FHD panel and an anti-glare HD (1366 x 768) display. The review unit suffers from very noticeable screen bleeding, particularly on the right edge. Despite the low overall brightness, these areas are visible on black backgrounds even during the day. Dell doesn't use PWM to regulate the display brightness, so flicker-sensitive users can rest easy should they decide to purchase this notebook.

Subpixel array (157 PPI)
Subpixel array (157 PPI)
Backlight bleeding along the edges
Backlight bleeding along the edges
183.9
cd/m²
203.6
cd/m²
218.7
cd/m²
184.5
cd/m²
189.4
cd/m²
212.8
cd/m²
180.3
cd/m²
181.8
cd/m²
208.4
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO133D B140HAK tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 218.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 195.9 cd/m² Minimum: 9.02 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 189.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 947:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.74 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.73
ΔE Greyscale 5.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
53.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.96% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
53.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
35.78% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
Dell Latitude 5491
AU Optronics AUO133D B140HAK, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
LP140QH2-SPB1, IPS LED, 14.00, 2560x1440
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Toshiba TOS508F, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
IVO M140NVF7 R0, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Display
92%
13%
67%
79%
Display P3 Coverage
35.78
71.4
100%
40.55
13%
61
70%
67.2
88%
sRGB Coverage
53.8
96.6
80%
61
13%
87.7
63%
90.8
69%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
36.96
72.1
95%
41.9
13%
62.1
68%
66.4
80%
Response Times
4%
33%
11%
7%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38.4 ?(18.8, 19.6)
36 ?(17.6, 18.4)
6%
22 ?(12, 10)
43%
33 ?(15, 18)
14%
38 ?(20, 18)
1%
Response Time Black / White *
28.4 ?(16.4, 12)
28 ?(15.6, 12.4)
1%
22 ?(12, 10)
23%
26 ?(15, 11)
8%
25 ?(14, 11)
12%
PWM Frequency
21000 ?(90)
3125 ?(90)
Screen
38%
25%
59%
33%
Brightness middle
189.4
311
64%
266
40%
655
246%
275
45%
Brightness
196
302
54%
244
24%
630
221%
253
29%
Brightness Distribution
82
91
11%
86
5%
93
13%
85
4%
Black Level *
0.2
0.36
-80%
0.2
-0%
0.56
-180%
0.25
-25%
Contrast
947
864
-9%
1330
40%
1170
24%
1100
16%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.74
3
55%
4.61
32%
3.27
51%
3.49
48%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
25.5
6.1
76%
7.46
71%
5.92
77%
6.77
73%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.73
1.7
64%
3.22
32%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.5
4
27%
4.31
22%
2.85
48%
4.91
11%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.17 101%
2.54 87%
2.45 90%
2.39 92%
CCT
6740 96%
6961 93%
6848 95%
6065 107%
6271 104%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37
66.7
80%
39
5%
57
54%
59
59%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
53.8
96.7
80%
61
13%
88
64%
91
69%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
45% / 44%
24% / 24%
46% / 55%
40% / 39%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage is very low at approximately 54 percent and 37 percent for the professional sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces. Users interested in photo editing should opt for the Lenovo ThinkPad T480s, which reaches close to 100 percent of the sRGB color space and is therefore a much better choice for users seeking a wider gamut display.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. ThinkPad T480s
vs. ThinkPad T480s

A subsequent analysis with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveals below average colors out of the box with an average DeltaE-deviation of over 6 and a maximum deviation of above 25 for the color blue. Our attempt to calibrate the display did little to improve the color accuracy, as the average DeltaE decreases by just a point. Grayscale accuracy improves by a larger margin with the DeltaE dropping to 1.4. Still, all other notebooks in our direct comparison offer better color and grayscale accuracy, which is disappointing given the high price point of our test unit. The aforementioned ThinkPad T480s is once again the best choice for aspiring digital artists.

ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration

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
28.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16.4 ms rise
↘ 12 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 71 % 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
38.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.8 ms rise
↘ 19.6 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. » 52 % 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 not detected

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.

Because of the low brightness in combination with the glare-type display, the Latitude 5491 doesn't fare well outdoors. Even in the shade, care needs to be taken in adjusting the display to avoid distracting reflections. As expected, direct sunlight is out of the question, as the screen content washes out completely. Although the display is based on IPS technology and offers wide viewing angles, colors do shift particularly when the display is tilted downwards.

Full shade
Full shade
Direct sunlight
Direct sunlight
Full shade
Full shade
Wide IPS viewing angles - but color shifts
Wide IPS viewing angles - but color shifts

Performance

At the time of writing, Dell offers the Latitude 5491 with i5-8300H, i5-8400H , or i7-8850H processors, RAM ranging from 8 - 16 GB and either SATA or PCIe NVMe SSDs. The least expensive model in the lineup sells for $1070 and comes with the lowest-end CPU, 8 GB of RAM and a 2.5-inch 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive. Note that the 5491 SSD-equipped models feature "class 40" PCIe NVMe drives, while 5490-series notebooks with 15 W processor only come with the slower "Class 20" SSDs with SATA interface. 

 

Processor

Our review unit is equipped with a Coffee Lake-H hexa-core i7-8850H processor. The 45 W CPU features 9 MB cache, runs at a nominal frequency of 2.6GHz and supports vPro as well. It's interesting that Dell decided to go with the Core i7-8850H (2.6 - 4.3 GHz) instead of the more common i7-8750H (2.2 - 4.1 GHz) processor. Performance, however, isn't top notch, as our Latitude trails gaming rigs - which admittedly feature much better cooling systems - with the lower-end i7-8750H by about 10 percent when it comes to multi-core performance. Notebooks with the 15 W (ULV) quad-core Intel Core i7-8560U processor - like the Latitude 5490 - are between 30 - 50 percent slower than the review candidate.

To determine sustained performance and Turbo utilization we run our Cinebench R15 Multi loop test. The graph below shows a very steep drop-off of over 15 percent during the first three loops with a more gradual reduction during the subsequent loops. The lowest score of 810 points during the test equates to a 25 percent reduction in performance. Of course, the Latitude 5491 still easily outperforms the competition with quad-core Kaby Lake Refresh processors.

See see our dedicated page on the Intel Core i7-8850H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
01020304050607080901001101201301401501601701801902002102202302402502602702802903003103203303403503603703803904004104204304404504604704804905005105205305405505605705805906006106206306406506606706806907007107207307407507607707807908008108208308408508608708808909009109209309409509609709809901000101010201030104010501060107010801090Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
215 Points +22%
Aorus X5 v8
Intel Core i7-8850H
182 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8850H
  (176 - 185, n=10)
180.4 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Core i7-8650U
178 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Core i7-8850H
176 Points
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
Intel Core i7-8750H
170 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
161 Points -9%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points -18%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1380 Points +31%
Aorus X5 v8
Intel Core i7-8850H
1265 Points +20%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
Intel Core i7-8750H
1168 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8850H
  (929 - 1276, n=15)
1122 Points +7%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Core i7-8850H
1050 Points
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Core i7-8650U
661 Points -37%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
657 Points -37%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel Core i7-8550U
554 Points -47%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel Core i5-8250U
501 Points -52%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (0.99 - 2.97, n=12, last 2 years)
2.31 Points +15%
Aorus X5 v8
Intel Core i7-8850H
2.08 Points +3%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Core i7-8650U
2.04 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i7-8850H
  (2 - 2.08, n=4)
2.04 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Core i7-8850H
2.01 Points
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.92 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.43 Points -29%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Aorus X5 v8
Intel Core i7-8850H
13.85 Points +20%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
Intel Core i7-8750H
13.29 Points +15%
Average Intel Core i7-8850H
  (11 - 14, n=5)
12.9 Points +11%
Average of class Office
  (1.93 - 20.3, n=12, last 2 years)
12.5 Points +8%
Dell Latitude 5491
Intel Core i7-8850H
11.57 Points
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel Core i7-8650U
6.97 Points -40%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.92 Points -40%
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6186
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
32009
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6658
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
74.3 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
11.57 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.01 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
87 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1050 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
176 Points
Help

System Performance

System performance as measured with the synthetic PCMark benchmark tests is decent, but not stellar. Interesting is the fact that the review notebook is only about 5 percent faster here than its counterpart Latitude 5490 with integrated GPU and 15 W quad-core CPU. The 15-inch Dell XPS 15 2018 9570 with slower quad-core i5-8300H CPU and GTX 1050 is either faster (PCMark 10) or performers about as well (PCMark 8 Home / Work) as the review notebook.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 - Score
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
4479 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4269 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8850H, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (4096 - 4269, n=2)
4183 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4066 Points -5%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3906 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3686 Points -14%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3574 Points -16%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4174 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8850H, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (4166 - 4174, n=2)
4170 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4065 Points -3%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
4030 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
3966 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3675 Points -12%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3516 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5428 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8850H, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (5344 - 5428, n=2)
5386 Points -1%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
5271 Points -3%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5200 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5025 Points -7%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
5004 Points -8%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4706 Points -13%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4174 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5428 points
PCMark 10 Score
4269 points
Help

Storage Devices

512 GB Toshiba PCIe NVMe SSD
512 GB Toshiba PCIe NVMe SSD

As far as PCIe NVMe drives go, the Toshiba XG5 SSD combines excellent read with less than stellar write rates. Performance compared to the Latitude 5490 with SATA-based SSD is significantly better, although the difference is not going to noticeable during normal use. At the time of writing, Dell offers drives with a maximum capacity of 512 GB.

Please see our table of HDDs and SSDs for additional benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
AS SSD - copy
AS SSD - copy
CrystalDiskMark 6
CrystalDiskMark 6
Dell Latitude 5491
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Dell Latitude 5490
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
AS SSD
-310%
34%
-62%
-5%
Copy Game MB/s
520
676
30%
905
74%
172
-67%
273.6
-47%
Copy Program MB/s
291.5
254.8
-13%
326.2
12%
92.5
-68%
214
-27%
Copy ISO MB/s
1829
921
-50%
1688
-8%
216.6
-88%
514
-72%
Score Total
1995
2348
18%
2630
32%
969
-51%
1834
-8%
Score Write
588
147
-75%
1084
84%
283
-52%
449
-24%
Score Read
1003
1480
48%
1070
7%
456
-55%
916
-9%
Access Time Write *
0.056
2.515
-4391%
0.055
2%
0.229
-309%
0.037
34%
Access Time Read *
0.14
0.041
71%
0.059
58%
0.081
42%
0.067
52%
4K-64 Write
445.9
96.2
-78%
908
104%
184.1
-59%
300.9
-33%
4K-64 Read
720
1278
78%
813
13%
375.2
-48%
793
10%
4K Write
97
1.76
-98%
90
-7%
73.7
-24%
93.6
-4%
4K Read
22.13
58
162%
26.75
21%
30.07
36%
45.99
108%
Seq Write
449.8
487.1
8%
856
90%
248.1
-45%
541
20%
Seq Read
2612
1441
-45%
2300
-12%
511
-80%
768
-71%

* ... smaller is better

Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3049 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 465.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 773 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 465.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 275.6 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 249.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 26.61 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 97.9 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Nvidia GeForce MX130 is the successor to the GeForce 930MX. In our case, the DirectX 12 GPU makes us of faster GDDR5 SSDRAM graphics memory and runs at a theoretical maximum speed of 1242 MHz. The performance of our particular review unit trails notebooks with the slightly higher-end GeForce MX150 like the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 and T480s by between 16 and 48 percent depending on the benchmark test. Notebooks with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 on the other hand are up to 40 percent slower.

For additional technical information and benchmark comparisons, please see our dedicated page on the Nvidia GeForce MX130.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark Firestrike
3DMark Firestrike
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7790 Points +156%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4300 Points +41%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3551 Points +17%
Dell Latitude 5491
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
3041 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2476 - 3203, n=14)
2872 Points -6%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1849 Points -39%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
1761 Points -42%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1699 Points -44%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1462 Points -52%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7607 Points +157%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4211 Points +42%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3547 Points +20%
Dell Latitude 5491
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
2958 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2169 - 3031, n=13)
2804 Points -5%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1891 Points -36%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
1722 Points -42%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1348 Points -54%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1233 Points -58%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
39896 Points +169%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
21893 Points +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
17743 Points +20%
Dell Latitude 5491
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
14807 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (12166 - 14880, n=13)
13617 Points -8%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
10331 Points -30%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
9663 Points -35%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8226 Points -44%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
7264 Points -51%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6216 Points +156%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3585 Points +48%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2807 Points +16%
Dell Latitude 5491
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
2427 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (2149 - 2495, n=13)
2350 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1336 Points -45%
Dell Latitude 5490
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
1141 Points -53%
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1059 Points -56%
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
821 Points -66%
3DMark 11 Performance
3403 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
13241 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2303 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The results of the synthetic benchmarks translate to the gaming performance as well. The Latitude 5491 with MX130 offers about twice the frame rates of notebooks which are only equipped with the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. The Dell XPS 15 with the more potent GeForce GTX 1050 pulls ahead by approximately the same margin. That said, the Latitude 5491 is only suitable for older games and at reduced quality settings and/or resolution.

BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
146.1 fps
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
46.8 fps -68%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
80.3 fps -45%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
64 fps -56%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (83.6 - 152.6, n=10)
127.2 fps -13%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
82.2 fps
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
27.6 fps -66%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
40.4 fps -51%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
35 fps -57%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (57.3 - 84.5, n=10)
72.9 fps -11%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
25.1 fps
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7.6 fps -70%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
11 fps -56%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
10 fps -60%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
67.5 fps +169%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (22 - 48.7, n=10)
26.2 fps +4%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
66 fps
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
22.8 fps -65%
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
34.3 fps -48%
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
29 fps -56%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (48 - 69, n=10)
61.7 fps -7%
Rise of the Tomb Raider
1024x768 Lowest Preset (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
50.7 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
70.5 fps +39%
Acer TravelMate P2510-M-51ZQ
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
18.9 fps -63%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (30.7 - 51.2, n=8)
43.7 fps -14%
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:2x (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
31 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
37.5 fps +21%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
73.2 fps +136%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (22.5 - 31.3, n=8)
28.1 fps -9%
1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
16.9 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
21.8 fps +29%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
40.6 fps +140%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (13.2 - 16.9, n=8)
15.6 fps -8%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
14 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
18.6 fps +33%
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
33.2 fps +137%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX130
  (12.1 - 14, n=7)
13.1 fps -6%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 146.1 82.2 66 25.1
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 50.7 31 16.9 14

Stress Test

We subject our review units to unrealistically high CPU and GPU loads to identify stability issues and throttling. Under Prime95 stress, the temperature rises very quickly to 98 C and CPU cores subsequently drop to under 3.0 GHz within the first 30 seconds. Two minutes later, the CPU runs at between 2.6 - 2.8 GHz at a temperature of around 90 C. Half an hour after the start of the test, the cores cycle between 1.8 - 2.6 GHz at temperatures of 80 - 90 C. With Furmark running on its own, the GPU stabilizes at 990 MHz at a temperature of 86 C. Simultaneous CPU and GPU stress with Prime95 and FurMark results in CPU clock rates of 1.7 - 2.1 GHz at temperatures of 90 - 91 C, while the GPU runs steadily at 888 MHz at temperatures ranging from 85 - 87 C. 

A quick comparison between the Latitude 5491 with 45 W processor and the 5490 with 15 W ULV CPU shows that the latter model experiences a similar initial reduction of the CPU performance, but its CPU cores stabilize at higher clock rates and at a lower temperature. A repeat of 3DMark 11 on battery shows nearly unchanged GPU and CPU performance with Physics and Graphics scores within a couple of percent of our previous run and thus a near-identical final score. 

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Furmark stress
Furmark stress
Prime95 + Furmark stress
Prime95 + Furmark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 1.8 - 2.6 - 80-90 -
FurMark Stress - 990 - 88
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.7-2.1 888 90-91 85-87

Emissions

System Noise

Latitude 5491 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark
Latitude 5491 (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark

Since the CPU is rated at 45 W and the laptop features a dedicated - albeit comparatively low-end - graphics card as well, the fan system has to work harder to get rid of the generated heat and the 5491 is thus noisier than its sibling. We measured up to 46 dB under maximum load - the 5490 with 15 W CPU reached 43 dB. The Latitude 5491 is by far the loudest notebook in our comparison under heavy stress, but the fans remain mostly silent during normal tasks like word processing or browsing.

Coil whine is thankfully absent on our unit even when running SSD benchmark tests.

Noise Level

Idle
29.5 / 29.5 / 31.5 dB(A)
Load
46.2 / 46.2 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 (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.5 dB(A)
Dell Latitude 5491
GeForce MX130, i7-8850H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Dell Latitude 5490
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02
Acer TravelMate P648-G2-M-73T0
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Noise
9%
10%
2%
8%
8%
off / environment *
29.5
27.8
6%
29
2%
30.5
-3%
30.3
-3%
30.6
-4%
Idle Minimum *
29.5
27.8
6%
29
2%
30.5
-3%
30.3
-3%
30.6
-4%
Idle Average *
29.5
27.8
6%
29
2%
30.5
-3%
30.3
-3%
30.6
-4%
Idle Maximum *
31.5
31
2%
29
8%
31.2
1%
30.3
4%
31
2%
Load Average *
46.2
34.2
26%
35.6
23%
43.9
5%
33.8
27%
34.5
25%
Load Maximum *
46.2
42.7
8%
35.6
23%
40.1
13%
33.8
27%
32.4
30%
Witcher 3 ultra *
32.5

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Rear exhaust vent
Rear exhaust vent

High internal temperatures and a fan system that seems to be struggling to keep the temperatures in check: the additional power draw of the hexa-core Coffee Lake-H CPU and MX130 GPU means that the Latitude 5491 gets hot - very hot. While reasonably flat at idle, the temperature differential between adjacent quadrants easily exceeds 30 C under load, although the palm rests remain cool to the touch. The hot spot of 63 C on the bottom left also means that it's next to impossible to work with the notebook on the lap under these conditions. The Latitude 5490 with Core i7-8650U tops out at a paltry 48 C by comparison, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 with ULV CPU and GeForce MX150 manages to reach 50 C just in one area. 

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 47.8 °C
118 F
45 °C
113 F
29.2 °C
85 F
 
 48.6 °C
119 F
44 °C
111 F
37 °C
99 F
 
 25.2 °C
77 F
25.8 °C
78 F
28.6 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 48.6 °C = 119 F
Average: 36.8 °C = 98 F
28 °C
82 F
48.6 °C
119 F
47 °C
117 F
31.2 °C
88 F
44 °C
111 F
62.8 °C
145 F
26 °C
79 F
29 °C
84 F
31.6 °C
89 F
Maximum: 62.8 °C = 145 F
Average: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.4 °C = 105 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Raytek Raynger ST
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.6 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 62.8 °C / 145 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.1 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29 °C / 84.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-1.3 °C / -2.3 F).

Speakers

The speakers located on the front edge project sit at an angle and are a direct carryover from the 5490. The sound quality is acceptable for a business notebook and the speakers get loud enough for medium-sized rooms. At maximum volume, the palm rests vibrate noticeably, but there is no rattling or excessive distortion. As always, we recommend headphones for a more satisfying audio experience.

Speakers sit at an angle
Speakers sit at an angle
Dell Latitude 5491
Dell Latitude 5491
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.1402536.637.33136.633.94034.633.55035.434.56331.833.58032.834.510030.939.712531.342.716029.148.520030.350.92502853.631527.554.840026.355.650025.459.463025.16480024.972.1100024.671.9125024.371.516002470.7200024.166.5250023.861.5315023.857.5400023.661500023.673.5630023.776.3800023.574.51000023.5671250023.267.21600023.365SPL36.482.5N2.751.8median 24.3median 64Delta1.58.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Latitude 5491Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Dell Latitude 5491 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (13.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Prime95 at the 20s mark. Note the steep drop off in power consumption because of the declining Turbo Boost.
Prime95 at the 20s mark. Note the steep drop off in power consumption because of the declining Turbo Boost.

Idle power draw is up significantly compared to Latitude 5490 and ranges between 7.5 and 13 W when idling on the desktop. Dell's own 15-inch Dell XPS 15 with i5-8300H and GeForce GTX 1050 tops out at 7.5 W here. The Latitude requires 75 W and 107 W at medium and high load levels, which is quite a lot for a business notebook and comparable to the draw of the XPS 15 as well as the larger 15-inch Latitude 5591, which features the same hardware. Notebooks with ULV CPUs like the ThinkPad T480 require 40 W less at maximum load levels.

The AC adapter is rated for 130 W and easily copes with the maximum power draw. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.36 / 0.72 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.5 / 9.7 / 13 Watt
Load midlight 74.3 / 106.6 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 5491
i7-8850H, GeForce MX130, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 2560x1440, 14.00
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KXG50ZNV1T02, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 5490
i7-8650U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell XPS 15 2018 i5 FHD 97Wh
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11, LED IGZO IPS InfinityEdge, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
31%
31%
43%
40%
44%
28%
Idle Minimum *
7.5
3.6
52%
3.4
55%
4.5
40%
3.8
49%
3.9
48%
2.9
61%
Idle Average *
9.7
7.1
27%
7.5
23%
8.2
15%
8.3
14%
6.2
36%
5.8
40%
Idle Maximum *
13
9.5
27%
10.8
17%
9.3
28%
10.7
18%
7.7
41%
7.5
42%
Load Average *
74.3
63.9
14%
55.4
25%
30.4
59%
35.5
52%
43.9
41%
77.5
-4%
Load Maximum *
106.6
67.3
37%
70.3
34%
30.4
71%
37
65%
47.7
55%
107
-0%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53.9
34
84

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Since the battery capacity remains unchanged at 68 Wh, the higher power draw has a negative impact on the battery life. Under normal condition, users can expect about 9.5 hours of real-world WLAN use with a screen brightness of 150 nits and the balanced profile active. The Latitude 5490 with i7-8650U and integrated graphics lasted a good 2 hours longer. The ThinkPad T480 with ULV i7 processor and GeForce MX150 has a slightly larger battery (72 Wh) and lasts over 13 hours on a charge. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 45min
WiFi Websurfing
9h 37min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 16min
Dell Latitude 5491
i7-8850H, GeForce MX130, 68 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 72 Wh
Toshiba Tecra X40-E-10W
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
HP EliteBook 840 G5-3JX61EA
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Dell Latitude 5490
i7-8650U, UHD Graphics 620, 68 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 57 Wh
Battery Runtime
71%
-14%
-23%
20%
9%
Reader / Idle
1005
1671
66%
1366
36%
WiFi v1.3
577
794
38%
498
-14%
444
-23%
695
20%
530
-8%
Load
76
159
109%
76
0%

Pros

+ good build quality
+ great performance
+ dedicated GPU
+ good input devices
+ very fast SD reader
+ 180 degree display
+ Thunderbolt 3

Cons

- dim display with noticeable backlight bleeding
- big and bulky power adapter
- some keyboard flex
- high minimum power consumption
- poor turbo boost sustainability
- reduced battery life compared to the 15 W model
- extremely hot under load

Verdict

Latitude 5491, courtesy of Dell USA
Latitude 5491, courtesy of Dell USA

The Latitude 5491 with hexa-core i7-8850H CPU and Nvidia GeForce MX130 outperforms the Latitude 5490 models with ULV CPUs and integrated graphics - at times substantially so. Of course, in order to benefit from the two additional CPU cores, the application has to be designed to take advantage of the additional threads. Aside from the considerable boost in performance, the Latitude 5491 ticks all the right check boxes, as it is still the same well-designed and secure business notebook with great input devices and good ergonomics.

That said, there's definitely room for improvement: the new Latitude runs very hot under load and the turbo boost sustainability is rather poor as a result. The fans have to work harder and the system is noisier than before. Dell also decided to go with the same glossy FHD touchscreeen display the Latitude 5490 is equipped with. The panel leaves much to be desired, as the brightness is way too low for outdoor use and both the gamut as well as the color accuracy fail to impress. In addition, the new notebook ships with a larger and much heavier power adapter and lasts shorter on a charge.

Road warriors who primarily focus on word processing, spreadsheets and web browsing are likely better off with the Latitude 5490, which features a longer battery life and doesn't get nearly as hot or noisy. Users who are content with the performance a ULV CPU has to offer might also consider Lenovo's excellent ThinkPad T480 or T480s.

Dell Latitude 5491 - 07/30/2018 v6(old)
Bernie Pechlaner

Chassis
81 / 98 → 82%
Keyboard
92%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
68 / 80 → 85%
Weight
66 / 20-67 → 97%
Battery
92%
Display
69%
Games Performance
72 / 68 → 100%
Application Performance
96 / 92 → 100%
Temperature
83%
Noise
81%
Audio
64%
Camera
46 / 85 → 54%
Average
76%
84%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Latitude 5491 (8850H, MX130, Touchscreen) Laptop Review
Bernie Pechlaner, 2018-07-31 (Update: 2019-02-27)