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Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130 Tablet Review Update

Stuck in a rut. The Venue 11 Pro was conceived as a tablet for use in the business environment. Dell outfitted the device with a Full HD IPS display and made it easy to access the tablet's inner workings. A quick SSD and a Core i5 processor do the device credit on paper too. But all told, can the tablet win us over?

For the original German review, see here.

We're already familiar with the Dell Venue 11 Pro: In January 2014, we reviewed a model from this line. That version ran on a Core i3 processor; our current test device boasts of a Core i5. The new processor looks better on paper, but does the tablet really gain anything? Is it worth it to pay the higher price compared to the Core i3 model? Our review reveals the answers.

The Venue 11 Pro's competition consists of business tablets manufactured by other companies, for instance the Lenovo ThinkPad 10 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

Since the two Venue 11 Pro models are structurally identical, we won't cover the case, connectivity, display or speakers in detail. See our review of the Core i3 version of the Venue 11 Pro for more information on these subjects.

Display

The Venue 11 Pro is equipped with the same display as its sister model. This is a bright, high-contrast IPS display with stable viewing angles. The measurements we recorded were a little different for the two panels, but this is normal. Two structurally identical displays never register 100% identical results.

358
cd/m²
377
cd/m²
383
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
394
cd/m²
389
cd/m²
346
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
375
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 394 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 370.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 397 cd/m²
Contrast: 916:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.43 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 8.04 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.38
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
Display
Display P3 Coverage
64.1
45.89
63.6
65.6
39.18
44.23
sRGB Coverage
93.2
66.6
88.8
90.8
57.7
66.2
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.4
47.31
65.6
67.5
40.19
45.74
Screen
2%
-12%
8%
28%
-35%
1%
11%
Brightness middle
394
409
4%
426.2
8%
355.3
-10%
486.4
23%
287
-27%
375
-5%
308
-22%
Brightness
370
370
0%
388
5%
338
-9%
435
18%
254
-31%
358
-3%
298
-19%
Brightness Distribution
88
85
-3%
85
-3%
91
3%
83
-6%
81
-8%
91
3%
88
0%
Black Level *
0.43
0.45
-5%
0.844
-96%
0.33
23%
0.404
6%
0.38
12%
0.55
-28%
0.32
26%
Contrast
916
909
-1%
505
-45%
1077
18%
1204
31%
755
-18%
682
-26%
963
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.43
5.04
7%
5.17
5%
4.72
13%
2.3
58%
11.89
-119%
3.53
35%
4.1
24%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.04
6.81
15%
4.77
41%
6.53
19%
2.47
69%
12.38
-54%
5.31
34%
2.89
64%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.63 84%
2.33 94%
2.17 101%
2.16 102%
2.95 75%
2.55 86%
2.34 94%
CCT
6346 102%
7042 92%
7700 84%
6707 97%
6926 94%
15561 42%
6504 100%
6546 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
54
43.87
59.37
60.49
37
40
Total Average (Program / Settings)
2% / 2%
-12% / -12%
8% / 8%
28% / 28%
-35% / -35%
1% / 1%
11% / 11%

* ... smaller is better

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Color saturation
CalMAN - Color saturation

Performance

The Dell Venue 11 Pro is primarily designed for business people. The processor's performance is more than sufficient for everyday office tasks. Dell offers this tablet in a variety of configurations, including versions with 3G modems. Our test device costs around 1,000 Euros (~$1222). Dell is also producing less expensive models with Atom processors, starting at around 380 Euros (~$464).

Processor

The tablet runs on a Core i5-4300Y dual-core processor (Haswell). The “Y” at the end indicates that this is a very energy-efficient CPU. At 11.5 Watts, the TDP is even lower than that of a “normal” ULV processor (15 Watts). The CPU's base clock rate is 1.6 GHz; using turbo, the speed can be increased to up to 2.3 GHz. However, the processor almost never utilizes its full performance capacity. The CPU completed the Cinebench benchmark's single-thread tests at 1.4 to 2.3 GHz, while the speed generally hovered around 2 GHz. The processor performed the multi-thread tests at 1.3 to 1.4 GHz. The CPU's behavior was identical in both AC power mode and battery mode.

The processor's results in our various benchmarks were disappointing. Because the Core i5 didn't use its turbo in the multi-thread tests and even ran below its base clock speed, the processor's results are lower than those of its sister model's (outfitted with a Core i3-4020Y). Our test device's single-thread performance, however, proved to be superior to that of the Core i3-4020Y Venue. The processor can use its turbo for single-thread applications.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
4663
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
5373
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
2982
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.45 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.82 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
10.6 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
12.52 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
133 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
77 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
133 Points
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
250 Points +88%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
134 Points +1%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
77 Points
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
110 Points +43%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
36 Points -53%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
1.45 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
2.5 Points +72%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
2.51 Points +73%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
2.77 Points +91%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
2.67 Points +84%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
1.64 Points +13%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
1.54 Points +6%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
0.82 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
1.09 Points +33%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
1.14 Points +39%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
1.12 Points +37%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
1.25 Points +52%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
0.44 Points -46%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
0.62 Points -24%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
4663 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
3324 Points -29%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
7755 Points +66%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
7067 Points +52%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
4106 Points -12%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
4030 Points -14%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
4495 Points -4%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
2982 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
1220 Points -59%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
3782 Points +27%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
3675 Points +23%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
1234 Points -59%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
1229 Points -59%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
1001 Points -66%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
1932 Points
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
2526 Points +31%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
1481 Points -23%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
3157 Points
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
4958 Points +57%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
2952 Points -6%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
137.7 ms *
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
388.3 ms * -182%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
10118 Points
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
3353 Points -67%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
3254 ms *
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
8367 ms * -157%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
1978 Points
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
788 Points -60%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

Together, the Core i5 processor and speedy solid state drive make for a fast and stable system. Windows starts up quickly. The tablet's PCMark 7 score is very good, thanks to the fast SSD. But the PCMark 8 results are disappointing -- even with a weaker processor, the sister model obtained a higher score. One look at the CPU and GPU speeds reveals the heart of the matter: As soon as the CPU and GPU are simultaneously under load, their speeds drop significantly. In the gaming portion of the PCMark 8 Home benchmark, the CPU ran at 600 MHz and the graphics core at just 400 MHz.

PCMark 7 Score
4015 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated
2463 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1783 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated
2364 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1913 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated
3777 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
2782 points
Help
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
1783 Points
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
2394 Points +34%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
1297 Points -27%
Home Score Accelerated (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
2463 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
2625 Points +7%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
3012 Points +22%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
2106 Points -14%

Storage Devices

A solid state drive from Lite On serves as the tablet's mass storage medium. This is an M.2 format model and offers a capacity of 256 GB. The drive's transfer rates are good, though it can't keep up with top SSD models like the Samsung 840 Evo.

LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
Sequential Read: 465.3 MB/s
Sequential Write: 407.4 MB/s
512K Read: 333.8 MB/s
512K Write: 380.5 MB/s
4K Read: 27.15 MB/s
4K Write: 49.36 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 248.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 215.2 MB/s
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
SCHENKER XMG P724
GeForce GTX 880M SLI, 4810MQ, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB mSATA
AS SSD
-40%
15%
-33%
-145%
18%
49%
Seq Read
426.1
408.8
-4%
493.7
16%
323.8
-24%
504
18%
494
16%
504
18%
Seq Write
406.6
112.1
-72%
303
-25%
824
103%
313.3
-23%
293.7
-28%
483.6
19%
4K Read
23.3
15.73
-32%
22
-6%
24.69
6%
22.53
-3%
30.95
33%
40.83
75%
4K Write
42.83
24.42
-43%
73.7
72%
33.49
-22%
69.1
61%
70.6
65%
109.9
157%
4K-64 Read
260.3
254.3
-2%
358.3
38%
150.1
-42%
331.8
27%
228.7
-12%
355.2
36%
4K-64 Write
259.3
161.1
-38%
215
-17%
50.8
-80%
255.2
-2%
271.6
5%
270.5
4%
Access Time Read *
0.122
0.178
-46%
0.087
29%
0.328
-169%
0.74
-507%
0.094
23%
0.097
20%
Access Time Write *
0.087
0.161
-85%
0.075
14%
0.119
-37%
0.72
-728%
0.051
41%
0.03
66%

* ... smaller is better

Graphics Card

The HD Graphics 4200 graphics core takes care of graphics tasks. It supports DirectX 11 and runs at speeds of between 200 and 850 MHz. The Venue 11 Pro's sister model is equipped with the same GPU. The two tablets' results in the 3DMark benchmark are on par with each other. Both obtained normal results for devices outfitted with this graphics core. In terms of performance, the HD Graphics 4200 core falls towards the lower end of our table (see below). AMD offers stronger GPUs in this segment of the market, for instance the Radeon R4 (Beema) core.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
3080 points
3DMark 11 Performance
487 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
21853 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2333 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
271 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
487 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
207 Points -57%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
991 Points +103%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
877 Points +80%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
744 Points +53%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
233 Points -52%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
509 Points +5%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
212 Points -56%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
21853 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
27991 Points +28%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
41415 Points +90%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
29229 Points +34%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
31564 Points +44%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
16363 Points -25%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
21733 Points -1%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
2333 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
3081 Points +32%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
4514 Points +93%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
4146 Points +78%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
3730 Points +60%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
2449 Points +5%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
1237 Points
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
2018 Points +63%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
271 Points
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
407 Points +50%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
648 Points +139%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
483 Points +78%
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
473 Points +75%
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
261 Points -4%
3DMark 06 - 1280x1024 Standard Score AA:0x AF:0x (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
3080 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
1610 Points -48%
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
6253 Points +103%
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
5640 Points +83%
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
2065 Points -33%
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
1848 Points -40%

Gaming Performance

The Venue 11 Pro fluidly renders games that don't demand too much of the hardware. The games available in the Windows Store shouldn't be any problem for the device. Just like in the PCMark benchmarks, the Venue's sister model achieved better results in our gaming benchmarks -- in the form of higher frame rates. Here again we see the outworkings of the fact that the processor and graphics core both slow down substantially when the two are under load simultaneously. 

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 18.6 10.3 7.4
Fifa 15 (2014) 15.3 10.9
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 9.7 3.4
Alien: Isolation (2014) 12.9 9 5.1
Ryse: Son of Rome (2014) 6.2 4.2
The Evil Within (2014) 6.6
F1 2014 (2014) 16 12 12
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) 7.3 4.2
Assassin's Creed Unity (2014) 3.3
Far Cry 4 (2014) 6.1
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) 8.5 5.7
The Crew (2014) 7.8

Emissions & Energy

The Venue 11 Pro is equipped with a fan. In idle mode, the fan generally stands still, which means the whole device runs silently -- as is true of the Venue's sister model as well. Of course, under load the fan gets going, but the sound pressure level is relatively low.

Noise Level

Idle
29.6 / 29.6 / 29.6 dB(A)
Load
37.3 / 36.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Venue 11 Pro in the stress test
The Venue 11 Pro in the stress test

The Venue 11 Pro completed our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark running simultaneously for at least an hour) in the same way in both AC power mode and battery mode: While the processor ran at about 600 to 800 MHz, the graphics core went about its task at 300 to 400 MHz. The tablet didn't heat up excessively. We measured temperatures of over 40 °C (104 °F) in four spots during the stress test. The Venue's sister model remained somewhat cooler.

Max. Load
 35.5 °C
96 F
39.8 °C
104 F
46 °C
115 F
 
 34.5 °C
94 F
35.7 °C
96 F
34.7 °C
94 F
 
 33.7 °C
93 F
35 °C
95 F
33.1 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 36.4 °C = 98 F
42.6 °C
109 F
44 °C
111 F
41.2 °C
106 F
32.1 °C
90 F
33.4 °C
92 F
31.8 °C
89 F
31.2 °C
88 F
31.2 °C
88 F
28 °C
82 F
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  52.8 °C = 127 F | Room Temperature 22.7 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.4 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Power Consumption

The Venue 11 Pro's energy consumption rates explain its poor performance in our benchmarks compared to its competitors: Under medium (3DMark06 running) and full load (stress test: Prime95 and Furmark running simultaneously), the tablet's power usage lay at 16.6 Watts and 15.11 Watts, respectively. These numbers are considerably lower than the 21.1 and 22.1 Watts we recorded for its sister model. Remember, the latter is outfitted with a weaker processor. Our test model's CPU and GPU don't run at anywhere near their full speed, and especially not at the same time. At lower speeds, the cores require less energy.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.3 / 7.4 / 7.4 Watt
Load midlight 16.6 / 15.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

In our WLAN test, which is designed to simulate practical, everyday use, we run a script that automatically loads a new webpage every 40 seconds. The energy-saving profile is active, and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Venue 11 Pro reached a battery run time of 4:40 h. Directly compared to its sister model (6:42 h), this not a good result. The two tablets are equipped with the same battery. We repeated the WLAN test several times with our current review device and ended up with the same result every time: The stronger Core i5 processor simply needs a little more energy in idle mode than its sister model's Core i3 processor.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
4h 40min
Battery Runtime - WiFi (sort by value)
Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130
HD Graphics 4200, 4300Y, LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB
280 min
HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Lite-On IT L8T-128L6G-HP
362 min
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
HD Graphics 4400, 4200U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
387 min
Dell Venue 11 Pro
HD Graphics 4200, 4020Y, 128 GB SATA SSD
402 min
HP ElitePad 1000 G2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, 128 GB eMMC Flash
437 min
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
HD Graphics 4400, 4300U, Hynix HFS128G3MNM
504 min
Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, 128 GB SATA SSD
524 min
Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, Samsung MCG8GC
550 min
Lenovo ThinkPad 10
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3795, SanDisk SEM64G
562 min

Verdict

The Dell Venue 11 Pro offers sufficient performance for everyday tasks. Unfortunately, however, its Core i5 processor is unable to utilize its full performance capacity. As a result, the new device only offers a minimal increase in performance (at best) compared to the Core i3 version of the tablet. The rest of the hardware components don't differ much from those at work in the sister model. The bright, high-contrast IPS display with stable viewing angles is nice as ever. A quick solid state drive with a capacity of 256 GB joins the ranks here too. It would be easy to switch out the drive, as the back side of the tablet can be removed without any tools.

There isn't much of a reason for owners of the Core i3 version of the Venue 11 Pro to replace their tablets with the Core i5 version -- the increase in performance is simply too small. In fact, the Core i5 model performed worse in some of our tests, and its battery life is shorter.

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In review: Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130. Test model courtesy of cyberport.de
In review: Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130. Test model courtesy of cyberport.de

Specifications

Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130 (Venue Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-4300Y 2 x 1.6 - 2.3 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 4200, Core: 850 MHz, 10.18.3740
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3, Dual-channel, Soldered
Display
10.80 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, 10-point multi-touch, Capacitive, Samsung, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Lynx Point-LP
Storage
LiteOnIT LJT-256L6G-11 M.2 2260 256GB, 256 GB 
, 200 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: Audio combo, Card Reader: MicroSD, Sensors: Gyroscope, Motion sensor, Digital compass, NFC
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 12.2 x 298 x 177 ( = 0.48 x 11.73 x 6.97 in)
Battery
36 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2 MP (front), 8 MP (back)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard Light: no, MS Office (trial version), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
810 g ( = 28.57 oz / 1.79 pounds), Power Supply: 133 g ( = 4.69 oz / 0.29 pounds)
Price
999 Euro

 

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Links

  • Manufacturer's information

Price Comparison

Pros

+Bright, high-contrast IPS display with stable viewing angles
+Maintenance-friendly
+Replaceable battery
+Quick SSD
 

Cons

-Plastic case
-Back side gives a little under pressure
-Throttling

Shortcut

What we like

The bright, high-contrast IPS display and how maintenance friendly the device is.

What we'd like to see

An LTE/3G modem.

What surprises us

The Core i5 processor can barely use its turbo.

The competition

Lenovo ThinkPad 10, Microsoft  Surface Pro 3, Wortmann Terra Mobile Pad 1160 Pro, Microsoft Surface Pro 2, HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2, HP Pro X2 410 G1, HP ElitePad 1000 G2 (F1Q77EA).

Rating

Dell Venue 11 Pro 7130 - 12/09/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
73%
Connectivity
60 / 65 → 92%
Weight
78 / 40-88 → 79%
Games Performance
52 / 68 → 76%
Application Performance
66 / 76 → 87%
Temperature
86%
Noise
0%
Audio
40 / 91 → 44%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
66%
78%
Tablet - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-12-18 (Update: 2018-05-15)