Face Off: Lenovo ThinkPad T450 vs. Acer TravelMate P645 vs. Dell Latitude 14 E5450

A hardy business notebook will always put case rigidity over style. First, the ThinkPad T450 is only a marginal upgrade from the previous T440 in terms of design and quality. It has got the same glass-fiber base and Mil-Spec features that core ThinkPad models share. Quality is very good but not perfect as our test model exhibits creaking and has a small imperfection on the front corner of our unit. The T440p is the heavier, thicker, and overall sturdier solution compared to the T450.

Next up is the Acer TravelMate P645, which uses carbon fiber with reinforced plastic. We found the chassis to be near-perfect with excellent stability around the base, lid, and hinges. The most important difference is that the Acer is not Mil-Spec approved compared to the T450 and E5450. This is perhaps evident by its low weight of just 1.5 kg compared to 2 kg and 1.7 kg of the Dell and Lenovo, respectively.

Lastly, Dell's 14-inch Latitude uses full plastic for its base and magnesium alloy for its outer lid. Case quality is decent with no real stability issues anywhere on the device. The notebook certainly feels dense as it is the heaviest and thickest of the three.

While the Latitude 14 E5450 appears stale and boxy, we are here to judge on longevity and quality - not style. Dell wins this round for having a stronger build than both the T450 and P645.

Winner: Dell Latitude 14 E5450

1080p screens are essentially standard for mainstream devices nowadays while anything less is generally considered budget grade. Thus, it's a bit puzzling that Lenovo launched the T450 with only 1366 x 768 and 1600 x 900 options. To add insult to injury, the TN panel on our test model exhibits very low display brightness and poorer color reproduction than both the Dell and Acer. The T450s adds the option for a 1080p panel, though users will have to sacrifice case quality compared to the T450.

Meanwhile, both the Acer and Dell use similar IPS panels from AU Optronics. The 1080p displays here are about twice as bright as on the Lenovo with more accurate colors, deeper blacks, and wider gamut. It's a tie between the P645 and E5450 as the Acer is just slightly brighter, but does not include touchscreen options.

Winner: Tie -- Dell Latitude 14 E5450 and Acer TravelMate P645

Like it or not, Lenovo's AccuType Chiclet keyboard is here to stay for newer ThinkPad models. We feel that it's a good change as the new layout is one of the best in the notebook market according to our T440 reviewer. The concave keys and ample travel both provide a comfortable typing experience. Acer and Dell have excellent keyboards as well while the Dell is the quietest of the bunch. One of our reviewers in particular found the Acer keyboard to be flat and lacking in both feedback and travel, so it may take some time to get used to for some users. It's worth noting that Acer includes a dedicated column of PgUp and PgDn keys on the right side of the keyboard.

As for the touchpads, the one on the T450 is large at 10 x 5.6 cm. The previous T440 excluded the dedicated mouse clicks, but these are now back after user complaints. We find the UltraNav touchpad here to be precise and responsive for cursor movements, but its integrated mouse keys can easily register inputs incorrectly. Users who prefer to use the TrackPoint and the provided dedicated mouse keys can circumvent the issue entirely.

The Acer touchpad is essentially the same size at 9.8 x 5.4 cm. There are no integrated mouse keys and multi-touch gestures can feel laggy. Note that the system lacks a TrackPoint unlike on the Dell and Lenovo.

Finally, the touchpad on the E5450 is again about the same size as the ones on the Acer and Lenovo at 10 x 5.5 cm. The surface is smooth and responsive with no integrated keys, but users get five dedicated mouse buttons and a TrackPoint in return. For everyday use, we prefer the no-frills solution on the Dell.

Winner: Keyboard -- Lenovo ThinkPad T450

              Touchpad -- Dell Latitude 14 E5450