DELL Latitude 5420 (2021)

DELL Latitude 5420 (2021)

Following the success of its predecessor, Dell has launched the Dell Latitude 5420, an office laptop aimed at students, college students, and office workers. With a slim, lightweight, refined design and very strong performance, it handles virtually every task users throw at it. Join Hung Phat as we take a closer look at this laptop below.

The Dell Latitude 5420 Has an Elegant Design

In terms of design, the Latitude 5420 does not change much from its predecessor. The body is made of premium bio-based plastic, and Dell says it is working toward environmentally friendly materials for future products. The chassis is made of sturdy, durable aluminum alloy.

A chrome-plated Dell logo sits in the center of the lid, adding to its standout look. The corners and edges are slightly rounded, which makes the laptop look softer and more elegant. A refined silver-gray finish covers the entire body. The sturdy hinge opens up to 180 degrees, which makes the laptop convenient to use. The Dell Latitude weighs 1.4kg and is 20mm thick. It is not the thinnest and lightest laptop available today, but at this weight it is still easy to carry around.

The Dell Latitude 5420 Display Is Sharp and Vivid

The Latitude 5420 has a 14-inch display with Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels). The 16:9 aspect ratio and 157 PPI pixel density deliver sharp, vivid images.

Average brightness is 250 nits, the dE2000 value is above 4, and the contrast ratio is 1350:1. The picture is sharper and more vivid than few laptops in the same segment can manage. The Dell Latitude 14 5420 also works well outdoors thanks to its anti-glare IPS technology. Images do not distort or show inaccurate colors from a range of viewing angles. A 720p webcam sits in the center of the top bezel. Image quality from the webcam is not highly rated: pictures are slightly blurry and colors look overly saturated even in good lighting.

The Dell Latitude 5420 Comes with a Full Set of Ports

One of the things we believe users will like most about this laptop is its wide variety of ports. The left side has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a smart card reader. The right side has a security lock slot, an RJ-45 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a MicroSD card reader. There is also a SIM card tray on the back of the laptop.

In addition, the Dell Latitude 5420 supports wireless connectivity over Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.8. Tested with a Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, the Dell laptop reached 1.436 Mb/s for receiving data and 1.361 Mb/s for sending data.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Dell Latitude 5420 has a Chiclet keyboard that delivers an excellent typing experience. The keys have long travel, a soft feel, and plenty of bounce, and they make no noise when you type. This 14-inch laptop does not have a numpad, but the keyboard layout is roomy enough that users do not feel cramped.

The Tab, Caps Lock, and left Shift keys are large for a laptop in this segment. The Shift and Tab keys are often used for Office shortcuts or for switching between applications. The Latitude 5420 also has a backlight with two adjustable levels, making it easy to work in low light. The touchpad is not very large. Its surface has a coating that keeps multitasking gestures smooth and accurate.

The Dell Latitude 5420 Delivers Strong Performance

The Latitude 14 5420 is a laptop aimed at office and business users who value a wide range of security features. Its performance handles office tasks well thanks to the latest 11th generation Intel CPU, a very capable U-series chip. The 256GB SSD offers fast read and write speeds. It is considered a formidable rival among competitors in the same segment.

The Intel UHD Graphics lets it run 2D graphics software such as Photoshop and AI smoothly. For 3D graphics software or video rendering, however, it is not truly suitable. For gaming, it can handle some light titles with low graphics demands, such as LOL, DOTA2, and similar games. But if you need higher gaming performance, the Dell Latitude 5420 laptop is not the best choice for you.

The cooling on the Latitude 5420 is rated fairly well, with a maximum temperature of 40 degrees C during office tasks.That is only slightly warm, so you can comfortably rest the laptop on your lap while using it.

Battery Life

According to the manufacturer, the laptop uses a 63 watt battery. This is common among premium laptops today, since a smaller battery helps keep the laptop lighter. In real-world use, with the screen at 150 nits and office tasks or light web browsing, the laptop runs for up to 9 hours 30 minutes on a charge. With that battery life, you can easily work all day without worrying about running out of power.

The laptop also supports fast charging, reaching 80% in about 1 hour.

Conclusion

In short, if you only use office applications or light graphics work, the Dell Latitude 5420 is one of the options worth considering. Besides its strong performance, it offers long battery life and excellent portability, making it a great companion for your work.