Dell Latitude 7450 review – Built to Travel, Packed with Performance

The Dell Latitude 7450 is available in Mainstream, Ultralight, and 2-in-1 configurations. We bought the former with a Core Ultra 7 165U, 32GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a 1200p IPS screen. It has enough power for daily or office tasks and even light gaming. As we already hinted, this machine is offered with 15W Intel Meteor Lake-U or 28W H-series processors. The upgradability may be limited but on the other hand, that’s a feature-rich machine since it has a good port selection, a 4-speaker audio setup, and the latest Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity.

You get a choice of four 60Hz 16:10 displays – three 1200p units (one of which supports touch function) with different max brightness and color gamut coverage. The top-tier panel is a 1600p touchscreen. HP claims that the latter is capable of 100% sRGB.

For security, you can rely on a Lock slot, privacy shutter, and dTPM 2.o chip. Many more goodies in this department are optional such as an IR Web camera, fingerprint reader, SmartCard, NFC, SED (self-encrypting drive) Opal 2 SSD, and a vPro CPU.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-latitude-14-7450/

Contents


Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box

Dell Latitude 14 7450 - Specs

  • YCR8T-NV14N42 (BOE0A2A)
  • Color accuracy  5.1  4.2
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 2000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro
  • Battery
  • 57Wh
  • Body material
  • Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 313 x 222.75 x 17.10 - 18.21 mm (12.32" x 8.77" x 0.67")
  • Weight
  • 1.33 kg (2.9 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 2x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • 2x USB Type-C
  • 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.1
  • Card reader
  • Ethernet LAN
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11be
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.4
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • optional
  • Web camera
  • FHD IR
  • Backlit keyboard
  • optional
  • Microphone
  • Speakers
  • 4x 2.5W Stereo Speakers
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot
  • Wedge Lock

All Dell Latitude 14 7450 configurations

#CommissionsEarned

Drivers

All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/latitude-14-7450-2-in-1-laptop/drivers

What’s in the box?

The box contains the mandatory paperwork and a Type-C charger. Depending on the CPU model, the adapter is 60W, 65W, or 100W.


Design and construction

The Latitude 7450 looks almost like a twin to the 7440 model. The design is sleek and stealthy. The all-aluminum chassis in Titan Gray color is solid and it picks just a small amount of smudges during usage. The lid could be flexed but only just. We pushed down hard the whole upper part of the base. We saw slight bends between the touchpad and the Space key which is normal. All in all, the built quality is solid.

The lid opens with one hand up to 90 degrees. Beyond that, you have to use both hands. The notebook stops the scales at 1.33 kilos and the profile is 17.10 – 18.21 mm.

The 1200p display is surrounded by thin bezels.

The Web camera with a privacy shutter is placed on the top. You can choose between 1080p HDR units with or without facial recognition. The top dog is a 5MP IR model.

When the angle of the opening is slightly wider than 90 degrees, the bottom of the lid with its two rubber feet lifts the rear of the main body. In this position, more fresh air reaches the cooling.

The device can lay fully flat which is great for content sharing.

Two tall speaker grills are on the sides of the Mini LED-backlit keyboard with AI hotkey. At least on paper, this kind of backlight isn’t as thirsty as the normal illumination. The board is suitable for long hours of typing thanks to the good key travel and feedback. Again, the too-small “Up” and “Down” Arrows feel uncomfortable on press. The power button in the top right corner doubles as a fingerprint reader (option).

The touchpad (which also houses the optional NFC sensor) is pleasantly big and wide (133 x 72 mm) for such a compact laptop form factor. The pad is smooth, accurate, and quiet to click.

Turning over the machine reveals a 2-row ventilation grill, a pair of long rubber feet, and two speaker cutouts. In this position, we can see the lower exhaust that aims at the desk. The second vent is on top of the other and it points at the lower lid bezel. A bit of heat reaches the screen when the CPU is doing the heavy lifting.

Ports

On the left, there is an HDMI 2.1, two 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1 capabilities. Some machines also have a SmartCard reader on the same side but our laptop doesn’t. We can see a Lock slot, a pair of 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports (the latter supports the PowerShare function), and an Audio combo jack. The iterations with a WWAN slot have a NanoSIM slot but our machine lacks this extra.


Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles

Dell Latitude 7450YCR8T-NV14N42 (BOE0A2A)
Diagonal14.0 inches (35.6 cm)
Panel TypeIPS
Resolution1920 x 1200 pixels
Max Refresh Rate60 Hz
Aspect Ratio16:10
Pixel Density162 PPI
‘Retina’ DistanceGreater than or equal to 53 cm

Viewing Angles

Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.

Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.

Color Coverage

The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.

Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Dell Latitude 7450 can show:

Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content

Dell Latitude 7450: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.

In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 51% of the sRGB color gamut and 40% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

(Fig.1) Dell Latitude 7450 covers 51% of the sRGB gamut

Brightness and Contrast

The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 299 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 286 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 6%.

The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6340K.

The contrast ratio is 1410:1.

Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation

The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 182 nits (Windows slider = 60%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.

DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.

Color Accuracy

Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Dell Latitude 7450. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.

Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.

For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.

Before our calibration of the Dell Latitude 7450, the Average color accuracy was 5.1 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Gaming profile, it lowered to 4.2 dE (Fig. 3).

(Fig. 2) Dell Latitude 7450 in its factory condition

(Fig. 3) Dell Latitude 7450 with our display profile

Comparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).

Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Gaming profile aims to deliver:

Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile

Visibility in dark scenes

Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.

The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Design and Gaming profile activated.

On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.

You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.

Response time (Gaming capabilities)

We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.

We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 16.9 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes.

After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.

Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)

Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.

In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.

The light from the backlight of the Dell Latitude 7450 display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.

Health Impact: Blue light emissions

Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.

If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.

Health Impact: Screen Reflectance

Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.

The reflectance of the Dell Latitude 7450’s screen is 50.8 GU.

High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU


Get our profiles

Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Dell Latitude 7450 configurations with YCR8T-NV14N42 (BOE0A2A), 1920 х 1200, IPS panel.

*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].

Read more about the profiles HERE.

In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.

Office Work

Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.

Design and Gaming

This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.

Health-Guard

Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.

Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount

Sound

Dell Latitude 7450’s sound is of good quality. The low, mid, and high frequencies are clear.


Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage

All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Ultra Performance” mode is enabled in the Dell Optimizer app.

CPU options

This machine is offered with Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 155U, Core Ultra 7 165U, Core Ultra 5 135H, or Core Ultra 7 165H.

Our notebook has a 165U chip.

Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.

Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)

GPU options

There are no dGPU options for this Dell series.

The laptop that we bought relies on Intel Graphics (4-Cores).

Gaming tests


Counter-Strike 2HD 1080p, Low (Check settings)HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings)HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings)
Average FPS91 FPS62 FPS26 FPS

Gears 5Full HD, Low (Check settings)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
Average FPS36 FPS26 FPS19 FPS14 FPS

Storage performance

The SSD of our notebook is the 512GB SK Hynix BC901. It’s pretty fast for a 2230 unit and doesn’t get excessively hot during benchmarking reaching 62°C.


[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

You can make your laptop Faster. LaptopMedia has tested thousands of models in the last 15 years, and we have yet to see a notebook that couldn't be made more powerful through modifications.

That's why we decided to bundle everything we know about how to achieve this in an Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step, and Laboratory-Tested, all in one project.

Read more about it here:
[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop

[eBook Guide] How to MAX OUT your Laptop

🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
⚙️ Building Fast/Reliable RAID configuration
💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
🖼 Display enhancing
💾 OS Optimization for best performance


Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life

Max CPU load

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.

Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; Average LP E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power

Intel Core Ultra 7 165U (15W Base Power)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Dell Latitude 74503.32 GHz @ 2.82 GHz @ 1.39 GHz @ 71°C @ 39W3.60 GHz @ 3.15 GHz @ 1.58 GHz @ 89°C @ 44W3.24 GHz @ 2.71 GHz @ 1.39 GHz @ 82°C @ 34W
Dell Latitude 9450 (2-in-1)3.70 GHz @ 3.18 GHz @ 1.59 GHz @ 69°C @ 43W3.69 GHz @ 3.15 GHz @ 1.59 GHz @ 83°C @ 44W2.40 GHz @ 2.38 GHz @ 1.19 GHz @ 68°C @ 24W

The single-fan cooling system of the Latitude 7450 is doing a respectable job. The Core Ultra 7 165U maintains pretty high clocks in short and medium loads. In the long run, the P and E cores boost to around 3.24 GHz / 2.71 GHz which is a great result for a 14-incher.

Comfort during full load

The single fan is audible but not noisy in “Ultra Performance” mode during heavy CPU stress.

All looks normal when the system is pounded with heavy stress since the hotspot on the keyboard reaches 45°C and the one on the bottom screen bezel – 44°C.

The “Optimized” mode is a pretty good choice for people who prefer lower noise levels. The fan is quiet and the P and E cores reach a clock of ~ 2.65 GHz / 2.25 GHz which is still high enough for office tasks.

Battery

Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 57Wh battery lasts for around 11 hours of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Energy Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Optimized” mode applied in the Dell Optimizer app.


Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance

Eight captive Phillips-head screws are standing in the way between you and the internals. Pop the zones behind the hinges with a lever tool. Fully pry the back with a thin plastic tool and work your way around the sides and the front.

Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.

The device that we bought has the optional 57Wh battery. The default version is a 38Wh variant. To remove it, pull up the connector from the mainboard and undo the 4 Phillips-head screws that hold the unit in place. The capacity is enough for around 11 hours of video playback.

Sadly, the memory is soldered. On the bright side, you get up to 64GB of LPDDR5x-6400MHz memory in dual-channel mode which should be more than enough for most users.

The SSD here is covered with a metal shield that is held in place by a single screw. There is a thermal pad underneath the cap. For storage, there is just one M.2 slot compatible with 2230 Gen 4 NVMe drives.

The soldered Wi-Fi 7 card can be seen on top of the heat spreader. The WWAN slot on the left of the fan is for optional 4G or 5G connectivity. It’s visible that our device lacks this kind of functionality since the slot is missing.

The cooling has one large fan, a decently long heat pipe, a top-mounted heat sink, and a heat spreader.


Verdict

If you travel a lot and need a compact and capable machine, the Latitude 7450 could be a good choice for your needs. It’s an all-metal light laptop that is well-built and has great input devices. The performance also seems on point. The cooling isn’t huge, but it’s potent enough and its fan isn’t noisy when the Core Ultra 7 165U is pushed to its limits for a long time. In this scenario, the CPU can sustain a high P and E-core clock of 3.24 GHz / 2.71 GHz which is a respectable result for a 14-incher.

The 60Hz 1200p IPS display (YCR8T-NV14N42 (BOE0A2A)) offers wide viewing angles. Its max brightness and contact ratio are decent enough for standard usage. The color coverage isn’t impressive at all. If that’s important for your work, you can get the optional 1600p screen.

The Dell Latitude 7450 is a snappy little machine with long battery life, a PWM-free display, rich port selection, and good comfort during long max loads.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-latitude-14-7450/

Pros

  • The fan isn’t noisy in “Ultra Performance” mode
  • Solid built quality
  • Great input devices
  • No PWM (BOE0A2A)
  • Wide viewing angles (BOE0A2A)
  • 299 nits of max brightness (BOE0A2A)
  • 4x USB ports
  • Long battery life (~ 11 hours of videos)
  • Privacy shutter
  • Fingerprint reader, NanoSIM slot, IR Web camera, NFC, and SmartCard reader (all are optional)
  • The CPU can sustain 3.24 GHz / 2.71 GHz P and E-core clock in long loads
  • Great “Optimized” mode ~ 2.65 GHz / 2.25 GHz P and E-core frequency in long CPU stress alongside quiet fan
  • Up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM
  • Good comfort during max CPU loads
  • Fast 2230 SSD (512GB SK Hynix BC901)
  • Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
  • Good sound quality


Cons

  • Just one M.2 slot + soldered memory
  • Tons of optional goodies
  • Low sRGB coverage (BOE0A2A)
  • No high refresh rate display options

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