A laptop constructed to face up to occasional jostling in a briefcase or a minor keyboard espresso spill is one factor; one prepared for outside use, pouring rain, car mounting, and excessive temperatures is one other. Dell’s Professional Rugged 14 (begins at $1,959; roughly $3,821 as examined) is what’s referred to as a semi-rugged laptop computer and exceeds expectations even for that elite class. A sunlight-readable display, twin batteries for prolonged unplugged use, and complete security measures complement its distinctive construct high quality. It is also civilized sufficient to operate as an on a regular basis PC, supplied its bulk is not a priority. The Professional Rugged 14 earns our Editors’ Alternative award for semi-rugged laptops.
Design: Extra Sturdy Than You Know
Even the densest shopper notebooks I’ve examined do not evaluate with rugged laptops just like the Professional Rugged 14. This laptop computer is exceptionally sturdy, with rigid metallic and carbon fiber outdoors and rubber bumpers throughout. The design has handed Division of Protection MIL-STD 810H testing and is rated to function in temperatures starting from -20 to 145 levels Fahrenheit and stand up to three-foot drops. (Even heavier and costlier totally rugged methods just like the Panasonic Toughbook 40 Mk2 can survive six-foot falls.) Moreover, it carries an IP53 ranking for resistance towards filth, mud, and water penetration. Whereas the laptop computer cannot survive submersion, getting caught in a passing bathe will not spell catastrophe.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
This Dell is way bulkier than the everyday 14-inch PC, measuring 1.32 by 13.4 by 8.7 inches and weighing 4.49 kilos. It is a shut match for the semi-rugged Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3. Our unit has a inflexible carry deal with; it is also accessible with a versatile deal with or none in any respect.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Dell constructed the Professional Rugged 14’s ports for sturdiness, shielding them with safe covers. The left facet includes a Thunderbolt 4 connection, two 5Gbps USB ports, and a common audio jack. In the meantime, the appropriate edge features a SmartCard reader, a microSD/nano SIM slot, and an optionally available second Thunderbolt 4 port. Thunderbolt 4 ports on either side permit the ability cable to plug in from both facet.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Further ports, together with an Ethernet jack, a serial port, and an HDMI monitor output, are situated on the rear. A configurable slot again right here can accommodate one other Ethernet jack, a serial port, a USB Sort-A connection, an extra-durable Fischer USB 3.0 port, or be left clean. The cable lock slot additionally sits on the again. The Professional Rugged 14’s solely notable omission is an optical drive, which you could find within the competing Toughbook 55 Mk3. Some discipline or industrial customers may have one.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Normal wi-fi options embody Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The nano-SIM card slot gives optionally available 5G connectivity. The Professional Rugged 14 is appropriate with first responders’ devoted FirstNet community. Discrete GPS can also be accessible.
Flipping the laptop computer over reveals its hot-swappable twin batteries. You may additionally discover a lockable slot for the M.2 solid-state drive.
Dell presents a normal three-year guarantee for the Professional Rugged 14. The Windows 11 Professional working system has minimal preinstalled software program, together with Dell Command for updates and Dell SupportAssist for distant help. The Dell Rugged Management Heart additionally gives specialised system settings, reminiscent of night time mode and user-programmable shortcuts, together with important screen-edge menus if the laptop computer is dashboard-mounted.
Dell SafeID, a hardware-based various to TPM for securing consumer credentials, is among the many laptop computer’s many security measures. The laptop computer additionally helps Intel vPro Enterprise. Biometric help comes from a fingerprint reader within the energy button and an infrared webcam. Dell additionally sells the laptop computer and not using a webcam, and it sells quite a few alternative elements with tutorials to assist prolong the system’s lifespan.
(Credit score: Charles Jefferies)
Dell supplied us with its Rugged Escape backpack, explicitly designed for the Professional Rugged line. It is well-made, that includes a sturdy exterior and a rubberized backside. The shoulder straps are snug, and the again is well-padded, significantly on the backside. With a sale value of $73.99, the bag provides one other layer of safety to an already well-protected laptop computer.
Utilizing the Dell Professional Rugged 14: At all times Ready
The distinction between a normal business laptop and the Dell Professional Rugged 14 is drastic. With uncovered screws across the carbon fiber lid and sturdy metallic plating, it appears to be like prefer it’s prepared for the subsequent apocalypse. This isn’t a laptop computer that expects delicate dealing with.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Opening the lid includes unlocking a bodily latch. The show hinges require vital effort, a vital function for situations like mounting the Professional Rugged 14 in a police cruiser, the place it should stay open even when the car hits a bump.
Dell’s display seems primary on paper with its traditional 1,920-by-1,080-pixel decision, anti-glare floor, and wide-viewing-angle IPS expertise. Nevertheless, it stands out with glove-touch help, a passive stylus (which docks in a silo on the appropriate facet of the laptop computer), and a powerful 1,100-nit rated brightness that ensures visibility in direct daylight. It is so shiny once I swap to full brightness indoors that I need to squint and look away. The show additionally produces vivid, well-saturated colours.
The Professional Rugged 14 has three keyboard choices. The usual mannequin lacks backlighting, whereas our check unit options customizable RGB backlighting in any shade you want. You may additionally discover a extra sturdy rubberized keyboard accessible. Changing the keyboard is fast and simple, requiring just some screws to be undone. By way of typing expertise, I achieved close to my greatest pace, reaching 117 phrases per minute within the Monkeytype on-line typing check. The keys present ample journey and tactile suggestions, which is a welcome aid provided that rugged laptops usually aren’t snug for prolonged typing periods.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The touchpad is comparatively small by shopper laptop computer requirements and lacks a clicking floor, as a substitute counting on two bodily buttons beneath. Sadly, the webcam above the show is disappointing, with lowball 720p decision and a washed-out image. On the intense facet, it comes with a sliding privateness shutter.
Though semi-rugged laptops sometimes aren’t recognized for his or her audio efficiency, the Professional Rugged 14’s front-facing audio system ship surprisingly first rate sound high quality. They’ll get fairly loud with out turning into harsh and supply a full sound for the flicks and music I sampled.
Testing the Dell Professional Rugged 14: AI Efficiency on the Go
We acquired a Dell Professional Rugged 14 that includes a 12-core Intel Core Extremely 7 165U processor, an Nvidia RTX 500 Ada Technology graphics chip, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. (The bottom mannequin comes with a Core Extremely 5 125U and built-in Intel HD Graphics.) We can’t be evaluating costs, as semi-rugged laptops sometimes promote by way of channel companions.
The abovementioned Panasonic Toughbook 40 Mk2 is the one different rugged laptop computer we have examined just lately. The 2 leviathans be a part of a number of mortal laptops for our efficiency comparisons, together with the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD, the HP EliteBook 1040 G11, and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4.
Productiveness and Content material Creation Checks
Our major total benchmark, UL’s PCMark 10, places a system by way of its paces in productiveness apps starting from net shopping to phrase processing and spreadsheet work. Its Full System Drive subtest measures a PC’s storage throughput.
Three extra assessments are CPU-centric or processor-intensive: Maxon’s Cinebench 2024 makes use of that firm’s Cinema 4D engine to render a posh scene; Primate Labs’ Geekbench 6.3 Professional simulates common apps starting from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine studying; and we see how lengthy it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to transform a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p decision.
Lastly, workstation maker Puget Programs’ PugetBench for Creators charges a PC’s picture modifying prowess with numerous automated operations in Adobe Photoshop 2024.
Though the opposite laptops have higher-wattage H-class CPUs inside, the Dell saved the tempo admirably, performing nearly in addition to the Toughbook in a number of assessments. Whereas it was not a barn burner, its efficiency was someplace between passable and above common for a laptop computer on this class—simply not doggedly aggressive.
Gaming and Graphics Checks
We problem every laptop computer’s and desktop’s graphics with a quartet of animations or gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark check suite.
Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Excessive (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. Metal Nomad’s common (4K) and Gentle (1440p) subtests give attention to APIs extra generally used for sport growth, like Metallic and DirectX 12 along with Vulkan, to evaluate gaming geometry and particle results. A fifth check, Photo voltaic Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing efficiency utilizing Vulkan or Metallic APIs at 1440p decision.
The Professional Rugged 14 stood out as one of many few semi-rugged laptops with devoted graphics. Whereas its RTX 500 Ada GPU is taken into account entry-level by cell workstation requirements, it delivered considerably higher efficiency than any built-in resolution and gives modest AI capabilities within the discipline. In relation to graphics, the Professional Rugged 14 is forward of the pack by a protracted shot.
Battery and Show Checks
We check every laptop computer and pill’s battery life by enjoying a regionally saved 720p video file (the open-source Blender film Tears of Steel) with show brightness at 50% and audio quantity at 100%. We be sure the battery is totally charged earlier than the check, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.
To gauge show efficiency, we additionally use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Home windows software program to measure a laptop computer display’s shade saturation—what proportion of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 shade gamuts or palettes the show can present—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per sq. meter).
In our assessments, the Professional Rugged 14 impressed with practically 22 hours of battery life utilizing each batteries. Whereas the Toughbook nearly doubled that, it is value noting that it belongs to a distinct class as a completely rugged mannequin (and weighs a ponderous 7.4 kilos). When each batteries are drained, the Professional Rugged 14 expenses the battery within the first bay earlier than the second, so it is not a simultaneous cost. It took a number of hours to get each to full capability. Dell sells a devoted two-bay battery charger accent for faster expenses.
Our display testing reveals the Professional Rugged 14 reaching practically 1,000 nits of brightness and full protection of the sRGB shade spectrum, which we anticipate from a laptop computer on this class.
Verdict: The Professional Rugged 14 Is Able to Rumble
Semi-rugged laptops are recognized for his or her construct high quality, and the Professional Rugged 14 isn’t any exception, standing out as among the best within the trade. Dell helps its sturdiness with a normal three-year guarantee and accessible spare elements. Discipline operators will respect the laptop computer’s sunlight-viewable display, glove-touch help, in depth wi-fi choices, and night time mode. Moreover, it delivers devoted Nvidia RTX 500 graphics for AI capabilities, a definite benefit. The Professional Rugged 14 is a strong, compelling various to the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3, incomes the newest declare to our Editors’ Alternative award amongst semi-rugged laptops.
The Backside Line
For computing in harsh environments, mere mortal laptops cannot compete with Dell’s potent, semi-rugged Professional Rugged 14 on sturdiness and longevity.
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About Charles Jefferies
