Dell Latitude 7390 Laptop Core i7 8th Gen 16GB RAM 256GB SSD Windows 11 H

Dell 7390 Laptop i7 8^th Generation

The case, which is almost completely matte black and wedge-shaped tapering towards the front, appears almost generic in its elegant simplicity. Apart from the Dell logo, a color contrasted stripe at the bottom edge of the back, the On/Off button, and perhaps the hinge, there are hardly any visual accents. We especially liked the non-slip, almost rubberized surfaces of the base and the back of the lid. While fingerprints were visible, they did not stand out too much. On its page on the 7390, Dell speaks about "high-quality materials such as a magnesium alloy."

Even with the use of slightly more force, the base can only be twisted to a very limited extent while it merely produces some quiet creaking. The lid is unusually robust and also turns out to be pressure resistant. Single-handed opening becomes a problem, but on the other hand, the lid wobbles only minimally and briefly. The Dell Latitude 13 7930 can be opened to slightly more than 180°, and from about 135° the back is raised by the lid, which does not help the skid resistance.

In terms of its flawless workmanship, the 7930 does full justice to its high price. The device appears high-quality, solid, and despite (or because of) its simplicity, even representative. Let us put it this way: It will not take long for somebody who knows a little about notebooks to see the price level of the Dell.

Compared to the predecessor, the Latitude 13 7380, the weight and footprint have hardly changed, and a few millimeters were shaved off the thickness. At about 1 kg (2.2 lb), Toshiba is presenting the lightest laptop in this test, and all the other candidates weigh about 1.3 kg (~2.9 lb). At the same time, the Portégé X30-D together with the 14-inch device from Asus which has exactly the same thickness (both 15.9 mm, ~0.63 in) take up the most space on the desk. In terms of its footprint, the HP Convertible is between them and mainly scores with its very low height of only 14.9 mm (~0.58 in).

Equipment: smart card for more security

While the Dell Latitude 7390 is distinguished by its solid connection equipment, you look in vain for highlights such as Thunderbolt 3. In addition to two USB 3.1 Gen1 connections, there are also a USB Type-C connection with DisplayPort, Ethernet, a slot for microSD cards, and a micro-SIM tray for the optional WLAN module, which was unoccupied in our test unit. You do not see a slot for a smart card often nowadays. Dell has succeeded in distributing the connections ergonomically in the rear areas of the sides, and only the smart card slot is in the front on the left side.

SD Card Reader

Unlike the card reader of the predecessor, that of the new Dell 7390 is connected via PCIe and therefore shows very good transfer rates which in our test were barely 30% behind the fastest card reader in our database. With their USB-3.0 connection, the predecessor and the Toshiba do not even manage half that speed, and the Asus ZenBook with its lame USB-2.0 speeds is simply annoying to everyone and not just photographers. Unfortunately you are limited to microSD, and therefore can only use microSD cards (with an SD adapter if necessary) in your camera as well. We performed our measurements with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card.

Communication

Dell is using the tried and tested but no longer new Intel Wireless AC-8265 WLAN module. The module integrates Bluetooth 4.2, and achieves a maximum gross data rate of 867 MBit/s, thanks to MIMO 2x2 in the 5-GHz band. If you assume an unavoidable overhead of perhaps 200 MBit/s, the Dell 7930 achieves a good result in the competition during receiving which is mostly more important. However, during sending it is weaker, as with most of the competitors. For 87.10 Euros (~$108) extra (at the time of testing), you can add the Dell Wireless Qualcomm Snapdragon X7 LTE-A (DW5811E) WWAN module. NFC is also implemented.

Security

Finally, you get the complete security package here: From TPM 2.0 up to the fingerprint sensor, smart card, and Bitlocker hard-drive encryption via Windows 10 Pro, everything that the mobile business user could wish for is included. Unfortunately, the fingerprint reader is recessed too deep in the case, so that it gave us some problems during the setup. It also does not always unlock the Dell notebook reliably, and may need several attempts.

Accessories

Apart from the mandatory power supply, you can only find the safety instructions and a Quick Start Guide in the simple box. Dell does not offer any accessories that are specifically designed for the Latitude 7390.

Maintenance

There is no maintenance hatch, and the battery is not accessible from the outside. However the disassembly, which might void the warranty, can be performed without any problems, since you only need to remove the base plate which is secured with 8 Philips screws. You get access to the storage, fan, battery, and the three M.2 expansion slots, one of which is occupied with the SSD and another with the WLAN module, while the one for the WWAN is left empty.

Warranty

Dell delivers the Latitude 7390 with a three-year standard manufacturer's warranty. Dell Support will first try to resolve the problem via remote maintenance and hotline on the next business day. If that does not help, you need to send the laptop to a repair center certified by Dell.

Memory: 16GB RAM
Storage: 256GB
Graphics: Intel UHD 620
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Screen size: 13.3” Touchscreen Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 )
Wi-Fi: Yes
Optical / DVD: No
Webcam: Yes 

Connectivity: HDMI, USB 3.1, USB-C, Smart Card Reader, RJ45 (Ethernet)