Dell Vostro 3400 Review Discussion

The Dell Vostro 3400 combines the latest Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors, good battery life and range of security options for business, in an affordable 14-inch laptop. Is this the next best thing for small business owners? How does the Vostro 3400 compare to other business laptops? We answer these questions and more in our in-depth review of this notebook.

Read the full content of this Article: Dell Vostro 3400 Review

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Speaking of this Vostro's flimsy LCD cover, check out this stress test video comparing it to a Thinkpad Edge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db5Q1URT9hQ&feature=player_embedded


Disclaimer, the video is from Lenovo but you get the idea, and the test seems to confirm the reviewer's observation.

 

I saw that stress test before Lenovo pulled it off of YouTube. They probably removed it from YouTube because Dell lawyers (or perhaps even Lenovo lawyers) pointed out the lack of information about the testing procedures prior to breakage.

In any case, our test lab stress tests didn't cause the screen on the Vostro 3400 to break. We were just concerned because it takes very little pressure to bend the screen lid and LCD panel out of shape.

Most modern LED-backlit panels have a high degree of flexibility (that is intentional so they don't snap like fragile glass when excess pressure is applied) but most laptop screen lids have additional reinforcement to make sure the panel doesn't come anywhere close to the breaking point.

Again, our 3400 screen did NOT break, but the flexibility of the screen lid (and the tendency of the thin plastic screen bezel to separate under pressure) makes us a little concerned about the long-term durability of the screen when used by travelers who aren't careful with their laptops.

 

That's to bad about the screen. I really liked this notebook, but the questions left about the screens durability turns me off.

 

Dell is #3 after Lenovo and HP for biz notebooks and the screen lid engineering is just one example of why.

 

at least they finally offer a HDMI port on the Vostro line.

 

Same, a cut price Latitude this isn't it seems.

 

First off, Nice review! Looks pretty decent except for the screen flex and the choice of materials could have been better.

Jerry, have you handled the Latitude e6400/e6500 before? How would you say the build quality compares?

I have the e6400 and I'm looking into upgrade options. Thanks!

 

If you've got an older config of the Latitude E6400 then chances are good that a decent configuration of the Vostro 3400 will perform better both in terms of CPU and GPU performance as well as provide better battery life.

However, the Latitude has better build quality than the Vostro. In short, the Vostro would be an upgrade in terms of performance but a downgrade in terms of build quality.

 

I went from a Latitude e4300 to this because I needed better video performance and I'm pretty happy with it. As others have noted, the build quality is a step down from the Latitude line, but it's better than most consumer laptops that I've run into.

 

I'm pretty sure the Vostro 3400 lid is aluminum. I mean I have one in front of me, and it seems to be aluminum. I think I remember the Dell website promising an 'aluminum case'. I'll take a look.

Yep! There it is, on the Vostro 3400 pages, under the Overview tab, after the tech specs and description tab: "Design that Commands Attention: As strong as it is sophisticated, the aluminum case on all new Vostro laptops radiates professionalism in your choice of 3 elegant colors."

Kind of sassy blurb, but it says aluminum case.

I thought my lid was aluminum, and pretty strong too.



Vostro 3400 Laptop Details | Dell