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Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414 Notebook Review

Robust. This robust 14-inch laptop from Dell will thrive in harsh conditions. The very bright IPS screen and the whopping 97 Wh battery ensure that this laptop is ready for wherever your work takes you.

For the original German review, see here.

The Dell Latitude 14 5414 is the direct successor of the Latitude 14 5404. It uses the same case but has different hardware on the inside: the 5414 series is equipped with Skylake CPUs. The previous 5404 series used Haswell CPUs. We could not muster up many competitors from our database: the Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch (12.1-inch) and the Bullman C-class S i7 15 FHD Dirtbook (15.6-inch) are the main picks.

As the Latitude has the same build as its predecessor, we will not go into detail about the connectivity, the input devices and the speakers. Information about these sections can be found in the review of the Dell Latitude 14 5404.

Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414 (Latitude 14 Rugged Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-6300U 2 x 2.4 - 3 GHz, Skylake
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R7 M360 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 980 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, DDR3, 64 bit interface, Crimson 16.11.1 (21.19.160.257), Enduro
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2134, Single-Channel, two memory slots (one occupied)
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, capacitive, 10 touch points, AU Optronics B140HAN, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Liteonit CV3-8D128, 128 GB 
, 80 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC293 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 Express Card 54mm, 2 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Serial Port, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: Audio combo, Card Reader: SD, 1 SmartCard, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Vibration sensor
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-LM (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, Dell Wireless 5809e Gobi 4G LTE, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 44.4 x 347 x 243 ( = 1.75 x 13.66 x 9.57 in)
Battery
97 Wh, 8700 mAh Lithium-Ion, removeable, 11.1 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Passive touch pen, McAfee LiveSafe (trial), MS Office 365 (trial), 36 Months Warranty, ruggedized
Weight
2.95 kg ( = 104.06 oz / 6.5 pounds), Power Supply: 442 g ( = 15.59 oz / 0.97 pounds)
Price
3100 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case and Connectivity

As mentioned previously, the Latitude 14 5404 and the Latitude 14 5414 have the same case. However, the connectivity is a little different: our test model has a fingerprint sensor. Furthermore, the 5414 has three Type-A USB 3.0 ports, unlike the predecessor (5404: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0). Let us not forget: the 5414 is equipped with a touchscreen. The screen works reliably and responds quickly to input. The side of the laptop contains a touch pen, which should allow users wearing gloves to interact with the laptop.

The memory-card reader of the Latitude is one of the fastest we have tested. While copying large data blocks, the laptop reaches a max transfer rate of 155.7 MB/s. The transfer of 250 .jpg pictures (each around 5 MB) is completed at 234 MB/s. We tested the reader with our reference memory card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II.

The Intel WLAN chip (8260) of our test model is also quite fast. In optimal conditions (no other WLAN devices nearby, short distance between the notebook and the server PC), the laptop's speeds are great. The WLAN chip supports the 802.11 a/b/g/n standards and the fast ac standard.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
 
155.7 MB/s
HP ProBook 640 G2-T9X60ET
 
73.4 MB/s -53%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
 
65 MB/s -58%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
 
23.5 MB/s -85%
Acer TravelMate X3 X349-M-7261
 
19.1 MB/s -88%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
 
17.3 MB/s -89%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
 
234 MB/s
HP ProBook 640 G2-T9X60ET
 
87.8 MB/s -62%
Lenovo ThinkPad T460-20FN003LGE
 
86 MB/s -63%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
 
27.6 MB/s -88%
Acer TravelMate X3 X349-M-7261
 
26.1 MB/s -89%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
 
19.2 MB/s -92%
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
669 MBit/s
Acer TravelMate X3 X349-M-7261
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (jseb)
563 MBit/s -16%
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter
165 MBit/s -75%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
92 MBit/s -86%
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Acer TravelMate X3 X349-M-7261
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (jseb)
547 MBit/s +7%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (jseb)
509 MBit/s
Dell Latitude 14 3470
Atheros AR5BWB222 Wireless Network Adapter
143 MBit/s -72%
Acer TravelMate P249-M-5452
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
91 MBit/s -82%

Display

The matte touchscreen panel (14-inch) works at a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It offers great brightness (1,066.7 cd/m²) and nice contrast (1,067:1). The test model clearly trumps the HD display of the predecessor. Our test model is also available with an HD panel.

Unfortunately, the FHD panel of our test model exhibits signs of PWM flickering (198 Hz) at brightness levels below 90%. This can cause headaches for sensitive users. When the screen is showing black content, the brightness differences are clear to see.

Pixel grid
Pixel grid
Brightness differences
Brightness differences
1005
cd/m²
1009
cd/m²
992
cd/m²
1086
cd/m²
1152
cd/m²
1067
cd/m²
1069
cd/m²
1110
cd/m²
1110
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B140HAN tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 1152 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1066.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 1152 cd/m²
Contrast: 1067:1 (Black: 1.08 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.04 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.47 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
63% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.48% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.23% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.42
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
TN, 1366x768, 14.00
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
IPS, 1280x800, 12.10
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-4%
-5%
60%
Display P3 Coverage
37.23
35.7
-4%
35.53
-5%
59.1
59%
sRGB Coverage
55.2
53.7
-3%
53.2
-4%
89.1
61%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
38.48
36.88
-4%
36.71
-5%
61.1
59%
Response Times
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
49 ?(17, 32)
Response Time Black / White *
36 ?(14, 22)
PWM Frequency
198 ?(90)
Screen
-40%
-3%
-15%
Brightness middle
1152
751
-35%
310
-73%
219
-81%
Brightness
1067
700
-34%
285
-73%
214
-80%
Brightness Distribution
86
84
-2%
85
-1%
89
3%
Black Level *
1.08
2.2
-104%
0.38
65%
0.42
61%
Contrast
1067
341
-68%
816
-24%
521
-51%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
10.04
13.47
-34%
5.81
42%
7.43
26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.43
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.47
14.48
-38%
4.68
55%
8.79
16%
Gamma
2.42 91%
2.86 77%
2.44 90%
2.28 96%
CCT
5576 117%
15544 42%
5764 113%
10750 60%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
35
34
-3%
33.7
-4%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
63
53
-16%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-22% / -30%
-4% / -4%
23% / 7%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 198 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 198 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 198 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

With factory settings, the colors of the laptop are not great. The panel has a major DeltaE 2000 color deviation of 10.04. This puts the model far from optimal values (DeltaE smaller than 3). The gray levels are also out of balance and we noticed a yellow tinge in the panel. For a notebook of this price, we expect more from the display. A display calibration would be recommended.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Gray levels
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
49 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17 ms rise
↘ 32 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 82 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Dell has equipped the test model with an IPS panel with great viewing angles. This will allow users to read content from any angle. Thanks to the high brightness, the laptop can also be comfortably used outdoors.

Outdoors
Outdoors

Performance

The Dell Latitude 14 5414 is a robust 14-inch laptop, which is designed to be used in unfavorable environments. At the time of testing, our test model was priced at 2,600 Euros (~$2753) in the Dell shop. The cheapest configuration can be bought for 2,063 Euros (~$2185).

Processor

The Latitude runs on an Intel Core i5-6300U (Skylake) dual-core processor. This is a conservative middle-class ULV CPU (TDP: 15 W). The processor runs at a base clock speed of 2.4 GHz. With turbo, it is possible for the laptop to reach 2.9 GHz (both cores) and 3 GHz (one core). The full speed of the CPU is available during battery use and while the laptop is charging. All-in-all, the Latitude delivers more performance than the predecessor, which is not surprising as the older model used a Haswell processor.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4728
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
10571
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7342
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
125 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
308 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
35.64 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
Intel Core i7-4810MQ
145 Points +16%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
125 Points
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Core i5-6300U
124 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 820 G3
Intel Core i5-6300U
123 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
Intel Core i5-4310U
114 Points -9%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Intel Core i5-3337U
75 Points -40%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
Intel Core i7-4810MQ
623 Points +102%
Dell Latitude 14 E5470
Intel Core i5-6300U
311 Points +1%
HP EliteBook 820 G3
Intel Core i5-6300U
311 Points +1%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
308 Points
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
Intel Core i5-4310U
261 Points -15%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Intel Core i5-3337U
187 Points -39%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
Intel Core i7-4810MQ
3506 Points +27%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
2758 Points
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Intel Core i5-3337U
1892 Points -31%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
Intel Core i7-4810MQ
11663 Points +91%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
6093 Points
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Intel Core i5-3337U
4553 Points -25%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
3547 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
6614 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Intel Core i5-6300U
207.1 Points
HP EliteBook 820 G3
Intel Core i5-6300U
188 Points -9%

System Performance

The system runs smoothly and we did not encounter any issues. The PCMark benchmarks are very good. The Latitude performs much better than the predecessor thanks to the stronger processor, dedicated GPU and the SSD. It is possible to marginally raise the system performance by installing a second RAM module.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3507 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4349 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4498 points
Help
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Radeon R7 M360, 6300U, Liteonit CV3-8D128
3507 Points
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
HD Graphics 4600, 4810MQ, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 250GB
3244 Points -7%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
HD Graphics 4400, 4310U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
2221 Points -37%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB
2151 Points -39%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Radeon R7 M360, 6300U, Liteonit CV3-8D128
4498 Points
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
HD Graphics 4600, 4810MQ, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 250GB
4338 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
HD Graphics 4400, 4310U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3354 Points -25%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
HD Graphics 4000, 3337U, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB
3237 Points -28%

Storage Device

The system drive is a Solid State Drive from Lite On in the M.2 format (2280), with a total capacity of 128 GB. The storage space is too small in relation to the price of the test model. We expected at least 256 or 512 GB. SSDs with larger storage spaces are optionally available. Of the 128 GB available from the SSD, the user can use around 80 GB. The remaining space is for the recovery partition and the Windows installation. It is possible to easily swap out the SSD for another model.

Remove the module,...
Remove the module,...
...take out the screws and...
...take out the screws and...
...you can swap the SSD out.
...you can swap the SSD out.
Liteonit CV3-8D128
Sequential Read: 487.7 MB/s
Sequential Write: 316.7 MB/s
512K Read: 351 MB/s
512K Write: 185.8 MB/s
4K Read: 27.72 MB/s
4K Write: 62.5 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 267.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 158.2 MB/s
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
Liteonit CV3-8D128
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-91%
5%
Read Seq
487.7
91.4
-81%
278.3
-43%
Write Seq
316.7
86.7
-73%
267
-16%
Read 512
351
19.58
-94%
267.3
-24%
Write 512
185.8
32.59
-82%
264.2
42%
Read 4k
27.72
0.315
-99%
39.21
41%
Write 4k
62.5
0.56
-99%
79.4
27%
Read 4k QD32
267.8
0.668
-100%
214.7
-20%
Write 4k QD32
158.2
0.588
-100%
205.5
30%

Graphics Card

The Latitude offers the HD Graphics 520 IGP from Intel and a dedicated Radeon R7 M360 GPU from AMD. This is different from what the Latitude 14 5404 offered. The predecessor was optionally available with a GeForce GT 720M GPU. Dell has made the switch from Nvidia to AMD. The Radeon GPU is a middle-class graphics chip. It supports DirectX 12 and runs at up to 980 MHz. It comes with 2,048 MB DDR3 VRAM. The new AMD graphics core has more performance to offer than the older GeForce GPU.

3DMark 11 Performance
2156 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
47244 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4920 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1031 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
463 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
AMD Radeon R7 M360, Intel Core i5-6300U
2029 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S510p 59-405717
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M, Intel Core i5-4200U
1213 Points -40%
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
Intel HD Graphics 4600, Intel Core i7-4810MQ
1176 Points -42%
Lenovo IdeaPad S500 Touch 59372927
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M, Intel Core i5-3337U
962 Points -53%
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
Intel HD Graphics 4400, Intel Core i5-4310U
706 Points -65%
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
Intel HD Graphics 4000, Intel Core i5-3337U
522 Points -74%

Gaming Performance

The test model was not designed for gaming. Still, the hardware is quite good and is capable of running a few games at low resolutions and settings. As long as the game is not too demanding, the hardware can run it reasonably. For example, games like Mafia 3 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will not run properly as the hardware is too weak.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 69.2 39.9 30.8 9.2
GTA V (2015) 51 43.1 10.1
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 14.8 6.9 6.1
Doom (2016) 21.8 12 7.4
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (2016) 25.8 18.3 7.4
No Man's Sky (2016) 18.1 14.9 7.9
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 13.6 9.9
FIFA 17 (2016) 90.7 71.7 37.1 34.3
Mafia 3 (2016) 14.2 9
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 71.6 58.6 22.7 9.7
Titanfall 2 (2016) 41.8 31.5 11.5
Dishonored 2 (2016) 10.7 9

Emissions and Energy

System Noise

The test model is very quiet. While idle, the fan usually sits still. At load, the fan turns up but not too strongly. During the stress test, the device reaches merely 32.8 dB. Many other notebooks are this loud while idle.

Noise Level

Idle
30.3 / 30.3 / 30.3 dB(A)
Load
30.4 / 32.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.14 dB(A)

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

In our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least an hour), the Latitude performs differently when it is plugged in and when it is running on battery. The processor runs constantly at 2.7-2.8 GHz. The graphics core has more significant deviations: 400 MHz while on battery and 925-980 MHz when plugged in. The laptop does not get too hot. In fact, the model only crossed the 50 °C mark at one measurement point. At all other points, the temperatures stayed below 40 °C.

Max. Load
 34 °C
93 F
37.7 °C
100 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
 35.3 °C
96 F
34.3 °C
94 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 27.1 °C
81 F
27.6 °C
82 F
27.1 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 37.7 °C = 100 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
34.6 °C
94 F
51 °C
124 F
36.5 °C
98 F
32.9 °C
91 F
37 °C
99 F
37.2 °C
99 F
30 °C
86 F
30.2 °C
86 F
31.6 °C
89 F
Maximum: 51 °C = 124 F
Average: 35.7 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.1 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.1 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.7 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 51 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.6 °C / 81.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+0.1 °C / 0.2 F).
Heat emissions top (load)
Heat emissions top (load)
Heat emissions bottom (load)
Heat emissions bottom (load)
Heat emissions top (idle)
Heat emissions top (idle)
Heat emissions bottom (idle)
Heat emissions bottom (idle)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.231.533.22533.830.733.83132.635.632.64031.530.131.55031.827.231.86329.128.829.18028.326.928.310030263012537.824.937.816048.12348.120055.122.655.125054.321.554.33155220.85240063.719.963.750066.719.566.763069.518.769.580073.818.173.8100070.917.870.9125068.517.568.516006817.268200073.417.473.4250070.317.470.3315068.717.668.7400072.217.772.2500074.517.974.5630073.817.873.8800069.717.969.71000066.91866.91250066.717.866.71600060.917.860.9SPL83.230.183.2N57.51.457.5median 68median 17.9median 68Delta6.91.46.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseDell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram for comparison (checkboxes can be selected)

Power Consumption

While idle, the notebook consumes a max of 21.4 W. At first glance, this is a very high value for a ULV notebook. However, after a closer inspection we realized that we had to account for a very bright FHD panel (1,067 cd/m²). During our stress test, the consumption rose to merely 36 W. This is an unusually low value for this hardware. Normally, laptops with this CPU and GPU combo require 15 W more. We believe the laptop may suffer from throttling but cannot confirm our suspicion, as the CPU and GPU both run at high speeds (according to our tests).

The laptop has high energy consumption while in standby mode. It needs a total of 4.75 W, which means that the battery will be drained after a day. We believe this to be a software issue which can be resolved with a BIOS update by Dell. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.82 / 4.75 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.2 / 20.2 / 21.4 Watt
Load midlight 34.2 / 36 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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

Our WLAN test simulates how the laptop would perform while loading websites. The script we run loads websites every 40 seconds. The power profile is set to "Balanced" and the brightness is regulated to 150 cd/m². The power-saver functions are turned off. The Latitude lasts for 9:13 hours, as the battery has a generous capacity of 97 Wh. The test model is also available with a smaller capacity of 67 Wh.

As the Latitude will rarely be used with such low brightness, we ran the test again with max brightness. This time the battery lasted for 5:13 hours.

The battery has a capcacity of 97 Wh.
The battery has a capcacity of 97 Wh.
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 38)
9h 13min
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414
6300U, Radeon R7 M360, 97 Wh
Dell Latitude 14 Rugged - 5404
4310U, HD Graphics 4400, 67 Wh
Bullman Dirtbook S12 Touch
3337U, HD Graphics 4000, 57 Wh
Bullman C-Klasse S i7 15FHD Dirtbook
4810MQ, HD Graphics 4600, 57 Wh
Battery Runtime
-64%
WiFi v1.3
553
197
-64%
WiFi
470
237

Pros

+ sturdy case
+ very bright IPS screen
+ FHD resolution
+ great input devices
+ maintenance and upgrade options
+ works quietly
+ fast SSD
+ LTE modem

Cons

- none of the modern ports like Thunderbolt 3, Type-C USB, DisplayPort
- low storage space
- poor colors with factory settings

Verdict

In review: Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414. Test model provided by Dell Germany.
In review: Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414. Test model provided by Dell Germany.

The Dell Latitude 14 5414 is a robust 14-inch notebook for professional use in unfavorable environments. The manufacturer meets many industry standards with this device. This is not a new device as we previously tested the Dell Latitude 14 5404 with the same case. There have been minor tweaks to the outside of the device and the hardware on the inside has been updated to Skylake processors and, optionally, a Radeon GPU. This allows the 5414 to offer more performance than its predecessor. Thankfully, the laptop does not offset this strength by having miserable battery life or emissions. Quite the opposite: the laptop has great battery life and runs quietly. A fast SSD ensures the system performance is up to par. We especially like the backlit keyboard, which is comfortable to type on. The matte IPS panel of the test model can trump the HD display of the predecessor, in terms of brightness and contrast. Outdoor use is comfortably possible.

The Dell Latitude 14 5414 is well-equipped for its intended scenarios.

We can also criticize the Latitude. For a laptop which costs a few thousand Euros, the device seems to fall short in many areas. We expected a larger SSD capacity. 128 GB is far too little. The same applies to the RAM, as 16 GB is the absolute minimum. Dell has also missed a great opportunity to install modern ports, such as Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort and Type-C USB.

Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414 - 11/10/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
93 / 98 → 95%
Keyboard
94%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
64 / 80 → 80%
Weight
57 / 20-67 → 79%
Battery
92%
Display
83%
Games Performance
59 / 68 → 87%
Application Performance
82 / 92 → 90%
Temperature
89%
Noise
95%
Audio
63%
Camera
46 / 85 → 54%
Average
77%
88%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414 Notebook Review
Sascha Mölck, 2016-11-20 (Update: 2018-05-15)