E6420 Owner's Thread

[linuxwanabe]

Here's the other side of the coin. Our company got set up as a dell partner about a year ago. Now, they are saying we can't return this company machine because of it.

Wow? Really? The case literally pops apart and you can't return it? I can't think of a single industry where having a relationship with a company precludes reasonable levels of customer service?

I'm going back to HP.

With this current product cycle, HP has a definite advantage in just about every regard, expect for price.

[mr_handy]

On paper the 2720QM is a screamer. I mean, 4 cores/8 threads, rock 'n' roll. ...but the 640M has 2 cores/4 threads, and honestly, I didn't see a difference in my daily activities. I don't do anything 'heavy' like video editing, but Photoshop, office stuff, etc, it seemed extremely similar.

Oh, no question about it - a few of the really heavy filters on Photoshop might be sped up by the quad core, but there are still not a lot of things out there which really need it. For a lot of day to day stuff, the E6410 with an i7-620M/640M or an E6420 with an i7-2620M is probably going to be every bit as fast as the quad core (and have better battery life, and be cheaper) and a decent i5 is going to be pretty close in perceivable speed - for most users, an SSD and a bump to 4gb from 2-3 are better values.

But for those of us who really need the cores, they are a lifesaver. I do software development for a living; quad core = clean build in 8-9 minutes, dual core = build in 15-16. Nearly twice as fast. I'd imagine for guys who do serious video work, the speedup is similar.

I am so horribly behind on games it is not funny, but the two "newer" ones I have been playing recently (Civ 5 and Fallout 3) run much better on the E6420 than the E6410. I'm guessing that is more the NVS3100->NVS4200 improvement than the improved CPU difference.

[Jason7447]

I just received my E6420 today. I wanted to test out the new model before rolling it out to my users.

I'm returning it. It's far heavier and bulkier than the E6410s I have. I also have the chassis separation issue. Did it as soon as I pulled it out of the box. How something like that couldn't be caught during QA, I'll never know.

I've been a fan and loyal user of Latitude's since 2004, and this is the first time I've felt like the product line update was a step backwards. Every other update made the laptop more durable and lighter. This did the opposite. Very disappointing. I'll be looking at the Elitebook 8460p instead.

[riblack3]

I also have the chassis separation issue. Did it as soon as I pulled it out of the box. How something like that couldn't be caught during QA, I'll never know.

portseven had a suggestion regarding the separation issue.

To everyone complaining about the bottom cover popping off, try removing the cover completely and making sure the catches on the front are properly placed. I did that on mine when I got it a week ago (it was initially popping off if you looked at it wrong), and it hasn't acted up since. I love this laptop, except for the speakers, and I'm coming from a 15" Sandy Bridge MBP.

Has the suggestion resolved anyone's "pop off" issues? (It would suggest the separation problem is at least partly a final assembly issue?)

[versavice]

Received my 6420 today and so far...i'm loving it lol but this is coming from a Dell 5400. Compared to that thing this laptop just feels so much more rigid like it could withstand a few drops unlike my old laptop. Now yes I also have the issue with the corner popping off but seems to be mainly due the flex in the bottom panel right where the cd/expansion bay is located. Can anyone with the 3 cell battery expansion or HDD expansion give some feedback about if yours is popping out as well?

[portseven]

portseven had a suggestion regarding the separation issue.



Has the suggestion resolved anyone's "pop off" issues? (It would suggest the separation problem is at least partly a final assembly issue?)

Hopefully this will help some people out...the first time (after adding RAM), I just threw the bottom back on and had the separation issues still. Once I saw what was happening and made a point to secure the front points first, I haven't had the issue since. Will be interested to see if this helps others' systems as well.

[mvalpreda]

Here's the other side of the coin. Our company got set up as a dell partner about a year ago. Now, they are saying we can't return this company machine because of it.

I'm going back to HP.

I just had the same issue! We are not a PARTNER....we are a RESELLER? I can't return it? I am now getting an exchange for this thing. I can't wait to see what happens the second time around. Said I will have it on the 13th. I'm quivering with excitement. LOL

[versavice]

Hopefully this will help some people out...the first time (after adding RAM), I just threw the bottom back on and had the separation issues still. Once I saw what was happening and made a point to secure the front points first, I haven't had the issue since. Will be interested to see if this helps others' systems as well.

try grabbing the laptop when it is open by the right hand bottom corner with your thumb on top and the rest of your hand supporting the underside of the laptop. Lift with one hand at that point and POP! please confirm if this is the same for you.

[ishtiak]

Is anybody having the same POPing issue with the ATG version version of the E6420 ?

[Hearst]

Is anybody having the same POPing issue with the ATG version version of the E6420 ?

Wait, even the rugged ATG version have the popping issue? That doesn't seem to bode well at all...