X-bit labs

Dell Vostro 1400 Business Notebook Review (page 5)

Category: Mobile

by Alexander Britvin

[ 03/17/2008 | 10:58 PM ]

On the notebook’s right panel there is:

• Optical drive with an activity indicator, eject button and emergency ejection hole
• S-Video output
• Two USB 2.0 ports
• 15-pin D-Sub connector for an external monitor

The following can be found on the notebook’s rear panel (from left to right):

• Modem port (RJ-11)
• LAN port (RJ-45)

And that’s what you can see on the notebook’s bottom: memory, HDD, CPU and thermal module compartments, two battery locks, a battery module, and stickers with the model specs and the OS serial number.

The memory compartment accommodates two slots which are both occupied by 512MB modules. The maximum memory amount supported by the notebook is 4096 megabytes.

The hot air is exhausted leftward while cool air is taken in from below. Each compartment has vent grids but some of them are going to be blocked if you place the notebook down on your laps. There is no danger of overheat, though. The Vostro 1400 proved to be a rather cold machine.

There is a shock protector below the HDD designed like a rubber pad.

The notebook’s 6-cell battery has a capacity of 5000mAh.

There’s a battery charge indicator at the back. It’s very handy to be able to check out the charge level without turning the notebook on.

The last thing we want to note about the exterior design of the D620 is that it offers a 3G module. The SIM-card slot is in the battery compartment, above the battery. You have to shut the notebook down to replace the card.