Dell Latitude E5430 Pro Reviews

The Dell Latitude E5430 laptop is for veteran users who can't let go of VGA monitors, ExpressCards, and optical discs.

This Dell won't charm lovers of thin and light laptops, but its impressive performance and battery life make it a tantalizing package for business users.

Early last year, our review of the Dell Latitude E5420 expressed our appreciation of its sturdy construction, first-rate keyboard and touchpad, great battery life, and practical design—elements which have become synonymous with the Latitude brand. Still, we were left dreaming of a higher-quality screen, less noise under load, and USB 3.0. Does the E5430 answer our call? 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.