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Battery Life
Buy new DELL Vostro 3460 Series Laptop Battery,11.1V 8700mAh 5400mAh computer batteries
The Vostro 3460 achieved a runtime of 5:44h while idling (DELL Vostro 3450: 3:52h; S430: 6:43h). We test the idle mode via BatteryEater Reader's test, where the screen is set to minimum brightness, the energy savings profile is enabled and the wireless modules (wifi, Bluetooth) are disabled. The Vostro 3460 managed a runtime of 1:15h during load (Vostro 3450: 1:00h; S430: 1:26h). BatteryEater's Classic test is used for the load test. Here, the screen is set to maximum brightness, the high-performance profile and wireless modules are enabled. (8858X computer batteries)
One battery charge lasted for 3:52h in the wifi test (Vostro 3450: 2:47h; S430: 3:51h). Websites are automatically opened every 40 seconds in this test via a script. The energy saving mode is enabled and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m2. The Vostro 3460 lasted for 3:22h in the DVD test (Vostro 3450: 2:38h; S430: 2:35 h). That is enough for two movies. The wireless modules (wifi, Bluetooth) are disabled and the screen is set to maximum brightness for the DVD test. We use the energy saving profile or a higher profile (should the DVD not be rendered smoothly) in this test.
Interestingly, the DELL Vostro 3460 exhibits much better run times than the Vostro 3450 although the batteries in both devices have the same capacity. The Vostro 3460 is thus much more energy-efficient although it consumes a lot more power at its peak than the Vostro 3450. The Thinkpad Edge S430's idle and load runtime are better than those of the DELL Vostro 3460. In return, the DELL Vostro 3460 has the lead in the practical wifi and DVD tests.
Case
The same feeling transmits its “look and feel outside.” With a chassis constructed entirely in lightweight plastic, immediately obvious that this is a team that is not prepared to withstand bumps, scratches and dirt, but that does not repeat is this your goal. Otherwise its design without being the ultimate, denotes a certain elegance that even escapes the excessive sobriety that tend to provide much of the equipment they have on their target audience SMEs.
Dell has not altered the case's basic design compared with the DELL Vostro 3450. The base unit's sides and the lid's back have the same color - copper brown in our case. Dell also has red and silver available. The base unit's top, front, back and the display bezel are gray. All surfaces on the laptop are matte - even the display bezel. The gap between the keys and the keyboard's silver rim however are the exception. The base unit's top and the display bezel feature a light rubber coating, which makes these areas largely resistant to fingerprints. Overall, the used materials have a high-end feel.
The Vostro 3460 is on a par with its precursor in terms of stability. The chassis hardly yields under pressure, not even above the optical drive. However, the Vostro 3460's keyboard yields a bit more to applied force, like in the Vostro 3450. The notebook hardly warps when it's lifted at opposite corners. The build is not quite as good as in the Vostro 3450. The gaps are not always completely even. The front right edge does not stand stably on the surface. This gets worse the further the display lid is opened. We cannot say whether this is a unique problem of our test device or whether it is a general problem of all Vostro 3460 laptops. (DELL P9TJ0 Battery)
The DELL Vostro 3460's lid warps easily. The hinges keep the lid firmly in position. Opening it with one hand is possible. However, the lid should be opened slowly because the laptop would otherwise lift from the surface.
As in many other midrange computers, the trackpad of this Dell Vostro 3460 is anything but smooth and precise. As with so many teams midrange appreciate hearing a mouse with which to direct our pointer. If instead we liked the size of your fingerprint. Escape all the attention you get at other teams and almost hidden, and that sensor is not unsightly but so little we like more of an accessory that we can dip into if we need it, without its presence is a problem.
Connectivity
Quite a few modifications have been made in the field of connectivity in contrast to the Vostro 3450. Both a VGA out and HDMI port are on the Vostro 3460's left. Moreover, you'll find two USB 3.0 ports and two audio jacks (headphone, microphone). The laptop's right provides a third and fourth USB 3.0 port. The Gigabit Ethernet socket is also here. The rear harbors the power socket and the slot for a Kensington lock. The card reader (SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro) is now on the front. An Express Card slot is no longer available, which is too bad because an expansion option is unnecessarily lost with that. (FUJITSU FPCBP316 Battery)
Communication
Dell's laptop builds up a cabled connection to the Internet via an Atheros AR8161/8165 Gigabit Ethernet chip. Intel's Centrino Wireless-N 2230 WLAN module connects to wireless networks. The module supports the 802.11 b/g/n standards, as well as Bluetooth standard 4.0. A webcam is also installed. As usual, the webcam is located in the display's bezel. Some Vostro 3460 models also sport a UMTS module, which our test device does not feature.
Keyboard
The keyboards in the Vostro 3450 and Vostro 3460 are virtually the identical. The Vostro 3460 features a chiclet keyboard. The main keys have a size of 14 x 14 mm and the gap between the keys is 4 mm. The key drop and stroke are on a par with the Vostro 3450. We are satisfied with both units. Overall, the Vostro 3460's keyboard enables pleasant typing. It also sports a key light, which is turned off automatically when not used for a short time. The light can be set to three levels: bright, dim and off. However, it does not feature automatic brightness control. According to Dell, the keyboard is spill-resistant.
Touchpad
The touchpad's size of 90 x 49 mm is bigger than in the DELL Vostro 3450 (84 x 41mm). Moreover, the Vostro 3460's metal rim is painted. Otherwise, both touchpads are similar. The Vostro 3460's roughened surface ensures good gliding traits and it is possible to easily navigate with the finger. We were disappointed about the poor click sensitivity. We had to tap the touchpad with a bit more force before the click was detected. The touchpad features multi-touch functions and thus allows gesture controls such as two-finger zoom. Both mouse keys are implemented below the touchpad and have a clearly palpable pressure point.
Display
As in the Vostro 3450, Dell again installs a matte 14 inch screen in the Vostro 3460. The screen features a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and an LED backlight. Regrettably, Dell uses a much darker screen in the Vostro 3460. We ascertained an average brightness of 149.8 cd/m2. The prior Vostro 3450 model achieved a rate of 224.1 cd/m2. Even the Thinkpad Edge S430 reached a better result with 215.9 cd/m2. The Vostro 3460's screen illumination of 89 percent is on a par with both the Vostro 3450 (87%) and Thinkpad Edge S430 (88%). Dell does not offer higher resolution displays for the Vostro 3460.
The Vostro 3460's black value of 0.97 cd/m2 is better than in the Vostro 3450 (1.6 cd/m2) and Thinkpad Edge S430 (1.33 cd/m2) and places it in the midfield. In addition to the average if not low black values, all three laptops do not supply breathtaking contrast rates either (Vostro 3460: 159:1; Vostro 3450: 147:1; LENOVO ThinkPad Edge S430: 169:1) and are not far apart. Thus, Dell's Vostro 3460 is not suitable for professional graphic design or image processing. The screen can neither reproduce the sRGB nor the Adobe RGB color space.
Despite the low brightness and poor contrast, the DELL Vostro 3460 makes a good impression in outdoor use. The screen's matte surface pays off here. Nevertheless, direct sunlight should be avoided because the screen cannot outshine the sun.
The Vostro 3460's viewing angle stability is on the expected level. The picture distorts quickly when the screen's vertical viewing angle is changed, unlike the horizontal viewing angle where the picture remains stable over the entire angle.
Speakers
The Vostro 3460's speakers are located on the laptop's bottom. There is an audible improvement compared with the Vostro 3450. The speakers produce a pleasant soundscape and even speech is intelligible. The speakers are more than sufficient considering that this is an office device. Should you not like its sound, it is always possible to connect external speakers or headphones to the laptop. (TOSHIBA PA3921U-1BRS Battery)
Verdict
Dell releases an office device that easily outdoes the Vostro 3450 precursor in terms of performance. It supplies more power and better battery run times. However, this takes its toll on noise and temperature development. The noise could actually be a make and break criterion for many buyers. The fan runs continuously and recurrently achieves annoying noise levels. If you are interested in this laptop you should compare it with a model devoid of an Nvidia GPU and / or weaker CPU. It is likely that laptops with this equipment will not produce as much noise. We also have to mention the fairly dark screen here. It can be strenuous to gaze on a dark screen over a longer period. If you can live with these drawbacks, the Vostro 3460 will be a solid office device for everyday use - like already the Vostro 3450.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk, battery-store.eu
