Dell Latitude 5431 (2022)

Dell Latitude 5431 (2022)

Manufacturer	Dell
Product family	Latitude
Release date	January 2022 (2022-01)
Introductory price	USD 1300 to 2100
Discontinued	No
Operating system	Windows 11 Home (Can be configured with Windows 11 Pro)
CPU	Intel Core i5-1240P Intel Core i7-1260P Intel Core i7-1270P Intel Core i7-1280P
Memory	8, 16, or 32 GB DDR4-3200 MHz SODIMM (supports up to 64 GB)
Memory slots	2 user accessible
Storage	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB M.2 2280 NVME
Storage slots	2 user accessible
Removable storage	MicroSD card reader
Display	Screen size: 14 inch Panel type: IPS Coating: Matte (anti-glare) Resolution: 1920 x 1080 PPI: 157 Aspect ratio: 16:9 Refresh rate: 60 Hz Brightness: 250 or 400 Nits Contrast ratio: 800:1 to 1000:1 sRGB: 100 % Adobe RGB: 72 % P3: 75 % Screen-to-body ratio: 85 %
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics Nvidia GeForce MX550 2 GB GDDR6 25 W
Sound	2 x 2 W stereo speakers
Camera	Front: 720p or 1080p with dual microphone
Touchpad	Mylar, 4.1 inches (10 cm) x 2.5 inches (6.4 cm)
Connectivity	Intel AX201 WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C, DP 1.4, 65W PD) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x Ethernet (1 Gbps) 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack
Dimensions	W: 12.7 inches (32 cm) D: 8.5 inches (22 cm) H: 0.8 inches (2.0 cm)
Mass	3.2 pounds (1.5 kg)
Power brick	65W USB-C AC adapter
Battery	4 cell Li-Polymer 63 Wh
Keyboard	White backlit, black (US) Standard full size layout
Chassis	Color: Black Materials: Aluminum lid; Polycarbonate palm rest, sides and bottom cover Cooling: 1 x 5400 RPM fan
Number pad	No
Fingerprint reader	Yes
Facial recognition	Yes
Predecessor	Dell Latitude 5421 (2021)
Website	Dell

All statements attributed to reviews are the reviewer's own opinion. Note that these claims were accurate at the time of publication and may be dated when you are reading this article. Read more.

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   The Dell Latitude 5431 (2022) is a mid-range business laptop equipped with Intel 12th gen P-series mobile processors and optional Nvidia GeForce MX550 discrete GPU. Available configurations vary by store and location. The Latitude 5431 is positioned in between the lower-end Latitude 5000 series and the higher-end Latitude 7000 series.

Primary Hardware

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Processor

The Latitude 5431 (2022) can come with the following processors:

• Intel Core i5-1240P with 12 cores (4 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 16 threads, 12 MB cache and a max frequency of 4.4 Ghz for P-cores and 3.3 Ghz for E-cores.
• Intel Core i7-1260P with 12 cores (4 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 16 threads, 18 MB cache and max frequency of 4.7 Ghz for P-cores and 3.4 Ghz for E-cores.
• Intel Core i7-1270P with 12 cores (4 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 16 threads, 18 MB cache and max frequency of 4.8 Ghz for P-cores and 3.5 Ghz for E-cores.
• Intel Core i7-1280P with 14 cores (6 P-cores + 8 E-cores) and 20 threads, 24 MB cache and max frequency of 4.8 Ghz for P-cores and 3.6 Ghz for E-cores.

Dell supplies the processors with sufficient power and cooling for CPU-intensive tasks resulting in average to above-average performance compared to other laptops with the same processors. In CPU-only tasks, SKUs with the i7-1260P and i7-1280P perform as expected. SKUs with i7-1270P perform impressively well - scoring on average 8-9% higher than the average i7-1270P and only 4% behind the average i7-1280P. Performance sustainability is good but not perfect, with all processors losing about 5% performance in long stress tests.

Dell also supplies the processor with sufficient power in mixed CPU and GPU tasks like light gaming leading to noticeably better performance than competitors with the same configurations. In particular, the SKU with i7-1270P and MX550 performs better than most other laptops with this configuration and is only 8% behind the Latitude 5431 with i7-1280P and MX550.

All SKUs lose a significant amount of CPU performance when running on the battery.

Benchmarks:

• Cinebench R23:
  • i7-1260P: ~1700 pts (single-core), ~15000 pts (multi-core)
  • i7-1270P: ~1800 pts (single-core), ~16000 pts (multi-core)
  • i7-1280P: ~1900 pts (single-core), ~17000 pts (multi-core)

Graphics

In addition to the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, the Latitude 5431 (2022) ships with the following discrete GPU:

• Nvidia GeForce MX550 GPU with 2 GB GDDR6 memory, 1320 Mhz boost clock, and 25 W Total Graphics Power (TGP).

All configurations support DLSS 2.0, Dynamic Boost 2.0, VR ready, and DirectX® 12 Ultimate technologies.

Dell supplies the GPU configuration with 25 W of max power. In GPU-only benchmarks, SKUs with MX550 perform slightly above average while SKUs with integrated Iris Xe perform as expected.

In light gaming, the MX550 SKUs with the i7-1270P perform significantly better than the competition with the same GPU and are just 8% behind the MX550 Latitude 5431 with the better i7-1280P CPU. The MX550 and i7-1280P SKU also perform above average and outperform laptops with the same 25W MX550 configured with a lower power processor.

All SKUs lose a significant amount of graphics performance when running on the battery.

Benchmarks:

• 3D Mark TimeSpy 2560 x 1440:
  • MX550: ~3000 pts
• 3D Mark Fire Strike 1920 x 1080:
  • MX550: ~7000 pts
• The Witcher 3 1920 x 1080 Medium:
  • i7-1270P and MX550: ~45 fps
  • i7-1280P and MX550: ~50 fps

Memory

The Intel HM570 chipset used in the Latitude 5431 supports a maximum of 2 SO-DIMM sticks and the 12th Generation Intel P processors support up to 64 GB DDR4-3200Mhz memory.

Pre-configured SKUs come with either 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB DDR4-3200 Memory. These sticks perform identically even when paired with different CPUs.

Benchmarks:

• AIDA64 Memory Copy: ~45000 MB/s

Storage

The Latitude 5431 can ship with 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD depending on the seller. The OEM SSD only uses 1 slot in all configurations leaving the other slot open for upgrades.

Reviews of the i7 1280P + MX550 and i7 1270P + MX550 SKUs note that both came with the Samsung PM9A1 1 TB SSD which is an OEM version of the popular 980 Pro. This is a downgrade from the SK Hynix PC801 used in the 2021 model since the transfer rates drop to 50 % after some time in stress tests due to thermal throttling.

Benchmarks:

• CrystalDiskMark 8:
  • SEQ1M Q8T1 (Sequential 1MB blocks): ~6600 MB/s (read), ~4900 MB/s (write)
  • RND4K Q1T1 (Random 4 KB blocks): ~90 MB/s (read), ~250 MB/s (write)

Co-processors

The Latitude 5431 does not have a dedicated NPU to accelerate AI applications.

Input Devices

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Keyboard

The Latitude 5431 comes with a standard keyboard layout without a number pad. The keyboard offers 1.3 mm travel and 0.2 mm pitch. The white backlight has two modes - off and on. The Fn + R keys can be used to refresh the screen, and the Fn + Q keys can be used to switch between the three performance modes - Quiet, Balanced and Performance.

The typing experience is identical to the previous model with the only difference being the inclusion of the Co-Pilot key instead of the right Ctrl key. The travel and feedback result in a better typing experience than competitors like HP EliteBook or Lenovo ThinkPad.

Touchpad

The Latitude 5431 comes with a Mylar plastic clickpad that measures 4.1 inches (10 cm) x 2.5 inches (6.4 cm).

The touchpad is smaller than the ones in competitors like HP EliteBook but is spacious enough for simple tasks. The clicking is shallow and lacks enough feedback.

Webcam

The Latitude 5431 comes with a 720p or 1080p webcam with an electronic shutter and IR options.

The webcam has poor color accuracy with a minimum DeltaE of 2.31 and a maximum DeltaE of 17.75. The webcam looks soft but is much sharper than 720p webcams that used to be common a few years back. The clarity is adequate for casual calls. There is a physical kill switch on the right side that disconnects the webcam from the laptop. The webcam also supports Windows Hello face recognition.

Microphone

The Latitude 5431 comes with a dual microphone array.

Output Devices

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Display

Dell ships the Latitude 5431 with 2 confirmed factory color calibrated displays:

• BOE NV140FHM-N4B, 1920 x 1080, 16:9, IPS, 250 Nits, anti-glare (matte), 100 % sRGB, 60 Hz, 800:1 contrast
• BOE NV140FHM-N4C, 1920 x 1080, 16:9, IPS, 400 Nits, anti-glare (matte), 100 % sRGB, 60 Hz, 1000:1 contrast

All known displays support Dolby Vision®, Nvidia G-Sync, and Advanced Optimus. The 400 Nit rated panel also supports VESA DisplayHDR 400.

The BOE NV140FHM-N4C reaches the rated 400 nits, has good screen uniformity, and has above-average contrast for an IPS panel at around 1000:1. However, the black levels are somewhat high at maximum brightness. It also covers almost 100% of sRGB as rated and covers around 75% of AdobeRGB. The screen is not well calibrated out of the box, and NotebookCheck records an average ColorChecker DeltaE of 4.3 on their unit. They also measure an average gray-to-gray response time of 8 ms.

The BOE NV140FHM-N4B is the lower-end panel offered by Dell on this unit. NotebookCheck records average contrast of 800:1, which is below the rated 1000:1, and a gray-to-gray response time of 12 ms on their unit. However, the measured brightness is 10% higher than rated at around 275 nits with good screen uniformity. This panel is also calibrated better than the higher-end panel with a ColorChecker DeltaE of 1.2 on the tested unit.

None of the tested panels exhibit any PWM flickering at any brightness level.

Audio

The Latitude 5431 comes with two bottom-facing speakers near the front corners in a stereo configuration.

The speakers have a low maximum volume around 70 to 75 dB for a 14-inch laptop. They produce balanced mids and highs but lack any noticeable bass.

Connectivity

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WiFi

Dell equips the Latitude 5431 with an Intel AX201 WiFi 6 WLAN module.

The Latitude 5431 performs noticeably worse than other laptops with the same module; however, it is still able to reach decent transfer speeds for regular use.

Benchmarks:

• iperf3 transmit AXE11000: ~600 Mb/s
• iperf3 receive AXE11000: ~1000 Mb/s
• iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6 GHz: ~800 Mb/s
• iperf3 receive AXE11000 6 GHz: ~1100 Mb/s

Bluetooth

The Latitude 5431 comes with a Bluetooth 5.1 module.

SD Card Reader

Dell includes a MicroSD card reader with the Latitude 5431.

USB

Dell equips the Latitude 5431 with the following USB ports:

• 2 x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1, 5 Gbps) on the left and right sides.
• 1 x USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps) with 65W Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 on the left side.

Display Outputs

The Latitude 5431 comes with 2 display outputs:

• 1 x USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 on the left side.
• 1 x HDMI 2.0 on the right side.

The Latitude supports up to 3 displays simultaneously, including the built-in display.

Case

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The Latitude 5431 (2022) is available in one color: black. The chassis remains the same as the previous model except for the redesigned ventilation grilles at the bottom, which are now hexagons instead of rectangles. The display lid is made out of anodized matte aluminum alloy, while the keyboard deck and bottom cover are made out of PC-ABS plastic. The lid opens to the full 180 degrees; however, the hinge rigidity weakens past ~160 degrees. Surfaces are slightly roughened to reduce fingerprint buildup; however, it still attracts dust and fingerprints. The rear is elongated beyond the display lid and is thicker as well to accommodate a larger internal cooling solution. This contributes to the weight of 3.2 pounds (1.5 kg). There are two Dell logos - one on the lid on the bottom left and another on the palm rest on the right.

The chassis has a more professional look compared to the Latitude 5421 (2021) with a uniform color instead of a two-tone silver and gray color scheme. There are fewer accents and angles as well.

Chassis rigidity is excellent with no audible creaking or weak points. The base and lid exhibit some twisting but not enough to be concerning.

Maintenance

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The bottom panel is held on by 8 Philips-head screws. Four screws on the leading edge are shorter than the rest. There are clips securing the panel that must be popped up after removing the screws.

Upgradeable components:

• 63 WHr battery.
• Two M.2 2280 PCIe4 x4 SSDs each covered by an aluminum heatsink (most configurations only have one slot filled from the factory).
• Two DDR4-3200 SODIMMs covered by a single plastic shield (most configurations only have one slot filled from the factory).
• M.2 2230 wireless card.

Cooling System

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The Latitude 5431 is equipped with a single 60mm fan connected to the core components with three copper heat pipes. There is one shared heat pipe for the CPU and GPU, one dedicated heat pipe for the CPU, and another smaller heat pipe for the VRMs. The system intakes air from the side and bottom grilles and exhausts air through the back grilles.

Heat

Surface temperatures vary depending on the configuration.

The i7 1270P + MX550 SKU gets quite warm while idling, up to 37 °C on the bottom of the device. The left side with the WASD keys heats up more than the right side. Under heavy load, there is a hot spot of 55 °C on the bottom.

The i7 1280P + MX550 SKU is slightly cooler while idling across all areas, reaching up to 35 °C on the bottom. The palm rest and the WASD keys remain comfortable during intensive tasks.

Benchmarks:

• i7 1270P + MX550:
  • Maximum upper side: ~42 °C
  • Maximum bottom: ~50 °C
  • Idle upper side: ~29 °C
  • Idle bottom: ~33 °C
• i7 1280P + MX550:
  • Maximum upper side: ~43 °C
  • Maximum bottom: ~52 °C
  • Idle upper side: ~31 °C
  • Idle bottom: ~34 °C

Noise

There is no electronic noise or coil whine. The laptop is effectively silent during undemanding loads like light browsing or video playback, hovering below 30 dB(A). During intensive tasks, the fans quickly ramp up even when set to balanced mode. Fan noise while gaming in balanced mode is identical to performance mode despite temperatures being noticeably lower in balanced mode. During intensive tasks, the laptop emits noise above 50 db(A) and is louder than most other business laptops. Most variants emit the same amount of noise, with more powerful configurations being slightly louder.

Benchmarks:

• i7 1260P + MX550:
  • Load: > 50 db(A)
• i7 1270P + MX550:
  • Idle: ~22 db(A) (min), ~22 db(A) (avg), ~24 db(A) (max)
  • Load: ~44 db(A) (avg), ~52 db(A) (max)
• i7 1280P + MX550:
  • Idle: ~23 db(A) (min), ~23 db(A) (avg), ~28 db(A) (max)
  • Load: ~45 db(A) (avg), ~55 db(A) (max)

Energy Management

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Power Consumption

The Latitude 5431 ships with a 65 W USB-C AC adapter.

Dell remains very liberal with the power supplied to the CPU during combined CPU and GPU loads. Both the i7 1270P + MX550 and i7 1280P + MX550 SKUs consume around 50 W during load with temporary spikes to around 65 W.

The i7 1270P + MX550 Latitude draws around 20 W when idling for the most part, reducing to 10-15 W after waiting a very long time, and any minor input brings the consumption back up to 20 W.

Battery Life

All Latitude 5431 SKUs come with a 63 WHr Li-Polymer battery that Dell claims can charge from 0-40 % in 30 mins, 0 - 80 % in 60 mins, and 0 - 100 % in 90 mins using the provided power adapter.

The battery life during light tasks is slightly below average for this class of laptop. Many competitors now include 70+ Whr batteries. Reviews verify the charging claims to be accurate.

Benchmarks:

• i7 1270P + MX550:
  • WiFi Browsing (150 nits): 320 minutes
  • Load: 110 minutes
• i7 1280P + MX550:
  • WiFi Browsing (150 nits): 300 minutes
  • Load (max brightness): 70 minutes

Biometrics

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The Latitude 5431 supports Windows Hello face recognition and has a fingerprint reader.

Software

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All SKUs ship with Windows 11 Home, but the laptop can be upgraded to Windows 11 Pro, either manually or when buying directly from Dell.

Preinstalled Software

Dell Optimizer

The Dell Optimizer program acts as the primary control center in the Latitude 5431. In addition to the performance profiles, the program also handles keyboard lighting, hardware troubleshooting, always-on USB settings, toggling flip to start (opening the lid starts the laptop), battery conservation mode (limit charge to 80 %), MUX switch, system updates, and other things.

There are three preset performance profiles - quiet, balanced, and performance. Dell supports adding an AI engine in balanced mode that automatically adjusts system parameters based on the context. There is also a customized mode where the user can manually set various parameters.

Most reviewers use performance mode for performance benchmarks and quiet mode for the battery tests unless otherwise stated.

Dell Power Manager

The Dell Power Manager app shows all power settings in a single unified location. This may be helpful for users who need to manage power settings frequently.

Other Preinstalled Software

The Latitude also comes with other less useful software like Dell SupportAssist, which exists just to sell software and services, and Dell Mobile Connect, which allows integration with smartphones.

There is also unwanted software like a 30-day McAfee security trial.

Accessories & Warranty

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The Latitude 5431 comes with a 65 W USB-C AC adapter and paperwork.

There is a one-year limited manufacturer warranty if purchased in the US.

Reviews Summary

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Overall Sentiment

The Latitude 5431 is considered one of the best business laptops at its price with high CPU and GPU performance relative to competitors. Often found under $1500, the Latitude is suitable for people looking for a high-performance business laptop without breaking the bank. The laptop also comes with a decent screen for productivity and is highly upgradeable. The primary downsides are the poor battery life, large size, and weight, which make it unsuitable for portable use away from an outlet for a long time.

Problems Summary

• Has a Microsoft Copilot key instead of a right Control key.
• No full-size SD card reader.
• Below average speakers given the form factor.
• Slow WiFi compared to other laptops with the same module.
• OEM SSD loses 50 % performance during sustained disk loads.
• Plastic touchpad does not provide the best tracking experience.
• High idle power consumption
• Higher than average surface temperatures while idling and during intensive tasks.
• Below average battery life.
• Heavy
• Large size

Links

i7-1260P, MX550, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: TomsHardware,

i7-1260P, MX550, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD: TechGuyBeau

i7-1270P, MX550, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: NoteBookCheck,

i7-1280P, MX550, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: NoteBookCheck