Dell Latitude 7430 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3: Which is better?

There are quite a few 14-inch business laptops on the market right now, so it can be a little tricky to pick one out of the range of options available. If you’re looking for some new business options, the new Dell Latitude 7430 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 are some solid options to consider. Both are powered by the latest generation of processors in existence, with support for all enterprise features. In this article, we’ll look at a comparison of Dell Latitude 7430 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 to see which is the best 14-inch laptop to buy in 2022.

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Dell Latitude 7430 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3: Specifications

Before we start the comparison, let’s take a quick look at the specs table to see what each of these laptops brings to the table:

performance

The Dell Latitude 7430 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 are powered by the latest generation of processors. While the Dell Latitude 7430 is limited to the new 12th Gen Intel vPro processors, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 can also be purchased with AMD’s new 6000 series processors. The ability to configure the notebook with AMD processors provides a slight advantage to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3, but we We think the overall performance of both mobile devices will be pretty much the same.

The Dell Latitude 7430 can be purchased with either 12th generation P series chips or less powerful U series chips. We have yet to get laptops powered by the new P-series and U-series chipsets, so we suggest you take a look at our Intel 12th Gen P-series vs U-series comparison to learn more about the differences in each CPU series. In the case of ThinkPad T14s Gen 3, you can get Intel P-series or Ryzen 6000 series PRO processors. Lenovo uses a 19W processor for its AMD version, so it’ll be interesting to see how it compares to the U 15W chipset inside the Dell Latitude 7430.

Both portable devices can also be configured with up to 32GB of memory. Dell gives you a choice between DDR4 and LPDDR5 memory modules, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 only comes with LPDDR5 modules. We recommend choosing one with the LPDDR5 module because DDR4 memory also has a lower frequency. In the case of the ThinkPad, the Intel variants carry 4800MHz of RAM while the AMD variants come with the 6400MHz modules. All ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 laptops have LPDDR5 memory, so there are no differences there.

As for storage, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 comes with up to 2TB while the Dell Latitude 7430 tops out with 1TB. While it’s hard to comment on the overall performance of each of these devices thus far, we think both portable devices will be equally good for everyday workloads. However, performance across resource-intensive workloads will depend on the processor you choose and the ability of each laptop to handle temperatures under load.

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The Dell Latitude 7430 comes with 14″ 16:9 panels. You get FHD and UHD panels with both touch and non-touch options. The refresh rate on all of these boards is set at 60Hz, so keep that in mind. While Dell promises highly color-calibrated panels out of the box, it’s something we’ll have to test once we get the laptops in-house for testing.

On the other hand, Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 laptops come with 14-inch 16:10 panels. You can get it in FHD+, 2.2K, 2.8K, and Ultra HD+ resolutions. There is also an OLED panel option with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 which also supports a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. However, this OLED panel is exclusive to the Intel variants of the laptop. You can choose the Ultra HD + panel in the AMD version. It is an IPS panel with touch input support as well. It’s safe to say that Lenovo offers more options to choose from when it comes to the display of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 laptop.

As an end user, you have the option to use a 16:9 aspect ratio panel or a 16:10 panel. While that decision boils down to personal preference, we think buying a 16:10 aspect ratio makes more sense for business laptops. The 16:10 aspect ratio panel provides more vertical screen area, which comes in handy when, for example, you are viewing a web page or writing a Word document. However, the 16:10 aspect ratio panel is not the best for media consumption as you will see black bars at the top and bottom in the case of most content.

Design and ports

Dell is doing some design interesting things this time around with its Latitude series, and it looks better than ever. On the other hand, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 looks similar to many of the other ThinkPad laptops out there. The Latitude 7430 is slightly thinner than the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3, but both weigh the same, coming in at 1.22kg. The AMD variant of the ThinkPad weighs a bit more, but it’s not a significant difference. You also get a webcam on top of the screen in each laptop, so there’s no need to buy separate webcams for meetings.

The Dell Latitude 7430 and ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 both give you the option to choose between an HD or FHD camera, which is nice. An infrared camera is optional on both mobile devices, so be sure to choose the appropriate camera if you need Windows Hello support for authentication. However, both mobile devices also have a fingerprint scanner for added security, so the lack of an infrared camera isn’t necessarily a deal breaker but a more personal choice.

Some other noteworthy features of the Latitude 7430’s webcam include a camera shutter for more privacy, Dell Express Sign-In support, an ambient light sensor, and more.

Another thing to note about the Dell Latitude 7430 is that it comes in a 2-in-1 form as well, which is great for a lot of users. Sadly, the 2-in-1 form factor isn’t an option in the case of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3, so we think the Latitude 7430 definitely earns some brownie points here in this case. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 3, on the other hand, comes with a standard keyboard with the TrackPoint and TrackPad feature we’ve loved over the years.

As far as ports are concerned, the Dell Latitude 7430 comes with two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery & DisplayPort 1.4 support, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 with Power Share, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a universal audio jack. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 also offers a decent selection of ports if you look at the Intel and AMD variants. The Intel variant of the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.0b port, and one 3.5mm headphone combo jack. For the AMD variant, you get one USB 4 Type-C port, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.0b port, and a combo 3.5mm headphone jack.

It’s safe to say that the Dell Latitude 7430 is the clear winner here with a better selection of ports. Not only do you get plenty of USB ports, but you also get an optional SmartCard reader that connects, which is very important for many business users. Connectivity options on both devices include support for Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 5G and 4G LTE, so there are no differences there.

Dell Latitude 7430 vs Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 3: Which Should You Buy?

All things considered, the Dell Latitude 7430 and ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 are good choices for a business laptop. However, Dell seems to have done a lot of things right with the new Latitude series. We think it’s better than previous Latitude laptops and is powered by the new 12th Gen Intel Core processors with DDR4 and DDR5 memory options. You also get more ports with the new Latitude which is also slightly thinner compared to the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3.

However, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 is less expensive than the Latitude 7430 starting at just $1,299. The Latitude 7430, on the other hand, starts at $1,969. Either way, we think you’re looking at two good 14-inch business laptops that will last for years to come.

We’ll have to wait a bit more for these devices to do a full comparison, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can also check out some of the other collection articles including the best ThinkPad laptops and the best Dell laptops to see if you can find some other laptops that you like.