Armed to the teeth with high-end components, the 5420 Rugged impressed in our performance benchmarks, scoring a 16,054 on the Geekbench 4.1 test. That strong result tops the premium laptop category average (13,113) by a large margin.

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.The maximum measured brightness is 283 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 263 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 14%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6700K (average) – slightly colder than the 6500K optimum for sRGB. We were pleasantly surprised by the performance of this notebook. At least regarding the computational power. It seems like Dell has diverged more power to the CPU cores, rather than the GPU ones, which results in a subpar graphics performance. Modern connectivity is provided by twin Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort mode. These versatile ports can connect to a variety of USB-C or Thunderbolt devices, can charge the laptop, and can power an external monitor. I do have a few minor qualms with the keyboard. For one, some of the keys, especially the arrow keys, are undersized, which could be a problem for those who work with gloves on. Also, the optional handle installed on the front of the laptop doesn't make for the most comfortable wrist rest, and the RGB lighting settings are very basic.

That beats other long-lasting Windows laptops we’ve recently tested, such as Lenovo’s Yoga 9i and the Razer Book 13. Most owners can expect the Latitude 5420 to endure a full workday of constant use on the go. Yes, the Latitude 5420 is more beast than beauty, but that's sort of the point. From the bumpers covering each corner to its magnesium-alloy materials, this laptop's utilitarian design may as well have been contrived in a secret military lab. Exposed screws, geometric angles and chunky bezels assure the user that no expense was spared in creating the Latitude 5420's practically indestructible chassis. For that reason, the Latitude 5420 Rugged is the better option for most people, and a highly recommended laptop for the world's toughest jobs.In brief, stay away from the Dell Latitude 5420. This is not the work-from-home laptop you’re looking for. With Intel ® Adaptix™ Technology, prioritize your most important apps, so they open faster and perform better. The Dell Latitude 5420 is not entirely hopeless. It has a great keyboard, excellent connectivity, and good battery life.

The redesigned Latitude E5420 is ideal for professionals looking for a budget-friendly blend of mobility and at-your-desk computing. Audio quality is not where we’d expect the Latitude 5420 to excel. Work laptops often don’t prioritize audio, and this laptop makes no claims about enhanced sound. New ExpressConnect automatically joins the strongest access point in the office and directs bandwidth to critical applications, wherever you work.

Verdict: Clickpad spoils the Latitude

The fans inside the Latitude 5420 did a reasonable job of keeping this beast cool, but the underside warmed to uncomfortable temperatures. After playing a 15-minute HD video in full screen, the bottom of the laptop, near the hinge, reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, that was the only location on the laptop that breached our 95-degree comfort threshold. The Latitude's touchpad peaked at just 86 degrees, while the center of the keyboard remained a bearable 94 degrees. Connect confidently: Stay connected with up to 450 Mbps LTE mobile broadband speeds. Wi-Fi 6E allows 7 additional channels (in 6GHz band) for more bandwidth which provides faster, smoother Wi-Fi, especially in high-density areas. * Travel with ease with new eSIM technology that connects to more global carriers without having to switch SIM cards. * Unless you intend on gaming at the highest graphics settings on this rugged laptop, you won't run into any problems with its AMD Radeon RX540 GPU. The discrete graphics card enabled the Latitude 5420 to run the racing game Dirt 3 at a swift 146 frames per second, nearly doubling the premium laptop average (76 fps).