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on Dell internal analysis using publicly available specs in August 2023 comparing maximum effective capacity for PowerStore 1200 and FlashArray //X20. Assumes average 4:1 data reduction for PowerStore, 5:1 for Pure Storage. Actual results vary. Hard drive retention: Hard drive retention is not available on models with a soldered hard drive, including XPS 9315 2in1, Chromebooks or Venue tablets, except the Venue 11 Pro. The microcontroller is handing control of the computer to the processor. This code persists if no processor is detected.
The first thing to note is that the casing, while again, not as heavy-duty or high-quality as the front-running E6XXX models, is still predominantly solid. The first clue the E5430 offers in this regard is its considerable weight. At 2.51 kg, this is a far cry from a featherweight ultraportable. Nevertheless, in conjunction with its reasonably-designed form factor, it is hardly restrictive in its size. It feels comfortable on the lapand is easier to use than many smaller notebooks in such a position thanks to an adequately-sized, flat palm rest—and this is in spite of the weight and size of the extended battery we received to boot. Very little flexis detectable anywhere apart from just above the optical drive, which is a typical and forgivable weakness of nearly every notebook. While our E5530 review unit was afflicted by some notable gaps between casing components, we are pleased to report that no such problems apply to the E5430 we received.
Dell’s Latitude models always put practicality first. With a perpetually no-nonsense design and solidity that rivals even the fiercest opponents, it’s one of the first places many businesspeople look when considering a primary machine. And rightfully so; not many notebooks exist which hail from such a glistening lineage of enterprise-grade dependability. The Latitude E5430 can be outfitted with either a 320 GB (encrypted or non-encrypted) or 500 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, or for a little higher cost, a 128 GB Solid State Drive (SSD). Our review unit came equipped with a Seagate Momentus Thin ST320LT007-9ZV142 7200 RPM 320 GB drive. Like the drive we received in our E5530 review model, this is a smaller, single-platter 7 mm-height hard drive that normally is meant for situations where drive size is a prohibitive design factor (such as in many ultraportables). The E5430 actually features a fully-sized 9.5 mm-height drive bay, so any traditional SATA laptop drive will also fit.
Processors that support 64-bit computing on Intel® architecture require an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. There are two different 14-inch display options to choose from on the Latitude E5430, both of which graciously feature a matte finish. The first is a standard HD (1366x768) display, and the second is an HD+ (1600x900) display with Premium Panel Guarantee. Our review model came equipped with the latter, and, as in typical fashion with most Dell models, the higher-resolution display is also quite a bit nicer than the standard one. Though we weren’t exactly wowed by the contrast ratio (more on that in a moment), the picture quality was nevertheless subjectively good and the panel is bright. Colors were a bit flat, however.The anti-glare screen is a mixed bag. Yes, it will prevent screen reflections from fatiguing your users' eyes, but the screen is also a little dull looking next to newer ultrabooks. Estimated delivery times are provided to us by the respective delivery companies. We pass this information onto you, the customer. Estimated valueis Dell’s estimate of product value based on industry data, including the prices at which third-party retailers have offered or valued the same or comparable products, in its most recent survey of major online and/or off-line retailers. Third-party retailer data may not be based on actual sales. While other changes have taken place, the big story with Dell’s 2012 Latitude refresh is the inclusion of Ivy Bridge CPU options. Less pricey Sandy Bridge models are still available, and neither choice will result in a slow PC by any judgment. It’s worth noting that Dell also lists Intel Celeron Bxxx CPUs as an option, but as of this writing such a configuration isn’t selectable. Beyond that, the choices range from a Core i3-2328M Sandy Bridge CPU all the way to a 2.9 GHz Core i7-3520M, the latter of which is currently the fastest dual-core Ivy Bridge CPU around. Our review model features a 2.8 GHz Core i5-3360M, which is only slightly slower than the top-end Core i7-3520M. All other products will be delivered via the fastest available method (excluding bank holidays and weekends) and generally within 3-5 days, depending on customer location.
Intel processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across different processor families. See http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/processor-numbers.html for details. The closest notebooks in terms of specifications in comparison with the Latitude E5430 are perhaps the Dell Latitude E5530 (which we’ve already referenced heavily throughout this review) and the Lenovo ThinkPad L530 model we recently reviewed. Both of these competing models are 15-inch notebooks, but it’s safe to assume that their 14-inch counterparts with identical specifications should post similar performance scores. As it happens, the E5430 matches (or comes in negligibly below) its E5530 bigger brother in most every benchmark. In turn, it thus also bests the ThinkPad L530 in every Cinebench test. These are impressive results coming from a 14-inch business notebook with a “mid-range” CPU.
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So, what does all this buy you? Plenty of runtime in this case. To reiterate, our review unit received a standard 9-cell battery, and we were impressed with the results. One of the first items we tested was minimal system usage under nearly-idle conditions via the Reader’s Test in Battery Eater. Before testing, as always, we fully charged the unit and disabled sleep, hibernation, screen and hard drive timeouts, and all wireless radios. Under these conditions and set to the “Power Saver” power profile, the notebook stayed alive for an exceptional 11 hours and 2 minutes.
When it comes to memory, the base model features 8GB of DDR4 3200 MHz ram though there are options for 16GB of RAM and all the way up to 64GB. As for storage, the base model of the Latitude 5430 has a 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Class 35) though the top of the line configuration features a 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD (Class 40). There’s also an option for a 512GB SSD (Class 40) that is self-encrypting. The Core i5-3360M CPU’s performance rivals even the fastest dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs. In our synthetic benchmarks, we witnessed scores comparable to the Core i7-2640M in most categories, and consistently higher than the Core i7-2620M. Cinebench R10/R11.5 both tested the i5-3360M in our unit higher than the similar second-generation i7 CPUs, and the 3DMark 06 CPU benchmark agrees. wPrime places the i5-3360M squarely between the i7-2620M and i7-2640M, but the results are so similar (around 2.5% difference) that comparisons really don’t mean much. The bottom line is that the Core i5-3360M should provide more than enough power for just about any business user who’s looking to accomplish the essentials with their notebook, but it also shows no signs of weakness in terms of heavier tasks such as photo and video editing. The Latitude E5430’s optional fingerprint readerprovides biometric authentication that is also remotely administrable if desired, while TPM 1.2and smart card enrollmentare available for an added cost. Meanwhile, self-encrypting hard drives, which are mainstays in many modern enterprise environments, are also an option.The Latitude E5430 carries the torch forward with another round of impressive graphical benchmark results for a machine restricted to an integrated GPU. Though these machines certainly aren’t built for gaming, our tests prove that the HD 4000 is no slouch should some low-end gaming still find itself on the agenda. Suffice it to say, the Latitude E5430 is yet another step toward affordable perfection in the business market. It represents an intelligent balance between luxury and economics, focusing on the areas which matter most and skimming over some of the more robust details championed by the upper-echelon Latitude E6XXX series. It improves upon its predecessor by adding USB 3.0 (2 ports) and extending the battery life while simultaneously improving performance—even in the graphics department, which continues to impress with the help of the Ivy Bridge-based Intel HD Graphics 4000.
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