Dell Pro 14 Premium Review: High-End Performance Meets Executive Style

The Dell Pro 14 Premium combines powerful Intel Lunar Lake CPUs, vibrant OLED displays, and premium design.

Aimed at business executives and professionals on the go, the Pro 14 Premium is powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake processors. It features an integrated eight-core CPU, split evenly between four Performance and four Efficient cores, alongside an Intel Arc GPU and a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) — all within a single chip. The lineup begins with the Core Ultra 5 236V and extends to the top-end Core Ultra 7 268V. These CPUs are complemented by Intel’s latest BE201 wireless card, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

The integrated memory is available in 16GB or 32GB, while storage options range from 256GB to 1TB. Configurable models offer additional features, including 5G cellular connectivity, a fingerprint reader, and a choice between 40Wh and 60Wh batteries. Three display options are available, starting with an FHD+ non-touch IPS panel, alongside a QHD+ Tandem OLED variant, which will be detailed later. A three-year warranty comes standard.

The Pro 14 Premium starts at $1,799, with well-equipped models ranging from $2,300 to $2,600. Please note that these are the single-unit prices from Dell.com; most Dell business products are typically purchased through channel partners.

Dell Pro 14 Premium Design and Connectivity

The Pro 14 Premium occupies the same tier as the outgoing Latitude 9000 series, serving as Dell’s flagship 14-inch business laptop. Constructed from 90% recycled magnesium, it weighs 2.52 pounds in its lightest configuration (likely with the smallest battery). With dimensions of 0.67 x 8.53 x 12.25 inches, its footprint closely matches its 14-inch display and is similarly sized to the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition (0.68 x 12.28 x 8.36 inches, 2.8 pounds).

Dell’s build quality is exemplary, feeling solid and showing no flex or creaks, regardless of how it’s handled. It looks understated yet professional, as we expect from a C-suite business laptop. Many design highlights stand out, including rounded chassis corners and a glass display surface. Opening the lid one-handed is effortless.

The Pro 14 Premium offers a versatile port selection, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one on each side, allowing power input from either direction. It also features a USB Type-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an HDMI 2.1 output for high-resolution video. Additionally, the right edge houses a wedge-shaped cable lock slot for added security.

Dell Pro 14 Premium Screen and Usability

The display is a standout feature of the Dell Pro 14 Premium. Dubbed a Tandem OLED, it combines two OLED panels to enhance brightness and color while remaining lighter and more power-efficient than a traditional single OLED setup, according to Dell. The visual impact is undeniable, even though we didn’t dissect the laptop’s lid. The colors seem incredibly vibrant, and the screen can feel almost too bright in a dark room.

The QHD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution yields a 16:10 aspect ratio. The text is too small at 100% scaling, but it looked fine at 150% scaling to my eyes. Touch is supported. There’s also an excellent 8MP webcam, with a sliding privacy shutter, over the display.

The keyboard is one way Dell elevates the Premium tier over the Plus tier. The Pro 14 Premium features Dell’s iconic “zero lattice” keyboard, featuring extra-large keys and minimal spacing between them. It looks modern and suits the premium nature of this laptop, featuring bright mini-LED backlighting and a well-sized typeface. The tactile feedback could be stronger – the keys require almost too light of a touch – but typing for extended periods was comfortable. The power button at the top right doubles as a fingerprint reader.

Unlike some of Dell’s premium models, this laptop features visible borders around its touchpad. Instead of traditional physical movement, it employs haptic feedback for clicks, delivering a convincing tactile response. Dell has also introduced collaboration-focused innovations, with supported apps like Zoom automatically illuminating webcam, screen share, chat, and microphone controls along the top of the pad. The color-coded webcam and microphone buttons provide a clear visual cue for their status.

While this laptop isn’t intended for entertainment, it’s certainly capable, thanks to its quad speakers, two of which face upward from either side of the keyboard, and two that fire under the chassis.

Dell Pro 14 Premium Upgradeability

The Pro 14 Premium has very limited upgradeability. Changeable components include the storage drive and battery, which are accessible through the bottom panel secured by several Philips-head screws.

The M.2 2242 format SSD sits next to the right fan. Note the use of dual cooling fans, which improves airflow and heat dissipation.

Need Additional Port Options?

Laptops never seem to have an adequate number of ports. Therefore, when using a Dell Pro 14 Premium laptop or almost any laptop, users may need access to additional ports beyond what is included. The Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock pairs well with Dell laptops, such as the Dell Pro 14 Premium. Offering excellent expansion capabilities, this dock helps users do it all. It supports up to four monitors at 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. Additionally, for Dell products, it can deliver up to 130W of power, more than enough to charge all your essential devices.

The Dell Pro Thunderbolt 4 Smart Dock features a baker’s dozen (13) useful ports. It features four USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports with PowerShare, one located on the front and three on the back. A USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port is also on the front for easy access. For display options, it offers one HDMI 2.1 port and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports for multi-monitor setups. For additional connectivity, there’s a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2/DisplayPort 1.4 combo port along with two Thunderbolt 4 ports. To connect all your devices to the internet, the dock features a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port. There is also a Power Input port.

This dock helps users achieve increased productivity when combined with Dell business laptops, available at a price point of $359.99.

Dell Pro 14 Premium Performance Tests

Dell sent us a Pro 14 Premium configured as follows:

• Intel Core Ultra 7 268V w/ 32GB RAM, Intel vPro Enterprise
• Intel Arc 140V integrated GPU
• 1TB SSD
• 14-inch tandem OLED display (2560 x 1600)

This model costs approximately $2,500, based on the single-unit prices listed on Dell.com.

Our comparison system is the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition, which features a Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB of RAM, Intel Arc 130V integrated graphics, and a 256GB SSD.

Blender OptiX

Blender is an open-source 3D modeling application. This benchmark was run using the Blender Benchmark utility. The score is measured in samples per minute, with higher values being better. We run this test on both the CPU and GPU. Dell’s Core Ultra 7 CPU posted stronger numbers across the board. Notably, the Core Ultra 7 has a slightly stronger integrated GPU than the ThinkPad’s Core Ultra 5.

7-Zip Compression

We have also started running 7-Zip’s built-in memory benchmark on laptops. The Dell proved slightly stronger than the ThinkPad, again likely because it uses the Core Ultra 7.

BlackMagic RAW Speed Test

We also run the BlackMagic RAW speed test to evaluate video playback performance. The upgraded integrated graphics in the Dell’s Core Ultra 7 CPU likely helped it win over the ThinkPad here.

BlackMagic Disk Speed Test

We also ran the Blackmagic disk speed test on the laptop’s main storage drive, which showed decent performance for an OEM Gen4 drive.

y-cruncher

y-cruncher is a multi-threaded and scalable program that can compute Pi and other mathematical constants to trillions of digits. Since its launch in 2009, it has become a popular benchmarking and stress-testing application for overclockers and hardware enthusiasts. We only ran the 2.5 billion digits test on the Dell.

Geekbench 6

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures overall system performance. You can find comparisons to any system you want in the Geekbench Browser.

Cinebench R23

This benchmark uses all CPU cores and threads to generate an overall score. The Dell showed substantially better performance than the ThinkPad, indicating that it may have more stable thermal performance in long-running applications.

Cinebench 2024

We also started running the latest Cinebench test. Again, we see the Dell showing significantly better performance than the ThinkPad.

UL Procyon AI Inference

UL’s Procyon estimates AI performance in professional apps. As we observed in the other tests, the Dell is slightly ahead in every scenario.

PCMark 10

We run the PCMark 10 productivity suite to gauge overall performance. The Pro’s point score of 7,175 is indicative of solid everyday performance for office applications.

PCMark 10 Battery Test – Modern Office

To measure the battery life of the Dell Pro 14 Premium, we lowered the screen brightness to 50% and applied the balanced power profile. In this test, the Pro 14 Premium stayed on for 13 hours and 55 minutes before shutting down with 6% battery remaining.

Conclusion

The Dell Pro 14 Premium stands out as a top contender in the high-end business laptop space. Designed with the C-suite in mind, this impressively portable model pairs robust performance and all-day battery life. Its zero-lattice keyboard and vibrant tandem OLED display give it a distinct edge over mainstream models. While its premium pricing reflects its status, volume discounts through business channels can ease the cost. All told, the Pro 14 Premium is a compelling alternative to Lenovo’s ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition.

Dell Pro 14 Premium Configurator

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