If your priority is performance and you are looking for a laptop with high-quality display, solid build, and capability for 3D rendering, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with its more powerful processor, advanced graphics card, and larger, higher-resolution touchscreen. It excels in engineering tasks and has a better keyboard; however, it is heavier, more expensive, and doesn't last as long on a single charge. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 5430 offers longer battery life, lighter weight, and is less expensive, making it a good fit for general use and portability, though it has more modest internals and display quality. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Dell Latitude 5430
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is only fair.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i outperforms the Dell Latitude 5430 in gaming and 3D applications due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz versus the Dell's integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and 60 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the Lenovo's screen quality is better with Mini LED technology and a higher resolution, which complements its CPU that's more robust than the Dell's, further enhancing its gaming and 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
6.5/10
8.9/10
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is only fair.
The Dell Latitude 5430 is considered fair for engineering and design due to its mid-range CPU, adequate RAM, and integrated GPU, which may struggle with highly demanding tasks, paired with an average screen quality. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i offers excellent performance for engineering and design use, attributed to its high-end CPU, substantial RAM, dedicated powerful GPU, and superior screen quality, although it is slightly less portable and has higher operating noise.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.5/10
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for content creation, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.1/10
8.3/10
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Dell Latitude 5430 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.1/10
9.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
248.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 5430 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Latitude 5430, with moderate screen resolution and brightness, provides sufficient clarity and comfort for everyday tasks but lacks the wider color gamut needed for precision in engineering and design. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with its superior panel, offering higher resolution and brightness that enhance general activity and design work by displaying sharper images and more accurate colors. Both fall short for gaming and 3D purposes due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals that these applications demand.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Latitude 5430 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.5in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Latitude 5430 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has very good build quality, while the Dell Latitude 5430 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$790
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Latitude 5430 has a price of $790 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Dell Latitude 5430 or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
131,295
Recommendations made
28,448
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.