Dell Latitude 5590 Review: Multiple Configurations Laptop

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Dell Latitude 5590: At First Glance

One thing I like about the Dell Latitude 5590 is its multiple options for OS, display, CPU, GPU, storage, and battery. Hence, one can optimally configure this laptop for specific business requirements without emptying one’s pocket.

Speaking of not emptying your pocket, you can get the base configuration of this laptop at $404.75 on Amazon. However, you will need to spend more if you don’t want to settle for the base configuration.

Meanwhile, you should be aware that the price I mentioned above was only applicable when this review was written in March 2022. Hence, you might find it at a different price when reading this review.

In this introductory section of the article, I have talked about the multiple configuration options of this laptop. Hence, to discover which configuration option will suit your need, you should read the subsequent sections of this review.

Dell Latitude 5590: Design, Dimension, and Weight

Despite its affordability, the Dell Latitude 5590 looks good in its all-black chassis that feels smooth to the touch. Although the chassis is plastic, it seems quite sturdy, but its durability cannot compete with aluminum-built laptops.

Speaking of durability, this laptop has earned a military standard MIL-STD 810G certification. Therefore, it can withstand shocks and vibrations from daily work and travel.

For the design, the laptop’s lid would have been entirely blank if not for a white Dell logo at the center. Furthermore, the lid of this laptop suspends itself on two tough hinges that look very rigid.

These hinges allow the lid to turn up to 180 degrees. This implies that you can bend the lid backward and place it in line with the keyboard.

However, due to the tightness of the hinges, one cannot open the lid with one hand.

Now, when you flip the laptop’s lid open, with two hands, of course, you’ll see its 15.6-inch display. Surrounding the display are thick bezels on all four sides.

Disappointingly, there is no webcam on any of the bezels. However, there is a Dell logo at the middle of the bottom bezel.

Meanwhile, the display is one of the numerous areas where the Dell Latitude 5590 offers multiple options.

Specifically, the Dell Latitude 5590’s display is available in three options with different features. However, despite the differences between these display options, they have some things in common.

To start with their similarities, all three display options are antiglare which means that they have a matte surface that enables them to handle reflection well. The displays also have a 16:9 aspect ratio.

For clarity, a 16:9 aspect ratio, also known as widescreen, has the screen width almost twice as wide as the height. Hence, watching movies in widescreen format feels like viewing the film in a cinema with no black borders.

Having talked about the display features common to the three display options, let’s talk about their differences. The first option is a non-touch WLED display with an HD (1366 x 768) resolution.

For clarity, the WLED (white LED) feature means that this display option uses white LCD backlights. Meanwhile, with HD resolution, the image quality on this display option should be decently sharp.

However, you might notice some pixelations when you zoom in on images. Another feature of the first display option is its maximum brightness of 200 nits.

With 200 nits of brightness, the screen is quite dim which means you might have trouble using it in bright environments.

At this point, let me proceed to the second display option. The second option has a non-touch IPS LCD with wide viewing angles and an FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution.

Thanks to its IPS panel and wide viewing angles on this display option, you will be able to view the display clearly from any angle. Also, with an FHD resolution on this display option, you will have better image quality than the first display option.

For screen brightness, this display option has a peak brightness of 220 nits which makes it brighter than the first display option. However, it still isn’t bright enough for outdoor usage.

That said, let’s talk about the third display option. The third display option has all the attributes of the second display option however, it is touch-enabled.

This implies that if you want a touchscreen on the Dell Latitude 5590, you can go for the third option. However, you can expect the touch-enabled model to be more expensive than the non-touch models.

Having said so much about the display, let’s proceed to the laptop’s base. At the base, there is a chiclet keyboard with a separate number pad.

Its keys measure 14 x 14 mm and make some audible sounds when typing on them. Also, close to the center of the keyboard lies a small TrackPoint between the G, H, and B keys.

The TrackPoint’s input buttons lay right below the space key, having the same width as the touchpad.

Furthermore, there’s a 100 x 54 mm touchpad with a slightly rough surface below the TrackPoint’s input buttons. Still, the touchpad has its own dedicated click buttons, which respond well, just like the two TrackPoint buttons above the touchpad.

Another important feature on the laptop’s base is the power button which is located at the top-right corner of the keyboard. Thankfully, the location of the power button makes it very unlikely to mistakenly press it while typing.

At the front of the laptop’s base, there is a pair of 2W, down-firing speakers with decent sound output. Impressively, Dell included Waves’ MaxxAudio software on this laptop for fine-tuning the sound equalizer.

That’s by the way. Let’s now look at the connection ports which are scattered all around the Dell Latitude 5590’s base.

Starting from the back, there’s an Ethernet port, one USB 3.1 (Gen 1) port, one HDMI port, and one charging port. On the left side, there is a USB Type-C DisplayPort, one USB 3.1 port, and an SD card slot.

Impressively, the USB 3.1 port is a PowerShare USB. For that, you will be able to use this laptop to charge phones and other USB-powered devices even when the computer is off.

Then over to the right side, you will find a headphone jack, one SIM card slot, another USB 3.1 (Gen 1) port, and one VGA port.

For wireless connectivity, the Dell Latitude 5590 features either Bluetooth version 4.1 or 4.2. In addition to that, this laptop also comes with a WiFi 5 (802.11ac).

Thus, if your profession involves internet browsing, this WiFi card offers a superfast wireless connection.

For dimensions and weight, the Dell Latitude 5590 measures 376 x 250.7 x 20.6 mm (W x D x H). Also, it weighs 1880 g.

In comparison, its predecessor – the Dell Latitude 5580, is both thicker and heavier. Precisely, the Latitude 5580 measure 376 x 250.7 x 23.3 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2179 g.

In the same fashion, the HP EliteBook 850 G4 is bigger than the two laptops above but slimmer and lighter than the Latitude 5580. It is 383.6 x 257.7 x 20.8 mm (W x D x H) in dimension and 1883 g in weight.

In conclusion, the Dell Latitude 5590’s display is great, its connectivity is appreciable, and it is also portable. However, the absence of a webcam on this laptop is quite disappointing.

Therefore, I’ll be rating this laptop an eight out of ten in this section.

Dell Latitude 5590: Processor (CPU) Performance

Another aspect where the Dell Latitude 5590 offers multiple options is its processor configurations. The most powerful CPU option for this laptop is a quad-core Intel Core i7-8650U processor.

This 8th generation Intel CPU has 8 MB of cache memory, a base frequency of 1.90 GHz, and a boost frequency of 4.20 GHz.

Other than the Core i7 processor, the Dell Latitude 5590 is also available in a quad-core Intel Core i5-8250U processor. This processor has 6 MB of cache memory, a base frequency of 1.60 GHz, and a boost frequency of 3.40 GHz.

In this review, we will be discussing the performance of a Dell Latitude 5590 with the Core i5-8250U processor. To analyze the performance of this processor, let’s talk about its Cinebench R15 test result.

Speaking of Cinebench R15, it is a test that evaluates a CPU’s ability by using its cores to process tasks. You should also be aware that this test produces a single-core and a multi-core result.

For clarity, a single-core result is derived by evaluating how a processor performs when one of its cores is used. On the other hand, a multi-core score is derived when all the processor cores are in use.

Meanwhile, high single-core and multi-core scores indicate better processor performance. Having said that, the Dell Latitude 5590 had a single-core score of 145 points and a multi-core score of 696 points.

Commendably, these two scores are above the 141 and 571 average single-core and multi-core scores for laptops using the same processor.

Further comparison shows that Latitude 5590 is still leading in this regard. For instance, the HP EliteBook 850 G4 had a single-core score of 126 points and a multi-core score of 330 points.

However, the HP EliteBook 850 G4 uses a less powerful 7th generation processor – Intel Core i5-7200U.

With the test result, I believe the Dell Latitude 5590 deserves a nine out of ten in this section.

Dell Latitude 5590: Memory (RAM) Performance

The Dell Latitude 5590 employs 2400 MHz DDR4 SODIMM on two RAM slots. For memory capacity, this laptop comes with a standard 8 GB RAM.

Thankfully, you can further upgrade this laptop’s RAM to a maximum of 32 GB. To upgrade the RAM, you can utilize the two RAM slots.

Notwithstanding, with the standard 8 GB RAM on this laptop, you will be able to perform a respectable amount of multitasking. However, upgrading the RAM capacity will increase the multitasking ability even more.

Meanwhile, the Latitude 5590’s model reviewed in this article has 16 GB RAM.

The 16 GB RAM on this laptop is capable of opening up to 30 Chrome tabs simultaneously. In addition to that, the laptop can still stream an HD video on YouTube without lagging.

For a better insight into the memory performance of this laptop, let’s discuss its PCMark 8 benchmark test results. PCMark 8 is a test that assesses the overall memory performance of a computer.

Just like the Cinebench test mentioned in the previous section, a high score in the PCMark 8 test also denotes better RAM performance.

Once again, the Latitude 5590 proved capable by scoring 4670 points in the test. Meanwhile, the HP EliteBook 850 G4 scored 4330 points in the same test.

From the test result, you can see that the performance of the Dell Latitude 5590 is impressive. Better still, you will even get better performance than this when you further upgrade the laptop’s RAM.

All things considered, the Dell Latitude 5590 deserves a nine out of ten in this memory review section.

Dell Latitude 5590: Storage Option and Performance

Once again the Dell Latitude 5590 offers two options for its storage. Firstly, you can get this laptop with an HDD storage type which supports a maximum size of 1 TB.

Secondly, you can buy one with an NVMe PCIe SSD storage type which also supports a maximum size of 1 TB. Since both storage options offer the same maximum storage capacity, making a choice should not be a problem.

To help you make a better choice, you should be aware that SSD storage is faster than HDDs. However, SSDs are usually more expensive.

In addition to the 1 TB maximum storage capacity on the HDD and SSD storage options, the Dell Latitude 5590 is also equipped with a memory card reader. Hence, you can use a memory card for external storage expansion if there is a need for that.

At this point, I’ll share with you the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 test result of this laptop. CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark test that measures a storage drive’s sequential write and read speeds.

By sequential read speed, I mean the speed at which a storage drive can open files. Meanwhile, a sequential write speed refers to the speed at which a storage drive can save files.

Similar to other benchmarks discussed in this review, a high read or write speed denotes better performance.

Please note that the test result was that of a Dell Latitude 5590 with 128 GB SSD storage.

In the test, the Dell Latitude 5590 recorded a read speed of 498.8 MBps and a write speed of 436.4 MBps. Meanwhile, the EliteBook 850’s with its 256 GB SSD recorded a read speed of 1245 MBps and a write speed of 298.6 MBps.

This implies that the EliteBook 850 opens files faster than the Dell Latitude 5590. Meanwhile, the Dell Latitude 5590 saves files more quickly than the EliteBook 850.

That said, I will rate the Dell Latitude 5590’s storage an eight out of ten.

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Dell Latitude 5590: Graphics Card Performance

Graphics configuration is another area where the Dell Latitude 5590 offers two options to choose from.

The first GPU option is an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. This GPU has a base frequency of 300 MHz which can be boosted to 1150 MHz.

In addition to that, there is another GPU option – a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX130. This GPU has a base frequency of 1109 MHz and a boost frequency of 1189 MHz.

The integrated graphics option can handle only light-intensive tasks because it lacks a dedicated Video RAM (VRAM). However, the second graphics option, which is a dedicated GPU is more suitable for handling graphics tasks.

The reason is that the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 has a dedicated GDDR5 VRAM of 2 GB for processing graphics. For this review, we will be considering a Dell Latitude 5590 with the Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics.

At this point, let me share with you the Dell Latitude 5590’s result in a 3DMark test.

For clarity, 3DMark is a benchmark test that evaluates how well a computer can render 3D graphics. Therefore, achieving a high score in this test indicates a better GPU performance.

In the test, the Dell Latitude 5590 scored 1010 points. Comparatively, the Lenovo V330 (15″) with the same GPU performed better by scoring 1158 points in the same test.

Nevertheless, the Dell Latitude 5590 outperformed the Lenovo Thinkpad L570 which got a total of 998 points. However, the Lenovo Thinkpad L570 uses a less-powerful Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU.

Therefore, based on the benchmark test result, I will rate Dell Latitude 5590 an eight out of ten in this section.

Dell Latitude 5590: Battery Life and Performance

When it comes to the battery department, the Dell Latitude 5590 has three battery options.

Specifically, it runs on either a 3-cell 42 Whr battery, a 3-cell 51 Whr battery, or a 4-cell 68 Whr battery. However, Dell did not mention how long the batteries last per charge.

Therefore, to get the battery life of the laptop, we will consider a battery rundown test conducted by notebookcheck.net. Please note that for this test, the Dell Latitude 5590 with a 51 WHr battery was used.

The test involved surfing the web over a WiFi connection and at a screen brightness of 83%. According to the test result, the Latitude 5590’s battery lasted for 7 hours 24 minutes.

In comparison with one of its competitors, the Latitude 5590, unfortunately, falls below.

Specifically, the HP Elitebook 850 G4 with the same battery lasted 8 hours 50 minutes in the same test. However, the battery life recorded by the Dell Latitude 5590 is decent and you are sure to get an even longer battery life from the 68 WHr battery configuration.

Having said so much in this battery review section, I will rate this laptop an eight out of ten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Dell Latitude 5590 is a powerful business laptop that offers multiple hardware configurations. Hence, allowing you the flexibility of choosing a model that suits your needs and budget.

However, its multiple offerings did not stop with the hardware configurations alone, it also offers multiple operating systems. Speaking of which, this laptop is available in Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Home which makes it good for most office jobs.

Not only that but, cyber security professionals will particularly find the Ubuntu 16.04 version of this laptop useful. Meanwhile, I can’t think of any other flaw on this laptop except for the absence of a webcam.

Therefore, if you want a laptop for any office work, you can buy the Dell Latitude 5590 and configure it to your taste.

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