The manufacturer describes that the Latitude 15 5540 is built for "maximum performance and scalability". On paper, that's possible thanks to the snappy 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPUs, the decent cooling solution, the memory that can work in dual-channel mode (if two memory modules are installed), and the battery that supports ExpressCharge. There is even one dGPU option and that's the NVIDIA GeForce MX550. Just like the Latitude 14 5440, the 5540 sibling can be found with DDR4 or DDR5 RAM. The newer standard is reserved for the 28W P-series CPUs while the machines with 15W U chips rely on DDR4 memory. No TN displays here - yay! You can choose between three IPS 1080p models and one of them is a touchscreen variant. This device impresses with its good upgradability and modern I/O. Many goodies are optional and that applies to the nano-SIM card slot, the Smart card reader, the IR Web camera, the fingerprint reader, and the keyboard backlight. Since that's a business laptop, there is a dTPM 2.0 chip for enhanced data protection. If you want even better security, you can get a notebook with a vPro processor. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-latitude-15-5540/ Specs, Drivers, What's in the box Drivers All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/latitude-15-5540-laptop/drivers What's in the box? The box contains a bit of manuals and the laptop itself. The laptop can be found with a 60W, 65W, or 100W Type-C adapter (depending on the CPU and GPU options). Design and construction The Latitude 15 5540 looks like a typical modern Dell business machine - clean, non-intrusive, and with minimal branding on the chassis. The lid is made of metal while the rest is plastic. The notebook has a profile of 20.80 - 22.80 mm and the starting weight is 1.613 kg. The dimensions are normal for a 15.6-incher. The hinges are stiff and that's why the lid can be opened with a single hand. The unit also can be pressed in the middle, it is wobbly during angle changing, and it's averagely flexible. The base is rigid with one exception - the zone below the keyboard can be bent a bit. The upper and the lower bezels are a bit thick but the side ones are as thin as possible. All Web camera variants have a privacy shutter and dual-array microphones. Three 1080p models are available, there is an optional IR unit, and the top model is an IR variant with an ambient light sensor, Express Sign-In with Presence Detection, and Intelligent Privacy tech (for example, the system will be automatically locked when you aren't in front of the screen). The hinge allows a 180-degree angle of opening so the notebook can lay fully flat on an even surface. The keyboard is comfortable for typing thanks to the extra long key travel and the clicky feedback. The NumPad section houses the Power button that has an optional built-in fingerprint reader. Speaking of options, the keyboard backlight isn't a standard function and it'll cost you an extra amount of money. The touchpad isn't big (115 mm x 67 mm) but it's smooth, accurate, and near-silent during work - great! On the bottom plate, there is one small ventilation grill right above the cooling fan. The rest is standard - three rubber feet and two speaker cutouts. The heat is pushed through through two vents on the back that aim at the ground. That's a smart decision because the hot air doesn't reach the display. Ports On the left side, you can see the two Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery and DisplayPort functionality. On the right, we can spot a lock slot, LAN, HDMI 2.0, two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports (the former supports the PowerShare function), an Audio combo jack, and a MicroSD card slot. The optional Nano-SIM card slot is on the back of the machine. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound Dell Latitude 15 5540 is equipped with a Full HD IPS panel, model number BOE KVVT5-NV15N4V (BOE0A86). It comes with a 60Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 15.6" (39.6 cm), and the resolution - 1920 x 1080p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:9, the pixel density – 142 ppi, and their pitch – 0.18 x 0.18 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 60 cm (from this distance, the average human eye can’t see the individual pixels). Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality. Also, a video with locked focus and exposure. The maximum measured brightness is 282 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 260 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 14%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6450К. In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 140 nits) – in this particular case at 66% Brightness (White level = 146 cd/m2, Black level = 0.11 cd/m2). Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0). We measured a good contrast ratio - 1320:1. To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy. Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook. Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day. The yellow dotted line shows Dell Latitude 15 5540's color gamut coverage. Its display covers 51% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976, and 40% of DCI-P3. We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. Below you can compare the scores of the Dell Latitude 15 5540 with the default settings sRGB. The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light. The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, 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 = 32.9 ms. 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) Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the display is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM. Dell Latitude 15 5540's display doesn't use PWM for brightness adjustment. Health Impact: Blue light emissions Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the 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: Gloss-level measurement Glossy-coated displays are sometimes inconvenient in high ambient light conditions. We show the level of reflection on the screen for the respective laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is 60° (in this case, the result is 49.5 GU). Sound Dell Latitude 15 5540's speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear of deviations. Buy our profiles Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Dell Latitude 15 5540 configuration with 15.6" BOE KVVT5-NV15N4V (BOE0A86) (1920x1080) IPS. *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 bg.laptopmedia@gmail.com. Read more about the profiles HERE. Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests 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 BIOS. CPU options You can find this notebook with Intel Core i3-1315U, Core i5-1335U, i5-1345U (vPro), Core i5-1340P, Core i5-1350P (vPro), Core i7-1355U, or Core i7-1365U (vPro). GPU options For graphics-heavy tasks, you can get the optional NVIDIA GeForce MX550. Gaming tests CS:GO HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings) Average FPS 118 fps 105 fps 55 fps DOTA 2 HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) HD 1080p, Normal (Check settings) HD 1080p, High (Check settings) Average FPS 115 fps 71 fps 43 fps [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop 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; CPU temp.; Package Power Intel Core i7-1365U (15W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min Dell Latitude 15 5540 4.00 GHz @ 3.03 GHz @ 82°C @ 55W 2.74 GHz @ 2.05 GHz @ 76°C @ 25W 2.70 GHz @ 1.99 GHz @ 67°C @ 24W Dell Latitude 16 7640 3.53 GHz @ 2.66 GHz @ 73°C @ 44W 3.50 GHz @ 2.63 GHz @ 86°C @ 44W 2.79 GHz @ 2.04 GHz @ 72°C @ 28W The optional Core i7-1355U inside Latitude 15 5540 can maintain impressively high clocks in short loads. In prolonged periods of 100% CPU stress, the CPU can sustain almost the same frequencies as the more premium Latitude 16 7640. Comfort during full load The power presets are located in the BIOS. In "Ultra Performance" mode, the fan is almost quiet even in full processor loads. At the same time, the keyboard deck doesn't feel hot to the touch so you can use the machine comfortably for work. Battery Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Better performance setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 120 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 54Wh battery pack lasts for 12 hours and 30 minutes of Web browsing, or 8 hours and 20 minutes of video playback. The result is good. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Balanced” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and select the "Optimized" power plan in the BIOS. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance To open this device, you have to undo 8 captive Phillips-head screws. The one in the top right corner will slightly raise the panel up. Still, the backside is a bit hard to pry so you can lift the plate in one of the zones behind the hinges to create a gap. After that, pry the back with a thin plastic tool and then work your way around the sides and the front. Here's how the bottom plate looks on the inside. Our notebook has the optional 54Wh battery, the base version is a 42Wh variant. To take it out, detach the connector from the mainboard, and undo the 5 Phillips-head screws that are keeping the unit in place. The capacity is enough for 12 hours and 30 minutes of Web browsing, or 8 hours and 20 minutes of video playback. The result is good. You get two SODIMMs. The maximum possible amount of memory is 64GB in dual-channel mode. Note that the devices with U-series CPUs like the one we have here come with DDR4-3200MHz memory while the machines with P-series processors rely on DDR5-4800MHz or 5200MHz RAM. Storage-wise, there are two M.2 slots. The one on the left is for 2230 Gen 3 SSDs while the one on the right is compatible with both 2230 and 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. The WWAN slot is for optional LTE or 5G connectivity. The cooling looks good. It has one large fan, two long heat pipes, a side-mounted heat sink, and a heat spreader. Storage performance Our notebook has a 512GB KIOXIA KBG50ZNS512G. Below you can see some benchmarks of this Gen 4 SSD. It gets toasty during benchmarking - 80°C. Verdict If you are looking for a business machine that offers good comfort under load, the Dell Latitude 15 5540 could be on your shortlist. The keyboard is cozy for usage and the keycaps aren't noisy on press. The touchpad is near-silent during usage, and it has a smooth surface. The cooling fan is quiet even when the CPU is pushed to its limits. In this scenario, the keyboard feels slightly warm but not too hot. The P cores of the optional Core i7-1365U can maintain 4.00GHz in short loads and 2.70Ghz in longer CPU stress alongside 2.70GHz for the E cores. This is a good result, especially given the low noise. That's possible thanks to the cooling system with one large fan and two long heat pipes. Speaking of the internals, the upgradability is good - two SODIMMs + two M.2 slots. Don't forget that you get DDR4 RAM slots with the U-series CPUs. If you want your device to be as snappy as possible, you should pick a machine with a 28W P chip plus dual-channel memory. The display (BOE KVVT5-NV15N4V (BOE0A86)) gets the job done for office work. This IPS unit has wide viewing angles and the lack of PWM usage is good news for all users, especially for the ones who will use the laptop for long hours daily. The downside of this panel is the low sRGB coverage. The I/O is up-to-date thanks to the two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Still, the nano-SIM card slot and the Smart card reader are optional. One of the few cons of this machine is the mediocre lid rigidity and the fact that one of the NVMe slots is compatible with 2230 Gen 3 SSDs. On the bright side, the optional 54Wh battery lasts for more than 12 hours on a single charge. The Dell Latitude 15 5540 offers good comfort under load, capable cooling, good upgradability, and long battery life. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/dell-latitude-15-5540/