Unlike most notebooks, the 14 Rugged Extreme doesn't have any removable doors in its bottom plate to provide access to RAM memory and internal expansion slots. So if you want to replace memory or one of the PCIe modules, or if maintenance becomes necessary, you have to take the entire bottom plate off.

While on the smaller Dell 12 Rugged Extreme, this operation requires first removing the four rear corner bumpers that are attached to the unit with two Philips screws each, that's not necessary on the larger 14-inch model.

The front and rear bumpers, by the way, are of different size. All four are black rubber over a black plastic base and easily replaceable should they get damaged. On the smaller 12-inch model the bumper anchors also house metal inserts with a hole in them for anchoring carry straps and handles. The 14-inch model doesn't have those as there is an integrated carry handle.

The important seal between the bottom plate and the main housing is a metal lip on the housing that presses into a poured-on dense gray foam seal sitting in a channel on the bottom plate (see detail to the right). The seal is not easily replaceable; if it gets damaged it must be removed and a new one installed (or poured?) in its place. The bottom plate serves additional purposes. One is to act as a heat sink for the unit's dual RAM modules as well as electronics on the unit's CPU daughterboard.

In our discussions with the Dell Rugged people we learned that despite the not insignificant difference in external size, the 12 and 14 inch models use the same motherboard. That's readily apparent once the bottom plate is off, but that doesn't mean the insides of the two machines are identical. The 12-inch model is a smaller convertible design whereas the 14-inch device is a conventional laptop. That means many components are of different side or are located in different places.

Even though the internal layout is quite complex, components such as RAM memory, WiFi (ours had an Intel Intel Dual Band Wireless AC 7260, Model 7260NGW half-card), GPS, and other wireless modules, as well as the various antenna blocks, are easily accessible. The modularity, of course, is in Dell's DNA, the result of decades of offering almost an almost infinite number of permutations of options available right on Dell's website. So almost any feature for which there might be alternatives, or of which a customer might want more or less is not on the motherboard, but designed as modules.

One thing that's immediately obvious is that there is a fan. Weren't ultra-low voltage processors supposed to be able to operate without fans in notebook computer designs with their relatively large mass that could be used as a heat sink to dispose of the heat generated by electronic components?

In the past that was possible under certain circumstances. Processor performance was much lower and there was no Intel "turbo" mode that allowed the processor to briefly run at higher than the base clock frequency as long as temperatures didn't exceed certain levels. Turbo mode is a great Intel feature, but it can turn into a problem in rugged machines. When a machine gets too hot out there in the desert and there is no active cooling, performance will drop, and without proper cooling it may drop to unacceptable levels. That's why Dell chose to use a fan in their Rugged Extreme models. This way, performance will not drop, no matter what.

The image above, left side, shows Dell's elegant, efficient thermal solution. A short copper heat pipe removes the heat generated by the processor into the heat exchanger which, in turn, is cooled by the fan. Above right is the optional discrete GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that sits on its own modular board. This means that Dell can easily configure a laptop with a discrete add-on graphics card.

People unfamiliar with sealed rugged design practices may look at the fan intake grill in the bottom plate with alarm, as it looks like liquids could go right into the inside of the machine. That's not the case, though, as the fan is physically outside of the sealed inner part of the housing. The bottom plate also has cutouts for a) the surface mount docking contact block, and b) three sealed external antenna pass-throughs.

One thing that's missing from the innards of the Rugged 14 Extreme is a conventional hard disk bay. Dell decided that for rugged machines rotating hard disks are too damage-prone and that solid state storage is the way to go. SSD is much more compact, much more immune to shock and vibration, quicker and can also handle wider operating temperature ranges.

There is, however, a bit more space available inside the larger 14-inch machine, and so Dell used a Plextor-sourced M6S SATA 2.5-inch solid state drive instead of the mSATA SSD module used in the smaller 12-inch model (we saw no noticeable performance difference between the two). The solid state disk is mounted in its own brushed aluminum caddy. And since there are enterprises and government agencies that mandate quick external removal of whatever mass storage media is used, the Dell's SSD can be removed within a few seconds.

Overall, the interior of the Dell 14 Rugged Extreme reveals careful planning and impressive execution. Note, for example, how some of the antenna wires have their own dedicated plastic guides. That sort of detail adds expense, but also means the wires will never get crimped, adding to reliability.

But, regardless of size or sharpness, providing the right display for a system that's being used outdoors is much more difficult than for one that's mostly used indoors in an office or at home. That's because we now have incredibly sharp, photorealistic-grade displays for indoor use, displays that one can't imagine getting much better. But outdoors is a totally different story.

That's because a) it's much brighter outdoors, with even the brightest display not being a match for sunlight, and b) because there are all sorts of reflections that can quickly make a display unreadable.

With regard to LCD outdoor viewability, Dell has been a pioneer. As far back as 2007, Dell gave the ATG a display that had its screen cover optically bonded to the LCD, thus eliminating the reflections from the LCD surface, eliminating the need to AR-coat the bottom of the screen cover, and eliminating the air gap. The methods Dell applied reduced overall reflectivity and resulted in a very good effective contrast ratio. At the time, we termed it "definitely readable in sunlight." That was rare back then.

Time doesn't stand still though, and good outdoor-viewable displays are now available from all of the major rugged laptop vendors. Some are offering very high screen brightness of up to 1,500 nits, and optical treatments are continually refined. Dell describes the 14 Rugged Extreme's "Direct-View" screen as "designed to reduce reflections, preserve contrast and conserve battery life."

In an article entitled "What Really Makes A Mobile Device Screen Readable Outdoors?" Dell Rugged Mobility Marketing Director Patrick Seidensticker reiterated Dell's thought process that led them to concentrate on reducing reflected light as opposed to using battery-draining super-bright backlights. That means reducing the number of layers as each surface reflects sunlight back at the user, or bonding layers together to eliminate surfaces. And it also means using anti-reflective (AR) and anti-glare (AG) coatings. These two measures combined make for impressive outdoor viewability even without a strong backlight.

How well did all this work in the 14 Rugged Extreme display whose display is probably at a luminance of about 500 nits? For illustration, the picture below shows the laptop outside in a bright late summer mid-day.

The picture on the left was taken under open sky but away from direct sunlight. Here, the image retains plenty of color, contrast and brightness. The image on the right shows the big Dell in direct sunlight, facing the sun. The image is much more muted but remains clearly visible. Also impressive is how the Dell Direct-View handles reflections that can totally ruin the outdoor viewing experience on most consumer laptops.

The picture below shows the 14 Rugged Extreme in open outdoor space, facing up at the sky in direct, bright sunlight. Here again the image remains amazingly vibrant.

What impressed us was how well the Dell display controls reflections, given that its surface is glossy rather than matte. The key here is that Dell's surface treatment mutes reflections and takes the edge off them. It's a subtle effect, but one that makes a significant difference in outdoor use where harsh reflections can make a display unreadable whereas the human brain can handle soft reflections and automatically correct for them.

The picture below illustrates the difference between hard and soft reflections. On the right is the Dell display, on the left sits an Apple iPad Air 2.

Here at RuggedPCReview we've also been preaching the utmost importance of wide viewing angles in mobile computing technology for years. Outdoors and on the move, it just makes no sense to have a display where the screen becomes unreadable or shifts colors when you look at it from an angle. That's crucial for tablets because users tend to look at them from constantly varying angles. It's somewhat less crucial with laptops because those generally sit in front of the user and the display is viewed at a steady angle.

As is, 14 Rugged Extreme display offers very wide viewing angles from all sides, with virtually none of the image degradations that can mar the display as the viewing angle deviates from head-on. There is, however, a fairly distinct yellow hue when looking at the display from the top or bottom, and to a lesser extent from extreme side angles.

The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme can be ordered with an optional integrated FHD video front webcam with a privacy shutter, but not the 8MP rear camera with LED flash that's available on the smaller 12-inch convertible. Our eval unit had webcam option, and also came with the Dell Webcam Central app that's quite impressive and far better than most such included vidcam apps. Brightness, color, backlight and gamma can be set. There are mirror image and blur control functions, as well as panning and zooming, and even adjustable face tracking.

As is, the user-facing "privacy shutter" is a clever low-tech solution to guard against inadvertent snooping. You simply slide the camera window over so the lens is covered.

We did take a few test stills that all came out in 1280 x 720 resolution of good quality. Test video also recorded in full 1280 x 720 HD. The video was of good quality and the camera never sputtered, fell behind, or spent too much time hunting for focus. The app even offered .AVI to WMV conversion. Overall, Dell's Webcam Central is impressive and completely suitable for professional video conferencing.

Truly Rugged Extreme

The "Rugged Extreme" designation alone leaves no doubt what Dell had in mind with this machine. And with its capabilities being part of its very name, Dell's big, tough laptop better live up to it, because no one will expect anything less.

When the Rugged Extreme computers were first introduced at a Dell media event in San Francisco, attending press wondered why there were safety goggles on every chair, and what that big block of concrete on the podium was all about.

Well, upon being asked to put the goggles on, the presenter proceeded to pound the block of concrete with a sledgehammer until it broke and revealed a Dell 14 Rugged Extreme inside. That was quite a stunt, but the super-tough Dell was none the worse for wear and booted right up.

But how tough and rugged is the 14 Rugged Extreme in terms of traditional ruggedness specifications? As has been its practice in recent years, Dell supplies a full summary of independent environmental testing right on its website. That is laudable.

Testing was conducted by SGS US and SGD Taiwan, SGS being one of the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification companies. Additional testing was done by the Taiwan and China locations of UL, a global independent safety science company (view the summary of Dell's independent environment testing).

Among pertinent test results are an operating temperature range of -20 to 145F (-29 to 63C), plenty wide enough for virtually any deployment.

Ingress protection is at the IP65 level, where the "6" means the device is totally dust-proof, and the "5" that it can also handle low pressure water jets from all directions, albeit with "limited ingress permitted." Testing here was augmented by MIL-STD-810G, Method 506.5 Procedure I (Blowing Rain), with about 6 inches per hour of blowing rain with a 70 mph wind source for 30 minutes on each surface while the device was operating.

Drop tests were conducted in accordance with MIL-STD-810G, Method 516.6, Procedure IV procedures. Closed and not operating, the unit survived 26 drops from 72 inches. The maximum height tested while open and operating was 36 inches, with 26 drops and all testing with the same unit. That's very impressive for a big laptop, as weight is always the enemy in drop tests. For tablets we like to see the ability to survive 4-foot drops while open and operating, because that is the height at which a laptop might be held while in a standing position. For a rugged laptop 36 inches is entirely suitable as that's higher than almost any desk surface.

Overall testing is comprehensive and what we would expect. And the testing data is easily accessible, something we had suggested in earlier reviews of rugged Dell gear. Dell literature has also switched from simply using impressive-sounding Dell trademark terms to describing in plain language what the machine can handle. There's still some room for improvement in explaining everything so that it is completely clear what goes and what doesn't, but Dell has come a very long way.

There are a couple of things we'd like to see improved. One is the soft foam rubber sealer used on ports and in other parts of the device. It is prone to tearing and doesn't always stick as well as it should. The other is the primary seal on the bottom plate. We'd much rather see a replaceable one.

The Dell 14 Rugged Extreme is clearly just that, extremely rugged. That's not an easy thing to accomplish when what is protected against the elements is an incredibly complex mechanical and electronic device whose heart operates in tolerances of nanometers. It's even more difficult when that device must not only be very well protected, but still exude style, class and elegance. And be reasonably affordable. Dell did pull all of that off.

Summary: The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme notebook

The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is for those who a) need a tough, full-size notebook that is much more resistant to damage than anything available commercially, and b) prefer one-stop shopping with a world-leading provider of commercial PCs with large scale production experience and extensive support.

What sets Dell's rugged notebook apart is the DNA it shares with the company's Latitude line of business laptops that have been produced in large volume for many years. This means the kind of experience and maturity that makes problems and bugs far less likely than on low-volume production runs.

The 14 Rugged Extreme's 14-inch 1366 x 766 pixel display is bright and offers excellent reflection control, making it easy to use outdoors and even in bright sunlight. It uses conventional resistive touch, which is immune to liquids. The excellent full-scale keyboard is cleanly designed and very ergonomic.

As is expected from a large laptop, there's plenty of onboard connectivity, including standard-size USB, VGA, HDMI, LAN and native serial ports. There's also an optical drive, and the big Dell can be configured with a variety of card readers.

Processing power is provided by a choice of ultra-low voltage Intel 4th generation Core CPUs that combine very good performance with excellent power management, making full shift operation without battery recharging possible. Note that the offered processor choices provide different strengths and qualities, and match them to intended deployment. And for those with special graphics performance requirements, a discrete GPU option is available.

As the name implies, this is a very rugged device designed to hold up to extreme conditions in the field. All ports have protective doors, there are thick bumpers, the construction makes heavy use of structural magnesium, and Dell provides comprehensive ruggedness testing data.

Overall, the Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is a well designed and thoroughly practical rugged notebook solution with contemporary performance, excellent connectivity, and full suitability for use under the most challenging field conditions. Existing Dell XFR customers will find in the Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme a machine that's not only somewhat lighter without compromising on ruggedness, but also one that offers significantly better battery life while still outperforming its predecessor.– Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, September 2015

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Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme Specifications Added/changed Added 04/2014, full review 09/2015 Type Fully rugged notebook CPU Core i3-4010U, 3MB Cache Core i5-4300U, 3MB Cache Core i7-4650U, 4MB Cache OS i3-4010U, 1.7GHz i5-4300U, 1.9GHz/2.9GHz i7-4650U, 1.7GHz/3.3GHz Chipset Intel Mobile Lynx Point Graphics i3-4010U: Intel 4400 i5-4300U: Intel 4400 i7-4650U: Intel 5000 Opt. Nvidia GeForce GT 720M Memory Up to 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz in 2 DIMM slots Display "Direct-View" outdoor-readable, LED backlight, protective front glass Display size and resolution 14.0-inch/1366 x 768 pixel 16:9 Digitizer/Pens Resistive 5-point multi-touch Keyboard 100%-scale 82-key RGB backlit, opt. rubberized RGB backlit kbd. Storage 128GB, 256GB or 512GB 2.5-inch Solid State Drive, optional 256GB 2.5-inch SED SSD Multimedia Pocket Yes, optical drive Slots 1 ExpressCard 54 or PC Card, memory card reader (choosing either replaces a USB 3.0 port) Housing Impact-resistant polymers and magnesium alloy Temperature -20° to 145°F (-29° to 63°C) Humidity MIL-STD-810G, Method 507.5, Procedure II Vehicle vibration ASTM D4169-04 (99), Schedule E, Truck Assurance Level II Salt Fog MIL-STD-810G, Method 509.5, Procedure I (optional) Enclosure Class IP65 Altitude MIL-STD-810G, Method 500.5, Procedure II (15,000 feet operating) Shock: Transit Drop MIL-STD-810G transit drop (72/60/48"); 3-foot operating drop Certifications See test report here (PDF). Size (inches) 14.0 x 9.7 x 2.0 inches (356 x 247 x 52 mm) Weight Starting at 7.8 lbs. (3.54 kg) with 6-cell battery Power 6-cell 65Wh Li-Ion or 9-cell 11.1V/8,550mAh/97Wh ("up to 14 hrs"), optional 6-cell 58Wh or 9-cell 87Wh long-life cycle Li-Ion Cameras Optional: FHD video front webcam with privacy shutter Communication Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 with Bluetooth 4.0; opt. Dell Wireless 5808E Gobi 5000 4G LTE/A-GPS or Dell Wireless 5570E HSPA+/A-GPS Interface 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x RS232 (native), 2 x gigabit RJ-45, VGA, HDMI, audio in/out, pogo-pin dock Price Starting at around US$3,600 Website Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme web page Ruggedness results Dell Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme environmental testing report Brochure Dell Latitude Rugged Extreme brochure Spec sheet Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme spec sheet Warranty Standard 3-year next business day on-site service after remote diagnosis. Optional 3-year premium support with 24x7 global availability.