Originally under Dell’s Latitude label, the Dell Pro 14 Premium renamed product now makes its market debut. Promoted as a high-end ultra laptop, it features up to 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, a 14-inch display, a significant 60Wh battery, and the newest Intel Core Ultra 200 series CPU with vPro.
Dell Pro 14 Premium: A Closer Examination
Though closer inspection shows a mixed bag, the Dell Pro 14 Premium seeks to provide a premium experience. Although its extended battery life is a highlight, given its premium price tag, its performance qualities and build quality beg issues. The Dell Pro 14 Premium must be justified in cost by more than just lifespan.
Price and Availability of the Dell Pro 14 Premium
Right now, Dell Pro 14 Premium is accessible via direct channels of the company. Prices vary depending on configuration.
Dell Pro 14 Premium Price and Configuration
Configuration | Price (US) |
Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $2029 |
Intel Core Ultra 7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD | $2559 |
Intel Core Ultra 7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD | $2661.50 |
Design: Aesthetic Choices and Practical Considerations
The Dell Pro 14 Premium’s attractiveness is mainly influenced by its design, which combines looks with utility. The main features of its design are:
1. Material Composition
- Plastic Exterior: The Dell Pro 14 luxury’s completely plastic shell begs issues of durability and luxury feel in comparison to rivals using metal or carbon fibre.
- Magnesium Interior: Magnesium is used to build the interior, improving the general look and offering a more strong and durable feel.
2. Portability and Weight
- Compact Dimensions: Without adding any notable weight, the thin profile makes travel in bags or briefcases simple.
- Lightweight Design: Weighing about 1.141 kg (2.5 lbs), the laptop is rather portable, which qualifies for professionals on the road.
3. Keyboard and Touchpad
- Keyboard Layout: Though it lacks gutters between keys which may impact typing comfort, the keyboard has big key tops with small LEDs for simplicity of use.
- Touchpad Functionality: The sensitive touchpad allows multi-touch gestures, therefore enabling fluid navigation.
4. Display Features
- Webcam Quality: Built-in webcam provides good quality for video conferences, enabling Windows Hello for safe login.
- Screen Size: The laptop’s 14-inch screen finds a mix between mobility and practicality.
5. Port Selection: Connectivity
- Two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports
- One USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C port with power share
- One HDMI 2.1 port
- A 3.5mm audio jack
Although some users could need more adapters for particular connections, this varied collection lets customers connect several devices at once.
Hardware: Performance Specifications and Capabilities
The hardware parameters for the Dell Pro 14 Premium are intended to strike a compromise between performance and efficiency. Here’s an in-depth look at its components:
1. Processor Options: Intel Core Ultra Series
- The reviewed model has an Intel Core Ultra 7 268V vPro processor.
- This CPU has four performance cores and four efficiency cores, resulting in a base clock speed of 2GHz and turbo speeds of up to 5GHz.
- While it excels at single-threaded jobs, it lacks hyper-threading capabilities, leaving only eight threads.
2. Memory and Storage: RAM Configuration and Storage Options
- The laptop supports up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, ensuring seamless multitasking performance.
- However, the memory is surface-mounted, which limits future upgrade options.
- Users can choose from storage capacities of up to 1TB thanks to the fast M.2 NVMe SSD on board.
- The smaller M.2 slot (2232 scale) may limit future upgrades and expansions.
3. Graphics Performance: Integrated Intel Arc Graphics
- The laptop has integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics, which are appropriate for everyday tasks and light gaming.
- While it delivers decent graphics performance for general use, it is not intended for demanding gaming or graphically heavy programs.
4. Display Quality: FHD+ Resolution
- The laptop features a 14-inch FHD+ (1920×1200) IPS non-touch display.
- With a maximum brightness of 400 nits and an anti-glare coating, it provides adequate visibility in a variety of lighting environments.
5. Long-lasting Battery Power
- The Dell Pro 14 Premium has a powerful 60Wh battery that can enable more than 21 hours of use on a single charge.
- This impressive battery life makes it an ideal alternative for professionals that require consistent performance throughout the day.
Dell Pro 14 Premium Key Specifications
Specification | Details |
CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 268V vPro |
GPU | Intel Arc 140V GPU |
RAM | 32 GB LPDDR5x SDRAM |
Storage | 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD |
Display | 14.0-inch FHD+ IPS Non-Touch |
Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, HDMI 2.1 |
Battery | 3 Cell, 60 Wh, Li-ion |
Weight | 1.141 kg (2.5 lbs) |
Performance: Battery Life Shines, Multi-Threading Lags
Having tested for over 21 hours, the Dell Pro 14 Premium shines in battery life. For those who value all-day usage, this remarkable lifespan makes it a perfect fit. Its less outstanding multi-threaded speed, however, may make difficult jobs more difficult. Performance of the Dell Pro 14 Premium compromises processor power against battery life.
The 5GHz turbo clock of the CPU helps to explain rather good single-core performance. For light gaming as well as daily chores, the integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU offers sufficient graphics capability Still, the Dell Pro 14 Premium is not meant for graphically demanding jobs.
Value Proposition: Hard to Justify the Price
The pricing is its main negative point. Given the specifications provided, it is difficult to rationalise the premium cost in relation to rivals providing comparable or greater performance and features at a more affordable price.
Conclusion
A professional laptop, it gives battery life top priority over anything else. Although its great battery life is a big benefit, its plastic build quality, low upgradability and hefty price make it tough to suggest above its rivals. Users with certain demands may find the Dell Pro 14 Premium appealing, but most consumers will discover greater value elsewhere.
Also Read: