Dell Vostro 3400 Review

The Dell Vostro 3400 is a 14-inch business laptop with an Intel Core i3-350M processor and stylish, all-metal exterior. It offers mainstream laptop performance in an attractive shell, making a strong case for an office or SMB laptop.

 

Headphone and microphone jacks are conveniently located on the system's front edge, next to an on/off switch for the wireless radios. At the left are VGA and HDMI ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and the eSATA/USB port; along the right side are Gigabit Ethernet and another USB port, ExpressCard and SD/MMC/MS flash-card slots, and the tray-loading DVD±RW burner. That's about all the connectivity you could ask for, unless you ask for DisplayPort and USB 3.0.

 

Dell Vostro 3400 Laptop Specification:

• Windows 7 Home Basic
• 14.0” inch High Definition (1366 x 768) Wide LED Anti-Glare Display
• Intel Core i3 330M Processor (2.13GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
• Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator HD
• 2GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM
• 250GB Hard Disk
• 8X DVD Writer
• Wireless Network Card 802.11 b/g/n
• Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Module
• Webcam with Microphones
• 8-in-1 card reader
• 34 mm ExpressCard
• HDMI connector
• 6-cell Lithium Ion Battery
• 65W Power Adapter
• Weight: 2.16Kg

With a 14.0″ High Definition Wide LED Anti-Glare display, an Intel® CoreTM i3 or i5 Dual Core processor and up to 6GB offered of DDR3 memory Vostro 3400 can suit all the needs of a small business entrepreneur. Besides the great technical specifications it comes with a sophisticated aluminum case, available in three colors (silver, red and bronze), which can make any notebook owner proud of his device.

 

Dell Vostro 3400 comes with an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD but it can be changed with a Nvidia® GeforceTM 310M. Regarding the storage there two options available: a standard 500GB harddisk drive or a hardware-encrypted 250GB drive. Dell also equipped this model with an 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R.

 

Dell Vostro 3400 is famous for its aesthetics amongst other features such as hardware, design etc. The exterior has a silver color with grey matte look and black matte wrist rest and chassis. Above the keyboard are the media player buttons which are touch-sensitive and it is just an add-on which does not make it a multimedia laptop. Just like other Dell laptops it sports a rugged shell in addition to its elite looks and elegant appearance. The whole body is made up of plastic except for its edges and lid which have aluminum surface. When closed Dell Vostro 3400 battery gets a modern look due to plastic screen lid and a Dell logo in the middle of the lid. It is available in two different colors, Lucerne Red and Aberdeen Silver. The usage of plastic in its bezel black screen and screen lid is thinner than the rest of the laptop. However it has a sleek design and its metal finish gives it a solid look and feel.

 

There is a battery, single plate to access RAM, wireless card and hard drive at the bottom of the notebook. You have to just remove two screws to access all internal upgrades. You can have a good grip of the laptop while running due to its textured bottom. Accidental drop of the laptop on its side do not damage because its sides are molded with metal. Dell Vostro 3400 is a 14 inch laptop with 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and weighs 2.16 kg. This laptop is covered with weak plastic which makes the lid to bend even with minimal pressure and it increases the risk of the screen getting damaged when stored inside a bag.

 

The Dell Vostro 3400 has a decent hardware configuration for an entry-level business laptop. It’s equipped with an Intel Core i3-350M 2.26-GHz processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 250GB (7200rpm) hard drive, and onboard Intel GMA HD graphics. Dell allows you to customize and upgrade the laptop’s RAM, hard drive capacity, and opt for discrete Nvidia GeForce 300M series graphics, should you feel the need. But the Vostro 3400’s base configuration should suffice if you’re looking for a regular office or business laptop.

 

The strong, powerful, and smar-looking Vostro 3400 battery features a majestic 14.0 inch high definition anti-glare screen with an unassailable resolution of 1366 X 768 pixels. With an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD, the gaming and computing is an exciting experience. Flaunting of connectivity options that include Dell Wireless 365 bluetooth 2.1, wireless LAN: 802.11b/g/n, 3 USB 2.0 ports, and 8-in-1 card reader; the top end note book ensures the external memory of 250 gb. Weighing just about 2.16 kg, the Dell Vostro 3400 possesses multimedia features such as 8 X DVD writer, 2 integrated stereo speakers (4 ohm 2W x 2), and an Integrated 2.0 MP camera with digital microphones. Security being a menace these days, the Dell Vostro 3400 remedies such a peril with its characteristic DataSafe Online and Dell Backup and Recovery Manager. The ultra sleek and slim laptop is operated powerfully by Intel Core i3 330M Processor (2.13GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) and functions on Windows 7 Home Basic.

 

The Vostro 3400 has an in-built tray-loading 8x DVD writer drive. In terms of connectivity options, the Dell Vostro 3400 business laptop offers four USB ports, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, multicard reader, ExpressCard slot, headphone and microphone jacks around its chassis. The laptop also supports high-speed eSATA and HDMI connectivity ports; can’t say that with a lot of business laptops. Wireless connectivity standards like Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 are also featured on the Dell Vostro 3400. The laptop also comes with a 3G-ready SIM card slot for WWAN support. If anything, the Dell Vostro lacks a fingerprint reader – disappointing omission – but that’s about it.

 

The port selection on the Dell 3400 battery is quite exceptional for a budget 14-inch notebook. Dell included three USB 2.0 ports (four if you count the combo USB/eSATA port), VGA and HDMI video out ports, Ethernet, a multi-format memory card reader, and even an ExpressCard slot for expansion. In short, I'm pretty impressed since most budget business laptops don't provide a combo USB/eSATA port for high-speed external storage or an ExpressCard slot for broadband wireless cards or future upgrades. About the only ports that are missing are FireWire and USB 3.0 ... and a modem jack for those few people still using dial-up.