Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme tablet review: One of the best displays in its category

The Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme was announced in October of last year as the successor to the Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme. It introduces an updated chassis with a larger screen size (11.6-inch to 12-inch), faster Intel CPU options (8th gen to 12th gen), and faster connectivity options (Wi-Fi 6 to 6E, 5G).
Our unit in review is a midrange SKU with the Core i5-1240U, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB NVMe SSD for approximately $3200 USD. Other SKUs are available with the slower Core i3-1210U, faster i7-1260U, more RAM or storage, and other expansions. All configurations otherwise ship with the same 1920 x 1200 1200-nit IPS touchscreen. The full specifications sheet for the Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme is publicly available through Dell here.
Alternatives include the Acer Enduro T1, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active series, or the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-G2 series.
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Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
83.9 % | 04/2023 | Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme i5-1240U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 23.9 mm | 12.00" | 1920x1200 | |
04/2022 | Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 2.7 kg | 36.5 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | ||
07/2022 | Panasonic Toughbook 40 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 3.9 kg | 53.4 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | ||
83.8 % | 01/2022 | Getac B360 i7-10710U, UHD Graphics 620 | 2.4 kg | 34.9 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | |
82.4 % | 12/2021 | Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.8 kg | 21.95 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
04/2021 | Durabook S14I i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 3 kg | 38.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
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Case — Thick With Relatively Narrow Bezels
The chassis is sturdy from all angles especially along its rubberized edges and corners. Its weakest spot is directly on the center of the touchscreen where warping is noticeable when firmly pressing down on it with a finger. It's not a huge concern or anything, but any warping is worth mentioning nonetheless.
Some annoying aspects of the case include the fidgety covers for the ports and spongy front-facing buttons. The port covers are difficult to grip while the button shortcuts could use some more give when pressed. The competing Toughbook FZ-G2 does things a little better in this regard.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
At about 1.6 kg including its two removable batteries, the unit is one of the lighter rugged tablets in its category. Length and width are conveniently very close to the DIN A4 standard when not taking into account the removable carrying handle.
Connectivity — 2x Thunderbolt 4 Support
There is a healthy selection of integrated ports to select from. The two Thunderbolt 4 ports in particular are noteworthy as they allow for the same docking capabilities and external monitor support as modern consumer ultrabooks. Keep in mind that one will always be occupied for charging purposes, however.
Most of the other ports are optional and can be configured at checkout including HDMI 2.0, USB-A, RJ-45, RS-232, or a barcode scanner.
SD Card Reader
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme (AV Pro V60) | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme (AV Pro V60) | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 (AV Pro V60) | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 (AV Pro V60) | |
Durabook S14I (Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme (AV Pro V60) | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme (AV Pro V60) | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 (AV Pro V60) | |
Durabook S14I (Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II) | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 (AV Pro V60) |
Communication
The Intel AX211 performs reliably when paired to our Wi-Fi 6E-enabled Asus AXE11000 test router. The model can be configured with no Wi-Fi at all, but we recommend choosing carefully as an end-user installation on the Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme is much more involved than a typical ultrabook.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Getac B360 | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Getac B360 | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme |
Webcam
The rear 11 MP webcam and even 5 MP front-facing webcam are both sharper than anything you'd find on a consumer clamshell laptop. Each webcam has its own physical privacy slider while the rear webcam has a built-in flash.
Windows Hello is supported with the front-facing webcam.

Maintenance
The back panel is secured by no less than two dozen Torx screws. Thankfully, the two batteries and single M.2 SSD slot are more easily accessible. RAM is soldered and only configurable at checkout.
An official service manual is available directly from Dell if further disassembly is required.
Accessories and Warranty
Optional accessories include the premium keyboard, hand strap, active pen, and many others. The retail box includes a passive pen and a rigid carrying handle already attached. A three-year limited warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Display — 1200 Nits And Full sRGB Coverage
The Latitude 7230 Rugged is one of the few devices in its category and size to offer >95 percent sRGB for more accurate and vibrant colors. Black-white and gray-gray response times are also reasonably fast for less noticeable ghosting. There is no pulse-width modulation for brightness control as well meaning you can use the tablet at very low brightness levels without eyestrain or noticeable flickering. This is one of the best displays we've seen on a rugged tablet.
The biggest drawback to the display is its graininess despite the excellent colors and bright backlight. When compared to the sharper screens on consumer tablets or laptops, the touchscreen on the Latitude 7230 Rugged is under thicker layers of glass and protection which ultimately impacts image quality. For the target audience, however, super-crisp pictures are usually not a priority.
|
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 1326.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 1561:1 (Black: 0.85 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.06 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2, calibrated: 0.71
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
68.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Sharp LQ120N1, IPS, 1920x1200, 12.00 | Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme Sharp LQ133M1, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Panasonic Toughbook 40 InfoVision M140NWF5 R3, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Getac B360 AU Optronics AUO572D, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 XR140EA6T, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Durabook S14I KD140N0730A01, TN, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 1% | -45% | -24% | -4% | -33% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 66.2 | 67.1 1% | 35.8 -46% | 51.3 -23% | 63.5 -4% | 43.55 -34% |
sRGB Coverage | 96.1 | 98.2 2% | 53.8 -44% | 72 -25% | 91.9 -4% | 65.4 -32% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 68.4 | 69 1% | 37 -46% | 52.2 -24% | 65.5 -4% | 45 -34% |
Response Times | -141% | -60% | -58% | -89% | 16% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 28.4 ? | 74.4 ? -162% | 50.4 ? -77% | 33 ? -16% | 56 ? -97% | 30.4 ? -7% |
Response Time Black / White * | 19.4 ? | 42.4 ? -119% | 27.6 ? -42% | 38.8 ? -100% | 35.2 ? -81% | 11.8 ? 39% |
PWM Frequency | 694.4 ? | 870 ? | 1000 ? | 304.9 ? | ||
Screen | -16% | -118% | -216% | -154% | -348% | |
Brightness middle | 1326.7 | 1414.1 7% | 1284.3 -3% | 1505.6 13% | 487.8 -63% | 1180.7 -11% |
Brightness | 1193 | 1282 7% | 1289 8% | 1383 16% | 464 -61% | 1102 -8% |
Brightness Distribution | 82 | 84 2% | 82 0% | 86 5% | 89 9% | 89 9% |
Black Level * | 0.85 | 0.83 2% | 0.89 -5% | 0.95 -12% | 0.48 44% | 1.91 -125% |
Contrast | 1561 | 1704 9% | 1443 -8% | 1585 2% | 1016 -35% | 618 -60% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.06 | 1.99 -88% | 4.67 -341% | 9.81 -825% | 6.51 -514% | 13.45 -1169% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.78 | 3.75 1% | 19.85 -425% | 16.64 -340% | 11.36 -201% | 22.52 -496% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.71 | 0.72 -1% | 2.21 -211% | 1.44 -103% | 1.77 -149% | 3.19 -349% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 2.8 -87% | 2.7 -80% | 12 -700% | 7.8 -420% | 15.4 -927% |
Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.06 107% | 1.97 112% | 1.98 111% | 2.28 96% | 1.97 112% |
CCT | 6804 96% | 6775 96% | 6222 104% | 4838 134% | 8102 80% | 21134 31% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 41.6 | |||||
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 65.5 | |||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -52% /
-30% | -74% /
-94% | -99% /
-152% | -82% /
-113% | -122% /
-229% |
* ... smaller is better
The display is well-calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color deltaE values of just 1.5 and 1.06, respectively. Attempting to calibrate it further ourselves with an X-Rite colorimeter would not significantly improve accuracy and so an end-user calibration is not necessary.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
19.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 9.7 ms rise | |
↘ 9.7 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
28.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 13.8 ms rise | |
↘ 14.6 ms fall | ||
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18925 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Outdoor visibility is excellent as the display is well over 1000 nits or over two times brighter than the typical consumer tablet or laptop. Some glare and washed out colors still occur, however, and so direct sunlight should be avoided whenever possible to maximize image quality.
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Ultra Performance mode via the pre-installed Dell Optimizer software prior to running any benchmarks below. Users should become accustomed to Optimizer as it controls key aspects of the model including power profiles, audio, microphone, and wireless connectivity.
Dell Presence Detection is not supported on the model.
Processor — As Fast As The Core i7-1260U
CPU performance is excellent especially after the underwhelming Core i7-1260U that we experienced on the Latitude 7330. Multi-thread performance is significantly faster than the popular Core i7-1165G7 or i7-1185G7 that powered most Ultrabooks and rugged devices of yesteryear.
Perhaps the most important aspect to keep in mind when choosing between the Core i5-1240U or Core i7-1260U is that the raw processor performances between them are nearly identical. Instead, they differ mostly in integrated graphics performance. If you need the additional GPU power, then the Core i7 option would be best. Otherwise, both processors are neck-to-neck when it comes to single- and multi-threaded CPU workloads.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
Blender | |
v3.3 Classroom HIP/AMD | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G3 AMD 21J6S05000 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G3 AMD 21J6S05000 | |
v3.3 Classroom OPTIX/RTX | |
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
v3.3 Classroom CUDA | |
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
HP ProBook 440 G9-5Y3Z3EA | |
HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9-6B8A2EA | |
HP EliteBook 840 G9 | |
Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5602FBN | |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G3 AMD 21J6S05000 |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Getac B360 |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Getac B360 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Getac B360 |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Getac B360 | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Getac B360 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Getac B360 |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Getac B360 |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I |
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
CrossMark / Overall | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |
PCMark 10 Score | 4868 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Getac B360 | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Durabook S14I |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Average Intel Core i5-1240U | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Getac B360 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Durabook S14I | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 | |
Getac B360 | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our test unit ships with a removable WD PC SN740 PCIe4 x4 NVMe SSD for sequential transfer rates of up to 4800 MB/s. Maximum performance is not sustainable, however, as transfer rates would throttle to as low as 2300 MB/s after just a few minutes as shown by the graph below.
Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme | |
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme | |
Acer Enduro Urban N3 EUN314 | |
Getac B360 | |
Durabook S14I | |
Panasonic Toughbook 40 |