Review Dell Latitude E5440-4668 Notebook

For the original German review, see here.
Dell sorts its classic business laptops that do not fit in the ultrabook category (Latitude 14 E7440) in its 3000, 5000, and 6000 Series. To complete confusion, every one of these product lines (with a few exceptions) includes 13, 14 and 15-inch devices. The Latitude E5440 comes from the middle, not only in terms of equipment but also in price. Dell demands 680 Euros (~$936) including VAT (Core i3, 500 GB, HD screen, one-year basic warranty) for the basic configuration of the Latitude 14 5000 Series. The customer would reach the top end at 850 Euros (~$1170). Our review sample would then feature an HD+ screen and Core i5.
That is not too steep a price for a high-quality office laptop with abundant equipment and many options. Where does the Latitude E5440 lineup compared with the competition? We particularly focused on the 14-inch HP ProBook 640 G1 (i5, HD+) and Fujitsu LifeBook E743 (i5, HD+). HP demands 790 Euros (~$1087) for its 640, and Fujitsu wants 920 Euros (~$1266). Another alternative is Lenovo's ThinkPad L440 (HD); the more interesting HD+ configuration is currently available starting at 750 Euros (~$1032) (prices for our test configurations, equipment-dependent).
Case
The chassis strongly resembles the recently tested E5540, which is a 15-inch sister model. Dell uses plastic with a high-quality feel owing to its sleek or perhaps its lightly rubber-coated surface. The fiberglass-reinforced lid can clearly be warped, and the center where the logo is located can be dented. A rubber lip lines the display's front edge, and provides the lid with a softly padded closure.
The aluminum-clad hinges make a very robust impression. However, the reality is not so impressive. Nevertheless, the cover stiffens the hinges. Unfortunately, the base does not defy warping to the extent that we had hoped for. The chassis creaks when warped slightly at the sides. This is not due to the underside that is made of one piece, and can be completely removed for maintenance.
Connectivity
The interfaces are virtually identical with the E5540 sister model that, however, has an additional USB port on the rear. Only three of these ports are installed in the E5440. Naturally, a docking port is on the underside, and we discovered an ExpressCard 54 slot for expansion cards on the left. None of the three contenders offer ExpressCard, and instead provide a SmartCard reader (E743 and ProBook 640). Unlike the three contenders, there is no DisplayPort, something also omitted in the E5430. Something not carried over from the E5430 is the eSATA.
The communication, security, maintenance facilities, and warranty periods correspond to the 15-inch E5540, and thus we would refer to this review. Wi-Fi reception via the same Wireless-AC 7260 module was possible up to 45 meters (~150 feet) outdoors in our non-standardized test. Many consumer laptops cannot open websites within a good time at this distance. The E5440 can be ordered with a 3G modem, or it can be retrofitted should the wireless connection not suffice. The mSATA slot is easy to access, and antennas are also installed. The SIM card is inserted under the battery.
The webcam does a poor job. Unnatural colors, no details, and blurry outlines even in daylight only fulfill the requirements for a low-res video chat. In return, the microphone is somewhat better. Although a permanent background noise affects the speech quality, its recording is loud and clear.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keys are submerged in a flat recess, and a one-millimeter gap separates them. Unlike the commonly used island-style, a homogeneous key area is created that provides accuracy because every key is on a base. The keys feature a concave surface, clear pressure point, and medium drop. The stroke is soft, and the keys sit firmly almost everywhere. We only ascertained a slight yielding in the 1 - 6 number area.
The layout makes a very clearly arranged impression, and the bright lettering is very distinct. A four-level backlight can be adapted quickly via the function key. However, the keyboard cannot compete with the professional input of a T-Series ThinkPad. The keys would need a bit more drop and be even more concave for that.
Special keys, such as the Wi-Fi hardware switch on the casing's right or volume control, are also available. Some users will miss the E5540's number pad, but the width of the keys makes it impossible. The contenders do not offer one either.
Touchpad
The touchpad's counterpart, a blue TrackPoint, is found on the keyboard. This second input option has many fans, and Lenovo's ThinkPad L440 as well as Fujitsu's LifeBook E743 also have one. Only the ProBook 640 G1 does not offer this, and limits this feature to the EliteBooks.
All five buttons feature a medium drop, a subdued, almost soft stroke (quiet!), and a rubber surface. In return, the pressure point differs. The feedback from the lower row of touchpad keys is not similar to the upper row of touchpad keys. The arrangement is practical because it prevents accidentally pressing the space bar when using the TrackPoint. The contenders simply use a bigger spacing here.
Display
An important feature of the Latitude is its matte HD+ screen with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels (131 ppi). This resolution provides a clearly arranged screen without exaggerating with too high of a pixel density. Dell also has an HD version available (1366x768 pixels). The matte AUO screen (B140RTN, Dell P/N: M4RTT) is a TN (Twisted Nematic) model that does not promise perfect viewing angles.
The TFT's brightness makes a good impression with over 300 cd/m², and surpasses all tested devices' total average by approximately 50 cd/m². The evenness of the illumination commonly suffers under a high brightness, but 84% is acceptable. Dark and light areas are not so far apart that we noticed differences with our naked eye. We did not ascertain white spots, i.e. clouding, even on a black screen.
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Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 334 cd/m²
Contrast: 242:1 (Black: 1.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.87 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 11.93 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
45% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
48.74% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
47.12% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.55
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Lenovo Thinkpad L440 HD Graphics 4600, 4330M, 500 GB - 5400 rpm | Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE HD Graphics 4000, 3230M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -16% | -16% | -16% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 47.12 | 39.79 -16% | 39.45 -16% | 39.85 -15% |
sRGB Coverage | 70.4 | 58.7 -17% | 59.1 -16% | 58.7 -17% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 48.74 | 40.86 -16% | 40.77 -16% | 40.99 -16% |
Screen | 22% | 19% | 17% | |
Brightness middle | 334 | 212 -37% | 305 -9% | 267 -20% |
Brightness | 300 | 204 -32% | 284 -5% | 272 -9% |
Brightness Distribution | 84 | 92 10% | 86 2% | 91 8% |
Black Level * | 1.38 | 0.3236 77% | 0.71 49% | 0.54 61% |
Contrast | 242 | 655 171% | 430 78% | 494 104% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 10.87 | 10.83 -0% | 8.13 25% | 10.39 4% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.93 | 11.42 4% | 8.78 26% | 11.13 7% |
Gamma | 2.55 86% | 2.68 82% | 2.63 84% | 2.29 96% |
CCT | 15424 42% | 13243 49% | 10360 63% | 13721 47% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 45 | 37.84 -16% | 37.7 -16% | 37.4 -17% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 3% /
12% | 2% /
9% | 1% /
8% |
* ... smaller is better
As we noticed using only our eyes: Black is not deep black, but looks more like a very dark gray. The low contrast of 242:1 confirms the visual impression. Some contenders do a better job here, even if 655:1 (L440) is not a top score. Good consumer screens from a similar price range, some with a matte surface, often achieve 800 to 1200:1.
Color spaces are not a topic for either our review sample or the contenders. The percentage is 37% to 45% here; neither will satisfy professional graphic designers. As usual, we assessed the screen using the spectrophotometer, and calibrated it afterwards. Calibration eliminated the colors' visible bluish cast in the state of delivery. The colors looked warmer and more natural, but the viewing angle stability decreased slightly.
CalMAN recorded a DeltaE of just below 11 for the colors. We measure this high shift in low-budget screens time and again.
As expected from the TN screen, the Latitude does not have stable viewing angles. The screen only displays true images in the ideal angle. We shot a picture in state of delivery, i.e. not calibrated. The image quality is ruined as soon as the user leaves the sweet spot. We only see a picture with inverted colors when looking from above or from below. An angle of over 45 degrees from the sides leads to massive distortions.
Performance
Dell relies on an Intel Core i5-4300U (1.9 GHz) CPU, which, until now, was a rare sister model of the massively used i5-4200U (1.6 GHz). The processor can run with a maximum of 2.9 GHz via Turbo. It is a member of Intel's current Haswell generation, and has a TDP of 15 Watts.
Dell installs 8 GB of working memory in our review sample. Both banks are filled. A solid-state hybrid drive (Seagate ST500LM000) with a gross capacity of 500 GB finishes that off. The initial space available to the user is 410 GB. The HDD's 64 GB flash unit is not intended for direct usage. Frequently used data blocks are written to the NAND, which leads to programs opening quite swiftly and fast system startups.
Processor
We checked whether the cooling system can maintain the CPU's Turbo, so if it discharges the corresponding amount of waste air during load. A bulky 14-inch chassis alongside a ULV processor should easily manage that, and it does. The clock rate stably remained at 2.6 GHz in both the Cinebench tests and the stress test using only Prime95 (multi-core in each case). Full power also applies to the integrated HD 4400 that maxed out its Turbo of up to 1050 MHz. This clock frequency in conjunction with the corresponding performance (Cinebench scores) is also available in battery mode.
The review sample lines up below Lenovo's ThinkPad L440 (Intel Core i5-4330M) by 24% to 33%. The latter sports a standard voltage processor. This is also the case with the LifeBook (i5-3230M, Ivy Bridge platform). Haswell achieves a better per-Watt performance, and the current ULV can almost match the old standard voltage model.
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE | |
HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 | |
Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE | |
HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET |
System Performance
We ascertained the application performance with PCMark 7 and 8. The latter is performed in the current 8.2 version, and we thus cannot compare it with all older contenders. The ProBook 640 does not surpass the ULV review sample, although the higher Computation Score recurrently repeats the findings of the pure CPU benchmarks. The strong System Storage Score (+41%) saves our review sample. None of the contenders sport an SSD, and thus the Storage related scores are quite close to each other.
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE HD Graphics 4000, 3230M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630 | Lenovo Thinkpad L440 HD Graphics 4600, 4330M, 500 GB - 5400 rpm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCMark 7 | -41% | -18% | ||
Score | 3423 | 2888 -16% | ||
System Storage | 3103 | 1833 -41% | ||
Computation | 9536 | 11149 17% | ||
Productivity | 2583 | 1515 -41% | 1787 -31% | |
PCMark 8 | 14% | |||
Work Score Accelerated v2 | 2389 | 3475 45% | ||
Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 2406 | 2445 2% | ||
Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2572 | 2452 -5% | ||
Storage Score | 1875 | 2339 | 2246 | |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -41% /
-41% | -2% /
-4% |
PCMark 7 Score | 3423 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2572 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 2406 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 2389 points | |
Help |
Storage Devices
Seagate's ST500LM000 hard drive might be a hybrid drive, but it does not perform miracles in the relevant benchmarks - the opposite is true. Sequential Read in CrystalDiskMark is oddly low. We usually measure 80 to 110 MB/s from 5400 rpm HDDs rather than 37 MB/s. However, this rate prevailed even in several, time-shifted attempts. Such a massive difference was no longer seen in the Read 4K scores.
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE HD Graphics 4000, 3230M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630 | Lenovo Thinkpad L440 HD Graphics 4600, 4330M, 500 GB - 5400 rpm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | 27% | 57% | 60% | |
Read Seq | 37.08 | 105.3 184% | 120.1 224% | 121.5 228% |
Write Seq | 150.2 | 104 -31% | 118.6 -21% | 112.9 -25% |
Read 512 | 27.57 | 30.4 10% | 38.96 41% | 41.3 50% |
Write 512 | 48.59 | 39.39 -19% | 52.1 7% | 56 15% |
Read 4k | 0.31 | 0.351 13% | 0.466 50% | 0.506 63% |
Write 4k | 0.685 | 0.901 32% | 1.039 52% | 1.123 64% |
Read 4k QD32 | 0.765 | 0.728 -5% | 1.17 53% | 0.964 26% |
Write 4k QD32 | 0.692 | 0.887 28% | 1.048 51% | 1.123 62% |
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 4400 is responsible for graphic output. It is the typical component of the ULV SoC, and is used in most Haswell CPUs. It clocks with speeds ranging from 200 to 1050 MHz. Cloud Gate easily surpasses both the LifeBook E743 (HD 4000 Ivy Bridge) and ProBook 640 G1 (HD 4600). The Latitude E5440's dual-channel memory takes the lead, but only as long as the CPU does not have a significant role. The stronger processor in the ProBook claims the Cloud Gate Physics test for itself.
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 | |
HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET | |
Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value) | |
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 | |
HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET | |
Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Physics (sort by value) | |
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 | |
HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET | |
Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE |
3DMark 11 Performance | 1015 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 47729 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 4962 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 658 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
Gaming is not the playground of an HD 4400, not to mention a Latitude E5440. We nevertheless tried Dead Space 3 (2013) that could only be played in low details. Do older games run better? Mafia 2 from 2010 should look good. In fact, it could be played smoothly in medium details using the HD resolution. Sleeping Dogs from 2012 has high requirements on hardware, and consequently only minimum settings are realistic.
low | med. | high | ultra | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mafia 2 (2010) | 50 | 32 | 26 | 13 |
Sleeping Dogs (2012) | 31 | 26 | 10 | |
Dead Space 3 (2013) | 55 | 27 | 21 |
Emissions
System Noise
We noticed nothing unpleasant about the fan; the active cooling sometimes was even completely disabled in idle mode. Only the hard drive's quiet noise could then be measured, though it was barely audible. The fan has to work harder during load. We measured a noise of 37 dB(A) in the stress test comprised of simultaneous CPU and GPU load. Simple load, for example in a multi-minute CPU benchmark or longer copying, only led to just below 34 dB(A). The fan's characteristic was even and stable.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 30.3 / 32.4 / 32.7 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 38.8 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 33.7 / 37.4 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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Temperature
Part two of our emission tests takes us to the temperatures during the stress test. It is unrealistic for practical use with Prime95 and FurMark running simultaneously for an hour. But we want to know how the laptop deals with temperature development in such a case. While cool surfaces with a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) dominate on the upper side at idle, stress causes hot spots of up to 42 degrees (107.6 Fahrenheit) on both the upper and underside. That is not much; the ProBook 640 G1, ThinkPad L440, and LifeBook E743, all with a higher TDP (37 or 35 Watts) heat up to 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 Fahrenheit).
The processor ran the stress test at 2.0 GHz reaching a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius (158 Fahrenheit), which is within the Turbo range. Meanwhile, the GPU stably remained at its maximum clock (1050 MHz). Consequently, we do not have to note thermal throttling, particularly since the CPU/GPU benchmarks above confirm a very good processing development in practical use. Throttling below the Turbo rate occurs in ULV processors when the thermal capacity of especially slim and small barebones is not sufficient for cooling.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.5 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.3 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 41.5 °C / 106.7 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (-13.9 °C / -25 F).
Speakers
The speakers are on the front underneath the wrist rest. They emit their sound toward the tabletop, and the surface is used for reflecting. The volume can be modified or muted quickly via the speaker button in the upper left. The mid-heavy sound can only render trebles distinctively, although playback is quite clear and does not distort even at high volumes. Low ranges are non-existent due to the lack of a subwoofer, or the tiny speakers' lack of a resonator. The sound is acceptable for undemanding background music or Internet radio in the office, but not more.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the E5440 proves to be very frugal in the category comparison. When idle, it remains below nine Watts, despite its good brightness. The ULV CPU keeps the load maximum significantly below the 46 to 53 Watts that standard voltage contenders consume. Those are the best prerequisites for excellent runtimes.
Dell Latitude E5440-4668 HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Lenovo Thinkpad L440 HD Graphics 4600, 4330M, 500 GB - 5400 rpm | Fujitsu Lifebook E743-0M55A1DE HD Graphics 4000, 3230M, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380 | HP ProBook 640 G1 H5G66ET HD Graphics 4600, 4200M, Hitachi Travelstar Z7K500 HTS725050A7E630 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -46% | -34% | -8% | |
Idle Minimum * | 5.5 | 8.6 -56% | 8.2 -49% | 5.4 2% |
Idle Average * | 8.7 | 11.8 -36% | 11.3 -30% | 7.9 9% |
Idle Maximum * | 8.8 | 12.7 -44% | 13 -48% | 8 9% |
Load Average * | 33 | 48.1 -46% | 38.3 -16% | 39 -18% |
Load Maximum * | 36.5 | 53.4 -46% | 45.9 -26% | 52.5 -44% |
* ... smaller is better
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battery Runtime
The battery runtime proves unrivaled when compared with the contenders. Not every device achieves eight hours in our Wi-Fi test. The battery supplies 65-Watt hours, which the low power consumption spares. HP only installs a 55 Wh model in its 640 G1; Fujitsu's sports 72 Wh and Lenovo even contributes 100 Wh (standard: 56 Wh). Nevertheless, neither the L440 nor the E743 manage to take the lead in runtime despite their higher capacity batteries. The screen's brightness was lowered by nine levels to 143 cd/m² in the Wi-Fi test; that was the closest rate to our standard setting of 150 cd/m².
Verdict
The Latitude E5440 offers many features that eager workers want: solid build, pleasing input devices, bright HD+ screen, low emissions, good performance, and agreeably long battery runtimes owing to the ULV processor. There is barely any room for complaint because the Latitude does what it is supposed to for its money. Perfectionists will want a high-contrast IPS screen, but that was not even installed in the premium Latitude E6540 (FHD TN). Our E5440 sample could also have used a better webcam so that higher-resolution video calls or usable pictures would be possible.
The customer might also fancy a LifeBook that is within the review sample's price range (750 - 950 Euros; ~$1032 - $1308). It equally features an HD+, but also a DisplayPort. HP's ProBook 640 G1 would be interesting for all HD+ fans who do not want to live without the power of a standard voltage CPU. Lenovo's ThinkPad L440 has excellent input devices, a robust chassis, and an HD+ (model in retail) to offer. Ultimately, the three contenders are virtually equal in terms of quality and price, although Lenovo demands the lowest price (L440 HD+ starting at 750 Euros; ~$1032). Thus, details like a DisplayPort (HP, Fujitsu) or 3G ready modem (E5440) will be the decisive factor.